President's Message

'Tis The Season!

During the month of December, we have three big club events.  First, at the club meeting we will be holding our elections for our next year E-board members; second, we have a Holiday Lights Cruise; and third is our biggest party of the year, the Holiday Party.

Our Holiday party is on Saturday, December 13, at the I.T. Parker Center in Dania Beach (click here for map and interactive directions).  The party starts at 7 PM and ends at 1 AM.  For those of you who have never been to this party, it is the best of the year.  The club provides a buffet style dinner, where we  provide 3 turkeys, 2 spiral hams, and all the beverages, which include a full bar with mixers, beer, wine, sodas, water, and the frozen drink of the night, made by John Kansman and his magical blender.  We have a new special DJ for dancing, and a tank raffle with a lot of door prizes.  All you have to do is dress up, wear your dancing shoes, and bring $10, a covered dish, and your appetite.  A toy for tot is optional.  If you are at a loss for what to bring for a covered dish, you can see Don Lawrynuik at the sign up table; he has a covered dish sign up list with a lot of suggestions.  If you would like to help set up, we are starting at 6 PM.

Before I close, I would like to thank the E-board of 2003 for doing a great job.  Thanks everyone for a great club year.
Happy Holidays,

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!

We are delighted to welcome new members John Koch, Annette LaPrade, Douglas LaPrade, Harry Nichols, Daniel Montes, Margaret Montes, and Sam Rich.  We look forward to diving with all of you!

December 2003 Calendar and beyond

Phone numbers of trip coordinators are not posted here to ensure privacy.  If you are a club member, consult your Buddy List for numbers; if not, and you wish to contact a trip coordinator, e-mail the web divemaster.
 
 

• November 25: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• November 29, 7 PM:  Dinner/Social with Joe Smariga and Julie Taylor.
• December 2: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• December 3, 7:30 PM: General meeting. ANNUAL SFDI ELECTIONS. RAMADA INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275 State Road 84.  [Driving directions here] [Map here]  NOTE: additional parking on west side of Ramada. 
• December 6, 6:30 show for 7 PM go: 2-hour Holiday Lights cruise with Jeff Guzowski, leaving from Pier 66, dock slip 99, on the American Dream II [Directions here].  You will need to bring appetizers or snacks to share and your own drinks (no glass) while we enjoy the holiday sights.  $25 per person includes tip. 
• December 8, 7:30 PM: SFDI Executive Board meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road.  Members always welcome! 
• December 9: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• December 13, 6 PM set up, 7 PM-1 AM PARTY: Annual SFDI Holiday Party at I.T. Parker Community Center in Dania Beach  (click here for map and interactive directions). See the President's letter above for details.
• December 16: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• December 20:  Annual Christmas Tree Sinking dive with Joe Smariga, call Joe for details.  Click here for photos of the 2002 sinking and here for photos of the 2001 sinking!
• December 23: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• December 27, 7 PM:  Wine Tasting at Susan and Ray's.  Bring a bottle of wine and a side dish to share.  Come to the December meeting or call Susan Judah for directions.
• December 30: Join Fred Miller for our weekly Tuesday night beach dive.  Call Fred for time/location.
• December 31: Celebrate the New Year with Broward's First City at the Dania Beach Centennial Kickoff.  Details here.
• January 7, 2004, 7:30 PM: General meeting. RAMADA INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275 State Road 84.  [Driving directions here] [Map here]  NOTE: additional parking on west side of Ramada. 
• January 10, 4:30 PM:  Picnic/BBQ on South Fort Lauderdale Beach with Dave Wills.
• January 12, 7:30 PM: SFDI Executive Board meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road.  Members always welcome! 
• January 18, 12:30 PM show for 1 PM go: Kayak the upper Keys with Florida Bay Outfitters (MM104, Key Largo) and Debby and Rick Auchter. Enjoy a half-day guided tour of Dusenberry Creek, winter home for a few Florida manatees.  $50 includes guide, kayak or canoe, snack, shuttle and FREE souvenir water bottle. There is a group discount that increases with the size of the group, so the cost could be less depending on how many wish to go.  Because this is a non-diving event, feel free to invite your family and friends.  $25 deposit due at December meeting, final payment due at January meeting.
• February 7-8, 2004: Annual Bogey & Bacall Kayak and Canoe Classic, Key Largo.
• March 26-28:  Ginnie Springs camping/diving weekend with Debby and Rick Auchter.  Camping Friday and Saturday nights and diving Saturday and Sunday is about $90 per person (discounts apply if we get a large enough group).  Explore the Ginnie Springs website to see all they have to offer!    Non-divers adult rate is about $60 for the weekend; kids 7-14 is about $30 for the weekend.  There is a full-service large dive shop in the premises if you need to buy or rent gear.  Bring along your non-diving family members to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and volleyball (see Ginnie's website for costs).  Please make a $30 deposit for each family member at the December meeting to hold your spot; payment in full can be made at the January and February meetings.
• June, 2004:  Cayman Brac with Jeff Guzowski and Michele Burzese.
• August, 2004: Looe Key trip with Cheryl Bartek Teugels.

