Dear Past, Present & Future Customers:

Here are some of the most memorable letters, postcards & e-mail messages that U.S. Dive Travel has received from satisfied clients in the last several years. In a world where the personal touch seems to be vanishing day by day -- something the staff & partners at U.S. Dive Travel try hard to mitigate -- these letters were the ones that touched us the most deeply. Here are clients talking straight from the heart, without prompting or political agendas. These letters are spontaneous expressions of opinion, & were not solicited by us in any way. Several have been edited only slightly -- a few words here & there -- for brevity or to protect a client's privacy.

Sometimes after a 12-hour day of relentless phones & voice mails, all it takes is one e-mail, postcard or letter like these gems to help us remember why we got into dive travel planning in the first place. It IS all about you, folks. Thank you all -- so much -- for being our guests. Whether you chose a live-aboard vessel or a dedicated dive resort, we feel sincerely privileged to know you & to serve you. You folks are the most important reason why U.S. Dive Travel is successful today; & we never lose awareness of that key fact.

Blessings, Health & Humor.

Susan Hessburg & John Hessburg
Founders, Managers
U.S. Dive Travel Network.

St. Paul MN / Miami FL / Kailua HI / Vancouver BC.

Sarah Preisler & L. Stockhausen bask on a sunny interval, apres' diving the Barrier Reef near Blackbird Caye Resort, Belize.

May 25, 2018

Hi John,

We had a great time at Blackbird Caye and were really happy with the experience. Thanks for organizing. We wanted to give you some feedback on the Blue Hole as we did end up going on the (side) trip.

Trip requires 8 people in any combination of divers and snorkelers, not just divers. Requirement to dive the Blue Hole is an Advanced Open Water cert. No exceptions. They also take you out the day before to do a deep dive to 100/110 ft to see how you do.

The trip is a full day with Stop 1 at the Blue Hole. Stop 2 at Half Moon key to dive "The Aquarium," have lunch on the island and see the Red-footed Booby nesting sites. Stop 3 is off Long Caye to dive "Playground."

Stocky did the Blue Hole dive; and I decided just to snorkel. He enjoyed the dive and was really happy that he did it. The (Blue Hole) dive doesn't have a lot of fish - they saw 2 reef sharks only. It is all about the architecture and structure of the stalagtites down deep. He likened it more to cave or wreck diving, both of which he loves as he is generally more interested in (undersea) architecture/structure than seeing lots and lots of fish.

The snorkeling at the Blue Hole was terrific and I was super happy I chose to do that instead. I saw a number of fish (such as juvenile Sergeant Majors) that I did not see on the dives around Turneffe Atoll. The very shallow reef (5 ft to sea level) was also more healthy so it was interesting to see that. And also saw Reef Squid!

The other two dives of the day were absolutely worth the trip, especially "The Aquarium." Lots of fun swim-throughs and a Nassau grouper hung out with us the entire time.

So, bottom line, the day trip is worth doing even if you don't dive the Blue Hole and, if you're a structural person, the Blue Hole dive is worth doing (in Stocky's opinion).

A few questions for the future:

1. We met a couple who recommended diving the Sipadans (in Malaysia)... What are your thoughts on the Sipadans? And where to stay/dive around there?

2. We have honed in on the fact that both of us love wall diving. Where are the best places in the world to do that in your view?

3. We are interested in going to Ningaloo Reef in NW Australia at some point. Do you have thoughts/recommendations for out there?

4. What about Palau? We keep hearing great things about (diving) there...

5. And we are still interested in Sulawesi and Chuuk.

Thanks!

Sarah Preisler & L. Stockhausen
San Francisco, CA

© Copyright Dan & Carol Snyder, celebrating their 40th annniversary at Blackbird Caye, a beautiful Belize resort.

June 27, 2017

John & Susan,

I wanted to let you know what an almost magical time we had celebrating our 40th anniversary at Blackbird Caye Resort. I was concerned that it wouldn�t live up to our expectations from our last visit there in 2002. But that disappeared as soon as we landed and were met at the airport by the same Mr. Moreno who met us the last time. Another couple arrived slightly later so we waited in the airport bar where I was reacquainted with an old "friend," Belikin Stout. The other couple had never been to Blackbird before. We assured them that they wouldn�t be disappointed.

The new co-managers of the resort are such a joy! Naturally friendly and helpful. There was only one couple and their daughter at the resort when we arrived so we suggested moving the tables together in the dining hall. We ate as a group for the entire week. Louis the chef even made us a cake for our anniversary! All the food, service and accommodations were excellent. The staff were all very good at their jobs, making it appear that maintaining this little bit of heaven was effortless.

Blackbird Caye has changed in the 15 years since our last visit. Not better, nor worse -- just different. The new Palapa Bar on the water is a nice addition. The pool is nice. The food was outstanding, just like the last time. The cabanas are clean and well kept. Snorkeling was great! Reefs look healthy, plenty of variety in fish and other sea creatures. We say several eagle rays close up, a nurse shark, stingrays, eels, cleaner shrimp, starfish, etc. We ate plenty of lionfish snacks. Fried, ceviche and sushi. I got to (hunt) lobsters for dinner and dive for conch.

I just can�t say enough about the whole experience. When our time came to leave, we got to fly out because they said fuel costs were so high that it was less expensive to fly. An added bonus for us! A tip of the hat to Brandon and Bernie (co-managers), Kirk (restaurant mgr), Oscar (bartender), Loius (chef), Chris (snorkel boat captain), Aldo (dive boat captain), Maria (housekeeping) and all the rest of the staff! Chris was the only person still there from our last visit.

Also a big thanks to John & Susan Hessburg of U.S. Dive Travel for helping make it all happen. Here are a few pictures.

Daniel P. Snyder
& Carol Snyder
Indianapolis, IN

June 22, 2017

Hi John,

(Transcribed from a voicemail & text). Just wanted to thank you very much for all the (Belize) preparations; they worked out perfectly well. The Belize Aggressor was wonderful, absolutely sensational; and Blackbird Caye Resort was even better! Brandon and Bernie, the managers at Blackbird, were tripping all over themselves to take care of me. I just wanted to let you know; I will recommend you and U.S. Dive Travel. You'll hear from me again. Thank you, mi amigo.

Ciao!

Alan Stabile
Philadelphia, PA

April 11, 2017

John,

I could not do this trip (Belize Aggressor + Blackbird Caye Resort) without your caring help. You are very good at your job, my friend.

Alan Stabile
Philadelphia, PA

April 6, 2017

John,

We're on our return trip from our stay at Matangi Island Resort. We had a fantastic time and wanted to thank you both for the recommendation and arrangements. The accomodations, food, staff and diving were all first class. It is a special place that combines luxury with a casual comfort feeling. After our week in New Zealand with friends hiking it was a perfect end to a great vacation.

Thank you!

Laurie and I are thinking of visiting our friends again in the next year and want to do a similar "NZ hike and South Pacific relax/dive" adventure. I'm sure we will be interested in your ideas. This is my second visit to the South Pacific (the other being Tahiti) and this is Laurie's first. We've heard about Bora Bora, Tonga and other spots but will be interested in your thoughts about the next "must-visit" spot. :)

Best,

Ken Myer
Seattle, WA

Sept. 6, 2016

Hi John,

My trip last May to Palau/Yap was everything I'd hoped for. Thanks so much for helping me put it together. The travel portion was no problem this time and the weather mostly cooperated. The Palau Aggressor was just as you said, a real class operation, and I'm still amazed by the underwater portion. Reef hook diving is awesome! We also hit the monthly humphead parrotfish mating spectacular, so that was pretty cool. I enjoyed Yap, too. The ambiance at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel is not to be missed. Bill Acker wasn't there that week but I was well-taken care of. The only downside there was that the prevailing winds kept us away from some of the sites. It was also well after manta mating season so there weren't too many around. We saw a few in the distance, but none at the cleaning station. However, I did see one in Palau at a cleaning station. We did just one cleaning station dive there and got lucky. I may have to do a return trip to the (Yap) area during manta mating season...

In the more near-term, I have a couple of friends who are interested in going to the Caribbean with me next year. We're looking at a week at the Little Cayman Beach Resort next July. I've been there before and it's always been great....

Best regards,

Tim Barden
Salem, MA

Sept. 3, 2015

John,

Beth and I had a good trip over here (to Matangi Island, Fiji) and there was space on the morning flight. Everyone absolutely loves it here. Weather is cool in the evenings. Diving tomorrow and fun planned for all. Once again our faith in you is rewarded!

We made a great day in L.A. with a visit to the Getty museum. Wow! Highly recommended if you ever need to kill a day.

Vinaka.

The Pohles.  (This is John writing on Chris's phone.)

**************************************

Sept. 9, 2015

(The day they returned to the USA from Fiji).

Just a couple of pictures from Matangi to make you jealous. It was a GREAT trip!

All back safe and sound! The old man only dove to 154' much to his disappointment. (Editor's note: think he might be kidding? ;)

Good diving and the staff was great. George Pohle was our official underwater photographer and he's got great pictures.

Back to the office this AM.

Warmest Regards...

March 10, 2015

Hi John & Susan,

We had a fabulous time on the Silver Bank with Captain Gene, the Sun Dancer Crew and the Humpback WHALES!!! Thank you ever so much for all your hard work in making this trip a reality. We learned a lot and had amazing experiences with those absolutely stunning creatures. One in particular was a "Dancer" whale... single female doing all kinds of graceful moves for us. I kept wanting to pinch myself and rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming and kept wanting to open my eyes wider & wider to make sure I was seeing things correctly and so I could take it all in!!! :-) They are so beautiful and inspiring. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them and our encounters.

You may want to know that I would not recommend this trip to anyone who is prone to sea sickness, balance issues or brittle bones. The trip from Dominica to the Silver Bank was (rugged)... mostly bouncy and it was sometimes a challenge to stay upright. Really got exhausting even for us and we are in above-average condition. You really need to be in decent physical condition to swim out & back to the whales, and probably more importantly, to have the strength and coordination to get from the tenders back onto the Sun Dancer...

