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What Our Divers Have Said ...
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Aloha ... and Welcome to the Best Diving in Kauai !!!
Read What Our Divers Have Said About Their Kauai Scuba Diving Experiences With Us !!!
| Aloha Scuba Steve,
We are back in California and I am writing in my journal of our daily Kauai adventures (I took notes) and I thought I would stop and take a moment to thank you for the wonderful time we had scuba diving with you. It was everything you said it would be, including the hand holding option which I thought I might need but instead my daughter Alison did. You remember Alison, she's the one who, when asked to pick any number between 1 and 3 confidently answers with 4 !!! That was the funniest thing ever and I'm sure the moment when you knew you were going to have trouble with that one. I myself was developing some anxiety as well while you were explaining the basics and hadn't even really heard the question - who knows what my answer might have been. (Side note from Scuba Steve .... Prior to this "incident", when asked about her "vocation", Miss Alison proudly told me that she had recently graduated in the top of her R.N. Class ... following in the footsteps of her mother ??? All-kidding-aside ... Miss Alison, while embarrased by her answer and "harrassed" by her family, did an OUTSTANDING job on her skills and we had a BLAST on both dives !!! I'd dive with her ANY time !!!) In any case a good time was had by all, definitely not my thing to want to stay underwater like that, but I am so proud of myself that I did it (thanks to you). And I passed my skills test with no problem because I am a rule follower - you show me what to do, and I do it. My son Jonathan really took to it and definitely is something he wants to pursue as a sport (is that a sport or leisure activity?). Thanks again for your amusing class and your patience with us - we will see you again next time. Kathy Dinsmore (Second side note from Scuba Steve ... After I posted this letter, I asked Kathy to read my comments about Alison. Here is what Kathy wrote back: SS, I loved your comment, and Alison will never see it though, so no need to worry on that. Both Alison and I share a bit of anxiety (translation - blinding panic) about things such as giving oral presentations, and trying anything out of our comfort zone could result in a similar kind of panic which we tend to avoid, so for both of us to be successful at this was a major (phenomenal) accomplishment. My friends and sisters simply cannot believe that we even thought of doing this. If it hadn't been your reassurance on the phone I never would have done this - and the really amazing thing is that I didn't fret about it at all beforehand. And let me tell you it's difficult to talk me out of a fear (usually impossible). One last thought - apparently I passed on my excellent math skills to Alison along with the predisposition to needless anxiety, but hey, I got her to scuba dive so that's something (with your help of course)! Take care, and just remember to keep breathing! Kathy) |
| Aloha, Scuba Steve
!!! Hunter and I just received our PADI "Hawaiian Sea Turtle Observer" specialty cards. It is cool to have such unique certification, but not half as cool as the things we saw and learned. I am attaching a photo of a scorpion fish you showed us. I will always remember "rocks don't blink". Thanks for the off-the-hook experience. Best regards, Bob |
| SCUBA
Steve, We'd like to thank you so much for the dives 4 Jan 08. You are a fantastic instructor; funny, patient, competent, and very knowledgeable. From my experience as a PADI Dive Master, I appreciate a great Instructor when I see one. I was very impressed with the way you worked with Stephanie. The remainder of the vacation everything we did was measured against the fun we had with you. It being Stephanie's first dive, she was a bit nervous. You made her feel very comfortable, and you prepared her well. I think she has the bug now and wants to complete her PADI Certification! We will definitely recommend you to our friends! Thanks so much, Tim and Stephanie P.S. Baby Frogfish Rule! |
| To All Lucky
Divers, You will be so fortunate to have the experience with diving with Steve. My husband and I have been diving for 20 yrs. Want to say this was our best dive experience ever. He spent the time on what we were going to see and how the fish react to there habitat. Was very impressed with Steve's professional manner, and his preparation for us to learn about the sea life for our dive. Steve has an extensive knowledge of his dive sites and is willing to share his information with others. When we come back to Kauai we will definitely look Steve up again. Will also recommend him to all that I come across that is going to Kauai. Happy Divers, Bart & Jessica Schroder |
