Traveling to Cozumel, Cancun or Riviera Maya between late May-September 2010? Swim with the largest fish in the ocean, THE WHALE SHARK. This one day excursion departs from Playa del Carmen and Cancun. On your way looking for the whale sharks you will bird watch, enjoy dolphins, mantas and marine turtles. You will then arrive at a pristine coral reef enjoying unique species of the Caribbean.

Details:
Pick up 6:00AM from Playa del Carmen or 7:00AM from Cancun
Tour includes:
Transportation in comfortable air conditioned vehicle
1 day tour Whale Shark Excursion – bilingual guide/biologist – snorkel equipment – snacks – lunch – water and soft drinks.
If you are staying in Cozumel you can plan to be back at your hotel around 4pm.
Special A-1 Scuba and Travel Center price at $205.00 per person.**
Call now to reserve your spot for your vacation. Space is based on availability at time of booking.
**Price does not include alcoholic beverages, ferry from Cozumel, personal expenses and tips.

Southern Caribben: Your cruise departs on December 3, 2010. Oceanview Staterooms starting from $867.00. Balcony Staterooms from $1217.00.
Details: Round-trip air from Miami
Cruise to Samana, Tortola, Antigua, Barbados and St. Kitts
Price based on Double occupancy

ALASKA: Watch the whales, Just don’t watch the clock!
Your 7 day Alaskan Cruise departs on July 17, 2010. Oceanview Staterooms starting from $1419.00 and Balcony Staterooms from $1729.00.
Details: Round-trip air from Seattle
Cruise to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Prince Rupert
Price based on double occupancy

For complete details please contact Gwen Wells at 303-789-2450 or email her at gwenwells@a1scuba.com

Colorado Avalanche players, TJ Galiardi, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Stoa, Wes O’Neill and Strength and Conditioning Coach, Paul Goldberg spent a day at the Downtown Aquarium snorkeling in the Under the Sea exhibit as well as talking to a select group of kids about staying fit and how important it is to keep active. It was a great time for everyone. After a full day of activities, the Avalanche players signed autographs for the kids! A big THANK YOU to Kroenke Sports, A-1 SCUBA and the Downtown Aquarium for making this day possible and an experience they will never forget!

A-1 Scuba & Travel Center, the Downtown Aquarium and the Westin Tabor Center have teamed up to save your Valentine’s Day!

Your Special Valentine’s Package Includes:
*1 night accommodation at the Westin Tabor Center on Saturday, February 13th.
*Breakfast for 2 at the Westin Tabor Center on February 14th.
*Your choice of “Dive with the Fish” or “Dive with the Sharks” 1 tank dive at the Downtown Aquarium on February 14th. (Includes all equipment, dive guide, Aquarium admission & commemorative t-shirt. Must be an Open Water certified diver).
*Romantic Dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant on February 14, after your dive. Includes deluxe 4-course dinner, champagne and flowers.
All this for only $350.00 per person!
Let A-1 Scuba and Travel Center keep your V-Day from being a D-Day!
303-789-2450.

Space is limited! Call now to reserve your romantic weekend for two!

GOGO Vacations: HAWAII

KAUAI – 4 Star from $579* per person based on double occupancy.
Includes: 4 nights, Sheraton Kauai Resort, mid-size rental car & lei greeting. BONUS 3rd night FREE, buffet breakfast for 2 daily & room upgrade.

MAUI – 4 Star from $675* per person based on double occupancy.
Includes: 4 nights, Wailea Beach Marriot Resort & Spa, mid-size rental car & lei greeting. BONUS 4th night FREE & breakfast for 2 daily.

*Rates do not include airfare, resort daily service charges or car taxes. All rates are subject to change until purchased.

APPLE VACATIONS – SUPER SALE (Book by Nov 25th, 2009) Denver to Jamaica
Round trip airfare on American Airlines – Departure from Jan. 6th, 2010-Mar 15, 2010.
Breezes Grand Resort & Spa Negril – Wed, Thurs departure days – $1339 per person – All inclusive Adults Only, Junior Suite.*
*Deposit is required by Nov. 26th, 2009 to lock in the price, call by Nov 25th.
All rates are based on availability and subject to change.

HOT DEALS ON CRUISE:

7 Day Exotic Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Spirit from New Orleans – Jan. 17th, 2010. $369** per person and based on double occupancy.
Ports of Call are: New Orleans, Costa Maya, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Belize City & Cozumel.

7 Day Mexican Riviera on the Norwegian Star from Los Angeles – Jan. 30, 2010 – from $349** per person and based on double occupancy.
Ports of Call are: Los Angeles, Cabo, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallerta

**All cruise rates do not include airfare and taxes.

The Flobots, best known for their song “Handlebar” held a fundraiser at Lucky Strike back in September for their music outreach program. One of the silent auction items was a Dive with the Sharks at the Downtown Aquarium with two of the Flobot members. Callie Cornell and Brittany Maynor were the lucky winners and were very excited!

