Upcoming Overseas Dive Trips

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• BVI Aggressor - 2024

  • Start
    May 11, 2024
  • End
    May 18, 2024
  • Location
    Belize Aggressor IV

  May 11-18, 2024

  DEMA Special - $3,300/3,500

  1 single spot remains - male

                            https://www.aggressor.com/destination/British-Virgin-Islands

  

  Come join fellow Under Sea Adventurers on a fabulous journey to the beautiful British Virgin Islands. While aboard the BVI Aggressor, you will have the opportunity to dive 5 times a day.

  Awake to a delicious breakfast.   Then it’s down to the dive deck for the first dive of the day.  After a surface interval, including a snack, it’s time for dive number 2.  When you surface, lunch will be ready. Then….you guessed it, dive number 3.  Now, here comes another snack and surface interval before you get ready for dive number 4.  Dinner is served with beer or wine, so if you are planning for the night dive - soft drinks are on the menu.

  The BVI Aggressor is a 110’ yacht with a 25-foot beam. Built and powered for comfort, safety and stability, she is diesel-powered, cruises at 10 knots and has 110-volt power onboard. Accommodations include two balcony suites, five deluxe staterooms, each having two single beds or a king, and three twin staterooms, each with two single beds, all side by side. All staterooms have climate controls, TV’s and private bathrooms.

  The BVI Aggressor  sleeps 20 guests in privacy and comfort. She features a roomy, air conditioned salon and dining area, sun deck complete with a hot tub, lounge and deck chairs, an outdoor sound system, shaded cocktail deck, grill, and a photo editing computer for guests to use. Built in 2018 and maintained to the specifications of the local regulatory agencies and the regulations of the country of the flag

  

  Diving amenities include camera table with low-pressure air hoses, and two hot, freshwater showers. The BVI Aggressor staterooms each have a safe aboard to store valuables such as passports, cash, credit cards or anything else you would like to store.

  The menu onboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of American feasts, barbecues and local cuisine.  If you have any special dietary requirements, please be sure these are noted when completing the GIS (guest information sheet).  You will awaken to fresh fruits, hot entrees, cereals and juices. Lunches feature hot soups, homemade breads, salads and sandwiches and/or entrees.  Dinners are chef-prepared and served each evening and include salads, vegetables, seafood, beef or chicken with a fresh homemade dessert. Once onboard, please speak to the chef about any special needs.  Certain special dietary and beverage requests may not be available due to the remote nature of this location.

  

  The Aggressor’s beverage selection includes fruit juices, soft drinks, iced water, iced tea, coffee, and a limited selection of local beer and wine, which are complimentary.  Due to the high duty charged on liquor, we suggest you bring your special brand. Drinking and diving do not mix.  Once you consume alcohol, you become a sunbather until the next day.

  Their website if full of useful information.  You are able to see the cabins, lounge, dive deck, hot tub and a variety of other interesting ship features.

  Please come and join me, and 20 fellow USA divers, on an unforgettable adventure to the beautiful clear blue water of the gorgeous BVI Islands. As always, please contact me with any comments, questions or concerns.

  The Aggressor’s beverage selection includes fruit juices, soft drinks, iced water, iced tea, coffee, and a limited selection of local beer and wine, which are complimentary.  Due to the high duty charged on liquor, we suggest you bring your special brand. Drinking and diving do not mix.  Once you consume alcohol, you become a sunbather until the next day.

  Please come and join me, and 20 fellow USA divers, on an unforgettable adventure to the beautiful clear blue water of the gorgeous BVI Islands. As always, please contact me with any comments, questions or concerns.

  

  Not included:

  • Airfare: Club will arrange groups tickets from MIA on AA – or you can buy your own.
  • Port fee: $95; Unlimited Nitrox: $100 for the week; Fuel surcharge $150
  • Friday night dinner: In town…

  It’s always wise to purchase travel insurance for any trip. Here are a few links you can use if interested:

  • https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/ - a National geographic favorite
  • https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/travel/ a diver’s favorite
  • http://www.mhross.com/ our agent’s favorite

  • PS: Covid-19 specific requirements not yet published

  Looking forward to having you aboard, Ronnie Farr, Trip Leader: treasurer@usadiveclub.org

  Click here for the full trip description
  

  Click here for the signup form.

