Since Jules' Undersea Lodge has been open, we
have been sponsored by Underwater Kinetics, located in California. UK is a
leading manufacturer of high-quality waterproof suitcases and lights. Mr.
Fred Fischer is our contact person and the C.T.O. of Underwater Kinetics. The
cases we use to transfer your belongings to the lodge also carry down your
dinner and breakfast. In addition, UK provides the underwater flashlights
that you will use should you decide to take a night dive from the lodge.
UK's generosity as one of our sponsors helps us make a lifetime dream come
true for our diving guests. Thank you Mr. Fischer and Underwater Kinetics.
A special thanks to Jennifer Pangelinan, S.O.M. at UK for all her
assistance.
2.)
Do you have to be
a certified diver to go to Jules’?
No, approximately 20% of our guests are not
certified divers. We offer a three-hour-maximum resort course to our
non-certified guests so that they may safely and legally spend the night
in our lodge. (Note: Guests taking the resort course are sometimes required
to get a doctor's release beforehand.)
Below is a testimonial from one of our more
recent non-certified guests who happens to be 70 years young.
I
would like to tell you of my experience with Jules' Undersea Lodge:
My two
children Tracey and Jim wanted to surprise me with an experience that I
would remember for a long time to celebrate my birthday. They wanted to
give me something that I hadn’t experienced in the past nor would I expect
to experience in the future..."something I would remember for a long time".
Jules'
Undersea Lodge was something that they thought would be just the thing to
fill the bill. Unfortunately, it wasn't a thing I was especially happy
about when I heard what my birthday gift was... nor did I think it was
something that I could comfortably do. I am or, I guess I should say, was a
certified diver but, that was a long time ago and I have to tell you that I
lost a lot of sleep worrying whether I would be able to do it. I truly
believed that I could't do it!!! The dive down worried me but the stay in
the lodge terrified me. I've had panic attacks in the past and I've
suffered from mild claustrophobic episodes so, of course the overnight stay
in a diving habitat terrified me.
I
would like to say now that I had absolutely no problem with it. It was
really a pleasurable time spent and so relaxing that I wish I had known
beforehand. I certainly would have gotten lots more sleep instead of
worrying myself the way I did.
I'd
like to go on record now to thank my kids for their wonderful gift, and the
staff of Jules' Undersea Lodge for making my all too short stay a wonderful
one. The staff did a great job making the diving enjoyable and making me
feel comfortable with the procedures. They prepared a wonderful dinner for
us under the sea and the whole experience is one of the most memorable of my
life. Thank you Jules' people for a wonderful time. I really enjoyed my
time with you all.
One of
the questions asked of me by all my friends was, "would you do it again?"
My answer... in a heart beat. I have a grandson who is nine and when he's
ten who knows... we may do it again together.
Isabel
Mulholland, Coral Gables, Florida
3.)
Can you get Open
Water Certified at Jules' Undersea Lodge?
Yes!! We offer one-on-one
instruction/certification when you decide to get certified. Whether you
sign up as an individual or a whole family there will be no other students
in your class. Please have a look at our
Learn to Dive
page on this website.
4.)
What do you see
when you dive in Jules' lagoon?
Jules' is located in a
mangrove setting where the aquatic life is always changing. Our lagoon has
been home to juvenile Goliath Grouper and Nurse Sharks, our Lobster habitat
is always full, and Snapper and Parrot Fish are always around. In the
winter you may spot Sea Horses and Puffer Fish, and juvenile Barracuda are
always loitering near the dock pilings.
Manatee are occasional visitors. (Note: We are not able to promise you
that all of these animals will be there when you visit as we let our
wildlife come and go as it pleases)
5.)
What is there to do
at Jules'?
We have a variety of
underwater and lab experiences to offer the interested diver:
This specialty involves an after-dinner
presentation/discussion on the history and technology of living and
working under the sea. The discussion is followed by an optional night
dive for those willing and able. This specialty can be a NAUI or PADI
certification.
