APRIL... and beyond !

                                                                                                                                        - By Dave Schneider, Vice President, Calendar

        Phone numbers of event coordinators are not posted to ensure privacy.  If you are a Club member please consult your Buddy List for the number you need.  If you do not have a copy of the Buddy Listone will be available for you at the next General Meeting.

        Just a quick reminder.. The Calendar exists for the information of all our members.  Should you see an event that is of interest to you please contact the Coordinator directly.  You can sign-up for the event's) of your choice at any time of the month. The Coordinator will be more than pleased to place your name on the list and tell you where to mail payment.

HELP MAKE YOUR CLUB BETTER ! ....  We need more people to step up and run events.  If you are interested in coordinating a dive.. a trip.. a dinner or any other type of event please contact an E-Board member. Any member of the Board will be more than happy to assist you.

March 21:  Shark Valley Bike Ride (Saturday)  Julie has her bike greased up and ready to go again, this time into the depths of Shark Valley. It's a good bet that you won't see any sharks but Julie cautions all not to play with the alligators.  The ride will start at 11:00 AM... Julie needs that beauty rest, you know.  Call her for more details.

March 28:  Pig Roast! (Saturday)  The first of our signature party events, a blast for all comers - except the pig.  As always, at the Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club.  Please bring a covered dish (there will be a sign-up sheet at the meeting) and a $10.00 bill per person. The Club will provide beer, wine, water and soft drinks, as well as the aforementioned pig . Please remember; we are not permitted to bring any form of alcoholic beverage. They are available - for a price - at the Yacht Club bar.

April 1:   General Meeting  7:30 PM (Sharp!)   Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club.  April Fools Day! What a perfect day for a Social Meeting. Special Note: John Beals will be showing his Raja Ampat video. A must see!   Directions to the meeting elsewhere on the website.

April 3-5:  4th. Annual Spring Camping Weekend  Craig and Linda have so much fun in their tent that they have reserved four sites at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and want a bunch of people to join them (butnot in their tent - ya gotta bring your own). Unlike previous years we will be diving rather than canoeing.  Cost should be around $15.00 per person (plus the dive) and will include Friday night burgers and 'dogs dinner. Based on past attendance I would suggest signing-up soon. Call Craig or Linda for more details.

April 6:  SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Everybody welcome, so come join us. Meeting starts at 7:30 sharp.

April 18:  8:00 AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Saturday) John and Dave are leading the flotilla back to sea for another Private Boat Dive. As always space is limited so be sure to sign-up early or give them a call to reserve your spot.  It may be redundant, but be on time since the boats pull out promptly at 8:30 and you don't want to be waving at them from the John U. Lloyd State Park dock.

April 19: *Note New Date* 12:30 PM Show 1:00 PM Go (Sunday)  Let's all jump in the water and get wet!  Joe G. has us booked on RJ's Big Com-Ocean out of Miami Beach Marina. After the dive a quick drive to Virginia Key to celebrate Jimbo's 82nd Birthday. If you are wondering, what or who's Jimbo click on this link: http://www.jimbosplace.com/ Jimbo Luznar is a man. And Jimbo's Shrimp Shack is a place. And Jimbo's Place is a state of mind. Let's have a good turnout for the first Miami dive of 2009 and then go party at the wildest most popular, Miamians secret location you'll ever discover. Cost for the dive will be $55.00, tax and tip included. Call Joe for more details or go to www.rjdiving.com
April 23:  Dinner-at-Large (Thursday)  Our appetites turn to the Orient as Gerry Cowen hosts a dinner at Ichiban Japanese Restaurant. The dinner gong will chime at 7:30 so bring your appetites and chopsticks.  Ichiban is located on University, south of I-595. Call Gerry for more details.

April 25:  Pete's Golf Scramble (Saturday)   Pete Stephinson will be hosting his annual golf outing at the Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club in Boca Raton.  A $50.00 fee pays for golf, cart, trophies, prizes, buffet lunch, beer and sodas.  Such a deal.  All abilities welcome so contact Pete for more details.

