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South Florida Divers, Inc. 


July 2005 Newsletter
CONTENTS

President's Message Come Join The Fun !
Calendar for July and beyond July Meeting Program
Happy July Birthday! Who Invented The Dive Flag ?
A Safety Minute Fred Millers Birthday Bash
What Is A Tunicate ? Joe's Mex.-Italian Florentine Fish Feast
Check the Weather Papua, New Guinea Trip Planned
Lots of Laughs and Other Wisdom Junes Dinner at Large
   

                                                                                           

President's Message
        
        ~ By Cheryl Teugel s

FLAGS, FIREWORKS AND ALOT OF FUN EVENTS!!!!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY TO ALL!!

Welcome back to all our divers from Club Med in Turks and Caicos.  I hope everyone had a wonderful time.  Don 't forget we'd all like to share in your excitement, so please submit your photos and stories to Chris, our webmaster, as soon as you can.  We're waiting.....

Your E-Board had a fun time putting together this month's calendar.  We've got a Saturday night dive planned, to hopefully see the lobster parade, before having them run for the chase as Mini Season starts on the 27th.  There are afternoon dives aboard The American Dream, Dave Schneider and Pete Stephinson are hosting their ever famous Lantana dive aboard "The Starship", and our adventurous assistant treasurer, Kim Hunziker, is putting together a dive aboard "The Lady Go Diver".

Cha, Cha, Cha     This month's dinner is in celebration of the $.99 cent Margarita at Mi Casa Su Casa in Hollywood.  Enjoy a great evening of socializing, drinks and good food, as Joe and Julie toast a summer of good times, fun dives, and bag limits filled with lobster.

Speaking of the spiny little crustacean, mark your calendars, inform work that you need time off, then call a buddy and load up the car because, July 27th and 28th is Lobster Mini Season!! 

Regs remain the same as last year, so practice your tickling techniques, make sure you have a valid fishing license and lobster stamp, empty your catch bags, and get ready to bag your limit!!

Good Luck Everyone,

   Cheryl

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         WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!

We are delighted to welcome new members   

Annette Jayne, Bill Knott, Robert Sandro, 

David Waterbury and David Wirth  !!

  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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July 2005 Calendar and beyond


~ By Pete Stephinson, Vice President of Calendar 


Phone numbers of trip coordinators are not posted here to ensure privacy.  If you are a club member, consult your Buddy List for numbers or call Cheryl Teugels

 

  • June 25th: 11:00AM Bike ride, West Lake Park. Join Julie Taylor exploring the wilderness and wetlands of Hollywood's West Lake Park. Bring your bike and meet Julie at the Ann Kolb Nature Center, Directions can be found at http://innerself.com/nyp/floridanaturally/parks_hollywood.htm. For details contact Julie at (954)609-9831

  • July 2-10th : Private Boat Trip to Bimini, Cat Cay and Points South. Joe Smariga, Julie Taylor and friends will be diving and having a great time.

  • July 2nd: 7:00PM Show, 7:30PM Go. Join Bill Dietz for a two tank night dive aboard the American Dream II. The intention is to dive a mid-level wreck, (Hog Heaven or other) and drift a reef. The price is $50 including tip. For information about the American Dream II and detailed directions check out the site at http://www.scubafortlauderdale.com/index.htm. Contact is Bill Dietz phone (954)252-0049

  • July 6th:  7:00PM Show,7:30PM Go General Meeting: RAMADA INN FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT, 2275 State Road 84.  [Driving directions here] [Map here] . Enjoy a social drink with your dive buddies  before the meeting which starts promptly at 7:30PM.  NOTE: additional parking on west side of Ramada.  

  • July 10th: 1:00PM Show, 1:30 Go Join Fred Miller aboard the American Dream II for a fun afternoon of diving off Fort Lauderdale. The American Dream II is docked at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort just east of the bridge over the intracoastal on SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, the cost is $48 including tip. For information about the American Dream II and detailed directions check out the site at http://www.scubafortlauderdale.com/index.htm.  Fred can be reached at (954)-915-9396.

