Born May 1st, 1957 in Bermuda, six weeks early weighing in at 4 pounds 6 ounces. Since my older brother took his helmet off while diving at age a year and one day, my mother told my father he was not to experiment anymore with her children. Due to this twist of events I was deprived from diving till the age of 3 1/2. To make matters worse I was given a girl’s diving helmet. The helmet clearly had titties on the front. When I protested, my father spun this lame line about the muffin shaped lead pieces on the front were to balance the helmet. Clearly this was an attempt to subdue by masculinity. See side photo of sad Greg. Yet, life went on.
When I was about 3 1/2 my mother left to seek her fortune elsewhere and ended up being able to send me to expensive boarding schools abroad, Boston then Geneva. (I speak French fluently and am conversant in Spanish). Summer holidays were spent working on the boat with father and Christmas holidays with mother having everything provided. After father-funded high school in Florida I opted to get a professional qualification in hotel management in Bermuda and then Oxford, UK. My mother eventually stepped back in to send me to George Washington University for a bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in finance. However, my heart was not in it. After being rejected by almost all of the hotels here in Bermuda, despite the impressive educational achievements, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my father.
Greg and Lynda Hartley on vacation in Peru 2012
In 1983 Lynda and I married (Side picture in Peru), so after my graduation in 1984, we started Hartley’s Under Sea Adventures Ltd. Tourism was booming and the business came easily. Thirty years later we have two children and one grandchild to show for our efforts. There have been bumps. We lost a 50 foot boat in 1987, ended up paying rent for many years and then became saddled with a large mortgage due to the contractor mismanaging the building of our present home. The latest bump is that we can not meet the cruise ship shore excursions requirements, unless I obtain a dive master scuba certification and also pay for two extra equally qualified divers to be underwater with me. This means we no longer are having flocks sent to us by the ship’s shore excursions program. Only adventurous goats manage to find us. This drop in the quantity of business has resulted in an improvement in the quality of our customers, as well as the quality of our tour. I invite you to enjoy an experience, which is unknown to those who are less independently minded . You are an adventurous goat. Come have a great time with us and we will take care of you.
You may call us toll-free at 866 836 3989 right now if it is during waking hours and we can discuss details not explained on this site, or particulars of your situation.
