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    Is that the first thought that came to your mind this month?  Sit back and relax.  We think this innovation in publishing your newsletter will be a real treat for you.  We heard your complaints about the long download times for the 2001 newsletters.  The wait is over.

     You will still receive a brief newsletter in your e-mail (or snail mail if you haven't joined the 21st Century) containing the President's Message, our next meeting time and program, a list of current elected E-Board members, and your favorite, the monthly calendar.  All of the wonderful articles and great photographs by YOU and your fellow members, that you have come to expect and enjoy, will be right here on the web site.

     We've even loaded all of the 2001 newsletters!  A subject index is in the works, so you can easily access prior "The Wrecks We Dive," trip reports, recipes, and more.  You'll even find links to maps and directions for our scheduled events!

     Lost your newsletter?  No problem.  Just visit www.sfdi.com and click on "News," then on the current month.  Read it online from Timbuktu, Borneo or the Arctic Circle!  No computer at home?  No problem...you can access the Internet for FREE@your library.

     The best thing about web publishing is the ability to change information quickly.  If an event is changed or cancelled, we should be able to reflect that right here.  We are also looking into the possibility of adding breaking news stories about diving, marine life, the environment, and more.  Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

     Newsletter submissions are always welcome.  We are looking for articles, dive destination or gear reviews, photographs, true stories and tall tales, safety tips, recipes, or just about anything else of interest to our members.  You write 'em, I'll edit 'em.  You can send photos via e-mail or give them to me at a meeting and I'll scan them.  The best thing for our club photographers is that I now have room to put all of your wonderful pictures on the web and I don't have to shrink them!  My philosophy for this publication is to showcase our members' talents!  Contact me anytime at Debby @ RaptureDivers dot com.

     One final comment:  I truly hope you enjoy your newsletter in this format.  It is much easier for me, your editor, to put the newsletter together this way than in the old format.  I also truly believe that there are more benefits to our members/readers by having our newsletter on the web.  I simply do not have the free time to continue publishing them with the confining format of a 8-1/2 x 11 page layout.  If a majority of the members would like to return to the old format, as soon as a new newsletter editor is found who is willing to publish in that format, we can return to it.

     So, let's give this a try, and please read all the way to the last line before making up your mind.  My dream is to be able to provide MORE of YOUR stories, MORE of YOUR photography, and the best directory of web links of interest to divers on the WWW!

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     Our February calendar is quite full of non-diving activities for our warm water divers, and a few dives for our tough winter divers.  We have some great upcoming trips, such as a manatee springs trip at the end of February, a possible kayak trip in late march or April, and a Marathon Keys trip in June.  If you are interested in any of these trips, don’t forget to bring your checkbook with you to the February meeting to put your deposits down to reserve your spot.

     Club member Fred Miller would to like to run an out of country trip this summer, anyone interested, see Fred or me.

     Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, April 20th for our annual Pig Roast.
Dive Safe,

     Join underwater photojournalist Barry Kulick for his annual entertaining "year in review" of diving locations most of us only dream of!  We will meet as usual at Howard Johnson's Hollywood Beach Penthouse at 7:30 [Click here for map].  Bring your friends, because Barry always has an interesting and humorous show!  If you would like a sneak preview of some of Barry's works, visit his gallery here, or click on "Links" above and choose "Ocean Art and Photography."

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     Your club membership expired December 31. The February meeting is your last chance to renew without the $5 late fee.   If we do not already have a copy of your C-card and diving insurance on file, please bring them.

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     All paid-in-full members received their February 2002 calendar by e-mail or snail mail.  A few of the highlights of this month's calendar appear below.

