January 2016 - Lunarfins Scuba Club

Lunarscope
JANUARY 2016
Lunarfins, a non-profit club that promotes
the sport of scuba diving.
Inside this issue
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, Jan 13
Since 2002, Danny Bergeron has been a PADI
Scuba Instructor for Sport Diver’s. In this time
he has certified hundreds of divers and has
traveled all over the globe leading dive groups
to exotic dive destinations. He has also been
shooting underwater photography for over 25
years and has had his photos published by
magazines such as National Geographic. He
manages the store Tuesdays and Thursdays and
is a great source of advice on equipment,
photography, trips, and all levels of
certification for divers.
02 Events Calendar
Club Officers
03 Pending Trips and
Events
04 Pending Dive Shop
Trips
05 Christmas Party
and Diver of the Year
06 Roatan for
Thanksgiving
07 Continuing Ed
08 Memorial
General Meeting Information
Where: Clear Lake Park; 5001 NASA Road 1, on the South (lake) side of NASA
Road One.
When: Second Wednesday of each month at 7 PM except April and December.
Come early for a social time at 6:30 PM. Join us afterward at Mario’s in Seabrook
for food, drink and camaraderie.
Lunarfins Board Meetings are held the
last Tuesday each month at 6:30 PM.
Arrive at 6 to select your supper.
Tony’s BBQ and Steakhouse
17052 Saturn Ln
If you have an issue to bring before the board,
contact any board member to get on the agenda.
Lunarfins
P.O. Box 57514
Webster TX
77598-7514
Events Calendar
(Tentative plans)
Membership
Membership runs from
March 1st to Feb 28th next
year.
Please bring the form (below)
to the next meeting or mail it
in.
Don’t forget to fill out your
interest and if you want to
be included in the directory.
Jan 30 TGCC Banquet page 3
Jun
Pot Luck Picnic
Feb
Open
Jul
Open
Mar
Open
Aug Open
Apr 2
Trash Bash
Sep
Open
Apr 13 Open House Picnic
Oct
Open
Apr
Nov Happy Hour
JSC Health & Safety Day
May Checkout Dive
Dec Holiday Party
Available at meetings:
Lunarfins embroidered logo shirts $15. two small (gold,
light blue), one men's medium (aqua blue).
Stickers for sale ($1 ea).
See Barbara at any Lunarfins event or
email: social@lunarfins.com
Only those who chose to be
shown in the directory will
get a copy of the directory.
Membership Application
This link will download the file
to your computer.
There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.
Ansel Adams
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Social Director
Equipment
Mike Peters
Randy Widaman
OPEN
John Gorman
Barbara Corbin
Jenna Contenta
ELECTED OFFICERS
281-481-9091
281-338-8808
281-481-0667
409-497-4043
409-789-4007
APPOINTED
281-488-3663
Training Information Bill Jones
Trip Information
OPEN
TGCC Representative Tom Burns
Advisors
Fred Toole & George Clark
Newsletter & Website Polly Swerdlin
January 2016
mgpetershome@comcast.net
cap10randy@comcast.net
secretary@lunarfins.com
john_gorman_2@yahoo.com
bjcorbin04@yahoo.com
tooleshed@lunarfins.com
281-488-6759
Mr.Bill.Jones@comcast.net
trips@lunarfins.com
tmbrns@sbcglobal.net
281-814-4606
webeditor@lunarfins.com
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Pending Trips and Events
The annual TGCC Awards Banquet is where TGCC recognizes and honors members for their outstanding
achievements. It is also an opportunity for member clubs to award its outstanding members. It is an
event designed to bring together our member clubs.
The 2016 TGCC Awards Banquet will be Saturday, January 30 at Bayland Community Center in Bellaire.
Social starts at 11:00 AM, lunch at 11:45 AM, awards for all the clubs after the luncheon. Ticket price will
be $15.00 and includes salad, entree, dessert, iced tea or lemonade.
See the TGCC website for more details and a map for directions: http://tgccdiving.org/?page_id=83
Heads Up !!!
Deposit due
January 15;
Payment in full
by March 15
August 22, 2016
The 15th Annual Bill Jones Cozumel Vacation
These trips have been named the most popular “all inclusive” scuba
diving vacation package in Houston. We have had more than 385
travelers enjoy the fantastic value of this vacation.
Visit http://home.comcast.net/~bill.jones.scubaguy/ for the latest plus
any classes offered.
Tickets on sale SOON
January 2016
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Trips Offered by Dive Shops etc.
