|
|
|
|
Goliaths and Other Groupers Species of Florida (Virtual Speaker)Mike Sipos is a Florida Sea Grant Agent for University of Florida IFAS
|
Extension office in Collier County and a native to Southwest Florida. Michael received his BS in Zoology and MS in Fisheries Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. Mike’s previous experience includes being a university fisheries biologist and working with aquaculture operations from FL to around the world. In his current position, Mike educates stakeholders to support his programmatic areas of sustainable fisheries, environmental literacy and stewardship.
Overseas Diving Update
|
Upcoming trips 2024:
The "far-out" future - 2025 and beyond
Upcoming trips 2025: TENTATIVE - Philippines - in Q2 - land and liveaboard. Please let me know if you would be interested: CONFIRMED - Roatan Aggressor - Sept 6-13, 2025. Will be advertised for sale in the fall (Sept/Oct) |
VP Overseas Diving
Spring has sprung and Florida has started to warm up. Soon the water will be warming and our dive season will be in full bloom. Many of our members are diving actively currently in addition to our dedicated bridge divers. Please keep an eye on upcoming dives and join in if you are inclined. It is always a lot of fun catching up on the boat and having lunch afterward with friends. There are several positions on the Board of Directors where help would be greatly appreciated. It is a great opportunity to learn about the club and our membership. The members that volunteer their time would appreciate some new blood to join the BoD and help guide the club into the future. The club has been growing at a faster rate than since I joined the club, please come to meetings and help our club grow. Happy diving, Hospitality HutGreetings From The Hospitality Hut, It was a slow month for the Hut. I do not have any guests to report. The weather has been perfect. The water will soon be warm enough for some of us warm water lovers! Can't wait to DIVE, DIVE, DIVE. I look forward to the upcoming months and greeting guests at USA club meetings. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit our home page www.usadiveclub.org. Please click on the calendar and keep up to date on all the diving and non-diving scheduled activities. You may also take a look at the photo gallery and take a peek at past events.  I wish you all Happy Diving. Clare Anthon Hospitality Coordinator Founders Day Party
The 2024 Founders Day party and fireworks at Kathi's house this year was a blast! Over 30 USA dive club members gathered for an evening of laughter, good food, company, conversation, and of course - fireworks! Thank you Kathi for opening your home to this event and to everyone that attended. You can see photos from the event on our website (https://usadiveclub.org/Photos).
Local Diving
Overseas Dive Trips
| MembershipRemembering Mary LePage
It is with deep regret and sorrow that I am writing to inform the members of the USA Dive Club of the passing of friend, member, past VP of Social Events, past President, past Membership Coordinator and Hall of Famer, Mary LePage on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Earlier this month, Larry and Mary relocated from Florida to St. Louis, Missouri, to be closer to family. Information about arrangements will be forwarded when it becomes available. Click on the link below for a look at the fond memories we hold of Mary. If you would like to send a note of condolence, Larry's address in St. Louis is: Larry LePage, c/o Lori Love Regards, Membership Report
John Fisher is a former member of the USA Dive Club. Since he was last with us, he has achieved the rank of Master Diver with over 1,000 dives under his belt. One of John's most memorable dives was with mantas in the Maldives, an archipelagic state in South Asia situated in the Indian Ocean. He enjoys wall diving, drift diving, and sightseeing. John is planning to spend at least 10 days diving in the Pacific. We are delighted to welcome John back to the Club. As always, we invite you to browse through our extensive Photo Gallery to take a look at our social and diving activities.
|
Educational Blog
What to Do When You Overheat While Diving | Scuba Diving
An overheated diver catches a lucky break
By Eric Douglas
This article represents the views of the author. The article has not been fact checked by myself, the Board of Directors or any member of the USA Dive Club.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
The air was hot, and all Diane could think about was getting in the water. Her drysuit made it even worse. She rushed to get to the swim step, telling her dive buddy she would meet him there. And then everything went dark.
The Diver
Diane was a 45-year-old diver in good physical condition, with PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and Dry Suit Diver certifications. She’d been diving for five years and had no known health conditions.
The Dive
Diane and her buddy were diving from a local charter boat with a planned depth of 80 feet. The air temperature was mid 80s, and there wasn’t much of a breeze. Surface water temperature was 64 degrees, but at depth it dropped to the 50s.
Diane was overheating as she sat in the sun waiting on her buddy. She’d already sealed the zipper on her drysuit so she decided to get in the water to cool off. She felt lightheaded when she stood up but made her way to the entry point and put on her fins. With Diane’s “OK,” the divemaster turned away to help other divers.
Related Reading: Ask DAN: How do I shore dive safely?
The Accident
Four other divers were already underwater when they saw Diane descending face-first like a rag doll. She was unconscious, and her regulator was out of her mouth. They saw her hit the bottom hard.
Three of them raced to help while the fourth headed to the surface to alert the boat crew. All the divers were PADI Rescue Diver certified. One attempted to get Diane’s regulator in her mouth, but when that failed, they inflated her BCD and escorted her to the surface.
The boat crew got Diane on board. She was not breathing, and her lips were blue. After a few minutes of CPR they noticed her breathing shallowly. They put her on oxygen first aid while heading to shore.
Diane was airlifted to a local medical facility and almost immediately recovered. She was later given a CT scan to determine the reason for losing consciousness. None was determined. She was released the next day with a perforated ear drum and soreness but was otherwise fine.
Analysis
Diane overheated and passed out as she stood on the swim step. Dive gear is often dark or black, making it uncomfortable to sit in under bright sun, especially when air temperatures are high. In situations like this, stay in the shade, stay hydrated and don your exposure protection at the last minute to avoid overheating.
The boat crew made a mistake by not observing Diane in the water or becoming concerned when she didn’t surface to wait for her dive buddy. But the most important takeaway from this accident is the quick reaction of the divers in the water and then by the boat crew on the surface. They performed CPR and administered oxygen. They also implemented their emergency plan and got an air evacuation on the way. The quick thinking and the actions of everyone involved saved Diane’s life.
Lessons For Life
Be prepared. Take a PADI Rescue Diver course and learn to respond in an emergency.
Avoid overheating. You can overheat quickly in dive gear. Don your exposure protection last-minute, or leave your suit unzipped to maintain a comfortable body temp.
Pay attention to your body. If you’re feeling lightheaded or otherwise unwell, take a minute to figure out what’s wrong. Collapsing on the boat in full gear can hurt. Losing consciousness in the water could be worse.
LOBSTER POT
USA's Lobster Pot drawings Include CASH prizes, and a variety of PRIZES donated by Sponsors or Club Members.
Funds from ticket donations help to support our many club activities. Congratulations to all our Lobster Pot participants. Be sure to visit our Local dive shops who support us and say 'Thanks'.
© Copyright Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club 2024 |