PADI Travel Agent Guide....

SCUBA DIVING 101:

A PRIMER ON A TRAVEL SEGMENT THAT SELLS

Scuba diving and dive travel sell. Smart travel agents throughout the world are exploring the dive travel market and earning big commissions from this exploding travel trend. It's just a matter of learning the basics of scuba diving, dive travel, and the specific marketing methods needed to sell trips.

Scuba diving is one of the fastest-growing outdoor sports and travel trends in the world. Last year, more than 500,000 people became new certified divers through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the largest certifying agency in the world. That makes more than 5 million divers worldwide and many more to follow.

These numbers mean certified divers and those who want to learn to dive can be a big market to travel agents. The sport of scuba diving recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and it's an ideal time for travel agents to be selling dive travel.

"The increase in the number of divers and those getting certified means a large increase in dive travel," says Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) communications specialist Scott Jones. "It's a great market for travel agents. Travel is one of the primary reasons that people are attracted to scuba diving."

DIVE BASICS

The basics of scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) are surprisingly simple. Divers use specialized modern equipment that adapts to the aquatic environment. Scuba equipment provides a portable air supply that allows divers to spend an extended time underwater (from a few minutes to several hours, depending on factors like depth and breathing efficiency).

The tank is a high-pressure cylinder that stores plain old compressed air--never oxygen--that is released with a valve. This passes through a regulator to deliver a controlled amount of air when you inhale. A gauge lets you monitor the air supply.

The tank and regulator are typically held in place by a buoyancy control device (BCD), an expandable bladder that can be inflated or deflated to control a diver's buoyancy. The mask is the window to the underwater world, creating an air space which allows divers to see.

Fins allow you to move through the water with far less effort and far greater efficiency. A weight belt is also worn to allow you to sink.

A snorkel is attached to the mask and allows divers to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads. Snorkeling offers an introduction to the wonders of the underwater world and often leads to a desire to try scuba diving.

Divers must complete a certification process to take advantage of dive travel opportunities around the world. There are three general ways of getting certified. Everything can be completed locally through a dive shop or other agency. Another popular method is to complete the classroom and pool sessions locally and then finish the open water part on a warm-weather (commissionable) vacation. The entire certification process can also be completed at some exotic (and fully-commissionable) dive destination.

The certification process is interesting and easy. It is divided into three parts, stretched over the approximately thirty hours: classroom (using a book and visual aids), pool (confined water), and open water instruction.

The classroom and pool sessions generally take place at the same time, while the open water dives (at least four of them) serve as a test of all skills. The classroom time demystifies much of the matter that tends to scare people about diving. New divers learn that diving is far less risky than skiing and that sunburn, and not a shark, is usually the greatest danger facing divers.

By the end of the first class, most people are ready to hit the pool. The pool time is often filled with a bunch of awkward underwater virgins banging into each other. By the second time in the pool, however, everyone looks like the Cousteau family exploring the pool for underwater treasure. During the pool sessions, people practice breathing efficiently, removing and replacing masks, buddy breathing (using another diver's breathing apparatus), removing and replacing tanks, and much more.

The only thing needed to jump right in is good health, desire, and a reasonable comfort level with water. The pool sessions even turn out to be fun, as divers learn new skills and develop confidence in their ability to have fun while getting all wet.

The open water dives are usually completed at a popular local dive site, where all scuba skills are reviewed and tested. After completing a final written exam, anyone can become an underwater god (and a dive travel client).

Most instructors recommend that clients buy the following for the certification course: booties ($25 to $60); fins ($40 to $125); mask ($40 to $90); snorkel ($15 to $45); and weight belt ($10 to $60). Renting tanks of air usually runs from $5 to $20. The cost of getting certified can range from $150 to $400.

The largest certifying organization in the world is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). A certification card from PADI means clients can rent or buy scuba equipment, obtain air for tanks, and participate in other exciting diving activities throughout the world. Your clients should never leave home without it.

DEFINING DIVE TRAVEL

Dive travel is big business. Continued interest in active travel and the environment has caused a boom in the dive travel business. Dive travel is now a $1 billion business and growing rapidly, according to the Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association (DEMA).