Price: $150.00
per person and please book your Habitat Specialty while you're making
your reservation to ensure instructor availability.
Here are the youngest Habitat Specialist in
Jules' Undersea Lodge to date:
Taylor Muller is our youngest H.S. at 10 years of
age. She visited Jules' with her father Roger and sister Kelsey, at
age 12 she is our second youngest H.S., in August of 2006. Roger and
his two girls live in New Jersey and you can tell by the way Kelsey and
Taylor dove during their visit that Roger has the girls diving as much
as his busy schedule allows. They were excellent divers and we hope to
have them diving with us again when they get a chance to get back to the
Keys.
Please book at least 2 months in advance.
The Aquanaut Specialty Program is a 24 hour stay in the
lodge. Upon arrival, you will receive a systems briefing on both the
lodge and its topside support systems by an experienced Aquanaut. An
after dinner presentation/discussion on the history and technology of
living and working under the sea precedes the night dive. A Jules'
Undersea Lodge Aquanaut Certificate suitable for framing, will be
provided on completion.
If you would like a NAUI or PADI Aquanaut Habitat Specialty
certification add $100.00/per person and please book while making your
reservation.
Price:
The Aquanaut Specialty Program
is $675.00 per person per night. All dive gear along with dinner, lunch
and breakfast are included with your program.
There is a two person minimum reservation and a four person maximum reservation. The Aquanaut Program starts at
1:00 pm and ends at 1:00 pm the following day.
MarineLab is a working manned underwater lab which has
been operational since 1984 for scientific and educational Aquanaut
Missions. You will experience the living conditions, equipment,
instrumentation and lagoon critters that researchers and students are
exposed to during Aquanaut Missions which have been held for up to a ten
day duration. These missions have included NOAA, NASA, U.S. NAVY, and
many high schools, colleges and universities around the United States.
You may choose either an afternoon or an evening
excursion as they can be very different and is approximately one hour
long.
Price:
Your
Marine Lab Excursion is $150.00 per person and please book your
excursion when you make your reservation to ensure availability.
- THE MANNED UNDERWATER LABORATORY SPECIALTY
PROGRAM:
Requires the Aquanaut Specialty Program.
This program is for those ready to move beyond just
living underwater. We involve techniques used by Aquanauts and
researchers when living under the sea. You will be involved with
submerged station atmospheric monitoring, surrounding environmental
water quality monitoring, fish and invertebrate
collection/identification and plankton collection/identification. There
will be a morning, afternoon and an evening dive incorporating these
techniques. Much of your time will be spent in the Marine Lab Habitat,
although, your meals and sleeping will be inside Jules' Undersea Lodge.
This experience is ideal for those who want to expand
upon their undersea journey. An after diner presentation/discussion in
Jules' Undersea Lodge on the history and technology of living and
working under the sea precedes the night dive.
Price: The Manned
Underwater Laboratory Specialty Program is an additional $250.00 per person and
can be either a NAUI or PADI Specialty certification.
Please
book your program when reserving your Aquanaut
Specialty Program to ensure availability.
Note: All
Programs should be booked while making the reservation to ensure
availability.
6.) What do I need to bring with
me?
The only things you will need to
bring for your own comfort is a change of clothes, your personal
toiletries and if you are a certified diver with preference to your own
gear you may bring that with you. However, we do have all dive
gear available on property for you to use. Our lodge
supplies you with snacks and drinks but if you have anything you'd like
to bring for yourself we will be happy to take that down for you.
Please
Note: NO alcoholic beverages are allowed in Jules' Undersea Lodge.
We reserve the right to check your belongings.
7.) Are
gratuities included in the price?
We do things the old fashioned way here at Jules' Undersea
Lodge. We DO NOT
include gratuities in the price of your
stay. Gratuities are most appreciated by our Mission Directors and
of course they are at your discretion.
