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South Florida Divers, Inc.
February 2008 Newsletter
President's Message The boat has left the dock........
~ By Pete Stephinson
2008 is underway and as you can see on the calendar, we have lots of dives and other activities on the schedule. Unfortunately I have yet to get in the water this year but with the balmy weather we've been having it won't be long. We have the lemon shark dive late January, several local dives in February and in March. The critically acclaimed film, "Sharkwater" on February 9th also looks very interesting. For the 14th consecutive year, Barry Kulick will be our guest speaker at the February Meeting. For those of you who are new to the club, Barry is a photo journalist par excellence who takes us through his photo adventures of the last 12 months. His photography is really special and the reason why our February meeting is usually one of the best attended of the year. For a sample of Barry's work check out his web site at www.barrykulick.com. This is the time of the year when we are trying to lay out a schedule of dives and other activities to cover the first segment of the year. If you have enjoyed attending club dives and activities now is the time to start thinking about what contribution you can make to our calendar which other members will enjoy. If you have a favorite dive or activity, why not put set it up as a club event? I'm sure you'll find a number of other SFDI members keen to enjoy it with you. If you don't know how to get started then Dave Schneider, myself or one of the other eBoard members will be pleased to help you get started. Of course you can't participate in any of our club events if you're not a member - and it's that time of year again. If you didn't renew at the January meeting there is still time to save $5 by renewing at the February meeting. We have held our membership fee at $55 (additional family members $15) for 2008 which is a great deal when you consider all the activities, events, dives and overseas trips which you have the opportunity to attend. See you in the water some time soon Pete email: President@SFDI.com |
MEETING LOCATION
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How to find the Fort Lauderdale Power Squadron |
The Fort Lauderdale Power Squadron is located in the Lauderdale Marine Center at:
2029 SW 20th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!
We are delighted to welcome new members Don Page !! We look forward to diving with you. 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 2008 Calendar.. and Beyond
- By Dave Schneider, Vice President, Calendar
Phone numbers of event coordinators are not posted to ensure privacy. If you are a Club member please consult your Buddy List for the number you need. If you do not have a copy of the Buddy List one will be available for you at the next General Meeting. Just a quick reminder.. The Calendar exists for the information of all our members. Should you see an event that is of interest to you please contact the Coordinator directly. You can sign-up for the event(s) of your choice at any time of the month. The Coordinator will be more than pleased to place your name on the list and tell you where to mail payment. HELP MAKE YOUR CLUB BETTER ! .... We need more people to step up and run events. If you are interested in coordinating a dive.. a trip.. a dinner or any other type of event please contact an E-Board member. Any member of the Board will be more than happy to advise and assist your efforts. January 19: Bike Ride - 11:00 AM (Saturday) Julie Taylor has determined that it is a good time to get into the open air and tone-up some holiday-weary muscles. The gang will pedal out from the Ann Kolb Park Nature Center, just west of the Intracoastal on Sheridan Street. Julie needs her beauty rest so the starting time should be appealing to all. Plenty of free parking so mark your calendars and plan to keep Julie company. January 23: Dinner-at-Large (Wednesday) Ahoy from your old friend and renowned gourmet Captain Chris. He wants us all to join him for a hearty seafarin' dinner at the Anglesea Restaurant, 200 East McNab Road. They have a large and varied menu... something good for everyone. The dinner bell will be rung at 7:30. Call Chris for more details, and be sure to sign up for this one at the January meeting. January 26: 1:00 PM Show 1:30 Go (Saturday) Lemon Sharks! They're back and Joe G. has his sights set on swimming with them. He is looking forward to a bunch of us joining him for this once a year event. We will be venturing out from the Jupiter Dive Center, 1001 Alt. A1A, Jupiter (that's way up north in Palm Beach County). For those with a long drive and want to stay over the night before the dive center recommends the Jupiter Waterfront Inn - 561-747-9085. Cost for the diving will be $55.00, tax and tip included. Call Joe for more info or go to www.JupiterDiveCenter.com