The Holidays are upon us. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner and January classes will soon follow. Be sure to join us for our annual Christmas Party. This is a time to think of upgrading your dive gear, planning your 2007 dive schedule and introducing your friends to diving by bringing them to one of our FREE intro sessions. Check out our schedule of classes and get your Bonaire deposit to us. Details follow. . . . . .

2. Christmas Party at Scuba WV

2. FREE Intro Scuba session at P’burg YMCA 6:00 PM

5. FREE Intro Scuba session at Harr. Co. YMCA 6:00 PM

8. FREE Intro Scuba session at Charleston Y 6:00 PM
9. Open Water Scuba class begins P’burg YMCA 6:00 PM

12. Open Water Scuba class begins Harr. Co. YMCA 6:00 PM
13. Open Water Scuba class begins Marietta YMCA 12:00 noon
14. Open Water Scuba class begins Charleston Y 6:00 PM

TBA Florida Keys Trip

3. OW Weekend #1

17. OW Weekend #2

14. Bonaire Trip

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1. The dive shop personnel will talk to you about what you want to do in your diving and will tailor your equipment to the diving you want to do.

2. At a dive shop you can try on your equipment and get the correct size rather than guess from sizing charts. Also, you will be able to get your hands on the equipment. You will be able to see, feel, and handle the equipment before buying it.

3. The dive shop will set up your equipment. We adjust the equipment to you and make sure everything is in working order and in the right place before you get it into open water.

4. The dive shop services the equipment it sells. In order to keep the warranties up to date on some equipment it needs to be serviced once a year. Should something go wrong you have someone there to handle your problem.

5. Regardless of what Internet or mail order companies tell you, the major dive equipment manufacturers will not warrant equipment not sold in their dive stores.

6. Most dive stores will offer you the opportunity to try your new equipment in a pool when available and work with you on how to use the equipment before you go to open water.

7. Should you go on a dive trip with the dive shop someone from the shop will be able to do field repairs should there be a problem with your equipment. Also they will more than likely have spare parts with them to fix your equipment.

8. Dive shops sell equipment that has a proven track record. We know what the equipment is like and if it is a problem we will not sell it.

A dive shop does not only sell equipment we also sell service to accompany the equipment. Buying equipment cheap makes you feel great when you purchase it but you feel bad when you have problems. Buying quality with service makes you feel great all the time.

Scuba WV Inc.’s business hours are as follows:

One of us may be at the shop at other times. Please call ahead and if someone is here we are OPEN!

At other times call Jim at 485-6972 or Marvin at 422-1329 and we may be able to meet you at the shop.

The shop phone # is 422-4398 or (800)452-0140 in OH and WV.

This annual event is an opportunity for all of us to get together with friends and share photos, slides, videos, and scrapbooks of past dive adventures. We have a special video about Bonaire that will be presented.

We will provide drinks and would like to ask you to bring your favorite covered snack dish or desert. Be sure to mark you calendar now and join us for an enjoyable evening. We look forward to sharing some time with you!

Tropical fish, coral, and easy Keys diving. We will be taking along at least two SCUBA WV instructors to make your diving safe and convenient and to tend to any last minute equipment adjustments. Your job is to sit back, relax and experience the Keys disease: that change in attitude that comes with a change in latitude – and the best diving in the continental US. If you don’t fit in anywhere else, you will fit in the Keys.

Prices are pending as this is being written. We hope to keep the price similar to last year. Please call Roger at the shop for details. We will be able to take a limited number of students for their checkout dives on this trip. Availability is on a first come first serve basis. Get your $150.00 deposit to us to assure your spot on this fun trip.

So, come on, I want you to go diving with us. Let Scuba WV take care of the details to make your tropical diving safe and fun so you can be that laid-back scuba bum you were always intended to be. ROGER

Our 21^st annual Bonaire trip has been booked for the above dates. Make your plans now and start looking forward to another exciting adventure at Capt. Don’s Habitat on beautiful Bonaire. Plan to enjoy the crystal clear water, abundant marine life, easy diving, and spending time with our great group of divers.

Warm clear calm Caribbean water, fantastic coral reefs, prolific marine life, great weather, easy and excellent shore diving, outstanding boat diving, fun night diving, great accommodations, courteous and friendly staff, super dive guides, convenient dive gear storage, fine food and drink, Charlie, Capt. Don, Lover’s ice cream, good friends, and just a great time are all hallmarks of another wonderful week in Bonaire.

Hey, don’t take our word for it, just join us and experience it for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.

There will be some changes at Habitat and in our pricing this year. First all the cottages have been upgraded to Oasis configuration. This means that each bedroom has it’s own separate shower and bathroom area. Marvin and I and our wives stayed in one of these last year and they are really nice. The downside of this is that the pricing has increased. We will no longer have Cottage pricing. Our lowest price option will be Oasis pricing. We will also have a limited number of Deluxe Suites and Ocean View rooms available.

