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Membership
Did you know that the 4th of July, or Independence Day, is not just about picnics and fireworks? It actually has a fascinating history that many of us don’t fully know. If you're curious to dive a little deeper into how this special day came to be, just click the link below. And while you’re celebrating, remember to stay safe with those fireworks. The best way to enjoy them is to head to a local show where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the display. Have a fantastic 4th of July!
We’re thrilled to welcome back Marc Cohen to the USA Dive Club. Some of you may remember that he was introduced to us by the legendary Dr. Ray McAllister, a Hall of Fame member. Marc has been part of our diving family since 2006, took a short break, and has now rejoined us. Marc’s diving journey began in the 1970s, and he holds certifications as an Advanced Open Water Diver and a Surface-Supplied Air Diver. With over 7,500 dives, he’s truly a diving enthusiast. When it comes to dream dives, Marc has some exciting ideas. He would love to go on a hard-hat dive with dolphins. He also aspires to explore the Bismarck in a submersible. The Bismarck was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine - how amazing would that be? The Bismarck’s fame stems from its powerful design, its short but spectacular career during World War II, and its eventual sinking by the Royal Navy. Outside of diving, Marc has a passion for military history, movies, and, of course, his adorable rabbits. His love for them shines through every time he’s with them. So let’s all give a warm “Welcome Back” to Marc. We’re excited to have you with us again. We’d love for you to check out our extensive Photo Gallery, where you can dive into all the fun from our social events and diving adventures. We update the albums regularly, so there’s always something fresh for you to enjoy. Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!
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Overseas Diving Update
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Trips 2025: Please note - all trips are after "Last Call" See details for all trips on: https://usadiveclub.org/Overseas
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VP Overseas Diving
REMINDER, there is no meeting in July. Our meeting location has changed to the Pompano Beach Elks Lodge. The new room is large and much better acoustics than our previous location. The Lodge opens at 5:00 and they have food available, so please come and learn about our new location. The meeting will start at 7:00 since the Lodge closes at 9:00 and we need to be out of the building. We are required to prepare and clean up the space (part of the savings) so any help is appreciated. There is one aspect that we need to be aware of, because this is a private club only members (Elks) can purchase alcohol. Everybody else will need to pay the member(elks) for any drinks they order on that member (Elks)’s tab. Special thank you to Russ volunteering for adding events to our social activities, including Elks activities. As always, we would love members that are interested in helping or getting to know the club better to join the Board of Directors. We would enjoy some new blood and the perspective of new members. Our schedule is filling up with new Local Dives and Social Events, please come out and join your fellow members. We all joined the club for these activities and the friends we have made through the years. Happy diving, Chris Hardham Hospitality HutGreetings From The Hospitality Hut, I am happy to report we had five guests attend the June general meeting. Gabby Crisanto, daughter of member Sarah, attended her first meeting. It's always nice to see the little ones. Returning guest Bill Moskos submitted his membership application as did former member Marc Cohen. Former member Mike Bothwell joined us and brought Jose Suarez as his guest. Be sure to check out our Photo Gallery for updated images of our dives and Social Events.  I wish you all Happy Diving, Clare Anthon Hospitality Coordinator Educational BlogThis 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 Deadly Risk of Neglecting Your Air A diver focuses on a new task rather than his air consumption By Eric Douglas Ben was new to spearfishing on scuba, but he was excited to try it. He just had to line up the perfect shot. The liveaboard’s chef told Ben if he got anything, he would cook it that night for dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw his new dive buddy heading toward the surface. He remembered to check his air supply and realized he was nearly out of air. THE DIVERBen was a 15-year-old male. He was certified as a PADI Junior Open Water Diver at age 13, but did not dive again for more than two years. When he received a trip on a local liveaboard dive boat as a gift, he knew he needed to prepare. He made 20 lake dives one month before attempting his first ocean dives on the liveaboard. THE DIVEOn the first full day on the dive boat, Ben made six dives, including a night dive. The first dive on the second day was uneventful. Conditions were ideal, with more than 40 feet of visibility and only gentle currents. On the