FEBRUARY EASY DIVER TIMES

TO REACH US
PHONE:       901-753-2926
EMAIL:        SaralynnT@aol.com
US MAIL:     6161 Shelby Oaks Drive, Memphis TN 38134
WEB:          www.easydiversmemphis.com

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Dear Fun Fearless Friends:
Wow, a New Year full of new possibilities is always an exciting thing.  Diving is more than just a weekend sport, it can be a way of life.  If we aren't talking about diving, we are practicing it, reminiscing about it, or planning it.  Hopefully if you take a moment to think back, some of your fondest life memories revolve around your dive experiences and the people that made them special.  Have you noticed that all you need to do to open up a whole new world of experience is to walk on that pool deck or pick up that phone?  We are a truly non-exclusive club!  To belong, all you have to do is share some of our passion for the water, people, or travel.  That's it!  Of course a little bit of time, a tiny sense of humor, and a willingness to learn can help too.  Do not put off another moment of fun, no more procrastinating or waiting for _________(fill in the blank) to happen.  Your life is NOW, demand instant gratification - DO IT NOW and let us help.  Please see our website at: www.easydiversmemphis.com for more information.

TRAVELOGUE
Our annual trip to Homosassa Springs to play with the manatees, hang with nature, and create lasting friendships, just never disappoints.  Not only did we have repeated quality manatee experiences, we got to see an extra special force of nature.  There was a mama manatee who had given birth to twins a little over 5 months ago.  This is a VERY unusual occurrence for these mammals.  Not only do they rarely give birth to twins, in the unlikely event that they do, they generally abandon one of them and raise just one.  Well, don't tell this mama that!  She is raising both babies and caring for them just fine.  We had heard a rumor about where she spent her days and at what time she started swimming toward the ocean to take them feeding.  We waited patiently on the boat enjoying the beautiful day and just like clockwork: between 2:30 and 3:00 she came swimming out of the sanctuary with both babies in tow.  Luckily we had our portable diver down flag.  Tater Belle immediately swam in the same direction and was allowed to escort the trio oceanward.  Not wanting to miss out on the once in a lifetime experience, I made record time getting into my wetsuit and covering the several hundred yards distance to see this miracle up close.  The mama allowed Tater Belle and I to gently cruise next to them as they moved to their feeding grounds.  We watched as the two little ones bobbed from side to side, playing and swimming right behind their mama's pectoral fins.  We swam A LONG WAY and loved every minute of it.  Look for Tater Belle's twins pictures to be added to our website soon.

Of course this was just one small part of one day!  Other days we cruised along the river watching dolphins feed and play keep away with the fish, saw spectacular sunsets, watched a hobbyist launch his remote controlled seaplane, and in general just communed with nature.  Our step back in time was a lovely retreat from our busy lives at home.  And if the nature and water were not enough, we spent many an hour eating yummy home cooked food, telling stories, making plans, doing jigsaw puzzles, and bonding with new friends.

For our three year Homosassa Springs veteran travelers, and any other interested souls, we will be going to the Florida Keys next year during the same January, Martin Luther King holiday period and then we will move the manatee trip to encompass the February, President's day.  My travelers tell me that they like having our trips go over a federal holiday so they can take one less vacation day.  We have found that it is really great to travel to Florida sites when the weather is a bit more chilly and the crowds much more spare.  We decided that if we didn't mind getting bundled up to see manatees, then we don't expect to mind getting bundled up to see salt water reef fish either.  Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

UPCOMING DIVE CLASSES
DISCOVER SCUBA or SCUBA FITNESS - $20 activity fee
Want to try diving, update your scuba skills, get familiar with your new equipment, or just practice?  Students who register and prepay 24 hours in advance may take a $5 discount.
2nd & 4th Mondays, and Saturdays by appointment:  Feb 12 & 26 at 7:00 PM

OPEN WATER SCUBA CLASS - $350 Group, $510 Private
Do not let another fabulous year go by without fulfilling your dream of becoming an underwater adventurer!   Beginner divers love our warm pool and our friendly and caring staff.   We meet for five combination pool/classroom sessions which provide more than enough time for skill development in our small, intimate classes.   Please call today to register and pick up your student kit and materials.
OWC #2  Tuesdays at 6:30 PM, begins February 6
OWC #3   Mondays at 6:30 PM, begins March 5

For extreme flexibility and loads of personal attention why don't you get at least 2 friends to join you and then for just $60 more per person you can have your very own class scheduling AND completely personal attention?   Or if you can have it all, how about a private one on one experience with your personal Easy Diver Staff Instructor?

