Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club Membership

2026 May Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 22:24:56 GMT

Please join me in welcoming Steve McPhillips to the USA Dive Club.

Steve lives in beautiful Cape Coral on Florida’s west coast and first heard about our Club while out on a dive boat not too long ago.

He is a PADI-certified Divemaster with 325 dives under his belt. One of his most memorable adventures was in Thailand, where the warm waters make for fantastic year-round diving. From November through April, it’s even possible to spot whale sharks and manta rays.

When he’s not underwater, Steve enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson.

We’re happy to have you in the Club, Steve…welcome aboard!

2026 April Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 19:23:59 GMT

Terri Coburn was introduced to the Under Sea Adventures Dive Club by our Historian and Hall of Fame member, Robert Shearer. He invited Terri to our recent General Membership meeting, and she joined the Club that same night.

Terri was first certified in 1989. She went on to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in 1985 and earned her Master Scuba Diver Trainer certification in 2006. Over the years, she has logged thousands of dives.

Terri enjoys all kinds of scuba diving, and some of her favorite dives are right here at home off Pompano and Fort Lauderdale. She’d love to travel to more exotic destinations, such as the Philippines, and she fondly remembers a very special dive in Bora Bora with blacktip reef sharks. Closer to home, Terri looks forward to spending time in the Florida Keys, especially doing some wreck diving.

Terri happily admits that her beagle, Molly, is her favorite traveling buddy. The USA Dive Club is excited to warmly welcome Terri as our newest member.

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!

2026 March Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:56:53 GMT

Greg Silpe was certified at just 15 and has since logged thousands of dives. He holds an Advanced Open Water certification. Greg lives in Palm Beach and has been diving there since 1979. He discovered the USA Dive Club through a Google search.

Greg makes between 75 and 100 dives a year, and he has a fascinating diving background. He worked on the Yorktown shipwreck and, in 1985, was part of the team that discovered Cook’s ship, the Endeavor. From 1990 to 1992, he dove with Mel Fisher and spent years cruising from New England to the Caribbean on his own boat, diving all along the way.

When asked about his favorite dive, Greg says there are too many to choose from. As for his favorite dive destination, his heartfelt answer is: “to dive with my grandsons when they get old enough.”

Please join us in giving Greg a warm USA Dive Club welcome when you see him at a meeting, on a local or overseas dive, or at a social event.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2026 February Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:11:00 GMT

Don't forget Valentine's Day on February 14th!

Did you know that octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish have three hearts? As the Big Bad Wolf said, "The better to love you with, my dear." Click below to learn more about the octopus.

OCTOPUSES KEEP SURPRISING US

Todd and Jirarat Morris first found the USA Dive Club on Facebook. They share their love of the ocean with their 15-year-old son, Jet, who is also a SCUBA diver. Jet can’t wait to join his mom and dad as a special guest on Club activities until he’s old enough to become a member at 18.

Although the family currently lives in New York, they’re already looking ahead to a move to Florida once Jet graduates from high school. Until then, they visit often, and we’re excited to welcome them whenever they’re in town.

Todd is an Advanced Trimix diver with 500 dives, and Jirarat is an Advanced Open Water diver. At the top of their diving wish list is Fiji, a stunning South Pacific archipelago of more than 300 islands.

Please join the USA Dive Club in giving a warm and friendly welcome to Todd, Jirarat, and Jet.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2026 January Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:18:30 GMT

We look forward to seeing you at our next General Membership meeting on Thursday, January 8, 2026

Vince Markowsky discovered the USA Dive Club online. He’s an Open Water Diver with 90 dives under his belt and currently lives in New York. His most memorable dive was in Keystorm, and he has his sights set on the Florida Keys as one of his top dream dive destinations.

Outside of diving, Vince is a musician and an avid cyclist.

Please join us in giving Vince a warm and friendly welcome the next time you see him on a dive, at a meeting, or at one of our social events. Welcome to the Club!

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 December Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:48:38 GMT

***Chris Hardham is the USA’s Newest Hall of Fame Inductee***

A big congratulations to Chris Hardham, who has just been inducted into the USA Dive Club Hall of Fame. To be part of this special group, members must serve on our Board of Directors for at least 84 months (that’s seven years).

Chris became part of our USA Dive Club family in December 2015, thanks to an introduction from Past President Larry Townsend. Since joining, Chris has been an enthusiastic diver...enjoying trips both locally and abroad...and a friendly face at many of our social events.

He joined the Board in October 2018, stepping up as Newsletter Editor, and then became our President in 2021...a position he proudly still holds.

Curious about our other awesome Hall of Fame members? Just click the ‘Contact’ button from your computer or device to see the full lineup. We also have an “In Memoriam” section to remember and honor Hall of Famers who are no longer with us.

Wishing Chris many more wonderful adventures with the Club!

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 November Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 23:11:44 GMT

We Remember Rita

On Saturday, October 4, 2025, friends and family gathered at the Assumption Catholic Church in Pompano Beach to celebrate the memory of our dear friend and long-time USA Dive Club member, Rita Balogh. Rita was the beloved wife of Dr. Rick Brohammer, the Club’s most senior member.

After a touching memorial mass, everyone came together in the church’s reception hall. We shared laughter, stories, and fond memories, surrounded by the warmth of Rita’s friends and family.

Below are the details we previously shared with Club members.

“Rita Balogh passed away at home on Friday, September 19, 2025. She is survived by the Club’s most senior member, her loving husband, Dr. Rick Brohammer, and his three children, Rick II, Rory, Renee, and grandchildren.

Rita joined the USA Dive Club in 1994 and became an enduring, joyful part of our community from the start. Her enthusiasm for social gatherings, local dives, and overseas adventures was truly contagious. We will forever cherish Rita’s warmth and the happiness she brought to each of us.

Please click on the link below to view our tribute celebrating the wonderful times we shared with Rita.

Link to Rita's Memorial Album

Condolences for the family can be sent to Dr. Rick Brohammer, 3200 NE 38th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308-6437.”

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 October Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:11:27 GMT

Remembering Larry LePage

I am saddened to report that USA Hall of Fame member Larry LePage passed away on Sunday evening, September 14, 2025. He had been living close to his family in Saint Louis.

Larry and his wife, Mary, became part of the USA Dive Club family in 2001 and quickly became treasured members. Larry loved everything about the Club, jumping right in to contribute. He served on the Board of Directors and excelled in many roles, including Audio Visual, Newsletter, and Vice President of Programs. In 2010, he was honored with a Hall of Fame membership and a lifetime spot in the Club. Larry was always by Mary’s side as she took on responsibilities as Vice President of Social Events, President, and Membership Coordinator.

Over the years, Larry and Mary explored many dive destinations with the Club, both exotic and local, and were famous for their fun costumes at Club events. Mary passed away in March 2024, and their close friend Linda Ianiello recently wrote:

“We will all remember the many dive trips with both of them, the Super Bowl parties, and the Tuesday pizzas and Friday night dinners. The good part is that he and his beloved Mary will be reunited.”

In honor of Larry's memory, we have created a photo album that showcases his fond memories. Please click the link below to look back on all the wonderful times we shared with Larry and Mary.

