Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Presentations

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Scuba Diving Party – 25th Anniversary Party

25th Anniversary Scuba Party Ticket
Tickets for the Anniversary Party
It is hard for me to believe but Oceanic Ventures is about to celebrate its twenty-fifth year in business.  It only seems like a few years ago when we moved into our small office  and started introducing people to scuba in an all new way.
Oceanic Ventures Scuba Diving and Adventure Staff in 1998 and the Facility before the Expansion
Oceanic Ventures Scuba Diving and Adventure Staff in 1998 and the Facility before the Expansion
Our concept, which is the same today, is that instead of a large impersonal store, Scuba divers would appreciate more of a “boutique” where classes are taught in a casual friendly manner in a classroom that resembles your living room more than a classroom.  Of course we have grown a lot since that early day in December but our dedication to our clients has remained the same.
Over those years, we have taught a lot of students from four year-old to seventy-six year-old snorkelers and divers; and, we have begun training the third generation of scuba divers, snorkelers and free-divers.  We have expanded our course offerings from recreational scuba diving to technical diving, rebreather diving along with wreck and cave diving.  However, we have never forgotten how much fun it is introducing people to the world underneath the surface.
But enough about history.  David Morris and Joe Henry both said “we need to have a party to celebrate 25 years in business.”  While Dive Mom thought it might be more appropriate to do one in the new year after we have survived the 25th year, but the boys prevailed and on the 12th of November we are hosting a big birthday celebration in honour or our 25th year in business.
We have a fun party planned at Paul’s Kitchen with dinner, story telling and photos from some of those first twenty-five years.  Because the proceeds of the dinner will be going to the Oceanic Ventures Foundation, we will be having a silent auction that evening.  So far our Auction Chairman, Joe Henry and Ann have collected about thirty items and they are just getting started.  You will find things like dive trips to Cozumel,  golf outings, liquor and food baskets, jewelry, and items from around the world.  And, they are not done yet collecting things yet.
The party will be a ticketed event and your ticket will include admission to the party, a welcome cocktail, a steak, chicken or vegetarian dinner and dessert as well as a special gift bag with treats including a $25.00 Gift Card from Oceanic Ventures, and other items Cayman Island Department of Tourism, Don Q Rums and more!
We hope that everyone, including some of our early supporters will be there with us to celebrate twenty-five years in the adventure business.  You may purchase your tickets by calling the store or going to our new on-line shopping site here.
Sponsors for the 25th Anniversary Party
 

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Michael Meerkat Visits a Starfish or Snorkeling Class

veritysjournalcVeerity, one of Dive Mom’s Starfish students brought a friend, Michael Meerkat, to watch her Starfish class this post week.  For those of you not familiar with him, he is like Flat Stanley and he gets the opportunity to do lots of things and then the children keep a diary of his adventures.  Here is a page from her diary related to this visit.

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Discover Rebreather Scuba Diving in May

DCIM104GOPROYou have read about them, you have seen IMAX and Underwater photographers using them, you have heard research divers and scientists talking about htem and you may have even seen them at the lake or on a dive trip.  Now is your opportunity to find out more and to try one out in the pool.

Oceanic Ventures, Houston’s leading scuba diving and rebreather sales and training facility is hosting a weekend devoted to the Next Wave in Diving – the fully closed circuit rebreather.  During the event you will have the opportunity to talk to people who dive rebreathers on a regular basis for both recreational as well as technical diving. You will learn how they operate, why divers love them, and why you might want to start diving them. Then after you have gather up some information, you can experience rebreather diving in the pool and have your photo made while diving a rebreather so you can show it to all of your friends.

Leon Scamahorn, CEO of Innerspace Systems the manufacturer of the Megalodon and Pathfinder rebreathers will be our special guest at a dinner Saturday evening.  He will be showcasing rebreather diving with some new photographs and stories about his own diving experiences.  The Oceanic Ventures Foundation will be conducting a sealed bid auction during the event to help fund its ongoing mission of education and assistance in the places we visit as divers.

Email us at events at oceanicventures.net for more informaion.

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The Holidays are Coming for Scuba Divers

Wow, it has been a busy month here at Oceanic Ventures this month and it is not even half-way over.

OVIF-119Our charity event, A Night in Old Havana, was a great success.  We grossed over $8,000 for the Oceanic Ventures Foundation which was set-up to donate money and products to the places we visit as scuba divers.  The event itself was based around an old McNamara family photograph (yes, I really am Irish).  Sheridan, the professional Mixologist from Don Q Rums, served up very special cocktails  while Ashton kept the trays of food rolling from the kitchen.  Zaide and Alex helped serve the treats as did Ann and Eric.  There is no way we can ever thank all of the people who helped up pull this event off, but we will try.  We would like to especially thank Bob and Joyce Hoover, Ashton Arsement, Zaide Scheib, Jeremy Eich, Rosemary Keibler, Steve Soulen, Steve Jurbala and Joel Hershey.  We also want to thank our sponsors Don Q Rums, Cobalt Coast Resort, Dive Tech Grand Cayman and Tusa.  We also received some extra special gifts from  Jim Turley and Lee Emerson.  You should check-out all of the photographs from the party.  We have posted them on our Facebook page.