| Aloha Scuba
Steve! What a wonderful experience my husband and I had diving at Koloa Landing!!! It was awesome to have a ‘private’ guide. We especially appreciate the thoroughness of your dive plan and what aquatic life we would most likely encounter. The ‘cleaning station’ would have been overlooked had we not had the tutorial. Your signs were very clear and we were very comfortable. Kauai is amazing. Thank you for making our diving experience just as special. Mahalo, Ron and Maureen Tucson, AZ |
| Hi Steve, I just wanted to let you know what a great time me and my fiance, Ben, had diving with you. You were a wonderful professional and a relaxingly funny and easygoing guide. I could tell that we had lucked out when the other SCUBA vans started pulling up to the dive site and started unloading lots of people. None of those other guides seemed as friendly or as laid back as you did and we really appreciated it. The dive we got was very personal and suited both my fiance's experience as a diver and my total novice status. We were both thrilled to be the only people in the group too. It made everything so much easier and it got us in the water faster. The animal life was also great. We saw lots of eels, a very sleepy turtle, and lots of colorful (or camouflaged) fish. Many creatures were out and about and ready to be looked at. It was a wonderful first diving experience for me and I would absolutely recommend you to friends (and I have). We will most certainly be calling you again if we are ever back in Kauai. Cheers! Mary |
| Steve:
The wind and snow blowing at 20 miles per hour and the temperature of 28 degrees in Indianapolis prompts me to remember the wonderful day of diving with you on Kauai. I‘ve had the opportunity to dive all over the world, but our day with you tops them all. At first the question for the family was “did we want to dive on Kauai?” No one wanted a long boat trip to the dive site and, on top of that, two of the party had never dived before. The beautiful weather and the old urge to see what’s out there soon took over. The internet gave us the source to search for a dive experience. Needless to say, your site caught our eye and had all the answers for our questions.A shore dive, all equipment provided, instruction for the novices, and our own private group. I called to set up the dive and was impressed by your cheerful and competent demeanor. You asked the appropriate questions about our qualifications and laid out the program completely. Arriving at the dive site, we all were impressed with the top notch mobile facility. Premiere location, chairs with each individuals equipment lined up - ready to use, carpeting, snacks, and even a shower unit on top of the van made this a unique experience. The manner in which you presented refresher material to the rusty divers blended well with the beginner’s lessons. All were at ease. Your preview of the underwater critters was most enjoyable and heightened the in water sightings. In the water, your experience in teaching had the beginners acting like seasoned veterans in just a few minutes. Following your lead, everyone enjoyed our private underwater world of Kauai. Needless to say, a call to you to book our dives will be a priority on our next visit. Bob Malachowski |
| Hello Scuba Steve! Dianna Coakwell here~ We took our very first dive with you 11/09/07. I have to say, I was very scared to take the "plunge"! You made me and my family (Chris and River) feel right at home in the deep blue! Your "beach side manor" is exactly what we were looking for! Laid back but very serious about safety. I had asked you to hold my hand at first, but once I got into the water you gave me so much confidence, with out saying a word, hand holding never even crossed my mind! I even thought the "other group" in the water, looked silly (all holding hands) Your professionalism and great "get 'er done" attitude made diving with you the best part of our way too short vacation! Thank you so much~ Chris, Dianna and River Coakwell Kent, Washington |
| Steve, Dan and Chris here ... just want to say Mahalo again for the great diving in Kaua'i last week (10/22/07)! We are really glad we went for the shore dive and the small group...of 3...totally cool!! The prep-talk and personal attention was above and beyond!! You know that cove like the back of your hand....LOL. We didn't end up diving in Maui as we couldnt find anything not attached to a boat trip and after I got sick on the dinner cruise, that was out. LOL It was offered at our resort but the snorkeling there was just as good...we played with an average of 5 turtles there each day!! The local boys were even riding them!! LOL Wish you could hav come over and taken us out there too. Your education on sealife was priceless, Steve, you ROCK!! If you're ever on the east coast of the Mainland.....look us up!! Best wishes with the future Mrs. Scuba Steve...lucky lady!! XOXO Chris and Dan, Maryland |