Remembering Larry LePage

If you would like to send a note of condolence to Larry's family, you may send it to his daughter: Lori Love, 309 Landor Ct., Saint Louis, MO. 63125-1122.

Julie Manhold, Membership Coordinator

Halloween is just around the corner! While you’re handing out treats to little trick-or-treaters, why not have some fun exploring the mysterious creatures swimming in our oceans?

Want to discover “9 Scary Fish to Haunt Your Dreams”? Click on the link: 9 Scary Fish.

Or are you curious about the “25 Creepiest Deep Sea Creatures You’ve Never Heard Of”? Click on the link to check them out: 25 Creepy Deep Sea Creatures.

No matter how you celebrate, have a safe and very happy Halloween!

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 September Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:54:22 GMT

As you probably know, our General Membership meetings have moved to the Pompano Beach Elks Lodge. If you haven’t joined us at our new spot yet, we’d love to see you there soon—you’re in for a real treat.

Everyone’s been enjoying the food and drinks before the meeting, and the acoustics make every presentation clear and enjoyable. We’ve seen more folks showing up in person.

So come on by, take a seat at the bar or join a table, and enjoy a relaxed evening filled with good food, fun times, great company, and educational presentations.

We hope you’ll join us soon.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 August Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 02:39:53 GMT

Bill Moskos discovered the USA Dive Club while browsing Meetup, a social networking platform that connects people with shared interests.

Bill holds an Advanced Open Water certification from PADI, and his diving in Fiji ranks high on his list of memorable dives. While he’d love to dive anywhere in the Pacific, Indonesia’s Raja Ampat is at the top of his wish list. When he’s not submerged in the ocean, Bill enjoys running and staying fit.

Joe Suarez heard about the USA Dive Club from his friend and former USA member, Mike Bothwell. Joe is an Open Water diver with an Instructor’s rating from SSI.

With over 1,750 dives under his belt, it’s clear he has a passion for diving. His experience with the great hammerheads in Bimini was unforgettable. And Palau, a country located in the western Pacific Ocean, is on Joe's bucket list. Palau is known for its magnificent marine life and exciting drift dives.

When taking a break from diving, you will find Joe with his nose buried in a good book.

Also, a big shoutout to Joe and his wife, Cindi, for joining a group of USA members donating their valuable time at the Elks Food Drive on July 26th. Community service is such a wonderful way to give back.

Welcome aboard, Bill and Joe. We look forward to diving into many underwater and topside adventures together.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 July Newsletter Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 22:23:15 GMT

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.

History of Independence Day

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.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 June Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 15 May 2025 18:52:24 GMT

We're excited to share that Daryl Johnson is back with the USA Dive Club! He was originally introduced to us by Eunice Hamblen, a Hall of Fame member, and had been with us from 2015 until 2023. It's wonderful to have him rejoin our diving family.

Daryl is a certified PADI Divemaster and has an impressive record with over 2,000 dives under his belt. One of his favorite dive experiences was at the famous Blue Corner in Palau, a dive ranked amongst the best in the world. He also has his sights set on diving in the stunning Seychelles—an exotic archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean that's just waiting to be explored.

When he’s not underwater, Daryl loves cycling, boating, and wandering around the world on his travels. Welcome back, Daryl!

Join us at our in-person meetings to connect and socialize with fellow dive enthusiasts and be entertained and educated by our guest speakers. Feel free to bring along a friend or two. It's a great way to make new memories together.

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 May Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 20:18:03 GMT

We’re thrilled to welcome back Rob Myers to the USA Dive Club. Rob, a former member, has been a passionate diver since the early 1970s and holds certifications as an Advanced Open Water/NITROX Diver. Rob is married to USA Hall of Fame member Patrice Marker. He is often seen at our social events and lending his voice as a guest speaker during our general meetings.

Rob is not just an experienced diver; he’s also certified by DAN in CPR, Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries, and First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries. Rob is a marine scientist specializing in coral reef fishes. He started photographing marine life in 1970 and has written several identification guides, including Micronesian Reef Fishes, Coral Reef Fishes – Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, Coral Reef Guide - Red Sea, and Dangerous Marine Animals.

Rob had a hand in naming two gastropod mollusks after his wife, Patrice - a deepwater cone snail from Brazil (Lamniconus patriceae) and a local subspecies of moon snail (Neverita delessertiana patriceae) known only from Lake Worth lagoon. More recently, he’s been trying to prioritize the next edition of Micronesian Reef Fishes.

One of his fondest memories is from 1980 when he discovered a new species of butterflyfish…a true highlight of his diving adventures. His dream dive spot? Anywhere teeming with beautiful fish. When he’s not under the waves, Rob loves educating others about natural history, biogeography, and the beautiful small creatures that inhabit our planet.

Craig and Judith Pugatch found out about the USA Dive Club from President Chris Hardham. They’re a friendly family living in Lighthouse Point, and they have a lovely 14-year-old daughter named Alana. Alana is already on her way to becoming a diver with her Junior Open Water certification, and she can’t wait to join the Club officially when she turns 18. Until then, she’s all set to be with Mom and Dad on USA’s fun dives and events as their special guest.

Craig is an enthusiastic PADI Open Water Instructor with over 500 dives under his belt, while Judith shines with her certifications from PADI, NAUI, and IDA—she’s a Master Diver with 250 dives.

One of their most unforgettable diving experiences together was with the mesmerizing Kona mantas, and they look forward to more adventures with us.

Let's all give Rob, Craig, Judith, and their special guest Alana a warm "Welcome to the USA Dive Club." We're so happy to have you with us.

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

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 April Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 22:59:53 GMT

Let’s all give a warm welcome back to Brad Baron. Brad has such a rich history with the USA Dive Club, dating back to the 1990s, and he’s filled with great memories of his diving adventures both locally and abroad. In the mid 90s, his employer, IBM, transferred Brad and many of his colleagues to Texas. But Brad was able to rejoin the Club from 2017 to 2019 and has now found his way back again. It’s always nice to have him here when he travels from Texas to visit family in South Florida.

He's not just an experienced diver—having become certified by the International Association of NITROX and Technical Divers in 1995 and racking up over 500 dives—but he's also a Divemaster who loves sharing stories about his incredible dive Club trips. Remember that liveaboard to Belize? Or the fun dives and hikes in Dominica? He surely has some amazing tales to tell.

Recently, Brad joined us for a USA social event hosted by Kathi in the Big Cypress Swamp, capturing memories with lots of photos and enjoying the company of fellow USA divers.

So, if you spot Brad at an event while he’s in the area, be sure to say hi. Let’s make him feel right at home!

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

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 March Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:30:39 GMT

Green sea turtles are associated with St. Patrick's Day because of their green fat and because they are marine reptiles. To read all about these marvelous creatures, click the following link:

All About Green Sea Turtles

Handing out USA Dive Club business cards is such a fantastic idea, especially when meeting other divers during a local dive. A huge shoutout to Laura, Ryan, and all the local divers for spreading the word while having fun underwater. What a great way to invite fellow divers into our Club.

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

Happy diving, everyone. Let’s keep the good vibes going!