Also this year we have returned to a 12 boat dive package instead of the 6 we have been doing. We are also including 32% Nitrox for all divers who have Nitrox certification. We will offer a Nitrox course prior to the trip for those of you who do not have this certification.

We will offer two airfare choices from Columbus Ohio this year. We have reserved 25 seats on the Continental redeye flight through Houston that arrives in Bonaire on Saturday morning. We have 21 seats reserved on an American Airlines flight through San Juan arriving in Bonaire Saturday evening. Unfortunately both of these airfare options are more expensive than last year.

Rental pickup trucks are also available at the very good rate of $165.00 + tax that we had last year. I have reserved ten of them.

Our trip package this year will include:

• roundtrip airfare from Columbus OH (call for special arrangements through other cities)
• 7 nights accommodations quad oasis pricing (others room options available)
• welcome rum punch
• breakfasts
• 12 boat dive package
• unlimited shore diving
• unlimited 32% Nitrox (must be Nitrox certified)

Estimated price at this time is $1851.00 with Oasis accommodations and CO redeye airfare. AA airfare will be a little less. We are still working on getting better airfare prices so the above price is still tentative. We are now accepting $300.00 deposits for the trip. Preferences on airfare and accommodations are on a first come first serve basis. Don’t delay in getting your deposit to us. We look forward to another great week at Capt. Don’s Habitat and hope you can share it with us. JIM

Consider one of our Gift Certificates for that diver who has everything! Scuba WV gift certificates can be purchased in any denomination and can be used for classes, equipment, trips or anything we offer here at the shop. A SCUBA class makes a unique Christmas gift!!

Stainless Spring Fin Straps $31.95

Our excellent entry-level YMCA Open Water Scuba courses are scheduled to begin soon at a location near you. Locations, dates and times follow.

FREE Intro Session Parkersburg YMCA 6:00 PM Tuesday evening Jan. 2, 2007.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Tuesday 6:00 PM Jan. 9, 2007.

FREE Intro Session Charleston Family YMCA 6:00 PM Monday evening Jan. 8, 2007.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Monday 6:00 PM Jan. 15, 2007.

FREE Intro Session Marietta OH YMCA 12:00 noon Sunday afternoon Jan. 7, 2007.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Sunday 12:00 noon Jan. 14, 2007.

FREE Intro Session Harrison Co. YMCA 6:00 PM Friday evening Jan. 5, 2007.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Friday 6:00 PM Jan. 12, 2007.

Be sure to join us for one of our Intro sessions. If you are already certified come along and bring some friends with you. Let us know if you know someone who might like to learn to dive and we will send them a FREE packet of literature!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

5 FREE Intro Scuba session P’burg YMCA 6:00 PM

8 FREE Intro Scuba session Harrison Co YMCA 6:00 PM

11 FREE Intro Scuba session Chas YMCA 6:00 PM

Scuba Class begins at P’burg YMCA 6:00 PM

Scuba class begins at Harrison Co. YMCA 6:00 PM

17 FREE Intro Scuba session at Marietta YMCA 3:00 PM

Scuba class begins at Charleston Y 6:00 PM

Scuba class begins at Marietta Y at 3:00 PM

NOVEMBER

16 – 20 Vortex Springs FL dive trip

1. Be fit. Have a medical checkup. Be a good swimmer. Exercise regularly. Don’t dive if you feel below par.

2. Get good training. Reading a book is not enough; enroll in a good course. Learn the facts and procedures of safe diving.

3. Have good equipment. Be careful about bargains and don’t build it yourself. Keep your equipment in top condition; check it before every dive. Use only tested and approved equipment. Refrain from alteration or untrained adjustment of equipment.

4. Never dive alone. Always have a buddy with you underwater. Have a tender at the surface whenever possible.

5. Know the diving area. Avoid dangerous places and poor conditions. Take whatever special precautions the area requires.

6. Use a boat, float, or both. Fly the diver flag. Be able to reach safety fast. If motorboats are in the area, surface only close to your diver flag and with caution.

7. Plan your dive. Solve the problems in advance. Know decompression rules. Keep track of depth and time. Stick to your plans.

8. Be ready for emergencies. Have plans of action ready. Know lifesaving, first aid, and rescue breathing. Have first aid equipment. Have a diver’s c-card. Know the location of the nearest recompression chamber.

9. Beware of breath-holding with scuba. Breathe continuously throughout the dive; exhale all the way up on an emergency ascent.

10. Get medical attention. If any abnormality develops during or after a dive, don’t waste time; don’t try to "drown the problem".

E. H. Lanphier, M.D. The New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving

Scuba WV Inc.’s business hours are as follows:

SATURDAY 12:00 - 3:00 PM

One of us may be at the shop at other times. Please call ahead and if someone is here we are OPEN!

At other times call Jim at 485-6972 or Marvin at 464-4337 and we may be able to meet you at the shop.

A group of seventeen excited divers traveled to Grand Cayman June 24 – July 1, 2006 to spend a week on the Cayman Aggressor IV. Capt. Sam and crew greeted us and got us set up in our rooms and on the dive deck. What followed was a great week of easy diving with good friends and crew.