  • July 16th: 12:30 Show, 1:00 Go. Join Dave Schneider and Pete Stephinson diving the Starfish Enterprise in Lantana.  Information on the Starfish can be found at http://www.idivestarfish.com/ $45.00 includes tip.  Call Dave at (561)488-7077 or Pete at (561)883-5142.

  • July 18th: 7:30 PM: SFDI Executive Board Meeting at Connections for Business, 2843 Pembroke Rd. NE corner of I-95 and Pembroke Road.  Members please feel free to sit in and join us!

  • July 19th: 7:30 PM Show, til you're done. Join Joe Smariga and Julie Taylor for a night of 99 cent Margaritas and fine Mexican dining at Mi Casa Su Casa in Dania Beach. Mi Casa Su Casa is located at 2750 Griffin Rd, Ph (954)967-0033.

  • July 23rd : 1:00 Show, 1:30 Go, Join Kim Hunziker on Lady Go Diver out of the Cove in Deerfield Beach. The plan is to dive the sea Emperor. The cost is $45.00 tip included. For information call Kim at(954)385-3083 or check out the Dixie Divers website  http://www.dixiedivers.com/ for details on the Lady Go Diver and the sea Emperor.

  • July 27-28th: Mini-Season. Lobsters on the alert for divers who have been deprived of their favorite catch for the past 3 months.

  • Aug 6th: Lobster Season starts. Lobsters who have survived mini-season need to hunker down now if they are to have any chance of surviving the next 8 months.

  • Aug 19th: Keys Trip. Join Cheryl and Lou for a fun weekend of diving and socializing in the keys - details to follow. For details, contact Cheryl at (954)205-6477

  • Sept 10th: 5:00pm Til Midnight, Hurricanes permitting, come have a great evening at our annual Seafood Festival at the Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club , [Map here]. Bring your Catch of the Day and a Favorite Dish to share.  

  • November 8 – 18th:  Papua New Guinea  Fred Miller will be leading a group for fabulous diving aboard Peter Hughes’ “Star Dancer”.  Cost will be approximately $4000.00. For information contact Fred at (954)915-9396

  • December 10th:  Annual Christmas Party  Same time, same place!  More details to follow.

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Florida Dive Show
December 2-4, 2005



The first Florida consumer SCUBA dive show all under one roof is being held on December 2-4, 2005.

With room for over 250 exhibitors in a 50,000 square foot hall, the Florida Dive Show will include equipment demonstrations, travel seminars, technical conferences and much, much more.

Located in central Palm Beach County, Florida, only three miles from Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) the Palm Beach Convention Center site is at 650 Okeechobee Blvd. The Florida Dive Show is anticipating attendees from around the southeastern United States and possibly further.

http://www.floridadiveshow.com/

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SFDI meetings start at 7:30 at the Ramada Fort Lauderdale Airport.  If you are not a member, and you are reading this on the Internet, please join us because visitors are ALWAYS WELCOME! For driving directions to the meeting, visit our About Us page.

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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JULY MEETING PROGRAM

 

 
On July 6th, South Florida Divers will offer a very special presentation that you won?t want to miss!  Stefanie Ouellette, the Project Manager for the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, will join us for an evening of sea turtle talk, and then lead us to the beach, where she will conduct a turtle hatchling release just for SFDI and the baby turtles!
 
Marine reptiles that have existed since their giant land turtle ancestors returned to the sea sometime during the dinosaur age, sea turtles divide into seven species that have managed to survive to modern times.  Four of these species, the Loggerhead, which is the most common, the Green, the Leatherback, and the Hawksbill nest on the beaches of Broward County from March through September every year.  Stefanie will focus on these four species, their nesting habits, eggs, incubation periods and hatchlings.  She will also describe the Adopt-a-Nest Program.
 
Sea turtles are protected in the Florida Statutes, Chapter 370, and by the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973. The numerous threats to sea turtles have given rise to programs for their conservation such as the Broward Program. For 24 years, Nova Southeastern University?s Oceanographic Center, under contract with Broward County, has run the Sea Turtle Conservation Program.  It?s staff makes daily surveys, and documents relocation of nests, and post-hatching activity.  Websites to check out are:  www.broward.org/seaturtles  and www.nova.edu/ocean/seaturtles.
 