2025 February Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:57:06 GMT

Remembering Carol Schurtz (with updated information)

It is with deep sorrow that I write to inform you of the passing of long-time USA Dive Club member Carol Schurtz on January 12, 2025, after a long battle with dementia.

Carol joined our diving family in 1995. She had a quick wit and an amazing sense of humor. As a Divemaster, she took full advantage of our overseas dive program and traveled with her underwater camera to many parts of the world, forming lasting friendships along the way. Carol also enjoyed diving on local reefs, loved photographing marine life at the Blue Heron Bridge, and participated in local diving events. She was among the first to sign up for Club parties, always making sure to “dress up” for the occasion.

For many years, she served diligently as USA Dive Club’s topside and underwater photographer, and her creative talents truly shone when she put together our Club scrapbooks. In recognition of her contributions, Carol attained Hall of Fame status in 2010 and became a lifetime member.

Below is a link to an album that showcases some of Carol’s memorable moments:

**Remembering Carol Schurtz**

If you would like to send your condolences to her son, Andrew, please use the following address:

Andrew Schurtz

495 13th Lane SW

Vero Beach, FL 32962-6482

Carol expressed her wishes many years ago, requesting that her ashes be spread at the Blue Heron Bridge. The plans for her celebration of life are underway, and details will be provided once they are finalized.

We wish "Happy Bubbles Forever" to our Photo Mermaid!

I’m excited to introduce some amazing new members to our USA Dive Club family!

Let’s give a big, warm welcome to Sandy and Steve Smith, who were encouraged to join by their diving buddy, Karin. Karin discovered our club while diving in the Lembeh Strait. Sandra is an Advanced Open Water diver, and her husband, Steve, holds a Master Scuba Diver certification. Although Karin is based in Nevada and the Smiths in Oregon, they’re all set to dive together on our upcoming trip to the Philippines in 2025.

We also have Todd Alger joining us from Boynton Beach, where he’s soaking up the sun from January to April. Todd met some of our members on the Loggerhead dive boat last year and couldn’t resist becoming part of our community.

With 2,000 dives under his belt, he’s an Advanced Open Water diver. His most memorable dive was the Torpedo Ray dive. Todd is looking forward to ticking off that three-tank lobster dive to the north shore from his to-do list. If he’s not diving, you can usually find Todd shooting hoops on the basketball court.

When you see Sandra, Steve, or Todd at our dives, meetings, or social events, be sure to give them a friendly hello and make them feel right at home. Let’s show them the warmth and camaraderie that our club has to offer.

Don't forget your loved ones on Valentine's Day, Friday, February 14th.

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

2025 January Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:12:39 GMT

I want to give a warm welcome to our new member, Elizabeth “Liz” Miner, who hails from the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. Liz discovered the USA Dive Club through a friend, and we’re so glad she did. She’s an experienced diver, holding an Advanced Open Water certification, and has made almost 400 dives.

One of her fondest diving memories is from the wondrous Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, where the vibrant marine life is simply incredible. Liz is also excited about her upcoming trip to the Philippines with our Club next year.

When she’s not diving, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors through hiking and swimming.

Let’s all give Liz a warm, long-distance shoutout from sunny Florida to lovely Oregon. We can’t wait to meet her in person and share diving adventures together.

Karin “Royce” McCollum first learned about the USA Dive Club from fellow divers while on a diving adventure in the Solomon Islands. Certified in 2005, Royce is a proud Divemaster with an impressive 975 dives under her belt.

A retired teacher, she is now enjoying her retirement in Sparks, Nevada. Royce has a passion for travel and has explored 134 countries. Her absolute favorite diving spot is Raja Ampat, known for its stunningly pristine reefs and spectacular views. If she could choose her dream dive, it would be anywhere in the world where she could encounter “heaps of octopuses!”

When she's not diving, you might spot Royce cruising down snowy slopes while skiing or having fun on the pickleball court. Royce is excited about her upcoming trip to the Philippines in 2025 with the USA Dive Club.

Patrice Gerard is a snowbird from Maine. While local diving with Splashdown Divers on the Loggerhead dive boat not too long ago, he had a wonderful encounter with a friendly group of fellow divers from the USA Dive Club. They were so welcoming that they invited him to check out the Club, and Patrice decided to take their advice to heart and join the community.

Certified just over a year ago as an Advanced Open Water diver, Patrice has over 80 dives. His favorite dive so far was in the extraordinary waters of Bonaire, exploring wrecks and Joanne's Sunchi. And for his dream dive? He dreams of plunging into Austraila's breaktaking Great Barrier Reef.

Originally from Paris, Patrice is a retired French chef who loves to travel, savor delicious food, enjoy music, and immerse himself in the arts. He brings a sprinkle of that French flair to the diving community and is always eager to meet new friends and explore new underwater adventures together. Bienvenu, Patrice!

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

2024 December Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:21:16 GMT

The Christmas Tree Worm is a marine animal distantly related to earthworms. Could anything be more festive?

Click HERE and enjoy a short video about the beautiful Christmas Tree Worm. What a fantastic photo. It was captured by our talented Club Photographer, Laura Moran, during some local diving on the Loggerhead dive boat in beautiful Boynton Beach. Doesn’t it just inspire us to dive in and explore?

This holiday season, treat yourself to something special. Renew your membership in the USA Dive Club and enjoy the thrill of diving with great company.

No longer diving? That’s totally fine. We’re all about having fun together on land as well. Lureen has some fantastic non-diving events in the works that you definitely won’t want to miss.

The best part? Our annual membership dues haven’t gone up. You can renew your individual membership for just $50, or if you’re a married couple or domestic partners, it’s only $90 total ($45 each). Plus, if you have adult, dependent children who are certified divers and still live at home, they can join for FREE!

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

2024 November Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 01:09:08 GMT

Here's a fun little fact from your Membership Coordinator to brighten your day.

Did you know lionfish, sometimes called turkeyfish, have some pretty impressive—and venomous—spines? They can pack quite a sting! From the right angle, their beautiful fins look a lot like turkey feathers, which is where the cute nickname comes from. Click on the above link to learn more.

And for all you pescatarians out there, don’t worry—you can still enjoy your “turkey” by diving into some delicious lionfish.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, and great food with friends and family.

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

2024 October Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 21:27:17 GMT

Just a friendly reminder to keep this in mind: While you're out on Halloween and you come across a ghost, goblin, or haunted pumpkin, strike up a conversation about our fantastic sport of scuba diving. You never know, you might just be chatting with a ghostly scuba diver who's looking to join a club.

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

2024 September Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 23:40:05 GMT

Hey everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to recognize all the new members who have joined the USA Dive Club so far this year. Whether you've been coming to meetings or participating in dives and local events, I want to thank you for being a part of our Club. I know that some of you can't make it to the in-person meetings because you're living out of the area – shoutout to our out-of-towners; Sheila from Switzerland who went diving with the Club in the Solomon Islands; Nick from Ft. Myers trekking across the state for our local dives; Ryan from St Petersburg who traveled with us to Little Cayman; and Mark who tries to attend our meetings on Zoom.

