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What is the primary focus of this website?
The primary focus of this website is to make it easier for single and 'buddyless' scuba divers to travel and dive with other similar singles without paying expensive single supplements or private room upgrades. Premier members will receive trip discounts as well other group discounts so diving with SingleDivers.com is not only fun, but economical as well. We have created a fun internet community for single and 'buddyless' divers by offering a variety of services such as a message board, dive trip search engine, and unique buddy finder system. Our message board called the "Surface Interval" allows you to discuss diving and issues related to being a single traveler and diver and we are sponsoring a variety of trips all over the world for all levels of diving experiences that we hope you'll plan to attend. Please join us in the "Surface Interval" message board. It is free to use after you register your username and password and it is a great way to meet your next dive buddy!
What is the minimum age to join SingleDivers.com?
Minimum is 18 years of age.
Is this a dating site?
No. The purpose of this site is to promote diving for single divers, not dating. Since we are singles and singles do date, we do expect some of our members to make personal/romantic connections from time to time. We believe this to be a positive by product, but it is not our primary goal.
What is a Single Diver?
There are two types of 'single' divers. The first are scuba divers with no spouse. For the purposes of clarity, we will refer to these folks as 'single divers'. The second are divers with a spouse who doesn't dive or any other individual who is 'spoken for' but their SO does not dive. For the purposes of clarity, we will refer to these folks as 'buddyless divers'.
Many of the issues concerning single divers are also relevant to buddyless divers. There are issues, which are important to single divers, but not to buddyless divers. Still others are concerns of buddyless divers, but not of single divers. We hope to address all of these issues.
We will be sponsoring a variety of singles trips. Some trips will be singles only while others will be mixed singles and buddyless divers. Trips will be clearly identified so that you know which type you are choosing.
I'm not a diver, but I am interested in going on a trip for the experience. Is this possible?
Yes, non-divers aka 'Bubble Watchers' are certainly welcome. Being exposed to scuba divers gives you invaluable background, insight, and exposure to the awesome world of scuba diving.
There is a middle ground you may wish to explore - the world of Skin Diving also known as Free Diving. You can Skin Dive on many trips and enjoy the underwater world without learning to SCUBA Dive. (Please see our FAQ on Scuba for definitions of these and other Scuba Diving terms.)
Whether you choose to snorkel or skin dive, joining us on a SingleDivers.com trip may give you a better idea if this sport is really for you. Often being around excited divers having fun is all the encouragement someone needs to decide to take the plunge. On the other hand, scuba diving isn't for everyone. By going on a SingleDivers.com trip you can enjoy a fun vacation while deciding whether scuba diving is your bowl of cherries.
Additionally, all SingleDiver.com trips will have activities for non-divers as part of the trip agenda. You can join divers on the boat to snorkel, skin dive or just sunbathe. Whether you are a diver or 'bubble watcher', we know that you'll have a great time on our trips.
How can I avoid the single supplement or being charged the private room upgrade by diving with SingleDivers.com?
We will help you find a suitable same sex roommate that usually has similar tastes and preferences as yourself. You will also be able to meet potential new dive buddies on our message board called the "Surface Interval" as well as through our sophisticated 'BuddyFinder' system we have coming soon! Here is what one member said about finding roommates on our trips:
"I wasn't sure what to expect -- I'd never been on a vacation 'alone' where I didn't know anyone beforehand. But after meeting the organizers and all the fun people on the trip, I'm so glad I went, and I'm really looking forward to going again! They did a great job of 'herding the cats' to the group activities, and had an uncanny ability to match up roommates!" - Todd - California
Can I use the site without paying anything?
Yes of course you can! You will be able to view the site, sign up for trips, and request to receive our newsletter called "Single Specials", however we do ask that you register on our message board called the "Surface Interval" and introduce yourself so that we can get to know you. There is no charge to register, and once you do register you will automatically be a standard member in our community.
What's the difference between a 'Member', 'Premier Member' and 'Charter Member'?
Membership:
SingleDivers.com is a membership organization. By joining SingleDivers.com, you will have instant access to other divers, like yourself, who love diving and want to share the experience. Our unique standard free membership gives you the opportunity to join in with other scuba-loving singles on fun, exciting, and economical dive trips while our low-cost premier membership allows you to have the first opportunity to sign-up for limited availability SingleDivers.com travel packages, receive discounts on SingleDiver.com trips, search our member databases and have full forum features such as extended mailbox size, picture upload capability and other numerous benefits listed below. Charter members can help guide and shape the future of SingleDivers.com and they become an integral part of our organization. Please choose the membership option that best fits you and WELCOME!!! We are glad to have you as part of our organization!