Our dive at Stingray City was a highlight of the trip. In just 12 feet of water we interacted with several stingrays. By carefully leading the stingrays around with a handful of squid divers were able to control the stingrays in a very enjoyable way. Roger especially developed a rapport with one of them that you have to see on the video to appreciate. I think all of us were impressed with the experience.

The weather was perfect for our crossing from Grand Cayman to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac where we made numerous dives on world famous Bloody Bay Wall. There were lots of coral caverns and swim throughs to enjoy. At Cayman Brac we dived on the sunken Russian destroyer renamed the MV Keith Tibbetts.

What a great summer of diving. After a great Cayman Aggressor trip we were soon packing our gear bags for a week at Capt. Don’s Habitat on the beautiful island of Bonaire.

This was our 20^th anniversary trip to Bonaire and it was a special week. Thirty-five travelers joined us for the sun, sea, and diving. As usual the diving was excellent, the coral and marine life healthy and abundant, and the visibility good. Because of the ease of shore diving you could dive as much as you liked. Many in our group came in from the boat dives and immediately suited up for a dive off the dock at the resort. Our package included 6 boat dives, but most of us did 8 or 9. They were just $30.00 extra. I heard someone say they had gotten 26 dives in for the week. I just did 15, but then I know they will let me come back!

On Thursday evening the resort hosted a special Happy Hour and award ceremony for our group. The Tourism Corporation of Bonaire awards certificates and medals to people who return to Bonaire year after year. This is the Bonaire Ambassador Award. Bronze medal for 10 years, Silver for 15 years, and Gold for 20 years. Jim, Marvin, Donnie, Roger, and Danny Graham received Gold medals. Pearl Graham and Donna Trippett received Silver medals. Karen Pace received a Bronze medal.

For the first time ever a special award was given to a dive shop for 20 years of bringing groups to Bonaire. Scuba WV Inc. was awarded the first ever dive shop Gold Medal!!! Thanks to all of you who have traveled with us to Bonaire over the years. You are the ones who made this award possible!

We would also like your help in scheduling advanced training classes. The Scuba WV instructors have several specialty instructor ratings. We can teach Advanced Open Water, SLAM, Wreck Diving, Search & Recovery Diving, Cavern Diving, U/W Photography (both still and video), DAN O2, Nitrox, as well as some others I can’t think of right now. Please drop us a note (include it with you trip survey above) and let us know what advanced training you would be interested in.

Tired of getting chilled during a dive? Or worse yet, NOT diving because of the thought of getting cold! Shivvver no longer! Come out and talk to us about all the benefits of diving dry. Ask Donnie! He doesn’t carry an American Express card but He rarely dives without his dry suit!

Terrorism and violent crime seem to be on everyone’s mind these days. In WV and OH law-abiding citizens have the right to obtain a concealed carry license from their respective state. Carrying a concealed firearm is kind of like wearing the seat belts in your vehicle. You aren’t planning on having an accident, but your want to be safely prepared if you do have one. Most of us will never have a violent encounter, but some of us choose to be prepared if we do.

A prerequisite for applying for a concealed carry permit is to take a recognized pistol safety and shooting class. Jim Carez is and NRA certified pistol instructor. The class he offers, like our scuba class, is complete and thorough.

In the classroom the student will learn the basics of gun safety, the parts and components of firearms, proper shooting techniques, types of firearms, levels of awareness to recognize threats in advance, proper carry methods, making the home a safer place, and the legal aspects of concealed carry and the use of deadly force. Class sessions are held at the Scuba shop.

At the range we will shoot about 100 rounds of ammunition. Range exercises will include shooting simple groups, shooting while moving, shooting from behind cover, and holster draw techniques. Range sessions are conducted at the Ft. Harmar range near Marietta.

Turn on your friends to scuba diving. Let our experienced instructors prepare them for the exciting underwater world. Bring a friend to one of our FREE Introductory Scuba Sessions. These sessions are designed to inform the non-diving public about the adventure of diving and about the scuba course. Participants also get to try scuba in the pool so be sure to bring your bathing suit!

Our excellent entry-level YMCA Open Water Scuba courses are scheduled to begin soon at a location near you. Locations, dates and times follow.

PARKERSBURG WV AREA

FREE Intro Session Parkersburg YMCA 6:00 PM Tuesday evening Sept. 5, 2006.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Tuesday 6:00 PM Sept. 12, 2006.

CHARLESTON WV AREA

FREE Intro Session Charleston Family YMCA 6:00 PM Monday evening Sept. 11, 2006.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Monday 6:00 PM Sept. 18, 2006.

MARIETTA OH AREA

FREE Intro Session Marietta OH YMCA 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon Sept 17, 2006.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Sunday 3:00 PM Sept. 24, 2006.

CLARKSBURG AREA

FREE Intro Session Harrison Co. YMCA 6:00 PM Friday evening Sept. 8, 2006.

Open Water Scuba course begins at the Y on Friday 6:00 PM Sept. 15, 2006.