| Dear "Scuba
Steve", We just returned home from our much too short visit to your lovely home of Kauai. I just wanted to drop you a quick note and say thank you for our incredible dive memory created through your excellent leadership and tour from Koloa Landing. You were very informative in your pre-dive orientation and made the whole experience fun, relaxing and a genuine pleasure. Your sense of humor was a show in itself, which could only be topped by your obvious enthusiasm for diving and more importantly for dive safety. You, by your own estimation, may be the "senior" Instructor in your area, but with that comes wisdom and experience, which those young bucks can only hope to one day acquire. You can be sure they will be looking over your shoulder and knowing you just a little tells me that you're only too glad to share your knowledge with each of them. Thanks again for taking Adrian and me under your wings for a very pleasant dive experience. You can be sure that we will spread the word about you and your services to other divers we encounter. Sincerely, Adrian and Terry Spratt. |
| Aloha Steve, Deanise and I had the most fantastic time. You made me feel very comfortable that first day, and that the second day was unbelieveable! It's not easy for me to put down in words of what a wonderfull time we had, the other e-mails from other divers said it all best. We are returning to Kauai next summer, I will keep in touch to let you know the dates, as I want to get my certification from you. Mahalo ... Doug & Deanise Killingsworth PS. Deanise and I were serious when we talked about showing you around Montana. When you get all your business done and deceide to take your vacation, we hope you get in touch with us and stay awhile. Thanks again Doug |
| Hi Steve, This is Tom Carley, and in July I went diving with you. I wanted to tell you that my diving experience with you was FANTASTIC!!!!! You are the best!!! You were the most helpful Tour Guide/Instructor I have ever had !!! If you can remember I enjoyed it so much the first time I came back to dive a second day!!! I saw more varieties of fish than ever before. I have dived on all of the Hawaiian Islands, except Ohau, from dive boats. Diving from shore was a very welcomed experience. When I return to Kauai I will look you up to dive with you again. Thanks again for a wonderful dive experience. Tom |
| Aloha Steve! Thanks for such an awesome dive experience! For my first times in the water I am certain I couldn't have found a better instructor & guide. Totally AWESOME!!! Steve Saltsman |
Steve, I wanted to take a few minutes after getting back to the "real" world, and thank you for the wonderful dive experience you provided me the day before we left to go back to the Mainland. As you know, my decision to take a dive while vacationing in Kauai was a last minute decision and not with much forethought. I wasn't very optimistic that I would be able to find the right Dive Master/Instructor that could handle my last minute request, especially since I hadn't been down in over ten years. However, Lady Luck was smiling upon me as I came across your website and called you. I am 100% convinced that you provided me with the best possible dive experience, and are in a position to provide anyone (regardless of skill level) the best diving available on the island. Your "Rusty Diver" review was top notch, and combined with the pre-dive orientation where you discuss the types of sea life we might see and what to expect made for a fantastic experience. I would not have gotten this with some of the "BIGGER" dive shops or larger dive groups. You took your time to make sure that I got the most out of the time we spent underwater, which is what diving is all about. I especially appreciate how everything was ready to go when I arrived. The equipment was ready (and fit properly) and was in top notch condition, the "site" where our orientation took place was like we were sitting in our living room talking about what was to come. The refreshments, fresh water shower, comfortable chairs, and "imported" carpeting was over the top. Nobody else at the dive site had anything close to your equipment and facility. Please rest assured that when we return to Kauai (and we will in the near future), I will look you up and make sure that I schedule some dive time with you. Until then, please feel free to share this email with anyone and everyone that is looking for the most unique SCUBA diving experience on the island. It really can't be beat! Aloha and Mahalo, Kelvin Friedel |