• If you can still fit into your wetsuit after the holidays, join Dave Wills for  private boat dives on January 27 and February 10.  Meet Dave at John U. Lloyd State Park at 8:30 AM.
• If you missed the last  brewing night at Brewmaster's South, you will not want to miss our wine making and beer brewing event on Friday, February 1.  Contact Susan Judah to reserve your spot because space is limited.  [Map to Brewmaster's South]
• Have you ever visited the Broward Shell Club's annual shell show?  Have you ever enjoyed a taste of the islands at the Calypso Pub? Debby Auchter invites you to join her in Pompano Beach on Saturday, February 2 to enjoy them both.  Note: this is before the next general meeting so you will need to contact Debby directly to sign up, or just show up.  [Map to the Shell Show][Map to Calypso Pub]
• The IMAX and dinner outing sponsored by Jane McArthur has been moved back one week to February 9 so we could attend the shell show.  Contact Jane about a week before to find out what is playing and when. [Map to IMAX]
• Take your sweetheart to the Miami International Boat Show, February 14-19.  It isn't a club event but you can dare to dream!
• Laugh your socks off with Jeff Guzowski at Uncle Funny's on February 21.  Ski gets quite a rowdy crowd to join him; don't miss the fun! [Map to Uncle Funny's]
• Enjoy a relaxing bike ride on Hollywood Beach with Jane MacArthur on February 23.  Replenish the calories you burned off over lunch on the Broadwalk.  Meet at 10 AM at Anne Kolb Nature Center. [Map to Anne Kolb]
• The wine from brewing night won't be ready for the March 2 Wine Tasting at Susan Judah's, so you'll have to go shopping.  Bring a bottle and an appetizer.  Hot tip: wine that has a cork in it is better than the screw-top kind.  Call Susan for directions.  After you recover from the wine tasting, join Susan the very next day for Gato Barbieri and Chuck Mangione in concert at Gulfstream Park.  Meet at the Tri-Rail station at I-95 and Sheridan Street at 1:30 to carpool.
• Ladies, mark your calendars for March 8-10 when Ladies, Let's Go Fishing! holds their annual "No Yelling School of Fishing" at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum.  Debby Auchter will have more information at the February meeting, or visit their website.
• The coolest event on this month's calendar is the Manatee Trip coordinated by John Kansman and Fred Miller. Scroll down for more information!
• Speaking of Fred, he loves to beach dive and invites you to call him anytime you have the urge to submerge.  He has scheduled a Dania Beach beach dive for Saturday morning, March 9.

     The itinerary will be as follows: Friday March 1 , drive up to Central Florida, caravaning and carpooling if possible, to spend the night at the resort. On Saturday morning at 7 am, we hope to snorkel with the manatees on the Crystal River and then enjoy a guided cavern dive.

     In the afternoon, drift dive the Rainbow River with clear shallow water, fish and turtles. For dinner, there is a pub and restaurant on the premises. Dinner is on you!!

     Relax, spend Saturday night at the resort, and  next morning enjoy the best tour to see manatees, which is snorkeling only on the Homosassa River. The morning tour is done by 9:30 am.  If you want, you can add two dives in Manatee springs, a 70 foot cavern and a 30 to 40 foot open spring, at an additional fee. Or, according to Fred, you can drive there on your own.

     The diving could be done by 3 pm and then it's back to reality and home! The resort consists of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas. A villa in central Florida is a mobile home on the river, but I hear very comfortable. Check out their website at www.americanprodive.com. The cost for this GREAT TRIP is a mere $135 per person. Possibly less, maybe more? I doubt it.  I do need to book this as soon as possible so get in touch with me.  If you have any questions, feel free to call me or Fred Miller.

     I left out the most important part. Even though the water is at a constant 72 degrees, the pontoon boats are enclosed, heated, and serve HOT CHOCOLATE!

     THANKS A LOT AND CONTACT ME SOON!

The Tenneco Oil Rigs are suspended 30 feet off the bottom, in 108 feet of water in Hallandale.  It has one of the greatest arrays of fish, coral and invertebrate life of any of our artificial reefs.  Tenneco Oil donated, transported and placed the five sections of Oil Rig #37 from the Middle of the Gulf of Mexico to our coast at great expense.       The five sections are in 105-110 feet and two jacket legs are in 190 feet.  The three shallow sections are spaced about 100 yards apart and consist of two upper Derrick sections and one working platform.  The Middle section, which is the working platform, raises four stories from the sandy bottom.  It leans because one leg partially collapsed during Hurricane Andrew.       As you approach the 60-foot top deck, you can see that it is covered with steel crane cable, lots of coral, bait fish and an occasional school of tarpon.  Once you descend to the second deck at 75 feet, coral growth, big groupers and lobster inhabit every inch of metal that was exposed.  This is due to the fact that the Tenneco’s usually run a good current which provides great quantities of nourishment for its marine life. Return to Table of Contents

Jane McArthur took some wonderful wildlife photos on the Shark Valley bicycling trip January 19.  Click on the turtle to see GATORS!