PLUS if you join now during our introductory special…your premier membership fees will be guaranteed DOUBLED back in savings to you when you take your first Singles trip with us!
Note: From time to time we will offer additional benefits for our members. Always check the Announcements Section of the "Surface Interval" message board for the latest and newest benefits!
SingleDivers.com provides its members with 3 levels of membership benefits.
Standard Members (FREE) receive:
An opportunity to join groups of like-minded, scuba-loving, singles on affordable and fun dive trips all over the US and the world!
Participation in singles related dive events
An opportunity to join in our unique dive community to make new diving friends and greet existing ones
Password-protected access to our database of single-divers
Forum access to meet and greet new diving friends.
Premier Members receive for a low annual fee of $35:
All benefits of the standard membership plus:
First-Access to singles dive vacation packages (often limited slot availability)
All group discounts and credits where available when booking a trip with SingleDivers.com travel professionals
Travel, gear, and professional discounts from corporate sponsors
Gear and travel giveaways as available from our corporate sponsors
Discounts on dive training whenever available on trips
Exclusive online Dive Trip Search engine access
Detailed Buddy Finder search capabilities
Unique Online Dive Log access
Electronic Gear Bag storage to track service records, serial numbers etc in case of a loss
FREE Classified ads to sell or seek dive gear, dive stuff, or just regular stuff
Enhanced Forum and message board features such as Personal Photo upload, private messaging, Custom Avatars, 500 stored message limit, capacity to send multiple messages at one time, ability to upload unlimited diving pictures in our picture galleries, signature line with website or url links, and custom sizing of personal photos to fit avatar and photo upload dimensions
Charter Members will be limited to 100 select members for an annual leadership contribution of $250:
All benefits of the standard and premier memberships plus:
The chance to be an integral part of the leadership of SingleDivers.com with significant input opportunities and future growth opportunities as SingleDivers.com grows and needs additional talent.
The chance to help financially support the successful launch of SingleDivers.com
Voting and decision making input on future SingleDivers.com trip destinations and dates
Voting and decision making input on a number of SingleDivers.com marketing, retail, and trade related endeavors
Unique designation as a "Charter Member" and the opportunity to change your avatar to a non-personal photo related picture
Ability to email members via the site
Plus a FREE SingleDivers.com limited edition t-shirt
Plus FREE inclusion in our unique "Diver to Diver" network
How do I pay for Premier or Charter membership?
You can use paypal by going to www.PayPal.com; click on 'Send Money'; use SingleDivers.com as the account ID and kamala@singledivers.com as the email address or you can mail a check to:
Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com
3957 Gaspar Ste#200
Dallas, TX 75220
214-350-7003
I'm interested in going on a Singles Trip. How do I get started?
Go to the SingleDivers.com homepage and follow the link to "Upcoming Dive Trips." You'll find information about our upcoming trips so after choosing the destination and package you like, you'll register in our online dive reservation system called Aquatrix and then sit back and leave everything else to us! The only other thing you'll have to do is 'show up and enjoy the fun'! Or click on our Trips Details Forum for all the details including who is already going on the trip. Click here for SingleDivers.com Group Trip Details!
Are there any rules that I need to follow as a member of SingleDivers.com? Do all members have to follow them…even the paying members?
Yes we have a few rules that we'd like for everyone who uses our site to follow. You'll find them listed in on our Message Board under Announcements. Our board policies also cover many of the rules we'd like for you to honor. They all entail basic respect for your fellow members of the board such as: no spam; no flaming; no trolling; no threats; etc. The basic rule is…"If you can't say anything nice then please don't say anything at all." Because these terms can vary widely, we've taken a moment to define a few of the critical ones for you. We will usually edit or remove your posts when we find that you have broken these rules. If you are a repeated offender, we will ask you to leave the board.
Flaming: To insult person or other entity in a post or message.
Trolling: An outrageous message or response posted to bait people to answer. Trolling is disruptive because it can take over a discussion. The best response is to ignore it. If that doesn't work then please report it to a moderator by using the "report this post" feature on the message board. (It comes from the fishing term of dragging a baited hook through the water hoping for a bite.)
Spam: The flooding of message boards or mailboxes with unwanted, unsolicited messages, usually advertisements or promotions. While spam is usually large numbers of messages, even one unwanted message is technically spam. We ask that if you receive a message that you consider to be spam, that you reply back to the sender to not send you messages of this type anymore. If that does not work, please advise one of the moderators or administrators for assistance. (The term was inspired by an old Monty Python sketch about a repetitive menu with spam, spam, eggs, and spam.)