To all our existing members, let's make an effort to attend more in-person meetings and get to know our new members. It's also a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends. When you come to the next meeting, take a moment to check out the "New Member" display board in the back of the room and learn a little bit about each new member.

I've put together a collage of some of our most recent members to help you match the names with the people. Can't wait to see all of you at our next General Membership meeting!

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

2024 August Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:05:19 GMT

Ronnie Guha discovered the USA Dive Club while searching the Internet with a Google Search. Ronnie holds an Advanced Open Water certification from SSI and plans to further his diving education by taking the NITROX course by the end of the month.

As a new diver with 14+ dives under his weight belt, Ronnie looks forward to adding more to his logbook by joining us on Ryan’s weekend local dives. One of the perks of being a new diver is that the USA Dive Club offers those certified within 12 months of applying for membership, a “First Year Free” membership…and free is good! Ronne has signed up for several Club dives and is looking forward to taking the plunge with us.

On the top of his wish list is diving the Great Barrier Reef, and when not diving, Ronnie enjoys music and swimming.

Please warmly welcome Ronnie when you see him at a meeting, on a dive, or at a social event.

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

2024 July Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 22:56:43 GMT

Hey everyone! Wishing you all a fantastic Fourth of July! Just a friendly reminder to handle those firecrackers with caution. It's always a great idea to kick back, relax, and enjoy a local fireworks display put on by the experts.

With summer officially here, the call of "Dive...Dive...Dive..." is music to our ears! Our new members are joining our experienced divers, and are diving into Ryan's awesome local dive program. Many members are also signing up for the exciting overseas dives meticulously planned by Nils.

So, what are you waiting for? Get back on the dive boat and share the good news about our Club!

And remember, we’ll see you in August.

2024 June Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 09 May 2024 01:18:54 GMT

Nick Nash resides on the west coast of Florida, specifically the Fort Myers area. He discovered the USA Dive Club while searching for a dive club on the Internet. Although he is new to the sport, he has cherished the dream of becoming a scuba diver since childhood. Therefore, he considers his first dive as his most memorable dive, having finally accomplished something he has wanted to do all his life.

He has a long list of diving destinations he would like to explore including the Red Sea, diving in Mexico while on a cruise vacation, visiting the Florida springs such as Devil's Den, diving with the grouper in West Palm Beach, and lobster hunting in the Keys or Miami.

Nick spent eight years working as a nurse before making a recent career change. He is now a real estate sales associate and is working in property management. Apart from scuba diving, Nick has a few other interests including a love of cars, particularly the Mercedes Benz. He is also a fan of tattoos and dogs and helps animals whenever he can. You can find Nick exercising at the gym, fishing, and taking nature walks. Additionally, neurochemistry and psychology are some of his top interests.

Mark Osherow was recommended to join the USA Dive Club by a friend. He is a Master Diver with over 300 dives and holds 11 certifications. Mark is excited to participate in the diving opportunities provided by the Club and is currently working towards completing his Divemaster certification.

Mark cherishes every dive but Round Rock in Grand Cayman is his most memorable one. When not diving, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, swimming, cycling, and watching movies.

He loves taking underwater videos and has uploaded some of his work on YouTube under the name @seadeepdivingFL. You are welcome to check them out.

Jack Halpern was recommended to the USA Dive Club by other divers in the area. A Bronx, NY native, he started diving in New York in 1963. He holds YMCA and PADI Advanced Open Water diving certifications and has completed hundreds of dives, many of which were in cold, northern waters. In 1996, Jack moved to Highland Beach, FL with his wife Joan, who is also a diver along with three of their children and two of their grandchildren.

His most memorable dive was in Tahiti on a ship with 350 other people, only a small number of whom were divers. The divers would board tenders and go diving on the beautiful Tahitian reefs. One of Jack’s favorite places is Looe Key Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys.

Jack is a mining engineer with two advanced degrees in geotechnical engineering. His consulting business of over 50 years was interrupted in 2017 by Hurricane Irma, which flooded his home and convinced Jack it was time to retire. After retiring, he joined the Guardian Ad Litem Program and cared for 10 foster children.

When not diving, Jack volunteers for the community in many capacities. In the past, he was active for five years as Turtle “Handmaiden” for the northern 3/4 mile of Highland Beach. Additionally, he is a board member of his condominium association and has been involved in various other commissions and citizens groups. He also has a keen interest in the sport of archery.

Jack is looking forward to joining the Club activities and getting back to diving on a more regular basis.

The USA Dive Club is pleased to welcome Nick, Mark and Jack, as its newest members and wishes them an enjoyable experience with the club.

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

2024 May Membership

Julie Manhold — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 14:53:42 GMT

Gus Lowery is a returning member of the USA Dive Club. Although previously an out-of-town member, he has decided to join again since he lives in the area.

Gus was first certified in 2003 and holds Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and NITROX certifications. His most memorable dive was the Bonaire Bridge, and he is eager to create more memories by diving in places such as Truk, Roatan, Cozumel, and the Bahamas.

Besides diving, Gus is also interested in kayaking, bicycling, and sailboarding.

The entire USA Dive Club is thrilled to welcome back Gus Lowery.

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

2024 April Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 22:45:25 GMT

Remembering 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.

Remembering Mary LePage

If you would like to send a note of condolence, Larry's address in St. Louis is:

Larry LePage, c/o Lori Love
309 Landor Ct.
Saint Louis, MO 63125-1122

Regards,
Bob Weybrecht, USA Dive Club

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.

2024 March Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 19:01:11 GMT

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

2024 February Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 03:03:06 GMT

A Google search lead Mike Bothwell to the USA Dive Club. He attended our January 2024 General Membership meeting, and by the end of the meeting, he had completed an online membership application and electronically transmitted his dues to the Treasurer.

In 2001, Mike was certified in the chilly waters of Madison, Wisconsin. He holds an Advanced Open Water certification and has approximately 150 dives. He recently relocated to Florida from Denver, Colorado, and is looking forward to exploring Florida’s local reefs to sightsee and dive on a few wrecks.

His most memorable dive was in Barbados, and Mike looks forward to diving in the Philippines sometime in the future. Other than diving, Mike enjoys having dinner with friends.

He has been renting equipment and would appreciate advice on where to buy gently used or reasonably priced new equipment. Members may contact him by going to the USA website at usadiveclub.org. Sign into your account, click DIRECTORY, and enter Michael Bothwell in the Search box.

Let’s give Mike a warm USA Dive Club welcome when we see him on a dive or any other USA event.

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

2024 January Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 21:43:50 GMT

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

2023 December Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:33:39 GMT

USA welcomes two new members into the Hall of Fame

Congratulations to USA Dive Club’s Hall of Fame most recent members, Roger Cooper and Howard Ratsch. To attain Hall of Fame status, one must serve as a Board of Directors member for 84 months or the equivalent of seven years.

Roger and Howard have become lifetime members in a group of people who worked hard to shape the Club into what it is today. Click on the 'CONTACT' button at the top of this page and take a look at the list of other current Hall of Fame members. USA Dive Club includes an "In Memoriam" section to remember our deceased Hall of Fame members.