LOCAL TRIPS
INTERNATIONAL
Divers Paradise
Apr 16-24 Bonaire
Jul 30-Aug 6 Cozumel
www.dpscuba.com
Flower Gardens
Texas Coral Reefs
Texas Dive Center
www.txdivecenter.com
281-741-9949
Shoving off on the
Easy Diver
Sport Divers
www.sportdivers.com
281-338-1611
Our trips are generally
30 miles offshore,
although longer trips
or three tank dives
can be arranged.
Freeport to the Rigs
Weekends that
weather allows
$250 pp - $15
additional for tanks
Rig diving daytrips by
Captain Beard Charters
www.captainbeardcharte
rs.com 832-603-1698
January 2016
Gigglin Marlin
Feb 13 – 19
Cat Ppalu – Nassau, Bahamas to Exuma Islands
www.gigglinmarlin.com
Island Dreams
Jun 29-Jul 6 Grenada
Aug – Nov Costa Rica
www.divetrip.com
Maximum Scuba
2016 trips pending…
http://maximum-scuba.com
Oceanic Ventures
May 21-28 Grand Cayman
Jul 2-11 Fiji
http://oceanicventures.com
REEF Trips
Dive Vacations That Count
www.reef.org/trips
Sport Divers
2016 trips pending…
www.sportdivers.com
4
Recent Events
By Fred Toole
CHRISTMAS PARTY
The 2015 Christmas party was hosted by Leslie Murphey at her home in Seabrook. The exceptional
event was attended by enthusiastic members and their guests. This party was the grand finale of events
for the Lunarfins 2015 season and what a way to close out the year! The mild weather allowed us to
view Galveston Bay from her patio. Everyone enjoyed quite a feast from appetizers, the meal, and on to
dessert. We consumed turkey, ham and the many side dishes and deserts that members brought. The
white elephant gift exchange was the highlight of the party and it occupied a good part of the evening.
Gifts moved from the original recipient to the "conquering" recipient several times. The variety of gifts
made the evening a lot of fun.
We all want to thank our gracious hosts Leslie for giving us an opportunity to enjoy the evening and her
beautiful home.
LUNARFIN DIVER OF THE YEAR
With such a large number of attendees at the Christmas party,
we had a good voter turnout for the selection of the Lunarfins’
Diver of the Year – awarded to Mike Peters. His continuous
contributions and hard work are evident in the club’s progress.
Mike served two terms as the club’s vice president, was an active
participant in many club activities for the past several years, and
is now our president. He truly deserves to receive this
recognition from club members.
We hope you join us at the TGCC Awards Banquet Saturday
January 30, to give our thanks for his many contributions to the
club.
January 2016
5
Anthony’s Key, Roatan
By Fred Toole
Editor’s note: Fred and Louise Toole took this trip on Thanksgiving week 2015.
Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, 33 miles by 4 miles, and about 20 miles off the coast
of Honduras. Anthony’s Key is on the waters edge in a remote area on northwest corner of the island,
several miles east of the community of West End and several miles west of Turquoise Bay where the
clubs trip is planned for this May. Other areas of Roatan are accessible by a short taxi ride. The welcome
center, bar, and covered open-air restaurant are on the hillside over looking the Caribbean and fully
equipped dive shop. Three meals each day, selected from a menu, are served at your table any time
during a two-hour period. The food was excellent.
Accommodations, with or without air-conditioning, consisted of wooden cabanas on the hill adjacent the
restaurant, or bungalows on a small island (key) about 200 yards off the main island. These were at the
waters edge with covered decks extending over the Caribbean. 24-hour boat taxi was available from the
key to the main island (Roatan).
The dive shop has individual equipment lockers, three large rinse tanks, a nitrox room and showers at
the dock adjacent the boats. Divers are responsible for logging the PO2 value of their nitrox cylinders.
The staff loaded tanks and assisted in the setup of our gear on the boat for our dives. We were assigned
the same boat and crew for the week. Number of divers on our boat ranged from 6 to maybe 12. The
fleet of modern, 40 foot custom-built dive boats took us to many of the 35 sites located just 5 to 15
minutes from the dock. The morning dive was at 8:30, and for the surface interval we came back to the
dock, and enjoyed showers and snacks before the second dive at 11:30. We would be back at dock and
restaurant for lunch, it would then be time for siesta or prepare for the 3:00 dive. Night dives were also
available. It would be easy to make four dives a day. During our 6 day stay we made 17 dives. Diving
condition were near perfect. Water temp around 82, seas calm, visibility excellent, and little to no
current. Top of the reefs averaged 25 to 30 feet and then the wall. Dives at a mooring buoy or the boat
followed as we dived along the reef. Most bottom times were 50 to 60 minutes. Wall dives offered sheer
drop offs, giant sponges, swim-through, caverns with available light, and crevices. One swim through was
the Hole in the Wall, top of the reefs offered coral gardens and a variety marine life.
