Thursday, July 6, 2000 -- 7:00 PM at Ocean Enterprises. Guest Speaker is Dacor representative, Charles Marks. We're also hoping to have a camera demo. All members booked on the July 22 charter should bring their payment.
For all those who attended our first boat charter this year I would like to say thank you. Although conditions were less than stellar, I was impressed with the condition of the ancient sea cliffs dive site. There was, as always, an abundance of invertebrate life and the like, but the reef and wall surfaces were much cleaner than I have seen in the past.
The lack of sedimentation could be due to the lack of rain combined with the continuous swells and currents of the last 18 months. Whatever the causes the cliffs looked healthy and I would love to go back on a day with 50+ visibility.
I think we are all getting anxious about the Yukon sinking. From all sources I have contacted it seems July 15 is in fact THE date. There is at least one passenger boat that will be offering viewing of the sinking. The Dolphin will be offering seats for $25.00 ea. More information will be available at the meeting.
Happy Diving! -- Mark Clausen
Saturday June 24, 2000 Meet at Hospital Point in La Jolla at 9:00am. Breakfast to follow the dive.
Sunday July 9, 2000 Meet at Hospital Point in La Jolla at 9:00am. Breakfast to follow the dive.
We are chartering 3 club trips on the Lois Ann:
July 22, 2000 3 tank cost $60.00 This trip is full
August 5, 2000 3 tank cost 60.00
These trips leave at 6:15AM!
Please make your payments at the meeting prior to the trip. Club members will have priority over non members if we have more divers than spots.
Lois Ann is offering special, First to Dive trips to the Yukon on the 15th and 16th. All proceeds from the trips will go to Project Yukon. If you want to go on any of these trips, call Lois NOW!.
The Lois Ann offers club members a discount on many open boat trips. Due to heavy demand, they may not be able to offer the discount on all their trips. For more information, call 800/201-4381 or check the Lois Ann schedule on the next page or at http://www.loisann.com.
Honduras The Frugal Divers have set their sights on the Bay Islands as their next trip. Liza, Germaine, Brian, and Paul have booked Fantasy Island; July 15-22. This is an all-inclusive diving resort. The cost will be around $1500 which includes airfare, meals, three dives per day, and taxes. The diving schedule is nice because each dive is separate. You can skip the 7 AM dive, then pick up the 9 and 11 AM dives. Contact Liza Suwczinsky for more information.
Cocos Island Gypsy Divers in Raleigh, NC is organizing a trip to Cocos Island on the Aggressor, probably in the fall of 2000 or early 2001. This is advanced diving and not for the timid. Space will be limited to first come first served. Anyone interested in advance booking, let me know. Laura Mankoff can guarantee pricing for payment in full.
Palau Steve Goldstrom is going on a trip to Palau and Truk. This trip is identical to the one he took in 1998. It was a great trip then, and should be a great trip now. Dates are September 23-October 6. 6 days diving in Palau, 3 in Truk. Includes all diving and accommodations, most meals, and air from LAX. $3116 is a great value. There are still 3 spots available on this trip.
Anyone interested contact Steve at austrom@cts.com.
Catalina Island A complete package including ferry from Dana Point, 2 nights lodging at La Paloma (which is a diver friendly hotel), daily breakfast, and a 2 tank boat dive on the Cat Dive is $606 double occupancy. Extra people are an additional 10.00 per person for the room, plus the diving and ferry charges. Ferry departs from Dana Point at 5 PM. There is also a package for the Hotel Atwater with diving on the Neptune's that runs approximately $255.00 per person.
The Yukon still needs volunteers to help with final preparations for its sinking. The ship is at the 24th St. Pier in National City. Work starts at 0900 on Saturday and 1000 on Sunday. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and clothes which you can get really dirty. You should also bring any cutting tools you have and something to BBQ for lunch.
For an idea of what an marine biology site should look like, check out the site, Diving Under the Antarctic Ice at http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/ . The photos are by Norbert Wu. All are top quality. The explanatory text is clear, concise, and missing excess scientific jargon. Have some bandwidth available as this is a very graphics intensive site. The pages are well worth the wait though.
Earlier this month, John Cain, an instructor at Aqua-Tech, was seriously burned when his regulator caught fire. The accident received a lot of local media attention, with varying degrees of accuracy.
Let me tell you what I know and believe to be true.
John was making multiple dives that day. His tank was filled with an 80% oxygen, 20% nitrogen mixture which he intended to breath on the shore, between dives as a measure against DCS. He attached his regulator to the tank, and opened the tank valve. When he opened the valve, both first and second stages of his regulator burst into flames. John received 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on his arm and leg.
John has been treated for his injuries and is expected to recover completely.
Those are the facts as I know them.
People will ask us about this incident. It wasn't a diving accident, per se. Unfortunately, it's been reported as one. There have been a few statements to the local media in the wake of this accident. Some of them seem squarely aimed at painting "tech" diving as a highly dangerous activity that shouldn't be confused with "recreational" diving. While there are differences, it's not clear that those comments apply to this accident. Until all the facts are in, and the investigation is complete, all conclusions are speculation.
Scuba has an excellent safety record. You're at more risk in the bowling alley than you are in the ocean. But, I do believe the industry has gone too far in painting SCUBA diving as an intrinsically safe activity. SCUBA is relatively safe, but the safety comes from actively managing the hazards, risks, and tradeoffs.
I just finished a good book. It's not about diving. It is about some of the places we dive. The book is "In the Ring of Fire : A Pacific Basin Journey" by James Houston. James and his wife, Wakatsuki, traveled extensively throughout the Pacific Basin. This book recounts his impressions during those travels.