We also had a lovely time in Little Cayman and enjoyed gorgeous, spectacular dives. The condo was really great and, of course, the dive crew & management, resort, staff, food and diving were all top-notch as always. We are so eager to go back!

As you know, it was my dream birthday trip and you helped to make my dream celebration come true in a truly big way. We are so grateful to you. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Here's hoping you and family and business are doing well and wishing you all many blessings,

March 1, 2015

Dear John and Susan,

Our vacation to Blackbird Caye Resort (Belize) last month was as perfect as can be. My son and I went snorkeling every day we were there. It was amazing.

The management and staff were very attentive and quick to accommodate any request. Lia and Dominic, the wife-husband management team, I now consider friends. Letti, the server, took a special interest in looking after my son, Levi (age 6). Bo, the snorkel guide(divemaster), was extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of reef wildlife and asked us what we wanted to see. He never failed in showing us octopus, squid, conchs, starfish, and other species too many to name. We even got to hunt lionfish. He gave us the independence to explore while warning us of the hazards and staying mindful of our safety.

The routine of snorkeling, kayaking and delicious meals was paradise for a 6-year-old -- as well as his 41-year-old father. I hope to return in the future and I hope nothing changes (at least not too much). Thanks for the help in setting up this wonderful experience that will never be forgotten.

Gratefully yours,

Nov. 22, 2014

Thanks John...

I loved the KONA AGGRESSOR and the diving. People were wonderful, food great and accomodation good. Took a day to get climbing into the top bunk down.

First ever night dive was the Manta Dive, 4th was Pelagic Magic. The diving was awesome!

Thanks so much for the recommendation.

Nov. 19, 2014

John:

I wanted to thank you so much for all that you did to get me on board the Kona Aggressor this month. Not only was the trip fantastic, but your last-minute efforts are truly appreciated.

The boat is truly special, as the crew were extremely professional and accommodating. And the food � don�t get me started!!! The Manta dive was one of the best encounters in the sea that I have ever had. 50 minutes of bliss! Incredible!

I would not hesitate a second to recommend both you and the Kona Aggressor to anyone who asks. I look forward to booking other trips with you in the not too distant future.

Come up slow!!!

May 28, 2014

Hello John,

This is just to let you know that Ben, Paul and I had a great time on the Red Sea Aggressor May 10-17. The only security problem seemed to be getting through US customs at the Toronto airport...

Here is a 10-minute video/slide show I put together: http://jrudick.smugmug.com/VideosSlide-Shows/Videos-and-Slide-Shows/i-6Ndf8M8.

Thank you for all your meticulous help and organization. It all came seamlessly together for us.

March 7, 2014

Dear U.S. Dive Travel:

Thank you so much for referring me to Blackbird Caye Resort (in Belize).

Diving was great, food was great, people were great, cabana was great (that porch is to die for!)

Now have 19 dives under my belt and feel much more confident while diving.

Thank you again,

Dec. 18, 2013

John and Susan,

In a couple of days we are headed to our first live-aboard experience on Belize Sun Dancer; you guys have been first-class for customer service. We are excited about the trip....

Thanks for all the information, always prompt responses, and humor.

Happy Holidays!

Dec. 4, 2013

Dear John & Susan & Team �

Thank you so much for working with us to plan our Fiji trip for our 25th Anniversary (Island Dancer and Matangi Island Resort)!! We have loved your ideas and your input. And we are soooo excited!!!

I so appreciate you waiving the fee as well as your kindness.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!!

Warm regards,

November 15, 2013

Thanks so much John - can't believe how lucky I am that you moved heaven and earth to help me save my dive trip on Cayman Aggressor!

Thank you so much for the good wishes too... This will truly be a year to give heartfelt Thanksgiving!

I have filled out the GIS, and will be sorting out my dive and trip insurance and kit next week.

Speak soon.

Best,

Oct. 29 / Oct. 30 / Oct. 31, 2013 (e-mail thread)

Dear Mr. Hessburg,

I don't know what to say except that YOU ROCK! Arrival in Belize is 11:30 a.m. and departure is 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. If that gives me enough time, life is good. I will look for flights and then get back to you about dates. Thank you SO MUCH for your replies and answering my questions (about Blackbird Caye Resort, Belize).

_______________________________________________________

One other thing, do you have a Facebook page? I want to like it and spread the word how helpful you have been! When you have wonderful, friendly service then you should be applauded!

_______________________________________________________

God Bless you John! I will be booking a bit later, I can't book flights 12 months in advance. You have been absolutely WONDERFUL! Your website went out on Facebook so those interested can see what you offer.

Thanks again!

Oct. 24, 2013

To U.S. DIVE TRAVEL:

I just opened the mail and was pleasantly surprised to get the rebate (for Cayman Aggressor trip). It was perfect timing because my birthday is this weekend. Once again thank you and I'll be contacting you next year for next year's trip.

Sept. 6, 2013

Re' great trip

Hi John,

My favorite memories of the trip to Guanaja Island, Honduras this summer were wandering in the paradise of Graham's Island and snorkeling with Denis and Daniel (from Dunbar Villa).

For my next trip, I want... access to a beach, and of course, lots of snorkeling adventures.

Thanks again for all of your hard work.

Aug. 29, 2013

John:

Things are great here at Dunbar Villa (Guanaja), love the place! Wonderful.

I was looking at our flight info, and it shows us leaving on Saturday. I recall it got moved to Friday, with driver picking us up in La Ceiba, driving us to San Pedro for the night. Can 't find the info on the updated flight times. Can you please confirm flight time/date from here to La Ceiba?

Thanks much. They even baked a cake to celebrate my wife's 100th dive. Fabulous!

Best,

Aug. 25, 2013

John:

Thank you very much for the phone call the other day, and for letting us know that you included our photos in your video for Dunbar Villa on Guanaja.

Wow, what a great gift you gave us! My daughter, Anna, is visiting from London where she works now; so we got to look at it with her too and it brought back great memories. We had a great time on that trip. Makes me want to go diving again.

Hope all is well with you and your family as well. Traveling with your son is such a blessing too.

Beth and I must look you up when we are in Minneapolis next to visit her parents.

Warmest Regards.

June 25, 2013

John:

Thanks for a great trip to Lahaina, Maui! We dove twice with Lahaina Divers - in Molokini Crater and Turtle Reef � and stayed within walking distance of the boat at the Lahaina Inn. The dive shop staff and boat crew were friendly, efficient, well-equipped and relaxed. We found what we were looking for on the dives � shallow, protected areas (40-60ft) with a guided dive for our family of four (Mom, Dad, and boys - ages 12 and 16). The highlights of our Molokini crater dive were sightings of a 4-foot barracuda and a giant manta ray (over two arm-spans!) A sea turtle approached the boat at turtle reef, but left when divers entered the water.

A side benefit of the Lahaina Inn � resort priviledges, towels and free parking at the Royal Lahaina resort � led to a great snorkeling opportunity. We drifted southward with the current from the beach at the Royal Lahaina, around a huge black rock point and cove, to the Hyatt Resort beach, and walked back on the beach access path. We swam with four sea turtles �sleeping and swimming in the 20ft depths, and one resting at the resort beach in 5ft of water.

That covered 3 days of our two-week trip. We also stayed 3 nights in Hana. The fresh water caves and and sea caves at Waianapanapa Beach Park in Hana were worth a whole day. We hiked a total of 20 miles near Hana, and the coastal and mountain peak areas of Haleakala National Park. Surfing lessons in Kihei with Maui Waveriders were also a blast. We finished with 4 nights in Volcano, Hawaii, and a great guided 6-mile hike to see the current lava flows at the ocean cliff vents with Kalapana Cultural tours. Snorkeling in the huge tide pools at Kapoho was also a lot of fun.

Thanks again for your great service and recommendations!

May 17, 2013

Hi John.

You booked a great dive trip for me in Palau a couple of years ago and I am thinking about this holiday season and where to go. Am thinking of New Zealand and maybe a live-aboard too. Any trips? Hope you are well.

Feb. 22, 2013

Hi John !

I wanted to write at the first opportunity. The internet is a little sparse here (in Copan village).

I have learned 3 things about you and us on this trip so far:

1.) We are really having a BALL doing this dive thing. Especially Liz. I can see more of these trips in our future.

2.) So far everything you have promised, suggested, intimated... has been true, except where you were being overly conservative and modest. For example, there IS normally WiFi internet at Dunbar Villa. However, lightning hit the router the day before we got there. Also took out the satellite TV. (Manager fixed it immediately). No worries, Denis's guys took me to Bonacca Town one day to the internet cafe where for $1.50 I uploaded pics and answered a couple e-mails. Later in the week, Denis loaned me his internet stick for my computer, so I could answer a few more e-mails. YES, I brought my computer...it is attached to me.

3.) When -- not if -- we book another trip, U.S. DIVE TRAVEL will be the first, last and only place we go for ideas. And you can put that on your website.

Can I tell you, too, that the renovations at Dunbar Villa are going to up the class more than a little. I assume the price, too. I am glad we got in before either happened. However, I think you could do a BANG-UP business booking corporate retreats there. If you are interested, we can talk more.

That's all for now. We'll be back to the cold soon enough. Speak soon.

Daniel H. Harris
Elizabeth Harris
Chicago, IL

Jan. 21, 2013

John:

Greetings from Sand Dollar Condos in beautiful Bonaire from Lynn x 2 + Andrew! We arrived safe and sound Saturday and so far have done beach dives from the condo. (Had to do checkout yesterday so missed the boat and today Lynn L has a morning conference call). Boat dives commence tomorrow. Lovely setting, condo is perfect and weather is superb. If you've got a Skype account, we might try to raise you and chat and say thanks "live!"