Roger Cooper

Roger Cooper has been a member of the USA Dive Club since October 2009. He and Amy, his wife, have been active members in all aspects of the Club. Since joining, they participated in most of the social and diving events the Club offers. They are eager to open their home to the Board of Directors and members for meetings and holiday gatherings. Besides diving, Roger enjoys biking, kayaking, and photography, and if you look at the USA Photo Gallery, you will see many of his beautiful underwater photos.

Newsletter, President and Webmaster are the positions Roger held during the last seven years.

Howard Ratsch

Howard Ratsch joined the Club in September 2016. He accepted an invitation to attend a USA General meeting from Ken Glaser, a former USA member. Howard is an Open Water Scuba Instructor certified by PADI and an active diver. Howard had accumulated over 3,500 dives when he became a member. He demonstrated his photographic skills when, in June 2018, he volunteered to be USA’s Guest Speaker at a General meeting where he presented an in-depth show featuring Yap and Palau.

Positions held by Howard over the past seven years include Newsletter/Webmaster Co-coordinator, Social Media, Safety, and most recently, Education Coordinator.

Thank you Roger and Howard. The USA Dive Club salutes the members of the Hall of Fame.

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

2023 November Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 17:41:14 GMT

Remember to fall back on November 5th.

It's the perfect time of year to celebrate with family and friends while giving thanks for all our blessings.

The USA Dive Club wishes you a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving.

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

Keep on bubbling with your Club

Julie Manhold, Membership Coordinator

2023 October Membership

Julie Manhold — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 21:42:39 GMT

Roy Cozart loves sailing. He loves SCUBA diving, too. Roy holds Advanced and Deep Diving certifications and has 103 dives. He came across the USA Dive Club while on the Internet.

Roy's most memorable dive was on the wreck of the M/V Castor, a popular hangout for goliath groupers. When asked what his dream dive would be, he responded, "The next one." A Caribbean Sea adventure is first on his bucket list.

Chris Burden, firefighter/paramedic for 20 years, RN for over 30 years, and a certified Divemaster since 1998, discovered the USA Dive Club while doing a web search for local dive clubs. Included in his 200+ dives is St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Here is where he had his most memorable dive: The Wall Shore Dive, Cane Bay. Chris saw eagle rays, sea turtles, and moray eels. In the future, he hopes his travels will include a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef.

Diving and traveling are only part of Chris’ interests. He enjoys free diving, kayaking, sailing, triathlons, archery, and hiking. Chris and Margaret, his wife of over 22 years, have three daughters and a female dog. He joined the USA Dive Club to meet like-minded people and would like to start diving much more.

Please give Roy and Chris warm USA welcomes when you see them on a dive, at a meeting, or any other USA event.

Have a happy and safe Halloween...and beware of ghosts, goblins, and haunted pumpkins.

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

2023 September Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 20:57:25 GMT

For me, Labor Day brings back memories of the beginning of the school year. But Labor Day is much more than that. It's an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers, and you may even get the day off. Whatever your plans, we wish you a very happy and safe day.

For divers, September brings back the goliath groupers. These huge fish have love on their minds. Actually, they congregate in August and will continue this behavior until October. At times they gather in large groups of 100 or more to spawn - it's called the goliath grouper aggregation. It's a great reason to join the USA Dive Club. We have a trip each year to try and catch the groupers getting down to business.

We have very active overseas and local diving programs and, although this year's overseas diving is over, Nils Jacobsen, VP of Overseas Diving, is hard at work on the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Ryan Goheen, VP of Local Diving, will keep his program going strong through October. Ryan, along with USA's year-round divers, will continue diving together through the winter months.

Just to keep things interesting, from time to time we'll come up with a non-diving event. Guests are welcome to attend all of our functions.

What are you waiting for? It's simple to join us. From our Home page just click "JOIN US" and follow the easy-to-understand instructions. Even better, visit us at one of our meetings. We meet on the first Thursday of every month at the Aloft Hotel, Delray Beach. We'd enjoy meeting you.

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

2023 August Membership

Julie Manhold — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:03:11 GMT

More than half the year is behind us, and our overseas diving trips have been completed. We broke records with our trips to Indonesia, Little Cayman and Bonaire this year, and reports of beautiful diving, great food and warm cameraderie came pouring in. The photographers have been keeping me busy with their wonderful photos that are now in USA's photo gallery. Take a peek! All overseas photos are posted with the exception of Bonaire, our most recent trip. Bonaire photos are still coming in.

Local diving is in full swing, and what better way to beat this record heat wave than to make a dive into the beautiful waters of South Florida with your USA dive buddies?

Keep spreading the good word about the USA Dive Club. There are divers all around us looking for buddies.

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

2023 July Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 21:59:49 GMT

There is no General Membership meeting in July due to the close proximity of the 4th of July holiday. We hope you, your friends and family enjoy a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to seeing you at our August meeting when we will have another great presentation.

Michael Mullins has been diving since he was 16 years old. Certified as an Open Water Rescue Diver in 1990, he has made hundreds of dives.

While participating in Coralpalooza Dive Day and Festival 2023, Michael met USA member Ryan Goheen and was invited to join the USA Dive Club.

Michael's most memorable dive was 30 years ago in St. Lucia when corals blanketed the walls. His dream dive would be on the Great Barrier Reef. Trips to Bonaire, Bay Islands, BVI Liveaboard, Galapagos Islands, Fiji and Indonesia are also dive destinations he hopes to visit one day. When not diving you can find Michael riding his motorcycle, fishing, woodworking and traveling.

The USA Dive Club welcomes Michael and looks forward to seeing him soon on a local dive or other USA event.

Our membership is continuing to grow, and our local and overseas diving is in full swing. Don't forget to pass the good word about the USA Dive Club when making new friends on dive boats, overseas trips and any other places you meet people.

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

2023 June Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 03 May 2023 21:01:06 GMT

George Cathcart is a returning USA Dive Club member. Originally, he heard about us from long-time USA Hall of Fame member, Marie York. George holds Rescue Diver, NITROX and Solo Diver certifications. He has accumulated more than 1,000 dives by traveling around the world with camera in hand. George enjoys topside and underwater photography. His main interest in diving is using his camera to capture creatures and landscapes below the surface.

His most memorable dive was with whale sharks in the Galapagos, and he would like to witness the sardine run in the Indian Ocean in the near future.

Wanda Frazier was invited to join the USA Dive Club by George Cathcart. They are a couple and frequent dive buddies. Wanda is certified as a Rescue and NITROX diver with over 300 dives.

Wanda's most memorable dive was her first open water dive experience. Her dream dive would be on Mars and when not diving, Wanda enjoys poetry, music and opera.

Melissa Hanono was certified for the first time before 2015 and made about 20 dives. She is currently taking advanced classes from SDI and has made an additional two dives. Melissa heard about us from Divebuddy.com. Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic ranks high on her list of memorable dives, and she hopes to explore the Great Barrier Reef someday.

Other interests include Star Wars, and geeky things like movies and comic books. She is a cat-loving newlywed teacher from Brooklyn and wants to dive as much as possible.

The USA Dive Club welcomes George, Wanda and Melissa and hope they enjoy their time with our scuba diving family.

