Reviews For Oahu Dive Operators

Market exists for military tourism

Guam's tourism and military industries are symbiotic, as each needs the other, according to the Joint Region Marianas' commander.

Rear Adm. Paul Bushong told members of the Guam Visitors Bureau at a general membership meeting on Friday that the expected increase in military members on Guam as part of the buildup shouldn't be viewed as a source of friction, but rather an opportunity to expand on an already established relationship between the military and Guam communities, according to GVB in a press release.

"Can the tourist business coexist with the military?... My answer is an emphatic, 'Yes, absolutely,'" he said.

Bushong compared Guam's economic drivers to those of Hawaii's, saying that both of these islands have sustainability challenges, and that Oahu's population density is even higher than Guam's.

"The two largest economic sectors are tourism and the military. Both Guam and Oahu are islands. Each has sustainability issues -- water, wastewater, power, agriculture, shipping," he said. "Both have roughly the same proportion of military to civilian population. Both have a sizable percentage of land under control of the U.S. government."

The rear admiral added that service members and their families can be active members of the community, as they want to volunteer to serve and want to experience new things.

Plus, the Navy works to promote Guam and Micronesia as a destination for military service members, he said. But to further develop the region's tourism industry as it relates to the military service member market, Bushong offered GVB members the following suggestions:

•Market to the younger demographic that is active and wants to be outdoors. "From hiking to SCUBA diving, offer these men and women more opportunities to get off base or out of their homes and enjoy the island's beautiful weather," he said;

•Offer more affordable travel packages to destinations including Palau, Pohnpei, and other islands as well as flights that allow a more convenient schedule;

•Increase marketing of family-friendly activities. "From the mango festival to Wednesday Nights at Chamorro Village, continue to work with island mayors to highlight what individual villages have to offer and promote the family-oriented nature of Guam," Bushong said;

•Offer military discounts or resident rates similar to the Kamaaina program in Hawaii; and

•Finally, be an advocate for the military and the military family. "Extend the Hafa Adai spirit to all of the military and their families on Guam," Bushong told GVB members.

Read / Post Comments - Comments on Dive Report about Oahu diving

We got off to rockin good start this morning. Picked up our 4 first timers (Maria, Luke, Dimitri, and Kent) and Maria’s man Fabio in Waikiki and got the show on the road. Kent decided he wasnt ready to wake up after a rock’n rollin heavy night, so he passed out in the van within 23 seconds of sitting down. Everyone had a heavenly high amount of excitement and anticipation built up which lead to an amazing pool sesh. Everything went smoothly with all of these guys and gal, acting as if this wasnt their first rodeo of bubbles. The boys were glad that regulators can handle and clear ANYTHING out....hahaha! After a bit of playing around in the pool, we grabbed some lunch then headed over to the boat to meet up with a few other divers and head out to the ocean on the Sea Fox! FYI...Luke, Dimitri, and Kent decided the way to Hawaii Kai was naptime, and caught up on some ZZZzzzzz’s with a background of the rest of us jammin and dancin down the road. Our first dive was turtle central, koko crater. Kent was a bit nervous cause he just woke up, but he rocked it down the line and began to explore. Usually wide eyes might be a sign of trouble or nerves, but I have never seen so many wide eyed faces just attemptuing to take in all the beautiful surroundings, while breathing and staying buoyant, and trying not to get tangled up in Rob’s “mop” on his head! THE VIBE WAS WICKED THESE DIVERS WERE GIVING OFF!!!! Everyone was a pro on their first dive and really made us proud to be part of the experience. We got to see some turtles, a few moray eels, lots of hungry little fish biting at our fin tips and fingers in search of food, or just giving a love bite...It was a great dive and everyone was beaming when they waddled back on board to get a quick snack before the next dive. First impressions aside, everyone was eager to get wet. In record time everyone was off the boat, down the line, and enjoying what Angler’s Reef had to offer as the second site. Great visibility opened up the under-sea world on this dive. Another turtle sighting, two huge morays, and large schools of fish were a few of the creatures we saw today. All around us angelfish and triggers investigated the passive intruders and displayed themselves for our viewing pleasure. We coasted into the current for a bit along the beautiful wall, then did a quick about face and rode the current all the way back to the line in relaxing style. It was a great day today with all the first-timers, especially seeing the confidence inside them grow and the eager comments and questions they shared with us as if there eyes had opened for the first time ever! Thanks for a great day guys from all the staff: Rob, Nathan, and Capt Joe!!!

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