“Dive partners for life” is exactly how Sandals Negril’s first-time guest Norman Krobath sums up his relationship with his wife Tracy. The couple, who has spent years travelling around the world, recently undertook their 300th and 150th dive respectively, off the shores of the famous Seven-Mile Negril Beach, while vacationing at Sandals Negril. The Krobaths have dived in various parts of the world including Egypt, Belize, and Mexico. In addition to Sandals Negril, they have also dived while at Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Grenada.
For Norman scuba diving is not just a passion that has strengthened the bond between him and his wife, but has also given them the opportunity to explore the vast wonders of the ocean. Diving for almost 20 years, Norman noted that this recreational sport was always something he was interested in, as he saw it as a life-changing to have the opportunity to see a part of the world that just a small percentage of persons get to experience.
Adding that some of the best dives they have done have been with Sandals Resorts, they both shared that the Sandals Negril watersports team has been truly exceptional and every dive with them has been memorable.
For her part, Tracy who has only been diving for about seven years, was in a jubilant mood to mark her 150th dive milestone and was effusive in her praises for the resort’s team. “Though I am still a bit scared of the water, I must admit that I did about 50 dives before I actually knew how to swim, so I’d encourage persons to take a leap at it. The team can teach you how to maintain breath control before taking you out to the water to dive. The watersports team here at Sandals Negril and especially scuba instructor, Sangha Spencer, was really great at connecting and giving us the perfect diving experience,” Tracy shared.
The Krobaths shared that diving has heightened their love for the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it. They also note that this has also increased their drive to see to its protection.
“Diving gives you an appreciation for the environment that you live in and many people globally source food from the sea, so it is important to know what your reefs look like in order to effectively practice safe fishing and to maintain a healthy marine environment,” Norman shared.
When asked what his ultimate milestone is for diving, Norman simply stated that he plans to dive until he can’t anymore. He also shared that diving with the great whites (sharks) is also very high on his bucket list. A bucket list item they got to tick off in Negril was them both seeing dolphins on their dives, which was breathtaking.
Committed to passing on his diving skills, Norman has been sharing his knowledge with his nephews, friends and anyone they meet. The couple also shared that they have met a lot of persons through diving, adding they have become friends with other guests at Sandals Negril who they will be diving with next year during their trip to Sandals Royal Curacao, Sandals’ newest resort. Currently, a dive master, Norman shares that he is not counting out to being a dive instructor once he retires.
Scuba diving is a part of the extensive and award-winning watersports activities at all Sandals resorts with an exceptional group of PADI® Certified watersports team members offering more than 33,000 dives each year and over 10,000 visitors take their first underwater breath through a Sandals diving programme. PADI® has named Sandals Resort as one of the Top 5 Dive Operations in the Western Hemisphere. For guests who are interested in diving the resort offers certification lessons. It is evident that the Krobaths are lovers of the ocean and values the incredible dive experiences they have had while vacationing at various Sandals Resorts across the Caribbean.