Lynn Dines
Huntington Beach, CA

Lynn & Andrew Lewis
Indianapolis, IN

Nov. 1, 2012

Hi John --

I recently returned from a 10-day sail on the Cayman Aggressor IV, booked through you, and wanted to let you know it was spectacular! A total of 40 dives were offered (I got off a day early but still managed 34 dives in 7 days!). Now I need to look into the Galapagos Aggressor for travel in September of 2013. At this time my dates are wide open but I�m sure these yachts fill up fast. I will likely be traveling as a single again (guaranteed share). BTW, my roommate on the Cayman trip was wonderful.... I had told you Fiji was next but Galapagos is calling now. Just very curious right now but appreciate your input. And if you have suggestions on a better time to travel (main goal is whale sharks) then I am eager to listen.

Kind Regards,

Kim Sutton
Dallas, TX

August 14, 2012

Hi John,

We returned from Blackbird Caye Resort (Belize) a couple of weeks ago and wanted to let you know that all of us had a fabulous time! The hidden jewels of this experience are the guests you meet and the people that work at the resort. Like everyone else, it was hard to get on the boat and leave this paradise....

Thank you,

Tom, Susan, and Casey Weis
Wildwood, Missouri

July 6, 2012

John �

I believe you and your family are still away on your trip so you won�t be reading this for awhile. I hope you had a great trip.

Just wanted to let you know that Peter and I had a fantastic trip on the Wind Dancer to Cocos Island. The boat, our cabins, the crew, the weather and the diving were all great. Really, I can�t say enough about the experience.

So, thanks for organizing it for us.

All the best,

David Geithner
New York, NY

Feb. 18, 2012

John:

I just wanted to drop you a note with high praises for the Little Cayman Beach Resort and their Reef Divers operation. Lynn (x 2) had a terrific trip to Little Cayman. The spirits were in our favor as we had really terrific conditions the entire time -- beautiful days. Any breeze or rain came at night. The water, even on the windward side of the island, was almost glass. Diving conditions, viz, critters -- all were great.

Little Cayman Beach Resort has done some updating since we were last there (I figured 11 years ago). The place was pretty full, but never felt crowded and the food was really very good (much better than we remembered). When all were diving, they put all 4 boats in operation, so the diving was smooth. Great divemasters -- we were with Sharon and Dottie -- they make quite the team. I'd highly recommend them, and we've already talked that this is a place to go back to -- the diving is that good.

Hope all is well with you and thanks for putting together yet another terrific dive trip for us!

Best,

Lynn Dines
Huntington Beach, CA

Lynn Lewis
Indianapolis, IN

Dec. 12, 2011

Hi John,

We just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time at the Villa at Dunbar Rock. It wasn't all about the diving....it was all about the fun! We took lots of pictures but have not had time to even sit together and go through them. Lots going on as you can imagine. Eve and I are getting married on the 31st so we have much to do to get ready.

The trip to Copan Ruins was also wonderful. Our driver was good and polite and the tour guide at the ruins was a wealth of knowledge. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire Honduras trip.

And our engagement went off better than planned. No one leaked the secrets and Denis and his wife and Rosa had a really nice engagement party for us on the upper deck (at Dunbar Villa) after proposing to Eve at Lisa's Reef (40' down). Eve was beautiful (as she always is)! It was a special time for us both.

Our many thanks to you for all your help to make the Guanaja trip possible. We will be in touch.

Cheers,

Vince Hobson & Eve Kohlman
Evergreen, CO & Seattle, WA

June 21, 2011

Great trip on Truk Odyssey. I learned a lot from the experienced divers and guides. There were only 6 guests onboard! What a bonus and all nice. Excellent crew and service.

Thanks!

Michael H. Smith
Washington, DC area

Jan. 28, 2011

John:

Barbara and I have returned from a wonderful and exciting trip to Costa Rica and Cocos Island (on Wind Dancer). We thank you very much for the careful arrangements and great advice. It allowed us to enjoy the trip and not worry about the arrangements.

We must also offer our thanks to the folks at Bill Beard's that provided the arrangements for our tour in Costa Rica to Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Arenal Volcano area. From the driver who met us at Punteraneas to take us to Monteverde to our return to San Jose the trip was a success. He was very informative and more of a guide that a driver. From the moment we confirmed our pickup the night before while still returning from Cocos Island we knew we were in good hands. The same can be said for the drive from Monteverde to Arenal and from Arenal to return to San Jose. They were so well informed and willing to share their knowledge of Costa Rica. They also ensured that our journeys were comfortable (a task not easy traveling for hours over bumpy dirt roads). The accommodations at both Monteverde and La Fortuna (Arenal) were superb; we could not have picked better.

Thank you again for the arrangements and support of our travels. We had a great time. Please pass this along to the representatives of Bill Beard's and express our thanks to them as well.

Most gratefully,

Frank and Barbara Maloit
Marshfield, MA

Jan. 5, 2011

Happy New Year!

I wanted to thank you so much for helping us to plan our trip to Palau. We definitely had an angel looking down on us - perfect weather, we got to dive everywhere we wanted to go, the staff of the Ocean Hunter I were incredible, and the icing on the cake was we had the whole boat to ourselves. Needless to say, it was a trip we will never forget. Thank you again for your advice and helping us to coordinate everything. I know we made the right choice to go on the Ocean Hunter, and we are already planning our next fantasy adventure.

Aloha~

Catherine & Scott Diamond
Honolulu, HI & New York, NY

Dec. 3, 2010

John:

I've been remiss in not writing earlier, as we've been back from the Galapagos for nearly a month. We had a wonderful time!

The Galapagos Aggressor I is as close to a perfect live-aboard experience as we could imagine. Beautiful accommodations, excellent food, highly professional and personable Ecuadorean crew and dive masters... in short, faultless and delightful. We were fortunate that all of the 13 divers -- from four nations -- were advanced and reliable, and that almost everyone in this diverse assembly added to the camaraderie on the boat. There were some lovely folks there with whom we hope to stay in touch.

All of your arrangements for us went perfectly. Our transfers, our excellent accommodations at the Nu House in Quito, our air connections to the Galapagos. Like clockwork. We arranged with your Quito travel agency for a driver for two days of excursions to the "cloud forest," the Indian Market, the Middle of the World -- which were great fun -- and very inexpensive by American standards for a car and driver/guide for $120/day (or $10/hour!) plus tip.

In short, it was a great trip, in no small part due to your management -- through trusted vendors -- of all of the details. Thank you again.

Jonathan has "floated" the idea of Palau as a top contender on our bucket list. What can you tell us about Palau? How does it compare to options? Time of year? Options to do it best? Also, Jonathan's wife was certified earlier this year and appears to be a natural. She would not have been at all prepared to deal with the Galapagos, but, having done nicely in Florida and the Bahamas, and with another year of diving behind her, would Palau be appropriate (water temp, currents, surface conditions and temp, etc.)? My grandson is almost 13 and a natural water person. He may get certified when we take him to Coz this month. If he can get in 15-20 dives before Palau, would he be ready for that? Let me know your thinking when you have some time, but, in the meantime, thanks again for the Galapagos, and the best wishes of the Fisher Family to you and Susan for Chanukah, Christmas, and the New Year.

Bob Fisher and son Jonathan
San Francisco, CA

April 29, 2010

Hi Susan and John,

We are back from paradise! What a beautiful trip.... whale sharks, mantas, nudis, sun, sails, and the list goes on..... The Maldives Aggressor and it's crew couldn't have been better. Thanks so much for all your help sorting out our last minute celebration.

All the best,

Linda & Ian Fraser
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jan. 21, 2010

E-mail from Villa at Dunbar Rock, Guanaja, Honduras:

We are having a great time on Dunbar Rock! The weather is great and the diving fantastic. Dennis (the dive guide & manager) is a Prince. I had a question about tipping, how much is appropriate ... and do I just give it to Dennis who distributes it to all? Your suggestions and advice would be appreciated, John!

Cole Thompson & family
Denver, CO

June 23, 2009

Dear John and Susan,

Once again you really outdid yourselves with our recent trip to Bonaire. Our accommodations at the Sand Dollar Condominiums couldn't have been better -- with a great location, excellent snorkeling right in front, and kind, courteous, friendly and very helpful staff -- from the office people to the maids, breakfast cooks and even the maintenance guys. Everyone would smile, wave and ask what we were doing that day. They were quick to offer suggestions and offered their opinions freely. We even went on a tour of the island with the wife of one of the maintenance guys. I am sure we learned a lot that we wouldnt have otherwise....

The snorkeling in front of the Sand Dollar was excellent with probably the largest variety and total number of fish I have seen on a trip. We snorkeled at a variety of spots from One Thousand Steps south to Bachelors Beach. After a late lunch we would usually snorkel some more at Bari Reef, in front of the Sand Dollar. With 67 named sites, one week definitely isnt enough time to see it all. We did take a boat to Klein Bonaire for snorkeling one day and saw a lot of turtles and a couple of spotted eagle rays.

I finally got to see wild flamingos. Hundreds of them! They are so beautiful in flight. I didnt realize the young ones were white. The variety of beautiful, colorful birds always kept us on the lookout -- plus donkeys, goats, large iguanas and many varieties of lizards -- helped to make this an absolutely incredible vacation.

Thank you again for the excellent service you provide! We will talk again next year hopefully.

Dan and Carol Snyder
Indianapolis, IN

Larry and Sally Snyder
Taylorville, IL

Dec. 24, 2008

John,

We had an excellent trip to Fiji (at Matangi Island & on Fiji Aggressor). Thank you. All the best to you & yours.

Jeff Palmer & son
Pittsburgh, PA

Dec. 1, 2008

Hello John,

Thank you so much for setting up our group trip to Curacao. My group had a great time at this amazing destination. The Lions Dive & Beach Resort was very well set up and the accommodations were top notch. The staff at the hotel and dive center were very easy to work with and made our trip very memorable. As you know, this is definitely a place to be highly recommended for future travel! We also really appreciate all of the work you did to make this trip easy and fun once we were there!