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

2023 May Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 22:23:53 GMT

Cassandra Weith has lived in Florida for decades. Being a long-time Florida resident, she couldn't help but hear about the USA Dive Club. Cassandra has been SCUBA certified since 2001 and holds Open Water, Rescue Diver and NITROX certifications.

She has 435 dives with her most memorable dive on the Wall of Cuda out of Palm Beach. Other favorite dives are with REEF dives and Ned and Anna DeLoche.

Cassandra's favoite type of diving is with a great dive buddy, anywhere with clear water and lots of marine life. She's a party girl and looks forward to joining us in all social activities with SCUBA-loving buddies.

Matthew Williams went "Bowling for Turtles" with Force-E not long ago and met USA Dive Club member, Ellen Reinhart. Ellen and Matthew starting talking about diving, and Ellen invited Matthew to a USA General Membership meeting. He visited us and filled out his application the next day.

Certified in Syracuse, NY in 2004, Matthew is a Divemaster with over 3,000 dives. His most memorable dive was his final checkout dive because it was this dive on which he became a SCUBA diver. Sightseeing, drifting, wreck and fish/wildlife diving are among his favorite underwater activities, and his favorite dive site is the Keystone wreck in the St. Lawrence River in Albany, NY. Matthew hopes to dive on a German U-boat someday, and a trip to Roatan is another destination on his list.

When not diving Matthew enjoys kayaking, camping, hiking and photography. He has never made a dive in salt water and looks forward to doing some serious local diving with us.

The USA Dive Club extends Cassandra and Matthew a warm welcome.

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

2023 April Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 23:20:24 GMT

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.

2023 March Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 22:17:07 GMT

Mike Wiener discovered the USA Dive Club while surfing the Internet. He was certified as an Open Water diver in Pennsylvania back in 2005 and, more recently, has certifications in Advanced Open Water and NITROX. His favorite dive site is the Spiegel Grove in the Florida Keys.

Mike has 60 dives, with his most memorable dive taking place in Cabo, Mexico. He would enjoy diving in warm waters with lots of life including tons of lobster and pelagic fish. A pelagic dive in the Bahamas is something he hopes to add to his log book. Besides spearfishing and lobstering, as a licensed boat captain, you'll find Mike on the water enjoying boating and fishing.

Janice Garvey was invited to join the Club by long-time member, Jerry Linker. Janice was certified less than a year ago and, as a newly-certified diver, will be able to take advantage of USA's "First Year Free" membership.

Janice will be traveling with the Club on an overseas dive to Little Cayman Beach Resort in May of this year and will have a wonderful opportunity to get some great dives under her weight belt. Her dream dive would involve seeing a whale.

When not diving, Janice enjoys cooking, golf, gardening and knitting.

The USA Dive Club extends a warm welcome to Mike and Janice and looks forward to seeing them 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.

2023 February Membership

Julie Manhold — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:17:05 GMT

Danielle Marchante went diving on the Loggerhead boat on a Saturday morning, and less than a week later she was a member of the USA Dive Club. While on the Loggerhead, Danielle met USA Dive Club member, Laura. During conversation, Laura told Danielle about our Club and the rest is history. Danielle holds an Advanced Open Water/NITROX certification and has made lots of dives...too many to count. Her most memorable dive was in the Galapagos when two whale sharks paid her a visit during her safety stop. A trip to Thailand is high on her list of dream dive locations and, when not diving, she spends time with family, friends and her doggies.

David Beckhouse and Rachel Dunn are a married couple and joined the Club together. David was previously a Club member. He is an Open Water/NITROX diver with 110 logged dives, and would like to visit the Great Barrier Reef. His favorite dive was in Cozumel and, when not spending time in the water, he enjoys cycling.

Rachel is recently certified with 12 open water dives. David and Rachel are joining USA Dive Club member Nancy Styles and other family members on a USA Dive Club multi-generational overseas dive to Bonaire.

Hector Piza and granddaughter Holly Piza are two more family members re-joining the Club to travel with Nancy Styles on the overseas dive trip to Bonaire.

Hector Piza is an Advanced Open Water/NITROX diver with over 300 dives. His fondest memory of diving was on a night dive in Nassau and he hopes to explore the underwater world in the Galapagos Islands. He thinks a trip to CoCo View Resort in Roatan, Honduras, would be a great trip for the Club to plan in the future.

Holly Piza was certified in 2002 as Advanced Open Water/NITROX. Diving with a manta ray in Bali is something she will never forget. Her dream dive would be in clear water with lots of diversity. Living in Colorado, Holly is happy spending time on the slopes and practicing yoga.

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

2023 January Newsletter

Julie Manhold — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 16:04:30 GMT

Along with a brand new year, we have a brand new meeting place for our monthly General Membership meetings. On January 5, 2023, join us at the Aloft Hotel Delray Beach.

This beautiful new venue is located at 202 SE 5th Avenue in Delray Beach. Meet up at 6:00 pm, before the meeting, and socialize with friends during Happy Hour for dinner, snacks and drinks in the stylish hotel bar and restaurant. Hope to see you there.

At the end of December, the USA Membership Directory will be published. Please look for your name and make sure the contact information is correct. If anything needs to be changed, just let me know and I'll make sure it is updated.

Also, January brings with it USA's annual membership renewal season. Don't miss out on the action. If you haven't done so already, please renew in order to maintain good standing in your favorite club.

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

2022 December Membership

Julie Manhold — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 14:19:41 GMT

Amy Wellman is Newest Hall of Fame Inductee

This month I would like to begin by congratulating Amy Wellman for becoming the USA Dive Club's newest Hall of Fame member. Amy, along with her husband, Roger Cooper, joined USA in October 2009.

Right from the start, the couple became active in social events, local diving and overseas diving. Through the years they have opened their home to the Board of Directors multiple times for meetings and holiday parties. Amy has been a regular contributor to the USA Photo Gallery which displays many of her colorful underwater photos.

Amy was elected USA's Secretary in January 2016 and has done an exemplary job in the position. In order to attain Hall of Fame status, Amy served on the Board of Directors for a total of 84 months, or the equivalent of seven years.

Click on the 'CONTACT' button at the top of this page and take a look at the list of other current Hall of Fame members. USA Dive Club includes an "In Memoriam" section to remember those Hall of Famers who have passed away.

The USA Dive Club welcomes Amy to the Hall of Fame and wishes her many more years of enjoyable experiences with the Club.

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

2022 November Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 15:39:30 GMT

Not only is Thanksgiving a time to spend with family, friends and loved ones, it's also a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends sitting at the Thanksgiving table. Open a conversation about your scuba diving adventures. Maybe mention that large, friendly grouper, the one that allowed you to approach closely enough to touch. What about the out-of-season lobster that examined your mask with his antennae as you looked into his eyes? Don't forget the fast-swimming shark that made your heart skip a beat.

You may discover that your new acquaintance is a SCUBA diver willing share adventurers... or a bubble watcher with aspirations of becoming a SCUBA diver. It's fun to exchange "SCUBA" tales. Be on the lookout for future dive buddies and invite them to join our Club.

However you spend your Thanksgiving, have a safe and enjoyable day.

