Join us on a very special winter diving expedition to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta! On the weekend of February 24-26, 2012, you will be able to scuba dive or surface swim with whale sharks, manta rays, giant grouper, sawfish, and many other giant creatures! The Georgia Aquarium’s flagship aquarium has four resident whale sharks and thousands of other fish in 6.3 million gallons of water…the largest aquarium in the world. New Horizons has reservations for our divers and swimmers to spend the day at the aquarium and enjoy the experience of being in the water with these wonderful animals. Click here to learn more about the Georgia Aquarium on their website.

Itinerary:
On the afternoon of February 24th, we will travel to Atlanta. You can fly or drive; if you want to ride in the New Horizons van, ask us to hold a place for you and you can share the gas cost with all other riders. Or you can make your own flight or drive plans. On Saturday the 25th, we will have the entire day to explore the Aquarium, and in the afternoon, their staff will take us on a behind-the-scenes tour and prepare us for the water. Both scuba divers and surface swimmers with have approximately 30 minutes in the water with the whale sharks and their fellow creatures. The staff will also take a group photo of us and provide everyone with t-shirts. They also shoot video which is available for purchase on DVD at an additional cost. When we leave the Aquarium in the evening, we will go to a group dinner to celebrate the day. Sunday the 26th is the travel day home.

Details about the in-water experience:
No scuba gear is needed. In order to protect the Aquarium environment, they supply all of the equipment: wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, fins, tank, weights, etc. You can bring your own mask if you wish, but that is all you need, other than your certification card, a swimsuit and a towel. The maximum depth is 30 feet, and the water is 74-76 degrees. Cameras are not allowed. There are lockers and showers for cleaning up and changing after being in the Aquarium. Those who do not want to dive can surface swim in the tank with a special BCD and regulator that keeps them afloat. Friends and family members who do not want to get in the water will be escorted by the Aquarium staff during the swim/dive to good areas to see the divers and swimmers.

Pricing:
$499 for admission, SCUBA experience, & two nights lodging
$399 for admission, SURFACE SWIM experience, & two nights lodging
$175 for Aquarium admission only & two nights lodging
* all prices are based on double occupancy rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, right across the street from the Georgia Aquarium.

Ready to sign up? Come to New Horizons to pay for your spot. Space is limited to eight surface swimmers and sixteen scuba divers, but the Aquarium is also selling these spots to other members of the diving public, so once they are filled up, we’re done! Call us at 859-277-1234 with questions.

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.

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.

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.

If you are a fan of shipwrecks, then visiting the World War II wrecks of Truk Lagoon is a must-do in your scuba diving career. We are doing a liveaboard trip from June 30 – July 7 of 2013 with Odyssey Adventures.

Imagine yourself descending from the dive boat down to massive Japanese warships that lie in place as they sank 66 years ago. Guns are in tact, ammunition is strewn about the decks, and even some remains from Japanese sailors can be seen.

This trip includes six days of diving, with up to five boat dives per day, enriched air at 30%, all meals/snacks/beverages on the boat, double-occupancy cabin, and transfers. The cost is $3295 plus airfare. The approximate cost of airfare is projected to be $1800; we will have a better idea as the trip draws closer.

You can reserve your place on the trip with an immediate deposit of $500. Email Trip Leader Greg Sparkman with any questions, or call the shop at 859-277-1234.

Interested in visting one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet? Mark your calendar for July 5 -14, 2013. Scientists, naturalists and tourists have explored the Galapagos for decades, but only in the last 20 years it has become a diving destination. And only very recently have divers ventured from the protected bays and inlets to discover true Galapagos diving. That is to say, adventure diving on remote and current-swept islets and rocks where the profusion and concentration of marine life is staggering. There is a palatable excitement to Galapagos diving. As you suit up and climb into the panga and head out across open water to the dive site, you feel like you’ve just stepped into a Discovery Channel special, or maybe even an early Jacques Cousteau documentary. The anticipation of what lies ahead, just below the surface, makes even the most experienced diver quiver. Each site and island has its own flavor, and everyone has their favorites; Isla Los Lobos famous for the sea lions, Wolf and Darwin where many sharks can be seen or Roca Redonda and Vincente Roca  where an encounter with Sun Fish can be expected but regardless of which site you’re on, they’re all exciting.

We will be living on board very comfortable yachts owned by Buddy Dive, the same organization we have been diving with in Bonaire for ten years. Smooth, stylish, spacious and comfortable, M.Y. Wolf Buddy and M.Y. Darwin Buddy, the newest and most spacious liveaboard dive-yachts in the archipelago of Galapagos, are much more than just two floating hotels. All suites are air conditioned, have their own private bathroom and are serviced multiple times per day. They are equipped with an entertainment system that includes a flat-screen monitor and a DVD player. The comfort of the furnishings makes these suites very inviting after a beautiful day of diving. Between dives and at night, divers will have more than enough time to explore all the great services on board the Darwin Buddy and Wolf Buddy. Whether you relax and read a book on our spacious sun deck, take a plunge in our whirlpool, watch your underwater pictures on our entertainment system in the lounge, or simply enjoy a cocktail at the bar, both yachts provide plenty of opportunities to make your time on board a delight. The local chefs prepare first-class meals, a combination of local, international and European cuisine, including a healthy and complete breakfast, delicious lunch and dinner.

The diving in the Galapagos Islands is a little more challenging, with heavier currents, colder water, and climbing in and out of the water from small diving launches (similar to Zodiacs) off the yachts. Therefore we suggest this trip is for divers who are a little more experienced (at least 25 logged dives) and who are Advanced Open Water certified. Comfort in cooler waters is also advised; the Galapagos waters vary widely from low 60s to mid 70s.

The general cost for the trip will be $4495 plus airfare. Flights to Ecuador will probably run about $2000 depending on the market as the trip dates get closer. Talk with the New Horizons staff for more information. A deposit of $500 will hold you place on this special trip. You can call us at 859-277-1234 or just stop by the store to get more information.