Almost everything was perfect on this trip but we did have one problem. One of my (ten) customers did not receive his bag when we arrived to Curacao and tried to locate it for 3 days before finally having to go back to the airport himself.....maybe you could call (the airline) and have the �right� person call him or give us the # for the �right� person to talk to to get this straightened out.

Thank you so much again for everything,

Kathy Gagliardo
Group Leader
Boulder, CO

Oct. 15, 2008

John,

We want to thank you and your staff for the trip of our lives. Mary and I will never forget the experience we had (on Fiji Aggressor II and Matangi Island), and of you planning and getting us ready for the experience. We will use U. S. Dive Travel in our future dive trips. I hope things are going well with you and your family.

God Bless,

Jack & Mary Kennedy
Panama City Beach, FL

Sept. 16, 2008

Hi, John.

My trip was fabulous! The crew on Fiji Aggressor III was great and the diving was unbelieveable. It truly was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks for taking such good care of me.

Dr. Tamarin McCartin
Honolulu, HI

July 1, 2008

Dear John and Susan,

Sorry it has taken so long for me to follow up with you, but I just wanted to let you know what a great time I had at Blackbird Caye Resort last month. The diving was great, the resort was perfect, the other guests there (only about 9 people) were wonderful. I could not have asked for a better week. Thanks again for all your help in setting everything up. I look forward to working with you on my next trip (soon I hope...)

Best,

Jill P. Rubin
Los Angeles, CA

June 14, 2008

To U.S. DIVE TRAVEL:

Carol and I had an absolutely wonderful time on Guanaja ! Lucky for us, though it was overcast the first few days (at Dunbar Villa) the last two days were spectacular. Clear and bright sun. Pristine reefs, great snorkeling, wonderful staff on the island and on the boat. We usually were on the boat at 9:00 a.m. and would return to Dunbar Rock about 4:30 pm. It was windy the whole time which in the tropics is a good thing. (Bugs!) We had to leave Guanaja on Thursday afternoon for Le Ceiba in order to get back to San Pedro Sula Friday for our flight home. Lobsters for lunch, life is good !

Carol and Dan Snyder
Indianapolis, IN

June 9, '08

Hi John:

I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!

Great trip on Caribbean Explorer I -- a terrific time was had by all ..... we did the trip with 16 divers - 15 in our group and one guy that got in at the last minute through the C.E. Office - John from Kentucky - he was one funny guy :) :) :) I was in stitches between him and Jerry, all week long -- lots of laughs.

We saw hammerheads, reef sharks, lionfish, turtles, rays, lobster, barracuda, morays, etc., etc., etc. The swim-throughs were awesome !!!!!

We had great weather and the crew was spectacular !!! They all took turns helping me put on my tank down on the dive platform because of my recent back problems. I even took it off in the water a few times and they were right there helping me with that also. Probably one of the best crews we have ever had, on any boat !!!

No issues with anything in the end. I did get your (free Nitrox) message on my cell when I arrived home this past Saturday night. All is well -- no worries :) :) :)

You will hear from me next when you receive our next Truk Odyssey deposit this week coming up.

Thanks for everything -- you and everyone at USDT really work hard for your clients, and we are very happy to be among them.

Be Well.

Rosemary Bellini
Team Leader
Bottom Dwellers Dive Club
New York , NY

May 14, '08

John:

Just a note to say that both Blackbird Caye Resort and Windy Hill Resort in Belize were great places to stay. The diving was excellent (as was the snorkelling for my wife) and the Mayan Mountains were a great counterpoint. The guides and divemasters were also good. A bit pricey, but Belize in general was more expensive than I anticipated. I would definitely recommend these places, and I appreciate your advice and your work to organize the trip.

Best regards.

John Campbell
Newton, MA

March 18, 2008

Dear John:

You recently recommended that I take one of my exotic dive trips on the Palau Aggressor II. So sight unseen, I blast off to the Republic of Palau for a week's worth of diving.

John, what you did not tell me was that we would do five Nitrox dives a day -- four in the day and one at night -- and the things I would see there were things I could never see any place else in the world, that the divemasters and crew just bent over backwards to make sure that everybody had a good time, and that the diving would be so easy.

You have to understand that the skiff that takes us out to the dive site is hydraulically lifted from the ocean up to level with the dive deck on the big boat. Once we got our tanks on the skiff, then we just walked back and forth every dive with our Nitrox gauge to log in partial pressure and get in the boat, then hook up and go. All the lines from the big boat went to the little boat to fill the tanks between dives.

Now, I have been diving since 1966 and there are easy dives and hard dives. I tend to think this is the easiest. Up between 6:00 and 6:30, a full breakfast waiting for us in the salon, the first dive at 7:30, back by 8:30, a hot shower on the deck and then hot tub before snacks. Second dive at 10:15, go back by 11:30, hot tub and hot shower, etc., full lunch, two dives in the afternoon and then one dive at night with hot chocolate and snacks waiting when we got back on board.

The accommodations were great. In my stateroom, I had a double bed with complete shower and head inside the cabin. There were mostly couples on board except for me and Kevin, a diver from Scotland. We all had just the very best time. At night the staff would put together slide shows or presentations from various places and then after that everybody was ready to see DVDs if they wanted. I was usually in bed at least by 10:00 pm, up by 6:00 am.

In terms of "bang for the buck," I had five hours of bottom time each day in a place that is just unbelievable. I had never seen giant clams, electric clams, lion fish, scorpion fish, nudibranchs, and the seas of coral that were just overwhelming. John, you have recommended some really good dives but this is the best. What are you going to do to top it?

Very truly yours,

Dennis B. Kelly
Houston, TX

Feb. 18, 2008

John,

I just wanted to let you know that my son Ben and I had a great trip; you were right on with all the help and planning. Here are some of my photos of the Big Island:   http://jrudick.smugmug.com/gallery/4233607_CehhX#247647258   and photos from the Kona Aggressor are the first album on my website:   www.jamesrudick.com.   We also made photo books ....and will send these to you.

Thanks for everything,

Jim Rudick
North Canton, OH

Feb. 12, 2008

Hi John & Susan,

Thank you for helping to make our dive vacation so awesome! The Greens did really well and seem hooked on diving! We really loved the incredible underwater life & beauty of Little Cayman. We dove the wreck off of Cayman Brac, too. We saw so much...turtles, spotted eagle rays, reef & nurse sharks, eels, etc. etc. ... I can send some photos if you�d like. Is there anything in particular you�d like to see?

Comfort Suites on Grand Cayman was great... had a nice breakfast. Thanks for getting us into Little Cayman earlier. Grand Cayman is so crowded (7 cruise ships). Coming back, we had lunch on the main drag and it was wall to wall people. It really made us appreciate the quiet at Little Cayman Beach Resort.

The LCBR dive operation & huge, beautiful boats were second to none. The dive orientations, safety measures, and valet service were the very best. We did encounter some very rough waters making it tough to get to some better dive sites. Plus, it was very difficult & dangerous to get back onto the boat at times. The rough seas also made for some seasickness and missed dives despite our best efforts. I wouldn�t recommend traveling there if that weather is common during this time of year (July 19-29, '07). Water temps were 78-80 degrees.

All the staff at Little Cayman Beach Resort were great. We had a really nice surprise... Sunny (Sara Moore) formerly of Bohio, Grand Turk is now a divemaster, instructor & captain at Little Cayman Beach Resort. She ended up completing Tim & Lu�s open water checkout. They loved her, too. She was our divemaster on all our dives. She�s bubbly and professional, so it made for an even better vacation....

The LCBR chefs were really good to us. The buffets were delicious and dessert divine. Since we are vegetarians they made sure we had something special every night, too. We were so grateful.

That first Sunday, we had appetizers (just OK, though everyone says their food is great) at the Happy Iguana and watched the Green Bay Packers lose. At least we were in warm weather. Our last night we ate at a resort down the beach (name escapes me now)... it was a small, tasty buffet but super expensive. I would recommend that everyone just stay & eat at LCBR... the variety and desserts are so much better.

Todd & I stopped into the bird sanctuary down & across the street from LCBR. We got good looks at the boobies & frigates and their young. We also met Brigitte, their devoted �care-taker�, so sweet.

Todd & Tim did a little sailing... winds were great for that. They also did some catch & release fishing... lots of bonefish and even a shark. Sadly, there are no photos of any of it... a �fish story� for sure! Anyway, the resort made it all happen and they had a blast.

All in all, it was a spectacular trip. Thanks again for all your assistance in making our dive dreams come true. We look forward to next time! I hope you and family are well.

P.S.   Something you should know, the upper rooms at Little Cayman Beach Resort have carpeting. It is (unpleasant) considering the sand & humidity..... (Editor's Note: The clients here described their initial room as not ideal, while other ground-level rooms in one wing were somewhat noisy from air compressors. The clients also said their room needed more water pressure & also seemed overdue for some creature-comfort remodeling. Our clients alerted onsite managers who changed their room immediately, & all was well. Resort reps told us that "massive renovations," to the tune of several millions of dollars, will begin in fall of 2008; & LCBR managers are grateful for this helpful client feedback.)

Blessings,

Laurie & Todd Howard
Oregon, Wisconsin

Jan. 7, 2008

John,

Just a short message to let you know how much Jody and I enjoyed our trip to Guanaja and Copan. If I had specifically ordered all the details, it couldn't have been better. Dunbar Villa was superb (even a full moon to look out over the bay with). Dennis the diving guide, Daniel (and his brothers), Julie, Celli, and Casey became family and we will be a long time remembering how wonderful they are. The diving was far better than I had any right to expect and Nautilus Dive Resort and the Neptune (boat) are a first class operation. I would be extremely happy to relate our experiences to prospective customers. Just do what I believe you have already been doing. Send them only your best customers. They deserve it.

