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South Florida Divers, Inc.
July 2008 Newsletter
President's Message Summer is here.........
~ By Pete Stephinson
Summer
is here. I can tell that by the great diving conditions and the upcoming
activities on our calendar. I had a number of good dives during May. The first of which was on Saturday May 10th on a club “private boat” dive. We first dove the Captain Dan followed by Anglin Reef. I can’t remember when we last experienced such great conditions. The sky was clear, the sea was flat, and the visibility was awesome. The temperature was in the upper 70s and I felt warm in my 3 mm shorty. As a result, the light was great and the colors on the reef vivid. The only thing I was missing was my camera. Fortunately I had a trip to the Keys organized 2 weeks later. The
3rd weekend in May I spent 3 days diving out of Tavernier. The conditions
were the best I've ever encountered in the Keys. We did 10 dives including
The Eagle and the Duane. There was no current and the visibility was so good
that we could clearly see the dive boat from the deck of the Duane at about
100 Feet. We saw Bull Sharks and Jewfish on the deep wrecks, plenty of other
life including Nurse Sharks, Eagle Rays and Eels on the shallow reefs. With
the sunny weather and great visibility conditions were excellent for
photography - you can see some of the photos elsewhere in this newsletter.
Looking at our calendar, you will see a lot coming up. Our trips to
I was saddened to learn during this past week of the passing of one of our Club Members, Butch Lee. On behalf of the membership of South Florida Divers, I offer our sincere condolences to the Lee family. We knew Butch as an enthusiastic diver, a photographer, the life of the party, and a great friend who was always upbeat, and positive in his outlook. Some of us also knew Butch as a great roomy. Despite his disability, Butch was always cheerful and maintained a positive outlook. I don't know of anyone who ever heard him complain. Butch loved diving. Even though he didn't have the strength in his legs to kick against a current, it didn't stop him. Recently, he acquired an underwater scooter which he told me had improved his mobility and enjoyment of the sport. There will be a memorial gathering here in Florida on June 21st, Butch's birthday, where friends will be invited to meet with the Lee family to share an Irish whiskey and reminisce about the good times we had with a great buddy. There are a collection of photos elsewhere in this newsletter remembering Butch as we knew him……… We have lost a great Dive Buddy. At our meeting on June 4th we will here a presentation by the Marine Archaeological Research & Conservation Team who will speak to us about the on-site documentation of historic ship wrecks. It sounds interesting to me - I hope to see you there. And as usual, hope to see you in the water some time soon Pete
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NEW MEETING LOCATION AGAIN !!!
New meeting Location for General Meeting starting Wednesday ,
July 2nd
Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club, 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Ft. Lauderdale
The Same Place We Have The Pig Roast !!
Directions:
1. Take I 95 to Davie Blvd. Head West.
2. Turn Left on SW 24th St. ( Riverland Rd. )
3. Follow around and Turn left to stay on SW 24th St.
4. Turn left at Whale Harbor Ln.
5. Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club is on the Right
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WELCOME YOUR NEWEST DIVE BUDDIES!
We are delighted to welcome new member Alan Prince!! 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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In Tribute and Memory of Our Good Friend,
Butch Lee.
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JUNE... 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. May 31: 12:30 PM Show 1:00 PM Go (Saturday) Kim Hunziker and Pat Kahl are teaming up to offer a super day on, and under, the waters off Miami. They welcome one and all aboard RJ's Diving Ventures excellent boat, the Big Com-Ocean. The plans are to dive the 165 ft. freighter Tortuga (117 ft. depth) followed by the Army Tanks (50ft. depth). The Tortuga requires Advanced Certification. Total cost will be $55.00 (less if we get 10 or more divers). Valet parking is available for $5.00 if the Marina is full. Dinner at Monte's afterwards will also be a treat. Call Kim or Pat for more information or go to RJ's website at www.rjdiving.com. May 31 - June 7: Cozumel! June 4: General Meeting 7:30 PM (Sharp!) New location!! New Location!! New Location!! American Legion Post 36 1600 W. State Road 84 Directions are available at another location on this website. Hope to see y'all there. June 7: 1:00 PM Show 1:30 Go (Saturday) Join Dave and Elaine Schneider as they do a final gear check before Roatan. Starfish Enterprise leaves from Lantana and heads to some of the best reefs in South Florida. Cost will be $53.00, tax and tip included. Don't forget to leave the evening open for dinner at the Old Key Lime House afterwards. Call Dave for