If you have already completed your Confined Water (classroom & pool) training, and are now ready to complete your Open Water certification dives, the time has come. This is a fun overnight trip to a great dive site in Hopkinsville, Kentucky known as Pennyroyal Blue Springs Scuba. On Saturday and Sunday you will complete several dives under an instructor’s supervision. During those dives, you demonstrate the skills you learned in the pool. If you can successfully complete the skills and show that you are comfortable and capable in the water, you will receive your PADI Open Water certification. Pennyroyal is a big dive site with plenty of cool stuff to see under water at a variety of depths, so it is a great place for scuba training.

SPECIAL FOR THIS WEEKEND: Want to take the next step in your scuba training and enjoy your diving even more, right from the beginning? For only $90, you can take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course on Sunday as part of your training. With these two additional dives, you will learn more precise buoyancy control, positioning in the water, relaxed breathing techniques, and more! This class normally costs $160, but we believe in its value so much that we are willing to take new divers through it right away. Ask us more about this at the shop.

Here are the details:
Dates: Saturday June 9 & Sunday June 10 (you must attend both days)
Location: Pennyroyal Scuba, Hopkinsville, KY (click for their website).
Cost: $200 (includes use of scuba kit & certification card). You supply your own mask, fins & snorkel.
Additional costs: Transportation, dive site admission fee ($40 total for the weekend), meals, and camping or lodging. Add $90 if you want to take the Peak Performance Buoyancy Course described above.
Other things to know: You should come to New Horizons before NOON on Friday to pick up your scuba gear for the weekend. Students are responsible for transporting their own gear to the dive site and must return the equipment to New Horizons by 5:00pm on Monday.

Camping / Lodging information:
We like to camp out at Pennyroyal Scuba. It is a large, private facility with plenty of room for groups to set up camp sites, and they only charge $5 per night to camp. The ground is flat rock, so bring a good pad, cot, or inflatable mattress for inside your tent. There is also a Best Western nearby that has a scuba diver discount rate; contact the Best Western at (270) 886-9000 and tell them you are coming to town to earn your certification at Pennyroyal Scuba.

Stop by New Horizons soon to reserve your place in this class; we look forward to helping you complete your Open Water Diver certification!

Want to fine-tune and develop precision buoyancy control skills, learn new propulsion techniques, and vastly improve your comfort in the water? Then the Peak Performance Buoyancy course is for you. Whether you are a beginner or a diver of many years, this class will surely give you many new tips and tricks that will increase your diving skill. You will learn good body posture, proper weighting strategies, and develop the ability to make small moves in depth and position with minimal effort. These skills are a “must” for photographers and those who love to look closely at the reef without touching or causing harm. The dives in this course will even be filmed and reviewed so you can see exactly what you do well and what you need to work on.

Date & Time: Sunday, June 10, 12pm – 5pm at Pennyroyal Blue Springs in Hopkinsville, KY
Prerequisite: Open Water Diver or other beginner scuba certification
Course fee: $160 per person (includes book, equipment if needed)
Additional costs: dive site admission $20, snacks & transportation

If you need a scuba kit, rental for the open water dives is included; all you need is your own mask, fins & snorkel.

There is a textbook to read in advance and a DVD to view. If you show improvement through the open water dives and can demonstrate controlled hovering, refined propulsion techniques, controlled ascents and descents, and good team awareness, you will be awarded the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy certification at the end of the course; this counts toward your Master Scuba Diver rating.

If you want to sign up for the course, simply come to New Horizons to pay the fee and register.

A Diver Propulsion Vehicle (also known as a “DPV” or “scooter”) is a fantastically fun tool for traveling through the underwater world! It resembles a small torpedo, and uses battery power to pull the diver through the water. The advantages of using a DPV include reduced workload (you don’t need to kick to move), longer dives, greater range of travel, mitigation of currents, and (of course) tons of fun! Imagine pulling the trigger and zooming over the reef or wreck, spinning and doing barrel-rolls at will!!!

In the PADI DPV Specialty Course, you will conduct two dives with your instructor, and cover topics such as dive planning, buoyancy control, teamwork and buddy awareness, proper “flying” to avoid damaging the environment, and more.

