BVI SCUBA diving

The BVI Tourism Board and the BVI SCUBA Operators were hosting various SCUBA writers and photographers from around the world here this past week. Some were freelance, some were not. They spent the entire week in the BVI diving our sites, staying in our hotels and getting a feel for our beautiful island. Although they attempted to get around and dive with everyone, we were on charter this past week.

Abi O'Neal, who is Director of Watersports Marketing at the Tourism Board (I am sure I am paraphrasing your title Abi! Sorry!!) did a great job of hustling all her little "chickens" around as she called them. I was especially pleased that she took the extra time to ensure that those who could not visit with these journalists during the week, had a venue last night where we could come and show off our wares. This was held at "Ginnys" in the new Moorings Expansion. A lovely spot it is too. There were actual honest to god FLUSH toilets (modern ones) with NO waste basket beside them to throw your toilet paper into!! That was pretty impressiveI thought..No sign on the door either telling you not to put paper in the toilet...
Anyways, I digress, you can tell that i have lived on an island for too long!
One of the main purposes of this event was to start promoting WRECK WEEK 2010 which will be held June 12th through 19th, 2010! Now that is exciting!

I made the Director of Tourism, and Abi stand still for a billionth picture of the week!

When I arrived everyone was busy setting up their little tables, although most have had an opportunity to visit already this week........

My little spot for Promenade looks pretty bare, but considering I managed to do all my appetizer and dinner prep work at lighting speed on Friday so I could make if from Salt Island INTO Roadtown at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon for this, I did ok. My guests will be glad to know that I did manage to put on a Promenade Tshirt!

Jim Scheiner of Rainbow Visions was showing some of his beautiful photography that he mounts on canvas...

Mike Rowe of Sail Caribbean Divers is looking very professional here at his space...

Muffy from Blue Water Divers...

Colin from Jost Van Dyke SCUBA, talking to the "tall fellow", John Bantin the Technical Editor for DIVER magazine out of the UK...

The beautiful buffet set up in Ginnys.

Did you know that Ginny's has an ice cream bar in it? Well, neither did I! Although it appears that Abi knew exactly where it was!! She deserves it after a week of taking divers around the BVI!

Jim Scheiner is doing some beautiful panoramic photography which he displayed. Here is one he did of the saloon on Cuan Law, calling it the "SpaceSHIP Cuan Law!" Very nice...

I could not convince Mark from Peter Island Divers to stand at his table, so I just took a picture of the table!

I seem to have misplaced this nice young gentlemans card. He is based out of Puerto Rico and works with the BVI Tourist Board as well as writing travel articles for Puerto Rico's largest newspaper. He covers the BVI extensively as we all know that the Puerto Ricans LOVE the BVI!! We also found a shared love of COSTCO in Puerto Rico. Sigh...

Here are all the writers and photographers coming in, I believe they were stolen from Charley"s Bar!


I felt a lot of enthusiasm from everyone, and even with just that short time, I was glad I had made it over. I am sure all who dove with them this week have many photo's and stories, which hopefully we will hear about!

Our group included an Editor who wrote for a group of Magazines in Germany, A photo editor from Argentina, A photo Coordinator for a travel group in Mexico, Contributing Editors to Dive Training magazine, and a Canadian that I would not let get away until we talked and bonded over "ehs" Rob is an Executive Producer for Dive Zero in Kelowna BC and not having lived in Canada for awhile, I promised him that I would go on the website and see what it was all about! I believe they do many web TV channels on SCUBA and travel, but our internet is never fast enough on the boat to do too much of those things. COnsidering it has been off for the past 18 hours.....

It was also nice to run into Mauricio Handler, (great photographer and friend) who is coming over for dinner in a couple weeks (you hear that people! I have a few days OFF and I am voluntarily going to be COOKING DINNER for friends!!!! GO figure!)

I quickly scurried back to East End to drop off the car, the dinghy picked me up, took me out to Beef Bluff and I managed to get dinner on the table right on time and then make discs of pictures for the guests to take home!