November Speaker Former Member Darell Hejde

Darrell Hejde has been diving since 1995 and has fallen in love with all aspects of the sport…recreational and technical. He’s originally from Oklahoma but, as a military brat and military pilot himself has lived in many, many places and traveled the world extensively. He is a retired international airline pilot and now teaches diving full time. He was trained by Grove Scuba as an Open Water Instructor in 2010 and since then has expanded his horizons.

Darrell is Grove Scuba’s Technical diving expert and teaches PADI's Tec Diving programs. Darrell has a lot of experience diving Rebreathers and is a PADI Tec 40 CCR (Rebreather) Instructor on the Hollis Prism 2 Rebreather. Come learn to dive the “silent world” of Rebreathing. Underwater photography is his passion and his favorite specialty but he teaches over 14 other specialties. As a certified Cave Diver, he also offers the PADI Cavern Diver specialty. If you have questions about any aspect of diving…Darrell will try to answer them for you.

October Speaker DR. GARY ROSE 7:30pm Will start the lecture

PLEASE NOTE THAT DR. GARY ROSE WILL BE SPEAKING AT 7:30, 

RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETING - PLEASE BE ON TIME!

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WIDE ANGLE SHARK PHOTOGRAPHY - NOT JUST ANOTHER PORTRAIT

Gary Rose M.D.

 Often, when I look at shark photography on social media, in magazines, or at many presentations, I have noticed that although the photos are of interesting sharks, and technically excellent, they lack sizzle – the wow factor! Why is that? Most underwater photographers are so caught up in the capture, that they forget about creating a story or an imaginative and artsy photograph, and just photograph the standard side view portrait. Granted, many underwater photographers have taken a huge step out of their comfort zone, just to dive with and photograph sharks. I will be discussing the next step(s) and will explain how I plan, set up, design, and photograph sharks in the wild. 

ABOUT DR. GARY ROSE

Gary Rose MD has been a certified diver for over 45 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and former Associate Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research on marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators.  Dr. Rose lectures all over the world on “Shark Identification and Behavior” and gives seminars on “Updates On Diving Medicine”. An avid underwater photographer, his articles appear in Alert Diver and X-RAY magazines.   Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters and photographing our plentiful and diverse sharks. You can reach him at garyrosephotos@gmail.com

September Speaker Shana Phelan, owner/operator of Pura Vida Divers in Riviera Beach,

Join SFDI on Wednesday September 6th when Shana, an award winning scientist, businesswoman, activist, volunteer and Goliath Grouper expert, will speak about this ocean giant, its history and management in Florida waters, current conservation efforts, and opportunities to get involved.

Shana Phelan, owner/operator of Pura Vida Divers in Riviera Beach, holds degrees in both Marine Biology and Environmental Science from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University.  Shana’s passion for protecting marine life extends far beyond diving. She served as a Marine Biologist and Researcher at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach, FL, studying endangered and threatened sea turtles, including the elusive Leatherback.  In 2002, Shana was interviewed by The Discovery Channel concerning her research, and in 2005 she worked with WIDECAST, the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Netword, to create a Sea Turtle Trauma Response Field Guide, which is now used throughout the Caribbean.  Currently, Shana is the Administrator of the Palm Beach County Diving Association.  As part of her efforts to promote marine conservation, she volunteers as the Diving Vice Chair for SFCRI, the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, and previously served as an appointee to Palm Beach County’s Artificial Reef and Environmental Enhancement Committee.  In 2022, Shana was awarded the Marine Conservationist of the Year by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the November 2022 Seiko Sea Hero of the month for her efforts in Goliath Grouper conservation.
GOLIATH GROUPER – WITH A FACE ONLY A MOTHER* COULD LOVE!

(*or a dive community)

Growing to more than 8ft and 800lbs, the Goliath Grouper is the largest grouper species in the Atlantic Ocean.  Historically overfished, the Goliath Grouper fishery was closed for harvest in 1990 in an effort to let stock levels rebuild.  For more than a decade, our speaker Shana Phelan, along with other diving community members, have worked to keep the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission from reopening the Goliath Grouper fishery to harvest. 

August Speaker DAVE PARKHURST

THE AWESOME VANDENBERG WRECK

 On WED August 2nd, SFDI will hear all about the Vandenberg Wreck of Key West from a speaker who knows it inside and out, Dave Parkhurst.  He will inform us of its operational history, including its original commissioning and retirement, as well as its later re-commissioning and re-retirement.  We’ll learn about important moments in its history and view historical photos from its years of operation, including the transportation of troops.  And we’ll learn about it’s sinking, with many illustrative photos.  How has Hurricane Irma affected the Vandenberg? What art exhibitions have been installed on its sides?  And in what ways does it excite its divers?  Find out about the Vandy, and then DIVE her with Dave and SFDI on August 20!  Check out the trip info on SFDI’s calendar page.  See you at the August 2nd meeting and on the Vandy with Dave!

 ABOUT DAVE PARKHURST

 Dave is a retired Naval Officer who served on active duty from 1984-1997 as a Surface Warfare Officer; and in the U. S. Navy Reserves from 1998-2006 as a Special Warfare Combatant Crewman (SWCC).  He retired as a Commander in the Navy and will provide details as part of the intro of his presentation.  While in the Reserves and beyond, he worked as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration from 1998-2020.

While in the Navy, Dave got dive certified in 1984 and then dove the world.  He obtained his AOW in Dubai, UAE, and then worked his way through the certifications to become an Instructor in 2015 and a Master Scuba Diver Trainer in 2018.  Dave was awarded the PADI Elite Instructor Award in 2020 for teaching over 50 students, and in 2021 for teaching over 150 students.  He has been told that he received it last year as well, but that one is still "in the mail."  :)