Email Etiquette: Email or Private Message etiquette are very similar. Please do not use ALL CAPS...it is the equivalent of YELLING in email. When corresponding with new or old friends using email, please erase all of the previous recipient's names and email addresses before forwarding an email and use the BCC function to blind carbon copy your recipients so as to not reveal their email addresses and names. And remember that when you write something to read it and spell check it before sending it. On the board we have an edit function but it is only good for 60 minutes after you post. If you are angry, don't send the email until after you have cooled off and can read it again. Often we say things in email we'd never say in person and the results can be devastating. And finally, you may need to insert how you are eeling into an email as the written word does not always convey emotion and expression. A common method for doing this is inserting smiley faces such as :, or ;0) or 9. You can also insert your intentions after a statement such as (BIG GRIN) or (hoping you are laughing) and many people use programmers abbreviations for humor such as LOL = laughing out loud, ROTFLOL = Rolling on the floor laughing out loud, MOF = Matter of Fact or BTW = By the way, etc.
MOF, many happy emails and pm's to you at the "Surface Interval"…the best place to hang out and have fun other then getting WET! LOL!!!
*Note -- To view the "Policies" please click on "Policies" in the drop down menu on the home page and you'll see them listed there as well as in the Announcements Section of the "Surface Interval" or you can CLICK HERE.
I've never used a message board before. What do all those terms mean?
Administrator: Administrators have the same functions as Moderators, plus additional access to edit site features. Administrators are responsible for creating the message board and for keeping it running.
Avatar: Avatars are representations of ourselves. An avatar is fun to have by your name in your posts. Usually they are cartoons or drawings but we have chosen to use miniature photos of ourselves. When we use photos of ourselves as avatars, it lets us get to know each other better. It is easier to remember faces than names, especially screen names. Since our purpose is to get to know each other and to dive together, our avatar policy promotes this. Please note that the picture you upload or have us help you to upload must be of you preferably including your head/face. It can be a diving picture or a 'dry' shot, whichever you prefer. See "My Controls" for how to upload your avatar.
Chat board: A chat board is the same as a message board or a forum. On our site it is called the "Surface Interval" which is a place to off-gas nitrogen between dives. We hope you'll choose to 'off-gas' with us whether you are a diver or not. You will be able to post messages on the message or chat board that others can read and reply too. As a premier member you will also be able to email or private message people who are members on the board and upload pictures, avatars, create a personalized signature and tell us about yourself via your profile. See "My Controls" for how to do this.
Forum: A forum is the same as a message or chat board. On our site it is called the "Surface Interval" which is a place to off-gas nitrogen between dives. We hope you'll choose to 'off-gas' with us whether you are a diver or not. You will be able to post messages on the message or chat board that others can read and reply too. As a premier member you will also be able to email or private message people who are members on the board and upload pictures, avatars, create a personalized signature and tell us about yourself via your profile. See "My Controls" for how to do this.
How to start a new topic on the board or reply to and existing one: Starting a new topic, also known as starting a new 'thread' is done by going into the "Surface Interval" Message board and entering a specific forum such as New to SingleDivers.com. Clicking on the words "New to SingleDivers.com" will take you to all the topics under that forum. To begin a new topic, simply click on the "New Topic" icon in the upper right hand corner. To reply to an existing topic, click on the topic you wish to open and after reading the current replies, click on "add reply" or "quote" to post your reply. If you click on "quote" then that reply will be quoted in your reply which is useful if want to make sure that people understand your answer as it relates to the original message you were responding to.
How do I use the board: You'll find everything you need to know about using the message board under the "Help" menu located in the upper right corner of your screen. If you still have questions, please post them in the "Site Support" section of the "Surface Interval" message board.
Message Board: A message board is the same as a chat board or forum. On our site it is called the "Surface Interval" which is a place to off-gas nitrogen between dives. We hope you'll choose to 'off-gas' with us whether you are a diver or not. You will be able to post messages on the message or chat board that others can read and reply too. As a premier member you will also be able to email or private message people who are members on the board and upload pictures, avatars, create a personalized signature and tell us about yourself via your profile. See "My Controls" for how to do this.
My Controls: After you have logged in you'll see an icon called "My Controls" in the upper right corner of the screen. This is your user control panel where you can upload your avatar, profile picture, create a signature and create a personal profile. The directions for each of these tasks are found in the "HELP" menu in the upper right corner of the screen as well as under the specific item listed on the left hand toolbar. Any questions you have about how to use the board you'll find in the "Help" menus.
Moderator: A Moderator is a member who has been asked to assist in the daily operation of the message board and has accepted that responsibility. Moderators can move, edit and remove posts and threads. They are here to make your experience more enjoyable. They are not here to limit discussion.
Red Flags and Blue Flags: The dive flags that you see beside each forum help you to quickly determine if there are new posts in that forum also known as a category. If the flag is red, then there are replies that you have not read yet.