The December 3 meeting will be our annual E-Board election and social time.  Here are the nominations for officers that were made at the November 5 meeting.  We actively seek more nominations for EVERY position.  That could be YOU and new members are welcome to run for E-Board.  Call any current E-Board member to see what is involved, our phone numbers are on your buddy list.  See you there!

Position Nominated President Jeff Guzowski VP of Membership Joe Smariga Membership Assistant OPEN: You? VP of Calendar Cheryl Teugels Calendar Assistant OPEN: You? VP of Programs Steve Anderson Secretary Donna Eades Treasurer Michele Burzese Treasurer Assistant Bill Dietz Newsletter Editor Susan Judah Web Divemaster Debby Auchter Sargeant-At-Arms Pat Lamicella Member-At-Large Patty Dollard Member-At-Large Allen Ryant Greeter Julie Taylor

Book Review Diving the World By Norbert Wu

Diving the World is a whopper of a new book by Norbert Wu, one of the world's preeminent underwater photographers. In this just-issued, 384-page book, Wu displays a gallery of fascinating images from the world's most beautiful dive location, from the well-trodden California coast to the remote outposts of Antarctica and the tropical shores of lesser known locales including the Revillagigedo Islands, Palau, and French Polynesia.

Ken McAlpine's colorful and informative text provides an honest appraisal of everything a serious diver needs to know along Wu's photographic journey: the best seasons for diving, unique aspects of the geography and sea life found, popular dive destinations within a specific locale, suggestions for getting there, the best time and places for extraordinary species and behaviors, as well as topside tips. Three hundred and fifty color photographs from more than 30 locations illustrate the wonder and diversity that can be found under the sea, from frolicking sea otters to freshwater jellyfish to bad-tempered sharks and coral communities bursting with color. Wu has the unique ability to capture the mood and personality - whether whimsical or fearsome - of his subjects.

This is a splendid book, a must for every serious diver and a great prize for anyone on your holiday gift list. Order through Undercurrent magazine, get Amazon.com's best price and a large chunk of the profit will be donated to CORAL.

Click here for more book reviews!

KayakDiving.com: The Complete Guide to
Outfitting and Using Your Dive Kayak

A few of the more adventurous SFDI members have recently acquired dive kayaks.  Not wishing to be left out, Rick and I recently rented kayaks for an afternoon and fell in love with the sport.  We aren't quite ready to make the investment in boats yet, before doing some research...and we found a tremendous guide by California diver Mark Theobald, KayakDiving.com.  Although it is not the most attractive site on the web, KayakDiving.com is packed with information about the various makes and models of dive kayaks available.  His reviews provide links to manufacturers' websites.  Perhaps the most important feature of his site is the diving technique where he discusses and illustrates just how to get back into the boat after a dive.

Even if you aren't interested in kayak diving, check out the site anyway because Theobald's photos of underwater California are very interesting and show how diverse West Coast sealife is from ours.  He also discusses kayak surfing and kayak fishing.  Theobald sells his e-book on CD-Rom, Kayak Diving & Fishing, Surfing, Exploring, and Play!, from the site for just $15.  I ordered one and it arrived in just a few days.  It has many extras not contained on the website and I plan to have a review of it for you early in 2004.

Click here for more Websites of the Month!

December Wacky Foto

Hey, can I lick the spoon?

A spring chinook salmon appears to take an interest in the ice cream of seven-year-old Cassidy Smith of Roseburg, Ore., who was visiting the Winchester, Ore., Dam Fish Ladder with her parents. 

 Click here for more Wacky Fotos!