Next Meeting

Thursday May 3, 6:50pm at Ocean Enterprises – Special guest presentation by the Coalition for Enhanced Marine Resources on the "Rigs to Reefs" program.

From the President

Greetings members. Thank you all for the good turnout at the last meeting.

Since the Bahamas trip I have shown the shark dive video to many of my acquaintances and it is amazing how many people think that sharks are such a threat to man. I wonder how many people are aware that sharks are number 9 on the list of the 10 most dangerous animals to humans? Chances are 10 times greater that a jellyfish will kill you before a shark will (that's right, 10 times). In fact, 100 times more people are killed by scorpions. (FYI, the number one killer is snakes at 100,000, with bees a close second at 80,000). The ocean is such a great safe place!

My condolences go out to our 2 bachelors that did not make the grade at the Scripps event, but thanks for trying. There are more fish in the sea! Happy diving. – Mark Clausen

Shore Diving

Saturday May 19, 8:30am – Meet at La Jolla Cove to dive the best spot. Breakfast to follow.

Luncheon

Join fellow club members for a day trip to Rosarito Beach for lobster lunch. We have rented a 28 passenger bus and will head south on Saturday, May 12. Cost for the transit is approximately 25.00 per person. You can bring your own beverage (alcoholic or not). We should have a great time, and without having to drive. We will pick up the bus 10:30am at Shaun's house in Chula Vista. Please RSVP to Mark as soon as possible. Contact Mark at mark@oceanexplorers.org, or 760/727-6181.

Boat Dives

Club jump on dive – We'll pick a date at the meeting.

Club charters- June 23, July 14, August 11. A sign up sheet will be at the next meeting. All dives will be 2 tank morning to the destination of our choice, cost will be 48.00 with minimum 14 person load.

Local Trip

SDUPS has plenty of space left on the Horizon Charter boat to Catalina/San Clemente. No hunter's/gather's please. Photo/video-bugs welcome and sightseers too.

May 11 & 12 ( Friday/Saturday)

Cost: $250 ($150 Deposit)

Boarding Time: 7PM Thursday (5/10)

Departure Time: 9PM Thursday (5/10)

Return Time: 9PM Saturday (5/12)

Send email to ccoppert@qualcomm.com for more information.

Flotsam

We seem to have a lot of pending renewals. Please check the list below, and send your renewal to Mark.

If you get bored this month, you don't like diving. There is a lot of stuff happening. I count no less than 7 events; both OES and other.

Sometime later in May, OE is having another tent sale too. Watch your mail for the flyer.

OE is closing at 7 PM. Please get to the meeting a little earlier if you can. If you can't, contact either Mark or I for some alternate arrangements. You can call us and we'll send someone down to open the door.

Dive season has opened up at full throttle. A quick scan of the newsletter reveals something happening almost every weekend in May.

Thanks to the OES members who attended to the "Diver's Dating Game" to cheer for, drink with, and console our very own Brian Kinley and Paul Lee. Brian and Paul were contestants, but alas, the young lady chose number 2. Regardless, everyone had a great time. Good food, open bar, divers, and sealife. What more do you need? I hear there will be more of these in the future. Don't miss the next one.

More Children's Pool News: When the Coastal Commission renewed the seal refuge with conditions. Now, unless the San Diego City Council votes to renew the refuge with those conditions, the refuge proposal dies.

The staff recommendations noted that the City failed to meet most of their commitments to the last approval, it's possible that this may indeed be the end of the refuge unless the city commits itself to funding the studies mandated in the Comission's approval. Ignoring their commitments again would certainly damage San Diego's prospects for gaining approval of other projects by the port district and other city agencies.

I'm going to brashly predict that the proposal will resurface, but in some rushed and hurried manner which will limit discussion and debate. There are a few vocal and active groups who want the seals to stay where they are. The SDCD is on top of this issue and I will forward any information as I receive it.

SCUBA Show

Once again, the SCUBA Show will be held in the Long Beach Convention Center on June 2nd and 3rd. We'll organize a carpool if there is sufficient interest. We normally go up to long Beach in the morning, spend the day at the show, then stop for dinner on the way back.

I've included a discount coupon at the end of this page.

Get in touch with either Mark or Dave if you want to go with the group.

Accident Report from La Jolla Shores

On March 31st, a diver was taken away by ambulance that morning. Rumor had it that the diver had run out of air at depth, had done an emergency ascent, had shown some symptoms, but was likely to be OK. Reality is not too far from those rumors.

Steve Cherry was kind enough to provide a firsthand account of his accident at http://divebums.com/General/cherry-accident.html. Also included is a dive report from one of Steve's buddies that day. I'm happy to report that Steve is OK, and he will be able to dive again.

Please read this report. There is a whole lot of useful information within it.

Rocks, Rips, and Reefs

Rocks, Rips, and Reefs (also affectionately known as the 3R's) is jointly sponsored by the SDCD, San Diego Lifeguards, and local dive clubs. 3R's are an in the water orientation to the local shore diving in San Diego. It's usually given by a member of the lifeguard staff.

Taking advantage of this program is really easy. Show up at the rendezvous point with your wetsuit, snorkeling gear, and a weight belt containing no more than half of your usual diving weight.

The lifeguards request a $5 donation to cover expenses. Refreshments are provided at your exit point. Call the dive and surf report at 619/221-8824 on the morning of the 3R to find out the final location, or whether the session has been canceled due to conditions.

