News
Diving with… Brendal Stevens, Brendal’s Dive Center & Adventure Tours, Abaco, Bahamas
In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
Brendal Stevens
What is the name of your business?
Brendal’s Dive Center & Adventure Tours
What is your role within the business?
Owner/Instructor/Capt/Guide
How long has the business operated for?
35 years – we are the oldest continually-owned dive operation in the Abacos-Bahamas
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
I have been diving since I was a very young man, now over 45 years. I am a SSI Instructor, SSI ADV Specialty Instructor, ReAct Rite Instructor CPR/First Aid/AED….also taught prior with SDI & Universal Referral Programs for NAUI/SDI/IDEA/SSI/NASDS
What is your favourite type of diving?
I love the reefs & enjoy wrecks, night dives & seeing marine life like sharks, turtles, rays and macro life too.
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
We are a small, owner-operated family business with great dive staff & crew. We have invested in 4 tour vessels + 1 sailing vessel to accommodate both group & private charters. We are now doing 3 generations of families for certifications and guided tours.
About 85% of our guests are repeat clients & families we are able to share are underwater world and great Abaco-Bahamas wildlife with.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
The Coral Caverns are wonderful swim throughs with great coral formations and sun filtered lighting wonderful for photo work. Lots of sea life BIG and small. This area we have 4 dive sites we can offer all different but wonderful. Lots of bottom time and nice natural light.
What types of diving are available in your location?
Reef shallow – 70 feet (20m) great corals, grouper, tropicals, sharks, turtles & rays.
Wrecks – Historic San Jacinto 50-60 feet (18m) great fish and colors & Wreck Sail just recently put down 50-60 feet nice for photos & fish.
Great mini walls shallow to 55 feet (18m) with corals, sharks, grouper, fish, turtles & eagle rays.
Grouper Alley 50-60 feet (18m) with friendly grouper wonderful !
Deeper Ledge 70-85 feet (26m) with sponges, fish life, turtles & sharks
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
A passion for diving and sharing the underwater world and I love to teach and guide.
What is your favourite underwater creature?
Love more than one! Groupers are GREAT – very smart and nice to interact with. Sharks …black tip, reef, nurse, bull and hammerheads.
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
We are offering NEW all day dive tours to new locations with our new custom tour vessel. We are also offering NEW Wild Turtle Encounters for snorkelers, families and turtle lovers!
We are located off main island of Abaco on Green Turtle Cay so we offer:
Daily free pick up for our guests staying on main island Abaco with our vessel. Because of location we are closer to GREAT dive locations and can reach more locations from the dive base.
Is your centre involved in any environmental work?
Yes, we do wild turtle rescue and help. We started the 1st Lionfish Derby ever in 2009 here. It was developed to be copied and used anywhere in the world to help with lionfish and we just celebrated our 10th anniversary doing this event.
We are hoping to do more work with Wild Turtle foundation this next season. We are also wishing to start the coral re-growing program.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkelling industry overall? What changes would you make?
¾ of the Bahamas is underwater so we hope many people can SEE and experience this wonderful world young & old. We offer many snorkel tours/experiences here and feel it is important that snorkelers are given information for doing snorkeling since this segment has not been through a dedicated course as divers do when doing scuba classes.
We would like to see better education for use of divers down flags for all people doing snorkelling & free diving.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
Come and experience our sea life & great wildlife above the water with the menu of tours we offer. The Bahamas turtles, sharks & tropical fish are protected here. The Groupers & Lobsters also have protected seasons.
We are located in a non-urban area with wildlife and natural beauty surrounding both in and out of the water. We offer great dive & activity packages and custom packages based on what is best for clients and their vacation dates. Both group & private are available.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BDCBM/
Bahamas Cacique Award Winner for Tourism Finest & Bahamas and National GEO Tourism Award
Blogs
EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
News
Charting New Waters; NovoScuba Goes Global with the Launch of their Revolutionary Dive Training Agency!
Discover a New Era of Dive Education: NovoScuba Brings Innovation to the Surface! Fully ISO Certified and Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology.
With a combined experience spanning over a century in the diving industry, a team of accomplished dive store owners, managers, and professionals unveils NovoScuba, a ground-breaking dive training agency poised to redefine the benchmarks of underwater education. Launching in May 2024, NovoScuba promises a revolutionary approach to dive training. Their vision is to make diving accessible to everyone, share success within the dive community and emphasise positive interactions with the planet.
NovoScuba’s global debut marks a significant milestone in the dive industry. Driven by a vision to challenge convention and harness the power of technology, NovoScuba aims to revolutionise the dive training landscape through its innovative business model, which is digitally native, making it the most technologically advanced dive training agency to date.
“We recognised the need for change in the dive training industry and saw an opportunity to leverage technology, and redefine existing business models to create something truly innovative,” said Mark Spiers, CEO of NovoScuba.
NovoScuba’s platform offers state of the art training programmes ranging from introductory up to professional diving, including various specialties. All programmes meet international standards and ISO certifications are in place. This commitment to shared success, accessibility and positive results for the planet, all at a cost effective and affordable level, is what will make NovoScuba stand out.
“Our deep understanding of traditional pain points for the industry, combined with our digitally native approach positions NovoScuba as a game-changer in dive education. Offering unparalleled initiatives such as student subscription, open access to all course materials, pay as you certify, no stock required, monthly membership payments, payment in local currencies, one-click certifications, and membership freezing, NovoScuba is set to redefine the industry. Available in 13 languages, at launch, the NovoScuba courses are written for the modern divers, with a focus on up-to-date content, interactive learning, and an engaging platform,” Mark Spiers concluded.
NovoScuba is challenging a change in the industry, redefining established traditional systems, and ushering in a new standard of excellence, support, and partnership. Their collaborations with dive stores, pros and underwater enthusiasts won’t demand exclusivity, prioritising earned loyalty, and an understanding that their Member’s success is key to their own.
NovoScuba
Diving Redefined.
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