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South Florida Divers, Inc.
CONTENTS |
SFDI in the news....... ~ By Pete Stephinson
July is proving to be a great month for local diving. The month isn't half over yet and I have already been out 3 times, and had some great dives. The temp has been a balmy 82 degrees (above the thermo clines !!) though the visibility hasn't been that great. And we've still got the second half of the month left. I'm looking forward to the all-day 4-dive trip off Key Largo on the 18th and lobster mini-season towards the end of the month.
I visited Atlanta recently and took the opportunity to visit the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. While it's not the same as diving there are a number of interesting exhibits containing many species not found in our usual diving locations such as Beluga whales and spider crabs. If your travels take you to Atlanta, I would suggest that it's worth visiting.
It's always good to get outside validation that what you are doing is the right thing, so when a journalist from examiner.com wrote an article on us recently, it was very pleasing to read the good things he had to say about us. The journalist, David Wear, had learned about us from our website and contacted us for additional information about the club. You can read his article at examiner.com . It is a tribute to the members and club officers over the years who have built SFDI into a club with a track record of achievements that are looked upon so favorably by outsiders. When you read the article, David asked me to invite you to subscribe to receive alerts on his future articles.
While I'm on the subject of outside mentions, our hosts on Saba, Saba Divers and Scout's Place named our club group as their June "Diver of the Month" - thank you Saba Divers. You can see our SFDI group on their website at Saba Divers article. Also, now that our returning Saba trippers have had time to get themselves organized, you can see more photos and videos from our Saba trip here on www.sfdi.com.
Over the last month or so I'm sure you've noticed a number of improvements on our web site www.sfdi.com. Ray Schreiber has been doing a great job in tidying it up, improving the organization, and removing out dated information. I really like the featured photo he will update monthly on the home page and the direct link to the calendar (it's no longer necessary to go to the current newsletter first !). A new feature added to the site this month is the inclusion of the policies, procedures and membership applications. The next enhancement will be the addition of a "member benefits" page. This will overview the benefits of membership and will include a section on dive shops, dive boats etc who will give members a discount on presentation of their SFDI membership card. Great job Ray, keep up the good work.
Over the last month or so I have noticed that may of you have pages on Facebook. To enable our members to take better advantage of the Facebook capabilities we have established a South Florida Divers Group. This group enables discussions and posting of items of common interest - something that has been suggested many times over the last several years. If you'd like to join either apply directly on Facebook or email me.
Don't forget our annual "Members Appreciation" Beach party on Saturday July 25th. This is always a fun event and I hope to see you there Pete
Photos By Pete Stephinson at the Georgia Aquarium
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We are happy to
announcing the engagement of Gerry Cowen and Debbie Greenberg.
Will you still love me when I'm 64?
MEETING LOCATION !!!
Location for General Meeting
Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Ft. Lauderdale
The Same Place We Have The Pig Roast and Seafood Fest !!
Directions:
1. Take I 95 to Davie Blvd. Head West.
2. Turn Left on 27th Ave, (Riverland Road ).
3. Follow around and Stay on Riverland Road
4. Turn left at Whale Harbor Lane.
5. Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club is on the Right
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PLEASE SEE NOTE ABOVE !!
SFDI meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club. 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! 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. |
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIE!
We are delighted to welcome new members: Bonnie Lee,
Nancy Hejde and Darrell Hejde !!
As a Reminder to Everyone, We are a NO-DECOMPRESSION Dive Club. Always adhere to Safe Recreational Dive Depths and Limits.
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AUGUST 2009....
and beyond
By
Dave Schneider, Vice President, Calendar To ensure
privacy please note that event Coordinators phone numbers are never posted.
If you are a Club member please consult your Buddy List for the number
you need. If you do not have a copy there will be one available at the
next General Meeting, or contact Melissa Ames. Just a quick
reminder... The Calendar exists for the convenience of all our members.
