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South Florida Divers, Inc.
August 2006 Newsletter
President's Message Lobsters tremble at the sound of her name......
~ By Pete Stephinson
For those of you who missed the first annual membership appreciation beach party.... you missed out on a fun time. Stefan and Eva Trestyn, did a great job in organizing this event and a fun time was had by all who attended. Unfortunately the sea conditions precluded a beach dive, but this was more than made up for by the good food and great company. The consensus of the Club Members who went to San Salvador was that this was a great trip - I am sure that Capt Chris has posted photo contributions elsewhere in the newsletter and on the site so you can see some of the sights and activities both above and below the water. Since we returned from San Salvador, the most common question I have been asked is "where are we going next year?". We don't have a definitive and complete answer to this question yet but a number of people are researching options. One definite trip is being organized by Julie Taylor and Joe Smariga. They are planning a trip on a liveaboard to Galapagos in February. They will be announcing this trip at the August meeting so if you think you are interested in joining this one we will have a sign up sheet will be at the August meeting and you will be able to make a deposit to reserve your space. As for summer, Caribbean trips there are a number of options being researched. We had 46 people on this year's trip to San Salvador. With this sort of interest we are considering 2 summer trips for 2007 - each with fewer people. This will give members the option of selecting their trip, or in fact going on both. Options being considered include, Cayman Brac, Roatan, Dominica, Turks & Caicos, Martinique, and diving the senotes near Playa del Carmen. We will present the final list to members at the August meeting, with details, and ask the members which are their preferred destinations. Based on member input we will finalize the trips at the August eboard meeting and open the sign up sheets. When you consider that we already have a trip scheduled to the Great Barrier towards the end of 2007, this will give members a good selection of trips to choose from -- Galapagos, two Caribbean trips and the Great Barrier -- With so many good international trips to choose from - why limit yourself to one ? I mentioned in last month's newsletter we are looking for members to organize, or assist in organizing local dives and activities. If you have enjoyed participating in club activities, it's time to give something back, and think about what you can organize. Maybe it's one of your favorite dives or activities. If you have something you would like to organize but aren't quite sure how to go about it, one of our eboard members or experienced organizers will be pleased to help you. To get started, have a chat with Dave Schneider, myself or one of the other eboard members at our next meeting. We will give you all the help and support you need to organize a successful club dive or event. At the July meeting Jerry Cowen announced a competition he, is running to identify the true "Lobster Queen". The competition is open to all our lady members and starts at mini-season -- July 26th. The winner will be crowned at our annual holiday party. We don't know her name yet, but whoever she is I'm sure that Lobsters are already trembling at the sound of her name. Good luck ladies - may the best of you win and officially assume the title of "Lobster Queen". See you in the water some time soon Pete email: President@SFDI.com |
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!
We are delighted to welcome new member Terry Hickey, David Watts, Maura Whelan, Mike DiBenedetto, Sean Davis andJill and Robert Hepworth ! We look forward to diving with you. As a Reminder to Everyone, We are a NO-DECO Dive Club. Always adhere to Safe Recreational Dive Depths and Limits.
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August 2006
Calendar and Beyond
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SFDI meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at the Ramada Inn Ft. Lauderdale Airport. The meeting starts at 7:30 If you are not a member, and you are reading this on the Internet, please join us because visitors are ALWAYS WELCOME! For driving directions to the meeting, visit our About Us page. 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. |
ATTENTION ALL BEACH DIVERS !
The water has warmed-up substantially and the urge to submerge has started to get to everyone. Fred Miller is our beach diving guru and wants to hear from anyone ready to start trekking over the sand and plunging into the water. Give him a call so he can start planning his weekend forays into the briny.
JULY DINNER AT LARGE PICS
On Wednesday, July 19, Twenty Seven members joined Pete Stephinson for a great evening
at The Deerfield Super Buffet. There was ALOT of food.
YUM !!
AUGUST DINNER AT LARGE
August 22 Join Joe Smariga at Mi Casa,Su Casa for an evening of fine Mexican dining. Joe is ringing the dinner bell at 7:30 PM. The restaurant is located at 2750 Griffin Road, 1/2 mile west of I-95 on the south side.
August Meeting Program
BAHAMAS DIVE WEEKEND !
September 15-17
Details are in place!!
The plan is to leave Friday morning on Discovery out of Ft. Lauderdale. The ship leaves at 8:00AM. Boarding begins at 6:00 AM. There will be diving Saturday and Sunday (two per day). The return trip leaves at 4:30PM Sunday. With all likelihood there will be a shark feeding dive included. Stefan is planning to use Xanadu Undersea Adventures as our dive coordinator.
Tentative Dive Schedule
Saturday: 1. Theo's Wreck - 103' 2. Dolphin Reef - "medium deep"
3. Tunnel's Ref - 60-80' 4. Shark feeding
Sunday: 1. Sea Star II Wreck 2. SPID City ("medium deep reef")
Friday and Saturday nights we will be at the Port Lucaya Hotel. Meals and beverage will be additional and not figured in the quoted price.
Total cost... unbelievably less than $500.00, double occupancy.
SOLD OUT !!
Stay tuned for more details!!
A SAFETY MINUTE
This Month's Feature by Michele Ashby
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.
