Laguna Sea Dwellers

Laguna Sea Dwellers
The LUAU WOW!!!
Newsletter Date:
August 2011
Upcoming Events:
8/13 - Catalina dive on
the Magician $125
8/15 - Photo workshop at
Joe Liburdis Shop 6PM
8/17 - Club Meeting
6:30PM at NBTC
8/20 - Club dive and BBQ
Dive at 7AM and feast at
11AM Heisler Park
9/2 - Club Mixer at Mizukis Rest in Irvine 5PM
July 30th was a blast from all accounts. Were you there? NO!? Then these pictures and
others scattered through the newsletter
should update you about what went on.
Plan on going next year!
(BTW, I am seeing WAY to many coconut bras in this)
9/3 - Saturday Beach Dive
8AM Shaws Cove
Inside this issue:
Luau WOW!!
1
Presidents Message
2
Greetings from John
Lee
3
Travel Deals
4
New Member Spot
Dive Milestones
Letter from Editor
5
In Case You Missed
it
Raffle Winners
6
Calendar
7
Boat Dive Schedule
July Birthdays
8
Book Signing
Project Aware
9
Member Savings
10
Page 2
Laguna Sea Dwellers
Greetings from Cathy, LSD President
Happy August! Isn‟t it wonderful to be in Southern California in summer? Any time of year
here is alright with me!
Well, our July LSD event calendar was nothing less than absolutely stupendous! If you were
able to join us on the 2nd Annual Scuba Luau, you were treated to a fantastic day! Suffice it to say,
many generous volunteers, boat captains that really came through and helped to make it special,
great food, fun games, great diving, water canon battle, assistance from the Boy Scouts, and no
mishaps made the event OUTSTANDING! Consensus is that we will do it AGAIN! Save the date,
July, 2011!
On August 13th, we have our Catalina Surprise trip on the Magician to look forward to. Waiting list only at this point. Our LSD boat trips are always a GAS! It is likely there will be 4 dive sights
visited, and each diver will have the opportunity to do 3 dives. Depending on the conditions, the first
dive of the trip will be an advanced, deep dive. While the first, advanced divers are off-gassing, we
will head to the next sight for all the other divers to jump in. We will hit 2 more spots, and then head
back to the mainland. We expect to have another very fun day!
A little soapbox stuff…think about treating the dive boats you frequent as if you are visiting a
friend‟s home. Remember, you are a guest. Take care to leave the furnishings and facilities as you
found them, and take care to consider others that will use them after you. The boat operators are
most often the boat owners, and their boat is their livelihood. They invest a tremendous amount for
maintenance and upkeep to ensure your safety and comfort. The crew not only helps divers during
the trip, but is also responsible for cleaning up and making the boat ready for the next group. We
should remember to treat them with courtesy and respect just like we
would treat our friend‟s family. We are very fortunate to have dive boats
available to take us to great dive sites. The local boat industry, too, has
been impacted by the economic challenges (including the price of fuel) –
but we have only seen slight increases in the price of trips, amazingly.
Let‟s do our part to make it easier for them to stay in business so we can
continue to enjoy great dive trips out to the islands!
Hope to see you at the next LSD dive event or social activity
soon! Have a great month, blow bubbles, and safe diving!
The date for submissions has been moved! You may submit your photos for consideration by August 10th.
August 2011
Greetings from 810 N. lat. (Spitsbergen)
Page 3
by John Lee
Last Christmas I was conversing with Jeff Bozanic about our various trips to the Antarctic, including the
pro’s and con’s and how to get there in one piece (via ship and the treacherous hurricanes typical of the Drake
Passage, or a flight from Christ Church NZ). One thing we did agree on was the ocean temps hovered between -2 and + 4 degrees Celsius. That’s when he piped up and stated that I should join him for a trip the Arctic, noting ―Diving in there is a lot warmer than the Antarctic‖, ―Because the Gulf Stream travels north and
warms the polar region‖. So I signed on…and you know Jeff was indeed correct – by a whole degree or two!