Brittany diving with Flobot, Brer Rabbit and Callie diving with Flobot, Johny 5 geared up and faced their fears of breathing underwater among 20+ sharks, 5 barracuda, 3 very large sawfish and two 300lb green sea turtles.

After their 45 minute dive, each of them said it was one of the coolest things they had ever done and looked forward to scuba diving again in the near future.

A-1 and the Downtown Aquarium thanks Brer Rabbit, Johny 5, Callie Cornell and Brittney Maynor for diving with us and making it a fun and an exciting day!

Dave Hosick became a certified scuba diver in 1985. Prior to a planned diving vacation to Cancun in the fall of 1989, Dave sustained a paralyzing neck injury, rendering him a C6 quadriplegic.

Craig Hospital in Denver (the nation’s foremost rehabilitation hospital for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries) soon became Dave’s new home for the next six months. Here he would undergo extensive therapy and learn how to adapt to his new life in a wheelchair. A significant part of Dave’s rehab at Craig involved time in the Therapeutic Recreation Department. This is where he met Recreation Therapist, Carol Huserik. Little did he know that someday she would open the door to an activity he’d thought to be impossible.

Carol has been a Recreation Therapist at Craig for 27 years. She’s also a PADI Master Scuba Diving Instructor and Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) Instructor at A-1 Scuba and Travel Center in Englewood, Colorado. She and the owner of A-1, Scott Taylor, a former Physical Therapist at Craig Hospital, have developed a premier program offering FREE Try Scuba Diving Experiences for individuals with disabilities at A-1.

This monthly program provides an opportunity for Craig Hospital patients as well as others with disabilities to experience scuba diving in A-1’s on-site pool. Craig Hospital funded a Guldmann Lift over the pool allowing for controlled and safe entries and exits of the pool. This community partnership between A-1 Scuba and Travel and Craig Hospital has given individuals with disabilities the opportunity to experience the amazing underwater world and the freedom it provides. The use of equipment, instruction and pool time is provided free of charge. Participants in the Discover Scuba program have continued on to complete their open water certification through PADI or HSA, depending on their abilities to meet performance standards. Annual dive trips designed with divers with disabilities in mind are also coordinated between A-1 and Craig. These trips allow families and friends to expand their diving and personal experiences on a week long trip to the Caribbean.

Carol mentioned the program to Dave and his eyes lit up. Thinking scuba diving was an impossible feat for someone with his level of injury, he could not say “Let me please participate” fast enough. Dave became a very active member in the program going on the organized trips to such destinations as Bonaire, Cayman Brac, Curacao, and Cozumel.

With his Open Water certification accomplished it was time to continue his education with a Dry Suit Specialty. Then with a little push from Carol, Dave became a certified Advanced Open Water Diver and later completed his Enriched Air certification. Now he was really hooked and told Carol he wanted to take the Rescue Course and become a Master Scuba Diver. She thought about it for a moment and said “Why not?” Dave first needed to complete his prerequisite of Emergency First Responder. After successfully demonstrating his EFR skills he and Carol forged ahead to tackle the challenges of the PADI Rescue Diver course. Carol solicited help from other A-1 Scuba and Travel Center PADI and HSA instructors Jack Keat and Joanne Brown. The restrictions of his disability brought on many challenges in the pool and at times, he was ready to quit. But together they all managed to tackle them one at a time. In the weeks to follow, Carol, Jack and Joanne spent many any hours with Dave practicing all the rescue diver performance requirements, including jettisoning his victim’s gear as well as his own with his limited hand function and the lack of abdominal muscles, and leg movement, all while towing the victim to shore while providing rescue breaths. These are challenging skills for any diver, especially a quadriplegic diver. Together they came up with creative ways to accomplish some of the skills. For example, pressing both hands together to release BCD buckles while trying to balance and provide rescue ventilation. Feeling confident, they headed to the open water to complete the required rescue scenarios, only to fail during his first attempt in July of 2009.

Through Carol’s dedication and knowledge, and the other instructor’s help, Dave overcame his disabilities, successfully completed the open water requirements and became a certified PADI Rescue Diver in August of 2009. He quickly completed the four remaining PADI specialties; Altitude Diver, O2 Provider, Hazardous Marine Life Injuries and AED for Divers and is now one of, if not the only, quadriplegic to attain the PADI Master Scuba Diver!

Congratulations Dave! You are an inspiration and an example of the power of
perseverance!

A-1 Scuba & Travel Center would like to welcome Gwen Wells to our team of travel agents. Gwen is a Certified Travel Counselor with over 24 years of experience. Her life has revolved around travel including her studies abroad during a year cruising around the world. She loves to travel and educate others on travel. Gwen lived in Mexico for 3 years and is very passionate and knowledgeable about the many Mexico destinations. She has traveled to Africa 6 times and really enjoys Safaris and sharing her experiences with others. Gwen is also a cruise specialist and very knowledgeable about the many Caribbean, South Pacific and worldwide dive destinations. Please come by and meet Gwen. She’s eager to assist you in planning your next vacation.

