Upcoming foreign trips:

        • February 8-14, 2009 - Florida Manatees & Caverns
                            (if you've got 50,000 miles on American, you can save $500)
        • May 16-24 - Bonaire (with a stop at the Georgia Aquarium on the way back)

        • October 11-18 - Sea of Cortez (Baja - La Paz) aboard the Don Jose
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Happy New Year everyone!!!

Hopefully 2009 has gotten off to a good start for you. We had a blast ringing in the New tear with our traditional trek to Pasadena for the Rose Parade. As usual, I had my trusty D200 with me and I've got the pictures to share. Since we're at the end of the route (literally two blocks from where the parade officially ends), it's a slightly different perspective than you see on TV. Plus, we're on the "non-TV" side of the street. (The floats are all designed to favor their right side, which is the side where all the TV cameras shoot them from.) Anyhow, take a peek and enjoy: This Week (in pictures) at Reef Seekers .

Our first official local dive trip of 2009 is happening this coming Saturday as we journey out to Farnsworth Bank on the Great Escape. We're about half full right now but we've already talked with Captain Tim Burke and we're going regardless of how many people we have on board. We know it's early in the year and some of you haven't started thinking about diving yet, but - for those of you who have - we plan on going. As of right now (and obviously this could change), the weather's looking pretty good. The forecast right now calls for partly cloudy through Wednesday morning, then clear through the rest of the week including the weekend. So we'll give it our best shot. And we've got space available, including staterooms, if you'd like to join us. Just give us a call at 310/652-4990.

BTW, for those of you already signed up, you will bee charged for this trip Monday or Tuesday of this week. So that the income goes on our 2009 books. You should get a receipt from us by the end of the week.

Normally we list the next three trips in the header at the top of this page but I've also listed a fourth one this time which is the Avalon Underwater Cleanup on February 21. (The day before the Oscars, BTW.) Reef seekers always has a strong presence here and we plan on being at our traditional Green Pleasure Pier location. This day is a great way to give something back to Avalon and it's a fun dive to see what kind of "treasure" you can find. And, because last year's vis was so crappy, there ought to be more stuff available for finding this year because we couldn't see most of it last year. A good time is always had by all and when you go with us, we've got you covered for the event (which includes a t-shirt and airfill coupon), the boat, gear transport & afternoon storage, and all the fun you can handle. Give us a call to join in on the fun and the good deeds.

We also should make sure you understand how it works when you call us to sign up for a trip. We can handle it all over the phone (or even by e-mail). For the most part, we do the initial round of charges two weeks ahead of the trip. So even if you sign up months ahead, you won't get charged until about two weeks prior to the trip. (And you'll get the Early Purchase Price, which saves you $15 this year.) Once we get inside of two weeks and you call to sign up, we'll bill it out the same day or within a day or two of your call.

But it's important to understand that what we don't do is call you back to double-check to make sure you still plan on going. Given the amount of trips we do, the number of divers on each trip, and our limited full-time staff (in other words, me), it's not practical. So if you've signed up for a trip and your plans change, be sure to call us and get yourself taken off the list. Otherwise, you'll end up being billed for the trip.

TWO WEEKS OR MORE AHEAD OF TIME - Full refund (assuming you've even been billed at that point).

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BUT MORE THAN ONE WEEK -  Store credit for a future Reef Seekers boat trip

LESS THAN ONE WEEK - No refund, no credit, unless we sell the spot. (And that means after all of our vacant spots are sold.) If we sell the spot, you get a full refund.