TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK AND SUE DRAFAHL

For the vacationer who wants gooddiving and a whole lot more, Club

Med Sonora Bay may be just the ticket.There are so many things to do you mayhave difficulty deciding how to workthem all in! Sonora Bay offers guests amagnificent location, fabulous food,sporting activities galore, nightly enter-tainment and a complete dedicated div-ing facility. Club Med has more than110 locations throughout the world anda 40 year reputation for knowing justhow to make your vacation ideal.

GETTING TO CLUB MEDSONORA BAY

Club Med Sonora Bay is near Guay-mas, Mexico on the Sea of Cortez. Forour trip to Club Med, we took a verycomfortable Alaska Airlines flight fromPortland to Phoenix and then boardeda special Club Med American Westcharter to Guaymas. (AlaskaAirlines and her sister compa-ny Horizon Airlines providefrequent nonstop, direct flightsto Phoenix from cities through-out the western United States.Alaska also flies to a numberof dive destinations in Califor-nia, Mexico and the PacificNorthwest. For reservations ormore information telephone(800) 426-0333.)

DAY OF ARRIVALUpon landing at the Guaymas airport,

you will see the razor sharp AlgodenesMountains edging down the coastagainst the beautiful blue ocean. The 15minute bus ride from the airport to thevillage takes you through the country-side, giving you a taste of what the localtours have to offer. At the gates of thevillage there is a massive grove of cactibut, once you cross the threshold, anoasis awaits you. You go directly to reg-istration where you are processed inand quickly on your way to your room.Simply point out your bags and they ap-pear in front of your room.

The rooms are in pueblo-style build-ings and each has a unique view of theocean or the courtyard facing the moun-tains. The air-conditioned rooms featuresundecks, safes, showers and extreme-ly comfortable beds. After a brief stop at

your room, it's back to themain auditorium for an intro-duction to your GOs—gentilsorganizateurs—\\\e Frenchterm for cordial hosts. Thesededicated individuals will doeverything necessary to makeyour vacation enjoyable.

During this briefing you findout about all the sports and ac-tivities taking place during the

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54 SKIN DIVER OCTOBER 1990

Opposite page: Although Club Med Sonora Bay is a dedi-cated dive resort, it offers a variety of other sporting ac-tivities, entertainment, relaxation, food and friends.Above/right: Divers play with rambunctious sea lions.Clockwise from below: The diving provides ample macrophotography opportunities; three buffetstyle, incrediblyvaried meals are served daily; Club Med also offers openwater certifications; one of the club's new boats—Nomad.

UALITY!You demand itwe provide it

. Quality Diving • Quality Service• Quality Islands • Supreme Comfort

These are the largest Trimarans inthe world—fast, stable, graceful,unique. The 95' "Lammer Law"cruises the amazing Galapagos

Islands and the 105' "Cuan Law"the beautiful British Virgins.

Toll Free:

1-800-648-3393Trimarine, P.O. Box 4065 • St. Thomas, VI 00803

GALAPAGOSAND B.V.I.

800 833-SEASU.S. iincl C'

Vacations""Divers!

Cozumel . Belize . BonaireRoatan . Micronesia . Bahamas

Isla Mujures . AustraliaCayman Islands

InngripqcQcircle #235 on Reader Service Card

TAQUA EXPLORERSBOOKS FOR DIVERS

"TROPICAL SHIPWRECKS" $9.95Plus $2 00 postage & handling

SALBWrite for our free flyer of Dive Books

CALL (516) 868-2658P.O. Box 116, E. Rockaway. NY 11518

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NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS:From kne to hue. w penM repuoUe commas to send mnaTOmenu <H Herproducts or senns to cu subtotal n lie mtrf Requests to «ts fntegt neumned •* greet ore. to be sue l»» •* be tt rterea to on rHdn "you prefer not to nont sutfi mctnp. and tut fu mm n « Hn crtr tomj*ng tt migune to (Of tome, (tout w* us. enctoeng I ontrt addressniafcigttel Pte»* iddress KM feques te PETBBtN WaUSHMG CO, UKOurtoflt McCoy. ITX SUM* Bhd, lot Anpta, CA 90W1

Is diving any goodat Charlie's BuddiesSouth East Aruba

(S.E.A.) Scuba?

Ask Buddy (B.P.) Personor any golfer.

For More Information,Call:

1-800-527-6667Aruba, 011-2978-45086or fax, 011-2978-41640

We are polyglottos.

160 SKIN DIVER OCTOBER 1990circle #236 on Reader Service Card

CLUB MED SONORABAY(Continued from Page 54)

week. These include horseback riding,tennis, windsurfing, waterskiing, sailing,snorkeling, aerobics, volleyball, basket-ball, scuba diving, arts and crafts andmany more. The well-rounded scheduleof events provides a little bit of every-thing so there is something for every-one. Club Med gives you the chance tobe introduced to sports you neverthought of trying. You don't have to bean expert to participate, many of theother guests are just beginners, too.The philosophy at Club Med is dare totry, dare to be yourself.