The waters around Roatan are marine sanctuaries so there is a great variety of sea life. A few of the
highlights were: numerous huge groupers (all kinds) nice dives on the Agular and Odyssey wrecks, Hole
in the Wall, blennies, cryptic teardrop crabs, anemone shrimp, many turtles, sea horses, nudibranchs,
morays, midnight parrotfish, squids, and great barracuda.
Other amenities at Anthony’s Key included a large swimming pool, and unlimited access to kayaks,
paddleboards, and shore diving.
Most if not all of the dive sites on the north side of Roatan are accessible from Turquoise Bay, so the
Lunarfins May trip will provide many dives just a few minutes from the resort.
January 2016
6
Continuing Education
Discovered by Jenna Contenta
www.rawstory.com
Reuters, 10 October 2015
A common ingredient found in sunscreen is toxic to coral and contributing to the decline of reefs around
the world, according to new research published on Tuesday. Oxybenzone, a UV-filtering chemical
compound found in 3,500 brands of sunscreen worldwide, can be fatal to baby coral and damaging to
adults in high concentrations, according the study published in the Archives of Environmental
Contamination and Toxicology.
The international research team that conducted the study, led by Craig Downs, found the highest
concentrations of oxybenzone around coral reefs popular with tourists, particularly those in Hawaii and
the Caribbean. Downs, of the non-profit scientific organization Haereticus Environmental Laboratory in
Virginia, said the study helped explain why scientists aren’t seeing baby corals in many established reefs
in resort areas.
Oxybenzone alters coral DNA, makes coral more susceptible to potentially fatal bleaching and acts as an
endocrine disruptor, causing baby coral to encase itself in its own skeleton and die, according to the
findings. Between 6,000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion winds up in coral reef areas each year,
much of which containing oxybenzone.
The damaging effects were seen in coral in concentrations of oxybenzone as low as 62 parts per trillion,
which is equivalent to a drop of water in six and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to the
researchers. In Hawaii and the Caribbean, concentrations were 12 times higher, according to the sea
water testing. Outside of coral toxins, the Environmental Working Group had previously raised concerns
about the chemical, saying that it may penetrate the skin and cause hormonal and cellular changes.
The American Academy of Dermatology, says there is no data showing oxybenzone is a health hazard
and notes that it is one of the few ingredients in sunscreen that effectively protects skin from harmful
UVA and UVB rays.
(Editing by Laila Kearney and Sandra Maler)
(Since we didn’t have a December issue…)
Top Ten Reasons Hurricane Season is Like Christmas
10. Decorating the house (boarding up windows)
9. Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season (camping gear, flashlights)
8. Last minute shopping in crowded stores
7. Regular TV shows pre-empted for "specials"
6. Family coming to stay with you
5. Family and friends from out-of-state calling
4. Buying food you don't normally buy ... and in large quantities
3. Days off from work
2. Candles
And the number one reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas...
1. At some point you know you are going to have a tree in your house!
January 2016
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Eternal Reefs Memorial for Jim McCoy
The Lunarfins Scuba
Club was organized in
1963 by a small group of
divers who worked at the
Manned Spacecraft
Center, as Johnson Space
Center (JSC) was known
back then. The club grew
primarily through the
sponsorship of SCUBA
training classes, local
dive trips and social
activities. Since that time,
membership has
broadened to include
anyone interested in
diving. The majority of
our members are in some
way affiliated with
NASA but this is not a
requirement for
membership and we have
members from all across
the board.
By Louise Toole
Jim McCoy, long time Lunarfin’s member, was memorialized by his
wife, Leslie Murphy with the creation of an Eternal Reef Memorial.
There are three steps to creating an Eternal Reef. The Casting,
where memorabilia is added by family and friends. The Viewing,
which was attended by Leslie Murphy, Fred and Louise Toole. And
the Dedication, where the reef is placed in the ocean. Although too
rough to place the reef in the ocean, the dedication followed. It was
attended by Leslie Murphy, Bob and Marilyn Puschinsky. The reef
was placed in the water at a later date.
Leslie Murphy hosted the 2015 Christmas party. Her beautiful fish
tank now contains a mini reef, created by Eternal Reefs. Their
beautiful home overlooks Galveston Bay. How fitting for a ‘Scientist,
Pilot, Skier, Traveler and Diver’, roles listed on the brass plaque.
Additional information on the program can be found at
www.eternalreefs.com
Lunarfins
P.O. Box 57514
Webster TX 77598-7514
281-814-4606
webeditor@lunarfins.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/grou
ps/687047211312336/
Website:
http://www.lunarfins.com/
January 2016
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