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South Florida Divers, Inc.
CONTENTS |
President's Message Out with the old.......
~ By Pete Stephinson
For those of you who missed the holiday party --- you missed a good one !!! We had over 90 members and guests attend and once again it was a great party. From the comments I have heard, everybody had a great time. Good food, good entertainment and a great group of people - what more could you want? You can see photos of the party elsewhere in this newsletter. Thanks to John Kansman, Joe Smariga, Donna Eades, Gail Rand, and all the other club members who pitched in to make this an even better event than last year. If you couldn't make it, don't worry, we're going to do it again this year, only better.
As a memorial to Nansy McKenzie and Captain Chris Hinckley, our charity at this year's party was the American Cancer Society. Both Nansy and Chris passed away during the year and it was pleasing to see that approx $900 was raised in their memory. Thank you for your contributions. Thanks also to Sam Rich of Divers Discount for donating a tank for the raffle. Thanks also to Enzo of Scubatyme who won it then donated it back to be won by another attendee -- much appreciated guys.
So now we're into 2010. The 2010 eboard was elected at the December meeting. Most of the eboard members are continuing from 2009 but we do have several new members and members moving in to new positions. Congratulations to all, I look forward to working with you during the year to keep up the quantity and quality of our dives and other activities. The club is totally run by members giving up their time to help run club activities so to see so many members willing to support the club is very gratifying. To those members who are not on eboard -- your help is welcome too. To run a dive or an activity you don't have to be on the eboard. And we do need members to pitch in and help run our various activities. At the end of the day, you get out of the club what you put in. I look forward to seeing more members step up and offer to take an active part in helping with club activities.
As we did last year, we will be supporting the SUDS Fleamarket this year. SUDS (Soldiers Undertaking Disabled SCUBA) is run out of the Walter Reed Army hospital and helps rehabilitate returning disabled veterans by teaching them to dive. Sam Rich initiated this last year. We provided manpower at the fleamarket which earned approximately $18,000 and it was SUDS largest donor. This year Sam has set a target of $50,000. We will help out once again and we need all the help we can get. There will be sign up sheets at the January General Meeting.
As you can see on the calendar section of this newsletter we already have a number of events planned for the early part of the year. We have local dives, bike rides, a trip to swim with the Manatees and our annual Camp and Canoe weekend at Jonathan Dickenson State Park. We also have an overseas trip planned to Tobago for which there is still some space available.
Of course you can't participate in any of these events if you're not a member - and it's that time of year again, it's time to renew. Our membership fee is currently $55 (additional family members $15) which is a great deal. With the increased costs we are incurring to run the club's activities this will likely increase. I suggest you renew early to beat the price increase.
As usual, we will be having the "wacky gift exchange" at the January General meeting. This is always a lot of fun -- so come along, and don't forget to bring a gift. This is an ideal opportunity to get rid of that gift you received over the holidays, that you didn't want, and accepted out of politeness. As an alternative, you could bring back the wacky gift you picked up last year.......
There are some great activities being planned for 2010, I know we're going to have another great year
See you in the water some time soon
Pete
email: president@sfdi.com
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2010 Membership Renewal Reminder
With the end of 2009 approaching it is time to renew your SFDI membership for 2010. At $55, membership of South Florida Divers is a helluva deal. If you need reminding of the benefits of membership, click here. Application forms should be completed when renewing. An additional $5 is charged for renewals after the February General Meeting.
To renew your membership please do the following: 1) Print and fill out the New Member Application Form (Verify your address etc.) 2) Print and fill out the Yearly Renewal Application Form 3) Make a copy of your c-card 4) Please write a check for $55.00 made out to South Florida Divers Inc. for a single membership or $70.00 made out to South Florida Divers Inc. for a family membership. If the application is made after the February meeting, add $5 to the check amount. $60 for single and $75 for family. 5) Bring along all four items to the monthly meeting (preferred) or mail it the following address: Joe Smariga |
MEETING LOCATION !!!
