Tacoma Dive & Travel Show 2010 - It's A Wrap!

Kathryn and I have returned home safely from the Tacoma Dive & Travel Expo. Thanks to all those who attended my seminar on "Getting Published - Tips For Getting Your Words & Images Published in Scuba Magazines." I noticed several attendees making notes during my talk so lets hope that leads to some getting their work published for the first time.


Crazy time as we ran into several old diving friends who I had not seen for more than 20 years. Also, made some new industry connections. Another great dive show!




























Kudos to Rick Stratton and his team of volunteers for putting together such a successful event for the Pacific Northwest diving community. Rick promised that the show would get even bigger and better over time and he surely delivered. Congrats to all!

Amuse Consulting is 5 years old!

May 19, 2010: Vancouver’s Harrison Galleries was the place to be last Wednesday evening when founder of Amuse Consulting, Marc Smith, threw a an amaze-balls party to celebrate the anniversary of being in business for five years. Amuse Consulting is a full-service event planning company.

My wife, Kathryn, and I had a most enjoyable evening and we were particularly pleased to participate in one of Marc's featured events; a wine tasting that demonstrated the fine art of wine blending.

Proceeds from the evening, along with a generous donation from Marc, went to two very worthy charities that he supports, Kids Up Front Vancouver & A Loving Spoonful. If you're looking for an experienced event planning company, that provides exceptional service, look no further than Amuse Consulting. For more information go to: www.amuseconsulting.ca

Chalk Up Another Book Review!

Focal Press has been a leading publisher of Media Technology books for 70 years. They specialize in publishing high quality books filled with practical hands-on information, dealing with cutting-edge and converging technologies from the experts in the field.

Through a strange twist of fate, I became one of their go to people to provide feedback on new books that are being developed. This past week, I was asked to review a book draft for two very well known wildlife photographers. Unfortunately, I cannot yet mention who these individuals are, or say anything about the book in development. But I do enjoy doing these reviews and eventually seeing how the final product turns out.

Get a FREE copy of the Diving Almanac at the Dive & Travel Expo!

Jeffrey Gallant (Editor-in-Chief) of the Diving Almanac & Book of Records has just announced he will be handing out a free copy of the Diving Almanac & Book of Records to the first 500 attendees at the Dive & Travel Expo in Tacoma, Washington (May 21-23), the largest consumer dive show in the Pacific Northwest!

Jeff has done an excellent job with gathering all the information that is pressed between the pages of this book. I happen to have a copy myself and I can state that it is well worth twice the sale price. So...this free offer from Mr Gallant makes getting to the show early a must!

For more information, go to: www.divenewsnetwork.com/expo

An Early Mothers Day Treat - Dinner at Little Billy's Steakhouse!

Kathryn and I enjoyed a sumptuous steak dinner at Little Billy’s on Hastings Street last Friday night. And, as always, what a superb meal it was. In my opinion, this is one of the best mouth-watering steak houses in Metro Vancouver. Quaint, out of the way, and exemplary service!

Little Billy's is a hybrid steakhouse with an "uptown" feel. It offers a cutting edge menu of the finest prime steaks and fresh seafood and a touch of traditional Greek food accompanied by great dining music seven nights a week.

Just before we were about to leave, Billy came by our table to ask how our dinner was? He then asked if we would like to sip some special blueberry wine he had just come across. We were delighted when two glasses of wine arrived at our table with smoke from dry ice cascading over the lip of the glasses. This wine reminded us of some fine ice wines we had enjoyed in the past. Exceptional!

Billy does not know that I am a card carrying member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association. As I said the service and quality of the menu items are the hallmarks of their business... and something they take enormous pride in delivering to their dinner guests.

Little Billy’s is one of our favourite places to dine when we want to go out for a romantic dinner. And since the romance in our marriage seems never ending... we will surely be back again and again. For more information: www.littlebillys.com

2010 BC Travel Writers Association Annual Symposium

May 8, 2010: We attended the annual travel writers symposium at Robson Street’s boutique Listel Hotel. This symposium provides an opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow BCATW members. During the afternoon we were able to speak one on one with two of the travel writing panelists who were chosen to present at this event.

JOHN LEE, spoke about cultural travel. John is an award-winning travel writer whose work has appeared in the Lonely Planet Travel Guides, National Geographic Traveler, the Globe and Mail, Chicago Tribune and US Airways in-flight. As well, he has written the books Walking Vancouver and Drinking Vancouver.