The Copan Ruins were simply out of sight and Eli is an absolute gem. I suspect he could qualify for a PhD in Mayan archeology and we tried to invite him to supper with us. Other tourist needs got in the way, but he is amazing and showed how passionate he is about his chosen profession. Absolutely awesome.

John, I wish you could see my face and know how ecstatic we are with the trip and all the arrangements. You did us proud and I will always give you the first call when I am looking for a new adventure.

Even the other tourists and local people we met were larger than life and living la vida loca.

I want to do Bikini Atoll (Is that on your list?). Jody and I were very impressed with Guanaja and would like to discuss other trips -- properly planned ahead of time to take advantage of your knowledge of the best location and best price -- and please keep me informed of great stuff to do. Jody is an accomplished climber and I have enough experience to keep up, so we are interested in many more over-the-top adventures. She took to diving like a duck to water and I would seek ever greater challenges in that arena with her (any inexpensive ways to do Komodo?). Also, please keep us in mind for those kind of trips where we can give back. Advancing science, knowledge and enabling those a bit less fortunate just makes the vacation more meaningful.

Now if we could just figure out how to dissuade the sand flies (grin).

Many thanks again.

Earl Huff Kent Jr. & Jody Dungan
(Homes in Colorado & Virginia, USA)

Dec. 20, '07 -- Christmas card

Dear John and Susan,

Thank you for all your help arranging my next dive trip (on Turks & Caicos Explorer). I enjoyed all our conversations and look forward to working with you. Have a great holiday season. May it be joyous and special!

GO TRIBE !

Robert L. Ganley
Medina, OH

Dec. 15, 2007

Dear John,

How are you doing? We had a great trip to Cocos Island (on Okeanos Aggressor) and we possibly want to come again. Is the four bunker stateroom free for four persons in June or July 2008?

Thankx, Marcel

Marcel G. Xander Van Laten
Almere, Netherlands

Dec. 10, 2007

Hi John,

We are back from a great trip. Two dives in the Indian Ocean, a week at Lamington National Park and Brisbane, then Heron Island. Got in 11 dives at Heron, snorkeling, etc. Great wildlife experiences on the entire trip -- above and below water! If you'd like to give me a call (will be in the office during normal hours the week of Dec. 10.) I can give you a download of what goes on there now.

I was favorably impressed with the skill of the guides at Heron Island (divemasters and on-shore ones too) and the safety precautions of the dive ops. Carla did great as a new diver -- she came a long way!

(See attached files: 3 sea turtle photos.)

Rob Pedersen
Seattle, WA

Manager's Note: Mr. Pedersen, an esteemed repeat client, booked his first trip with U.S. Dive Travel nearly 15 years ago, when we all were amigos del mar back in the Puget Sound region. Welcome back, Rob; always cool to hear from you.

25 June '07

Hi John,

Just returned from a fabulous time at Little Cayman Beach Resort! The trip was wonderful. Now we're starting to plan our next trip. What do you suggest we consider, given the preferences below:

-- warm water

-- very little or no current

-- few bugs, especially the biting type (can't stand sand flies)

-- safe dive operation

-- beautiful underwater life

A couple of dive friends recommended Dominica and Saba, but we don't know these desitinations and so are interested in what you have to offer. Thank you!

Susan Aitkens
Reno, Nevada

June 4, 2007

Dear John and Susan,

I am happy to report that my boys and I are all open water certified divers. The boys were like little fish in the water, fearless. Blackbird Caye was nothing short of Paradise. There were no other children, no TVs, no video games, just a big ugly crocodile who visited us every night, oh and lots of iguanas. The boys weren't bored! We were able to reconnect as a family at peace. I can't begin to explain how fabulous it was. The dive master, James was soft spoken and patient but firm with the boys. At one point, one of my sons was having a tough time and James took him out on the dive boat alone! I never expected such individualized attention.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm exploring our options for our next vacation. I'm thinking sometime in October/November. The sea turtles, rays and eels were great on Turneffe but, we were a little disappointed with was the lack of larger animals. I know the boys can only dive to 40 feet but we would like to see a shark or two and I need to see a whale shark.

Any suggestions?

Dr. Joanne LaMonica & Nicholas + Zachary (twins)
Staten Island, NY

May 14, 2007

Hi John,

Thanks for the nice trip you arranged for me last time, January 2006 to the Tahiti Aggressor. I really enjoyed it, except some minor mishaps (I paid for the trip DVD on board, but it was broken.....After hearing about how much you respect Finnish "sisu" (vigorous life-spirit) and all the effort you are putting into cross country skiing, I bought myself new skis as well and have done a lot of cross country this winter. Our country also hosts a World Championship event and I tried that track as well, really tough... Also, I started competing on local mountain bike marathons and have managed to get into the top 40% with one season. The end of the season was a 106 km cross country race with 1700 m of total ascent. That took me 6 h 30 min, the winner made it in 4 h 50 min, tough... Now I am recovering from a downhill skiing accident in the French Alps, I dislocated my shoulder and had to wait more than an hour to get medical help. Finally, they put my arm back without any anesthesia, quite painful. So, twice a day I have to do some special streching now, takes 1.5 hours every day. My doctor allows me to start competing in July...

Also, I have a wish to go to Galapagos end of 2007 or maybe 2008..... It would be nice to have some people my age on the boat also, in Tahiti I was by far the youngest. What about vacancies around November or December in 2007 and 2008? What other places do you recommend? A friend of mine went to Bikini and really enjoyed it. However, the deco sounds a bit too tough and I am more into marine life.

Sincerely,

Hanno Riismaa
Tallin, Estonia, EU

May 3, 2007

Hey John,

In Copan and having a great time -- Gus is a lot of fun and has been a great tour guide! We went abseiling today through the treetops at the back of Copan -- this might be worth while adding this to the Copan Ruins experience (in Honduras highlands) ....

All the best.

James McNeill
aka "Jimmy Mac"
London, U.K. by way of Scotland

April 25, 2007

Dear John & Susan,

We had a fabulous trip! Even with half our luggage arriving late, we could still snorkel, and some could dive with some borrowed equipment from Denis. The Villa at Dunbar Rock is incredibly peaceful and beautiful, surrounded by crystal clear blue water (we could look over the balcony and see coral and fish below), and flowering plants in the garden. We stood on the balcony and watched pelicans diving for fish. It was the perfect place for family time when we weren't diving or snorkeling. We played games, read books, and had lots of fun telling jokes and stories. We enjoyed studying the fish and coral books to identify things we had seen underwater. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. Thanks so much for putting the trip together for us!

P.S. If you could get Tina's recipe for banana cake that she made for our picnic, I would love it.

The Otto Family
Dr. Kenneth Otto + Mrs. Merilee Otto + 7 children
(Ages 11 to 23)
Muskegon, Michigan

April 14, 2007

To U.S. DIVE TRAVEL:

As you can probably tell since we are going back to Guanaja, we fell in love with Villa at Dunbar Rock and the people. Roy and I are finally in the same town at the same time and we put this letter together. I have attached the letter (below)....It was actually the first vacation that both Roy and I can remember where when it came time to leave we just wanted to cry. It was sad to end. If I could find some way to make some kind of an income, I would stay down there, find a place to rent and work with the people on health issues. I just don't know how to go about doing that. Roy could fly in and out like he does now. The family that owns this Villa have a wonderful place and wonderful people working there. Hope they realize how fortunate they are.... Though Dunbar Villa, Guanaja was just perfect for us as a family, it will not be for everyone due to lack of night life etc.

Thank you so much for guiding us to this place when I first called you about making plans for a trip. We are very excited about our August '07 trip (back to Guanaja) and wish we could just skip the next few months and go. We are starting to look at some place for January, (the first two weeks to three weeks). This would be for the three of us again. We are searching the web site to see what jumps out at us.

(Clients attached a brief essay about their March 9-16, '07 vacation at Dunbar Villa on Guanaja island, in the Honduras Bay Islands.)

The stars came out for our visit to Dunbar Villa!

Our family members are newcomers to the diving world and this was our second diving holiday as a family. It's hard to imagine any place more restful yet focused on dive activities.

Although the bright white-washed villa sitting on top of Dunbar Rock is visually striking, the real stars of the villa are the staff that made the whole experience so enjoyable. Denis, the manager and divemaster, was always focused first on safety and then on our enjoyment. Chelley, El Capitan of the boat, would scurry around the deck setting up our equipment, doing everything in his powers to help us get into and out of the water; and always there when we surfaced from a drift dive. Tina and Karen made sure we were well feed on the local cuisine of fish, beef and chicken; and did what ever they could make the villa feel like home away from home. The rest of the stars worked behind the scenes filling air cylinders, maintance and best of all rinsing our gear every night. Talk about full service!

Each morning, as we boarded the dive boat, Denis would have us confirm our equipment was on board and then would ask what we wanted to see. Often we would ask for pelagic (sharks, whales, rays), specific sponges or corals (black) or some other exotic star. Denis would then pick the dive sites most likely to delivery and off we would go. We had been told to expect great visibility and were disappointed with 20 foot visibility on a couple of our early dives but (the viz) extended to 70 foot by the end of the week. There had been storms on the island a couple of days before our arrival. In spite of the lower-than-expected visibility, we were delighted to find the reefs are recovering nicely from the Mitch Hurricane damage in 1998 with an abundance of little blue chromis tending the growth. Although there is a wide diversity, the large fish seem to have been taken for export consumption. During the week we saw hawksbill turtles on two dives, barracudas on four dives, triggerfish, hogfish, angels, nurse sharks on three dives, rays on two dives and even a turtle rescue on the villa dock our last day. We were able to see many unusual, even rare species and some we haven't been able to identify yet. Our daughter found what we think is a disk corallimorph but we are seeking independent confirmation. It was uncanny how Denis would find the (fish) stars each dive, usually saving the biggest or the best for the last 10 minutes of the dive. Often, we accused him of planting rubber sharks or rays the day before for such timely "discoveries".