  
  

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• Little Cayman Beach Resort

  • Start
    July 06, 2024
  • End
    July 13, 2024
  • Location
    Little Cayman Beach Resort

  LITTLE CAYMAN! - Pre-announcement

  2024, July 6 – 13!

  DEMA Special: 5 Free Afternoon Dives

  

  At This time, we are still waiting for the airfare to be confirmed - Stand by

  Spend a relaxing week at the premier, deluxe, full-service resort(s) on Little Cayman Island.  We have been there multiple times, and we’re going back again after four years away.  Rated as the number one destination in the Caribbean for wall diving, number two for favorite reef diving, the sea life and underwater photography, the dive sites, water temps and visibility are outstanding, never to be forgotten by those who have experienced them.  For those of you who have not experienced the diving at Little Cayman, it’s everything you can dream about, dramatic vistas, amazing photo opportunities/views, wildlife that must be seen to be believed (like the friendly groupers that follow you like a puppy everywhere)!
  

  Divers don’t have to lug gear every day from their rooms or even onto the boat. Your gear will be collected once you arrive and stored at the shop next to the dock. You set up your gear the first day on the boat and after that, the Reef Diver crew set up your gear and change your tanks for you. You need only to stroll down the dock, jump on a boat (the large, comfortable, covered boats!) and go diving. The four boats are 42 to 46 ft long and 16 ft. wide and have freshwater showers and restrooms.  Rinse tanks and a drying room are on the dock for mask, fins and wet suits.

  Chris Hardham will be your trip leader (president@usadiveclub.org).  The trip starts at Miami airport, flying Cayman Airways international economy class to the islands, then catching their domestic travel propeller flight to Little Cayman. Check https://www.caymanairways.com/baggage-policy for baggage fees.

  Once there, we dive, eat, relax, and just generally have a fantastic time for the whole week!  There is a pool, wi-fi, beach chairs and hammocks, and you can rent kayaks, sailboats, and paddleboards as well.  All diving and dining will be done at the Little Cayman Beach Resort.

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• Solomon Islands - Bilikiki liveaboard

  • Start
    July 24, 2024
  • End
    August 03, 2024
  • Location
    Solomon Islands

  Solomon Islands - 

  Rescheduling Done - spots available 

  Nils needs your input - please
  

  Bilikiki Liveaboard – Jul 24 - August 3, 2024
  

  The Solomon Islands is an interesting tropical destination inside the Triangle of Diversity. Biodiversity example – they have 50 species of seahorses. Solomon is located south of Equator, closer to PNG than to Fiji. The latitude is very similar to Micronesia. This is in more ways than one a “trip of a lifetime” Our club in our 50 year history has never been there. And if you look at a list of places that might not be here in another 100 years due to sea level raising Solomon is on top of that list! Solomon Islands are the third largest group of islands in the Pacific. We are going there in the dry season – for visibility. This is the 4^th dates for this trip – at long last the Solomons are open post Covid-19

  Solomon Islands have half a million citizen – only 1-2% speaks English. Many of them “don’t care for cash” – as it is a two-day canoe trip to get to a place to spend money!

  The diving is diverse: Plenty of soft coral like Fiji and PNG, hard coral like Kosrae and Kadavu (Fiji), big animals: Mantas, Sharks, Bump head Parrotfish, Napoleons, Turtles, Cuddle Fish, gigantic schools of Jack and Barracudas. There is also plenty of small stuff: Ghost Pipefish, Nudibranchs, and Pygmy Seahorses and of course “

  There are two lagoons Marovo Lagoon and “Ironbottom Sound” with 90 ship wrecks from World War II – similar to Truck Lagoon – but smaller and less visited.