August 2006 Safety Minute
Safety
Sausages and Surface Markers
What You Need to Know About
Safety Sausages
Do You Feel
Lost?
Have you ever found yourself on the surface wondering if the dive boat sees you?
Maybe you spent an extra few minutes on the perfect photo opportunity or in
search of the elusive spiny lobster, and found yourself separated from your dive
buddy or group. As you reach the surface, you look around... only to notice the
dive boat is picking up other divers a mile away. The only question that runs
through your mind is... "Do they see me?"
Virtually regardless of your dive destination and especially in a drift diving environment, a safety sausage can be an incredibly valuable tool. Visible for a great distance, a safety sausage can easily be the difference between two minutes or two hours floating on the surface.
The Anatomy
of a Safety Sausage
Although safety sausages and surface markers come in an array of sizes, shapes,
and colors, the basic safety sausage has a rather simple design. With typical
dimensions of 3 to 3 1/2-feet in length and 3-inches wide, standard designs are
brightly colored (i.e. orange or fluorescent yellow). The basic design is also
manually inflated through an oral inflation valve similar to your BCD, and easy
to secure with a velcro or elastic closure and clip.
You will find that certain sausages include a small dive flag, sleeve to insert a glowstick, or message printed along the sausage (i.e. Diver Down). In addition to the standard sausage design, you will also find a wide selection of larger and wider designs incorporating distinct features such as radar reflective materials and inflation by your low pressure hose. You may also consider attaching your whistle to your safety sausage for easy access to both safety tools.
How to Use
Your Safety Sausage
After you've reached the surface and established buoyancy, look around to locate
the dive boat. After you've located the boat, give your prescribed 'okay'
signal. If the captain or crew does not return your 'okay' signal or if you're
not able to immediately locate the boat, reach for your safety sausage, unclip,
unwrap, and inflate it. Hold it above your head in an upright position. If there
is any doubt that the captain or crew sees you or there is any significant
distance between you and the boat, deploy your sausage. This not only increases
your visibility to your dive boat captain, but equally important, makes you
easier to spot by other boats as well. Of course, avoid waving it like a diver
in distress, unless you are truly in need of assistance.
Safety Sausage
Selection
A safety sausage, diver surface marker, or lift bag should be considered when
planning virtually every dive, and your selection will inevitably depend upon
your diving environment.
With a continual concern for diver safety, Dive Rite introduced the Diver Surface Marker. Visible for miles, it is bright orange, over 4-feet long, 8-inches wide, and incorporates radar reflective tape. A cross between a traditional safety sausage and a lift bag, you can attach it to a dive reel and deploy it at depth or easily inflate it on the surface to mark your location. The primary advantage of Dive Rite's Diver Surface Marker is that it much larger than most standard sausage designs and stands further out of the water than a lift bag.
Dive Safe and Dive Smart
Trivia Question
A Monthly Feature by Marjory Meechan
TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWER
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Flashback
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Ever thought of a trip to the Dry Tortugas? Here's a book to get you in the mood. Ana Pigeon is a U.S. Park Ranger who has the same problem as Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher. Trouble follows her wherever she goes and she goes to a lot of places; well, parks, anyway. In this novel, Ana is on temporary assignment in the Dry Tortugas. In this remote location, Ana has plenty of time to think about both her future, as she ponders a wedding proposal, and her past, as she peruses letters written by her great-great aunt Raffia. Her great-aunt and her husband were stationed at Fort Jefferson after the civil war. All this serves as a backdrop for the present time where Ana's life is definitely not as boring as she might like it. As Ana tries to make sense of some decidedly mysterious events taking place around her, she has to contend with exploding boats and up-to-the-second dive rescues. All these elements come together in the exciting conclusion. Result: This is a great beach book with the added advantage of providing lots of interesting facts about the Dry Tortugas. |
South Florida Divers Club
By Brian Hufford
San Salvador, Bahamas
June 17th-24th, 2006
WE'RE BACK !!!
Julie Taylors San Salvador Shark Pic !!
Nice Shot Julie !!
MEMBERS PICTURES
Pete Stephinson's Pete Stephinson's
Underwater Gallery Land Gallery
Nansy Mackenzie's Gallery Capt. Chris' Gallery
Dave Schneider's Gallery Sandra Hofer's Gallery
Steve Oller's Gallery Debby Bradford's Gallery
GALAPAGOS TRIP PLANNED
Cruise February 7-14, 2007
http://www.eaiadventure.com/galapagos/gap42.asp
Dive Cruise aboard the Daphne. There are 8 cabins, 16 divers. I would like to book the whole boat for the club.
The itinerary includes diving at Wolf and Darwin Islands.
Dive cruise 1972.00 (based on 16 people)
Mainland 350.00 (3 nts hotel, transfers, day trip to the Andes and Otavalo Indian Market, lunch)
GNP flight 410.00 (flight Quito – Balta in the Galapagos R/T)
GNP fee 100.00 (park fee)
Total 2832.00
Does not include airfare from USA to Quito, Ecuador
We will need an immediate deposit of 400.00 per person to confirm the space.
If interested contact Julie Taylor
A valid passport is required
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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
No sooner does man discover
intelligence than he tries to involve it in his own stupidity.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
The Wet Zone
South Florida Divers, Inc.,
Copyright 2006
