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South Florida Divers,
Inc.
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2006 heating up.......
~ By Pete Stephinson
Our calendar is already starting to fill out for 2006 with both dives and other activities. We have a bike ride scheduled for February and a Camp & Canoe weekend scheduled for March. For those of you still looking for an overseas trip there is still space on the trip to Belize in June - see Ski to sign up. One new event scheduled for 2006 is in July, it's a Beach Dive and Party. This will be a free event for members so mark your calendars now. (Food & Drink will be supplied by the club). As usual we will be running the annual Pig Roast, Sea Food Fest and Holiday Party. And Jeff Raffa is setting up the annual Keys trip. The good news for those of you who would like to run a dive or an activity and don't yet have it scheduled is that the rest of the year is still wide open. If you have an idea, don't keep it a secret, we would like to hear about it. I suggest having a chat about it with Dave Schneider, our VP Calendar. Or better still, come along to an e-board meeting and share it with the rest of us. All suggestions are very welcome. If you haven't run an event before and would like some help, there are EBoard members who will be pleased to help you. Thank you to all who renewed Their Club Membership in January. Could those who haven't renewed yet please assist us in keeping our records current by doing so no later than the end of February. This month we have professional underwater photographer, Barry Kulick, as our guest speaker. Barry, has become a regular speaker at our meetings and always has a great set of photos to show us from dive destinations around the world. Members who have attended his previous sessions have often commented afterwards that Barry's was one of the best presentations of the year. This is a "must see" presentation, so be sure to mark your calendar and get along to the February meeting to see Barry's 2006 presentation. The thing that make clubs great are it's members. That's certainly true for South Florida Divers. We have a number of long-standing members whose enthusiasm and efforts have kept the club strong over the years. We also have newer members, who bring a fresh perspective and new ideas. If you have friends who are divers, maybe they are new divers, then invite them along to a meeting. Joining the club will help them enjoy their diving and develop their skills with a fun group of like-minded people. 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 members
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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February 2006 Calendar and
Beyond
Feb. 1 :
7:00
PM Show,7:30 PM (Sharp) Go
General
Meeting: RAMADA
INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275 State Road 84. [Driving
directions here] [Map
here] . This
months meeting will feature
renowned photographer Barry
Kulick who will share
with us his most
recent work. This is certainly one meeting you won't want to
miss, so mark your calendars now. We look forward to
seeing you ! NOTE:
There is additional parking on the west side of the Ramada Inn . Feb. 4 :
8:00 Show 8:30 Go Join
Dave Wills and John Kansman for a private boat dive from John
U. Lloyd State Park. The boats leave promptly, so if you don't
want to be standing all alone on the dock wondering how to spend the
rest of your day be on time. For more information about the day,
see below. Directions to the park can be found at www.floridastateparks.org/lloydbeach/default.asp Feb 5 : SUPER BOWL, Don't have too much fun. Chris Hinckley Doesn't have to work Monday. Thats Good. Feb. 6 : SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. All members are encouraged to join us. The meeting starts at 7:30. Hope to see y'all there. Feb 14 : Remember the one you love on... Valentines Day ! Feb 11 : 12:30 Show 1:30 Go Join Dave and Pete aboard the Starfish Enterprise out of Lantana. It was a consensus last year that the Delray - Boynton dives offered a somewhat different look than we see in Broward/Dade. Captain Craig promised flat seas, balmy temperatures in and out of the water and a clear, sunny day. (Two out of four works for me) Dive sites have not been chosen as yet but will be in the 60-80 foot range. Advanced certification not required but suggested. And be sure to save some time after the dives for food and drink at The Old Key Lime House, right at the dock. Dives, $48.00 tip included Directions and info at www.idivestarfish.com Feb. 16: Dinner-at-Large It's time to join John Kansman and his friends at Don Arturo's Cuban Restaurant for a night of good food and camraderie. So bring your appetite and a smile. Dinner is at 7:30. Don Arturo's is located at Davie Boulevard and Riverland Road (27 Avenue). Feb. 18 : Shark Valley Bike Ride You'll need a good nights sleep to keep up with Julie Taylor as she hosts a scenic tour through Shark Valley. The ride begins at 11:00 AM and promises to be a fun day. For more details give Julie a call. Feb .22 : 8:00 Show 8:30 Go George has personally invited SFDI to join him as he celebrates his birthday with a morning of diving on the Lady Go Diver out of Deerfield Beach. Both dives will be in the 60 + foot range. Cost is $48.00 including tip. Advanced certification not required but suggested. Sites have not been selected yet, but thoughts are running to a wreck and a reef. Après dive lunch at The Cove is anticipated. Call Dave Schneider for more information or visit www.dixiedivers.com. Mar. 24 - 25 : Camp & Canoe Weekend Dave Wills and Dave Schneider invite one and all to join them at Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Tequesta) for a weekend of fun, food and canoeing and/or kayaking. Tents only. Details below. For information on the park go to.... www.floridastateparks.org/jonathandickinson April 1 - 2: The 28th annual Dania Marine Flea Market. Need some dive gear...? Or something for the boat...? This annual event is a must for those needing to find equipment at reasonable prices. This year the event will be held at Dolphin Stadium. For full details including directions check out the web site at www.thedaniamarinefleamarket.com/ April 8 : Pig Roast !! 5:30 PM Once again at the ever-popular Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 [Map here] For the bargain entrance fee of $5 per member and first guest, $10 for each additional guest, plus a dish to share you will be able to feast on the likes of pork and chicken, quaff beer, wine, soft drinks and water, all to your hearts content. Remember... all YOU provide is a side dish or dessert! This is always one of the most popular events of the year - come along and join the party. (Should we be victimized by bad weather the back-up date will be April 22) May 6 - 7 : MS 150 Bike Tour Jeff Raffa and Debb June 10 - 17 : Belize !! A great chance to see one of the world's premiere dive areas! Ski and Michelle will be hosting the trip to Belize. Accommodations will be at either the Villas at Banyan Bay or Aqua Marina Suites. Cost is estimated to be $1500.00. For any and all information call Ski directly. Space is available ! June 17 -24 : San Salvador !! Out of the country and into the warm blue Caribbean with Pete Stephinson. Sold out, but you can always sign-up for stand -by. Details below! July 15 : Member Appreciation Day !! You got it right ! Stefan Trestyn will be coordinating a special day for the membership. Time and place to be announced, but a beach dive, free food, free beverage and lots of fun are expected. This may be a once-only event so mark your calendars now. Stefan assures us you won't want to miss it! August 19 - 20 : Annual Keys Trip Jeff Raffa will be hosting this years trip. He's got the dates but the details haven't been ironed out yet. September: Seafood Festival !! Same time, same place.. date to be announced. December
9 : Annual
Holiday Party
!!