  Getting there: Just like Fiji – with a “puddle jump” at the end. We start from home on Sunday 7/21 from FLL (or MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) and continue later the same day to Nadi, Fiji, and on to Solomon the next day*. Airfare is not included at this time – too early to quote. Business upgrade is available – but expensive. We spend a day in Raffles airport hotel. We fly to Solomon early afternoon and board the boat around 4 pm. We have 10 nights on the boat with 8 ½ days of diving. We fly out Saturday afternoon; connect via Nadi, back in LAX at noon – also Saturday, overnight in an airport hotel and fly back - next morning - to avoid the Red-Eye option and back in S Florida Sunday. See below for other travelling options/extensions*

  Details – Bilikiki is the oldest and most experienced live aboard in Solomon with the most experienced sailors…

  • 10 nights on the boat – double occupancy
  • 8 full days of diving, morning dives last day – night dives when conditions allow
  • All taxes and tips included
  • All ground transfers                                  

  Not Included:

  • Airfare: LAX-NAD(Fiji)-HIR(Solomon) (Solomon-PNG) [ticketing window is now open - and the PNG extension is at risk of selling out fast]
  • Raffles(Fiji) one night needed [PS: not needed if you include a land based Fiji stop]
  • Nitrox
  • Fuel surcharge? (being checked)
  • Airfare MIA<->LAX

  
  

  Use this schedule for new signups only – if you did sign up for the 2021/22 dates and made payments – I will give you a customized/personal payment schedule

  At this time all sign ups are on first come basis. – Spots are not guaranteed (the boat is allowed to sell to other divers) – please send your sign-up form and deposit ASAP…

  As always, when you sign up for a trip, please consider trip insurance. I have a detailed write-up on insurance principles that I can share if needed?

  Links:

  https://www.bilikiki.com/ at the bottom of the homepage – there is a sign up for their Newsletter. Be sure to check out the picture gallery

  
  

  Solomon Islands Tourist site https://www.visitsolomons.com.sb/

  
  

  https://xray-mag.com/pdfs/xray14/X-Ray14_iBook.pdf

  Download the full magazine (iPad format) or at least section (pg 85-93)

  
  

  https://xray-mag.com/pdfs/xray33/X-Ray33_iBook_locked.pdf

  Download the full magazine (iPad format) or at least section (pg 22-35)

  
  

  https://xray-mag.com/pdfs/xray58/X-Ray58_iBook_locked.pdf

  Download the full magazine (iPad format) or at least section (pg 50-58)

  Full size laptop or tablet recommended (all 3 X-ray articles)

  
  

  Questions? Contact VP of Overseas Diving Nils by e-mail. overseasdiving@usadiveclub.com

  
  

  *Other options for airfare – you can do your own and add stop(s) as you please – we did that on the first two Micronesia trips and also for the 2015 Fiji trip. At this time Qantas and United both fly to Solomon via Brisbane (BNE) – but the prices are not competitive… We might not have enough people for a group airfare – please be prepared to pay airfare in full in the next 3 months [PS the early payment schedule is “padded” in preparation for this option] – but I recommend that you let our Fiji agent do your bookings from LAX onwards (both in 2020 and 2022 we suffered Covid-19 induced rescheduling’s – and it all went well – and for free – as our agent works well with Fiji Air…

  
  

  Optional extensions:

  • Inbound – any land based Fiji Resort (and hence no layover day at Raffles is needed)
  • Homebound – instead of going back to Fiji – we go to Port Moresby – and on to a land based resort for 7 or 10 days of stay and diving. If you sign up fast you will be part of that decision…
  • https://walindiresort.com/
  • https://www.tawali.com/

  
  

  I have some draft airfare schedules and calendars to share – just let me know …

  VP Overseas diving

  Nils Jacobsen - overseasdiving@usadiveclub.com

  
  

  Click here to see full details of the trip. - updated recently (Aug)

  
  

  Click here to download the signup form. - updated recently (Aug) 
  

  
  

  Click here to download an Under Current article from Oct. - New (Oct) 

  
  

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