DEDICATED DIVE CENTEROn the village's south beach you will

find the Dedicated Dive Center. It catersto certified divers as well as those whowould like to become certified. For anominal charge, open water certifica-tions for PADI, NAUI, SSI and CMASare available. But, if you're already cer-tified, diving at Club Med doesn't costanything additional—it is already includ-ed in the price you paid before leavinghome. You don't even need to bring anyequipment as the dive shop will provideyou with everything you need (also atno extra cost). When you arrive for themorning dive, check out all your neces-sary gear and place it in a mesh bag.Then all you have to do is get yourselfand your mesh bag on the boat.

DIVE BOATSTwo new dive boats have recently

been purchased to make the quality ofClub Med diving even better. The Sa-brina Gale is a 45 foot, single 650horsepower engine boat that canaccommodate 30 divers, 64 tanks andassorted gear. The 56 foot Nomad is a650 horsepower, single engine boatthat can accommodate more than 120tanks, 60 divers, food and all the neces-sary dive gear. Both boats can cruise atmore than 15 knots, ensuring that theyreach the dive sites in the shortest pos-sible time. The tanks are color codedand preloaded on the boat. A sundeckon each boat allows guests to catchsome rays before reaching the dive site.

Club Med Sonora Bay offers twotypes of trips—a two tank dive or a onetank dive. On the two tank trips you divemany of the various reefs and sea-mounts to depths of 100 feet and see awide variety of animal life. On the lastdive we made we saw moray eels, octo-puses, anemones, pufferfish, angelfish,many species of starfish, scorpionfishand dozens of other animals we hadn'tseen before. Upon resurfacing youfeast on a morning snack of meat,

cheese, fruit and juices, before takingthe plunge again. A short boat ride getsyou back in time for lunch at one of thevillage's three restaurants.

If the conditions are good, the singletank dive trip is to Seal Island. Hereyou experience the excitement of divingwith friendly sea lions. When you firstenter the water, the animals come out togreet you and your buddy, swimmingcircles around you and providing greatphoto opportunities. On our first trip toSeal Island we found a large male thatinsisted on being in all our pictures.When we returned the next day, our cu-rious shadow eagerly greeted us.

The bottom along Seal Island is yel-low-green algae that takes on the ap-pearance of flowing wheat fields. Ifguests get tired of playing with the sealions, they can comb through thesefields and find myriad animal life to sat-isfy the explorers as well as the wellequipped underwater photographers.Optional night dives are planned twicea week and take guests to one of themany sites near the village.

Upon returning to the dive shop yourinse your equipment in huge tanks andreturn it. If you have your own equip-ment there is an area for hanging wet-suits and lockers to store gear until thenext day's diving. Before leaving thedive shop, divers check the schedule

and sign up for the next day.

FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENTAfter an enjoyable day of diving, you

can stroll back to the freshwater swim-ming pool, stop by the bar and get adrink or participate in some afternoonsports—such as water volleyball—tryyour hand at sailboarding or just lieback and dream of tomorrow's dive.Club Med gives you the freedom to doit all—or just sit back and do nothing.The choice is yours.

Three meals a day are served buf-fetstyle. At one evening meal we count-ed more than 25 entrees, 20 desserts,15 different breads, 10 different fruitdrinks, a massive salad bar and a tableloaded with every fruit possible. Keep inmind that was only the American foodsection: There was just as much varietyin the Mexican food section.

At about 9:00 pm, the action starts

again in the large auditorium, with stageshows, amateur skits and Broadwaystyle singing and dancing. A beer drink-ing contest, water and fire extravaganzain the pool, comedy acts and pinatabreaking are some of the events sched-uled throughout the week. If you wantmore, a disco some distance from themain village allows the dusk to dawnersto party all night.

CLUB MED PHILOSOPHYClub Med Sonora Bay is a Dedicated

Dive Resort but does not contend thatscuba diving should occupy 100 per-cent of your vacation. Sonora Bay Vil-lage is designed so guests can mix avariety of sporting activities, entertain-ment, relaxation, food and friends—thuscreating a well-rounded vacation. Thevillage welcomes children over age sixand allows a nice family atmosphere fordivers and nondivers alike.

Most of the guests stay for one to twoweeks but Club Med understands thatwith tight daily schedules, it is not al-ways easy to get away for as long asyou'd like, so it also offers flexi-vaca-tions for a few days' escape. Come dis-cover the Club Med world, which offersyou the freedom to try it all or just kickback and relax. For further informationand reservations call (800) CLUB-MED.

