Ocean Frontiers Turning its Customers Green

Cecilia Sharp celebrates with the Ocean Frontiers staff after meeting her Green Shorts Challenge. Photo courtesy Ocean Frontiers

Cayman Dive Operator’s “Green Shorts Challenge” keeps guests coming back for more East End diving year after year

Ocean Frontiers staffers in company teal green swim shorts are a familiar fixture on Grand Cayman’s remote East End, manning the dive shop at the Compass Point Dive Resort or driving the dive boats and guiding dives. Those signature Ocean Frontiers green shorts have become a “hot ticket” item and status symbol among the company’s die-hard customers. Guests can win their own pair of green shorts if they dive all 55 dive sites at East End first – it’s called the “Green Shorts Challenge”.

“My goal in starting the challenge was to get my customers interested in the diversity of diving on this side of the island because I thought some of them weren’t seeing it,” says Steve Broadbelt, co-owner of Ocean Frontiers. “This is a motivation for them and it’s working.”

“I have completed the Green Shorts Challenge – as a matter of fact, I’ve completed the 55 dives twice and am well on my way to the third,” says Cecilia Sharp, who with her husband, has been diving with Ocean Frontiers since 2007. “We basically eat, sleep and dive for our stays at Compass Point Resort – which may last from one to three weeks. Rolling out of bed and walking to the boat is the best way to start any day on Grand Cayman.”

A customer who completes the Green Shorts Challenge receives his or her own pair of personalized teal shorts, a gold medal with the 'Challenge' crest cast into it hanging from a teal green ribbon, and a bronze plaque with their name on the dive dock at Compass Point Resort. — A customer who completes the Green Shorts Challenge receives his or her own pair of personalized teal shorts, a gold medal with the ‘Challenge’ crest cast into it hanging from a teal green ribbon, and a bronze plaque with their name on the dive dock at Compass Point Resort.

When a customer signs on for the Green Shorts Challenge, their dive history is recalled from Ocean Frontiers’ customized reservations system. The customer gets a printout of past dives to determine the dive sites they’ve visited and which dive sites they still need to dive. The customer then receives a challenge punch card with the dive sites listed, and every time they complete a new dive their card gets punched.

Once the challenge is met and all 55 dive sites have been visited, there is a celebration at the Ocean Frontiers dock complete with champagne and cake. The customer then receives his or her own pair of personalized teal shorts, a gold medal with the

‘Challenge’ crest cast into it hanging from a teal green ribbon, and a bronze plaque with their name on the dive dock at Compass Point Resort. The guest then becomes a part of Ocean Frontiers’ dive history and proudly wear their green shorts at Compass Point Resort.

The Green Shorts Challenge celebration calls for cake. Photo courtesy Ocean Frontiers.

“It is an elite crowd!” says Divemaster Brittainy Slade. “The Green Shorts challenge is exciting for the guests, it gives them an end goal, something to aspire to!”

Slade says Ocean Frontiers staffers also get excited when a challenge is about to be completed and the activity on the dive boats is upbeat. “We all work hard and pray to the weather gods so guests can complete those last sites – we like cake and champagne too! And the celebrations are fun for everyone.”

Steve Broadbelt estimates that it takes about five visits to the island for a guest to complete the Green Shorts Challenge. Customers are signing up and returning to Grand Cayman, often twice a year, to dive those East End sites. More than 100 divers have completed the challenge since the Ocean Frontiers launched it two years ago.

More than 100 Ocean Frontiers customers have completed the challenge since the company began the program two years ago. Photo courtesy Ocean Frontiers.

“Even if they have been coming to Cayman for 10 years, we take them somewhere they’ve never been and we go out of our way to show them something they’ve never seen before,” he says. “Every day, every dive and every diver is unique and our goal is to know our divers and deliver the unexpected. Even seasoned divers are not beyond a ‘wow’ during one of our dives!”

Its this kind of attention to the customer’s dive experience that has made Ocean Frontiers a top dive operator. The company ranked highest in the Cayman Islands in the “Best Dive Operator” category of Scuba Diving’s 2014 Top 100 Readers Choice Awards. Founded in 1996, Ocean Frontiers is also one of Cayman’s most conservation-minded dive operations. Turning customers green, not only means awarding them a pair of green shorts, it also means making them aware of Cayman’s marine environment. Dive masters not only show guests the vibrant reefs and marine life of East End, they are also good stewards who educate visitors about conservation.

Divers who complete the Green Shorts Challenge receive a bronze plaque with their name and it is then placed on the dive dock at Compass Point Resort where it will become a part of the resort's history. — Divers who complete the Green Shorts Challenge receive a bronze plaque with their name and it is then placed on the dive dock at Compass Point Resort where it will become a part of the resort’s history.

“Working for Ocean Frontiers requires putting in that extra effort to provide the green shorts service that we are known for,” says divemaster Becca Nutsch. “Sometimes this means working a bit harder, but it definitely pays off, especially when you see customers come back time and time again.”

“We were drawn to Ocean Frontiers by the great reviews of the operation and the quiet side of the island,” says Cecelia Sharp. “The staff at Ocean Frontiers is like family to us and we are spoiled by their Green Shorts service. No request is denied. They anticipate our needs and strive to make every diver happy and safe on the boat and in the water.”

Pop that champagne cork and the celebration at the dock begins when a dedicated Ocean Frontiers diver completes the Green Shorts Challenge to dive all 55 East End dive sites. Photo courtesy Ocean Frontiers.

Steve Broadbelt says the Green Shorts Challenge has been a great incentive program for the company and almost 50% of Ocean Frontiers divers are now return guests. Alumni help spread the word about this exciting dive challenge at East End. New customers also see what’s going on in the dive boats and they want to sign up too.

“It’s working,” he says. “They are buying those tickets and coming back.”

About Ocean Frontiers and Compass Point Dive Resort

Ocean Frontiers Dive Shop is located at Compass Point Dive Resort on the remote East End of Grand Cayman. Founded in 1996 with one dive boat and a dream to introduce divers to the wonders of East End diving, the company has grown into one of Cayman’s premier dive operations with a reputation for catering to small groups and having the island’s friendliest staff. Ocean Frontiers is also recognized as one of the most conservation-minded dive operators in the Cayman Islands with a long history of promoting ocean protection through its company programs, and an unwavering support for outside environmental projects. The winner of Project AWARE’s Environmental Achievement Award in 2004 and 2010, Ocean Frontiers has again been recognized in 2012. The company also received the PADI Green Star Dive Center accreditation in 2012 for demonstrating a dedication to conservation, the first dive operator in the Cayman Islands to receive this distinction.

The Compass Point Dive Resort, which received the Green Globe Certification award in 2010 for sustainable tourism, is the epitome of laidback luxury. It features 28 luxurious one, two and three bedroom oceanfront, ocean view and poolside condominiums, each with its own private patio or balcony and all beautifully decorated with stylish island décor, and fully equipped with all of the comforts of home. Eagle Ray’s Dive Bar and Grill is now open for business at the resort.