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2011 “Best of” Calendars:
Each years SASS produces a limited number of high quality calendars that feature the best dives of the past year. This year we are producing two: The Best of Shipwrecks and the Best of Ocean Creatures. Call 269-968-8551.

Pizza Shark:
Talk about long-term marketing strategies! About 27 years ago, SASS came up with an idea to draw local divers into the store. We made sharks, cut out of marine plywood and painted white, then sank them in Gull Lake. Each had the instruction to bring the shark back into the store for a free pizza. As we recall, there was some success with Pizza Sharks but at the end of the season we moved on other ideas. Skip to the year 2010, when Ernest Rockafellow calls the store saying, “You’ll never believe what I just found!” Low and behold, it was a wayward Pizza Shark who had spent the last two decades waiting to be discovered. According to Ernest, the shark had settled into the mud and just its dorsal fin was sticking above the surface. Remarkably, the shark is in good condition, short of a little warping. Needless-to-say, Ernest got his pizza and SASS got a trip down memory lane. Thanks Ernest, its fun to see a marketing ploy finally pay off!!

There’s an App for That:
Scubapro now has a free iPhone Dive Logbook app that works on Scubapro Uwatec computers. It allows you to download data plus manually insert dives, links to relevant weather conditions, integrate a photo and video library of underwater life and much more. For more details go to Dive Log Book.

Bonaire takes Bucks!
On October 10, 2010 the country of the Netherlands Antilles, consisting of the islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten ceased to exist. Curacao and St. Maarten became autonomous countries within the Dutch Kingdom; Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities of the Netherlands. The area is now officially referred to as the “Dutch Caribbean.” Although Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba will became special municipalities of the Netherlands, and thus assume Dutch nationality, their identity and culture remains the same. Their flags remain and Papiamentu and English remain legitimate languages. The change most evident to tourists and other visitors is that effective January 1, 2011 the American dollar will be the only legal currency on the islands.

Stay in the Loop:
Printed newsletters are costly and slow so Sub-Aquatic Sports is relying heavily on the internet to spread the dive news. If you’re not currently receiving e-mails from us, please give us your e-mail address at info@sassdive.com or call us at 269-968-8551 and stay in the loop.

Dive Icon Speaks at Gull Lake

Jean-Michael Cousteau was the guest speaker for the Gull Lake Community Schools Foundation on October 25.

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Decompression Stops of Kalamazoo

SASS first pub crawl called Decompression Stops of Kalamazoo was held October 22.

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