 |
Home |  |
About |  |
News | |
Links | |
Pictures | |
|
|
Home | |
About | |
News | |
Links | |
Pictures | |
|
South Florida Divers,
Inc.
|
|
|
Spring is sprung.......
~ By Pete Stephinson
Speaking of which, spring is almost here. March 25th marks the first day of spring and already the temperatures are starting to warm up. For those of you who are warm weather divers now is the time to dust off your gear and get prepared to hit the water. We have several dives planned for April so there are plenty of opportunities. Remember, to participate in a Club Dive you must be a member so if you' haven't rejoined for 2006, now would be a good time. Also, the start of Spring marks the end of the lobster season (March 31st). You may just be able to get in one more lobstering trip, otherwise it'll be mini-season before your next chance. April also brings our annual Pig Roast, one of the highlights of our year and always a great event. Joe Smariga will be manning the grill, and we always get a good turnout. Be sure to come along and enjoy a good time with all your diving buddies. This month we don't have a speaker arranged for the General Meeting. That doesn't mean that something went wrong - we deliberately schedule these "social" meetings so that people can have the opportunity to "socialize" with each other. It's a good opportunity to catch up with your friends, see what's going on, and maybe plan a dive or other activity. I hope to see you there See you in the water some time soon Pete email: President@SFDI.com P.S. If you would like to read
about the new shark and the crustacean, the articles are at http://www.cdnn.info/news/science/sc060303.html
and http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/03/08/furry.lobster.ap/index.html |
|
WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES! We are delighted to welcome new member Karen DuBois !
As a Reminder to Everyone, We are a NO-DECO Dive Club. Always adhere to Safe Recreational Dive Depths and Limits.
|
|
April 2006 Calendar and
Beyond
Just a quick reminder...
the Calendar exists for the information of all our members. Should
you see an event that is of interest please contact the coordinator and
sign on at any time of the month. Sign-up is certainly not limited
to the monthly General Meeting. The coordinator will be more than
pleased to place you on his/her list and tell you where to send payment.
March 24 - 25 :
Camp & Canoe Weekend Dave
Wills and Dave Schneider invite one and all to join them at Jonathan
Dickinson State Park (Tequesta) for a weekend of fun, food and
canoeing and/or kayaking. Tents only. Get a hold of Dave
(or Dave) for details. For information on the park go
to.... www.floridastateparks.org/jonathandickinson April 1 - 2:
The 28th annual Dania
Marine Flea Market. Need
some dive gear...? Something for the boat...? This
annual event is a must for those needing to find equipment at
reasonable prices. This year the event will be held at Dolphin
Stadium. For full details including directions check out
the web site at www.thedaniamarinefleamarket.com/ April
5: General
Meeting 7:00
PM Show 7:30 (Sharp!) Go
RAMADA
INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275
State Road 84
(Driving directions here) [Map here] There
will be no guest speaker this month as this will be a social
meeting. So come, meet and mingle with old and new
friends. Note: there is additional parking on the west
side of the Ramada Inn. April 8: Pig
Roast !! 5:30 PM
Jon Kansman invites you once again to the ever-popular Lauderdale
Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Fort Lauderdale,
Florida 33312 [Map
here] For the bargain entrance fee of $5 per member
and first guest, $10 for each additional guest, plus a dish
to share you will be able to feast on the likes of pork
and chicken, quaff beer, wine, soft drinks and water, all to
your hearts content. Remember... all YOU provide is a side
dish or dessert! This is always one of the most popular events
of the year - come along and join the party. (Should we
be victimized by bad weather the back-up date will be April 22).
And a special reminder.. we may not bring any alcoholic
beverages to the roast. Mixed drinks are available, at extra
cost, at the Yacht Club bar. April
9: 1:00 Show 1:30 Go Join
Chris Higgins and Stan Pierce for an afternoon of fun with Divers
Paradise Dive Center at Key Biscayne Crandon Marina (next to Sunday's
on the Bay). Cost: less than 20 divers -
$55. tip included 20 + divers - $50.00, tip
included For more info and directions; www.keydivers.com
And
for more fun !! Join us afterward for Jimbo's
Birthday Party at Jimbo's on Virginia Key. This
legendary landmark is one of the best locations in Miami and has
been seen on the Discovery Channel as well as in the movies and
music videos. No entry fee, food and drinks extra. Of
course, non-divers are welcome. www.jimbosplace.com
There is also a copy of Chris and Stan's information flyer
at the end of this Calendar. April 10: SFDI
Executive Board Meeting at Connections
for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and
Pembroke Road. All members are encouraged to join us.