The best names in the business.Nikonos • Sea & Sea • Sony • Ikelite • EWA • UPL* Morris

U/W Kinetics • AquaVision • Pelican • Quest Marine • HelixSekonic • U/W Photo-Tech • Toshiba • SeaBlaze • MCD

Our sales staff members are experienced divers and photographers. Callthem at 800/33-HELIX for information and prices (M,T,W,F 9am-5:30pm,TH 9am-7pm, SAT 9am-7pm • Call 800/800-33-HELIX for our after hoursordering system and message ctr • Call 312/421-1586 for our 24 hr FAX

service • World's largest U/W camera, video, & book inventoryNew 190,00 so. ft. facility

Call for our latest 36 page Underwater Booklist & Catalog.

Why not settle for the best system?A system with the widest selection ot world classlenses (15,17,20.28.35,80mm), add-on wide angleadapters (13.16.17mm). add-on close-up lenses(4.75.8.5.15'). and extension tubes (2:1,1:1.1:2,1:3ratios) A system with over a dozen manufacturersdesigning and building accessories lor the NikonossystemNikonos/Morris pkg. 2Awith Nikonos V camera (w/battery, & spare o-rings).35mm 12 5 UWN. Morris F-3TTL strobe (w/arm, tray,dilluser & TTL sync cord), dive light, and equipmentcase w/loam (18x13x8") $819.00**Nikonos pkg. 3Awith Nikonos V camera (w/battery. & spare o-rings).35mm 12 5 UWN. SB-103 strobe (w/arm. tray, dittuser& TTL sync cord), and equipment case w/foam(18x13x8")t $925.00**Nikonos pkg. 4Awith Nikonos V camera (w/battery & spare o-rings),35mm 12 5 UWN, Aquallash 28 TTL |w/arm. tray. TTLsync ccrd. remote sensor w/slave, dilluser (15mm) &spare o-ringsj dive light, light mount & equipmentcase(18'x13'x8')w/foam 989.00**t"Nikon otter applies(tree extension tube set until 12/31/90)HELIX/SONY DEMO CCD-M9VIDEO-8 OUTFIT

The Sony CCD-M8 is the worlds smallest,lightest & easiest to use camcorder.These demonstrators refurbished by Sony include theCCD-M8 Sony 8mm Handycam camcorder w/ 2/3'CCD imaging sensor and flying erase head. Handycamsports shell (an all weather shell for surface use only),the EV-C3 recorder/player w/llying erase head, controlL output, record up to 2 hours on P6-120 cassetteAlso included are a charger, nicad battery and an RFadapter These outfits include new equipmentwarranties Irom Sony of America. 90 days labor and 1year parts

These Sony-8 outfits are only sold complete with anew UW housing, as listed belowVDPKIa • New EWA UW flexible housing, w/ flat

port, rated to 30' 1049.00'VDPKIb • New Ikelite f6030 3 housing w/dome

port & W A lens adapter, rated to 150' Includesstart/stop & distance/white balance controls plusdouble-contour lead hand grips 139900'

VOPKIc • New Aquavision Capsule 10 housingrated to 250' Features single control (on/off),wide lens adapter (94°), hydro microphone& right hand contoured grip 1649 00'

VDPKId • New Pro-Line aluminum housing w/domeport, wide angle adapter, rated to 325' ... 169900*

NEW! LIGHT & MOTIONSEABLAZE VIDEO LIGHTSLMS • Seablaze lighting system W/100W.12Vlight head.battery pack & charger 560 00LMSEX • Seablaze EX lighting system w/light head.

100W. 12V lamp, expandable battery pack, coiledcord & chgr (I00w/30mm . 50w/70min.) 650 00

LMSDLS • Seablaze EX dual lighting systemw/light head. 250W.24V lamp. 2 battery packs.dual cord & 2 chargers (250w/30mm .100w/75min) 112000

LMSP • Seablaze Penetrator Wreck/cave lightingsystem w/lighl head, battery & charger 350 00

HELIX DIVE LIGHTSNEW' SL-15 • Signal flash 27 75HUP-200 • Photo dive light 14 95HUP-201 • Photo dive light w/kryplon lamp 19 95HUP-205 • Mini photo dive light 9.75HUP-POA • High intensity conversion kit

l/HUP-200 5.95HELIX MARINE FILTERSHUP46 • Marine filter. 46mm 44 25HUP52 • Marine filter. 52mm 4425HUP58 • Marine filter. 58mm 44 25HUP67 • Marine lilter.67mm 56 25

USED EQUIPMENTSend $3 for our latest U/W Used Equipment List

and receive a coupon for $5 towards the purchase ofany used equipment in stock Used equipment subiectto prior sale and approval Helix 6 mo limitedwarranty included with used equipment'Current inventory only t Oversix shipping ratesapply All prices shown are lor mail order only and aresubiect to change without notice. Prices do notinclude shipping

310 S. Racine Ave. Chicago, IL 60607312/CAMERAS ext. 151 • 800/33-HELIX

circle #234 on Reader Service Card SKIN DIVER OCTOBER 1990 161