AND, If you ever find hatchlings in Broward County headed away from the sea or on the road, please call the Sea Turtle Emergency hotline * 954-328-0580 * !!!
 
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:  STEFANIE OUELLETTE
 
Originally from Massachusetts, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science at Stonehill College, Stefanie Ouellette moved to Florida in 1999 to pursue a dual Masters degree in Marine Biology and Marine Environmental Science at Nova Southeastern University?s Oceanographic Center.  She began working on the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program during the 2000 season and took over as Manager in 2001.  She made a presentation on the status of sea turtles in Broward County at this year?s International Sea Turtle Symposium in Savannah, Georgia, and played a major role in the publication of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program?s Annual Report.  Stefanie will graduate in December 2005.

 

 

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A SAFETY MINUTE

                                                                                                 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.

  July 2005 Safety Minute Tip:

    Do you carry a compass and know how to use it underwater?  If you’re on a drift dive, “anchored up” or going from the beach, you’re more relaxed when you know where you are.  Getting back to the boat or beach isn’t always the easiest if you try it by memory or by trying to recognizing landmarks.  When you get off the boat, take a heading with your compass and then use the reverse heading to get back.

                                                 

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What is a tunicate?  

By Julie Taylor 

 

   Recently I dove aboard Dave Will’s boat Recycled on the Scutty Wreck off Ft Lauderdale and was quite surprised to see the proliferation of tunicates growing on this wreck.  I was equally surprised when mentioning that I had seen and photographed the tunicates on the Scutty that most people responded with “what’s a tunicate?” 

  Paul Humann says “although tunicates are among the most common marine invertebrates, they are probably the least recognized.”  Paul Humann’s “Reef Creatures”   identification book has a great section on tunicates (pages 300 – 320)

  I was introduced to my 1st tunicate while diving aboard the Nekton Pilot in Cay Sal in 1999.  My picture of a tunicate won the weekly on board photo contest.

   Since then I have seen and photographed tunicates, on rare occasion, in the Caribbean & Bahamas and very, very rarely in Florida .

   Tunicates are invertebrate animals often mistaken for sponges.  Tunicates are attached to the reef on one end and have 2 siphons on the other end.  One is used to draw in water and nutrients, and one to expel. They can be solitary or grow in colonies.  The characteristic that separates them from sponges is their ability to quickly close their opening when disturbed.  They can be solid colored or transparent.

   Next time while diving on the Scutty, or the reef…keep a lookout for these interesting and attractive creatures.

    Check out Paul Humann’s book(s).  I think he is the absolute best in marine identification.  His books are my underwater bible.  I am thrilled when I take a picture and can absolutely identify the subject by comparing my photo to Mr. Humann’s in his books.

       Julie Taylor

  PS Note to photographers. .Tunicates make great maco subjects. 

Photos by Julie Taylor

        

     

 

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Do You Know Who Invented The Dive Flag ?

Click  HERE  to Find Out.

 

                         
 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to our July Birthday Celebrants!
Paul Ashby David Clancy
Annette Jayne Stephanie Voris 
Paulette Smariga Greg Galland  
Patty Dollard 

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Joe's Mex.-Italian Florentine Fish Feast:

New Member Joe Giandinoto Shares One Of  His Favorite Fish Recipes

 

Makes 4 servings

Bake 20 minutes, Re-Bake 10 minutes, Broil 2 to 4 minutes.

Ingredients:

(1) Crisco, Cooking Spray

(2) 4 Mission, Low Carb Whole Wheat Fajita Size flour tortillas

(3) 1 lb. of fresh chopped spinach leafs

(4) 1 cup of Marie?s Chipotle Cilantro Salsa

(5) 1 8oz. packs of Kraft Mexican Style, Shredded Four Cheese

(6) 4 oz. Kraft grated Parmesan Cheese  

(7) 2 level tablespoons of Badia Complete Seasoning

(8) 1 lemon, juiced

(9) 1 lime, juiced

(10) 1 orange, juiced

(11) 1 tablespoon of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

(12) 4 8 to 10 oz. fresh Hogfish  filets about ½? thick 

(13) 1 cup of evaporated milk

(14) 1 package of Knorr Hollandaise Sauce

(15) 3 tablespoons of Smart Balance Buttery Spread

Optional;

(16) 1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro leafs

(17) 3 finely chopped Jalapeno peppers

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degree.

