June 2021 Program
Under Sea Adventurers Overseas Diving - Nils Jacobsen
For most of you a detailed introduction of Nils should not be required – anyway, if you are a relatively new member – or you are an older member – that might have missed some of the earlier details – here is a “short” recap:
Nils had a dormant subconscious desire for diving – just like many other kids at that time having watched years of Jacques Cousteau on black and white TV in Europe. Nils was on a corporate work trip – a 9 ½ weeks world tour in 1992 – doing worldwide software training – back in the heights of the industrial production and design outsourcing. Key stops: S Florida: where HR sent him to Pennekamp Park to snorkel; Singapore: Penang Malaysia, where HR invited him to join a trip to a marine sanctuary – Pulau Payar (in those days – you needed a permit from Malaysia Ministry of Interior to be allowed to go there). The local company went there to certify scuba divers that had worked 6 months towards their certification. Nils snorkeled in Azure blue water close to 3 feet potato cods and soft coral – and he was sold - committed to get a scuba certification. (Only one small negative – he slept on the beach – with no formal camping gear – and the hotel towels were 4-6” short of protecting his feet from mosquitos); He took a PADI class in Sept 1992 (he was the only one – changing from shirt and tie – to speedos… before jumping in the pool – a professional travel agent – nailed it – “you are either gay or European” [#2=TRUE]; back in 1993 Denmark he pursued a CMAS certification – (incomplete due to excessive travel in 1993).
During 1993 Nils got to dive Indonesia, Malaysia, Red Sea, Bahamas and S Florida. Nils got his second PADI certification – Advanced - in Johnson State Park in Hollywood. 
Nils got an offer to move to US late in 1993 on a corporate relocation – the choices were Arizona :-(, Chicago :-( or S Florida -:) – and the rest is history.
Nils met USA dive club in the spring of 1994 during a reef clean-up dive on “Lady Go Diver” (the first boat) - joined USA dive club for lunch – and was invited to a club meeting. Nils joined the club later in 1994 – was Newsletter editor for a few years (PageMaker on a PC – in slow motion – real stamps – and delivered by US Postal Service) before becoming VP of overseas diving late 2002 – and his first assignment was to go to DEMA in Miami, Nov 2002 and book the Ocean Rover for the Thailand trip.
More Recently
On land Nils is always easy to find/easy to follow – as he is “always under the hat” – so
he is never lost!
In non-diving settings – he shows a wide range of formality levels and dress-codes:
Underwater Nils is most often dressed Ninja-black, looks like he is carrying a small dive shop and most of the time hidden behind a large camera:
The presentation will cover pictures from our past 3 Fiji trips:
- 2008:
-
- 2015:
-
- 2020:
-
- Nai’a –only; truncated by Covid-19 evacuation
The rescheduled trip to Volivoli: Now: May 10-17, 2022 - We still have spots available.
