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South Florida Divers, Inc.
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Try to stay warm! ~ By Jeff Guzowski
Well, it seems every weekend the winds are up
or the temperatures are down in the 50’s or 60’s. As I am writing
this, it is 48 degrees and the water is 70.
Our January meeting at our new meeting location at the Ramada Inn turned out to be a blast. Debby Auchter’s Wacky Gift Swap was a great time. The martini set and the pretty Wyland puzzle seemed to swap around more than any of the gifts. The best was Julie Taylor who ended up with the “Janet Reno” shoe. Thanks to all of you who brought in a gift, and all the participants in the swap. This gift swap night has been a great addition to our calendar every year. Speaking of this year, the upcoming events are: snow skiing in Lake Tahoe, the Pig Roast, Manatee trip, two Curacao trips, and the annual Keys Weekend. Don’t forget that if you are signed up on any trips, to make sure you keep up with your payment schedule. The speaker this month is our favorite world-renowned photographer, Barry Kulick. Barry has entertained us in the past years with his slide show of beautiful pictures from all over the world. If you have never seen his presentation, you definitely need to make this meeting. Dive safe, ~ Ski
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES! We are delighted to welcome new members Jennifer Dorrell and Corey Park, and a "welcome back" to Mike Chesen. We look forward to diving with all of you! |
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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.
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What
would a February SFDI meeting be like without Barry Kulik's fabulous photography?
I don't know what is more enjoyable, his beautiful underwater shots or
his hilarious commentary. Barry is a professional underwater photographer
and cameraman. A long time sport diver, he sold his guitar making
business in 1988, and turned his hobby into a career. During the
past fourteen years he has had the opportunity to travel the world with
his cameras to capture images of a wide variety of marine subjects; ranging
in diversity from minute Pygmy Sea Horses, to enormous Great White Sharks,
from the murky confines of ancient shipwrecks, to the vibrant color and
ceaseless activity of majestic coral reefs. You will surely want to sneak
a peek at his website, barrykulick.com
before the meeting. See you there!
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According to SFDI rules, any bylaw changes must be published in the newsletter for two months, and voted on by the general membership. Click here for details on a bylaw change you will be voting on at the February 5 General Meeting. |
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Attention club members, your membership expired December 31. Remember to bring your checkbook or cash to the February meeting. The February meeting is your last chance to renew without paying a $5 late fee. Dues are still only $45/member, $60/family. |
O
Christmas tree! (Glug-glug!)
An artificial reef sunk 70 feet off Hollywood in May became a Christmas reef Saturday. Fourteen members of the South Florida Divers Club anchored a live evergreen on the bow of the coastal freighter Eben-ezer, then decorated it with edible treats while Jimmy Buffett's album Christmas Island blared from underwater speakers.
The club has observed this annual ritual for the past 18 years, picking a different shipwreck to decorate each time. "It's just fun," said club vice president Joe Smariga of Dania Beach. "A lot of club members look forward to it."
The deployment went smoothly. The tree was placed in an 80-pound concrete stand and lashed to the stern platform of the dive boat, Dry Martini, for the trip. Captain Walt De Martini anchored the boat on the wreck, and divemaster Amber Hester, club member Eric Rohde and Smariga lowered the tree on a separate line. Lift bags were used to control the tree's buoyancy to prevent it from sinking too fast.
With
the tree upright on the bow, club members took turns decorating it with
garlands and ornaments that would serve as fish food: grapes, baby
carrots, crackers, Vienna sausages, apple slices, sections of cob
corn and strings of pasta.
Even fastened with strings, ornaments kept floating away. "I rip the bag open and corn is floating everywhere," Barbara Rudzik said. Jim Mancinelli hung candy canes, but they didn't last. "I put them on and they stayed on perfectly, but in five to 10 minutes, they dissolved," he said.
Watching the proceedings with great interest were several triggerfish, wrasses and filefish. Whenever a decoration floated off, the fish ate it.
Club members welcome other divers to gather 'round the tree, but Smariga said they had better do it quickly. "The only thing left after three weeks is a piece of concrete and a stick," he said. The GPS numbers for the Christmas reef are 26.00.398 north, 080.05.589 west.
Copyright (c) December 15, 2002 The Miami Herald
Click here for more photos of the Christmas tree sinking!
I did show for the bike ride but
did not see any others there. I waited for half an hour and asked around
but no one knew of the group. I even had my dive flag reflector on the
back of my bike in case anyone showed and saw me, but being new, I was
unable to recognize anyone from the group. I did take the ride
and I loved it.
