Steve Slattery returned February 19th after taking a group of Bluewater travelers to Fiji for scuba diving and to enjoy the beauty of this Southwest Pacific paradise and the Lalati Resort in Beqa, Fiji.

Known for the aquarium-like diving, the beautiful soft corals and the unparalleled colors and varieties of fish, Fiji lived up to all their highest expectations.

For many it was their first experience seeing the exotic clown triggerfish, blue ribbon eels, striped angelfish, guinea fowl puffer, coral hawkfish and the cutest clown anemone fish.

In addition to the incredible diving the group was treated to a beautiful resort with spacious and comfortable villas, delicious culinary delights prepared by Iron Chef Trained Salome’, and the top notch resort spa and staff.

When not diving, the group explored other parts of Fiji, visiting a local boarding school where they were entertained by thirty or so kids representing several villages, with song and dance. Meki, a local minister led them on a hike to a waterfall and the Village of Beqa where they purchased local handmade crafts.

The culmination of their visit was getting to visit the Lalati Village where they were led on a tour by the village leaders, then taken to the Chief who welcomed them with a traditional kava ceremony. Kava, a pepper-like root is dried, crushed and mixed with water similar to a tea, then served in a half-coconut bowl, to be consumed in one shot after the requisite clapping and chanting.

After the ceremony, Josaia, their boat captain and the future village chief, explained that the Bluewater group had been blessed by the village and now were officially members of the village. Josaia told them the village had been without power for approximately nine months since their generator had broken down and they had been unable to raise the money for repairs. He asked if the group might like to make a donation to the village towards their generator fund. Little discussion was needed before there was a unanimous decision that the group would donate the necessary $2,750.00 needed to make the repairs to the generator. It was a touching a proud moment that our travelers, who recognized how fortunate they are to have so much compared to the people of Lalati Village, were able to make such a generous offering and help such a deserving people.

The Bluewater group consisted of both experienced travelers and divers as well as some brand new to the Scuba experience. But all seemed to agree that it was probably one of the absolutely best trips any of yet experienced in both the land based and diving adventures and the incredible cultural experience.

Next time you are in the shop, get Steve to show off some of his photos, but remember, he gets so excited talking about his trip you should plan on staying a while.

While it is still too cold to dive locally we  have planned trips to Vortex and Morrison Springs in the Florida panhandle. Last weekend instructors Greg Gilkey and Mark Bannerman took students to Morrison for their checkout dives.

The visibility was incredible, estimated at 40+ feet!. Although not all specialties can be accomplished at Morrison, it is a wonderful place for Open Water checkout dives, you won’t find any better visibility within driving distance. Water temps were a constant 68 degrees, comfortable enough for a 7mm wetsuit or even a 3mm with a hooded vest, or better yet a drysuit.

During some of our upcoming Florida trips we may also try to schedule a day of boat diving out of Panama City or Destin but don’t think you can’t go diving now! Next trip is planned for January 21 and 22, call the shop to go with us on this great trip!

_Happy Cyber Monday! You're probably visiting our site today because either you bought the AMAZING Groupon for a Full Scuba Certification or you're considering it and you have some questions. Well, let us help you out with that.

Are you still diving locally? It seems cold! Yes it cold, and No we're not diving locally :) This Groupon allows you the chance to do the classroom and pool work in our heated indoor pool during the winter months. Then, when it warms up in April or May, we'll start to do local dives.

But I have a trip planned and would like to do my certification dives sooner? No problem! We drive to Florida every month to dive in warmer waters. For an additional fee, you can join us on one of these dives and have a great time in a freshwater spring AND 2 ocean dives! The Florida weekends cost $275. Stop by the shop and we'll give you more details.

I think I'll just wait till spring. My Groupon includes those dives, right? Yes. The Groupon includes the four certification dives conducted at Pennyroyal Quarry in Hopkinsville, KY.

What equipment do I need to own? Every student needs to own their own mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. We recommend purchasing a wetsuit as well. Even though the pool is heated, after an hour in the water, most people will get chilled even in 83 degree water. We have special equipment packages for Groupon customers that include all of those. And if you'd like to train in your personal dive system, instead of the included rental equipment, we can set you up with a great dive system to meet your needs. We even have a layaway plan so you can immediately dive in your own equipment and pay it off over time.

Why don't you rent those? The mask and fins are a very personal fit item. If they don't fit properly, you won't be able to do the skills well or not at all which doesn't make it very fun for you. And ultimately, it's not safe.