Not only is there abundant life under the water, we were able to find star birds as we boated around the island. It was quite easy to find common species including pelicans, blue herons, egrets and grackles. The uncommon star species included elegant terns, chestnut-breasted herons, tri-color herons and the yellow-crowned parrot (a rare local specie only found in the Bay Islands).

John and Susan of U.S. Dive Travel were the stars that pulled all the plans together for us. We made round trip travel arrangements to San Pedro Sula and the rest of the trip was arranged by U.S. Dive Travel. From our perspective it all happened without a hitch. The plane ride to Guanaja was on a small 15-seater with luggage strapped into the seats behind us. The plane was so small; the pilots would open their window during flight to hang their arms out. We arrived about five hours ahead of schedule. Denis was at the airport dropping off another couple and took our early arrival in stride. He called ahead to the villa, and Tina and Karen had a wonderful lunch ready for us when we got to the villa. We were able to even get an afternoon dive in!

Did I mention the stars? We were shocked by the number of stars we could see when the sun went down; they were so bright because of the clear air and so little light pollution. Each night we would sit on the patio and watch the stars, listen to the boat traffic below and reflect on the day's activities. Then off early to bed because the next day was sure to bring even more stars into view.

Thanks again for everything.

Roy, Cheri and Kara Small
Kenosha, Wisconsin

April 4, 2007

Quick note guys. Had a wonderful time in Palau. Boat was great (Ocean Hunter 1); food was great; diving was great. Travel and hotel went well with only a very tight connect (they held past departure time ) in Guam to Koror. Thanks.

Jeff & Daniele Addis
Boca Raton, FL

Feb. 2, 2007

John:   Matangi Island Resort -- Unbelievable in every respect. Upgraded at no charge to a treehouse as a perk to "John and Linda's customer." Only six people when we arrived, only four now. We have the whole dive boat to ourselves. Weather a little rough today so we didn't go out. Trying to get to the SomoSomo Strait but the staff tells us that they aren't allowed to take the boat there without six passengers. We'll try some other way to make it over. Too much to talk about so will fill you in when we get home (from Fiji). However, thanks to you we made the blind decision to come here, which, so far, seems to be one of the best decisions I've have made in recent memory. All the travel here went exactly as planned, arrived right on schedule, and it is obvious that they have things down to a science in getting to and from Matangi Island. Will check in with you later in trip if we have Net access. Waiting now for the drums to start beating, warning us that another elegant, five-star dinner will be on the table at our command. Bula!

Ray Nesbett and David Nesbett (son)
Anchorage, Alaska

Jan. 29, 2007

To U.S. Dive Travel staff:

Hope this finds you both well. Roy and I just returned from a week at Buddy Dive in Bonaire and are now Advanced Open Water certified. What a wonderful world out there to be explored!!!!!! We are so looking forward to our trip to Honduras, to Dunbar Villa in March. We were looking at your web site and noticed all the deals you have out there. We just want to turn around and go back to Bonaire. Absolutely beautiful. The highlight was the day we left, we were just out sight seeing and watching a kite surfer when out of the water came a Humpback Whale, about 15 meters long. INCREDIBLE!!!! and we have about 50 pictures of the kite surfer and four divers right by it. Thanks again for all the work you did to get us to Honduras, we are very anxious to go.

Roy and Cheri Small
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Jan.19, '07

John and Susan --

Just a quick note to say that we had a really good trip to Blackbird Caye. All of the arrangements went as planned. The accomodations and staff were great. The diving was really amazing. Thanks for your help in putting this together and thanks also for the cake and wine -- that was over the top. We will think of you again when we start planning for our next dive related adventure.

Norman Baer & Family
Minneapolis, MN

January 5, 2007

Dear John,

Just a quick note to let you know how wonderful our stay at Dunbar Villa (Guanaja, Honduras) was last week. Little snafus in the travel/flight plans, but there was always someone there to inform us and help us get on our way. Our plane arrived late from Atlanta to SAP (San Pedro Sula), so we had the bus trip to La Ceiba and overnite there and it was actually good to see the countryside a bit.

The snorkeling was outstanding, such beautiful, clear reefs, variety of healthy coral and fish. We loved every minute in the water! The return trip to SAP and overnite stay at the Holiday Inn was very nice -- a beautiful new hotel, great service and good breakfast there. If I did it again, I would probably plan to stay there and go to the Mayan ruins at Copan before traveling onto Guanaja at the beginning of the trip. Just a suggestion for future travelers. The Delta flight is really nice with new large planes that have much more leg and elbow room. Everyone was very nice to us at Dunbar Rock. The food was satisfying and tasty. We got well-rested.

Thank you for your part in this.

Barbara and Don Fairfield
Lanham, Maryland

Dec. 12, '06

Hi John:

You're the best -- the whole USDT group is terrific. Hope you like the T-shirt !

( This dive club T shirt, in bright red letters across the back, states: "The Bottom Dwellers," & on the front -- "Sinking to New Lows. OK everybody, let's shut up & dive !" )

Rosemary Bellini +
the rest of the Bottom Dwellers.

USDT Op's Mgr notes: This is the "Bottom Dwellers' 7th full-boat charter via U.S. DIVE TRAVEL since 1999, with Miss Bellini at the admin helm. Rosemary was a World Women's Handball Champion for several years back in the early 1990s. Between 1980 & 1991, she dominated women's handball in the USA, winning six 4-wall national titles + eight 3-wall national titles. She was inducted into the World Handball Hall of Fame back in 1996.

18 Nov. 2006

John:

I'd like to thank you and your staff for your patriotism and friendship during my deployment (in Operation Iraqi Freedom / Operation Enduring Freedom). It has been a great joy getting to know you. We look forward to your expertise in assisting us in our future travel plans.....

I'm not exactly sure where to start in my thanking you for the extraordinary experience we had at Blackbird Caye Resort. I think that we have found a "Little Slice of Heaven" on that caye (on Turneffe Atoll, Belize). The staff at Blackbird took great care of us during our stay. We didn't want for anything. I also have to thank you for the cake the staff made for me on the first night and also the wine that you bought us to welcome me back.

I hope that your vacation has been as relaxing as ours was and that you come back refreshed and revived. Thanks again Amigo.

V/R

Major Dion Moten, U.S. Army,
and the Fellow Gang o' Six Members
Macon, Georgia, U.S.A.

Managers' Note: For obvious security reasons we cannot discuss the specific arena of Major Moten's wartime service. However, we must say that we received on Nov. 18, unexpectedly, a special thank-you gift unlike anything ever seen at U.S. Dive Travel before. Major Moten had asked his commanding general to issue a Certificate of Appreciation "for Patriotism & Support," which the general personally signed. This steel-&-glass-framed certificate, printed over a full-color backdrop of the American flag, bears the motto "Ready Lightning!" It is now displayed in a prominent place in our USDT home office in Minnesota. There it will remain until the day we retire, Lord willing, a long ways down the road. Thanks Major Moten. All of us Americans -- we would have neither a stable international economy that allows for tropical vacations, nor the constitutionally secured freedom to take those vacations, if it was not for guys like you putting their shoulder to the wheel in the deserts of SW Asia. Thank YOU, sir, for what you have done, and for what your men are still doing. We at USDT are all grateful. And a generation of Americans is, too. -- Susan & John Hessburg, founding partners, U.S. DIVE TRAVEL Network.

October 26, 2006

Dear John,

My apologies that it took so long to write this email ! But I wanted to let you know how very much Alex and I enjoyed our trip to Blackbird Caye Resort. It was exactly what we were looking for -- remote, relaxing, and beautiful sites. From the time they met us at the airport until the day we left, the staff took great care of us; and the other guests we met were very friendly. Despite the rain, we were still able to get in 2 snorkels a day, and our guide Crispin was fantastic. We wish we had stayed a week ! Next time. We look forward to more trips like that, and I look forward to getting my scuba certification in the next year. Thanks again for all of your help in planning this wonderful trip. Hope all is well with you.

Best wishes,

Hilary Terrell
Brooklyn, New York

Oct. 26, '06

Dear John and Susan:

A few quick notes about our trip to PNG. The trip was a very safe and rewarding experience. The people were extraordinary and the diving breath-taking. My only disappointment in diving was not seeing any major pelagics. We did see grey reef and white tip reef sharks, but all else were absent. The corals were magnificent, Mike Ball's boat and staff was great, and the people of PNG were very congenial and charming. Walindi Plantation was a great place to unwind and yet do some diving and touring.

The Airways Hotel in Port Moresby was excellent. Gorgeous appointments and very secure. Others on the boat stayed elsewhere in Moresby, and felt somewhat threatened by the environment. In Brisbane the Sebel Hotel was nice and the location was fun. If we go again we would probably stay in a less costly area, but, the timing and planning worked very well for a nervous traveler such as myself.

We were safe, healthy, and had no glitches. Your efforts culminated in a great trip for us....

P.S. You will be our first contact for our next great adventure.

Thanks again,

Jack and Nancy Howison
Sidney, OH

Date: Thurs, 14 Sept 2006, 19:32 (PDT)

From: Jacqueline Layer

Subject: Snorkeling trip to Curacao

Hi John,

What a wonderful snorkel trip to Curacao !!! We loved Lion's Dive Resort, the wonderful hospitable people, the beautiful fish and sights underwater, and the island in general. Some highlights include: made-to-order omlettes and croissants for breakfast, drinks at Hemingway's after a snorkel boat trip, Mambo Beach dinner on the beach, snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium with the stingrays and feeding the sea turtles and nurse sharks, the wonderful taxi drivers ( one even retrieved my daughter's wallet she had left in the back seat), the awesome view of the Caribbean from our room, and the lovely sunsets each evening. Thanks for making our family vacation one to remember. You are excellent with all of your details.