Well of course – we were diving just 500 miles from the North Pole/100 miles from Russia! Go ahead and grab
a globe and instead of spinning it, turn the top towards you. Locate Iceland and Norway and look for the archipelago of islands Spitsbergen.
Whales, Polar Bears, Sea Birds and Walrus’s were frequently sighted. Our dives were from Zodiac’s – and
each trip included a skipper manned w/a rifle to ward off and, if needed, shoot polar bears. Why ? This is
home to the largest population of the world’s largest carnivore. We were warned a diver was once pursued by
a polar bear, forcing the diver to descend to 60 feet, at which time the bear gave up the chase. We therefore
kept our distance and never did get within several hundred yards of those unpredictable creatures. Speaking
of beasts we once had three walruses (10-feet long and 2,000 plus pounds) pop up right next to our zodiac.
Whoa ! not sure who was more startled – us or them…
As in the Antarctic dive duration was limited, not by the air left in tanks, but rather by the wicked pain in our
hands and feet. A few of us wore wet gloves (me included) and some opted for dry gloves (many of which
leaked).
I have to admit a fair amount of dives had limited visibility (5-feet max) due to particulates from the melting
glaciers. Others dives were like Shaw’s on a good day. We encountered short, broad leafed kelp with many
critters hiding out including sea-stars, shrimps snails, anemones, crabs and (very few) fish, the largest of
which was 6-8 inches.
The highlight was an open-water dive at the edge of an ice sheet, where buoyancy and visibility was challenging due to the mixing of fresh and salt waters. Regardless of the conditions it was a kick watching my crazy
UK buds reenact Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk – all whilst dancing upside down under that ice sheet!
John
Page 4
Laguna Sea Dwellers
Travel Deals
Dive on the Aqua Cat – Bahamas So. Islands
May 5th – 12th, 2012
$2,673.00dbl. occ. - Do your own air or use your miles
7 Night PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- R/T GROUND & BOAT TRANSFERS -
8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS ABOARD THE 102 FT. AQUA CAT – 3 MEALS DAILY (except dinner on Friday) : INCLUDING SODA, RUM DRINKS,
BEER & WINE – 5 ½ DAYS OF 4 TO 5 DIVES PER DAY OF – ALL SHORE EXCURSIONS – SEE THE ISLANDS THAT COLUMBUS &
BLACKBEARD WALKED ON!
Just 3 Cabins left for divers or Non-Divers – give us a call!
How low can she go!
August 2011
Page 5
Diving Milestones
Tim Williams—Dive Master
Jeanne Nelson—Dry Suit Cert
Ruth Harris—700 Dives
Dave Cooley—800 Dives
Tim Williams—1000 Dives
New Members
Brian Oltman
Chris & Deborah Hendrix
Eric Lamadrid
Helle Sorensen
John McLean
Jason McLean
Jonah Bjorkman
Laguna Sea Dweller monthly meetings are held at
Newport Beach Tennis Club
2601 Eastbluff Newport Beach, CA 92660
A note from the Editor
To our readers. I want to personally apologize for the last few issues (including this) being late.
The June issue I was on travel (as were many of my contributors). The July issue again, many contributors on vacation and
the July 4th weekend was hectic. And now, add to this the August edition where I have been transitioning to
a new position at work and wanting to get photos of the Luau for addition to the letter.
We WILL be on track for the September edition. That is above and beyond my desire.
I thank many of you for your feedback of the new look and feel of the newsletter. I will continue to tweak on it
for your reading pleasure.
In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed the great diving weather and getting out there and getting wet!
Keep blowing them bubbles!
Kevin Boyd
Page 6
Laguna Sea Dwellers
In Case You Missed It
by Dianne Buckner
The July meeting was held at the Newport Beach Tennis Club at the usual time, on the usual day (3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30
p.m.).
RAFFLE TIME - Our monthly prize raffle with many great prizes was held as usual (see the list of prizes and the winners elsewhere in
this newsletter).....
Information/Updates were given on:
our monthly boat trips - Our annual Luau is fast approaching! (and has since passed at this writing) Three dive boats are going over
as well as a few private boats.
New members and guests were introduced (there were quite a few!)
