Diving
From Open Water to Technical Diving — 200+ dives across the Caribbean
The Journey Below
The family started with PADI Open Water and never stopped. They switched from PADI to TDI/SDI and chased down 30+ certifications between them — everything from Solo Diver and Sidemount to Decompression Procedures and Wreck Penetration. The only ones Erik missed were Dry Suit and Cave. He earned his SDI/TDI Instructor rating, capable of teaching everything from beginner courses to technical decompression diving. With a Bauer Oceanus compressor aboard, Ad Astra was a floating dive center.
The defining experience was training with Chris Verstappen in Bonaire. At 150 feet, solving Nitrox math problems while the instructor rips off your mask, turns off your air, and unclips your tanks. Erik experienced nitrogen narcosis for the first time and had to stop and breathe. The lesson: "Your buoyancy and trim can never be good enough."
Despite all the courses and hundreds of dives, the takeaway was humbling: "I feel like a true beginner."
30+ Certifications Earned
The Lionfish War
Invasive lionfish are devastating Caribbean reefs. They have no natural predators, reproduce every four days, and eat everything. The Bethke family took this personally.
Armed with Hawaiian slings, they hunted lionfish at every dive site. Kyle's first kill was celebrated with underwater fist pumps. The afternoon tradition: beach BBQ of fresh-speared lionfish (delicious, by the way) under the shade of a Manchineel tree, which they later learned was poisonous to sit under in the rain. Caribbean lessons are rarely boring.
Spotted eagle ray — the Caribbean's most graceful resident
Notable Dive Sites
Jacques Cousteau National Park
Guadeloupe
Stunning coral gardens in a protected French nature reserve. Some of the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean.
Bonaire Shore Dives
Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
100 days of diving mastery. Where Erik trained with Chris Verstappen for TDI technical certifications at 150 feet with nitrogen narcosis and controlled emergencies.
Klein Curacao Wrecks
Klein Curacao
A two-square-mile island with shipwrecks and a lighthouse. Site of the legendary underwater o-ring recovery.
Petite Terre
Guadeloupe
Protected French nature reserve. 70 lobsters counted in a single snorkel. Hundreds of docile green iguanas.
Bequia Reefs
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Where the lionfish hunting began. Hawaiian slings, underwater fist pumps, and beach BBQs under Manchineel trees.
Chinchorro Bank
Mexico/Belize Border
The only coral atoll in the Atlantic. Navigated by eyeball after the depth transducer died. Pristine, remote, unforgettable.
Dive Equipment Aboard
• Bauer Oceanus dive compressor
• Gear for up to 8 divers
• Multiple aluminum tanks
• Sidemount & pony bottle rigs
• Hawaiian slings for lionfish
• Nitrox-capable fills
• Full first aid & O2 kit
• SMBs, reels, and lift bags
Diving Stories on the Blog
"Despite all these courses, despite all this diving, I feel like a true beginner. Your buoyancy and trim can never be good enough."
— Erik, after Technical Dive Training in Bonaire