Client Comments

Raeann said you called, I just wanted to say thanks for all the work you did for us while we were stranded in Miami. We all appreciated it very much. Turk was pretty cool everybody had a great time after it was all said and done. We really only lost 2 dives so it really wasnt a big deal. Please tell Mark thanks as well, he really went above and beyond the call of duty, just as you did.
Thanks again, talk to ya soon.

Grand Turk was great. I dove with Karen and Tony, who I guess you also set up to go. really nice folks. Mackey and Smitty took good care of me! It was the best reef/wall diving I've done. I feel certain I'll go back someday. The only thing that would prevent me form going back soon is that there are so many other places to explore before I settle on a list of favorites! I didn't read as many books as I anticipated, but only because I was also adopted by a group from Colorado and Nebraska! Oh well, worse things can happen. And Jenny was a sweetheart. I went to Turks head the first night, and you are right, it's great. But then I ended up at the Salt Raker the rest of the time. Everyone was terrific.

Thanks again and I will definitely keep you in mind for my next trip. If you have any ideas let me know! There are 3 of us.

Thanks again and keep in touch!

Liz

We loved Grand Turk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Turks Head inn was wonderful. The diving was great and so was Sea Eye Diving. The only problem we had was with American Airlines and our luggage was lost for a couple of days but, we dove anyway. So, next time you get a good deal on Grand Turk let us know. We would go back in a second. Do you know anything about Island
house there? Also we would like to go to Bonaire next trip maybe in the winter time. Thanks again and let us know when you get special packages. Our schedules are somewhat flexible all the time.

Jennifer

What a great trip! Everybody had a great time on Grand Turk. I just got back to work today. I had a 1.5 hour commute to work!

Anyway, I was really impressed with everything. You were absolutely right about the Sea Eye Diving staff, they are incredibly accommodating and very friendly. The staff set up our tanks, brought our snorkel gear to the boat, hung our wetsuits out to dry and rinsed our gear at the end and had it all dried and ready to pack. We did most of our dives with Cecil. He was 'spectacular' if I can use the word he used to describe all the reefs. Talking about the reefs... the coral is in excellent condition. We did not see a lot of big stuff, but saw plenty of turtles, octopus, flying gurnards.... the list goes on. The Sea Eye Diving staff really made a great impression on me, when the group decided to do a late afternoon pier dive, followed by a night dive, with pizza, beer and bonfire on the beach... they organized it all! the pizzas were delivered, the cooler filled with ice and drinks, all our gear with two tanks each was brought to the pier. They gave us a ride there and a ride back and we even had some of them join us on the dive. Amazing service.

The Gibbs Caye trip was a lot of fun and I definitely recommend it to everyone traveling to the island. It was the perfect end to our trip even though the occasional downpour came down on the Friday. The Turks Head Inn was just as good. The rooms were very nice, the air conditioning welcomed and the food was excellent.

The only complaints were; the high cost of food on the island in general and the initial difficulty we had in getting water to drink. The divers did not want to buy individual bottles of water for dinner but rather wanted a pitcher of water for the whole table. This request was often frowned upon.

Anyway I have to get back to the piles of paperwork left for me on my desk.
Thanks for help organizing the best group trip I have ever had! I'll keep in touch.

Genevieve

We had a wonderful time. Grand Turk, although very sleepy, is a wonderful place to dive. The walls are magnificent and the marine life abundant. We swam with 5 dolphins on one dive, saw one small (6 ft) manta ray, and lots of turtles. Sea Eye Diving is a great operation, very professional. We
did our diving with Smitty, and he really knows the area well. The bioluminescence on the night dives was phenomenal. With all the lights off, it felt like we were swimming through a galaxy. the only drawback is that the island has a high bug factor. Lots of mosquitos, no-see-ums, and cockroaches. It could be that they had just had 10 days of rain that contributed to this, but it was slightly annoying. Turks Head Hotel was very nice. We were in room #3, which was just renovated and was in great shape. The balcony was great for hanging out our wetsuits every night, but it would have been nice to have a view of the ocean. We met some people that had us up to their place at the Island House for a barbecue. If we go back, we would probably stay there for the superior view and the kitchen. However, we have no complaints about the Turks Head. There staff was very friendly and everything was fine. All in all, a great trip. It is quite depressing to be back at work, but
I'm probably going to start planning my next trip (Thailand?) soon. Thank you for all your help setting this up. Your welcome about ferrying the tickets to Connie. My pleasure.
Happy Diving,

Jarod

Saba was absolutely fabulous, wonderful, awesome, and every other adjective that one can imagine. On a scale of 1 - 10 it was an 11! We all four just fell in love with it. No poverty, no crime. No locks on the
doors. Everything was safe. The people were wonderful. The food was awesome. Every night they had a "special" at a different eating establishment. Monday night was Mexican night at Brigadoon, Tuesday night was B-B-Q at Swinging Door, one night was pizza night at Y2K, etc. The hiking, scenery, wildlife, vegetation were all outstanding. So far, this is the best island we have visited.