| Aloha Steve, Wow what an experience! I wanted say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the personalized service I received and for your patience with a newly certified diver. I know the speciality adventure dive training you provided will benefit me in my future diving experiences, not to mention the extra information you shared with me that every diver should be know (but is not in the books). The navigation and peak performance buoyancy training you recommended was exactly what I needed as a new diver to feel more comfortable and confident in the water. It was the last dive that I loved the most, the two large sea turtles and the dragon eel were awsome to see in the wild and you helped me to learn more about the aquatic life we were observing on the dive. I have already recommended you to a couple of scuba buddies and I cannot say enough about Kauai. I have traveled a great deal and enjoyed going to many islands, but I have to say Kauai tops them all. Your one-on-one training is just what helped me the most and I am looking forward to working toward the advanced level dives. I hope to return to Kauai in the future and I will be sure and set up my dives with you then. Thanks again, I just loved it and will always remember my first ocean dives with you. Laura (aka: Worldtraveler) Laura S. Henn |
| Hi, Steve- Thanks again for a great dive on July 7th (rescheduled from July 4th due to poor conditions)! We had a great time and really appreciated your sea life review before entering the water. It made the entire dive much more interesting! After not diving for about four years, we were glad we took your Rusty Diver course. You were right, it all comes back to you very quickly. Even though the course was short and sweet, it was thorough, and it made us feel totally confident in the water so we could enjoy the dive. After all was said and done, I was really happy that we chose you to guide us. I was initially skeptical about doing a shore dive (which I hadn't done since my certification training!), but it really was so much better to skip the boat ride (and the sea sickness!) and be in the water literally within minutes of us meeting at the dive site. I was worried about entering in the surf, but the site you chose was perfect and calm and not a problem at all. The bottom line is that we got more time actually in the water instead of on a boat, and that was great. Thank you again for a fantastic experience. Kelly & Mike Hewitt |
| Scuba Steve! I apologize for the delay in sending you this e-mail. We should have sent it months ago. I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful diving experience my wife and I had. There is no way I could have gotten her to dive if it wasn't for you! I had booked the diving trip as part of our honeymoon, but she had failed to mention that she has a fear of drowning. Go figure, I guess you still learn something new after being married! If it was not for you working with her one on one and making her feel safe I guarantee she would have sat out. It turned out to be our best experience while on the island. I seriously cannot thank you enough. I highly recommend your dive service for anyone looking for a more personal, friendly, and professional dive experience with attention to detail. Wonderful! We look forward to our next visit and dive with you. Thanks Again for everything! Scott Mitchell |
| Aloha, Steve - Just wanted to say thank you one more time for a fantastic 4 dives! On my own I never would have seen half the stuff you showed me. I was really impressed with your whole attitude toward diving and the animals you get to play with every day. You made me feel comfortable and confident, even though I'd not been diving in over 15 years. When I come back to the Kauai, I'll definitely be giving you a call, and I'm telling all of my friends about you as well. Take care, Dave Madorsky |
| Hello Steve, Our family had a fantastic time diving with you, you managed to keep us all entranced from our Assistant instructor mom to our discover scuba little brother. The five of us will never forget the great things you showed us. It way beats diving in Idaho, LOL. Thanks for helping us make amazing memories! The Petersons |
| Hi Steve, I am not sure if you remember me........I dove with you a while back..........a very green diver who was obsessed with the turtles and the incredible fish. It was only you and I (I think I got spoiled).......... Anyway, I think of you often and how you helped me feel so confident. I am looking for a similiar experience in Cozumel......wondering if you could recommend a good company there. I hope to be back in Kauai soon and diving with you.......... Lesa Black (from Seattle) |