Location for General Meeting
Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Ft. Lauderdale
The Same Place We Have The Pig Roast and Seafood Fest !!
Directions:
1. Take I 95 to Davie Blvd. Head West.
2. Turn Left on 27th Ave, (Riverland Road ).
3. Follow around and Stay on Riverland Road
4. Turn left at Whale Harbor Lane.
5. Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club is on the Right
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PLEASE SEE NOTE ABOVE !!
SFDI meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club. The meeting starts at 7:30 If you are not a member, and you are reading this on the Internet, please join us because visitors are ALWAYS WELCOME! 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. |
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!
We are delighted to welcome new
member: Roland
and Lesli Lakaschus As a Reminder to Everyone, We are a NO-DECOMPRESSION Dive Club. Always adhere to Safe Recreational Dive Depths and Limits.
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One of our members asked me to post this link about save the Dolphins.
The Website claims that the Japanese are feeding the meat to Japanese school children.
http://www.savejapandolphins.org
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS January... and beyond
To ensure privacy please note that event Coordinators phone numbers are never posted. If you are a Club member please consult your Buddy List for the number you need. If you do not have a copy there will be one available at the next General Meeting, or contact Melissa Ames.
Just a quick reminder... The Calendar exists for the convenience of all our members. If you see a future event that is of interest please contact the Coordinator directly. You can sign on to an event at any time. The Coordinator will be more than pleased to place your name on the list and tell you where to mail payment.
Remember.. you are not confirmed on an event until you have made payment. A member who signs on later but makes payment first will receive preference.
December 19 : 8:30 AM Show 9:00 AM Go Annual "Trim the Tree" Dive (Saturday) Always a lot of fun, this year we plan to use the Blue Runner out of Dania Beach. At this time we are planning for two dives, one to sink and trim the tree and the second on a shallow reef. The cost should be $50.00, tax and tip included. Call Gerry Cowen for details. www.coastalmarinediving.com
January 6: General Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp! Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club Address and directions elsewhere on the website. This is the annual Wacky Gift Exchange! Always a load of fun…rewrap that "special" gift you received over the holidays. Certain exemptions apply…liability releases may be required.
January 11: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Anyone who’d like to see how the club operates behind the scenes is welcome to attend. Meeting starts at 7:30.
January 17: Bike Ride (Sunday) Julie Taylor wants everyone to join here at Hollywood Beach for an 11:30 AM bike ride. Your bike, the beach … need more info? Call Julie.
January 2 1 Dinner-at-Large (Thursday) Join Bill Riddick at 7:30pm at Wahoo’s Sports Bar & Grill in Pompano. 3128 N Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 www.wahoossportsbar.com
January 23: 8:30 AM Show 9:00 AM Go (Saturday) Blue Runner out of Dania Beach. The cost should be $50.00, tax and tip included. Call Gerry Cowen for details. www.coastalmarinediving.com
February 3: General Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp! Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club Address and directions elsewhere on the website. Renew your membership by this meeting or there will be at least $5.00 additional fee. It is likely that there be an increase in membership fees. Beat the increase.
February 5 - 7: Manatee Mania! Drake & Bonnie Lee Barber will be hosting a hardy group of manatee lovers on our first excursion of 2010. Plans are to stay two nights, snorkel and dive with the marvelous mammals, eat, drink and be happy. Cost of$200.00 covers your room, 2 breakfasts, snorkeling and diving. Sounds like a great time! Contact the Barbers' for more information and be sure to get your $110.00 deposit in soon.
February 8: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Anyone who’d like to see how the club operates behind the scenes is welcome to attend. Meeting starts at 7:30.
February 13: 8:00 AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Saturday) Private Boat Dive. As always space is limited so be sure to sign-up early or give the coordinator a call to reserve your spot. It may be redundant, but be on time since the boats pull out promptly at 8:30 and you don't want to be waving at them from the John U. Lloyd State Park dock.