May 9:  8:00 AM Show 8:30 Go (Saturday) Once again out to sea with John, Dave and the rest of the SFDI flotilla for a Private Boat Dive.  Sign up early to ensure a spot.  As always they will leave from J. U. Lloyd State Park.. and they will leave promptly at 8:30.

May 16:  1:30 PM Show 2:00 Go (Saturday)  John Beals has planned some excellent shore diving at the Blue Heron Bridge in North Palm Beach. Featuring outstanding life and good visibility this is a "must do" dive. Give John a call for more details and be sure to sign on for this one. You can see some photos and videos of the dive area if you Google "Blue Heron Bridge".

May 30:  8:30 AM Show 9:00 Go (Saturday)  Jeff and Ginny have planned a morning on board Fathoms of Fun out of Pompano, alongside the Hillsboro inlet.  There are excellent sites nearby and this promises to be a good time. Call Jeff or Ginny for more details or go to www.parrotislandscuba.com. 

May 21:  Dinner-at-Large (Thursday)  Lynne & Ray Schreiber will be hosting an evening of culinary delight at Tropic Bleu, 329 Enterprise Way, Miramar. This was a treat last year and promises to be the same this year. The dinner bell will ring at 7:30. For more information give Lynne a call.

June 4 - 13:  Bequa Lagoon, Fiji Trip

June 7 - 14:  Saba Trip

August 14 - 16:  Annual Keys Weekend  Jeff & Ginny once again will be hosting the Keys weekend. Due to popular demand we will once again be staying at The Islander in Islamorada and diving with Keys Divers, just a short hop down the road from the hotel. Cost will be $230.00 for divers (air tanks included) or $170. for non-divers. This one is always super popular so sign-up early and get your money into Kim. As always, first to pay is first to go. Call the Raffa's for more details.

September ?:  Bahamas Dive Week  A new twist on an annual favorite.  Rather than just a weekend, Jeff & Ginny have us booked at Viva Fortuna on Grand Bahama for an entire week!  They have a great package for us... 7 nights, ten dives, all food and liquor as well as round trip on Discovery Cruise.. all for $1000.00 +/- per person (around $700. non-diver).  More details to follow.  Note: while there is no cap on the number of people who can go, there is a cap of 24 divers.

December 5:  Holiday Party  Here's the news y'all have been waiting for!  Same time, same place, same fun.

AND SOME LAST IMPORTANT NOTES...

Club Policies on Dives and Trips:

Dives, Trips, Activities and events are run according to the SFDI Policies and Procedures, which are available to everyone.  If you don’t have a copy, please ask the Membership VP, or other E-Board member at the next General Meeting. Here is a summary of some of the important ones:

1.      Payment for Dives, Events and trips:  A member is confirmed on a dive, trip or event only after they have paid.  Payments for dives should be made when signing up.  Payments for trips should be made according to the schedule as outlined by the trip coordinator.  In the event that a dive/trip/activity is oversubscribed, then those confirmed will be determined by the order of payment.

2.      Cancellation:  Once a member signs on for a dive/event he or she is obligated to pay for that dive/event unless they contact the coordinator for that dive/event and cancel by the specified cancellation time.  Not paying immediately does not eliminate the requirement to make full payment if you do not cancel within the designated cancellation period or simply fail to show up for that dive/event.

3.      Certification Requirements:  Some dives will be restricted to divers with certain minimum certification levels.  For example Advanced Open Water.  In some cases, these requirements will be set by the dive operator.  In others they may be set by the dive organizer in conjunction with the E-Board based on the profile and characteristics of the planned dive.  In these cases the minimum certifications required for the dive will be clearly identified on the sign up sheet and in the published calendar.  No exceptions will be made for any reason.

4.      Special Needs:  Some of our members have “special needs” when participating on a dive or trip. These can be cases where the diver needs extra assistance on a dive boat or a member has particular requirements regarding accommodations. Dive organizers will check for the common ones, such as the requirement for extra assistance getting into or out of the water.  However, it is the responsibility of the member to make sure that his/her needs are known to the organizer and if there is any doubt the member should contact the operator in advance.  It is the responsibility of the club member to verify that their needs can be accommodated prior to the event/trip/activity.

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