Tomorrow night will be our second diver meet up at Oleai Beach bar. Things are already progressing and the potential is there to put our islands on the diving map. Like a race horse behind the gate it's hard not to want to jump out and get those legs pumping (insert ballroom dancing joke here) but small steps and a strong foundation are what will win this long term race.
The building blocks for a wealth of information are being laid with the set up of a website located at www.marianasdive.com
You can now sign up for the discussion board and if you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can develop a one stop shop of information for all things diving here in the Marianas please come and join us for a FAMB or a taco or a coke or ....... A dive tale or two!
Showing posts with label Diver Meet Up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diver Meet Up. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Starting point
For all those at the meet up last night and to all those who just couldn't get there I'd like to suggest a good starting point would be to compile some sort of list. I'm the first to admit that siting down to write out a complete thought takes some of us a while so if you think of something feel free to leave a few words in a comment here and I'll make sure it gets added to a "master list". For those who don't live here anymore but remember how great it is to dive here and are now dealing with heat waves (missing the cool comfortable water?) you can leave your ideas here too. What would be the tipping point for you ex pats to come back for a visit?
For those who have never been here let us know what's most important to you when choosing a dive destination and if you've found the information you would need about Saipan Rota or Tinian were you found it.
For those who have never been here let us know what's most important to you when choosing a dive destination and if you've found the information you would need about Saipan Rota or Tinian were you found it.
A Big Day in History - Diver Meet Up
A big day in history yesterday! Sure Barry Bonds finally broke Hanks record and the China “machine” unveiled what will be a yearlong celebration of the upcoming Olympics! But who really cares on both accounts, after all, I’m Canadian so Hockey is King and I feel for the athletes that will have to compete in that pea soup like fog of noxious chemicals! Trust me, I was happy to watch the highlights at 5AM this morning since they eventually tamed all the diving thoughts running through my head and allowed me to fall back asleep.
No, the real news of the day was the Diver Meet Up at Oleai beach bar!
Wholly crap, I’m excited. What a turn out on our first night. Great ideas, lots of discussion, divers getting to know one another and speaking passionately about what they love and of course a FAMB or two!
To try and summarize the whole night with all the ideas would be a very difficult task but the bottom line is we all agreed to do it again next week and likely every two weeks after that so if you missed this one, no worries, we’ll see you, same time, same place, next week – Wed August 15th!
There was a good cross section of folks from divers (duh) and non-divers to folks who speak Russian, German, and Japanese. We had people with little or no internet experience to folks who know the business. People with a direct vested interest in seeing the dive market grow and those who just want to share their thoughts and dive. With 40 or 50 people I’m sure I speak for Harry when I say we were blown away by the response and we were lucky to have Walt (a non-diver to this point) help moderate and Angelo to furiously take notes on his laptop.
The general theme, lots of people and different groups are doing their own thing in their own way to promote diving or maintain the dive sites here but there does not exist one central place where divers, either local or from abroad, can go to find good quality information about what the Mariana islands has to offer divers. The consensus is that we do have something unique here. We may not be able to compete, dive for dive, with Palau’s Blue Corner (who can really) but to a “T” everyone agreed there are things about diving here that are special and that we should (and can) do a better job of coming together, pooling resources such as language abilities and internet skills in order to get the word out and put us on the diving map.
How many people know that for at least the past few years there have been Whale Shark sightings just outside the Grotto’s caverns during the months of May to July? This year, thanks to the folks at seabreeze (I’m using their photo here), we have documented proof.
How many people who don’t live here and are looking for a place to dive know that on Saipan you have easy beach access to dive sites on all four sides of the island anytime of the day or night! How many people know about the untouched beauty and diversity of Rota and Tinian? How many people would be interested in hearing about our coral spawning or mating nudibranchs from a knowledgeable member of the local scientific community!
You get my point the need for a central portal and the desire and passion to make it happen has been established. Now what we desperately need is for that cross section of people to grow especially in terms of bringing all nationalities to the table. Another theme that rang throughout the night revolves around one of the biggest obstacles (and perhaps biggest assets) we have when it comes to promoting our islands on a global basis and that is the diversity of language and culture. Although it provides for a hurdle logistically, cultivating this aspect and unique distinction is also the key to establishing a truly global reach and establishing a foundation for long-term success that can endure bumps in the road! (or even Earthquakes).