Dive travel is loosely defined as a vacation with scuba diving as a small or large part of the overall travel plan. The quantity and quality of resorts and dive travel opportunities have grown astronomically in the last decade, giving agents many possibilities when it comes to booking trips for clients.

The resulting packages can result in big commissions. "Travel agents who pursue dive travel bookings quickly learn that their commission virtually doubles when they sell a dive package vacation," says Ron Kipp, owner of Bob Soto's Diving on Grand Cayman.

This means smart agents are learning about diving, dive travel, and how to market it. It's just a matter of taking the time to understand the basics and going after the business.

SIDEBAR #1

GREAT SCUBA MYTHS--AND REALITIES

Scuba diving is a life-threatening, high-risk, and dangerous activity--Statistics show that the risk of injury is much less for diving than for other adventure-oriented activities (e.g., snow skiing).

Sharks and other dangerous aquatic creatures threaten divers--"Jaws" to the contrary, sunburn is usually the greatest danger facing divers.

Only powerful swimmers and outstanding athletes can learn to dive--While it's important to feel comfortable in the water, to be in good health, and to know how to swim, it's not necessary to be a "super jock" to enjoy diving.

Diving is mainly for men--Women divers are the fastest-growing segment in diving and dive travel and many certification classes now have a majority of women in them.

Diving is only for wealthy clients--Those who have made a commitment to diving can figure on spending about the same for gear as they would for golf or downhill skiing. A dive vacation package typically costs the same or less as a ski trip.

Dive classes are intimidating and difficult--Modern instruction emphasizes the enjoyment of scuba diving and dive travel, taking novices slowly through the process. Many tropical resorts even offer one-day, introductory scuba experiences, leading to future dive travel clients.

You have to dive deep to seen anything worthwhile--The most prolific sea life and stunning coral reefs are typically within 50 feet of the surface and many divers prefer the 20-30 foot range.

You have to travel far to find good diving--Excellent diving can be found throughout the U.S. World-famous diving is as close as the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.

Diving is an isolated and solitary activity--The cardinal rule of diving is: Never dive alone! Divers develop unique camaraderie and travel agents will find many multiple booking opportunities.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF DIVING AND DIVE TRAVEL

A little research makes it easy for travel agents to find potential clients in the dive travel segment. Many prospects are already existing clients, while others are easy to locate through a variety of national and local resources.

"People who enjoy walking, running, tennis, bicycling, golf, hunting, hiking, snow and water skiing, fishing, and even bridge gravitate to diving," says Sean Combs, editor of Dive Training, a leading magazine for new divers, dive education, and dive travel.

DIVER DEMOGRAPHICS

The most recent study performed by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) reveals much about divers and dive travel. Their statistics can be used by travel agents to find divers, in that they typically certify nearly 70% of all divers in the U.S.

PADI's study revealed today's divers are young, educated, and affluent. Women comprise about one-third of those recently certified and represent an ideal market for agents. There are also large numbers of diving couples, making for efficient contacts by agents.

More than 70% of new divers are between the ages of 18 and 34. While there are obviously many older and more veteran divers, the sport and resulting travel seem to draw a younger audience.

Divers are definitely interested in other sports and active travel opportunities. Only 10% say that diving is their "top" activity, but one-third say they enjoy diving along with one or two other activities. This means agents can contact active clients and prospects to see if they dive or want to learn during their next vacation.

Divers are equally divided in marital status. Married divers may be more interested in dive travel that accommodates the entire family. Singles may have more discretionary income and interest in more exotic dive travel.

In terms of income, divers are generally in an elite group. More than half report annual household income of greater than $50,000 and more than 15% report income in excess of $100,000. That means divers have the money to spend on dive travel.

Divers typically learn about diving and dive travel through other divers. More than 75% try snorkeling before diving. Once they see the potential of diving, most people want to get certified and take dive vacations.

PADI found that the "quality of diving" is the greatest influence on the selection of diving destinations, while price is less of a concern. Dive travellers tend to be serious about good diving and are willing to pay for it.

While dive instructors and retail shop personnel greatly influence equipment purchases, they are not the prime resource for dive travel recommendations. This leads to a great opportunity for travel agents who combine their destination experience, industry insight, and dive travel demographics to get the business.

