FEBRUARY 2009... 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 Listone 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 assist you.

January 17:  Wine Tasting! (Saturday)  What a great way to spend a chilly January evening!  Susan and Ray will once again host this popular event at their home. Starting time will be 5:00 PM.  As always, bring a bottle of your favorite wine and a tasty side dish (please let Susan know what you are bringing so we can get a good spread). Call them for more details and directions.

January 22:  Dinner-at-Large (Thursday)  Leave it to Captain Chris and Pat Kahl to co-host our first dinner of the New Year.  Want some Tex-Mex chow and libation?  It's all there at Tequila Sunrise, 4711 Dixie Hwy in Oakland Park.  The dinner bell will ring at 7:30 so don't be late.  Call either Pat or Chris for more information or go to www.tequilasunrise.us. 

January 24:  "Hair of the Dog Party" (Saturday)  The Tomlin's are back again for the third straight year and this one promises to be the best one yet with plenty of food, beverage, karaoke and possibly even a live band!! You won't want to miss this first big bash of the new year!  The fun will start at 3:00 PM and go on until....?  Bring only your appetite and please RSVP by January 15.  Call Joanie for directions

January 25:  Coral Gables Bike Ride (Sunday)  Dave & Kit Wills want y'all to work off some of the party excess from the day before and join them as they navigate through scenic Coral Gables.  The starting point will be their home at the "sensible" hour of 1:00 PM.  The ending point, after some 5 - 10 miles, will also be their home where a sumptuous repast of beer and burgers is planned.  Call Dave or Kit for more details.

February 1:  Super Bowl

February 4:   General Meeting  7:30 PM (Sharp!)   Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club.  Directions to the meeting elsewhere on the website.

February 7:  12:30 PM Show  1:00 PM Go (Saturday)  Let's all jump in the water and get wet!  Joe G. has us booked on the Big Com-Ocean out of Miami.  This is our first weekend dive of the year so let's have a good turn-out for Joe.  After dive dinner at Monte's is always an extra treat.  Cost for the dive is $55.00, tax and tip included.  Call Joe for more info or go to www.rjdiving.com. 

February 8:  8:00 AM Show 8:30 Go (Sunday)  Gerry Cowen beckons all aboard the Blue Runner for a morning of diving off Fort Lauderdale. Cost will be $50.00, tax and tip included. The boat leaves from Dania Sea Fare. Call Gerry for more details or go to www.coastalmarinediving.com.  

February 9:  SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Everybody welcome, so come join us. Meeting starts at 7:30 sharp.

February 15:  12:30 PM Show 1:00 PM Go (Sunday)  Lemon Sharks (?)  Once again we will journey seaward in an attempt to locate the elusive lemon sharks. This is always a fun dive, even if the sightings are spotty. The plans are to leave from Jupiter Dive Center. Cost will be $60.00, tax and tip included.  Call Dave Schneider for more details or go to wwwjupiterdivecenter.com. 

February 19:  Dinner-at-Large (Thursday)  Bruce Wills wants to put an Oriental slant on our culinary tastes and will host this month's dinner at Kyojin Buffet 3485 N. Federal Hwy. in Fort Lauderdale. Great food, great prices... how can you go wrong? The fun starts at 7:30.  Bruce will be glad to give you more details or go to www.kyojinbuffet.com. 

February 21:  Markham Park Bike Ride (Saturday)  Time to get in shape again as Julie Taylor will lead a pack of rugged cyclists through the wilds of Markham Park.  Julie appreciates the benefits of a good nights sleep so the jump off time will be 11:00 AM  from the parking lot.  Call her for more information. Note: We have been told that the park requires that all riders wear helmets and gloves.

March 4:   General Meeting  7:30 PM (Sharp!)   Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club.  Directions to the meeting elsewhere on the website.

March 9:  SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Everybody welcome, so come join us. Meeting starts at 7:30 sharp.

March 14-15:   SUDS Flea Market (Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba) - more about this incredibly important program elsewhere in the Newsletter.

March 18:  Dinner-at-Large (Wednesday)  Where in the world is John Kansman?  At Don Arturo's, and he wants everyone to join him at his favorite dining spot for some exceptional Cuban cuisine.  As always, he will ring the dinner bell at 7:30 PM.  Call him for more information.

March 21:  Shark Valley Bike Ride (Saturday)  Julie has her bike greased up and ready to go again, this time into the depths of Shark Valley. It's a good bet that you won't see any sharks but Julie cautions all not to play with the alligators.  The ride will start at 11:00 AM... Julie needs that beauty rest, you know.  Call her for more details.

March 28:  Pig Roast! (Saturday)  The first of our signature party events, a blast for all comers - except the pig.  As always, at the Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club.  Please bring a covered dish (there will be a sign-up sheet at the meeting) and a $10.00 bill per person. The Club will provide beer, wine, water and soft drinks, as well as the aforementioned pig . Please remember; we are not permitted to bring any form of alcoholic beverage. They are available - for a price - at the Yacht Club bar.

April 3-5:  4th. Annual Spring Camping Weekend  Craig and Linda have so much fun in their tent that they have reserved four sites at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and want a bunch of people to join them (butnot in their tent - ya gotta bring your own). Unlike previous years we will be diving rather than canoeing.  Cost should be around $15.00 per person (plus the dive) and will include Friday night burgers and 'dogs dinner. Based on past attendance I would suggest signing-up soon. Call Craig or Linda for more details.

April 12:  Jimbo's Birthday  Not a Club event, but everyone is invited to join the old geezer as he celebrates his 82nd. birthday. 

April 23:  Dinner-at-Large (Thursday)  Our appetites turn to the Orient as Gerry Cowen hosts a dinner at Ichiban Japanese Restaurant. The dinner gong will chime at 7:30 so bring your appetites and chopsticks.  Ichiban is located on University, south of I-595. Call Gerry for more details.

December 5:  Holiday Party  Here's the news y'all have been waiting for!  Same time, same place, same fun.

                                         INTERNATIONAL TRIPS FOR 2008 - 2009

June 4 - 13, 2009:   Beqa Lagoon, Fiji  -  Susan Judah & Ray Gonzalez                                                                            It's too early to nail down the details so keep an eye out for more information. At this point it looks like the trip will run $3300.00 +/- plus air from here to California (and back, presumably).  We will have 7 nights on Beqa, which will include all meals and 10 dives plus unlimited shore diving.   A sign-up sheet will be at the next meeting and deposits will be accepted from people who sincerely want to go.  

June 7 - 14 2009:  Saba  -     Pete Stephinson, Coordinator                                                                                           

July 11 -18 2009:  Belize  -    Dave Schneider, Coordinator                                                                                                                               

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.

Return to Table of Contents