Remembering Dave Smith

I am saddened to inform all the members of the Club about the passing of our fellow member Dave Smith on January 12, 2024. Dave was a long-time member of our Club, joining us in January 1995.  He was a familiar face to many of us, always keen to participate in our monthly meetings, try his luck at the Lobster Pot, and attend social events.  Occasionally, Dave was a part of our overseas dives.

Fellow member, Russ Manhold, recently spoke to Dave's family.  They informed us that no obituary or memorial service is planned at this time.  However, if you are friends with Dave on Facebook, you may leave a message on his page, David Barclay Smith, which is being actively managed by his daughter.

In honor of Dave's memory, we have created a photo album that showcases his fond memories with the USA Dive Club.  We invite all of you to take a look at the album by clicking on the link below.

Remembering Dave Smith

Please keep Dave's family and loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Sheila Ott is currently residing in Switzerland and has recently become a member of the USA Dive Club.  She joined the Club to participate in our upcoming overseas dive trip to the Solomon Islands, a nation of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific.  We would like to express our gratitude to Lureen Ferretti, a fellow member of the USA Dive Club, for introducing Sheila to our community.

After diving in the Galapagos Islands, Sheila is excited to revisit them, but her most unforgettable diving experience was on Komodo Island in Indonesia.

Sheila is an alumni PADI Open Water Instructor and loves to capture photographs of the beauty and diversity of the underwater world while diving.  She has already logged an impressive 1,284 dives and is looking forward to increasing that number when she travels to the Solomon Islands with us this year.

Apart from traveling the world, Sheila is also interested in hiking and exploring new places.

Josh Leigh, resides in Ft. Lauderdale and discovered us on the Internet.  He has an Advanced Open Water certification and has completed more than 70 dives.

His most memorable diving experience was with bull sharks in Cabo Pulmo, Mexico.  When he's not diving, he enjoys losing himself in a good book.

Ryan Page joined the Club on the recommendation of a family member and resides in St. Petersburg, FL. 

Ryan is excited to join the Club's upcoming overseas dive trip to Little Cayman.  He holds an Open Water certification from PADI and dreams of diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

We are excited to welcome Sheila, Josh, and Ryan to the USA Dive Club family, and we look forward to exploring the wonders of the underwater world with them.

As always, we invite you to browse through our extensive Photo Gallery to take a look at our social and diving activities