| Greetings Steve, Marta Arensberg here, from Issaquah, WA. You may remember me from last years rainy February and early March. The weather was so bad during my OW certification course with you, that we had to keep postponing the four open water training sessions. But finally the water was clear enough to finish up the class. I will be returning to Kauai on February 1, 2007, for three weeks. My husband and I will be staying at the Kuhio Shores Condominums again. And of course, I want to do some diving on Kauai this trip. Since my OW certification with you in March 06, I have taken two week long dive trips. On the first, which was on the Kona Aggressor in June, I completed my PADI Advanced OW and the TDI Computer Nitrox Diver courses. In my AOW class, I did Deep Diver (or maybe it was Multilevel - I can't remember the name), Boat Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Underwater Navigator. On the second trip, which was on the Cayman Aggressor in Sept, I completed the PADI Night Diver course. I now have 51 dives in my log book. I would like to carry on with my diving education, and am thinking of taking another course from you while I am on Kauai. Would the Underwater Navigation Application/Exploration 2-Tank Dive class be the same as that section from my AOW course, or is it more in depth? Or maybe the Underwater Naturalist course would be a good choice for me. In any case, I am hoping you have some available dates during the first three weeks of February, and I will call you after we arrive on Kauai to make an appointment for a couple dive days. I will be bringing all of my diving equipment, so will only need weights and filled tanks. Please let me know if you will be working during that period of time. I just wanted to be sure you weren't going to be off on vacation then. Thank you, Marta Arensberg |
| Hi Steve, just wanted to say thank you again for taking my son and I out on our shore dive. It was great! Good luck with your daughter and your dive co. I will tell all my dive friends to dive with you when they vacation in Kauai! Mahalo! Delphine |
| Hey Steve, I just wanted to say thanks for a great time and send you a few pics. I hope I can dive with you again sometime. I haven't received my card yet, but I'm anxiously waiting. Ryan (I was the pain in the ass engineer) ;) |
| Hi Steve, I just wanted to thank you for making my first scuba dive Kauai experience so wonderful. My experience with you taking the discover scuba dives has made me want to get my PADI certification, I will hopefully be able to do it within the next year. It was really awesome to meet you, and I hope one day I get to return to Kauai and dive with you again. Thanks so much!!! Jennifer |
| Steve, This email is long overdue, but better late then never. We went scuba diving on Kauai with Steve the last week of August of 2005, and due to Steve's knowledge of the area, its indigenous creatures and his great patience, our experience was bar-none the most enjoyable diving experience we have had. My wife and I haven't been diving for several years, so we chose to utilize Steve's "Rusty Diver" option for our trip, and we were glad we did. Steve is a very patient and knowledgeable Instructor, and the format of the experience from a shore orientation of the equipment, to the area and wildlife orientation worked quite well. Steve explained the nature of the animals in the area and what the best methods were for viewing and experiencing them in the habitat. As we dove, we encountered other divers moving through an area at record speeds, and they missed several interesting and unusual sites as they sped through that we did not due to Steve's method. We had an experience with a turtle that we will always refer to, and we wish we had a camera for it. I guess I was swimming along with this turtle who was in my blind spot just behind and to my right for a minute or so, and it wasn't until Steve and my wife signaled to me that he was there that I saw him. He was very close and based on Steve's advise earlier, we allowed the turtle to settle into a spot where we were able to experience his majesty. Thank you Steve for such a great experience. We will be in contact when we are able to return to do more Kauai scuba diving! David and Marianne |
| Steve, Back in Iowa now and I just wanted to follow up with you on how much fun I had going on my first scuba dive Kauai with you. I always wanted to try it but never had the opportunity. The dive I went on with you was definitely worth the wait. There were other groups going out the same time we were and I could tell you were much more thorough in explaining all the equipment and safety procedures. Your presentation about the history of the bay and explaining all the types of fish we would see made the course complete. Going the extra mile by having a class with just me and not a large group was fantastic and made the dive more pleasurable knowing I was getting a more detailed personalized dive. Your enthusiasm for the sport is great and made the dive more exciting. I could tell you loved diving and introducing new divers to the sport - even after all the dives you have done. Watching the other instructors in the different diving operations, they acted like the dives were just a job and did not enjoy working with new divers. Just wanted to say thanks and I will never forget the humu, butterflies, trumpets, eels, shrimp, cleaners, goats, urchins and lions we saw that day. I recommended you to all the people I work with in Kauai. I hope I can get back someday and do more Kauai diving all over again. Thanks again. Wayne |
