Page 49 - Waves June

D o w n t o w n E n t e r t a i n m e n t , C u i s i n e , E v e n t s & S h o p p i n g

Golf Carting is a Lifestyle Scuba Downtown? book in fourth grade that piqued her in-
on the Island And for All? terested in all that is involved with oceanic
studies and diving. Locally she has also
worked at Moody Gardens, in the Carib-
bean Exhibit, directly with the sharks.

Craig, himself, has clocked over 4,800
underwater hours while also serving as the
Dive Operations Manager for the Neutral
Buoyancy Lab at NASA. The knowledge
and skills set the owners bring to the table
along with a true understanding of how
intense the idea of diving can be for some,
brings about their philosophy that is writ-
iving in the Kemah area, brought risten Maples and Craig Shannon ten on a sign, for all to see, as they pass
Lmany opportunities for Chadwick Kfound the perfect location for Texas the store “Not a diver? Come on in! WE
Jones to enjoy the golf cart lifestyle of Suba Adventures, in one of the original are happy to answer questions!” Literally
breezy rides around town and down by the commercial rows of the historical Down- anyone just wanting to talk about diving,
waterfront. When cruising one night, he town Galveston Strand District, at 2315 get more information, see what is needed
was approached by people wanting a ride Mechanic Street, across from the Tremont or purchase and/or rent is welcome to
to their car that was parked some distance Hotel. “I didn’t want people to be intimi- step in the doors of Texas Scuba Adven-
away. They offered to pay him and that’s dated by tons of scuba gear and supplies tures. Artwork from Ken Keifer is also
when the idea for a golf cart taxi was born. they don’t yet understand or need and displayed and available for purchase within
Having a flourishing business in Kemah, this location and the size of the shop is the store. Ken’s goal, with his extraordi-
Chad started a thriving golf cart rental busi- perfect,” said Kristin, as she spoke of her nary photography, is to bring awareness
ness and when calls from Galveston began vision for the scuba shop which has now and appreciation for the creatures of the
to multiply, with deliveries to the island been open about 2 months. deep, especially sharks, which are largely
increasing, he realized Galveston would be misunderstood. His vibrant photos feature
his new home for the father and son busi- Not on the beach or even across from the his wife modeling underwater in proxim-
ness. His son, Chandler, is an integral part beach, Texas Scuba Adventures is perfectly ity of the sharks and other underwater
of their island business, Galveston Golf placed for cruisers leaving on vacation who features and fish.
Cart Rentals. In a short amount of time, the want their own snorkeling gear, such as the
business has grown from one to three loca- ever increasingly popular one-piece mask or Texas Scuba Adventures is open M-F
tions. Visitors and locals can now rent from a sturdy, yet well priced set for family use. 10am-6pm, Sat 11am-4pm and Sun 11am-
the Stand location, the Seawall location and With the Gulf just blocks away and the har- 3pm. NAUI Instructors and owners, Craig
the newest spot located on Stewart Beach. bor within steps, Kristen and Craig can of- Shannon and Kristen Maples are excited
Visit www.galveston-golfcarts.com for more fer lines of scuba, snorkeling and spearfish- to fill this niche, within the downtown
inflation as hours can change with weather ing gear, along with rentals on scuba gear area, and look forward to community
and times of the year. and charters for rig dives, advanced classes outreach programs such as future scholar-
and trips to the famous Flower Garden ships and offering even more classes.
Galveston Golf Carts Banks National Marine Sanctuary located
1919 Strand | 4102 Seawall 100 nautical miles offshore of Galveston. Texas Scuba Adventures
Galveston, TX 77550 2315 Mechanic Street
(409) 939-7467 All levels, from just interested in trying, Galveston, TX 77550
to open water scuba divers, to instructors’ (409) 363-9641
level classes can be found and even just
some advice or discussion about the love
of diving. Business partners, Kristen and
Craig met through Space U, out of Hous-
ton, where they worked with students on
diving and other environmental projects.
This is the program that brought a different
perspective on diving, for Kristen. “See-
ing their faces so happy and the joy these
students had, made me want to share diving
with even more people,” says Kristen. For
her, it all started with a Jacques Cousteau
Waves Magazine | June 2019 Issue | 49