LSD PARTNERS
Mike’s London Dive Store may have been established for more than thirty years but its history goes back much further than that. It’s founder, big Mike Calder, was the super-salesman at a dive store in Fulham Palace Road in West London. A local lad who was larger in life than in so many ways, he was so successful at serving divers with the equipment that suited their needs best that people beat a path to his door from all over the country.
Mike was a diver and he believed that if his customers were satisfied they’d return. He took the long view. He was eventually so successful that other dive shop owners even protested he was distorting the market.
It was inevitable that he would set up in business for himself and with the help of a local friend started selling dive equipment from a warehouse at Richmond’s waterside. Eventually he moved the business to the more accessible premises it is in today.
Mike was a giant of the UK’s diving industry in many more ways than one and all who knew him were shocked when he was suddenly taken from us long before his time, in 2009.
Still in his early teens, Steve Brown started diving in the Sinai in 1989, in the days when Red Sea liveaboard operations were truly pioneering. He accompanied skipper Jan Ellingsen on Colona IV on a 1200 nautical mile trip down to the Sudan and learned to dive on the way. A few exciting encounters with grey reef sharks and he was hooked.
He worked alongside Mike and purchased Mike’s Dive Store when it became available. Mike’s son chose to sell to Steve because he could see that Steve had the same passion as his dad for scuba diving and was confident that he would carry on the tradition of good service and advice from a position of a wealth of knowledge very much as his dad had done.
Mike’s Dive Store is not about shifting boxes of product but having the patience to understand the particular needs and wishes of every one of its individual customers. That’s you!
There are very many aspects to the underwater world and Steve has seen most of them. He instils in his staff this philosophy to only sell the right tools for the job and many of the currently regular customers will tell you that it was Mike sold them their first set of diving equipment. Mike may have passed away but Mike’s Dive Store is alive and well, and Scuba Steve is carrying on the traditions that Mike established for it.
Now operating in partnership with Scuba Steve's Diving! We are a medium sized dive center offering a personal service to our divers. Scuba Steve's is owner operated and we dive every day with our guests and make every effort to give you a top quality service at an affordable price. We believe that the success of our business depends upon us providing our guests with an exceptional level of service as well as a great diving experience.
We also believe that your comfort and safety are our main priorities. To ensure that your dive experience lives up to your expectations in this respect, we do not employ Divemasters, all dive guides are at least full PADI Instructors. All our diving equipment is scrupulously maintained and disinfected after every use. Our boats are fitted with VHF Radio, Lighting, DAN Oxygen Kit, Personal Life Preservers, Flares, First Aid Kit, Drift Line and Float and are driven only by LICENCED and INSURED Boat Captains. Complimentary cold drinks and snacks are provided. The Dive Center and Instructors are also fully insured, professionally qualified and highly experienced.
We are all patient, careful Instructors used to dealing with the concerns of nervous first time divers. Your comfort and safety are at the top of our list of priorities. You WILL be fine and we WILL LOOK AFTER YOU, so all you need to do, is put your faith in our training and experience and get prepared to have a serious amount of FUN!
Our brand new waterfront dive center which opened on October 1st 2016 is now based at the Harmony Marina Suites Hotel in Rodney Bay Village and it offers all the facilities that a busy resort dive centre needs. Our location ensures that we are within 5 minutes travel of most Hotels and Guesthouses at the North of the island.
Harmony Marina Suites Saint Lucia
The location of Dive Saint Lucia/Scuba Steve's Diving, Harmony Suites is a small family owned hotel in Saint Lucia that specialises in making patrons feel warm and welcome. Harmony is a boutique hotel and is perfect for couples on their honeymoons.
The hotel has a no child and no pet policy so expect a serene and peaceful experience. Generally our guests consist of honeymooners and older guests.
Harmany Marina Suites has two restaurants. A waterfront dining experience called Jacque's. The restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere. They have a unique French style and incredibly delicious French Cuisine.
Our front restaurant is called Cockpit pub and serves bar food, pastas, rotis and other local style cuisine.
There are also nearby facilities in Rodney Bay such as Baywalk Mall, Reduit Beach and the Marina. Another key attraction is the Friday night Gros-Islet jump up.
Scuba St. Lucia is situated just steps away from ANSE CHASTANET beach - perfect for both BEACH AND BOAT DIVES with a complete range of guided activities and PADI courses for first-timers to advanced and deeper enriched air nitrox diving. Our well-equipped scuba store includes three compressors, rental dive gear, and an underwater photo and video center. Don't dive yet? No worries. This is the ideal place to take and introductory novice course for a guided and safe shallow-water beginner dive. Take the classes for the complete PADI course "up north" (back home) and come down here with a letter to complete the outdoor practical exam while on vacation.
Scuba St. Lucia is more than a premier dive operation. In keeping with the resort's sustainable no-impact goals and LEED Gold Certification, our center also walks the walk as the proud owner of the PADI Green Star™ Dive Center Award,identifying dive businesses that care about the environment and are acting to protect it.
With an international staff of a combined 125 years of diving experience, we operate three ecologically friendly and quiet dive boats fully outfitted with fresh drinking water, all manner of safety equipment, and a Diver Alert Network (DAN) Oxygen unit with an outstanding safety record through three decades of operation.