Woooo Hoo, while writing this I just received an email form Scott with pictures of………
A false Pilot Whale! Are you kidding me – this was taken in our waters. I was going to mention it at some point because it illustrates a few things. First, even seasoned divers can learn new things – I had no idea they existed till Greg and Scott told me last night! You think I was excited before!
The second is exactly what I was saying with regards to language. Here is the VERY loose translation (done by the internet translator) of the post that was made in Japanese.
"Water temperature: 30 degree wave: Without the れ: The right -> to the left degree of halfway wind: Nisikita west 6.9 mile winds wave: It is not transparency: 30m Comment: Today at 4 beaches morning of John, ラウラウビーチ, グロット × 2 dived from afternoon! And "ジンベイザメ" of desire came out with グロット! Since I myself seeing in the past Guam, with 4 year 2 month inclination, of course in Saipan it was first! ! ! As for the length 5m rank, it meaning that girth is large, female kana? ! While and so on with thinking, you try approach as for the flow even cruelly アゲインスト! Even then persevering, swimming, the somehow several taking the photograph the earnest! It was rendezvous approximately 1 minutes. Oh with while saying, still it seems like dream in the occurrence, but there are no either complications and that form which in actuality quietly swims before the eye was ジンベイザメ. Today was highest 1 day truly."
Now imagine what would happen if that information were easily accessible to everyone, in every language (sorry google you just don’t beat human contact here)? A story like this, the whale shark and mating nudibranchs on top of everything else we have to offer gives us no excuses for not putting this place on the diving map!
I’ve got to stop, too many thoughts not enough time and who really wants to read all this when you could be diving! More soon!
No, the real news of the day was the Diver Meet Up at Oleai beach bar!
Wholly crap, I’m excited. What a turn out on our first night. Great ideas, lots of discussion, divers getting to know one another and speaking passionately about what they love and of course a FAMB or two!
To try and summarize the whole night with all the ideas would be a very difficult task but the bottom line is we all agreed to do it again next week and likely every two weeks after that so if you missed this one, no worries, we’ll see you, same time, same place, next week – Wed August 15th!
There was a good cross section of folks from divers (duh) and non-divers to folks who speak Russian, German, and Japanese. We had people with little or no internet experience to folks who know the business. People with a direct vested interest in seeing the dive market grow and those who just want to share their thoughts and dive. With 40 or 50 people I’m sure I speak for Harry when I say we were blown away by the response and we were lucky to have Walt (a non-diver to this point) help moderate and Angelo to furiously take notes on his laptop.
The general theme, lots of people and different groups are doing their own thing in their own way to promote diving or maintain the dive sites here but there does not exist one central place where divers, either local or from abroad, can go to find good quality information about what the Mariana islands has to offer divers. The consensus is that we do have something unique here. We may not be able to compete, dive for dive, with Palau’s Blue Corner (who can really) but to a “T” everyone agreed there are things about diving here that are special and that we should (and can) do a better job of coming together, pooling resources such as language abilities and internet skills in order to get the word out and put us on the diving map.How many people know that for at least the past few years there have been Whale Shark sightings just outside the Grotto’s caverns during the months of May to July? This year, thanks to the folks at seabreeze (I’m using their photo here), we have documented proof.
How many people who don’t live here and are looking for a place to dive know that on Saipan you have easy beach access to dive sites on all four sides of the island anytime of the day or night! How many people know about the untouched beauty and diversity of Rota and Tinian? How many people would be interested in hearing about our coral spawning or mating nudibranchs from a knowledgeable member of the local scientific community!You get my point the need for a central portal and the desire and passion to make it happen has been established. Now what we desperately need is for that cross section of people to grow especially in terms of bringing all nationalities to the table. Another theme that rang throughout the night revolves around one of the biggest obstacles (and perhaps biggest assets) we have when it comes to promoting our islands on a global basis and that is the diversity of language and culture. Although it provides for a hurdle logistically, cultivating this aspect and unique distinction is also the key to establishing a truly global reach and establishing a foundation for long-term success that can endure bumps in the road! (or even Earthquakes).