If you see a future event that is of interest please contact the Coordinator
directly. You can sign on to an event at any time. The Coordinator will
be more than pleased to place your name on the list and tell you where to mail
payment. Remember.. you are
not confirmed on an event until you have made payment.
A member who signs on later but makes payment first will receive preference. July 12: 12:45
PM Show 1:30 PM Go (Sunday) Join Kim
Hunziker and Fred Miller aboard the American Dream as they lead us to
the Tenneco towers for a great dive at a great site. As always, the second
dive will be a reef. Always a popular dive, they suggest you sign-up
asap. Cost will be $60.00, tax and tip included. Call Kim for more
details or go to www.scubaftlauderdale.com. July 15: Dinner-at-Large
(Wednesday) Julie and Joe shall be
ringing the dinner bell at 7:30 at their favorite Italian restaurant, Marino's,
located on SR 7 just south of Griffin Road. Be there for a great night
out. July 18: 8:00
AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Saturday)
Slate's - Key Largo Kim Hunziker has this one planned
as a 3 tank, 4 dive all day event. We've done this before; two wrecks,
two reefs, lunch on board and a heck of a lot of fun. Prices out at $92.00,
tax and tip included. Remember to bring your own lunch and beverage.
Call Kim for more details or go to www.captainslate.com. July 25:
Member Appreciation Day
(Saturday) We've set the date for our annual cookout on Ft.
Lauderdale beach. Great fun for all so plan to be there. It all
starts at 4:00 PM. We provide the burgers and dogs, you bring a side and
your own beverages. More details to follow. July 29 & 30:
Mini Season ! August 5: General
Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp!
Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club
Address and directions elsewhere on the website. August 6: Lobster
Season opens! August 9: 8:00
AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Sunday)
Gonna be a beautiful day so why not join John and Dave as they lead the fleet
out to sea for a "private boat dive"? Be on time or be looking
for a cozy diner to have breakfast at. August 10: SFDI
Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843
Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Everybody welcome.
Meeting starts at 7:30. August 12: 9:30
AM Show 10:00 AM Go (Wednesday) "Over-the-Hill & Off-the-Stern"
Once again a fun afternoon away from work on an uncrowded boat.
We'll be on Scubatyme out of Pompano. Cost will be $55.00,
tax and tip included. Call Dave Schneider for details or go to www.scubatyme.com. August 14 - 16: Annual
Keys Weekend Jeff and Ginny will once
again be hosting the Keys weekend. Due to popular demand we will 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 $170.00 for non-divers. Space
is limited! This is always a very popular event so sign-up early and
get your money into Kim. First to pay, first to play. Call
Jeff or Ginny for more details. August 23: 1:00
PM Show 1:30 PM Go (Sunday) For
those who weren't able to be with us on the 12th. we're gonna do an afternoon
on Lady-Go-Diver out of Deerfield . We're planning on two reefs but we
can work a split drop if there is anybody who wants to do a wreck. Cost will
be $55.00, tax and tip included. Call Dave Schneider to sign on. For more info
go to www.dixiedivers.com.
August 27: Dinner-at-Large
(Thursday)
Bruce and Barbara invite one and all to join them
for some tantalizing morsels at Christina Wan's, 644 N. Federal
Highway. The dinner gong will be sounding at 7:30. Call Bruce or
Barbara for more details or go to www.christinawans.com. September 2: General
Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp!
Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club
Address and directions elsewhere on the website. September 5 - 12: Bahamas
Week A new twist on an annual
favorite. Rather than just a weekend Jeff & Ginny have us booked for
an entire week at the Wyndham Viva Fortuna on Grand Bahama.
It's a great package... round trip transportation.. 7 nights.. 10 dives.. all
food.. all liquor.. and it's just $1000.00 +/- per person (around
$700.00 for non-divers). While there is no cap to the number of people
who may go there is a cap of 24 divers
so get at least your $100.00 deposit in soon. September 14: SFDI
Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843
Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Everybody welcome.