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

2022 October Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 17:58:47 GMT

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

2022 September Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 21:08:07 GMT

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

2022 August Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 21:40:38 GMT

Summertime.....and the divin' is easy. What better way to beat the heat than to take the plunge into our beautiful Atlantic Ocean?

Kerstin Ramstrom, USA's newest member did just that. She found us on the Internet, and a few days after Kerstin joined the Club, she was on a local dive enjoying herself. Certified in 2011 she has accumulated 160 dives, and enjoys sharks, nudibranchs and underwater photography.

Magic Mountain, Raja Ampat was her most memorable dive with Cocos Island, Costa Rica on her "To Do List".

Please give Kerstin a warm USA Dive Club welcome if you see her at a meeting, social event or dive.

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

2022 July Membership

Julie Manhold — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:34:13 GMT

There will be no USA General Membership meeting in July due to the close proximity of the 4th of July holiday. We wish all of you a safe and happy holiday celebrating the freedom of our country with family and friends.

Who would have thought a routine visit to my dentist's office would result in a prospective new USA member? I have had the same dental hygienist for a couple of years now, and the subject of scuba diving came up on this particular visit quite by accident. She simply asked me if I had any vacation plans for the summer. When I told her I had a SCUBA trip planned to Grand Cayman, her ears perked up and, to my surprise, she told me she was a SCUBA diver. She asked lots of questions about our Club and seemed interested in attending a meeting and checking us out on our website.

It behooves us all to spread the word about our Club to people we meet on a daily basis. There's always that chance of meeting our next USA Dive Club member.

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

2022 June Membership

Julie Manhold — Mon, 23 May 2022 21:18:10 GMT

Now is the perfect time to sign up for a local dive and meet prospective USA Dive Club members. They are all around us, just waiting to be invited... especially on local dives.

Ryan, VP of Local Diving, has a full schedule of local dives throughout the summer months and beyond. Strike up a conversation with someone on the boat and invite him/her to visit our website or join us at a meeting.

In the meantime, consider joining your fellow members at our in-person General Membership meetings that are now being held at the Courtyard Marriott. Have a bite with the "Bistro Bunch" before the meeting. You'll be glad you did.

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

2022 May Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 19:02:06 GMT

Spring.....that time of year when a warm-water diver's fancy turns to diving. Get the gear out, get it checked, and get on the boat.

Lureen Ferretti was a member in the past, has attended many USA local diving and social functions, and in April 2017, was a guest speaker at our Club with her presentation, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

She has too many memorable dives to mention and feels trips to the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia and Malpelo Columbia would be great dive destinations the Club might consider in the future. Lureen has accumulated more than 5,000 dives since she was certified in 1992. We look forward to Lureen having fun with the Club in Fiji. WELCOME BACK.

Oh, and if you're lucky enough to still have your mom.....GIVE HER A CALL. Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8th

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

2022 April Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 21:09:30 GMT

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

2022 March Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:48:48 GMT

Elle Peltcs is no stranger to the USA Dive Club. She is the lovely granddaughter of USA’s current Treasurer, Ronnie Farr, and the daughter of USA member, Eric Peltcs.

Ever since she was a little girl, Elle has been Ronnie’s guest on numerous USA Social Events. Certified at the age of 12, she has been to the Florida Keys with the Club and is very comfortable in the water. Diving the wreck of the Copenhagen was a memorable dive for Elle, and she dreams of diving in Fiji. Other interests include swimming and working out.

Now 18 years of age, Elle currently has the distinction of being USA’s youngest member.

Wayne Sullivan started diving before the days of C-cards. Wayne received his dive training in Cape Cod, MA and loved the sport so much that he became a NAUI instructor accumulating over 15,000 dives in his lifetime. No longer instructing, he dives for the pure joy of the sport.

He enjoys photography and recalls the Cay Sal Banks as his favorite dive site. Wayne also takes pleasure in boating.

Please give our new members the good ole USA Dive Club welcome.

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

2022 February Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 22:35:59 GMT

USA welcomes new member, Beata Jeziorska

Beata Jeziorska found the USA Dive Club on Facebook and wasted no time applying for membership. Beata is all about the outdoors. Recently, she was certified as an Open Water diver by Pineapple Scuba, and looks forward to making her post-certification dives with us. She chose the perfect Club to guide her through these early stages of scuba diving.

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

2022 January Membership

Julie Manhold — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:10:25 GMT

Yes.....it's time to renew your membership

But first

I would like to welcome two new members to the USA Dive Club family.

John Nardi visited our group at the December Holiday Party which was held at the Hampton Inn. Not only did John join our Club, he also signed up for an overseas dive trip aboard the Damai 1 liveaboard in Indonesia. John is a PADI and NAUI certified divemaster with over 1,000 dives. His most memorable dive was in Truk Lagoon, and he is looking forward to the day he dives in Indonesia. When not diving, John enjoys fishing.

Brandon Riemer found us on Facebook. He is a newly certified diver and was able to take advantage of USA Dive Club's offer of "First Year Free" membership. Brandon's most memorable dive was seeing a nurse shark while diving from a boat. He would enjoy diving with the Club on various reefs in the Florida Keys. Brandon is a friendly guy and loves the outdoors along with all kinds of fun and good laughs. The Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef are on his diving "to do" list.

We give both of our new members a warm USA Dive Club welcome and look forward to seeing them both in the very near future.

It's time to renew your membership

Membership in the USA Dive Club expired on December 31, 2021, and many members have been busy sending in their membership dues for 2022. We thank you. If you are a Hall of Fame member, dues are optional.

Along with our General Membership meetings, more and more of our planned activities are now in-person events. For the safety of our members and guests, we follow all CDC guidelines very carefully.

USA is an active dive club with something for everyone. No longer diving? Not to worry. The Club offers diversified non-diving social events for everyone's enjoyment. Remember that your guests are welcome to participate in all USA social and diving activities.

Another perk is that continuous membership allows you the privilege of priority on dive trips.

Dues remain the same: $50 for individuals and $90/couple for married couples and domestic partners. There are three simple ways to renew.

Online banking - You may pay online using Zelle. Send the appropriate amount to Treasurer@usadiveclub.org indicating in the memo section that you are paying dues.

Mail a check - Write a check made payable to USA Dive Club and mail to USA Dive Club, 4011 NE 24th Ave, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064-8025. Please indicate in the memo section that you are paying dues. You may wish to have your bank do this electronically. It's your choice.

Bring your payment to a meeting - You may bring your check to a General Membership meeting and give it to USA’s Treasurer, Ronnie Farr, in person. We'd enjoy seeing you.

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

2021 December Membership

Julie Manhold — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:06:45 GMT

Newest Hall of Fame Inductee

This month we would like to begin by congratulating Alan Feuerman for becoming USA’s newest Hall of Fame member.

Alan joined the USA Dive Club in April 2011. He wasted no time becoming an active member, enjoying many social activities along with local and overseas diving. Did you know that when Alan is not scuba diving he enjoys a good game of racquetball?

Through the years, Alan’s service on the Board of Directors included Co-VP of Overseas Diving, Promotions Coordinator/Lobster Pot and currently VP of Social Events.

