From the age of 14 years old when in England we need to make decisions on the career field we would like to pursue, I knew travel was my calling, and after I obtained my Business and Finance degree in Travel and Tourism, I went on to work in various capacities in the Travel industry.
This has continued my entire adult life with the exception of a few brief interludes due to various moves with the military (my husband was US Air Force) and the birth of my beautiful children. In 2004, having worked for American Airlines for several years, I was watching the industry I knew and loved becoming worse, not better, and rapidly losing sight of what should be “the hospitality business”. After all, shouldn’t saving for your vacation be the hardest part and the planning your vacation be a fun thing to do?
So armed with a small plan, even smaller capital but a large vision, I said goodbye to my colleagues and my job to create something better in the field closest to my heart…Scuba Diving.
My husband had always dreamed of being a diver, and when he finally convinced me to try it while stationed of all places in Arizona, we were both hooked immediately, and has not let go of us since. Anyone who fell in love with diving the way we did can tell you it is not a sport – it is truly a lifestyle. It consumes your thoughts and your dreams and for most work is simply a way to pass the time and raise the money for your next voyage to the amazing experiences that await beneath the waves.
A destination takes on an entirely different aspect when you are a diver. As a dive travel specialist, there are two realms I need to know and understand about each location when helping a client select their next trip. Some fantastic places hold double the allure. Others, that would be considered forsaken holes in the ground to the average person brim with promise when looked at through a dive mask, and others, constantly featured in travel magazines hold absolutely no attraction for a serious diver. From a travel professional’s aspect it is a fascinating and fun specialty to work in. From a diver’s standpoint, it all simply makes perfect sense.
6 ½ years ago I took the plunge to start my own dive travel company. To bring together my two greatest loves (with the exception of my family of course). I get to live and breathe travel and scuba daily and make the dreams of my fellow divers come true. While not everything went to my initial plan, I did achieve the most important goal… I created something I am so very proud of. I now have a consistently growing company with an impeccable reputation and fantastic team members that share not just my passion for diving but my business philosophies too. Together we tailor incredible and exciting itineraries all around the world with care and consideration and deliver with the highest level of service. We build relationships with our customers, making the planning process a fun and stress-free experience where they know they are in the very best hands and share their stories and photos with us when they return.
Sure, sometimes the leap I took has been a little scary, and there are days it can still be a bumpy ride, but there is never a moment I don’t feel truly blessed to be doing what I do today, and unless I am under the water, there is no place else I would rather be.
Cheryl Patterson