for directions. January 26-27: Lighthouse Point Nautical Flea Market February 6: General Meeting 7:30 PM (Sharp!) Ft. Lauderdale Power Squadron, 2029 SW 20th. Street, Ft. Lauderdale 33315. [driving directions here] www.flpowersquadron.org/ Barry Kulick will be our guest and will do his annual presentation of his best photos from 2007. You don't want to miss this one. February 9: Sharkwater (Saturday) Joanie Tomlin strongly recommends that we all join her to go see this critically acclaimed film that will be playing at the International Fishing Hall of Fame. An exhibition on shark conservation is also at the museum and there will be a lecture by Dr. Samuel H. Gruber, renowned shark authority at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami. Tentative schedule is to attend the lecture at 2:00 PM and then see the film at 3:30. Dinner afterward is always a possibility. All this for only $5.00 is a great deal for what promises to be a memorable afternoon. For more info call Joanie or go to www.igfa.org/sharkwater.asp February 10: Body: The Exhibition (Sunday) Donna Eades has volunteered to put a group together to see the acclaimed show currently on display at Riverwalk off Broward Boulevard. She has suggested that we meet at 11:30, take an hour or so to view the show and then catch some lunch at, maybe, Briney's Pub. Sounds like a plan so be sure to sign-up at the next meeting or give her a call. For directions, www.goriverwalk.com. February 11: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30. We encourage any and all members to attend and assist in making your Club even better than it already is. February 16: 8:00 AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Saturday) "Private" Boat Dive John K., Dave Wills and their buddies are going back out to sea in a quest for the elusive crustacean.. or just for the fun of getting wet. Give either of them a call to sign on. As always, the flotilla will be leaving sharp at 8:30 from John U. Lloyd State Park so be on time or get a good look at their wakes as you wave goodbye from the dock. February 20: Dinner-at-Large (Wednesday) Julie Taylor wants to bring out the Irish in all of us as she rings the dinner bell at Field's Irish Pub on Griffin Road. This is a well established fun spot so bring your appetite and a smile and be ready for a super evening. Julie plans for the festivities to commence at 7:30. February 20 & 23: Nitrox Class (Thursday & Saturday) Gerry Cowen has offered to coordinate a Nitrox Class at Coastal Marine, 641 E. Dania Beach Blvd. There will be a 2 hour class starting at 6:30 on the 20th. and a two tank certification dive trip on the 23rd. This will be an 8:30 Show, 9:00 Go aboard the Blue Runner. The cost will be $149.00 for everything, including course materials. Please note: anyone who is taking the course must pick up the course materials in advance and be prepared for the classwork. February 23: 1:00 Show PM 1:30 PM Go (Saturday) The diving venue turns slightly north as Dave Schneider plans to lead a group off the stern of the Lady-Go-Diver out of Deerfield Beach. Put on the heavy neoprene and join in the fun. Cost will be $50.00, tax and tip included. Call Dave for more details or go to www.dixiedivers.com. March 5: General Meeting 7:30 PM (Sharp!) Ft. Lauderdale Power Squadron, 2029 SW 20th. Street, Ft. Lauderdale 33315. [driving directions here] www.flpowersquadron.org/ March 8: 1:30 PM Show 2:00 PM Go (Saturday) The waters off Palm Beach County beckon and Dave Schneider wants a group to join him on the Starfish Enterprise out of Lantana. Here's hoping the seas are warming up, the vis is good and the marine life will be out in force to greet us. Dinner at the Old Key Lime House is always an added treat. The days diving will cost $50.00, tax and tip included. For more details call Dave or go to www.idivestarfish.com. March 10: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30. We encourage any and all members to attend and assist in making your Club even better than it already is. March 16: 1:00 PM Show 1:30 PM Go (Saturday) Parrot Island Adventure Chris and Stan have "found" a new boat for us to use in the new year. We will be diving off the Fathoms of Fun out of Pompano, near the Hillsboro inlet. Total cost will be a bargain $45.00, tax and tip included. This should be a great afternoon so be sure to sign on. Call Chris and Stan for more details or go to www.parrotislandscuba.com for more info. March 20: Dinner-at-Large (Thursday) It's time to go back to John Kansman's favorite restaurant, Don Arturo's, for some outrageous Cuban cuisine. The festivities will begin at 7:30. Conveniently located, Don Arturo's can be found at 1198 SW 27 Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale. For more information give John a call or you can reach the restaurant at 954-584-7966 March 22: Shark Valley Bike Ride (Saturday) Julie Taylor has her bike greased and