Ocean Explorers Society
October 2004
Sponsored by Ocean Enterprises
Contents
Monthly
Meeting
Thursday, October 7th at 7PM - Upstairs
classroom at Ocean Enterprises. Our Guest Speaker will be Dr Grover. We'll meet
for dinner at 5:30 in Appleby's across the street from Ocean Enterprises all
are welcome to join us. either at Appleby's or at the meeting itself.
From the President
First off, let me apologize for the misfire with last month's newsletter.
We had some problems that cost us our window of opportunity. We have an interesting
meeting this month. Dive medicine is a subject very near to our hearts. Please
invite your friends.
Saturday, August 14th was a very "OES" day with Rocks, Rips and Reefs in the morning; lunch at Onami, and the Open Water movie in the afternoon. Thanks to all who came. I had a great time.
Our 3-R's engagement went very well. We had lots of people and excellent conditions. In case you were unaware, it's entirely legal to enter the water at Children's Pool. There were a few seals on the beach during the 3-R's. We went in at the east end of the beach with nary a raised seal head. Divers have been doing the same for a few months now. This is one of the best diving and snorkeling areas we have. I really encourage people to dive there, especially in the great conditions we've been enjoying for the past few weeks. Many thanks to Dawn Tosta, Robin Luczak, and Liz Ambrose for helping make this event a success. We'll do another one next year.
Even with Children's Pool officially open, there are a few caveats. There may be a yellow rope strung across the beach. Feel free to remove it as it certainly wasn't put there by the lifeguards. There is one slightly disturbed individual who's taken it upon himself to "protect" the seals. You can blow him off (not away) with impunity. The lifeguards and the cops know about him. He seems to clock out at around 5 PM so if you dive after work, he won't be a problem.
The city council recently voted 5-3 to return the Children's pool to shared use. The city staff is supposed to evaluate options for improving water flow through the pool, which will bring down the bacteria count. Unfortunately, there is no funding for this project, and given the dismal state of the city's finances, there won't be any for a long time. They have opened an account to accept private donations for the project.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a problem. New studies paint a very bleak picture for our oceans. Fish stocks, coral reefs, and kelp beds are all in trouble. It bothers me that this isn't a campaign issue for anyone. But with issues like Iraq, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction at the forefront of the campaign, a lot of other important issues are getting swept under the rug.
For the moment, the battle for the oceans is will happen elsewhere. We have lots of opportunities for action at the state and local levels. The Dan Diego City Council "Seal Hearing" was postponed by Councilman Lewis' death. They finally held it last week, and voted 5-3 to support coexistence between people and seals. This vote is certainly a victory for the diving community, and all the people who visit the ocean. It remains to be seen just how quickly they move to implement the water quality improvements.
The planning department is also working on a new area plan for La Jolla. There are people in the La Jolla area who consider divers a nuisance. The Council of Divers is keeping abreast of these developments, and we'll pass along the important information.
As a reminder, the area at the end of Vallecitos Street is a no parking zone and needed for emergency access. The lifeguards have been ticketing people who park there.
Labor Day marks the end of tourist season. We get our beaches back. We still have the warm weather, and the water is about as warm as it ever gets too. This is my favorite time for local diving. After work is particularly good. But, almost any time is good so long as the water cooperates.
I've been rediscovering the joys of a good snorkel outing. With the clear water we've been enjoying, there's lots to see. It takes less prep and clean, it's easy to do, and it's still a lot of fun. I get back to the car feeling recharged instead of tired. This time of year, 70 degree water makes a 3 mm suit quite adequate. There are lots of worthwhile places too. Marine Room offers sharks, rays, and flatfish in abundance, especially now. We've found the best strategy is to keep quiet, and as still as possible. They'll come around if they think you're a patch of kelp. Taking on a seaweed mantle also help break up your outline, and make the fish less wary. If you splash around, they depart in a heartbeat. The Casa Cove and Children's Pool area has a mixed bottom with seagrass, rocky reefs, kelp, and a little sand thrown in for contrast.
Congratulations to Noelle Barger and Quincy Morris on their recent marriage.
You know, we have a pretty darn good dive club here; easy going, fun, no excess testosterone or political BS. But, we need more members. We'll be doing more recruiting as opportunities present themselves. But most importantly, tell your friends about the OES. As we get more members, we can do more dive trips and other activities. I'd particularly like to get more local trips going. I hear the Yukon is wonderful, and I haven't dived the NOSC Tower yet.
I'll be down at La Jolla Shores for DUI DOG days demos on September 25th and 26th. I'll be there mostly for the Council of Divers, but will also put out some flyers for the OES.
Please feel free to come down, try out a drysuit, and just have a nice day at the beach with someone else handling the food. This is a cheap way to try some great gear, and all the proceeds go to the San Diego Oceans Foundation.
The water temperatures, and clarity are still good. We've had a wonderful summer, and it doesn't look like it's over yet.
Happy Bubbles,
Dave Ambrose
San Diego Council of Divers
The Council is getting organized for next year. They've set the meeting
dates for every other month, and will start lining up speakers. They'll also
be down at the DOG Days at La Jolla Shores. The council serves a vital role
for the diving community by presenting the diver's viewpoints to government
bodies, and by acting as a clearing house for government issues and actions.
I strongly encourage everyone to join. More people means a stronger voice for
divers.