Woooo Hoo, while writing this I just received an email form Scott with pictures of………
A false Pilot Whale! Are you kidding me – this was taken in our waters. I was going to mention it at some point because it illustrates a few things. First, even seasoned divers can learn new things – I had no idea they existed till Greg and Scott told me last night! You think I was excited before!The second is exactly what I was saying with regards to language. Here is the VERY loose translation (done by the internet translator) of the post that was made in Japanese.
"Water temperature: 30 degree wave: Without the れ: The right -> to the left degree of halfway wind: Nisikita west 6.9 mile winds wave: It is not transparency: 30m Comment: Today at 4 beaches morning of John, ラウラウビーチ, グロット × 2 dived from afternoon! And "ジンベイザメ" of desire came out with グロット! Since I myself seeing in the past Guam, with 4 year 2 month inclination, of course in Saipan it was first! ! ! As for the length 5m rank, it meaning that girth is large, female kana? ! While and so on with thinking, you try approach as for the flow even cruelly アゲインスト! Even then persevering, swimming, the somehow several taking the photograph the earnest! It was rendezvous approximately 1 minutes. Oh with while saying, still it seems like dream in the occurrence, but there are no either complications and that form which in actuality quietly swims before the eye was ジンベイザメ. Today was highest 1 day truly."
Now imagine what would happen if that information were easily accessible to everyone, in every language (sorry google you just don’t beat human contact here)? A story like this, the whale shark and mating nudibranchs on top of everything else we have to offer gives us no excuses for not putting this place on the diving map!
I’ve got to stop, too many thoughts not enough time and who really wants to read all this when you could be diving! More soon!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Diver Meet Up
Oleai Beach Bar here we come!
Ok so it's been in the paper, We've been on the radio and Harry's been talking it up every chance he can get. Tonight at 6:30 PM something amazing is going to happen. A bunch of divers are going to get together and have a cocktail or two (or not) and watch the sun go down after a long day!
For clarification this started out as an idea we had to just start getting all the little groups of divers together in order to get to know each other, swap dive stories and perhaps start in motion some ideas that could help promote diving here in the CNMI. We're also hoping anyone interested in diving will come by and get a taste at least verbally what it's like to be a diver. We're also hoping that folks will come by even if they don't speak inglish as good as Harry. One thing I've learned over the years working as a dive instructor it really does not matter what language everyone speaks. When divers have a FAMB or rum and coke in their hands the message gets through some how. Sure you may not get 50% of what I say and vice versa but that's better than nothing at all. SCUBA SCUBA SCUBA - (then blow bubbles) - it's a throw back cheer from my days at Club Med and believe me there is a story or two in there too!
See you soon.
Ok so it's been in the paper, We've been on the radio and Harry's been talking it up every chance he can get. Tonight at 6:30 PM something amazing is going to happen. A bunch of divers are going to get together and have a cocktail or two (or not) and watch the sun go down after a long day!
For clarification this started out as an idea we had to just start getting all the little groups of divers together in order to get to know each other, swap dive stories and perhaps start in motion some ideas that could help promote diving here in the CNMI. We're also hoping anyone interested in diving will come by and get a taste at least verbally what it's like to be a diver. We're also hoping that folks will come by even if they don't speak inglish as good as Harry. One thing I've learned over the years working as a dive instructor it really does not matter what language everyone speaks. When divers have a FAMB or rum and coke in their hands the message gets through some how. Sure you may not get 50% of what I say and vice versa but that's better than nothing at all. SCUBA SCUBA SCUBA - (then blow bubbles) - it's a throw back cheer from my days at Club Med and believe me there is a story or two in there too!
See you soon.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Diver Meet Up
Harry's written about it on his blog. We all (Harry, Jeff, Marty and I) talked about it on the radio this morning. Next Wednesday August 8th we'll be sitting and toasting all things aquatic while watching the sunset at Oleai beach bar. The topic of conversation - Diving. Those invited - Anyone with an interest in diving. Nothing formal, no admission fee or dues just the opportunity to talk diving with other divers. A chance to put heads together and formulate ideas on how a grass roots group could help promote one of the islands biggest resources and attractions. How to improve what we have and like I say to hear an old spin on a new dive tale or two!
Know of anyone that might be interested pass on the word and we'll see you there!
Another view from Oleai.
Know of anyone that might be interested pass on the word and we'll see you there!
Another view from Oleai.
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