There are always many activities in the works....sign onto the website to see what’s going on! Updates are being made often. Check
it out! www.lagunaseadwellers.com.
Our speaker for the evening was Jenny Miller-Garmendia, PADI’s Project Aware. Jenny is focusing in on two major ocean issues –
Sharks in Peril and Marine Debris, or trash in our ocean. There are many conservation issues converging on our ocean planet at once, but
Jenny and her group are concentrating on these serious problems where scuba divers are uniquely positioned to directly and positively
affect real, long-term change in these two areas. Check out the website to see what YOU can do to help:
www.projectaware.org
We hope to see you at the next meeting on August 17th! our own members, the Liburdies, the Weierbachs & Sherman will give a presentation on their trip to Wakatobi.
Don’t forget about our mixer on the first Friday of the month...August 5th is a Harbor cruise on the MV Belle. Ed Mickus and John Lee
have it set up and ready to go. Cruise the bay with your fellow divers and friends and enjoy happy hour
on the water! This Mixer is limited to 30 people. Cost is only $20 per person. Sign up on the website
soon!! See you there!
Dianne Buckner
Secretary
secretary@LagunaSeaDwellers.com
Dry Bag - John McLean
Dive Tool - Carsten Mejbo
Aqua Lung Fins - Cecile Dillon
Purple Hose Cover - Dave Cooley
Yellow Hose Cover - Cathy Solomon
Gear Bag - Eileen Weierbach
Dewers Wiskey - Kevin Boyd
Tank Strap - John Mitchell
Weight Bag - Rob Evans
Reg Bag - Dan Eisenbeisz
Picture - Rob Evans
Lanyard Clasp - Dave Cooley
Dive magazine - Xandra Laskowski
Key fob - Carsten Mejbo
Dive magazine - Bruce McKeon
Key fob - Bruce Kelly
August 2011
Page 7
August 2011
MONDAY
TUESDAY
2
1
WEDNESDAY
3
THURSDAY
4
Night dive
Shaw‟s Cove
7:30 PM
8
9
10
11
FRIDAY
5
6
Club Mixer
Harbor Cruise
Newport Beach
6:00 PM
Beach dive
Shaw‟s Cove
8 AM
12
13
Photo Contest
entries 'wide
15
16
17
29
23
24
30
31
SUNDAY
7
14
Boat dive
Magician 7 AM
18
19
20
Club Meeting
Newport Beach
Tennis Club
6:30 PM
22
SATURDAY
21
BBQ and Beach
Dive
Dive „til 10:30 AM
BBQ 11AM
25
26
27
28
September 2011
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
1
5
Labor Day
HOLIDAY
6
12
13
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2
3
Club Mixer
Mizukis Restaurant in Irvine
5:00 PM
Beach dive
Shaw‟s Cove
8 AM
SUNDAY
4
7
8
9
Angels Baseball TBD
10
11
14
15
16
17
18
Night dive
Shaw‟s Cove
6:30 PM
BBQ and Beach
Dive
Dive „til 10:30 AM
BBQ 11AM
19
20
21
22
23
Club Meeting
Jeff Bozanic
Newport Beach
Tennis Club
6:30 PM
26
27
28
24
Boat dive
Magician 7 AM
29
30
25
Page 8
Laguna Sea Dwellers
Upcoming Boat Dives
Gary Williams 714-651-4630
Boat Trips
Date
Boat
Destination
Departs
Returns
Cost
Includes
Misc
8/13/11
Magician
Catalina Surprise
7:00 AM
5:00 PM
$125 to LSD
3 tank dive, food,
beverages, nitrox
if desired
You may preboard the night
before after 8PM
www.magicianscuba.com
9/24/11
Magician
Farnsworth
Banks
5:00 AM
5:00 PM
$135 to LSD
3 tank dive, food,
beverages, nitrox
if desired
You may preboard the night
before after 8PM
www.magicianscuba.com
10/22/11
Magician
San Clemente
12:00 AM
5:00 PM
$160 to LSD
3 tank dive, food,
beverages, nitrox
if desired
You may preboard the night
before after 8PM
www.magicianscuba.com
11/19/11
Magician
Oil
Rigs/Catalina
7:00 AM
5:00 PM
$125 to LSD
3 tank dive, food,
beverages, nitrox
if desired
You may preboard the night
before after 8PM
www.magicianscuba.com
I am very happy to share that Dr. Milton Love will be a guest speaker at Dana Point‟s Ocean Institute on August 11, 2011 for a
presentation and book signing to coincide with the release of his new book, Certainly More Than You Want to Know About
the Fishes of the Pacific Coast.