The diving was mostly deep (which we knew) and a couple of days we had current. We did manage to see everything and more that we had planned on. From snails to sea horses to sharks and lots of turtles both on the surface and below! We did a night dive on Friday, the13th (full moon) so the current was a little wild on that one.

The dive crew, and Matt in particular, were very good and took a lot of time with us. The boats were not overcrowded and individual attention was afforded to everyone.

I hope this answers all your questions (and more) and apologize for not responding sooner, but as you can relate things are always hectic after returning from vacation.

On another note, I would also like to add that I have never received such service as you have provided me not only prior, but during and after the sale. I really appreciate all your help and support and look forward to booking our next vacation.

Janet Zolman

Juliana's & Sea Saba
Everyone on the island of Saba was incredibly friendly. We were especially impressed by the knowledgeable dive staff at Sea Saba. Cissy, Paul and Steve were great dive masters and made everyone on the boat feel comfortable about the advanced diving conditions. We heard nothing but positive comments from the rest of the divers on the boat. Juliana and Franklin (at the hotel) made you feel like you were staying in their own home! We would not hesitate to go back!
Thanks

Vicki Leonard and Kevin Mudd

Just wanted to let you know what a wonderful trip we had to Yap and Palau .. Our first stop was Yap ,we stayed at pathways hotel. The hotel was very nice and everybody that works there went out of there way to make sure we were happy and taken care of. The diving in Yap was great . The first dive
everyday was manta ray channel ,we saw huge rays every morning . We all agreed this met one of our lifetime diving goals .(we are still looking for a whale shark) The dive staff at yap divers were very proffesional and also made the diving a lot of fun.

Our next stop was Palau we stayed a Carolines resort . I can not say enough about the charm and view of this place . If you go to Palau it is the only place to stay. The diving in Palau is second to none,large palegics everywhere sharks on every dive. We also went diving at pelilou island which was probably the best overall dive I have ever done. The land tour is also a must . Tangi the tour guide does a great job . he probably enjoys his job more than anybody I have ever met.

I would reccomend this trip to anyone I can not wait to go back. It is well worth the long plane ride . Thank you for all the work that you and Tanya did for us I know my friends and I can be a pain with changes and all .As always world dive adventures did a great job and I look forward to working with you
in the future.

take Care

Geoff Comstock
Dallas TX

You are just a little bit ahead of me ? I was going to write to you, but had to push around some other stuff, - usual thing after vacation.

The trip was excellent, rare combination of good diving and amazing hiking, though I?m bound to say that the hiking is better.

Coral reefs are beautiful, and underwater landscapes are diverse and very impressive, no questions about that, but the marine life is represented mostly by small stuff, no big games, rare 3-5 pounds jacks and occasional barracudas and turtles. Kindergarten, though really colorful. (Sorry, but I am spearfishman with long history, so maybe I?m just spoiled with what I?ve seen already).

Hiking is beyond imagination. I don?t want to repeat tour books ? I just confirm that all you can read about Dominica?s nature is not neither commercial nor exaggeration. It is true and definitely worth to see. Another additional advantage ? you will watch it practically alone, the island is not overcrowded with tourists at all. On the trail to Boiling Lake my wife and me were alone all the way. We spent 2 hours bathing in hot sulphor pools and did not bother to wet our bathing suits.

Some practical advises for those who follow:
1. Do not be afraid to do hiking on your own, especially if 5 and 50 bucks make a difference to you. Trails are clearly marked, local buses are cheap and reliable. God created the world without explanation, so you do not need a guide and all his talking. The man who checks the ticket at the trail?s head will give you all the information. Enjoy the nature.
2. All the hiking tours, except Boiling Lake, can be done in half a day, after diving. Boiling Lake is a must, believe me, but it requires the whole day and it should be the last day of your trip (if only you are not profy) ? you will not be able to walk next day, only fly.
3. I can recommend three tours in this sequence: i) Soufriere and Sulphur Springs (do not stop at lower public pool, go uphill and find your own). ii) Middleham waterfall (trail starting from Laudat). iii) Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation (some say the volcano is a gate to the hell, I?m not sure - looks more like paradise).
4. I found local beer (Kubuli) worth to pay it very close attention.
5. As for diving ? try to make the dive operator to bring you to the Atlantic side. There is a pinnacle, 1-2 miles south of Scot?s Head (the most south point of the island), which my instinct tells me may be interesting in sense of big game.

