 It’s
been a really busy year for us and we worked hard to hit the water every
time there was an opportunity. Maybe that is a good excuse for me to use
when asked what I have done about shopping for Christmas. Christmas???
It seems that just a few weeks ago I was basking in the warm sun on the
deck of a dive boat and enjoying the cozy temperatures of the summer
underwater world. And, I still have to get through 3 December birthdays
in my immediate family!
For divers who have been doing a lot of diving, you would think that
Christmas gift ideas would be very easy but that’s not really the case.
In the past few years we have replaced virtually every piece of dive
gear we owned right down to the lanyards that hold our dive lights.
Lucky for me there was still one piece of dive gear that hadn’t been
replaced in recent years; Gary’s 16-year old regulator was the last
piece hanging on to life. After all, it still worked fine if you just
ignored the stream of bubbles that always seemed to follow him around
and the funny wheezing noises that scared off his photographic subjects.
For the rest of you, there is still time to visit the local dive
shops that take care of divers all year with a mind boggling array of
services. You name it and you can find it at one of the professional
dive shops in our area. When we weren’t replacing gloves with missing
fingers or booties with zippers frozen in the open position, we were
getting our tanks filled, our regulators (even Gary’s old treasure)
repaired and trying to locate those spare camera housing parts. During
lobster season, we searched for just the right tickle stick or snare and
replaced that old catch bag with the special lobster escape hatch.
In October 2006, the Caloosa Dive Club Photo and Spearfishing
Competitions decided to award gift certificates as prizes for the
winners of the contests. In previous years, both groups had gone to
different dive shops and purchased items for the prizes. Over time, they
discovered that gift certificates were a perfect solution. No more
worrying about getting the wrong size or brand of equipment that would
have to be returned or exchanged. Gift certificates are available from
all of the local dive shops so if you aren’t sure what to do – talk to
your favorite shop about this option
The following Dive Shops are ones that have been very supportive to
the Caloosa Dive Club and where many of our members shop. We hope you’ll
find time to visit some or all of them.
Brent Argabright, Deans Dive Center in Fort Myers,
www.deansdivecenter.com, Tel: (239) 489-0500 carries a full line of
scuba equipment and training classes. It’s his specialization in spear
fishing gear that will round out the empty spaces under your tree.
Dean’s carries an exceptional stock in the major brands of spear guns
such as Riffe International, AB Biller, Spear Fishing Specialists and
others. When we need stringers, lines, bands, shafts and other
accessories, we only have to stop in and make our choices. Deans also
has a full range of wetsuits in many brands and styles.
Pete Williamson, Capt. Pete's Diving Outfitters in Cape Coral,
www.captpetes.com, Tel: (239) 573-5919 just returned from the DEMA
tradeshow with lots of new toys. His store on Pine Island Road is loaded
with every type of scuba gear you can imagine. In addition to the big
ticket items such as tanks, regulators, and BCD's, his store is packed
full with t-shirts, diver's jewelry, sandals, Crocs, books and
underwater camera equipment. Over the year he's added to his
spearfishing stock so be sure to stop by for a visit
Shane Waruszewski & Bob Hines at Underwater Explorers in Fort Myers,
Tel: (239) 481-4733, www.underwaterexplorers.net, are always happy to
help with your holiday shopping. They have a full schedule of classes, a
well-stocked store and lots of things for the spearfishing enthusiast.
Caloosa Dive Club members receive a 15% discount on purchases.
Mike Johnson at Ocean Images& Co., Inc. in Cape Coral,
www.oceanimagesinc.com, Tel: (239) 458-7155, manufactures top of the
line digital video camcorder housings at extremely reasonable prices.
Mike & Keith are always quick to have the right housing for the newest
model video cameras and this year is no exception. Whether you have the
newest Sony HC-1 or PC1000, the Panasonic GS-400 or any other model,
they have the right housing and lights to help you get the underwater
action. Wouldn’t a bright, yellow Ocean Images housing look nice under
your Christmas Tree?
Jim & Julie Joseph of Fantasea Scuba in Port Charlotte,
www.fantaseascuba.com, (941) 627-3888 have worked hard to provide an
extremely active training program as well as one of the busiest dive
charter calendars in the area. They offer a selection of dive gear from
most of the major manufacturers at excellent prices and also carry a
huge selection of spearfishing gear. For the Technical Diver, they have
a huge list of training and upcoming dives for 2007.
Scuba Quest in Fort Myers, (239) 936-7106 and Cape Coral, (239)
458-1999, www.scubaquestusa.com, can help with your Christmas shopping.
Choose equipment, dive trips, gift certificates or specialty classes.
Their stores are stocked with the full complement of scuba diving
equipment. |