He starts the book with places I've been. Because they are both academics, they were able to find the little backwater spots we usually miss as tourists. When I travel, I like to visit locations which are away from the tourist areas too. I could springboard from his visits to Hawai'i and Mt. Shasta to new places like Japan, Bali, and Okinawa.
He uses his journey to understand the places he visits and bring them back to us in unconventional ways. He also sought to bring closure to his memory of W.W.II. It's a thought provoking mix which was well worth my time. I've seen it in local bookstores, or it's available from amazon.com.
Conditions definitely left something to be desired for our July 10th trip on the Lois Ann. 10 ft is not the best you'll see. But, some days are like that. You don't get to be out for the good stuff unless you put up with some not so good. Still, we had plenty of elbow room and good company.
Mark your calendars. Our annual BBQ will be held on August 12th at Marwan and Razan Sinno's house. Watch for the flyer.
OES members can receive discounts on regular OE classes. Members receive $50 off the regular OE price for specialty classes.
The Yukon is right in the depth range where Nitrox gives you the greatest benefit. I encourage everyone planning to dive the Yukon to get their Nitrox certification now. Check with Mark for low-cost course information.
Subscriptions to Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine are available through the club for only $10. See Mark Clausen for details.
Club T-shirts are still available for $13.00.
For Sale: Used ScubaPro BC, excellent condition, medium-large size. Fits someone about the same size as Mark Clausen. If you're looking for a good BC, call Mark at 760/727-6181.
For Sale: 1 Scubapro G200, $75. 3 Scubapro G200B second stages; $85/each. These are the same as the G250 but without the user adjustable cracking adjustment on the left side. They still have the "viva" adjustment. Contact Kevin Douglass at 858/452-1088.
For Sale: Nikonos V with 35 mm lens in excellent condition; $500. Freshly serviced by Southern Nikonos and ready to hit the water. [This is an excellent camera] Contact Kevin Douglass at 858/452-1088
The San Diego Council of Divers, and San Diego Lifeguards sponsor a series of in-the-water tours of the local diving areas.
Joining in is easy. Bring your snorkeling gear, wetsuit, and weight belt with no more than half your normal diving weight in it. Check surf and diving conditions for cancellations. Show up at the proper place and time to register. Refreshments are available at the egress point.
The lifeguards request a very nominal $5 donation to cover costs. This is a great opportunity to gain local knowledge.
Renewal rates are $20 single; $30 for a family. Send your renewal to Mark Clausen; 1862 Willow Way; Vista, CA 92083.
Surf and diving conditions: 619/221-8824
Club events: Mark Clausen at 760/727-6181 or e-mail at mark@oceanexplorers.org.
Newsletter Editor - Dave Ambrose at 858/679-7817 or e-mail stargazer1@cox.net.
SDCD Hotline 619/687-1492
Ocean Enterprises 858/565-6054
| Date | Time | Destination | # Tanks |
| 1-July | 7am-5pm | Coronado Islands | 4 |
| 2-July | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 2-July | 1:30-6pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 2 |
| 3-July | 8am-2:30pm | Sea Cliffs/Kelp | 3 |
| 4-July | 7am-4pm | Coronado Islands | 3 |
| 6-July | 8am-2:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 8-July | 7-11:30am | Local Dive Sites | 2 |
| 8-July | 11:30am-6pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 9-July | 7am-5pm | Coronado Islands | 4 |
| 15-July | 1pm | 1st to Dive the YUKON | 1 |
| 15-July | 3pm | 1st to Dive the YUKON | 1 |
| 15-July | 5pm | 1st to Dive the YUKON | 1 |
| 16-July | 6:15-10:15 | YUKON | 2 |
| 16-July | 10:15-2:15 | YUKON | 2 |
| 16-July | 2:15-6:15 | YUKON | 2 |
| 17-Jul | 12noon-4pm | Yukon | 2 |
| 18-Jul | 8am-12noon | Yukon | 2 |
| 18-Jul | 12noon-4pm | Yukon | 2 |
| 19-Jul | 8am-12noon | Yukon | 2 |
| 19-Jul | 12noon-4pm | Yukon | 2 |
| 20-Jul | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 22-Jul | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 22-Jul | 1:30-6pm | Yukon | 2 |
| 23-Jul | 6:15-10:15am | Yukon | 2 |
| 23-Jul | 10:15-2:15 | Wreck Alley | 2 |
| 23-Jul | 2:15-6:15 | Yukon | 2 |
| 27-Jul | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 28-Jul | 1:30-5:30 | Yukon | 2 |
| 29-Jul | 6:15-10:15am | Yukon | 2 |
| 29-Jul | 10:15-2:15 | Wreck Alley | 2 |
| 30-Jul | 6:15-10:15am | Yukon | 2 |
| 30-Jul | 10:15-6:15 | Yukon | 4 |
| 3-Aug | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 4-Aug | 7am-4pm | Coronado Islands | 3 |
| 5-Aug | 6:15-12:15 | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |
| 5-Aug | 12:15-6:15 | Wreck Alley | 3 |
| 6-Aug | 6:15-10:15am | Yukon | 2 |
| 6-Aug | 10:15-2:15 | Wreck Alley | 2 |
| 6-Aug | 2:15-6:15 | Yukon | 2 |
| 8-Aug | 7am-4pm | Coronado Islands | 3 |
| 10-Aug | 7am-1:30pm | Wreck Alley/Kelp beds | 3 |