Sunshine Sports: caters to divers and skiers.

• Author: Morgan, Barbara

The entrance to Sunshine Sports is to the east where the sun shines in, but that is not where the name came from. Alaskan owner John Bice bought the business Sunshine Sports in Juneau in 1977. He moved the business to Anchorage in 1980 when many of the ski shops were closing.

Originally from Sitka, Bice bought his first store, Southeast Divers' Supply, in 1973. He had already developed a love for diving. At the time he was diving for abalone for restaurants around the state.

The store covers winter and water sports and has offered a variety of sporting classes over the years. Mountain bikes are always available in the summer. At one time fly fishing equipment was offered-also sail boarding-but ski and diving equipment have been the main agenda over the years.

Tall, with a good sense of humor, and a love for what he does-diving-Bice likes to keep things simple. You'll recognize him by his friendly manner and his Hawaiian-style, short-sleeve shirts. He describes his store as a high-end specialty shop with good toys. He is very selective in his choice of what to offer. Inside the store you'll find Salomon and Rossignol skis, Giro and Boeri helmets, Speedo swimwear, and other brand names such as Marin, Ellsworth, Aqua Lung, Billagong and Ride.

The diving part of the business has remained a mainstay and a long-time interest for Bice. Sunshine Sports teaches a variety of diving classes once a month as weekend courses in Whittier. Whittier has been chosen for its open water, its protected areas and its good diving local.

The diving courses range from entry level to advanced. Alaskans who take the courses are not really thinking of diving in our cold waters; they are getting prepared for vacations in warmer waters.

Open water scuba classes offered range from Academics No. 1 to Academics No. 6 and from Pool No. 1 to Pool No. 5. Prerequisites for the pool and lecture sessions include having a mask, boots, fins, a snorkel, a textbook, a logbook, dive tables and instructional videos. In addition, mitts or gloves and a diver's knife are needed for open water dives. These classes teach watermanship skills; tuition is $350 for full certification, and the minimum age for enrollment is 15. Additional costs include transportation, food and lodging.

One of the other classes offered, the Advanced Open Water Class (with five dives), concentrates on dry-suit buoyancy skills, underwater navigation, marine life identification, deep diving, and search and recovery...