DIVING IN

These demographic figures make it easy for agents to understand dive travel prospects. Many existing clients may already be divers or may be very interested in getting certified locally or during a vacation. They are ideal targets for dive vacation packages.

With this demographic knowledge, agents can locate and market packages to new divers, existing divers, and those who are interested in trying diving and dive travel. Dive industry leaders all agree that it's a virtually untapped resource for travel agencies.

Diving can turn prospects into clients. Local and national adventure travel organizations, ski clubs, dive shops, diving publications, and many other entities can provide lists of many prospects. It's just a matter of diving in.

SELLING DIVE TRAVEL

Booking a dive vacation is easy, efficient, and very profitable for travel agents. It's as simple as knowing the basics of diving, the dive travel industry, and the destinations. As Bob Goddess at Tropical Adventures says, "Simply put, it's really similar to booking a cruise ship."

Industry officials are making the agent's job even easier. Wholesalers, operators, and resorts are all interested in getting more travel agent business and they have many programs to help agents sell.

Hyatt's Red Sail Sports serves as a perfect example of the dive travel booking process. More agents are being asked about dive travel and that's why Red Sail Sports has launched an aggressive educational campaign to reach teach travel agents more about the dive market.

"More than 700,000 people travelled abroad to dive destinations last year and only 6% booked through a travel agent," says Diane Kegley, marketing manager for Red Sail Sports, a subsidiary of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. "The remaining 94 percent booked directly or through dive stores. Since Red Sail Sports pays travel agents commissions on everything they sell, agents have an excellent opportunity for additional business and earnings."

Staff from Hyatt Resorts and Red Sail Sports are teaching agents how to sell dive packages through a series of seminars. "The travel agent response has been overwhelming during our seminars in the Northeast," says Ms. Kegley. ""We visited the Chicago area in April and now were covering the west coast."

Red Sail Sports offers scuba diving and other watersports programs at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Resort & Villas, and the Hyatt Regency, Waikoloa, Hawaii. They also have affiliations with the Americana Aruba Beach Resort & Casino, Ritz-Carlton, Mauna Lani, and Princess Cays, Eleuthera, Bahamas for Princess Cruises Caribbean excursions.

Their full-service toll-free number is located within the Hyatt Reservations Center and, thus, all accommodations and diving can be booked directly by the agent and confirmed directly off the Spirit Reservations System. They can also send information to agents by FAX or next day air delivery.

Red Sail and Hyatt offer many great diving packages for agents to market and all are fully-commissionable at standard rates. For instance, their "Dive for Five" packages feature a fifth night free, including all diving and accommodations for $674 per person. Their Reef Lover's Rebate earns room credits for clients, but do not affect commissions. Red Sail Sports sites also feature many other packages and courses which can earn agents big commissions from dive travel.

Agents can also book through dive travel specialists for trips throughout the world. Carl Roessler, owner of See & Sea Travel and a diving legend, says, "I believe we add something important for travel agents--knowledge of the destination. When divers wish to go beyond the Caribbean or Hawaii, such knowledge can save the travel agent real heartache."

See & Sea's brochures and flyers provide great marketing tools for travel agents. Along with many other trips, they offer dozens of 7-day landbased dive packages throughout the world. Their Belize packages start at $1,195 per person. A package in the Bahamas starts at just $705 per person. Grand Cayman rates start at $896 per person and Cozumel packages start at $579 per person. All of these packages include lots of diving and are, of course, commissionable.

Red Sail and See & Sea are typical of the varied options available to agents. Agents can book directly with resorts, with operators, with wholesalers, and with other dive travel specialists. The common bond is the commission.

Some common questions a client may ask an agent about booking dive travel include: Is there a wide variety of diving? How close are the dive sites? Which resort and/or operator do you recommend? With a little research or contact with those who can help, an agent can answer these questions. That's how dive travel gets sold and booked!

SIDEBAR #2

DIVE TALK

Air--What divers breathe. It is the same mixture of 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen that we breathe on the surface.

Artificial Reef--Aquatic habitat formed either by intention or accident, but not of natural origin. Shipwrecks are the most common form of artificial reef, though some reefs are deliberately created to protect harbors, attract fish, or just to make a great dive site.