Thank you very much again. For you personal information ? Dominica is very generous with visas, no visa needed from Russians and from huge list of other countries. This might be an important consideration when you deal with people like me.

If anybody is interested in more details, I?m very available

Mikhail V. Kisin

Here's the Rohde's opinion of Dominica!
Trip dates May 29-June 5, 1999
Hotel: Anchorage
Dive Operation: Dive Dominica

We really liked the food: lamb, goat, all kinds of fish and shell fish, chicken, beef and tons of fresh local veggies and fruits. We ate all but two meals there and didn't get bored with the choices. Also, one of us
is a vegetarian and the the cooks were very accommodating. It helped that it was off season and we practically had the whole place to ourselves. One night there was a barbeque with free rum punch and the yummiest buffet. My favorite dessert was the lemon merange pie (I think I ate a whole one during the week!)

The pool was clean and on the ocean, no beach, sailing, windsurfing etc.

Ate lunch at the Forest Bistro, an organic restaurant above Souferie, so beautiful and quaint. The owner built the outdoor restaurant himself, above his house, and his wife cooks the food he grows and the fish he catches. The view of the bay through the mountains was gorgeous.

The boat was broken, so they chartered a nice dive boat from next door. Only we five divers and two or three others per day.

Divemasters:
Cornelius Morris and Micheal were friendly, knowledgeable and fun. Corny took us to a local bar for Quiz Night (we didn't win but came close) and was our guide to the Boiling Lake. He is a body builder and aerobics instructor too, so our hike was aerobic, we made the round trip in five hours instead of six to eight. A record, we decided!

Rental Equipment:
Regulators need work. Nothing failed, but it's old stuff. BC's were okay. Corny and Micheal loaded, unloaded and cleaned and stored the gear daily. We were pampered. Air Fills, Site selection, Saftety and Dive Briefing were fine. We had the dive sites to ourselves.

Dive Sites:
Most dives were out to Scott's Head. One dive had very heavy drift, the rest had little or no current. Visibility was reduced by plankton bloom, and lots of little jellies were around, stings were like mosquito bites without the welts. The sponges and corals were very colorful and healthy; the small stuff abundant: sea horses, nudibranchs, tons of bristle worms, coral shrimp, arrow crabs and small schooling fish,
several scorpion fish. One barracuda all week, one huge turtle, no queen angels, a few french and grey, no large fish really. No green morays but billions of spotted eels and golden eels of all sizes and a couple of sea snakes. Most dives were sixty feet or less. The water temp was perfect and Champagne really does have bubbles and hot water vents blasting from holes. It will burn your hand at 45 feet!

Shore diving at night was really awesome. The first night there were a half dozen scorpion fish resting on the sandy bottom near the hotel. Hermit crabs, free swimming eels, tons of sea urchins, star fish, squid,
octopus and found holes spouting very hot water from volcanic action. Saw several rays too and huge stone crabs as well as all sizes spiny lobster.

Corny even persuaded my non-diving daughter to do a resort course and now she's hooked and will get certified. He took her on six dives and she feels like a pro. We all are ready to go back.

In the afternoons we hiked to several gorgeous waterfalls and swam in the pools. My sons said these sites were the most beautiful they'd ever seen. The Valley of Desolation and Boiling Lake are really worth
seening, but only for the fit. The guide books are not exagerrating when they say "strenuous." We all are into fitness and work out at least one hour a day, and we all were exhausted after the trip. Even Corny got a sub for his aerobic's class that evening!

The drive through the rain forests to the hotel was beautiful. Definitely get a driver as the roads are narrow and the hairpin turns and head-on meetings had our hearts in our mouths, just like a 70 minute roller coaster ride. The weather was great, only rained on our last day. But we got the reward of a double rainbow.

The only complaint any of us had was the tendency of some of the locals in Roseau to "beg, " and not to take no for an answer when they'd offer to "guide us" somewhere. But we never felt in danger and nothing was stolen.

Dominca will be enjoyed by those divers who don't mind trading fancy amenities for a fabulous natural paradise and want to experience beauty above water and below it.

The Rohde's