more details. www.idivestarfish.com June 9: 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. Summer is just around the corner, so why not think of an event to sponsor and join us at E-Board to get it on the Calendar. June 14: 1:00 PM Show 1:30 Go (Saturday) Fred Miller beckons all to join him aboard the American Dream for an afternoon of great diving. Fred hopes to go to a couple of new sites so this is one you want to be on. Cost is $53.00, tax and tip included. Call Fred for more details or go to www.scubafortlauderdale.com. June 14: Pre-Dominica Party Only for those going on the Dominica trip. June 25: Dinner-at-Large (Wednesday) The dinner moves north to Boca Raton as Jeff Raffa gives our no'thern members a break and will ring the dinner bell at Mama's in West Boca Raton. Mama's is at 11419 W. Palmetto Park Road in the Loggers Run Shoppes (west of 441).The restaurant offers an outstanding buffet as well as regular menu items. The fun will begin at 7:30. Give Jeff a call for more information. July 15: Father's Day June 15 - 22: Roatan! June 28: Water Taxi Night! (Saturday) Back by popular demand! The taxi is running a little slow so information is sparse, but Julie Taylor assures us that this event will happen. This will be a fun evening on the Intracoastal so mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details. July 2: General Meeting 7:30 PM (Sharp!) American Legion Post 36 1600 W. State Road 84 Directions are available at another location on this website. Hope to see y'all there. July 4: Happy Independence Day! July 5: 1:00 PM Show 1:30 PM Go (Saturday) With only a week to go before the Dominica trip this is the perfect time for a great day of diving. Join Dave Schneider for an afternoon aboard the Lady-Go-Diver out of Deerfield Beach. Cost will be $53.00, tax and tip included. www.dixiedivers.com. July 7: 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. Summer is here, so why not think of an event to sponsor and join us at E-Board to get it on the Calendar? July 12 - 19: Dominica! July 12: 8:00 AM Show 8:30 AM Go (Saturday) Private Boat Dive Dave and John are ready to go again and as many members as can squeeze aboard are welcome to join them. The boats leave promptly from John U. Lloyd park. Spots go fast, so be sure to sign-up at the next meeting. July 23 - 24: Mini Season! July 26: Member Appreciation Day (Saturday) For the third year in a row we pay tribute to ourselves with a super party. This is another one of those days you don't want to miss. Steve Oller will be coordinating a beach dive (hopefully), free food, free beverage and lots of fun. Steve plans to start the beach dive around 4:00 PM. Party time will start around 5:00 PM. Nothing is set in stone as yet, so let Steve know your great ideas! Mark your calendars now! Ft. Lauderdale Beach, opposite the Yankee Clipper hotel. August 6: Lobster Season Opens! August 6: General Meeting 7:30 PM (Sharp!) American Legion Post 36 1600 W. State Road 84 Directions are available at another location on this website. Hope to see y'all there. August 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. It's always nice to have members come and help us keep our Club growing. August 15-17: Annual Keys Weekend Our favorite party weekend, once again we will be going to the Islander in Islamorada for some quality fun in the sun. Friday night features a bar-b-que. We will be doing a couple of excellent dives Saturday morning with Bud & Mary's followed by an afternoon around the pool and dinner at a special place Saturday night. Cost will be around $250.00 for lodging and diving. Call Jeff Raffa or Ginny DeMattei for more details, and be sure to register early and get a deposit to Kim Hunziker as this one sells out quickly. August 31: 8:00 AM Show 8:30 Am Go (Sunday) It's time for our annual pilgrimage to the Biscayne Wall. Pete Stephinson will lead a lucky group to one of our more popular dive sites. Cost will be $60.00 and this fee is very reasonable since tax, tip and two tanks are included. Call Pete for more information. September 13: Seafood Fest! (Saturday) Always a highlight of the SFDI Calendar as we go through another fun- filled hurricane season. Plan to dive today so you can bring your catch as well as a covered dish to share with all. As always there will a keg, wine and chicken on the barbie. 5:00PM to Midnight. Cost will be $5.00 for members and guests. Lauderdale Isles Yacht Club [Map here], 2637 Whale Harbor Lane, Ft. Lauderdale. September 19-21: Annual Bahamas Weekend Flushed with success from their Keys Weekend, Jeff and Ginny are back with a special weekend of fun and diving in the Bahamas. We'll be cruising to Grand Bahama aboard Discovery. Luxury accommodations have been secured at Pelican Bay resort. Saturday will feature two morning dives and two afternoon dives. There will be two more dives Sunday morning. As an extra treat one of the dives will be a shark dive. All this for the bargain price of $450.00. Space is limited and will go quickly, so sign up and have a $100.00 deposit ready at the June meeting. September 27: 8:30AM Show 9:00AM Go (Saturday) Three Tank Dive Day We're planning