Meeting starts at 7:30. October 3: Seafood
Fest! (Saturday) Always a highlight of the SFDI Calendar as
we go through another fun- filled hurricane season. Plan to dive today
so you can bring your catch as well as the mandatory covered dish to share
with all. Cookies from Publix are not an option. Cost will
be $5.00 for members and guests. Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club
[Map here], 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Ft. Lauderdale. As always
there will a keg, wine and chicken on the barbie. 5:00PM to Midnight.. October 23 - 25: Penne-Camp
& Dive Weekend Back
for a second year, we will be limited to 6 tents this time around. A
weekend in "the woods", good friends, food, drink and maybe a little
diving thrown in for good measure. All for around $20.00 per person,
diving not included. More to follow or call Dave Schneider. December 5:
Holiday Party What's
a Calendar without mention of this one? "POLICIES &
PROCEDURES" NOW PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE The rules and regulations
that we must all abide by are now printed in their entirety on the website.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that all members, new and old, read
and be thoroughly aware of how these rules apply to them. I have
summarized below some of the more important points. Payment:
A member is confirmed only after they have paid. Payments for dives must
be made when signing up. Payments for trips must be made according to the
schedule as outlined by the Coordinator. In the event that a dive, trip,
etc. is overbooked than those confirmed to go will be determined by the date
order of payment. Cancellation:
Once a member signs on for a dive, event, etc. he/she is obligated to pay unless
they contact the Coordinator by the specified cancellation time, as outlined
in the Policies and Procedures. Certification
Requirements:
Some dives will be restricted to divers with certain minimum requirements,
generally as specified by the dive operator. In some cases these minimums may
be set by the Coordinator in conjunction with the E-Board based on the profile
and/or characteristics of the planned dive. No exceptions will be
allowed for any reason. Special
Needs: Some
of our members have "special needs" when participating on a dive or
trip. These can be cases where the person needs extra assistance on a
dive boat, special requirements regarding accommodations, etc.
Coordinators are not psychic. It is the responsibility of the member
to make sure the Coordinator knows of these needs well in advance of
the event. Please be sure that these
rules are clear to you. If not, get clarification from any E-Board
member.
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Would believe, Lionfish?
The Benwood Wreck in Key Largo
www.Fla-Keys360.com/scuba.html
I was not able to display these on my computer but they worked fine on my wife's laptop. Ray S
From an E-mail to SFDI
"Hi from Homestead.
Marc
Cohen attended a presentation that I gave in March about my new book,
Islands in the Sand: An Introduction to Artifical Reefs in the USA. The
book was delayed, but has now been released. ... Charlie"
Islands in the
Sand: An Introduction to Artificial Reefs by Charlie Hudson
From an E-mail to SFDI
"My name is David Wear,and I am the National Scuba Diving Examiner at Examiner.com. We are a very large on-line news and information publication with a very large readership. One of my weekly features is of dive clubs around the country. I have examined your web site along with many others and have selected South Florida Divers as my featured site. ... I expect to publish by Mon. June, 29. You can read my articles at Examiner.com Please share this link with whomever you like, and congratulations! Sincerely: David Wear National Scuba Diving Examiner Examiner.com 614-396-7389"
This is a link to the Underwater Journal online magazine
Here are some links to the Smuggler's freighter on June 4, 2009 near Deerfield Beach,
a 167-foot-long cargo ship named Miss Lourdies
Sun-Sentinel.com-sink-miss-Lourdies-060309
"Millie and I just got back from Mexico and were lucky enough to get these videos"
Link provided by Millie and David Pressler
photos by Pete Stephinson
Eric Rohde's Saba Adventure Photos
photos by Eric Rohde
photos by Pat Kalh
Don Page's Saba Adventure Photos
Photos by Don Page
John Beals video of our plane landing at Saba
John Beals Saba Night Dive Video
Photos by Ray Gonzalez and Susan Judah
Photos by Jeff Raffa and Ginny DeMattei
.jpg)
First Ever Doug Couvertier Underwater Photos
Photos by Dave Pressler and Ray Schreiber
Over-the-hill- and Off-the-stern Dive
Photos by Dave Schneider and Ray Schreiber
Fred Miller's Birthday Pictures
Photos by Ray Schreiber
August Meeting Program
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DIVING SAFETY MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS Diving practice is changing all the time based on new insights from research and accident analysis. But is your knowledge current? Come learn the answers to the questions posed below and a whole lot more as we learn from Dr. Alex Brylske at this important DAN sponsored seminar.