Ascent--The process of returning to the surface.

BC (or BCD)--Buoyancy-control device. A piece of scuba equipment that enables divers to easily maintain neutral buoyancy.

Bottom Time--The duration of the dive.

Certification Card (or C-card)--Certification cards document the fact that divers have completed a course of instruction under the auspices of several training organizations. There are various types of certifications, ranging from entry-level (Open Water) to leadership levels (Instructor, Assistant Instructor, Divemaster). Divers may also obtain Specialty Diver certifications in activities such as wreck diving and underwater photography. Divers must present C-cards to obtain airfills and rental equipment or to participate in organized diving activities and dive travel.

Divers Alert Network (DAN)--Non-profit organization that conducts medical research, provides consultation, and maintains statistics on diving safety. DAN introduced a diving emergency medical insurance plan in 1987 and offers memberships to dive shops, clubs, and individuals.

Decompression Sickness--A physiological syndrome brought about by the rapid release of dissolved nitrogen in the bloodstream and adjacent tissue. The problem is caused by exceeding maximum safe depth and time limits.

Depth--Recreational divers usually stay at depths of 10 to 60 feet, though this can vary with experience.

Dive Boat--Any boat, private or charter, used primarily for diving activities.

Dive Club--An association of divers who travel and dive together. Information about local dive clubs is usually available from retail dive shops.

Divemaster--The supervisor of diving activities at a resort or on board a dive boat.

Narcosis (Nitrogen Narcosis)--A condition of euphoria brought on by breathing air at depths beyond those recommended for recreation diving.

Neutral Buoyancy--A state similar to weightlessness. A neutrally-buoyant diver neither sinks nor floats upward.

Pressure Gauge--A device that continuously monitors air remaining in the tank.

Regulator--The device that attaches to the tank and provides air to divers.

Scuba--An acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

Snorkel--A J-shaped tubular device for breathing on the surface while resting or swimming face down. Snorkels enable scuba divers to conserve air in their tanks or to enjoy underwater exploration from the surface.

Surface Interval--The time between dives. Taking a break of several minutes or more enables the body to rid itself of much of the dissolved nitrogen in body tissues that was acquired during previous dives.

Visibility (Vis)--The distance you can see underwater. This can vary from a few inches to over 200 feet, depending on location, weather conditions, time of day, tides, and other climatic variables.

Wetsuit--A type of exposure suit made from closed-cell foam (usually neoprene foam). Wetsuits provide excellent exposure protection in waters ranging from moderately cold to very warm.

FINDING DIVERS

All of the demographic information available won't help agents if they don't know how to reach divers. There are many creative ways to find people interested in dive travel, without getting all wet doing it (though it doesn't hurt sometimes).

EXISTING CLIENTS

Many clients may already be divers or want to try it. Since most divers don't think of booking dive travel through a travel agency, agents need to remind them of their services. Active clients who aren't certified may want to know about dive travel and education possibilities.

Travel agents can reach existing clients through newsletters, mailings, and phone calls. Feature a few dive travel offerings and watch your active clients come out of the woodwork.

DIVE SHOPS

The local dive shops should become a travel agent's hangout. This is the place to find new and veteran divers who want to travel. Surprisingly, many shops have not been approached by travel agents and would love to use agents to promote dive travel in their shops.

"With a few exceptions, like The Dive Shop in northern Virginia, retail dive shops are more interested in teaching diving and selling equipment," says Bob Soto's Ron Kipp. "That means travel agents can make great dive travel deals and receive lots of referrals."

Agents who want to book dive travel should contact all of the dive shops in the area. Arrange a meeting and discuss joint marketing possibilities. Many agents and shops have tried dive travel nights, special packages, local introductory trips, mailings, and many other creative marketing methods. Dive shop managers will know their clientele and point agents in the right direction.

OTHER MARKETING POSSIBILITIES

There are many more efficient ways to reach dive travel prospects. Not everyone is certified locally or uses a local dive shop, but there are ways to find these divers as well.

Another option is to contact all of the major scuba diving magazines. They may sell or barter a list of local subscribers to their publications. These readers will obviously be interested in speaking with agents specializing in dive travel.

