02/12/2024
Just a little update! Sadly, the drop in tourism from the fires forced me to close the shop at the end of December. I took a contract job helping fire victims among other causes and it allowed me to somewhat get my head above water as we navigated what we thought tourism would look like going forward. Amongst the heartbreak from the fires anyway, it also broke my heart to close the shop I’d worked so hard in, but I’ve kept faith it was just temporary. I miss my shop so much! I still keep honoring orders after hours whether it’s hiding things behind the fence for people to pick up, giving out the code to my storage room, or delivering things personally. I know It’s not ideal but it’s kept me connected to my customers as I hang on by a thread. Last week I got a call from a regular that stopped at my shop to get gear when he got in, only to find it was closed. He was so sad! He said “Jessica, did you close my favorite snorkel shop?” He comes to Maui every year and chooses me. It gave me the chills! It also gave me that extra burst of hope I needed to say I need to get back down there full time. So starting March 1st, I will be back in the shop full time with regular hours 8am-4pm! I’ve never been one to ask for help which is sort of a catch 22 in myself but if there’s ever been a time I need it, it’s now. If you’ve ever done business in my shop, leave a review! If you have friends coming to the island, send them my way! I’ll hook you up with free rentals when you come as a thank you. Or if you know you’re coming, reserve in advance and pay online, or call me and I’ll put the order in for you. Anything helps! Thank you all your support over these last few years and I’m really looking forward to picking back up where we left off and making your Maui vacations extra special. PS this is me on a fun wave at Ho’okipa, that German swam around all day with a 360 camera and fins just to catch me on. I’ve still been fortunate enough to be spending a lot of time in the water although it’s felt more like therapy than fun these last few months ❤️