• What does science currently know about "bends" and why it happens?
• Why do recreational divers get more serious forms of bends than military and commercial divers?
• Are there really any differences between decompression models?
• Are deep safety stops a good idea?
• What exactly is "decompression stress"?
• Is bubble formation the only concern in decompression illness?
• Can I get the bends even if I don’t violate my dive computer or tables?
• When bends occurs, should recompression always be the first priority?
• Are there any special safety concerns for older divers?
• What’s different about diving accidents today versus a few years ago?
• What’s the best way to reduce your risk of decompression illness?
Don’t wait for an accident to happen - You may be the one to prevent it!
ABOUT DR. ALEX BRYLSKE Our speaker tonight, Dr. Alex Brylske (BRILL-SKI), wears many hats in the diving community. For the past decade, he has devoted much of his career to promoting marine conservation, but tonight he comes to us as a Training Consultant for DAN.
Alex began diving when LBJ was in the White House; and after a 35-year professional career in the industry, he has emerged as one of its most influential voices. Throughout the 1980s, as PADI’s Educational Program Development Manager, Alex designed and wrote many of the programs and training materials used by divers today. His 17-year tenure as Senior Editor of Dive Training magazine, and author or co-author of nearly a dozen books, has made him diving’s most widely published author.
Alex was also instrumental in the development of PADI’s Recreational Dive Planner, which sparked a deep interest in the subjects of this evening's presentation—diving physiology and decompression theory.
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The ABC’s of diving glossary:
August, 2009 notes brought to you
by the letter
F.
Fsw
Feet of sea water - it indicates the ambient absolute
pressure in sea water at the given depth.
Free diving
Also known as skin diving or breath hold diving without an underwater
breathing aid.
A SAFETY MINUTE
August 2009 Feature by Joe Giandinoto
Isn't
it an irony that while you are scuba diving you run the risk of dehydration
underwater even while you are enveloped by millions of gallons of water?
Ironic
but true. Scuba Diving can get a scuba
diver dehydrated if there is an inadequate quantity of water in his
body.
Lowered concentration of fluids in the blood can cause serious consequences.
If a diver is dehydrated his muscle tissues will receive reduced blood
flow. If these safety rules are ignored, the diver can suffer from
decompression sickness - whose symptoms include cramps, joint
pain, and many other serious consequences.
Dehydration affects the rate of nitrogen release. This makes ascents take
longer and the diver's oxygen may run out. If dehydrated, the diver will
fatigue more rapidly, spoil his enjoyment and have to surface quicker.
It is not difficult to achieve the proper level of hydration before and while
scuba diving. Before setting off, just drink lots water or a sports
drink which does not contain too much sugar. In warmer weather and for
longer dives, you will need to drink more fluids. Drink slowly, so your body
gets enough time to absorb the fluids without the kidneys getting overwhelmed.
Inadequate fluid in the blood
vessels of the neck and head cause headaches, so look out for headaches
- they are the first indication that you may be facing dehydration. Before the
dive, examine your urine to ensure that it's clear and light colored. Once you
have surfaced, re-hydrate slowly.
So, use common sense and go for safe dive!
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The Wet Zone South
Florida Divers, Inc., |