February 17: Dinner-at-Large (Wednesday) Join Pete Stephinson and Jim Ekholm for some Asian culinary delights at Kyojin Buffet, 21073 Powerline Road in Boca Raton. Sushi - Japanese treats - other oriental classics - who could ask for more! Dinner bell will ring at 7:30. Call Pete or Jim for more details or go to www.kyojinbuffet.com
February 27: Tri-Rail Pub Crawl (Saturday) Donna Eades hosts a new event for SFDI. It involves a short train ride north followed by bar-hopping, window shopping, more bar-hopping, and a short train ride back. Call Donna for more details.
March 3: General Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp! Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club Address and directions elsewhere on the website.
March 8: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Anyone who’d like to see how the club operates behind the scenes is welcome to attend. Meeting starts at 7:30.
March 12 - 14: SUDS Flea Market
March 27: Drift and Fish (Saturday) Joe Giandinoto is leading a Drift and Fish outing. More Details in later editions.
April 7: General Meeting 7:30 PM Sharp! Lauderdale Isles Yacht and Tennis Club Address and directions elsewhere on the website.
April 9 - 11: Spring Camp & Dive Okay, it's still 2009, but it's never too soon to let everyone in on a good thing. Craig & Linda Sandel have reserved sites again at J.D. State Park in Jupiter. Plan to eat, drink, dive, canoe, kayak, bike, hike and revel to your hearts content. Space is limited so sign up early and be sure to pay the $25.00 per person to ensure your participation. Tents only due to space limitations.
April 12: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Road, NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road. Anyone who’d like to see how the club operates behind the scenes is welcome to attend. Meeting starts at 7:30.
April 17: Pig Roast This is the big one! Details in later editions.
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"POLICIES & PROCEDURES" NOW PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE
The rules and regulations that we must all abide by are now printed in their entirety on the website. I cannot stress enough how important it is that all members, new and old, read and be thoroughly aware of how these rules apply to them. I have summarized below some of the more important points.
Payment: A member is confirmed only after they have paid. Payments for dives must be made when signing up. Payments for trips must be made according to the schedule as outlined by the Coordinator. In the event that a dive, trip, etc. is overbooked than those confirmed to go will be determined by the date order of payment.
Cancellation: Once a member signs on for a dive, event, etc. he/she is obligated to pay unless they contact the Coordinator by the specified cancellation time, as outlined in the Policies and Procedures.
Certification Requirements: Some dives will be restricted to divers with certain minimum requirements, generally as specified by the dive operator. In some cases these minimums may be set by the Coordinator in conjunction with the E-Board based on the profile and/or characteristics of the planned dive. No exceptions will be allowed for any reason.
Special Needs: Some of our members have "special needs" when participating on a dive or trip. These can be cases where the person needs extra assistance on a dive boat, special requirements regarding accommodations, etc. Coordinators are not psychic. It is the responsibility of the member to make sure the Coordinator knows of these needs well in advance of the event.
Please be sure that these rules are clear to you. If not, get clarification from any E-Board member.
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OVERSEAS TRIPS 2010
Tobago 2010
May 8th - May 15th
"The waters of Tobago teem with colorful reef fish and healthy corals, but it is the encounters with the "Giants of the Drift" that truly set this island apart from all other Caribbean dive destinations.
Accommodation: Manta Lodge
Estimated cost for the trip is $1500 and includes:
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Captain Slate's
Creature Feature Dive
Photo's by Pete Stephinson
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Vandenberg Dive
Video by John Beals
| January Meeting Program |
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Wacky Gift Exchange |
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and Social Night |
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Our January meeting is so close to the holidays that we traditionally have a social night to do something silly instead of trying to get someone for a program. This will be a fun night to relax and catch up with friends.
Regardless of what December holiday you celebrated, admit it, you likely received a gift that made you say "oh, you shouldn't have"...and you really MEANT that they SHOULDN'T-HAVE! But as we all know, one person's trash is another person's treasure.