Use a 9? X 12? X 2? baking pan.

Coat the pan with Crisco cooking spray. Ingredient 1

Lay the four tortillas, ingredient 2 so they cover the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix ingredients 3 ? 7 and then transfer this mixture to the baking pan by laying a nice, even layer. If you like it spicy optional ingredients 16 & 17 may be added at this time. Tortillas edges should protrude by about ¾? to 1? at the inside corners of the baking pan

Bake this Florentine base for 20 minutes in middle rack of the oven.

Next, mix ingredients 8 ? 11 to season the fish filets, ingredient 12 by laying them in this juice for 4 to 6 minutes, turning filets every minute or so.

Carefully remove the hot baking pan from oven and lay the fish filets, evenly covering over the Florentine base. Re-bake for 10 minutes.

Next, in a small, saucepan, at medium/high heat, make the Hollandaise sauce by whisking ingredients 13 and 14 until smooth, then ad ingredient 15, keep stirring and remove from heat.

Carefully remove the hot baking pan from oven and evenly pour the Hollandaise sauce over the fish filet. Tortilla?s edges should now protrude by ¼? to ¾? over the edge. Turn on the broiler and place the baking pan on the next to top rack to lightly brown the sauce vigilantly for about 2 to 4 minutes.   

Divide serving portions with a spatula, as you would serve lasagna. Compliment this dish with Mahatma, Long Grain Rice and half an avocado with Kraft Viva Italian Fat Free Dressing, Morton?s salt and pepper to taste.

 

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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

 

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Junes Dinner at Large

 

We joined Cheryl and Lou Teugels for an evening of fine dining and socializing at The Field Restaurant.

 

 

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Fred Millers Birthday Bash

 

Check Out The Fun South Florida Divers Had

 

Celebrating Our Good Friends Birthday  !!

 

Click Here

 

A WORD ABOUT PASSPORTS

David Schneider

 

     For all of us who love to travel to nearby out -of –country dive sites, a few words of caution;  a drivers license (or other form of photo ID) and a birth certificate are soon to become extinct proofs of identity.

 Starting towards the end of 2005 passports will be the mandatory proof of identity for virtually all travel to all points in the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Bermuda.

     At some point in 2006 Mexico (and Canada) will also require passports for all entries and exits.  As a further inconvenience, visas are now required in some countries that haven’t required them before.

  Passports, as many of us know, are valid for ten years. But another pitfall can occur;  there are counties that will bar entry if you are unable to prove that you will be leaving before the expiration date on your passport.  Six months to expiration seems to be the current benchmark, so be sure to renew your passport well in advance of its expiration date.

 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

 

November 8 to November 18, 2005

 

 

 

             Join Fred Miller for a ten day live aboard dive trip  scheduled for          

            Papua New Guinea aboard the Peter Hughes dive boat " Star Dancer "                 The trip is scheduled for November 8 to November 18, 2005. These dates

            put us in the area at a time when there is little rain, the least wind and 

           with clear waters of 84 to 88 degrees.

           Papua New Guinea is noted for the diversity and abundance of fish life, 

           creatures, corals and is one of the best areas for photographers.

            Current price for the live aboard portion of this 10 day trip is $ 3006.00

           before any discounts.

            This trip will start from Walindi, on New Britian, PNG, travel thru Kimbe Bay,

           and end at Kavieng, New Ireland, noted for its large pelagic sea life.

           For more information on this dive trip, please go to www.peterhughes.com

             and click on Star Dancer at the top.

 

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LOTS OF LAUGHS and Other Wisdom

 

Two more aisles . . .

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the little girl asked for cookies and her mother told her no. The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Monica, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long."

Soon they came to the candy aisle, and the little girl began to shout for candy. And when told she couldn't have any, began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Monica, don't cry--only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out."

When they got to the check-out stand, the little girls immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there'd be no gum purchased. The mother patiently said, "Monica, we'll be through this check out stand in 5 minutes and then you can go home and have a nice nap."

The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Monica," he began. Whereupon the mother said, "I'm Monica . . . . . my little girl's name is Tammy."

Author Unknown

 

 

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