Here is the 2001 schedule of events:

International Dive-In Day

The San Diego Oceans Foundation and HammerHeads will co-host this year's San Diego International Dive-In Day on Sunday, May 20, 2001. In an attempt to break the World Record for largest group dive, divers will meet at La Jolla Shores at 8:00 a.m. and take the plunge simultaneously along with thousands of divers at over 100 locations around the world. This event will bring media exposure to scuba diving, and the need to respect our ocean's ecosystem,

All divers are welcome to take part in the dive event of the season and claim their stake in history. The La Jolla Shores celebration will include a variety of exciting activities including giveaways by the HammerHeads and the San Diego Oceans Foundation (dive trips, tee shirts and other scuba merchandise), an underwater imaging competition hosted by Sea &; Sea Underwater Photography, an underwater clean-up contest, and a pancake breakfast hosted by SDOF from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In spirit of cleaning up our shores, the San Diego Oceans Foundation will give away a dive trip to the Yukon for the diver who brings back the most unusual piece of garbage from their dive!

Festivities will begin at 7:30 a.m. PST and divers are encouraged to be in the water at approximately 8:00 a.m. to be considered for the World Record. For more information on participating in the La Jolla Shores dive, check out http://www.diveinday.com or call Lydia Eldridge at (858) 616-6408.

Yukon Monitoring Project

Roughly 100 divers have been trained in data gathering methods for the monitoring project. There will be another training session later this summer or fall. Research divers get substantial discounts on their Yukon dives so you may want to consider joining the program.

A group of volunteers constructed reference squares from PVC pipe. These squares will be used to monitor the sea life growing on various parts of the ship.

Please don't disturb anything in or on these squares!

The project will be installing PVC reference squares and transect lines on the Yukon in the near future.

Research Divers Needed

Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Project Pacific are looking for divers to help with a study of the San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve (more simply: La Jolla Cove and Shores!) The Reserve has been in place for nearly 30 years, but has never been studied. As more and more communities think about creating marine reserves, we have to opportunity (with any luck!) to demonstrate the benefits of a marine reserve by comparing the diversity and abundance of marine life within our reserve to that in unprotected areas. (Assuming that there is a difference... which is what the study will look at.)

If you are interesting in helping out, please contact Dick Glenn, 858-587-1150.

San Diego Council of Divers

The next SDCD meeting is 7PM on May 10th at Marina Village Conference Center, 1936 Quivira Way, Mission Bay

Video and Digital Imaging Seminar

Light & Motion is sponsoring a workshop, seminar, and photo shoot-out in Monterey, California August 10 - 12, 2001

This seminar and workshop offers instruction for all levels, including essential techniques for shooting great underwater video and digital photographs; making the most of your digital photographs using software programs and the world wide web; digital video editing and housing maintenance.

The shoot-out competition affords a chance to test newly learned skills. Contest judges from Light and Motion, and other professional photographers help critique your images and give tips for improving your work before you submit your favorite shot.

For workshop details, contest rules or for information about lodging and reservations visit www.theshootout.org or contact Light & Motion at 831-645-1525, or www.uwimaging.com.

Dive Travel

Several people in the club are looking at our next set of trips. We've got some tropical, some local.

I'm looking at Channel Islands or Catalina sometime late summer, or early fall. 3 day trips on the Truth Aquatics boats are great trips; reasonably priced, and very relaxing. If you're interested, please let me know.

The Spew Crew is doing some informal trips to San Clemente.

Shaun is looking for a tropical destination. Stay tuned for more information.

We've also got lots of trip specials this month.

Laura Mankoff is organizing a trip to Chinchorro Banks in Mexico. Dates: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 through Wednesday, January 2, 2002 This is an all inclusive (except alcohol) resort. Very laid back. Beautiful accommodations with air conditioning, TV's (no phones), and pool. They have two great boats and Laura will make sure we get the bigger boat. Boats are camera friendly.

Price is $1245 + $100 transportation fee. Its a four hour drive from Cancun to Maya Ha. The resort van picks us up in Cancun. American from Miami is best route.

Price includes all meals, 5 days of diving or land tour (kayaking trip, day trip to one of the ruins). There is one day nothing is planed but a kayak trip would cost $75 per person and includes lunch and a tour of one of the local forts. Air Fare not included. Let Laura know if you want us to get your airfare. The more seats the better fare they can get. (bulk) vs. economy.

Water temp was 78-82 degrees and air was in upper 70's. Very pleasant. Did wear Chammyz on the boat, but was never uncomfortable. No hoods or gloves are allowed.

Ten spaces are available. Deposit of $200 is required to hold your space. Deposits are nonrefundable.

CAYMAN: Hammerheads is sponsoring a trip to the Grand Cayman Island, July 14-21. Price is $1049 ($1139 from Houston) and includes 7 nights lodging, 5 days of diving with Bob Soto's, theme parties, island tour, and sunset cruise. Contact Lydia Eldridge at 858-616-6408 for more information.

OES Info

OES members can receive discounts on regular OE classes. Members receive $30 off the regular OE price for specialty classes.

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.

Renewals Paid: Brian Kinley – Welcome back

New Members: Tim Freeman – Welcome aboard!

Renewal rates are $20 single; $30 for a family. Send your renewal to Mark Clausen; 1862 Willow Way; Vista, CA 92083.

For more information:

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