Richie Kohler is in the dark blue shirt in the center, Greg Snowden to the left in the light blue shirt, and Jim Woodall is behind Richie & Greg in the gray shirt.

New Horizons Instructor Greg Snowden and his dive buddy Jim Woodall recently completed the TDI “Advanced Wreck Diver” course with none other than the world-renowned wreck diver, explorer, and instructor Richie Kohler. Greg and Jim traveled to New Jersey for an intense immersion in the techniques for safe wreck penetration. They encountered cold, dark, low-visibility waters and raised their skill levels to complete this course with one of the masters of wreck exploration. It took a great deal of time, effort, and resources, but it was worth it. They plan to continue training with Richie, including rebreather work in the future. Congratulations Greg and Jim!

The New Horizons family is sad to announce that Jeff Kaufmann passed away on Tuesday, June 24th at the age of 58. Jeff was a true friend who loved to spend time with fellow divers both above and below the water. His positive, laid-back, happy influence brightened so many of our days. We will look forward to diving with him again in paradise.

Friends can leave a message for Jeff’s family through this online guest book:
Legacy Guest Book for Jeff Kaufmann

Contributions in Jeff’s memory should be made to:

Lexington Hearing & Speech Center
162 N. Ashland Avenue
Lexington KY 40502

Hospice of the Bluegrass
2312 Alexandria Drive
Lexington KY 40504

The Arboretum
500 Alumni Drive
Lexington KY 40503

Click here to read Jeff’s obituary in the Herald-Leader.

Click the link below to download and read our latest newsletter. If you don’t receive it in your USPS mailbox, simply give us a call at (859) 277-1234 and we will add you to the mailing list.

JUNE 2008 NEWSLETTER

Greetings from the beautiful water in Cozumel, Mexico! Ten of us from New Horizons are having the trip of a lifetime–perfect weather, amazing diving and some of the most amazing oceanic life!

We just got off the boat after an absolutely amazing night dive. After descending, we saw several large lobsters, two octopuses (one who inked in front of us) and underwater fireflies (bioluminescent creatures that light up when agitated). It was quite a memorable dive!

Some of our highlights so far have been getting to see sting rays, sea turtles and the rare Splendid Toad fish. (Photos and video forthcoming.)

Oh, and did we mention the fish tacos? Probably one of the finest foods on the island. More later–we have to rest for our last day of diving!

January 15: Members of Bluegrass Underwater Explorers and New Horizons divers traveled to Hanover College to see Jean-Michel Cousteau give a presentation entitled “The Great Ocean Adventure.” While telling interesting and often funny stories from his expeditions, Cousteau shared his belief that the entire planet is one environmental system that transcends all man made boundaries. His message is one of hope, that with the proper long-term focus on sustainability, we can overcome much of the destruction that we have caused to the environment. But it is our collective responsibility, down to each individual, to think and act in a responsible ecologic manner.

Cousteau and his team recently completed an expedition to the Amazon River where they witnessed efforts to stop clear-cutting rain forests and learned that there are hundreds of new species being discovered every year both above and below the water. A new television program about their expedition will be broadcast on PBS channels in April.

When asked by a diver in the audience what he thinks of present-day recreational diving, Cousteau said we (scuba divers) are the only ones who get to see first hand what goes on below the waves. Most people on the planet only get to see the water’s surface. It is our responsibility to tell those around us how important it is to preserve the fragile environment beneath the waves. Cousteau is also disappointed that despite many years of lobbying and discussion, the major scuba agencies continue to fail to spend time truly educating brand new divers about ocean life and how to protect it. Instead, they focus on quick certifications and simply getting customers under water to “look at the fish.” Then, without any understanding or appreciation of the ecosystem, many people drop out of diving because they have “been there, done that.”

To learn more about Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team’s work, visit the Ocean Futures Society website. Membership in Ocean Futures is free.

Readers of Scuba Diving Magazine have selected Bonaire as the #1 dive destination for the sixth year in a row in the magazine’s annual survey. New Horizons divers feel much the same way; we are taking another trip to this wonderful island from July 12 - 19, 2008. Click here to read details about the New Horizons trip.

Here is the full story about Scuba Diving Magazine’s rankings:
Kralendijk, Bonaire  (December 18, 2007)  Continuing its reign as one of the world’s top dive destinations, Bonaire was for the sixth year in a row rated the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2008.

Bonaire also received the #1 rating in five other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Shore Diving, Top Destination for Beginners, Top Destination for Advanced Divers, Top Destination for Underwater Photography, Top Marine Life, and took second place in the category of Top Value.

“For more than twenty-five years Bonaire’s dedicated and environmentally-conscious dive industry has worked diligently to protect our coral reefs coral reefs and provide a superior dive experience, and we are honored that for six straight years divers have recognized our efforts and rated Bonaire the top dive destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic,” said Ronella Croes, Director of the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB).

For the Readers’ Choice awards thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and web users rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five. Results of the 2008 Awards will be featured in the January 2008 issue of Scuba Diving magazine.

Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and deep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.

15 New Horizons travelers had a super week on Ambergris Caye, Belize. The barrier reef was only a five to ten minute boat ride from the hotel dock, which made for easy logistics. Life on the reef was active and plentiful. We saw countless nurse sharks actively swimming on patrol, lots of big grouper, several turtles, eagle rays, moray eels, and a wide variety of tropical fish. Sea conditions got rough a few days, but we enjoyed the dives once we jumped in the water!

Click on the video below to watch a one minute clip of nurse sharks having a fish snack courtesy of our dive guide. You will notice that the camera got a few “bumps” as the sharks eagerly chowed down.

Below, an Eagle Ray “flies” over by our dive group at 70 feet.

Gail cruises down a coral canyon enjoying the colorful sponges.
Nice form, by the way!

A sea turtle pauses during a snack to check us out.

Local Divemaster Carlos holds a nurse shark so divers can have a close encounter!

A lobster peeks out from under a ledge to see what’s going on.

Green moray eels like this one were frequently seen on the reefs.

On our last day, we went into the heart of mainland Belize to see the Mayan ruins known as Lamanai (meaning “submerged crocodile”). It was fantastic!

Thanks to everyone who went on the trip; we hope you will join us again for another New Horizons Diving adventure!