When do you have classes? Pretty much every weekend! Once the Groupon ad ends, we'll put together a calender of class offerings from December through May 6th. Just mention the Class Number when you call to schedule and we'll confirm you for that class. You will need to attend a Thursday night orientation at least one week before your weekend class. We offer those nearly every Thursday night. And then you will attend a Saturday/Sunday session. This will complete what is called your "Confined Water Training." We will post the updated class offerings on December 5th. Click here if you would like us to notify you when they are posted.

What is the PADI E-Learning that I saw on the Groupon? This is part of your academic training. When you call/visit us to schedule your class, we will give you an Online Training Code. You will then visit www.padi.com to complete the e-learning portion of the training. It's a very fun, interactive way to work on the academic elements of scuba diving. Because it's online, you can stop and go as you please, based on your schedule. At the end of the E-Learning, you'll take a few quizzes and a final exam and print out your E-Record. You will need to bring this E-Record with you to the Thursday Orientation. This means your E-Learning segment must be completed prior to your classroom/pool training. Don't worry :) We'll explain all this again when you visit us.

What was the fine print about scheduling by January 31? Don't worry, you don't have to complete the class by the end of January. You just need to call/visit us to SCHEDULE your class and reserve your spot. You will then have until May 6th to complete the classroom/pool portion of your training. Then, you have until September 2012 to complete your open water certification dives. Lots of time. We just need to have the classes scheduled by the end of January to make sure we have proper staffing during the winter months.

Phew! I was worried I didn't have much time. But what if I want to do the certification dives on a trip with Bluewater Scuba? What a wonderful idea!! Of course, you can complete your certification dives on any of our trips. We have the most active dive calender in Middle Tennessee, so you're in luck. If you want to go to Fiji, Indonesia, St. Croix or the Bahamas, you can do your certification dives at no additional cost besides the trip cost.


I have more questions. Who should I contact? The best way is to email our General Manager Kevin Sage. 

Local dive season will be drawing to a close soon so if you still need to do your certification dives and want the convenience of doing them locally, come dive with Bluewater Scuba this weekend and next.

October 1 and 2 and October 8 and 9 we'll be diving Pennyroyal and Martha's Quarry. Call the shop to reserve your spot and equipment.

For those of you interested in doing your dives in Florida, we have a long weekend planned for October 15-17. Saturday at Vortex Spring and Sunday/Monday at Panama City or Destin (tbd). Cost is $375 and includes entry fees, boat tickets, tanks and weights. This weekend is also Williamson County Fall Break. And you don't have to be a student to join us on these weekends. If you're just looking for fun dives, then please join us!

A group of 16 divers boarded "Pirate's Lady", a 65' sailboat, in Nassau, Bahamas on July 30 and set sail on a week-long cruise of the Exuma Cays. The weather was beautiful and the water temperatures were in the mid 80's. Joining us on the boat was a family of four, a dad and his three sons from Chicago, IL. The boys were just getting certified so on the first four dives of our trip, they completed their open water training with Tavia, the divemaster on the boat. In our group several divers also completed their Advanced Open Water certification as well as the Underwater Navigation Specialty, the Deep Diver Specialty, and the Boat Diver Specialty with Greg Gilkey and Gregg Hale. 

   

If you've never been on a Blackbeard's cruise it is the perfect trip for those that want a lot of great dives, wonderful food, fun and knowledgeable crew, and lifelong friends and dive buddies. You only need to pack light, a couple bathing suits, neoprene if you are so inclined, maybe a t-shirt or two and your dive gear. Spend the week diving, eating, relaxing, diving and eating some more. 

 

During our week at sea we were treated to reef dives, wall dives, wreck dives and a shark feed. We  stopped one day on a beautiful island which we will forever lovingly know as Schyler's Island for a walk on the beach, some swimming and a easy hike to the top of a hill for some breathtaking views. We made another quick visit to another island where we got to feed the iguanas.

One evening we anchored and were given dingy rides in to visit a beautiful small resort on Norman's Cay, where we sampled Miranda's home-brew, an excellent ale. Norman's Cay is a small island with a storied history that included drug smuggling and a 3,300 foot long runway. You can also see the wreckage of a DC-3 that crashed just off the island, part of which is still above water.

   

No one will forget our dive in "The Washing Machine".The strong incoming tide of up to 6 mph takes scuba divers thru a narrow cut where water drops off a ledge and then makes a sharp bend to the left. This causes the water to swirl like the water in a washing machine. This swirling water will toss scuba divers head over heels. After passing through the cut you glide over a large patch reef. Even members of the boat's crew said it was the most exciting dive in the Washing Machine they had ever had and one of the fastest drifts. Credit goes to Pancho, our captain, who has tried several different put-in spots and marked them on his GPS until he has found the absolute best and most exciting spot to toss his divers into the wash!