We have several DPVs available for you to use during the class, so you don’t need to own one to enjoy the fun! And this PADI Specialty Course counts as one of your credits toward earning your Master Scuba Diver rating.

Here are the details:
Date & Times: Sunday, June 10, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: Pennyroyal Blue Springs Resort, Hopkinsville, KY
Prerequisites: Open Water diver & age 12 or older
Instructor: Ed Gabe
Cost: $160 (includes textbook, equipment rental & DPV use, and two tanks)
Additional costs: $20 per day admission to Pennyroyal Resort, travel, food

To sign up, or if you have questions, give us a call at 859-277-1234.

Have you ever wanted to capture those exciting moments of your dive trip to take home with you? With the Digital Underwater Photography class, students will learn the basics of underwater photography to help improve their photography skills. Topics include underwater housing prep and care, proper exposure, strobe use, white balance, as well as other tips and tricks. The course is taught by Divemaster Jim Leemhuis, one of the most experienced and talented photographers on staff. The course takes place over two nights: first, a classroom session covering underwater photography techniques, critical tips, and digital photo editing lessons. The second night is focused on putting your new skills to work in the pool with Jim coaching you on the in-water techniques. This course is even more comprehensive than the basic PADI class because Jim even provides you with your own tutorial DVD with interactive video on photography techniques and photo editing!

Don’t own an underwater camera? No problem! New Horizons has complete cameras for rent for students who are taking this course. For $50 you will have use of an underwater camera for the course. Just let Jim know that you need one.

Dates & Times:
Monday, June 11, 7:00pm – 10:00pm: Classroom session
Thursday, June 14, 7:00pm – 10:00pm: Diving & photography session
Prerequisite: Open Water Diver or other beginner scuba certification
Course fee: $225 for two or more students, or $325 for individual private lessons. Add $50 to rent a digital underwater camera for the course.

Included with Course: PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Guide (textbook) and slate, custom digital underwater tutorial DVD with GIMP photo editing software, PADI certification card, and scuba kit rental.

Required Personal Equipment: Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Personal Digital U/W Camera

Suggested to Bring to Classes: Personal digital camera instruction manual, laptop computer (PC) to practice photo editing. Free photo editing software, GIMP, will be supplied to use.

Questions? Click here to contact instructor Jim Leemhuis for more information.

If you want to sign up for the course, simply come to New Horizons to sign up and get your course materials.

Little Cayman Island is one of the top ten dive destinations in the Caribbean, and we will be there from June 23-30 of 2012. It features spectacular wall dives, healthy reefs, and diverse fish populations. It is also a great environment for photography and videography. We will stay at the Little Cayman Beach Resort, which has been a New Horizons favorite for over ten years. Trip Leader Clare McEachin knows the resort and diving staff like family, so we always have a wonderful time and are treated to only the best service. The staff even carries your gear and changes your tanks for you after each dive! Clare is also an instructor with R.E.E.F., the fish identification, survey, and conservation program, so if you want to participate in some work that makes a positive impact in the marine world, this is a great opportunity.

This trip includes 17 boat dives, all meals on Little Cayman, double occupancy lodging, and airfare from Lexington. You can also add more dives for a few bucks if you want to squeeze in more than the initial 17 The trip cost is $3000; a $500 deposit will hold a place for you.

The Resort is top notch, very comfortable, and has great food. There’s not much to do on Little Cayman other than diving, so we don’t recommend this trip for non-divers.

*** We strongly recommend that you get trip insurance to help cover or recover your scuba travel investment, and we also recommend buying the coverage available through DAN (Diver’s Alert Network). DAN has been a loyal and supportive partner with us for many years, and our staff uses this coverage when we travel. Click here to get more information and a super fast quote on the DAN website.

Come in to New Horizons to place a deposit and get a spot on this favorite annual trip!

Want to get the BIGGEST return on your diving dollar? Join us for our summer 2012 Bonaire trip from July 14 – 21!

Instructor Ed Gabe will lead you to a true diver’s paradise…unlimited shore diving everywhere, and boat dives too. You will enjoy free Enriched Air/Nitrox, so you can maximize your time under water. This is also easy diving; beginners will have a great time and build solid experience. Bonaire has dense coral reefs with beautiful fish and small critters. You can go on guided dives with our staff, or head out with buddies and find your own private dive spot on the island. The reef starts within a few feet of shore in almost all places! Think about it: dive as much as you want, wherever you want! Many of our divers do 20 to 25 dives on our Bonaire trips!!!