LORI HENRY, spoke about ecotourism/adventure travel. Lori is the Western Canada Travel Writer for www.Suite101.com. Her guidebook work includes publication in Fodor's Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada. She has also written for Reader's Digest, Western Living, VIA destinations, West, FLARE and Western Living.

Always an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon and come away with a few gems of wisdom. This year, my wife, Kathryn, and I won two different prize draws. The first was a two day Hop-on, Hop-off, city tour of Vancouver with The Vancouver Trolley Company (www.vancouvertrolley.com).

The second prize was a romantic weekend for two at Adventure B&B at Rockwood Retreat (www.adventureb-b.com) in Powell River, along with the choice of either doing a nature hike or an ocean kayaking adventure with a local nature tour operator. There is also a 9-hole golf course next door and Powell River's ocean shores also has some very fine scuba diving sites. We can’t wait!














For more information about the BC Travel Writers Association go to: http://www.bctravelwriters.com

Judge Jett - Tacoma Dive and Travel Expo 2010 Photo and Video Competition

Ahhhh... Saturday morning. A fresh cup of java, my adorable wife by my side, and my Macbook Pro laptop loaded with entries for the Tacoma Dive and Travel Expo 2010 Photo Contest.

I was asked this year to sit on the photo contest judging panel. This annual Tacoma Dive and Travel Expo photo and video competition is open to all amateur underwater photographers and videographers.

I have submitted my selections. Looking forward to seeing how the other judges voted. As is often the case in these matters.... beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hmmmm...I wonder what the chances are that all the contestants were woman?

Speaking Engagement: Northwest Dive & Travel Expo, May 21-23, 2010

The Northwest Dive & Travel Expo is scheduled to be held at the Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, Wash., May 21-23, 2010. I am honored to again be invited back for the 3rd year in a row as one of the show’s guest speakers by show organizer, Rick Stratton, who also happens to be the publisher of Northwest Dive News.

This show is the largest consumer diving and travel show in the Pacific Northwest, and Rick promises that the 2010 show will be even bigger and more fun-packed. The venue, a new, world-class convention center, features an upscale and attractive environment in the heart of vibrant downtown Tacoma, Washington. Just 30 minutes south of Seattle, this high-tech center offers 132 Exhibitor Booths in 32,000 square feet attractive and up scale meeting space. For more information, go to www.diveandtravelexpo.com

My seminar topic this year will be "Getting Published ~ Tips For Getting Your Words & Images Published in Scuba Magazines"

Do Travel Writers Go To Hell? ~ Just My 2 Cents On A Great Book

It seems that I’m only able to catch up on my reading during long cross country flights between Vancouver’s International Airport and far away destinations.

During my most recent flight, I found myself chuckling to the Hunter S. Thompson-esque bawdy misadventures as penned by travel writer, Tom Kohnstamm., in his book, "Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?"

One could well wonder if travel writers go to hell after the author highly entertains his readers with his experiences while he journeyed in Brazil on assignment for Lonely Planet Guide Books. Mr. Kohnstamm’s well-written book exposes the seedy underbelly of travel writing with sharp wit, self-deprecating humor, and freewheeling depravity that kept me page turning right up to when the plane taxied to the gangway. Pass the rum baby and pour me a glass... this is a killer read!

Depth Magazine ~ Published My Story on Cozumel

Depth Magazine, an online internet scuba publication, has published my story, "Cozumel ~ Undersea Temple of the Mayan Gods" in their May/June 2010 issue.

Jett Britnell: Member Ocean Artists Society

April 30, 2010: WOW! Today, I was welcomed into the distinguished ranks of the Ocean Artists Society, a unique alliance of the world’s top marine life artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, and writers coming together to use ocean art to inspire people around the world to a greater awareness of our need to protect and preserve our natural world.

Once per year, all new members being considered must be nominated by OAS founding members and unanimously voted in to become an official member. It is an honor to be part of an organization that includes several of my peers along with such world-renowned members as marine life whaling wall artist, Wyland, National Geographic’s, David Doubilet, marine photographer, Bob Talbot and my boyhood heroes, Ron & Valerie Taylor to name a few...

Here is what the OAS promotes:



The Ocean Artist Society was created to foster an appreciation
and develop continued interest in the ocean arts.

Our Mission:
Artists united for the oceans.

Our Vision:
Using ocean art to inspire people around the world to a greater awareness
of our need to protect and preserve our natural world.

Our Theme
Art that celebrates the beauty of the sea - both above and below.

Our Values
As artists of the sea it is our responsibility to protect what we love
by sharing the beauty of the oceans with other
Like I said, WOW!

www.oceanartistssociety.org