The meeting starts at 7:30. Hope to see y'all there. April 20:
1:30 Show 2:00 Go
Over-the-Hill, Off the Stern
Dave Schneider wants all you old-timers as well as anyone who
can grab a day off work to join him aboard the Starfish
Enterprise for an afternoon of good diving off Palm Beach
County. The 'fish has been overhauled and is ready for a great
summer. Cost is $50.00, tip included. For more
information, www.idivestarfish.com April 22 : Earth Day April 21 - 23: Ocean Fest 2006, a celebration of diving and water sports sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Your chance to help the club and the festival organizers by volunteering to help out. Details on Ocean Fest are at www.oceanfest.com April 27: Dinner-at-Large Barbara Sabatelli invites everyone to be Greek for a night as she hosts our monthly dinner, this month at the Greek Isles Taverna, 3300 N. Ocean Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale. Dinner will be commencing at 6:30, so don't be late! OOPAH!! April 29: 1:00 Show 1:30 Go Out of the classroom and into the ocean! Tina Livanos wants everybody to make a big splash over her last day of classes at FAU. As a Graduation present to herself she invites everyone to join her aboard Lady Go Diver out of Deerfield Beach. Unfortunately, y'all gotta pay for yourself, $50.00, tip included. For more info, www.dixiedivers.com May 3:
General
Meeting
7:00PM
Show,7:30PM (Sharp!) Go
RAMADA
INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275 State Road 84. [Driving
directions here] [Map
here] .
NOTE: additional parking on west side of Ramada. May 6 - 7: MS 150 Bike Tour Jeff Raffa and Debbie Bradford encourage all members to help fight Muscular Dystrophy by participating in the 2006 Bike Tour. Contact either of them for information or go to www.marooneMS150.org May 6 - 7: McDonald's Air & Sea Show Come watch the Navy sail, the Air Force fly and the stunt pilots wow the crowd. Always a great event. On Fort Lauderdale beach. For full schedule of events go to www.nationalsalute.com/air/schedules.php/ May 6: Pete's Annual Spring Scramble Golf Outing Pete Stephinson hosts his annual golf outing at the Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club. All abilities welcome. A $50.00 fee pays for golf, cart, trophies and prizes, buffet lunch, beer and sodas. Contact Pete fore! more info. May 8: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Rd. NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Members please feel free to sit in and join us! 7:30 starting time May 13: 1:00 Show 1:30 Go Bill Dietz and Fred Miller are back together again and expect a great turnout from the membership aboard the American Dream II for some world-class diving off Ft. Lauderdale. For $53.00 including tip you get clear skies, flat seas and good vis. For those new to the Dream, www.scubafortlauderdale.com. May 14: Happy Mother's Day Best wishes to all you Mothers out there! May 18: Dinner-at-Large Chris Higgins looks forward to hosting the gang for some great seafood, fun, camaraderie and the worlds best garlic crabs at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse, 4331 Ravenswood Rd., Ft. Lauderdale. Dinner is at 7:30. For more info, menu and directions go to www.rusticinncrabhouse.com May 19 - 21: Cajun Zydeco Festival Music, dancing, crawfish and hot 'n spicy Cajun/Creole dishes. Outstanding! Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach Times, events and tickets available online at www.cajunfest.com May 21 : 12:30 Show 1:00 Go The beautiful reefs of Palm Beach County beckon to the hardy "scubateers" of SFDI as Dave Schneider and Pete Stephinson welcome you aboard the Starfish Enterprise. Great diving for only $50.00, tip included. Only 13 spots will be available so sign up soon! Après dive at the Olde Key Lime House. May 27 - 29: Captain's Choice Private Boat Trip Off to the Bahamas for diving, eating, partying and related mayhem over Memorial Day Weekend. For details contact Captain Joe Smariga. May 28: 1:00 Show 1:30 Go Fred Miller and Bill Dietz Redux aboard the American Dream II. Another great day with two of SFDI's favorite "sons". See y'all aboard. $53.00, tip included. www.scubafortlauderdale.com June 17 -24: San Salvador !! Out of the country and into the warm blue Caribbean with Pete Stephinson. Sold out, but you can always sign-up for stand -by. Details below! July 15: Member Appreciation Day !! You got it right ! Stefan Trestyn will be coordinating a special day for the membership. A beach dive, free food, free beverage and lots of fun are expected. Stefan plans to start a beach dive around 4:00 PM. Party time will start around 5:00 PM. Nothing is set in stone as yet, so let Stefan know your great ideas! This may be a once-only event so mark your calendars now. Stefan assures us you won't want to miss it! Ft. Lauderdale Beach, opposite the Yankee Clipper hotel. August 19 - 20: Annual Keys Trip SOLD OUT! Jeff Raffa will be hosting this years trip. We'll be staying at The Islander Resort in beautiful downtown Islamorada. The resort comprises 23 acres on the ocean and each room will have kitchenette facilities. There are two pools, a 200' fishing pier and an 1100' private beach. For a closer look go to www.islanderfloridakeys.com. The first 24 people who tender payment in full will be diving with Tilden's Scuba Center. All others will have to make their own arrangements. www.tildensscubacenter.com All for only $225.00, Tildens diving included... $170.00 without diving. Such a deal! September: Seafood Festival !! Same time, same place.. date to be announced. December
9: Annual
Holiday Party
!!