ready to go into the wilderness of Shark Valley. Throwing caution to the wind, Julie says "come on out and watch me wrestle some alligators". The ride will start at 11:00 AM so get a good nights rest and enjoy a day in the great outdoors. For more information give Julie a call. March 29: 8:00 AM Show 8:30 PM Go (Saturday) "Private" Boat Dive Dave and John are ready to lead a flotilla to sea for a day of good diving and camaraderie. This is an "almost the last day of lobster season" event so get your snares and nets out and join the crazed bunch as they savage the feisty crustaceans. The fleet leaves from John U. Lloyd State Park at 8:30 sharp so be sure to be on time or you'll be buying your dinner at the local supermarket April 4 - 6: 3rd. Annual Camp & Canoe Weekend Well attended for the past two years and back by popular acclaim, Craig and Linda Sandel beckon all into the uncharted wilderness at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Hobe Sound. Ok, so there are electrical hook-ups, running water, clean restrooms and canoe rentals, it still is a weekend in the woods amid the splendor of Mother Nature. As always, you will have to supply your own tent, gear, food and beverage. Craig and Linda will provide the trees, campsite and other wonders of the great outdoors. Information packets will be available for those that sign on. April 12: Pig Roast! (Saturday) We've got the date, we've got the place (Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club) and we got the pig.. well, maybe not the pig yet, but you get the idea. This is the first of our Signature Events so be sure to plan on being there. More information in the March Calendar. April 18 - 20 Ocean Fest April 26: Pete Stephinson's Annual Golf Scramble (Saturday) Pete will be hosting his annual golf outing at the Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club in Boca Raton. A $50.00 fee pays for golf, cart, trophies, prizes, buffet lunch, beer and sodas. Such a deal. All abilities are welcome so contact Pete for more details. INTERNATIONAL TRIPS FOR 2008 May 31 - June 7: Cozumel - Iberostar Resort Jeff Raffa, Coordinator June 15 - June 21: Roatan - Fantasy Island Beach Resort Dave Schneider, Coordinator July 12 - July 19: Dominica - Castle Comfort Lodge Pete Stephinson, Coordinator January 6 - 18, 2009: It looks like Indonesia is the destination and it will be 12 days on a super liveaboard. Tentatively the cost will be around $4000.00 plus air. Spots are going quick so give Fred Miller a call if you are seriously interested. More details to follow at the February meeting. AND SOME LAST IMPORTANT NOTES... Club Policies on Dives and trips: Dives, Trips, Activities and events are run according to the SFDI Policies and Procedures, which are available to everyone. If you don’t have a copy, please ask the Membership VP, or other E-Board member at the next General Meeting. Here is a summary of some of the important ones: 1. Payment for Dives, Events and trips: A member is confirmed on a dive, trip or event only after they have paid. Payments for dives should be made when signing up. Payments for trips should be made according to the schedule as outlined by the trip coordinator. In the event that a dive/trip/activity is oversubscribed, then those confirmed will be determined by the order of payment. 2. Cancellation: Once a member signs on for a dive/event he or she is obligated to pay for that dive/event unless they contact the coordinator for that dive/event and cancel by the specified cancellation time. Not paying immediately does not eliminate the requirement to make full payment if you do not cancel within the designated cancellation period or simply fail to show up for that dive/event. 3. Certification Requirements: Some dives will be restricted to divers with certain minimum certification levels. For example Advanced Open Water. In some cases, these requirements will be set by the dive operator. In others they may be set by the dive organizer in conjunction with the E-Board based on the profile and characteristics of the planned dive. In these cases the minimum certifications required for the dive will be clearly identified on the sign up sheet and in the published calendar. No exceptions will be made for any reason. 4. Special Needs: Some of our members have “special needs” when participating on a dive or trip. These can be cases where the diver needs extra assistance on a dive boat or a member has particular requirements regarding accommodations. Dive organizers will check for the common ones, such as the requirement for extra assistance getting into or out of the water. However, it is the responsibility of the member to make sure that his/her needs are known to the organizer and if there is any doubt the member should contact the operator in advance. It is the responsibility of the club member to verify that their needs can be accommodated prior to the event/trip/activity.