Open Water Movie Review
OK, we've all seen the ads on the Discovery Channel and thought, "Not another
damn shark movie." I was surprised to discover that Open Water is not just
another action/drama/let's-have-gallons-of-blood horror movie. It's loosely
based on a true incident that took place in Australia. A couple were left behind
by a dive boat, and not discovered missing for nearly a day. A week after the
couple disappeared, their BC's washed up on the beach. The film makers built
their story in between these facts. After all the fear factor heaped on sharks,
I was half expecting something I'd have to explain to disbelieving non divers.
Fortunately, they pretty much let the sharks be themselves and avoided demonizing
the poor creatures. Instead they made a thriller focusing on the diver's reaction
to their unexpected predicament. Therein lies the big problem with this movie.
It's a fine line between suspense and tedium. If they'd taken out about 5 or
10 minutes, it would have been just right. The action and dialogue are believable,
if a touch stilted in their delivery. It also suffers some from the typical
indie film low budget production blues. But, this movie could have been horrible
and it wasn't. That, by itself, is a noteworthy achievement, given the subject
matter. Wait for the DVD, and make your own popcorn. Slight Warning: this is
not a kids movie. It contains shark bites, death, and some non gratuitous nudity,
Flotsam
This Saturday and Sunday join the San Diego Council of Divers, DUI, SeaLife
and some of your local dive clubs for a big dive event at La Jolla Shores.DUI
will be there letting people try their drysuits. SeaLife will be there letting
people try their ReefMaster underwater cameras. Dive Clubs reps will be there
to present their clubs.
Other reasons to be there include BBQ, a great raffle, door prizes and special offers from DUI, but most of all, the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the San Diego Oceans Foundation. It's a great way to wind up what's been a great summer of diving. More info at: http://www.sddivers.com/divedays/
The Annual Under Water Pumpkin Carving Contest will be October 30th at Kellogg
Park, La Jolla Shores. Early Registration is $15.00 at Ocean Enterprises. Beach
Registration is $20.00. Check in between 9 -10am, Underwater Carving 10am, Lunch
and Judging 12pm, Winners Announced 1pm. This event is for certified divers
so please bring your cert card to show during registration. All proceeds will
benefit The Breast Cancer Awareness and Research Fund.
Dive Travel
The Florida trip is cancelled due to hurricanes.
Bermuda Travel and Dive Report
July 22nd to August 2nd
What does afternoon tea, Cup Match, limestone roofs, English charm, 85% relative humidity and the best natural wreck diving in the world have in common?........They can all be found on the beautiful island of Bermuda!
Last month, I was able to experience all of the pleasantries and subtle charm associated with this unique Island that is less than three (3) hours off the eastern coast off North Carolina.
From the moment we stepped off the plane and into the airport terminal, we knew that plenty of fun activities were in store for this long overdue vacation. Beginning with the sporadic chatter with the other airline's passengers waiting to be processed through customs, we were informed that we had arrived in time to experience the Bermudian national holiday, "Cup Match". Cup Match combines emancipation day, founder's day and the annual cricket competition between the parishes of St. George and Somerset! Though I can't say I know any more about Cricket (the English version of baseball!) now than I did before experiencing the holiday, but Cup Match was unique in itself and words can not justly describe the event! Part sporting event, part street fair, part picnic, part cricket, part fashion show and part people watching!
Planned primarily as a dive vacation we completed 12 dives in 6 days. These were dives on twelve (12) of the some-odd four-hundred (400) natural shipwrecks that fell victim to Bermuda's treacherous barrier reef!. All of the wrecks that we dived were spectacular and breathtaking. Most of the wrecks (with the exception of one) were located in shallow water reefs in less than 40 fsw. These very old wrecks were all accompanied by a well documented history (some dating back to the early 1700's). These historic shipwrecks were both beautiful and eerie with mystique, simultaneously. From the Constellation (the inspiration for the movie "The Deep) with its cargo of cement, liquor and drugs (all clearly visible and quite awesome) to the L'Herminnie (pronounced "Le-r-minnie") with its huge array of 17th century deck cannons littering the sea floor, there was very little doubt that diving in Bermuda was a very special once-in-a-lifetime experience.
On an "interesting" note, the dive operation that we selected to dive with could have used a refresher course in "customer service 101". For starters, there was very very little surface interval between dives which made for a very rushed entry and subsequently several days of unnecessary fatigue. The passengers were not provided with the typical snacks or refreshing beverages that most of us just take for granted (it was more of the typical bread and water mentality). Needless to say, the crew was very courteous, professional, helpful and did the best they could with the tools that they were given to work with. The "Bermuda Shipwreck Certificate Program" that has been advertised in most diving publications, though available, was never mentioned or offered. Likewise for videography. On a one to ten scale, we have to rate our operator with about a "mid-six" rating. Regardless, of our experience with this particular operator, we would do it all over again just for the sheer thrill of it!
Editor's Trip barometer (with one (1) being worst and ten (10) being best):
Value rating: 6
Diving: 9
Ease of travel: 7
Dive Operator: 6
Dawn Tosta and Brian Wong
Membership
Renewal rates are $20 single; $30
for a family. If you can't make it to a meeting, send your renewal
to Mark Clausen; 1862 Willow Way; Vista, CA 92083.