Same
time, same place. You know you don't want to miss this one!
|
|
In an attempt to condense the length of the meetings, we are going to start the meeting PROMPTLY at 7:30. Please come earlier to socialize before the meeting starts. |
SFDI Annual Pig Roast
April 8, 2006 5:30 PM
Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 [Map here] For the bargain entrance fee of $5 per member and first guest, $10 for each additional guest, plus a dish to share you will be able to feast on the likes of pork and chicken, quaff beer, wine, soft drinks and water, all to your hearts content. Remember... all YOU provide is a side dish or dessert! This is always one of the most popular events of the year - come along and join the party. (Should we be victimized by bad weather the back-up date will be April 22). And a special reminder.. we may not bring any alcoholic beverages to the roast. Mixed drinks are available, at extra cost, at the Yacht Club bar.
Click Here for Pictures from Last Years Pig Roast
Join Barbara S and friends at The Greek Island Taverna for a night of good food on April 27th.. So bring your appetite and a smile. Dinner is at 6:30. The Restaurant is located at 3300 North Ocean Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale. Phone 954-568-0008
It's Social Night !!
Silver Pond Chinese Restaraunt
On Febuary 18, 2006, Gerry Cowen and 30 Other SFDI Members Enjoyed A Fantastic Dinner Together !
Photos by Capt. Chris Hinckley
This Months Feature by Chris Hinckley
Diving is all about safety. After all, the equipment we wear is designed to let us humans go safely into an environment that we otherwise could only stay in for maybe a minute (or seven minutes if you’re a trained free diver). Following good, safe diving practices and having the right safety gear makes our diving experiences that much more enjoyable.
Proper Weighting
Minimizing your weight allows you to minimize the inflation of your BC.
Most divers are overweighted by at least two pounds and sometimes, even four pounds or more.
If you are four pounds negative, you will need to add four pounds of buoyancy to your BC to become neutral.
That's an air bubble of about a half a gallon milk jug in your BC. Its hard to let go of those last few pounds because we're all understandably afraid of erring on the side of positive buoyancy, but by proper weighting , we streamline ourselves creating less friction. We will be less tired and our air consumption should decrease.
Jonathon Dickenson State Park Camping Trip
Here is SFDI President Pete Stephinson, Upstream on the Loxahatchee River !!
Photos by Capt. Chris Hinckley
Capt. Chris Said to Rise Early to See The Moon & Venus. Here is What They Missed !!
|
Earth day is coming up on April 22nd. Do Something Special For The Planet !! |
By Brian Hufford
Oh, there he is !
San Salvador, Bahamas
June 17th-24th, 2006
The SFDI group that just returned from the Turks & Caicos Islands had such a great time that a number of them decided to do a similar trip in 2006. Check out the photos in this month's Newsletter and on the site to see what great diving they enjoyed, and the fun times which they had on land. On returning, Pete Stephinson, trip organizer checked out the prices and availability and secured an even better deal for 2006 at the Club Med Columbus Isle on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.
"What San Sal offers divers is vertical walls, populated shallow
reefs ideal for macro photography, groupers so friendly they will lay in
your arms and the ever-present chance of spotting big creatures, such as
Hammerhead Sharks and Manta Rays. San Sal was one of the very first
destinations to develop wall diving and this is still the reason most
divers visit. The south and western sides of the island are lined by one
of the most impressive walls in The Bahamas, starting as shallow as 40
feet and dropping to thousands of feet. "
For more info visit http://www.about-the-bahamas.com/bahamas/sansalvador.cfm
The cost for the trip includes:
We have over 20 people signed up. Don't miss out, if you want to sign up you are recommended to do so at the September Meeting. A $200 deposit is required to confirm your place. Payments will be accepted monthly with full payment due by April 2006.
|
Check The Weather
Check the weather from Joe Smariga's
Weather Station. Thanks Joe !!
Click Here www.sfdi.com/wx.htm
LOTS OF LAUGHS and Other Wisdom
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
The Wet Zone
South
Florida Divers, Inc.,
Copyright 2006
