Ocean
Explorers
Society
June 2006
I'm in the midst last-minute preparations, so this is going to be short.
Diving season is upon us. The water is warming up, though not enough for my cold-blooded brethren. Vis has been excellent lately, so go dive the canyon or some other local spot. Most of the core group is going on the Caribbean trip. We'll reconvene on June 17th for a picnic and dive at La Jolla Shores.
In the meantime, the mailing list will be under Liza's care, so
please feel free to post diving invitations. You all have a very nice
Memorial Day, and we'll see you when you return.
La Jolla Shores Incident - Channel 10 News reported that on Monday, May 8th, a dive guide and Brazilian diver were taken to the hospital after a rapid accent at La Jolla Shores. The OEX guide, later contacted John Moore of Divebums with additional information. The dive guide and diver were about 55 feet from Vallecitos Point, when the diver began frantic hand waving and began to ascend, during which time he spat out his reg. The guide offered his octopus which the diver took, then spat that out also. At the surface, the diver was breathing and attempting to talk, however he began foaming at the mouth. The guide inflated his safety sausage, thereby quickly getting the lifeguards attention, which is attributed to possibly saving the diver's life. The diver's gear was checked afterwards and found to be working properly. The diver was taken to Scripps La Jolla, where heart attack was ruled out and an embolism is suspected. At this time, no further information is available. The dive guide was taken to UCSD Medical Center as a precaution, however no treatment was necessary.
OEX believes that the diver's life was saved because of the guide's use of the safety sausage in getting the attention of the lifeguards and are therefore offering safety sausages at half price. It is unknown as to whether there there is a time or quantity limit, so if you are interested, contact OEX about details. (Divebums.com)
San Diego Oceans Foundation Fish Counting Program - The SD Oceans Foundation and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) are partnering to offer free, new and improved fish identification training classes for So Cal divers. The class is open to all levels of snorkelers and divers. By the end of the training session, class participants will be able to identify local marine fish, collect information on populations, and report it to REEF for species and abundance tracking. This information will then be used by the National Marine Sanctuary Program, National Marine Fisheries Service, and The Nature Conservancy, among others. For every 6 surveys completed, participants will earn a FREE dive trip on the Lois Ann (maximum of 5).
The next training session will be held on June 10th from 8:00-10:00 am at the Birch Aquarium. Coffee and refreshments will be provided, as well as an opportunity to explore the aquarium. REEF survey kits, which are recommended for surveyors, will be available for purchase for $25. The cost includes a one year membership to the San Diego Oceans Foundation. For more info, email courtney@sdoceans.org or call (619) 523-1903. (Divebums.com)
Green Flash Concert Series — KPRI FM and the Birch Aquarium are sponsoring an evening concert series at the aquarium. The dates are June 21st (summer solstice), July 19th, August 16th, and September 20th. Beer, wine and food will be available from Rock Bottom Brewery. The first show will feature Left for Dead. We'll have more details as they become available.
SCUBA Show — Mark your calendars. SCUBA Show 2006 will be held June 24th and 25th in Long Beach. Looks like the all the usual activities; seminars, film festival, and exhibition. We'll do the carpool again this year. We'll meet at 8:30 at the Starbuck's in the Carlsbad Outlet Center on Paseo del Norte, then drive up to Long Beach. We usually have dinner on the way back.SCUBA Show 2006 is looking for top-quality amateur and semi-pro original short underwater video films to screen at its Continuous Underwater Film Festival. This is not a contest but those accepted will be paid an honorarium. Deadline is April 3, 2006. For complete guidelines visit online http://www.saintbrendan.com/filmguid.htm.
Dacor Regulator Trade-In Program - When Mares purchased Dacor in 1999, part of the plan was to consolidate production into their Italy factory in 2000. Once that move was completed, the former parts supplier to Dacor, knowing they would no longer be supplying parts, made the decision to destroy their molds. The result was that once Mares/Dacor's supply of parts ran out, regulators requiring these parts would no longer be able to be serviced.
Through September 30, 2006, Mares/Dacor is now offering an upgrade program to assist owners of any Dacor Regulators produced in the U.S. prior to 2000. Owners of qualifying regulators will have the opportunity to purchase one of the following four regulators at an "Upgrade Price":
Dispute Satisfactorily Resolved Between DAN & Sub-Aquatic Safety Services (SSS) - DAN and clinic members of the SSS Network have announced that they have reached a settlement in the recent legal action. Representatives of SSS announced that DAN America insurance is once again accepted as a result of the resolution. The terms of the settlement remain confidential. (www.diversalertnetwork.org)
San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition - The 7th Annual San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition is being held October 20-21 2006 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. If you are interested in exhibiting your work in a public arena, this may be your opportunity.
Many club members are on their way to
the Caribbean for a week of sun and diving aboard the Caribbean
Explorer II..