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Febuary Dinner at Large
Wednesday, Febuary 23
Julie Taylor wants to bring out the Irish in all of us as she rings the dinner bell at Field's Irish Pub on Griffin Road. This is a well established fun spot so bring your appetite and a smile and be ready for a super evening. Julie plans for the festivities to commence at 7:30.
Click Here for Directions and More Info
SFDI SHARE A BOOK
Read any good books lately? If you have, perhaps you would like to share them with your dive buddies.
Bring a book you would like to share to the monthly meeting. We’ll put it in our “Library” with the following book plate on it:
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If the book hasn’t circulated in 90 days and you don’t want it back, we’ll donate it to Hospice
Dive Destination - Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
A Feature by Brian Hufford
Have you ever seen a mantra ray, hammerhead or whale shark? One of the best places in the United States to see these giants of the big blue is the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary located 110 miles south of Houston, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. This protected area is a great place for diving in pristine conditions. There are two coral pinnacles separated by a deep channel. The two banks are the only shallows surrounded by hundreds of miles of deep open ocean, so they get lots of fish looking for protective areas. The banks are covered with coral mounds that rise 15-20 off the ocean floor, at depths of 70-80 feet. Hammerhead sharks school in the winter, and manta rays and whale sharks are regular visitors in July-August. A dive buddy that was there this past year saw 5 whale sharks, 3 at the same time. Other unusual fish include the painted wrasse and marbled grouper.
The best, and maybe the only, way to visit this wonderful dive destination is on a liveaboard dive boat. Trips are run by Gulf Divers, a great dive operation located in Freeport, Texas. Freeport is on the coast, about 60 miles south of Houston. A typical trip leaves Friday night at 10pm, and returns Sunday at 5pm. The boat 'chugs' while you sleep, arriving at the dive sight by 7am. Two dives on the banks in the morning and then a short trip to an abandon oil rig for a great rig dive, and then on to the other bank for an afternoon dive and the night dive. The boats move overnight to the Stetson Banks, another part of the sanctuary about 40 miles way. Two dive on Stetson and then the 'chug' home, arriving Freeport by 5pm Sunday. Other trips leave out of Corpus Cristy, Texas. The rig dive is a special treat. The last time out, I was surrounded by a school of black jacks, over 200 of them, and each over 3 ft long . . . what a great underwater moment.
I've done this trip twice, both with Gulf Diving, and I'm going again over Memorial Day weekend. The three day trip spends more time on the Flower Gardens Banks, a total of 12 dives. Due to the repeated dives at 70-80 feet, advanced dive training and Nitrox are highly recommended.
For more information, visit these web sites:
Hollywood Bike Ride January 2008
On January 19, 2008, Julie Taylor Led a Group of 17 SFDI Members
and a Guest, Bike Riding on the Hollywood Boardwalk.
The building in the back of the first picture was taken in front of the Marriott which we more fondly remember as the old Howard Johnsons
where the club met for the 1st 25 years.
Photos by Julie Taylor
Do You Know This SFDI Clubmember ?
Hmmm !!
LOBSTER LAW CHANGES
The Florida State FWC is about to adversely change the Lobster catch laws to
favor the Trap Fisherman and reduce the sport diver's opportunity to enjoy
their sport.
Last night Chris and I attended the Spiny Lobster Ad Hoc Advisory Board
meeting at the Fishing Hall of Fame
Many points were raised but the absolute consensus was the FWCC Ad Hoc
Lobster committee is under represented by recreational interests and as
such, the commercial harvesters (trappers) currently have free reign to
change the rules to ensuring themselves of a stable catch level taken from a
dwindling resource.