Bring along something you got and don't want. A belt, a sweater, a fruitcake, cologne, a Billy Bass, just one too many candles or Mikasa bowls...anything goes except live pets (or dead ones).
Please wrap it to add to the "suspense."
Everyone who brings a gift gets a raffle ticket. We will draw the tickets in "Chinese Auction" style. The first person whose ticket is pulled gets the pick of the unopened gifts, and must open it in front of everyone.
The second person whose ticket is pulled can take the first person's gift, or choose another unopened gift. If they take the gift from the first person, the first person gets to go back and pick and open another gift.
The third person whose ticket is pulled can pick a third unopened gift, or take the gift away from the first or second person.
Yes, it takes awhile to go through all the gifts and you will not want to miss the fun.
Surprisingly, at the end of the evening, nearly every unwanted gift went home with someone who actually wanted it.
Hope you dispose of that "objet d'art" that you don’t want.
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The ABC’s of diving glossary:
January, 2010 notes brought to you
by the letter M:
Mediastinum - The space within the chest located between the lungs, that contains the heart, major blood vessels, trachea and esophagus.
Metabolism - The conversion of food into energy and waste products.
MHW - Mean high water.
Mixed Gas - Any breathing medium that was mixed using oxygen and other gases, most commonly, helium, nitrogen, or air. Mixed gas could have only a single inert gas (e.g., heliox, nitrox) or multiple inert gases (e.g., trimix -- nitrogen, helium and oxygen mixes: see next page).
MLW - Mean low water.
msw. - Metres of seawater: a unit of pressure. The pressure exerted by seawater varies slightly with temperature and salinity, but for practical purposes the convention is that each meter imposes a pressure of 0.1 bar. Sometimes the convention is that each meter is equivalent to 0.1 atmosphere (0.1013 bar).
Multiday - When more than one day of diving was performed in this particular dive series with a surface interval of < 24 hours between consecutive dives. "Multiday" and "single-day" are mutually exclusive.
Multilevel Dive - A dive in which the diver remains at several depths for a period of time before beginning final ascent to the surface: this contrasts with square dive, which involves a singe depth (see next page). Many different levels can be visited in one dive before finally ascending -- for example, a diver descends to 60 feet / 18 meters and stays for 10 minutes then descends to 80 feet / 24 meters and stays for five minutes, ascends to 50 feet / 15 meters for 10 minutes and then to 20 feet / 6 meters for five minutes before surfacing.
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A SAFETY MINUTE Joe G's January, 2010 Safety Minute
2 Keep covered up. Floppy hats and large umbrellas work well but so do beach cover-ups and the like. Long-sleeved cotton shirts are excellent for hiking, cycling etc; see your sports store for special brands that allow breathing as well as cover-up.
3 Use sunscreen on any exposed areas. An SPF of 45+ is recommended for it allows even the fairest skinned folks to stay out in the sun for a few hours before reapplying. Try Vaseline or chap-stick on your lips. Follow the instructions on sunscreen carefully; reapply when it says to reapply or it may not work properly. Always reapply after leaving the water, as it'll have washed off.
4 Don't forget hard-to-reach places. Don't forget to cover the backs of your knees, back of your neck, elbows and back of your ears (if you have short hair). Feet should also be included if you are wearing sandals, flip-flops or going bare-foot. Even these places can hurt a lot with sunburn.
5 Don't lie in the sun purposefully seeking a tan. This is not only damaging to your skin but will definitely burn you the first few times you try it at the beginning of the season. If you want to tan, do it gradually and sensibly, with short exposure and building up over time.
6 Put a small amount of oil or sunscreen in your hair so you will avoid burning your scalp. Or cover it with a hat. Some shampoos and hair conditioner contain SPF protection. |
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The Wet Zone South
Florida Divers, Inc., |