Santa UnderwaterSanta also dropped by for some underwater photographs.  We had both scuba divers, free divers (snorklers) and just swimmers jump in to have their photos made with Santa Claus.  Our favorite elf, Zaide, had a great time posing with Santa.  And, we almost made it onto Fox News — the talent, Ruben Dominguez, canceled on us at the last minute and the camera man did not want to film without him.  The loss was even harder since Eric, Ann, Alex and Heather, the Activity Coordinator for West University, all had to be at the pool at 6:30 in the morning!  But oh well, we still got a few fun photos of Heather with Santa Clause.  We want to thank everyone who came out and helpped as well as those who helped us with the event including Travis Hershey, Zaide Scheib, Joel Hershey, Keegan Madden, Alex Witschey and Eric Keibler.

Of course, the specials do not end with these events.  The Holidays continue with some other special events including:

There are special pricing and give-a-ways each of these days.  You really must read more about them; they will be loads of fun!

Santa and HEather

 

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Scuba Divers Win Prizes at the Annual Dive Around Texas Competition

Dive Around TexasIt was unusually cold on Sunday morning, but that didn’t stop more than 100 Texas divers from coming out to the Annual Dive Around Texas barbecue and prize give away in San Marcos. Many local divers and dive shops we’re represented, including Oceanic Ventures, Inc. Also, representatives from some of the certification agencies and manufacturers were there as well; some of the atendees were  Eric Peterson with SSI, Tom Kurras with Cressi, Greg Gephart with Tusa, SEA&SEA, and Light and Motion.
We had a fun time, won some prizes—two of Oceanic Ventures’ own Steve Soulen won two Ikelite LED flashlights, and John Davis won a wetsuit.  The barbecue lunch was great and it allowed us to swap dive stories with people from all over Texas, folks from Austin, Grapevine, San Marcos, and even Corpus Christi we’re all represented at the Dive Around Texas event.
I’m glad I got enough dives in, because the prizes we’re really great! And, I can’t wait to get even more local dives in for 2013, hope you can join me underwater in Texas!

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Scuba Divers Make Donation to Bonaventure Boys' Home in Grand Cayman

Eric Keibler Presents CheckEric Keibler, Managing Director of Oceanic Ventures presented a check for $3,630 to Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Facility Manager for the Bonaventure Boys Home in Grand Cayman.  This donation was made possible by the generous donations from our friends, sponsors and staff at a weekend of rebreather diving in Houston.  During the presentation, Eric explained that Oceanic Ventures and the Oceanic Ventures Foundation wanted to give back to the communities that they travel to for diving.  Ann Keibler started encouraging clients and staff to bring school supplies with them in their luggage to donate to local schools.  She said, “It was a fun way to meet people and give back to the community!  It also helps you to leave a little room to buy some things to help support the local economy where you are visiting.”  Over the years this simple idea morphed into a program to help support schools and communities in diving locations like the Philippines or Grand Cayman.

To help the Bonaventure Boys’ Home, Oceanic Ventures and Innerspace Systems hosted a weekend of rebreather diving events March 29 – April 3, 2012 in Houston, Texas. The program included lectures, pool demos of a new recreational rebreather the Pathfinder plus a benefit dinner with keynote speaker Leon Scamerhorn, CEO and founder of Innerspace Systems.  While the organizations wanted to introduce the new Pathfinder Rebreather System to the diving community in Houston, they also wanted to use the event to raise funds for the Bonaventure Boys’ home. Grand Cayman has been the leading destination for rebreather divers with the first Inner Space Rebreather event hosted by Divetech in 2004 and now its ninth year in 2012.

Eric says, “Rebreathers are the latest trend in diving enabling divers to discover the underwater world in relative silence without disturbing the fish. This allows you to get closer to the fish and other creatures. Photographers find them to be a wonderful tool and a enjoyable way to go diving.” According to Ann Keibler, “this was a fun event that will allow divers to experience what it is like to dive silently underwater with no bubbles while helping out children. We chose the Bonaventure Boys Home as our charity due to the fantastic work they do and our continued visits to Grand Cayman and Divetech.”

The Bonaventure Boys’ Home is a not for profit government funded Foundation that is a part of The CAYS Foundation (Children and Youth Services) in Grand Cayman. The Boy’s Home serves at risks boys and families that need help to achieve their full potential. Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Bonaventure Boys’ Home Facility Manager commented “We appreciate donation to help fund extra programmes and supplies for our residents and we greatly appreciate the donation Oceanic Venture Foundation is able to give to The Bonaventure Boys’ Home. The monies raised will be used to purchase recreational equipment, resident outings, summer camp fees, clothing and shoes, rewards for incentive programmes and/or bedroom furniture for parents’ homes in preparation for transition.”

We especially want to thak all of the people who made this possible.  Were it not for their generous support, nothing would have happened.  Those people we would like to specifically thank are:

We are also in the news at:

Bonaventure Boys Home in Grand Cayman
Here is a look at the weekend’s event: