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Shana Phelan, owner/operator of Pura Vida Divers in Riviera Beach, holds degrees in both Marine Biology and Environmental Science from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University. Shana’s passion for protecting marine life extends far beyond diving. She served as a Marine Biologist and Researcher at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center, studying endangered and threatened sea turtles, including the elusive Leatherback. In 2002, Shana was interviewed by The Discovery Channel in regards to her research, and in 2005 she worked with WIDECAST to create a Sea Turtle Trauma Response Field Guide, which is now used throughout the Caribbean. Currently, Shana is the Administrator of the Palm Beach County Diving Association. As part of her efforts to promote marine conservation, Shana volunteers as the Diving Vice Chair for the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, and previously served as an appointee to Palm Beach County’s Artificial Reef and Environmental Enhancement Committee. In 2022, Shana was awarded the Marine Conservationist of the Year by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the November Seiko Sea Hero of the month for her efforts in Goliath Grouper conservation. Growing to more than 8ft and 800lbs, the
Goliath Grouper is the largest grouper species in the Atlantic ocean.
Historically overfished, the Goliath Grouper fishery was closed for
harvest in 1990 in an effort to let stock levels rebuild. For more than
a decade, Shana and other diving community members have worked to keep
the FWC from reopening the Goliath Grouper fishery to harvest. Tune in
to learn more about this ocean giant, its history and management in
Florida waters, where conservation efforts are today, and how you can be
involved.
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Overseas Diving Update
Upcoming trips 2023:
- Damai 1, liveaboard, Mar 13-24, 2023 - Trip is full
- Damai 1, liveaboard, Mar 26-Apr 06, 2023 - Trip is full
- Little Cayman Beach Resort May 20-27, 2023 - trip is full - waitlist only
- Bonaire, Divi Flamingo Resort, 17 boat dives and free beach diving - June 24-July 1, 2023 - one spot for a single male available
Upcoming trips 2024:
- BVI (British Virgin Islands): Aggressor liveaboard - May 11-18, 2024 - this trip will be advertised at the April or May meeting
- Solomon Islands: Bilikiki live aboard, New dates: July 23 - Aug 2, 2024
- We will start to look at land based extensions before Bilikiki - as a group or individually.
- This trip will be advertised either at the April or the May meeting
VP Overseas Diving
Welcome to Spring, Greetings from Indonesia, group two has arrived and will arrive at the boat Saturday March 24, so this newsletter is a little early. Local diving has started with the first dive scheduled for April 1. 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 lunch afterwards. DEP Announces 2023 Florida's Coral Reef Webinar Series Every year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program celebrates Earth Month by offering a series of classes about Florida's Coral Reef. Join us to learn from staff and local experts on topics including how to identify corals and fish, the threats facing our reefs and how you can help. WHAT: 2023 Florida's Coral Reef Webinar Series Just a reminder that we have a new location for our monthly meetings. We will now be holding our meetings at the Aloft Hotel in Delray Beach. Please come join us and check out our new location. Please consider joining the Board of Directors and filling the following open positions. Joining the BoD helps to get to better know our membership even better. Several of our board members have filled these positions in the past and would be glad to help with the positions.
Reminder: The BoD has voted to rescind the requirement to have a valid COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend a USA function. We hope this allows some members to come and join us at our meetings. The only exception is overseas travel, trips will comply with the local requirements. Happy diving, Hospitality HutGreetings From The Hospitality Hut, We had a great turnout at the March general meeting. Unfortunately I have no guests to report.Please remember to tell your friends about our wonderful club. Remember, guests are always welcome to attend club meetings. Our new meeting place has a varied, early bird, menu for a bite to eat and socialize with friends. Cocktails are also available. Come and join us! 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. Overseas Dive Trips
| Membership
Fabian Lago was certified in South Florida in November 2022 and, because he became certified within a year of his USA membership application, will receive a "First Year Free" membership in the USA Dive Club. Fabian found our Club while browsing the Internet. He holds both a PADI Open Water certification as well as Enriched Air and has accumulated 17 dives. His most memorable dive was on French Reef in the Keys because this is the dive on which he saw his first shark. He hopes to dive the Spiegel Grove in the near future. Fabian is new to diving, is a quick learner, and is looking forward to meeting more people with whom he can enjoy the sport. When not diving, he works as an IT consultant and enjoys technoloy and all sports. The USA Dive Club welcomes Fabian and hopes to see him on a local dive or social event in the near future. As always, we invite you to browse through our extensive Photo Gallery to take a look at our social and diving activities.
Local Diving
Notes from Ryan Goheen, VP Local DivingLocal DivingHi local divers, we're starting another great year, and I'm looking forward to diving with all of you again. I'll be starting Local Diving as soon as the majority of people get back from Indonesia, and I will try to slip in a dive or two for those of us who aren't going as well. Also, I'm working on some Mini Trips, one of which will be involved in helping re-plant coral out in the keys. Hope to see you all on a boat sometime this year, and looking forward to diving with everybody! |
Educational Blog
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.
What defines a risk? What is involved in taking a risk?
Difficult questions to answer, because something that feels risky to one person might be yawn-worthy to another. Risk taking, unscientifically, is something you do that gets your blood up, raises your heartbeat, awakens your senses, and makes you hyper-aware of your surroundings.
Surely we can agree that the Covid pandemic has added an unexpected level of risk to everyday life. Add poor drivers, mass shootings, contentious politics, global climate change, and many are left believing that meeting each day is risky enough. But that’s not true for people who identify as risk-takers or thrill-seekers.
“Everyone has a ‘risk muscle’. You keep in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it once a day.” – Roger Von Tech
There are many activities that go to the trouble of defining the level of risk involved with a specific activity, and while that’s not the purpose of this article, you should know that scuba diving ranks fairly high on the risky behavior scale–higher than skydiving and rappelling. And, cave/wreck diving or freediving isn’t on any risk scale we could locate. We can assume it’s up there—near or at the top.
Please use this GUE link below for the full article by Pat Jablonski
Risk-Takers, Thrill-Seekers, Sensation-Seekers, and … You? - InDepth (gue.com)
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'.
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