Sincerely,

The Layer Family --
Jacquie, Bruce, Lindsey and Lauren
Missouri City, Texas

Sept. 9, 2006

Hi John,

This is Fred. You booked me on a trip to Dunbar Villa (May 2006 on Guanaja island). Thanks it was the best. I will never forget it . Can you help me with Bonaire? I would like to go March 6-13th 2007. I have a friend to take; he just got his C-card and we have been friends for a long time. I know you will set us up, not too fancy, we're just Divers and like to rough it. Even love to camp out and sleep in a hammock.

Thanks and God Bless.

Fred Lee Hupp
Phoenix, Arizona

Friday, 11 Aug. 2006

Hi John, et al,

While my first inclination is to describe our vacation (to Curacao) as "The dream vacation of a lifetime," my true hope is that it is really just the FIRST of many family vacations that make me weep with joy when I try to tell others just how wonderful it was... and it was... and I weep as I write this.

Chris and Hank and I had so much fun (at Lions Dive & Beach Resort), learned more than we thought we could, and just drank in such incredible sights, sounds, new friendships, and family bonding. Thousands of tiny... jellyfish, some flying fish, the Mushroom Forest and Watamula, feeding fish at the sunken tug boat, Chris and me getting our weight belts down to 6 pounds -- down from 16 pounds, another story in and of itself !! -- and everything else you know, that I am trying to tell you we saw......

Thank you for all your hard work beyond the expected to get us on this trip. I'll let Chris and Hank give their own descriptions at some point; however, I just want to take a moment to say, "God bless you for getting us on this trip." We'll write more later. I have so much to do to get ready for work; and try to ride, play with dogs, and get the house cleaned up before those "miles to go."

Smiles and many blessings upon you,

Heidi River, Hank Daum and Christopher River-Paprock
Monticello, WI

July 6, 2006

Dear John (and Team),

.... I wanted to make sure that you knew how much Stacey, John, and I appreciated your help with arranging our trip. We had a great time at the Little Cayman Beach Resort ! It was one of our top scuba diving trips. I was so jazzed about our diving that after the trip, I went out and bought a bunch of scuba gear for our next trip ....

Thanks again,

Charlotte, John & Stacey
California

Jan. 29, 2006

Hi there,

Really enjoyed the trip to Blackbird. Thanks for helping us set it up. We just posted an album on the Sony Image Station site with a lot of very cool (we think) pictures. My daughter and I both had to laugh about the wetsuit suggestions though. We took along our 3 mm full suits and shorties. The first dive, full suit, second dive, shortie. Liesel always keeps at least her shortie on -- no matter the temp because she likes the padding against the weight of the tank. I was right down to just lycra by the 3rd dive and that is all I used the rest of the trip for all 18 dives. Even in the Blue Hole at 133 feet, I was perfectly warm and so was Liesel in her shortie with French cut legs and no sleeves. You under-estimate the warmth of the really up-north Wisconsinites! .....I will get back to you soon to see about planning another dive.

Thanks again for your help,

Dec. 19, 2005

(E-mail addressed to U.S. Dive Travel & Aggressor Fleet staffers, after 2 clients' trip with the live-aboard, Palau Aggressor.) --

The purpose of this E-mail is thank you all for making our trip so pleasant last month. As you all are aware, (my friend) was not strong and was not able to join in all the activities, but she had a great time. Really the best time of her diving life. She and I have been diving together for nearly 25 years and have been on many dive boats (3rd time on Palau Aggressor II) as well as many land-based trips. This was her best trip even though she was weak and could not make all of the dives.

What made it so nice for her was you, the other divers and the superb crew. Captain Mike and Amanda were just marvelous and Ike and Ernan were particularly caring. Ernan took such good care of her that she praised him every day. And of course Rose and Mayette were very attentive.

Since we have returned, (my friend) has tried to get as much out of life as she could. She had a real gift for making others feel good and trying to make them comfortable. Last night I was with her along with her son and niece and a hospice nurse. She had grown very weak. She asked the nurse if this was the end. The nurse nodded yes. She smiled at us all, said she was ready and it was okay and went on to join her Maker. We knew when we left for Palau that this was to be her last diving experience. And you folks made it the best.

Thanks for that. Warmest regards,

Col. Richard M. Johnson
Retired USMC
Claremont, CA

P.S. Dear Susan and John. Thank you two for paving the way for the special consideration and care we received. Amanda wanted me to say a special hello to you. She recalls meeting with you on the phone when she was at some other location. She too, is aware that you two are most caring.

Warm regards,

Dick

Manager's Note: Col. Johnson is one of the most capable men we have ever been blessed to work with. He served America with distinction in three foreign wars -- WWII, Korea & Vietnam. Col. Johnson planned this trip at age 82 & pulled it off with style, alacrity & selfless energy. Dick is an American patriot, a quintessential gentleman. God bless him for sharing this story with us all. What a Christmas message. We will never forget Col. Johnson & his friend of 25 years. They touched all our lives deeply. Semper Fi, Colonel. Semper Fi. -- Susan & John Hessburg, & the planning team, U.S. DIVE TRAVEL.

Sept. 2, 2005

Dear John and Susan,

We hope you had a good summer in Hawaii and beyond. We want to thank you for your attentive service. Our vacation at Manta Resort, Glover's Reef Atoll was our best ever.There were only five people at the resort, and we were the only divers! Nadia was a superb divemaster, and Frances the boat captain knew all the best dive sites. We have never seen so many spotted drums and turtles. Honestly, there was nothing bad about the trip. I highly recommed Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize, and the Manta Resort, and U.S. Dive Travel to anyone. Next year we will be calling you to book a trip to see whale sharks.

Sincerely,

Robin and Richard Bene
Wetumpka, Alabama

July 15, '05

John,

Just wanted to say thank you. My diving adventure to Blackbird Caye Belize was awesome and I can't wait to book another. Attached are a few of the hundreds of underwater pictures I took.

Joe Ramsey
San Jose, CA

July 6, 2005

John:

Thought I'd drop you a line re' the Grand Turk trip (Bohio Resort & Sea Eye Diving) .... you'll probably get an email from Lynn K as well .....

Logistics: Once again you're the king....all went well, including meeting Cecil Ingham from Sea Eye -- he was on our Provo to Grand Turk flight. Smitty met us day of arrival and we dove w/ him the whole time. Return was no problema ....

Diving: Superb -- rate it up w/ Little Cayman and Fiji. Walls were awesome. Coral is fabulous. Only critters not seen were shark and seahorse. Saw lots of things not normally seen -- immense (human sized) lobster and crab on walls on night dives. Lots of octopus. The luminescent shrimp on night dives w/ lights out make you feel like you're swimming thru space (stars). Can't say enough about how terrific Smitty was -- it was only Lynn K, Smitty and I on all but one night dive (we did 2). Spoiled! He convinced us to turn lights out during night dive to experience the above shrimp "stars" and we danced in the phosphorescence close to the surface. Very accommodating. Staff support -- Joanna -- she was terrific. Would highly recommend Sea Eye Diving. Hope Cecil's operation continues to be successful, as they were really professional. Simple, small boats, but had all we needed for the 5 min. ride to the dive sites!

Bohio Resort doesn't yet have their compressor, but can book diving, borrowing tanks from Oasis. Oasis has secured cruise ship contract -- they're dredging/building for a cruise ship dock for 2-3 ships / week starting in February. Glad we went when we did.

Accommodations: Bohio has a lot of potential. Pretty simple accommodations, but clean and neat. Restaurant is very good -- named Guanahani -- chef and his wife bringing in business for the property from town and tourists. Elaine (chef's wife) has refurbished restaurant nicely. Bohio managers Nick and Kelly were very nice, responsive and accommodating. Business is very slow -- last 2 nights Lynn K and I were the only guests outside of a couple rooms they have booked w/ cruise ship workers. They acknowledge they have a lot of marketing to do. Nice set up though. Only other feedback I'd give is that if I were to go back, would either want to dive w/Bohio, as they are a ways out of town and then would get to know others on property better by spending more time w/them, or would want to stay in town, ie. Osprey Hotel and dive w/ Sea Eye which is right across the street. As it was, the only people on Bohio property were personal friends of Kelly and Nick's. Lynn K and I, while we get along well, relish the company of others too ...

Anyway, hope this feedback is useful .... Once again, a terrific dive trip, thanks to YOU!

Lynn Dines
Huntington Beach, CA

April 18, '05

Most excellent trip. Gerd was at the Dunbar Villa.... Spent time with Darrell ... Excellent diving with Carlos and Wilson... Landing JFK shortly... Many thanks guys!

Rich Shade

New York, NY

March 1, 2005

Home safely, we miss the warmth of the Guanajan sun and of the wonderful people of Dunbar Villa. The first picture is our car the night we left and the second picture is our car today, (covered in snow) after we had another snow storm to travel home in yesterday. I will send more pictures and my story when it is written. We met Carlos' mom and family in LaCeiba -- no problemas.

Later dude,

Mitchell & Teda Clarke
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

Feb. 27, '05

John & Susan:

We're back !!! We so enjoyed our trip on the Sun Dancer II in Belize that we are now looking for another live-aboard. We are thinking about the Turks & Caicos .... or maybe even something in the Micronesia / South Pacific area, keeping in mind the weather / water conditions for the dates below ....

Bill McLean & Lisa Adams
Los Angeles, CA

Fri, 25 Feb 2005

John,

Sharon and I got back from Dunbar Villa (on Guanaja Island, Honduras) on Wednesday. It was a trip of a lifetime. Dennis and all the staff took great care of us. Thanks for all your help. This is truly an understated dream trip for anyone. If you have any clients who need to talk with someone who has been there, please have them contact us.

Thanks again,

John and Sharon Brandon
Poplar Bluff, MO, U.S.A.

Mon, 7 Feb 2005

Hi !

Just got back from (Dunbar Villa) Guanaja on Saturday night, and I wanted to tell you that we had a marvelous time. The people were wonderful, the hotel was beautiful, and the reefs were amazing. Thank you!