http://www.ocean-institute.org/programs/miltonlove.html for all the details and RSVP info...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
6:30 – 8 PM
Reservations are required
Ocean Institute
24200 Dana Point Harbor
Dana Point CA 92629
Milton is a humorous and educational fish biologist. Bring your non-diving friends, too, and they should love it! You will not want
to miss out on this one!
Julianne Steers
August Birthdays
Michel Loignon August 2
Eric Furlong August 3
Kari Dobson August 4
John Mitchell August 4
Lena Matson August 5
Jonah Bjorkman August 8
Ronald Burkard August 9
Eileen Weierbach August 12
Sharon DePriester August 12 Richard Morrissey August 16
Dorothy Larson August 20
Jeannette Preston August 25
Gary Sanders August 27
Celso Basilio August 27
Andrew Menzel August 29
Larry Giddings August 31
August 2011
Page 9
Scuba Divers Super-Charge Cleanup Efforts for Debris Month of Action
Removing debris and reporting data from dive sites around the world becomes Project AWARE
focus
Rancho Santa Margarita, California –When the Marine Debris Month of Action begins on September 1, thousands of volunteer divers
around the world will kick-start a new, year-round underwater Dive Against Debris program.
“We are excited that our new Dive Against Debris program focuses efforts on what only divers can do underwater,” said Jenny Miller
Garmendia, Executive Director for Project AWARE Foundation. “Divers have been involved in removing debris for more than 18 years.
Now, we‟re combining cleanup dives with a year-round, comprehensive data collection effort to address marine debris issues at the
source. And the underwater data and debris we‟ll collect during the Debris Month of Action will continue to be shared with our long term
partner, Ocean Conservancy.”
Marine debris – or human trash that litters the ocean – is finally gaining ground on international policy agendas. Scientists, resource
managers and governments increasingly see it as one of the most serious ocean issues of our time. It‟s a pervasive problem, harmful to
our health, our marine environments and deadly to marine life.
“A baseline of information is desperately needed and will be critical for preventing, reducing and managing marine debris,” says Garmendia. “But more than that, we as divers, need to show the rest of the world the enormity of the ocean trash problem. It‟s the first step
to push for change.”
Help make Dive Against Debris efforts a success during September‟s Debris Month of Action, and all year round.
1.
2.
3.
Join the growing movement to protect the ocean planet from the onslaught of marine debris at www.projectaware.org.
Take part during September‟s Debris Month of Action. Visit www.projectaware.org/project/debris-month-action to get started.
Help fund community action and solutions to marine debris problems. Pledge your support as an individual or corporation at
www.projectaware.org/donate.
Page 10
No
10% off
reg
10% off
parts
Irvine
$20/
10
fills
No
10%
10% off
Yes
25%
25% off
Long Beach
Hollywood Divers
Los Angeles
Beach Cities
SCUBA/LSS
Throughout
OC
All links and logos are clickable.
25%
off
5%
off
Rentals
$30/
12 fills
Classes
Orange
Boat trip
discount
New England
Divers
Service
Joe Liburdi's
Dive & Photo
Merch discount
SCUBA World
City
Air
Card
Nitrox Available
Name
Laguna Sea Dwellers
10%
off
Raffle
Donations Misc info
Yes
Five (5) free air fills
for new members.
See Deb or shop for
cards.
Yes
See Deb or the shop
for cards.
Call ahead for
Nitrox.
No discount for
photo or Halcyon.
10%
$55/
10
fills
Yes
10%
10-30%
Yes
Monthly coupons to
LSD members.