It wasn't just the scuba diving that was great. We were lucky enough to be there for the opening day of lobster season. You are not allowed to take lobster on Scuba so with a few lessons about breath-hold techniques and free diving, and some tips on how to spear "bugs", several of our  bunch jumped in and tried their hand at spear-fishing for lobster. Lucky for us the crew actually knew how to catch lobster or we might have had to share one lobster amongst the 22 of us. Instead, the crew came up with an additional 10 on opening day and another 6 or so over the next couple of days. You really haven't lived until you've had Nadia's twice-baked lobster stuffed potatoes. But then that was only one of the many dishes that came out of Nadia's galley that week. Believe me, no one is hungry on a Blackbeard's cruise.

The trip was really unforgettable for a lucky few of us who got to see a Hammerhead Shark!  Rarely seen up close, this one was not far off the anchor line when we descended and Mark B. was able to get photographic proof of the event.

We returned home on the 5th of August and immediately added next year's trip to the travel board. Stop by the shop, watch the video filmed by Brian Erickson on our trip, and sign up for next year's Blackbeards, June 16-22.

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If you would like to travel with Bluewater Scuba, visit our trip pages to see what exciting place we're diving next.

Bring in the New Year "Island Style!" with Bluewater Scuba. This is a great trip for families and non-divers as well as those looking to blow some bubbles in Grand Cayman. We'll be staying at the Compass Pointe Resort. Check out the video below...


Includes: 6 nights, R/T air from Nashville, luxury condo on the beach, rental car (1 per rental unit, insurance included), 5 days of 2-tank boat dives,  4 lunches, 1 dinner, pool, onsite dive shop.

Not included: Meals not listed above, Airline Baggage fees, training fees, and rental car fuel.

Trip prices are based on cash. .3% surcharge for M/C and VISA. $750 deposit due with booking. 2nd Payment:$750 due Sept. 15. Balance: due Nov. 15, 2011. All trip deposits are nonrefundable and non-transferable. Trip Cancellation Insurance highly recommended to protect your trip payments against unforeseen circumstances. Insurance can be purchased online at www.bluewaterscuba.com (contact us for details).

Call today to book your spots! 615-771-0002

For our Groupon this time, we are providing a Dry Snorkel and 4 hours of pool time. If you've never heard of a dry snorkel, they're great! At the top of the snorkel is a floating lever that seals off the top of the snorkel so water cannot get inside. This means that when you're at the surface checking out the sea life below and a wave comes overhead, the snorkel will seal shut until the water passes overhead. Also, if you're breath-hold diving, you don't have to clear your snorkel of the water when you return to the surface. A standard snorkel requires you clear the snorkel tube of the water before you can inhale again.

Using a dry snorkel is very easy, but it might take a little practice. That's why we're offering 4 hours of pool time to try out your new snorkel. Feel free to bring your own mask and fins and jump in our 50' indoor heated pool. If you don't have mask or fins, we've got complete snorkeling packages for various budgets. Or you can rent some of ours for your pool sessions.

Groupon Pool Nights will be every Thursday nights from 6-8pm through Oct. 5, 2011. No appointment is necessary. Just bring your Groupon and a swim suit/towel/mask/fins,  and we'll get you in the water. When you redeem your Groupon for your snorkel and first pool session, we'll give you a coupon to come back for another free 2 hour pool session. If you have friends or family that didn't purchase a Groupon that would like to join you in the pool, they can purchase a one day pool pass for $10. If you need to rent a mask/fin set, the cost is $10 also. Everyone entering the pool area will need to sign a General Liability Waiver.

Feel free to gift this Groupon to anyone you'd like. The snorkel alone retails for $60, and you're getting the snorkel and 4 hours of pool practice time for only $45.

We look forward to seeing you! Enjoy your weekend!

All the

Simple question, right? Simple answer: you do it with Bluewater Scuba!

We offer two basic formats. You can do PRIVATE INSTRUCTION where we can work with your schedule and provide one on one instruction with one of our professional instructors. This format covers the same amount of material but takes a fraction of the time because there aren't 8 other students in class with you. We can do one on one or build a class that's just for you if you've got a group of friends or family that would like to train together. And since we're the only PADI 5 Star IDC in Nashville with it's own pool, we can do all the training under one roof. Call today to book your private class!