a Key Largo dive with Slates' Atlantis that will be a great day of Keys diving. As we've done for the last several years this will be a three tank, four dive day where we pick the dive sites. We will do two dives, break for lunch and two two more dives before returning to shore. All for only $99.00, tax and tip included, plus the box lunch you bring along with you. Call Dave Schneider for more details. October 17 - 19: Penne-Camp Weekend The Spring camping weekend was so successful that we're gonna do it again, this time at John Pennekamp State Park. There will be room for tents only. This location will allow us to dive the park, explore Key Largo or just kick back and enjoy the good life. Cost will be about $15.00 per person for the tent site. Amusing yourselves, extra. Call Dave Schneider for more details. November 1: Marine Mammal Conservancy - Key Largo (Saturday) Adele Nicholson has arranged for us to join with the staff of the MMC for an afternoon of training in the basic handling, evaluation and transport of marine mammals. The session is 4 hours and will cost $5.00, training manual included. After, we can all enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. As an added after dinner feature, those "with the stomach for it" can visit MMC's Haunted House for an additional $5.00 contribution. Further donations to the Conservancy are encouraged. Call Adelle for more information or go to www.marinemammalconservancy.org to learn more about MMC.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS FOR 2008 - 2009 January 6 - 18, 2009: Raja Ampat, Indonesia Seven Seas (liveaboard) $4500.00+/- The trip includes 12 nights on the Seven Seas, all diving, meals, coffee, tea, drinking water, sodas, optional land and beach trips. Trip cost is based on double occupancy with a deposit of 30% and balance due 90 days before departure. Cancellations made up to 90 days before departure are subject to a $500.00 cancellation fee and within 90 days there are no refunds. Not included are all airfares, hotels, transfers enroute to Sorong and mandatory trip insurance. Departure will be on or about January 2, 2009. Return home should be by January 20,2009. For more information please go to www.thesevenseas.com or give Fred Miller a call. May 2009: Brian Hufford's Tortugas Adventure Brian will have details for us in the near future. An interest sheet will be at the next meeting. June 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. 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.
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 Return to Table of Contents |
May Dinner at Large Pics
Photos by Pete Stephinson
On May 22, SFDI Members Joined Gerry Cowen
for an evening of oriental delights at Ichiban Japanese Restaurant
June Dinner at Large
Wednesday, June 25
The dinner
moves north to Boca Raton as Jeff Raffa gives our no'thern members a break and
will ring the dinner bell at Mama's in West Boca Raton. Mama's
is at 11419 W. Palmetto Park Road in the Loggers Run Shoppes (west of 441). The restaurant
offers an outstanding buffet as well as regular menu items. The fun will begin
at 7:30. Give Jeff a call for more information.
June Meeting Program
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
DIVING SMALL
A Feature by Brian Hufford
Gettin' tried of seeing the same old schools of grunts on every dive? You know, the mixed schools of French, Blue Stripe, White, Tomtate, and Small Mouth grunts we see on every wreck and reef we dive on. They're fun to see and it's good the reef system is healthy enough for them, but there's a whole 'nother world in the cracks and crevices, under the ledges, and sitting on the coral just waiting to be discovered. It's the world the macro photographers love, the small stuff. We've all seen the Saddle Blenny, with the distinct dark saddles on it back. Just in our diving area alone, there are over 100 species smaller than 3”. Many of them live under the ledges, like the Cardinal fish, glassy sweepers, and some of the gobies. Some of the other gobies and blennies are just sitting out in the open, either on coral or the rubble next to it, using body color and marking as camouflage. They often let a diver get very close before scooting off to a nearby hiding place. My favorites are the tube blennies; they live in old worm holes, with just their head protruding. They're small, the head is about the size of a pencil eraser. They'll dart out and grab a bite to eat or go fight with a neighbor that's gotten too close.
Here's some tips for enjoying these fish. Go SLOOOOOW!! Anyone that's been diving with me knows I go very slow. There's lots to see going slow, and it doesn't spook the fish, even the small ones. Make sure you can see up close. We older folks often need vision correction, so if you need reading glasses to read (this), you'll need them in your mask too. Guage reader inserts work great for. (Don't use the “stick on” kind, they don't stay in the mask very well.) Carry a small dive light for seeing back under the ledge or in a hole. I also carry plastic magnifying glasses, so I can see the marking and tell some of the very small ones apart.