| Steve, Jan and I truly enjoyed diving with you at Koloa Landing on Tuesday, August 9. We had a great time on our dive on Kauai. Our dives with you were at the top of our list of the things we really enjoyed. Jan and I are experienced divers having been diving since the early '80s all over the Caribbean, Mexico, the Bahamas and numerous fresh water locations too cold to remember. We found your set up, equipment, intro and execution to be first rate and right up there with some of the big name operations such as Peter Hughes Dive Bonaire and Neal Watson's Underwater Adventures. We were especially entertained by your description of the dive sight, the fish and other critters we might see and what to look for. You didn't bore us, and covered the safety aspects very well without talking down to us. I don't see how anybody would not enjoy your thorough and lively intro. Our nearly 2 hours of bottom time were fun, relaxing and exciting. You did your job as dive guide with professionalism, humor and an overall friendly and welcoming attitude. I've been an instructor for over 20 years (I'm not active anymore) and have seen it all from really great to the unbelievably bad. You rank right up there with the best I've ever dived with. Thanks again for an extremely fun morning of Kauai scuba diving. Jan and Michael |
| Dear Steve, Roger and I returned to New Mexico reluctantly after 10 days of scuba diving in Kauai…a most memorable, beautiful experience for a couple who have been married for less than 2 years. In reflection, our time spent with you was absolutely the best! I dive occasionally in the Bahamas, but Roger's certification was pretty dated with his last diving over 30 years ago. With your "Rusty Diver" session, you were able to overcome his uncertainty within just a few hours, and get us into diving in a safe and beautiful location at Whaler's Cove. Your attention and watchfulness to our lack of diving experience gave both of us peace of mind in entering the water, and as confidence grew, your knowledge of the dive site reopened the wonders of diving and exploring living creatures in the sea. Roger was so excited after diving with you…the ONLY reason we didn't dive again before we left was because there just wasn't enough time! I can now look forward to many more diving experiences with my new "diving buddy", and we will definitely being Kauai diving and working with you again soon! Thanks so very much! Regards, Deborah and Roger PS: We left your cards with Suite Paradise and clearly told them that you are the guy to dive kauai with, even for us "scairdy cats"!! |
| Steve, I just wanted to take this moment to thank you for your excellent training. I did two boat dives and one night dive after I was certified. All three went very well although the night dive was very intimidating in the first 10 minutes. Once I calmed down, it was great. I wish I could have dived with you some more but the schedules just did not work out. I hope my brother John gave you a small token of my appreciation. Looking forward to diving with you again next time I am in Kauai! Sincerely, Marco |
| Steve, I just wanted to drop you a note and tell how much fun I had reef and shore diving with you. You need to send me some cards. I'm going to hand them out to all the dive shops out here and all my dive friends. I'm already booking my Kauai scuba diving vacation for next year. This time I'm going to try to stay for 2 weeks. I will be contacting you to set up dives once I have all my dates. Holly |
| Hi Steve, Just wanted you to know what a great time we had. Of the 100+ Instructors and Dive Masters we have ever went diving with you were the most interested in showing us a good time & one of the few we will never forget. Good Luck . Jeff PS. If you need us as a reference, no problem. |
| Hey Steve, Things have been crazy here in NY but I have been wanting to say thanks for showing us around Kauai diving. We really had a great time and you did a really nice job. The Koloa Landing dives were really pretty and very relaxing. The fish nests we saw were so cool and the male fish guarding the nest was a lot of fun and very interesting to watch. Just wanted to say thanks and we will highly recommend you to any of our diving friends. Jane PS. Take good care of your daughter-shes a great kid! Oh yeah ... snow here yesterday |
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