Or you can train with a group. This format is a lot of fun. You get to meet new people with a similar interest in scuba diving. Who knows? You might even meet your new dive buddy in class. Bluewater Scuba's group class structure is as follows:

• Home Study - Students purchase a student kit prior to class sessions at BWS. Home study is self-paced and includes watching the PADI Open Water DVD, reading the Open Water Manual and completing chapter review questions. There is also the PADI Electronic Dive Planner calculator in the student kit that has an instructional booklet with sample problems that are worked on prior to class. Most people can complete the home study in 10-12 hours.
• Session 1: Thursday - Orientation. 6-10pm. Offered every other Thursday. Students can attend any orientation prior to their Saturday/Sunday session. Classroom and pool work.
• Session 2: Saturday - 8am-5pm (Working lunch). Classroom/Pool work.
• Session 3: Sunday - 1pm- 6pm. Classroom/Pool work.

After completing the weekend class, you have six months to complete your 4 Open Water Training Certification Dives at a real dive site. This trips are scheduled at local dive sites from May-October, and in Florida year-round. You can also be referred to a PADI instructor anywhere in the world if you have a trip planned.

Under the guidance of a professional Bluewater Scuba instructor, you will develop the comfort, knowledge, and skills necessary to safely enjoy diving for years to come. Our goal is to provide you with the level of training and practice at our pool so that you are safe, comfortable, and ready for your diving adventures.  We provide unlimited practice time in our on-site indoor, heated pool at no additional charge.  NO other program offers this level of value and commitment to you.  You will be well prepared for your diving experience when you leave us.

Knowledge: Bluewater Scuba is a PADI diver training facility as such we use PADI scuba training materials. Each student receives a textbook and DVD which they study at their own pace in a home study format. This minimizes time in the classroom while allowing you to develop real comfort with the material.

Skills: In multiple pool and open water sessions, you will practice scuba skills with PADI's teaching method. That means we provide a comfortable environment without unnecessary risks or stress. All of the skills we teach are real life applicable, not a test of super-athlete endurance. Some of the skills include: Moving in the water with ease, Breathing normally underwater, Controlling buoyancy so you neither descend nor ascend, Easy methods for entering and exiting the water, Getting water our of your mask, Setting up your equipment, and more!

Equipment: You can't scuba dive without equipment and better quality equipment along with a comfortable working knowledge of your equipment dramatically improves both your enjoyment and your level of safety. For that reason our course delivers extensive information about dive equipment.

So what are you waiting for?? Call us today and get started with your Open Water Scuba Certification with Bluewater Scuba: "Where Nashville Learns To Dive."

Guest Blogger,
Kevin Sage

Are you ready for some amazing wreck dives in Pensacola, Florida? Let me answer that for you, YES YOU ARE! 

Bluewater Scuba in Franklin, TN is "Where Nashville Learns To Dive" and for those of you who already know HOW to dive, well...then we're "Where Nashville Goes to Book Their Dive Trips!" It's not as catchy, but it works ;)



Here are the details:


Celebrate 4th of July Weekend with Bluewater Scuba by diving an incredible shipwreck off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. This is the only aircraft carrier accessible for the majority of SCUBA divers and the largest artificial reef ever created.

The cost is $599 and includes:
- 2 Days of 2 Tank Dives

- 2 on Oriskany, 2 on Navy Tug Boat

- 3 Nights Accomodations (double occupancy)

- ADD ON: Nitrox Tank Rentals at 28% blend - $14/tank (rented in Florida) 

Not included: Transportation, training fees, equipment, meals and 3% credit card fee. Single Rate: $775.Non-Diver Rate: $359 

• Divers wishing to dive the Oriskany must have a minimum of 20 logged dives. 

• Divers must have a whistle, safety sausage, dive computer, gloves, and pressure gauge. 

• Open Water Divers without an advanced certification or a deep diver specialty certification will be required to dive with a Divemaster/Guide and must have completed 2 logged dives within the last year or complete a refresher. 

• Advanced Divers or those with deep diver specialty certifications must have completed 2 logged dives at or below 80’ in the last year to dive without a Divemaster/Guide. 

• Bring your certification card and log book. 

Call the shop to book your spot: 615-771-0002

$300 deposit. Balance due June 7, 2011.

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Bluewater Scuba is the only PADI 5 Star IDC in Middle Tennessee with an onsite training pool. What does this mean? You have the convenience of training in the only facility in town where it's all under one roof. Work in one of our spacious classrooms with your instructor, and then step right in the pool to practice the skills you just discussed. You don't have to cart all of your gear to another location. It's all here! And whether you're a beginning diver or someone who's ready to "go pro" and pursue a professional diving career, Bluewater Scuba can train you all the way to the top. Stop by the shop in Franklin, TN today and see for yourself.