Nikole Ordway » A Diver's Journal

About Me

I was born and raised in San Diego, California. Went to college at San Diego State University where I obtained a degree in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology. During college I achieved my dream job as a dolphin trainer for the US Navy's Marine Mammal Program. In 2007, I became a PADI Dive Instructor and worked parttime for Sport Chalet teaching classes. In 2008, I packed up and moved to Hawaii to persue a career in the dive industry. While in Oahu I started painting again and I started enjoying my time freediving. Also while I was in Hawaii I acheived another goal of mine, I became a licensed 100 Ton boat captain. At the end of 2008 I packed up again and I was off on my adventure. The rest is still unwritten...

My Passion

I was put on this earth to teach people to appreciate the ocean and the creatures within it. My mission is to use my adventures and my scuba instructor certification to bring awareness to divers and any one else I encounter in my lifetime. If I can inspire some one to get involved and seek awareness to the present issues that our oceans are facing then I've done my job. I would like to dedicate my work to Steve Irwin...he will forever be in my heart guiding me through my mission.

Along with posting stories of my adventures…I would like to update everyone who reads this with the current issues connected too ocean conservation. So please feel free to email questions, concerns, or comments…I would love to hear from you. Also if you feel like one of my updates has touched you and you want to know how to give more or do something…check out the links on this website.

Ladies Dive trip has been revived!!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Posted in Friends & Family, Scuba Diving

Last year Pro Dive offered all Ladies Dive trips…well I really liked diving with the ladies so its back! We went out on Wednesday evening (August 4th) for a 1 tank dive of the Bob Diver. We went to a 60 ft reef called Hammerhead and did a nice 40 minute drift dive. And boy was it a drift! The current pushed us pretty far which was great cuase we covered a lot of territory. The vis was about 50 ft, and I used my slate to count the numbers of lion fish and lobsters while on this dive: 4 lion fish and 10 large lobsters!

Now my favorite part about the ladies dives is not just diving with the girls or the chocolate chip cookies I make or the girly music we play….no its that the boys onboard dress in drag….and guess what they like it!!! Check out the photos!!!

FYI Next month we are letting the guys join us on our dive…we are calling it Ladies Night, ladies get half off on the charter price and they get to get into the water first! We are going to be doing the 5 Wreck trek Drift….so Guys catch us if you can!!!

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by Nikole

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Pirate Day at Pro Dive

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Posted in Friends & Family, Scuba Diving

On Saturday July 31, 2010 Pro Dive hosted Pirate Day!!! It was so much fun, all the staff really got into character. Especially Matt, he walked around all day yelling pirate slang. He even brought a clown mask to scare Wedge, Wedge hates clowns! Before the night dive we cooked up some hot dogs and had a raffle. Ocean Bound donated t-shirts and tank wraps to give away, they were super cool (click on the link in this sentence to check out the photos from their website). Plus they made yummy cakes for us! Ocean Bound has some awesome dive wear and tank wraps. We are slowly starting to carry their products. I worked in retail all day with Marissa, and customers that came in kept asking us if this was our actual uniform! Funny, but no. After I closed the shop I was able to go out on the night dive for some fun diving with my cousin Lauren and roommate Sam! Boat crew made me dive in my Pirate costume, so that was a sight…to bad I didn’t get any photos of that! Enjoy the photos!

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by Nikole

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My friends the Spotted Dolphins

Thursday, July 15, 2010 Posted in Scuba Diving, Travel

We had an amazing encounter with a family of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) while on our trip to Tiger Beach, Bahamas. Even though I am a former dolphin trainer, something about having an encounter with a pod of wild dolphins makes me so happy everytime. This was Matt’s first up-close encounter with dolphins and I was happy to get some great photos of him and his new friends…also Matt used some great freediving techniques that he learned from me, I was proud! No snorkel violation!

Spotted dolphins as juveniles don’t have spots right away, they develop them as they get older and grow. So as you can see in the photos we had a pod with babys and their mommas…super cute. What amazed me was how interested they where in us. They were playing in the sand and swimming in circles around us.

I truely enjoyed swimming along these beautiful creatures!

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