The
first half was filled with alligators of all sizes and birds were everywhere
sunning themselves. I saw the most beautiful hawk not more than 15 feet
from me. I even saw a deer munching grass. I stopped counting the alligators
at around 85. There were a lot of small ones and on the back side of the
ride I was able to catch a picture of a baby. I stood there for quite awhile
and watched it. It was calling for mom, but I do not think the larger gator
near it was the parent. Unfortunately, there were not many grandpa gators
out there. Maybe 3 or 4 really big, old guys. Most were juveniles or young
adults.
I took my time and stopped at the mid point for lunch. There were 6 or 7 gators on the trail to the tower, they ranged from 3 to 5 feet in length and were out sunning themselves and checking out the tourists. One foolish man was laying on the ground inching toward them trying to get a picture. Thankfully, the ranger caught him or he may have irritated one of them and been bitten.
I saw a large snake also, around 6 foot or
so, on the return trip. I was standing there with my binoculars looking
at some beautiful blue herons when I heard a rustling. I looked down and
this snake was no more than 3 feet from me gliding through the grasses
and water. Needless to say, I very quietly backed away and got back on
my bike. I am not sure what type of snake, but I think it may have been
a moccasin. I was unable to get a good look at the head and I really did
not want to investigate. I had my first aid kit, with the snake bite kit
included, with me, but I have no
desire to have to try it out especially
on myself.
I did end up with a flat about a third of the way through, but was rescued by a ranger with an air pump and a patch kit, so I was able to finish the ride. All in all, it was a great ride. So much wildlife to see and so many alligators of every size imaginable. There were turtles here and there, but not many. You had to really stop and look to see some of them, they were hidden in the grasses and by the rocks, but they were there. I even spied what looked like a rat, but I am not sure, it may have been a possum but I don't know if they hang out in that type of terrain. Hey, I'm a northerner, what do I know!
Glenn
Orihood has scheduled another of his popular kayak trips for March 29.
The cost is $65 and includes a gourmet lunch, water and soft drinks (menu
later).
The destination is Fisheating Creek at Palmdale, Florida. This creek is considered by many to have some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. It is abundantly vegetated, with the trees generously draped in a veil of Spanish Moss. It is also home to many critters including wild turkey, wild boar, deer, otters, armadillla, gaters and many birds.
Single
kayaks are provided, all appropriate paddling gear, an experienced guide,
and the lunch provided by Fernandina`s International Market. Instruction
in paddling is provided, the trip is rated moderate, is full day starting
at 9:30 AM to approximately 3 PM. It is about 5 miles in length. The number
is limited to 12, so get your money in early. The outfitter requires full
payment two weeks in advance.
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Last
Train to Paradise
By Les Standiford |
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Imagine a time when the only way to get
to the Keys was by boat. In 1904, oil baron Henry Flagler began to
fulfill a dream to connect his glamorous Florida resort hotels by railway,
and conceived a 153-mile railroad from Miami to Key West. This is an engineering
undertaking rivaling only the Panama Canal. Crime novelist Les Standiford
tells the story about "Flagler's Folly", as critics called it, from every
angle, including the workers whose blood, sweat and tears built the "Over-Sea
Railroad". By the time it was completed, despite many severe setbacks,
it was heralded as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
The railroad ran for 22 years until, in 1935, a hurricane of exceptional force, which would be dubbed “the Storm of the Century,” swept through the tiny islands, killing some 700 residents and workmen and washing away all but one sixty-foot section of track, on which a 320,000-pound railroad engine stood and “gripped its rails as if the gravity of Jupiter were pressing upon it.”
The photographs included in this book are very interesting, as you see the railway being constructed, crowds cheering its arrival, tourists speeding over the Long Key Viaduct, and its eventual heartbreaking demise. You won't want to put this one down...and remember, it is available @ your library!
Click here for more book reviews!
America's maritime heritage is about the people and communities that built ships, shipped goods, sailed ships, kept lights, rescued wrecks, fished waters, and kept the sea lanes open; is about the use of waterways for commerce, transportation, defense, and recreation; is about the traditions and skills, arts and crafts, artifacts and documents, and buildings, structures, and vessels that reflect our past maritime endeavors; is what we help to interpret and preserve.
The
National
Park Service Maritime Heritage Program website is a treasure trove
of maritime parks, historic ships, lighthouses and lifesaving stations
to visit, maritime landmarks, educational information, and great links.
With the water a bit too cool for us thin-blooded Floridians to dive, you
should visit this website to learn more about great historical places to
visit right here in our backyard.
Click here for more Websites of the Month!
for our February-born members!
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The few. The proud. The shark bait. |
