You can just hear Tevia singing Tradition in the background.
Tradition you ask? Well this trip has reoccurred for over 10 years and many of the participants have span>been going on it for most of those years. We celebrate two birthdays – Steven Hann and Anu Baji, and an anniversary, mine.
The only reason I get to go is because our wedding anniversary usually falls over the trip. But don’t get too sentimental, I am a working diver who gets to take sixteen of his close, warm personal friends diving each year.
This year, like the last, I had two rebreather students silently plying the waters off the coast of Cozumel with a tremendous amount of problems, albeit simulated problems. You would think people would rather just dive than take a course on their vacation. Matt, on of my students even made the comment “Here I am again, taking a class in Cozumel – I can’t remember what it is like to just dive here.” Of course, I reminded him we could have done the eight dives and eight hours of diving in beautiful Lake Travis!
This trip had a number of firsts – 500 dives for Jean Jansen, now an SSI Gold Diver, rebreather divers Matt Booth and Wayne Cooper, Dale Keyworth and Cecilia Chipman finished their Deep Diver course and as such, finished their Advanced Diver certifications and Ann put up with me for another year!
We had some great dives and ate some fun meals at some of our favorite restaurants. Anu is another year younger and Stephen feels another year older (especially since he moved just before leaving for this trip). Traditions are so much fun!


This trip is ALWAYS a treat and it was again this year very nice.
— Comments from the Trip Survey
Group diving is always fun. I like how the group sticks together a lot of the time and we all get to know each other. It is something I have not seen in other groups.
— From the trip survey
I liked Ann working with me personnaly and showing so many wonderful sea creatures to play with. I really appreciated the way that they took care of me.
— From the trip Survey
Quit making them so much fun…I’m going to run out of money!
— From the Trip Survey
I have made this trip 5 years in a row. It is a terrible time of year for me t be gone but I look forward to it each year.
None of my other diving experiences come close to the enjoyment I have on an Oceanic Ventures trip.
— From the Trip Survey
What did I like most about this trip – NO THINKING!
— From the Trip Survey