A few numbers to think about:
- less than 500 trappers make a living from trapping lobsters yet they take
70+% of the resource
- over 130,000 recreational lobster stamps were sold to FL residents last
year yet they only account for 20% of the catch
- commercial lobster divers account for 7% and bully netting accounts for
the remaining 2-3%
We feel the Spiny Lobster Advisory Board was stacked in favor of the
commercial trappers. The board is comprised of 4 commercial trappers, 3
wholesalers, 3 recreational fishers (divers) and 3 NGOs. No dive industry
representative was appointed.
The meetings were held State areas, which were not populated with sport
divers or dive industry businesses.
As Divers we are not against a shorter season for all parties. We are not
against a larger license fee FOR ALL PARTIES (slotted for enforcement). We
welcome any suggestions leading to a sustainable lobster fishery resource.
It is proposed to:
• Lengthen the season for Commercial Trappers.
• Require State issue catch tags for Sport Divers
• Reduce the limit for Sport Divers
• Put an end to mandatory trap reductions
SAVE YOUR SPORT
Send in your comments or need additional information go to:
http://myfwc.com/marine/workgroups/index.html#Spiny_Lobster
America's Boating Course
Hey, we all spend a lot of time on boats. Why not take advantage of the Fort Lauderdale Power Squadron's "America's Boating Course" (ABC) to improve your knowledge of boating skills and safe boating practices. The course is run monthly at no charge. Details can be found at http://www.usps.org/e_stuff/ABC.html. The course is held on the first Monday of every month from 7-9PM and concludes the following Saturday from 9 til 2PM.(lunch provided). Each person who completes the course receives an ABC text book, an informative CD and a certificate of completion which may help in reducing insurance rates for boat owners. If you are interested in signing up, or finding out more, email the Power Squadron at ABCCourse@aol.com including your name and contact information.
A SAFETY MINUTE
This Months 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.
January 2008 Safety Minute
Slow ascents reduce the risk of DCS, so what do they mean by slow? Almost every diver has a dive computer and almost every dive computer has an ascent rate monitor. If you're not familiar with your computer's ascent rate monitor, get out the manual and refresh yourself on how it works. Monitor your ascent rate on the way up, try to keep the to the lowest, slowest while still making your way to that all important safety stop. Once you get comfortable, you'll find it easy to use and a safe way to control your ascent rate. Another thought is the one minute stop half way up from the bottom. Say your deepest depth was 100', using the “half way up” rule, you'd slowly ascend to 50', stop for one minute, then slowly ascend to 15' for the three minute safety stop. Some divers also stop at 25', half of the half. It doesn't take much air, so doing this type of ascent doesn't effect bottom time.
Please Visit Sanda Hoffer's Website at
Trivia Question
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Which ruler of ancient times descended underwater in
a diving bell?
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TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWER
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Summer 2008 - Overseas Trips.
We have three great trips planned for the summer of 2008. They were selected based on input from the membership. The dates have been set so that you can plan to go on more than one trip. The price estimates below are based on the best information we have at the current time and may change. In particular airline prices are not published yet. The prices estimated for the trips include air, lodging, diving and travel insurance. Additionally, the price may cover food, drinks tours etc depending on the specific trip. We need deposits to lock in the reservations we are currently holding at the current prices. To reserve a space on a trip, you must make a deposit. There are still a openings on each trip. If you are signed up for a trip
Roatan...June 15-22nd 2008 ....Fantasy Island Beach Resort...Visit www.fantasyislandresort.com
Dominica... July 12th- July 19th, 2008 Pete Stephinson will be leading this trip to the Island of Dominica. The estimated cost of $1550 includes air, accommodation, diving, travel insurance, a whale watching trip and an Island tour. We will be staying at the Castle Comfort, You can check it out - and see some photos, both above and below water at http://www.divedominica.com/
Cozumel...May 31-June 7,2008 Staying at Iberostar, an ALL Inclusive similar to a Club Med. See http://www.iberostar.com/.
South Florida Divers Club
By Brian Hufford
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Where's Kansman ??
Little Johnny Cupid !!
Lots of Laughs and other WISDOM
My mother said to me, "If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope." Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.
Pablo Picasso
I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes
because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.
Dolly Parton
Birthday!