Same
time, same place. You know you don't want to miss this one!
Januarys Dinner at Large House of India On January 18, 2006, Julie Taylor and 28 other SFDI Members Enjoyed A Fantastic Dinner at The House of India. We had a Great Time. Wish you were there !!
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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. |
Shark Valley Biking Adventure with Julie Taylor - Alligators, lizards, and who knows what else you’ll come across! Bring your lunch, plenty of water, and a camera. Click here for more information about Shark Valley and the trail. Take the Florida Turnpike to the exit for SW 8th Street (also known as U.S. 41 and Tamiami Trail). Travel 25 miles west on U.S. 41 to signs marked Shark Valley.
Click Here to see more Julie Taylor Shark Valley Pics
MARCH 24-26
Located just north of Tequesta off US 1, Jonathan Dickinson State Park encompasses 11,500 acres and offers a wide variety of activities, including camping, canoeing, kayaking, nature trail hiking, biking and river tours.
We have secured three contiguous campsites for Friday and Saturday nights. This will allow us up to 24 people. If the response warrants we can probably rent more sites but they may not be adjoining the first three. Tenting only.. sorry, no camper units. Each site has an electric hook-up, water and fire ring. A Bathhouse with sanitary facilities and showers is very conveniently located.
The plan is to eat, drink and be merry. Amidst all that, we will be canoeing (or kayaking) along the Loxahatchee River to the former homestead of Trapper Nelson, the "Wildman of the Loxahatchee".
The campsite cost per person for both nights will run less than $15.00 (final cost will base on turn-out). Canoes rental is $14.00 for the first two hours, $6.00 each additional hour. Kayaks are slightly more. Of course, you are welcome to bring your own. Everyone will be responsible to bring their own camping gear as well as food and beverage. A small convenience store is on premesis with basics. Fire wood is generally available at the store but bringing a bundle with you is a wise idea (most Supermarkets have wood this time of year).
More details will be available at the February meeting or you can call Dave Wills or Dave Schneider. For park details go to: www.floridastateparks.org/jonathandickinson
It's time to join John Kansman and his friends at Don Arturo's Cuban Restaurant for a night of good food and camraderie. So bring your appetite and a smile. Dinner is at 7:30. Don Arturo's is located at Davie Boulevard and Riverland Road (27 Avenue).
A Monthly Feature by Brian Hufford
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.
Boat Safety - Part 2
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by Marjory Meechan
| Everyone
who attended the November meeting will remember George Cavros from the
National
Environmental Trust and the COOL
(Conserve Our Ocean Legacy) Campaign. Following the meeting,
George asked if we would be interested in expressing our support for
the cause as a group. As a club, our focus is on getting together to
go diving and have fun. So, while we are individually interested in a
number of worthy causes and sometimes even construct activities around
them (see the calendar for a
fun bike trip in May that also has a worthy cause), we cannot endorse
any organization or cause on behalf of all our membership. However, if
you personally were impressed by George's presentation on the
environmental damage caused by overfishing, please feel free to visit
the links above and find out how you can support this cause.
And, speaking of worthy causes that can be fun, Earth day is coming up on April 22nd. If you're looking for an excuse to plan a fun meaningful event for the club, this could be it! Come to the e-board meeting and pitch your idea. We're always looking for new ways to have fun and be environmentally responsible. |
By Brian Hufford
Oh, there he went !
Julie Taylors New Years Eve 2006
San Salvador, Bahamas
June 17th-24th, 2006
The SFDI group that just returned from the Turks & Caicos Islands had such a great time that a number of them decided to do a similar trip in 2006. Check out the photos in this month's Newsletter and on the site to see what great diving they enjoyed, and the fun times which they had on land. On returning, Pete Stephinson, trip organizer checked out the prices and availability and secured an even better deal for 2006 at the Club Med Columbus Isle on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.
"What San Sal offers divers is vertical walls, populated shallow
reefs ideal for macro photography, groupers so friendly they will lay in
your arms and the ever-present chance of spotting big creatures, such as
Hammerhead Sharks and Manta Rays. San Sal was one of the very first
destinations to develop wall diving and this is still the reason most
divers visit. The south and western sides of the island are lined by one
of the most impressive walls in The Bahamas, starting as shallow as 40
feet and dropping to thousands of feet. "
For more info visit http://www.about-the-bahamas.com/bahamas/sansalvador.cfm
The cost for the trip includes:
We have over 20 people signed up. Don't miss out, if you want to sign up you are recommended to do so at the September Meeting. A $200 deposit is required to confirm your place. Payments will be accepted monthly with full payment due by April 2006.
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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
You May Be Only One Person In The World but
You May Be The World To Some Person
The Wet Zone
South
Florida Divers, Inc.,
Copyright 2006