second dive that day, Ben took his new speargun with him. Ben was buddied up with another teen diver who had just completed his open water training and was making his first dive without an instructor. THE INCIDENTBen’s buddy Lee realized he was down to about 1,000 psi in his tank and decided he needed to head back toward the boat. They were diving at a depth of around 90 feet. He tried to signal Ben, but Ben was too intent on stalking a fish to notice. Lee glanced back down to check on Ben as he ascended, and he saw Ben signaling that he needed to share air. Lee swam back down to help. They joined up, and Lee gave Ben his alternate air source. They began to ascend, but at about 70 feet, Ben took the backup regulator out of his mouth and grabbed Lee’s primary reg. After two breaths, Lee realized Ben wasn’t going to give his regulator back and jerked on the hose to retrieve it. At that point, Ben simply fell away as if unconscious. Lee ran out of air on his ascent and surfaced rapidly. He ended up needing medical treatment and recompression in a hyperbaric chamber. Two other divers found Ben’s body at 94 feet and brought him to the surface. The boat crew performed CPR, but Ben did not come back. ANALYSISThe first lesson everyone can learn from this is just how quickly poor gas management can turn a perfect day into a disaster. Ben was nearly 100 feet down, but he wasn’t paying attention to the air in his tank. We don’t know exactly what happened, but he was likely focused on his first dive with a speargun and trying to bring back a fish. Underwater photographers can get themselves in trouble the same way—by focusing on the task rather than their diving skills. The problem is task loading on a dive. For a relatively new diver, taking a speargun or a camera underwater can take their attention away from basic scuba skills like monitoring air supply, depth or their buddy’s location. Ben refreshed his skills in the local lake after a two-year layoff following his certification, which was good, but he nonetheless allowed himself to get distracted. Ben was buddied up with another inexperienced diver and was using a speargun for the first time, which appears to have contributed. The two divers didn’t stay in contact, and Lee wasn’t confident enough to check in with Ben about his air supply or to notify his buddy when he decided to ascend. It’s not uncommon for a stressed or panicked diver to feel as if they aren’t getting enough air from an alternate air source, even when it is working normally. The odd angle of the hose or even the orientation of the donated regulator can make breathing feel more difficult. Mistakes can happen in an emergency, especially when neither diver has practiced air-sharing techniques. At the end, Ben’s panic likely increased, which made him go for Lee’s regulator. All of that could have been avoided if both divers had monitored each other and their air supplies like they had been taught. LESSONS FOR LIFEMonitor your gas: While a good buddy will check in with you, it’s ultimately your responsibility to monitor and plan your dive according to your gas. Avoid task loading: Don’t introduce too many firsts on a dive. A new environment, new gear or a speargun or camera on a dive can be too many distractions, even for an experienced diver. Practice air-sharing techniques: Practicing emergency drills in the water helps buddy teams become familiar with each other and keep skills fresh. Link to the article: The Deadly Risk of Neglecting Your Air | Scuba Diving Local Diving
Overseas Dive Trips
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for a week of valet diving. Four of us did three dives per day; two dives in the morning and one in the afternoon. The
weather was pretty good the first two days. However, the wind picked up on the third morning and all dives were canceled after the first dive of the morning. The weather improved by mid-day the next day and we were able to do two dives in the afternoon. After that, we were able to do all of our planned dives. The seas were pretty bumpy on the resort's side of the island but calm on the other side where we could dive Bloody Bay Wall. The weather was never good enough for the dive shop to offer a night dive or a trip to Cayman Brac.
extremely helpful. The food at the resort was excellent and the staff on land were as experienced and helpful as the boat crew. I was impressed that the restaurant staff remembered us from previous years. The rooms are spacious and well kept. The resort had presentations and games scheduled at the bar each evening. The presentations were interesting and educational.
problems experienced by coral reefs in the Caribbean. One of the presentations informed us about their efforts to control the lionfish population around the island. Teams of divers have hunted and killed thousands of lionfish, with the result that I only saw one lionfish during my week of diving there.
Here is a picture Laura took of me approaching the last remaining pillar coral on Little Cayman. This one has regenerated after being knocked down by storms. Visibility was good to excellent for all of our dives.
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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