ADVANCED OPEN WATER CLASS - $40 registration fee, $25 per session
Pick and choose from our second and fourth Monday topics.  Please confirm your registration no later than 5:00 PM on the Friday before class.  Some topics may require additional class materials purchase.  Please discuss this with your instructor during registration.
Monday: Feb 12 at 7:00 PM - Enriched Air/Nitrox
Monday: Feb 26 at 7:00 PM - Deep Diver
Monday: March 12 at 7:00 PM - Underwater Photography
Monday: March 26 at 7:00 PM - Fish Identification

TRAVELTIME
FIRST LOCAL DIVE TRIP OF THE YEAR
VORTEX SPRINGS, FLORIDA!!
FEBRUARY 23 - 25, 2007
Most of us are chomping at the bit to go and have some diving fun.   Our group accommodations at the Otter Creek Lodge give us plenty of space and a great location at the edge of the divesite.   This is a great place for dive training (Open Water, Advanced and Rescue dives are scheduled) or fun diving for experience under the expert supervision of our Easy Divers Staff.   Trip fee includes: pool practice session, customized itinerary, group accommodations, admissions, airfills, staff supervision, and dinner Sunday night.
TRIP FEE:  $215 Diver, $115 Vacationer (no intention of getting wet)
DEPOSIT:  $100 due at time of reservation, deadline:Friday, Feb 9: 5:00 PM)
BALANCE: Due February 16 or pay late fee of $10.
Gear rental and transportation costs are not included.   Carpools are now forming.   Students in Open Water training -- $100 gear rental and $30 certification card fee.

Please remember that your trip deposit is a PROMISE that you will participate.   Our staff is engaged and reservations made to include you, therefore deposits cannot be refunded.   Please see our website for our full cancellation policy.

TIP YOUR HAT TO
"Uncle" Don Wray for completing his Divemaster and Master Scuba Diving rating In December.

Divemaster Mark Curtis and Baby Diver Jodi Whittaker on their Saturday nuptials.

MEET THE EASY DIVERS 2007 STAFF
Master Instructor: Saralynn Turner owner/operator of Easy Divers in charge of making the plans, running the Easy Divers travel agency, and the wedding planner for Paradise Perfected the destination wedding division.

Staff Instructor: Bob "Professor" Sweeney a former Easy Diver student who now runs the beginner level classes and can be found lending his most excellent effort on our Easy Diver trips.

Staff Instructor: Frankie 'Da Fish" Benedetti, Daddy to two lovely daughters, Recompression Chamber Operator for the Med, and EMT who is now on temporary hiatus to finish nursing school.

Senior Divemaster: Chris "Tater Belle" Jones, our very own Easy Diver all grown up who can be found holding down the fort on most Monday night Discover Scubas and is the most sought after open water dive buddy.

Senior Divemaster: Randy "Wilson" Clark, another dependable Divemaster known for Monday night multitasking, boat captaining, and epicurean cooking duties on our Easy Diver Trips.

Divemaster: Don "Uncle Don" Wray, our newest Divemaster who single handedly is helping to promote Easy Divers all over town and who can be counted on for poolside cheer and support.

Divemaster Retired: Ross Owen, our favorite retiree who alternates his time between the golf course, diving like crazy in far flung destinations, and hanging out around the pool deck to be a good example of what the post retirement years can be.

Divemaster Elect: Geoff Wood, soon to wear the Divemaster crown can be counted on as our local gadget/computer guy, and former commercial diver for insight and experience.

TRAVELTIME
Please stay tuned, I am in the midst of updating our International dive trips and will send out an additional note as soon as they are ready for viewing.  In the meantime be thinking about: an Alaskan cruise, a Mexican resort, the British Virgins Islands, live aboard sailboats, and a once in a lifetime trip to Australia and Tahiti.  Not bad thoughts for a cold winter day in the States!

Saralynn
http://www.easydiversmemphis.com
901-753-2926