Dr. Eve B. Shaw
Plainfield, NJ

January 18, 2005

Dear John & Susan:

I would like to thank you for all your hard work to get us on the Galapagos Aggressor. We had a wonderful time, yes, and the best diving vacation of our lives. Herewith I would like to thank also all the great crew: Hector, Vicente, Francisco, Eduardo, Darwin, Winter, Alejandro and our dive instructors Richard and Chris. Also, I would like to thank Peter who came to the airport at Guayaquil to say Hello to us! Ricardo helped us with our entire luggage and the supply of the extra sweatshirts at the airport. We had excellent service, diving and lovely memories for all our lives. Chris did a big job with his video camera, and we bought two of his DVDs, one for us and one for Andrea as a very nice souvenir. Richard gave us his photos on a CD, but unfortunately, we got the copy of the best pictures and not the copy we were supposed to get, which was of the pictures of ourselves during this week. I would really appreciate it, if we still could get a copy of our photos specially made for us by Richard, on a CD and if you could send it to us.

Silvia & Eduardo Hidal; São Paulo, Brazil
Andrea Endlein; Orlando, FL, USA

Nov. 1, 2004

Hello John,

I'll try this again in case you received a half message. Well everything is very very nice. Thank you so much for your help in arranging this vacation (at Matangi Island in Fiji). We had an awesome dive yesterday and we are going on a picnic this afternoon. I will give you a call when we get home. Again thank you soo much. God Bless.

Harley and Billie Jean Born
The Born Family ( Key Largo, FL )

P.S. The Simpsons are ready to move here; they really love it also and they too send their thanks and appreciation.

Aug. 20, 2004

Hello,

My name is Anis Abdulla. I stumbled upon your review of Oman on the internet today. I live in Buffalo, NY now and I've lived in Oman for 14 years. I absolutely love the country. The people are the friendliest I've ever met and the place is one of absolute beauty. Althought the weather can be a pain in the rear sometimes. Your review on Oman was so refreshing. I wish more people could put their stereotypes of the Arab world aside and see for themselves how friendly and non-violent most Arabs are. The media does tend to blow things out of proportion. I'm really glad you enjoyed your trip to Oman. I only hope more people can do the same.

Regards,

*********************************************************************

Aug. 21, 2004

Marhaba John,

Thank you for the prompt reply. Your (reply) email was a joy to read. Your thoughts and views about people, religion and the kind of outlook everyone should have, are something I completely and wholehearted agree with. I am not Omani. I'm Indian by nationality but since the age of 4, I've lived in the Sultanate of Oman. I have seen the country develop in front of my eyes so to speak. I'm a student at the University of Buffalo. This is my first trip to the United States. I arrived a little more than a week ago. My parents work in Oman. The "Mr." and "Sir" is absolutely unnecessary. You're more than welcome to call me by my first name.

Like you, I've experienced Omani culture first hand and I still cannot get over how very genuine the people are. A complete stranger would happily go out of his or her way to help you.... Almost every person I meet here in the USA has absolutely no clue where Oman is. Some don't even believe it's an actual country. They think I'm making it up.

Like you, I hope that one day people will look beyond the colour of their skin and beyond religion and race and ethinicity. We are all the children of one God. I myself have prayed in mosques, churches and temples. It makes no difference to me where I pray.

I hope you and your family have a fabulous weekend. It's a pleasure meeting a person like you.

"Wal-Ekum-As-Salaam, Sadeeq John " (Translation: Sadeeq = Friend.)

August 17, 2004

John

Just a quick e-mail to say a big THANKS for all your help in organising a fantastic week at Blackbird. The island was idyllic and relaxing, the diving was great and very varied. I especially enjoyed the Blue Hole which was an awesome dive. I will be happily recommending U.S Dive Travel to my friends as a professional and reliable company. Once again, thanks for all your assistance.

Regards

Aug. 17, '04

Hi John,

We had no complaints whatsoever about the operation (at Lions Dive Beach Resort on Bonaire). Francie did a great job at the dive shop, and the dive operation ran smoothly. They have an air station right next to the road so you don�t have to lug tanks for shore diving. The rooms were nice, the pool clean and the restaurant had very good meals. The only hitch is that it is difficult to make the 8:30 AM boat on time �cuz breakfast doesn�t start until 7:30 and they were fairly slow so that by the time you were finished eating there was only a few minutes until departure time. Francie worked that out without a hitch by dropping the morning boat back to 9:00 and it worked great. All in all, a great trip.

(Editor's note: Mr. O'Daniels, co-leader of a 16-person group, remarked in an e-mail the day before: "We had a great trip in Bonaire, despite AA not getting our luggage to us until the day after our arrival. Not their fault, the SABRE system went down and plans everywhere were late leaving because they couldn�t get a flight plan.")

Bob O'Daniels
Marietta, Georgia

Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Underwater Bridge Inspector

August 6, 2004 / Voicemail

"Hi John,

"Hope all is well with you & your family...Had a wonderful time in Honduras (at Dunbar Villa on Guanaja). Took many many wonderful pictures. Some incredible diving, great hospitality, overall the most relaxing vacation of my life."

Thank you,

Kenneth Ursin
Birmingham, Alabama

August 6, '04

John and Susan,

We just wanted to let you how much fun Judy and I had on our trip to Guanaja and our stay at the Villa on Dunbar Rock. We ended up having almost perfect weather and water conditions, had great dives and the hosts, Denis and group were enjoyable. We appreciate your suggestion that we consider a trip there and thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

John MacDonald Mills
Judy B. Mills
Panama City, FL, U.S.A.

June 7, 2004

To U.S. Dive Travel --

Thank you so much for everything. We had a fabulous time (at Blackbird Caye Resort in Belize).

Best regards,

<*\\\\<

May 11, 2004

John and Susan,

I'm home from the Turks & Caicos Islands and wanted to let you know all went very smoothly considering my last minute planning. Thanks to you it was a great trip. The diving, food, boat crew, etc. were superior. Fortunately for me the Turks & Caicos Explorer only had 10 divers on it so I had the deluxe cabin to myself !! All the passengers were great and we had a blast. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

April 28, 2004

Dear John and Susan,

I met Deedy a little over a year ago....She's a marine biologist...she had gotten PADI certified in 1989 and dived extensively only in Florida. She ran a nature center, taught science in a private high school, and loves and has cared for every type of bird, reptile, and mammal found in Florida.

The trip was my birthday present to her, to get her mind off turning 50, to give her a chance to dive again, doing what she loves and thought she might never do again (she hadn't dived since 1995) in the greatest biologically diverse site in the world, exotically located halfway around the world. Needless to say, your exquisitely designed trip worked.

Coming into Sydney is the ideal gateway to Australia. After 25 hours of travel, worn out (as wonderful as Quantas is) we had no idea of the James Bond-like luxury suite awaiting us (at Quay West Apartments). Up the bridge and then onto a harbor boat tour, Deedy was still in shock when we left the next day to fly up to Cairns.

The Mike Ball Dive Expeditions trip with Lizard Island flight was supreme first class. The Mike Ball crew is super, they make the experience what it is. Although Australia has been experiencing highly unusual 20 - 30 knot winds for over a month, with underwater visibility about 30 - 35 feet (10-12 meters), it was, after all, the Great Barrier Reef. The diving schedule is intense, but so professional, calm, friendly, and confident are the crew that we kept up and loved it.

Then a car waiting at the dock back in Cairns to take us to Silky Oaks, immersed in diverse tropical life. It was a great break from diving. Then down to Heron Island for a more laid-back diving schedule and relaxation. The dive boat crews at Heron were just as good as Mike Ball's, so great diving continued. The weather was sunny and in the 80's, the wind was a little high but didn't detract much. We made all our domestic flights, taxi drivers were great, all the 1-night midpoint overnights were perfect.

Thank you both for all the effort you put into this once-in-a-lifetime trip. It really made a huge difference in Deedy's life. Hey, I loved it too! We both have been in a daze since we're back, it all seems like a dream.

Best Wishes from another U.S. Dive Travel Network convertee.

April 14, 2004

John,

We got to experience a bit of a storm ourselves-- a tropical depression (wind gusts up to 75 mph) blew in one night at 1am, and kept us up, which was quite exciting. Our bure had an exposure which let in a great deal of rain and the wind blew off part of the roof, but everything was fixed up nicely later in the day.

The Matagi Island snorkel boats were great, taking just Rich and I out everyday, often just dropping us off at a nearby island and picking us up many hours later, giving us plenty of time to explore. So, it was a once in a lifetime experience and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Matangi. We want to thank you for the help organizing the trip and also for bottle of wine and card you sent to celebrate Rich's birthday. We had a romantic dinner at the "al fresco bure" and it was a very special treat. Hope this note finds you and Susan well, and hope you get back to Fiji soon !

Best regards,

Ruth Kaplan and Rich Treadgold
San Rafael, CA

March 9, '04

John:

Just got back to the office (and reality), and wanted to let you know that though Mother Nature tried her best to disrupt the (Kona Coast, Hawaii) trip, the folks at Dive-Tek did her one better and made sure we had a great time all 5 days of diving. Knowledgeable, personable, conscientious people; great equipment (including boat and unexpected additional last minute dive equipment); and an overall organization that made us all feel comfortable, safe, welcome and excited about what they had waiting for us around the next corner....not every week folks dive and see 7 humpback whales; swim with about 100 spinner dolphins; see sharks, sea turtles, rays, frogfish, devilfish, multiple members of the eel family; etc., etc.....plus their pre-dive lectures were most enjoyable and informative, and their overall hospitality first rate.

All in all, thank you very much for picking them for us to dive with. Not sure how many outfits you chose from when setting up the trips to Kona, but from last week's experiences (including seeing a bunch of the other outfits out on the water), don't think you could ever go wrong trying to get your folks with Dive-Tek before any other operation there.

Thank you for everything. Best wishes.

Harry T. Hall & the group
Lake Oswego, OR