No need to worry about bringing equipment. You are on vacation. Everything from wet suits and masks to aluminum scuba tanks, regulators, and buoyancy compensation vests are always available and serviced regularly in excess of current safety standards. We even have photography equipment. Want pictures but don't want the effort? On special request, the staff will be pleased to record your diving or snorkeling experience.
The home of Scuba St. Lucia. Architect owner Nick Troubetzkoy believes passionately in nature. So he created a hotel that makes the foliage and the flowers, the perfumes and the peaks, the sea and the bird song an integral part of your vacation experience. The estate encompasses 600 lush tropical acres bordering two soft sand beaches. Not only do you get a World Heritage Site anchored by the twin peaks on land, the resort’s two crystal-clear bays are part of a designated marine reserve protecting miles of colorful coral reefs teeming with tropical fish.
With such a unique setting as his canvas, Nick Troubetzkoy was inspired to design a one-of-a-kind resort. He was committed to an environmentally conscious development before “green” became fashionable.
A dozen rooms are tucked in behind the coconut palms that line the beach and the remainder tiptoe up a flower decked hillside. To make the most of the panoramic views and the refreshing tradewinds octagonal whitewashed cottages come with wraparound flower draped balconies and louvered windows.
Extra-large deluxe and premium suites underscore the visionary, innovative, sometimes whimsical side of Nick Troubetzkoy: in one suite, the balcony is built around a full-grown red gommier tree; in another a flamboyant tree drapes its red blossoms around the balcony. Some have their 4th wall open entirely to the vistas, yet are completely private.
Anse Chastanet’s ever growing art collection provides a visual feast of its own. There are impressive wooden sculptures and plaques, earthy burlap compositions, painted “sky ceilings” and vibrant acrylic paintings invoking memories of Matisse and Picasso.
The Vayyu Foundation® is a registered charity based in the United Kingdom who are established with two objectives, firstly to combat ocean plastics and secondly to raise awareness of the stigmatised Dalit ‘Untouchable’ communities in India.
Their debut project is entitled 'The U | Ocean® #1BillionKilos Project' this movement aims to bring an end to marine plastics by removing #1BillionKilos of canal, river, beach plastics globally by 2030.
This will be accomplished through volunteer clean ups on land and underwater.
Our global clean up will be funded by the sales of our organic cotton U | Ocean® T-shirts, public and private donations. We aim to start a global campaign on social media with the hashtags #1BillionKilos and #1Tee1Kg highlighting that when you purchase a U | Ocean T-shirt, we will remove 1KG of ocean / marine plastics on the customers behalf.
The project has had a great first 6 months and have successfully cleared over 31,000kg of plastics and have activated around 1200 volunteers globally, all highlighting and raising awareness of the devastating effects of ocean plastics.
With high profile ambassadors, international news and media outlets all highlighting our clean-up efforts, we aim to establish hubs in 186 countries by 2030.
10 good reasons to join DAN
1. DAN is the biggest organisation focused on diving safety
DAN is the largest organisation in the world promoting diving safety, with over 400,000 members!
2. DAN created the first emergency hotline for divers
Since 1980, DAN envisaged and created the first international alert centre exclusively for diving emergencies. Our multilingual hotline is handled by experienced staff who offers assistance to divers worldwide, 24/7.
3. DAN relies on an internationally renowned diving doctors
The best diving medicine and hyperbaric specialists are part of DAN's international alert network. Every year, DAN doctors handle thousands of emergency calls and provide medical advices in more than 20 languages.
4. DAN is highly involved in scientific research
DAN research continues to act as an important benchmark for the scientific and diving communities. Our scientists conduct research and studies in diving medicine and physiology to improve diving safety, worldwide.
5. DAN frequently visits and checks hyperbaric chambers
Many of the hyperbaric facilities used by divers are visited and assessed by DAN experts. DAN finances and conducts a specific programme (RCAPP) to improve the quality and availability of hyperbaric centres, especially those located in developing countries and remote locations.
6. DAN promotes Safety Campaigns
DAN supports and promotes Safety Campaigns with the aim of reducing preventable accidents. These include the "Propeller Injuries" and the "Air Quality" campaign.
7. DAN established a charity fund to help divers
DAN has created a Fund to help divers and their families in need. It collects and evaluates reports from the diving community and, thus far, has helped in hundreds of cases.
8. DAN created the very first specialist diving insurance
30 years ago, DAN was the first organisation to design specific insurance policies for diving activities. Only with DAN you will find an insurance scheme managed by divers, for divers. All claims are managed with competence by a caring and experienced team.
9. DAN relies on a network of diving lawyers
Over time, we have successfully built up a global team of lawyers - most of whom are divers themselves - specialised in the diving field, available to offer consultancy and assistance when required.
10. DAN guarantees its members a number of benefits
· free access to online diving medicine seminars
· Alert Diver e-magazine
· information on conferences and seminars
· free dives in selected diving centres
· discounts at the DAN Shop including equipment, travels and much more
Read the comments of divers assisted by DAN during their diving emergencies… You'll understand why so many divers choose DAN!