One excellent resource for all sorts of marketing contacts in the dive industry is the new book, Who's Who in Scuba Diving. This first all-inclusive guide covers the people, organizations, and resources critical to the diving industry. It was compiled under the direction of the Academy of Marine Sciences and Undersea Research.

Of particular interest to travel agents are sections on resorts and dive destinations worldwide, retail dive stores, diving publications, and travel agents and operators specializing in dive travel.

This is an ideal resource for agents exploring the dive travel business. Contact Best Publishing at 800-468-1055.

One other excellent resource was just published by one of the nation's leading dive travel specialists, Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas. It's called, "The Travel Agent's Guide to Understanding, Marketing, and Profiting in the Lucrative Dive Travel Industry." It provides a thorough guide to capturing the dive travel market.

"Our objective for travel agents was to produce an uncomplicated, basic introduction to understanding the dive traveller," says Maduro's travel product manager Bob Wagner. They've succeeded. To order a copy, call them at 800-327-6709. They will also send brochures concerning their wide variety of commissionable dive travel offerings.

WHERE TO SEND CLIENTS

As with real estate, the three keys to dive travel are location, location, and location. The dive destination industry is big business and it's easy to arrange a trip to suit any specific client needs. The best resources for trip ideas are local dive shops, dive travel companies, scuba diving magazines, tourism offices, and individual dive resorts.

Diving destinations and dive travel have exploded and the potential for travel agents is infinite. During the past decade, the number of resort destinations has increased ten-fold. As dive travel has become a highly-competitive and high-stakes business, agents can now book entire dive vacations at luxurious (and high-commission) dive destinations throughout the world.

The following is a short overview of some great places to send clients. There are, however, many more dive travel hotspots in the U.S., the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and elsewhere in the world.

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT BARRIER REEF

Say "G'day, mate" to the mother lode of scuba diving. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,200 miles along the Queensland coast of Australia. Along the way, there are more than 1,400 species of fish and an incredible variety of coral formations.

The world's longest barrier reef has become known as a haven for sharks. It's the perfect place to see great whites and other toothy fish from the deep. Agents in the know send clients to Heron Island (the location of an active marine research center), Lizard, and many other famous dive sites along this incredible reef.

Contact the Australian Tourist Commission at 2121 Avenue of the Stars, #1200, Los Angeles, CA 90067, 310-552-1988.

BAHAMAS

About 700 landmasses over 90,000 square miles of the Caribbean and Atlantic make for plenty of uncrowded dives in the Bahamas. The closeness to Florida and many excellent dive operators mean it truly can be better in the Bahamas.

Grand Bahama features the legendary Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO) and unique diving with sharks, dolphins, and Theo's Wreck. New Providence, known for busy Nassau, also offers some great diving off the southwest side (the site of many James Bond underwater scenes). The quieter Family Islands lead to virgin diving and an even better way to go diving in the Bahamas.

Contact the Bahamas Tourist Board at 255 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134, 305-442-4860.

BONAIRE

Part of the Dutch ABCs (the other two are Aruba and Curacao), Bonaire attracts divers from around the world for its consistent conditions. The marine park surrounds the entire island, offering more than 100 documented dive sites.

Bonaire is dedicated to dive tourism and offers one of the best overall diving experiences in the world. There's lots of shore diving, short boat trips, and incredible underwater life.

Contact the Bonaire Tourist Information Office at Resorts Management Inc., The Carriage House, 201 1/2 E. 29th St., New York, NY 10016, 212-779-0242.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

The Caymans still reign as the king for divers. From big-time operators to small places, divers flock to these islands for some of the best diving in the Caribbean.

Grand Cayman is the grandaddy of Caribbean diving. From Stingray City to some of the best wall diving in the world, this is dive travel heaven. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are much more subdued on the surface, but every bit as colorful below.

Contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, P.O. Box 67, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, 809-949-8989.

COZUMEL

Si, this is Mexico's most popular diving destination for good reason. The dive operators are much-improved and have shed their reputation as being non-professional. A dive trip to Cozumel today brings few hassles and happy clients.