Email Gwen at gwenwells@a1scuba.com

An enjoyable aspect of any dive trip is sampling the local cuisine; be it fresh tropical fruit, roots, rice, and more often than not, fish. With “worldwide seafood consumption on the rise,” and a United Nations World Food Organization estimate of 147 million tons of global fish demand by 2030, it is more important than ever to establish the protection and conservation of our ocean resources. One such method of protecting the oceans ecosystems is the consumption of sustainable seafood.

Sustainable seafood is seafood obtained by methods that allow for the maintenance of healthy fish populations without jeopardizing the ecosystem. Recently, California made headway in the protection of their marine resources by passing Bill AB1217, Ocean Protection Council: Sustainable Seafood. This bill establishes a council to develop and implement a specific voluntary sustainable seafood program consisting of protocol to guide entities to independently certify themselves in accordance with internationally accepted criteria. Such criteria would currently prohibit seafood obtained through aquaculture or fish farming from being deemed sustainable, until nationally or internationally accepted sustainability standards have been developed.

This allows consumers to purchase seafood that is as ecologically friendly as possible. The bill also provides “a competitive grant and loan program for projects or activities that further public purposes consistent with the voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program.” However, while this bill is a step in the right direction, it also illustrates the current inadequacy of a lack of local or global sustainable fishing/fish farming standards.

To urge our congress to develop aquaculture standards, go to www.oceanconservancy.org. Or take action by purchasing seafood products verified to be obtained in a sustainable manner:

Sustainable Safeway Products:

• Wild Alaska Sockeye cold smoked salmon 113g
• Wild Alaska Sockeye hot smoked salmon 113g
• Waterfront Bistro Argentine Scallops 680g

Sustainable Target Products:

• Archer Farms Alaska sockeye salmon fillets 453g
• Archer Farms Wild caught Alaskan halibut fillets 453g
• Market Pantry Leg style crab flavored seafood 340g
• Market Pantry Chunk style crab flavored seafood 340g
• Market Pantry Chunk style crab flavored seafood with omega-3 340g
• Market Pantry Shred style crab flavored seafood with omega-3 340g
• Market Pantry Flake style crab flavored seafood 340g
• Archer Farms Alaskan Halibut 454g
• Archer Farms Alaskan Halibut 199g
• Archer Farms Chipotle 227g
• Alaska sockeye salmon burgers
• Archer Farms Alaska sockete salmon fillet 340g
• Archer Farms Alaska sockeye applewood smoked salmon 113g
• Archer Farms Alaska sockeye alderwood smoked salmon 113g
• Target “Market Pantry” Fish Sticks 695g
• Target “Market Pantry” Breaded Fish Fillets
• Target “Market Pantry” Battered Fish Fillets
• Market Pantry wild-caught Alaskan salmon roulades with Mediterranean-style stuffing
• Market Pantry wild-caught Alaskan salmon roulades with spinach florentine stuffing

Sustainable Kroger Products:

• Private Selection wild Alaskan salmon teriyaki 340g

Sustainable Whole Foods Products:

• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan salmon burgers 363.5g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan cold smoked salmon 113g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan cold smoked salmon 227g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan smoked salmon eastern spice 226g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan smoked salmon traditional 226g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan smoked salmon Asian 226g
• Whole Catch Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets 340g
• Whole Catch lightly breaded New Zealand hoki fish nuggets 283.5g
• Whole Catch lightly breaded New Zealand hoki fish fillets
• Whole Catch lightly breaded New Zealand hoki fish sticks 283.5g
• Fresh Alaska salmon fillets (in season)
• Alaska halibut fillets (fish counter)
• Alaska halibut steaks (fish counter)
• South Georgian Patagonian toothfish fillets (fish counter)
• South Georgian Patagonian toothfish steaks (fish counter)
• Hartley’s North Pacific halibut with blue cheese butter and hazelnut crust 12oz
• Whole Catch Antartic Bay scallops 454g
• Whole Catch Hot Smoked Sockeye Cajun
• Whole Catch Hot Smoked Sockeye Classic
• Whole Catch Hot Smoked Sockeye Pepper
• Blue Horizon Fish & Chip Bites 170g
• Blue Horizon Albacore Tuna Bites 170g
• Blue Horizon Salmon Cake Bites 170g

Yes! It’s true. One lucky couple took their wedding vows to a whole new level, 17 feet underwater. Ron Eaton and Tammy Parker entered a contest with KYGO to receive an underwater wedding with A-1 Scuba and The Downtown Aquarium and WON! This incredible and unique exchange was captured by Channel Four and heard by KYGO listeners as Kelli and Mudflap recounted this special day.

To see a clip of this Downtown Aquarium First, CLICK HERE!

A BIG THANKS to KYGO, A-1 Friend, Brenda Doggett a licensed wedding officiate who made it all legal, Todd Hall and Brian Saxon of the Downtown Aquarium and Shane Taylor for the underwater video.