The cost is $1099 per person for a double occupancy room in a three room, fully appointed condominium. This is a super low price for seven nights of lodging, daily breakfast, unlimited shore diving, three two-tank boat dive trips, unlimited air & enriched air, and the use of one pickup truck for each condo. Want a more private rooming option? You can also opt for a two room or one room condo for a slightly higher price.

Airfare will run approximately $900 per person round trip from Lexington, but it changes from time to time. So to get the best rate, come in and make your arrangements soon. Or, if you wish, you can make your own air arrangements with frequent flier miles, etc.

We are staying at (and diving with) our long-time friends at the Buddy Dive Resort. They offer superior service and safety, with all the amenities of a full resort, and fantastic shore diving just steps away from our rooms!

Bonaire is a VERY safe and friendly place to visit. It is NOT a primitive third-world country. Bonaire is a Dutch territory; it is very clean, has safe drinking water, great restaurants, etc. The infrastructure is solid, with good roads, good phone service, and internet access.

Want to take a class while you are on the trip? Just let us know what you are interested in. Popular courses that are great to take in Bonaire include Advanced Open Water, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Reef Fish Identification, Deep Diver, Night Diver, and Digital Underwater Photographer, and more.

*** We strongly recommend that you get trip insurance to help cover or recover your scuba travel investment, and we also recommend buying the coverage available through DAN (Diver’s Alert Network). DAN has been a loyal and supportive partner with us for many years, and our staff uses this coverage when we travel. Click here to get more information and a super fast quote on the DAN website.

Special traveler’s note: You must have a valid US Passport to go on the trip and it MAY NOT expire within six months of the trip dates. If your passport is going to expire within six months of the trip dates, you must go ahead and renew it early. These rules are in effect per the US Government.

Come to New Horizons to place your deposit, or call us at 859-277-1234 with any questions.

Interested in some of the best diving in the Caribbean at a super low price? Here it is! We are going to the island of Cozumel, Mexico from September 9 – 16. This is an all-inclusive trip; you get a full week of diving, lodging, drinks (even alcohol) and meals for $989 plus airfare! We will stay at the Iberostar Cozumel, a top notch resort that is only a short boat ride to some of the best drift diving you will ever find. You will float through huge coral pinnacles, see big animals such as grouper, sharks, turtles, and rays. And if you are fortunate, you might even see the rare “Splendid Toadfish” which exists only on the Cozumel reefs – no where else on the planet! Two dives per day are included, and afternoon and night dives can be purchased a-la-carte too. Enriched air / nitrox is also included. Right now airfare is fluctuating somewhat day to day, and has been hanging around $750, so the total trip cost will be around $1739 depending on what air travel arrangements you make. If you have frequent flier miles and want to arrange your own airfare, that is fine too! If you end up on the flights with our staff, we will also include your transfer fees between the airport and the resort.

Click here to watch a video from our last trip to Cozumel to get an idea of the fun we have!

Want to go? Here’s what you need to do:
1. Come in to the shop and pay for the trip. Please note that your price is not locked in until you pay in full and we book your seat on the plane (if we are arranging your airfare). Since this trip is only a few months away, space is limited, so please don’t wait to make a reservation. It is also nonrefundable due to the deal we got with the resort, so be sure to buy trip insurance, it is well worth it!

2. Check your passport to make sure it doesn’t expire before April 1, 2013. Your passport needs to be good at least as far into the future as this date in order to exit and re-enter the USA.

3.  Check to make sure your DAN dive accident insurance is current. For the depth and length of the dives in Cozumel (generally Advanced Open Water range), you should have DCS coverage.

4. Make sure your equipment is in good shape; if it needs a tune-up or annual service, bring it in now.

We strongly recommend trip insurance from DAN in case mother nature presents a storm that hampers the trip, or in case you get ill and can’t go. You can buy it online directly from DAN or ask us about trip insurance when you are in the shop.

Any other questions? Give us a call at 859-277-1234. We hope to see you soon!