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the Mexican Caribbean for divers, with consistently Caribbean-like conditions. Cozumel features legendary sites, like Palancar, Paraiso, Punta Sur, and the airplane wreck. Most of the trips are drift dives, making diving a bit like watching a movie as you drift by the reefs and marine life.

Contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office at 405 Park Ave., Ste. 1401, New York, NY 10022, 212-755-7261.

FIJI

Though Fiji is pretty far afield, it's worth the trip for many diving clients. It's an exotic dive destination and the services and accommodations are modern.

The main attraction for divers is the soft coral, making for incredible colorful and lush landscapes. The most popular spot is Beqa Lagoon, on the southern coast of Viti Levu. Even further out-of-the-way islands include Taveuni and Matagi.

Contact the Fiji Visitor's Bureau at 5777 West Century Blvd., Ste. 200, Los Angeles, CA 90045, 310-568-1616.

FLORIDA KEYS

According to all reports, the Florida Keys are the most-visited dive destination in the world. All those divers (and Hemingway) can't be wrong. The Keys offer great diving, excellent operators, and incredible convenience. Famous photographic sites include Christ of the Abyss, Dry Tortugas, and The Elbow.

Along with protected marine parks at Key Largo and Looe Key, the Keys have been designated as a national marine sanctuary. This should save the reefs and lead to plenty of great dive trips for future generations, all the way from Key Largo to Key West.

Contact the Florida Division of Tourism at 126 Van Buren St., Tallahassee, FL 32301, 904-487-1462.

HAWAII

Diving in the Hawaiian Islands is different. Colorful coral and marine life is generally replaced by craggy outcroppings from volcanic eruptions, lava tubes and caverns, and lots of strange underwater formations.

Dive operations abound on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Due to the isolated location of the islands, divers often find unusual fish and other marine life to enjoy.

Contact the Hawaii Visitors Bureau at Waikiki Business Plaza, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815, 808-923-1811.

LIVE-ABOARD BOATS

Though not a dive destination in the traditional sense, live-aboard dive boats can play a major part in an agent's dive travel business. They offer an opportunity to complete lots of diving in unusual places. Some well-known possibilities include the Agressor's fleet (504-385-2628 or 800-348-2628) of dive boats throughout the world and the Wave Dancer with renowned Peter Hughes Diving (305-669-9391 or 800-9-DANCER) throughout the Caribbean.

Live-aboards are generally for diving fanatics. They reach dive sites not usually visited by land-based operators. The trips can range from very basic to luxurious, short excursions to long trips, and close destinations and boats much further afield. For the experienced diver, they're a great option. It's also a great booking option for smart agents.

RED SEA

Moses may have been the first to part the Red Sea, but modern divers are discovering it as well. The unusual marine environment between Arabia and the continent of Africa offers unique diving and underwater life.

Still relatively undiscovered, the most popular diving is in the north, around the Gulf of Aqaba (out of the resort city of Eilat). From Egypt, Ras Muhammad's reefs are reached from Sharm El Sheikh.

Contact the Israel Tourist Office at 350 Fifth Ave., 19th Floor, New York, NY 10118, 212-560-0650 or the Egyptian Tourism Authority at 630 Fifth Ave., Ste. 1706, New York 10011, 212-332-2570.

WHO YOU GONNA' CALL?

Once travel agents understand the basics of dive travel, they can go to experts for an array of services and marketing support. We've provided a list of recommended dive travel resources:

--Baskin in the Sun, Tortola, BVI, (800) 233-7938

--Bob Soto's Diving, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (800) 262- 7686

--Caradonna Caribbean Tours, Longwood, FL, (407) 774-9000

--Club Med, New York, NY, (212) 977-2100

--Dive Equipment Manufacturers Association, Huntington Beach, CA, (714) 890-9915

--Dive Training Magazine, Parkville, MO (816) 741-5151

--Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas, Port of Miami, FL (305) 373-3331

--Peter Hughes Diving, Coral Gables, FL, (305) 669-9391

--Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), Santa Ana, CA, (714) 540-7234 Add: (ask for locations of nearest    dive centers)

--Red Sail Sports, San Francisco, CA, (415) 981-4411

--Sea Safaris, Manhattan Beach, CA, (310) 546-2464

--Tropical Adventures, Seattle, WA, (206) 441-3483