In order to attain Hall of Fame status, a member must serve on the Board of Directors for a total of 84 months, or the equivalent of seven years. Click on the 'CONTACT' button at the top of this page and take a look at the list of 40 other current Hall of Fame members. There is also an “In Memoriam” section.

The USA Dive Club welcomes Alan to the Hall of Fame and wishes him many more years of enjoyable experiences with the Club.

This holiday season be good to yourself. Give yourself the gift of membership in the USA Dive Club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we offered USA members a complimentary year of membership. We are now slowly working our way out of the pandemic and are resuming our membership renewal season.

Along with our General Membership meetings, more and more of our planned activities are now in-person events. For the safety of our members and guests, we follow all CDC guidelines very carefully.

USA is an active dive club with something for everyone. No longer diving? Not to worry. Many USAers no longer dive however, they still enjoy our various non-diving social events. Remember that guests are always welcome to participate in all USA social and diving activities.

Unlike most other products today, USA's annual dues have not increased. Individual member dues remain at $50, and married couples/domestic partner dues remain at $90/couple.

In addition to enjoying interesting and informative guest speakers at our monthly General Membership meetings, there are many reasons to continue your membership.

Colorful, informative monthly newsletter
Discounted dive trips
Group discounts on many non-diving social events
Continuous membership allows you priority on dive trips
Pre-planned diving and social activities with people you know and whose company you enjoy

There are three easy ways to continue your membership

1) Online banking - You may pay online using Zelle. Send the appropriate amount to Treasurer@usadiveclub.org indicating in the memo that you are paying dues

OR 2) you may send a check payable to USA Dive Club and mail to USA Dive Club, 4011 NE 24th Ave, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064-8025. If you mail a check, please indicate in the memo section that you are paying dues. You may wish to have your bank do this electronically. It's your choice.

OR 3) you may bring your check to a General membership meeting and pay in person.......we'd enjoy seeing you.

As always, we invite you to browse through USA's extensive photo gallery for a look at our local and overseas diving along with varied social activities.

A joyous holiday from USA Membership Coordinators,

November 2021 Membership

Julie Manhold — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 19:43:40 GMT

Gobble, gobble to our fellow USA Dive Club members,

Where has the summer gone? The Halloween ghosts and goblins are returning to their lairs, and now the turkeys are running for their lives.

With climate change doing its thing, the water will probably remain warm enough for most summer divers to squeeze in a few more under sea adventures. Who knows? You may even meet a future member of the USA Dive Club while you're at it.

Dive boats provide the perfect environment to talk to new friends and extend an invitation to browse our website or attend a meeting, whether in person or on Zoom.

We invite you to browse through USA's extensive photo gallery for a look at our local and overseas diving along with varied social activities.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Happy bubbling from your Membership Coordinators,

Stephanie Voris and Julie Manhold

October 2021 Membership

Julie Manhold — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 15:34:46 GMT

Hello Fellow Members,

At USA’s September Board of Director’s meeting, Julie Manhold was appointed to the Membership team, and looks forward to joining Stephanie for the remainder of this year.

In spite of the pitfalls COVID-19 has brought with it, our Club has now resumed local and overseas diving, and continues to attract new members. Warm ocean waters, along with excellent ocean conditions and the best dive buddies anywhere, members have kept our summer dives filled to capacity.

The USA Dive Club would like to welcome new member Xzavion Binns and returning member Bernd Meier.

Xzavion has multiple dive certifications. As an underwater photographer, he enjoys macro as well as wide-angle photography. His most memorable dive was with the hammerheads, and he dreams of diving with the manta rays at night. Other interests include kayak fishing, running, cooking and meeting new friends.

Bernd is a long-time former member of the USA Dive Club, and has taken the plunge over 2,000 times. Rarely without his camera, Bernd enjoys local diving, and as a world traveler and underwater photographer, he has been capturing beautiful undersea and land photos from all over the globe. His most memorable dive was in Raja Ampat, and a trip to Misool might be in his future.

We invite you to browse through USA's extensive photo gallery for a look at our local and overseas diving along with varied social activities.

Please extend a warm USA welcome to our new members.

Happy Bubbling,
Membership Coordinators

Stephanie Voris Julie Manhold

September 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 19:28:00 GMT

Summer diving is in full swing and the ocean temp. is 84 degrees. We have had groups in the double digits for our local dives and the hurricanes are staying away. It's been a good summer!

We welcome our new member Susan Treusdell from Maryland. She plans on spending some time in South Florida in the very near future and we look forward to diving with her. For now we can say "hello" via Zoom.

August 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 22:09:22 GMT

Welcome to our new member Fran Hare. She has done some dives with the club as a guest and has done many dives at Blue Heron Bridge. She lives in Boynton Beach and we look forward to more people meeting her at the next in-person general meeting.

July 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:13:36 GMT

Please welcome our new members Gary Goff and George Cathcart. Gary lives in Hillsboro Mile and was referred by a friend. George lives in Port St. Lucie and was referred by Marie York. This is the prime season for local diving so we hope they will join us so we can meet them.

Happy 4th of July to everyone.

June 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Sun, 30 May 2021 14:29:54 GMT

I'd like to introduce our newest member, Will Schrier. He hails from Pittsburgh, PA but will be spending an extended time in West Palm Beach and was looking for people to dive with. He happened upon our website and the rest is history. He is not wasting any time in getting involved with the Club and has already signed up for the next two local dives. I, and I'm sure all those signed up, are looking forward to meeting and diving with him. I can't wait to have in person meetings again and meet the members that signed up during the pandemic.

Editor's Note: View Will's photography blog at https://www.ktuli.com/photography/

April 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 22:01:53 GMT

Hello Fellow Members:

Interest in the dive club continues Inquiries are coming in from those that are going to be in the area for extended periods of time or are moving down here. Please keep spreading the word locally as well. Very much looking forward to seeing more members on club dives when they start up again.

Happy Bubbling,
Stephanie Voris
Membership Coordinator

March 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 02:24:15 GMT

I would like to introduce our newest member, Peter Bolton. He is a bit new to diving with about 10 logged dives. He was on Zoom for one of the past General Meetings and we hope to meet him when we can start up in person meetings. We have started a new membership committee of Julie Manhold, Alan Fuerman, Clare Anthon, and myself to review membership applications for a more efficient review. This will eliminate the month long wait for applicants to hear back after a board meeting.

New inquiries keep coming in. Our website is getting notices and hopefully the flyers in the dive shops too.

February 2021 Membership by Stephanie Voris

Roger Cooper — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 02:28:41 GMT

Hello fellow divers. I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful weather we're having, albeit a bit chilly at times. I have been doing a little bit of local diving to support the charters but it is cool now, 72-74 degree water temperatures. It takes more than one layer of wetsuit this time of year. Visibility has been very good due to no rain and runoff. I see our flyers in Force-E Pompano and hope it generates interest for more members. I have had an inquiry or two during this non-gathering time.

Happy Bubbling,
Stephanie

January 2021 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 19:56:58 GMT

Hello Members and visitors,

Welcome to the USA Dive Club in 2021. We look forward to seeing each other this year! And club dives and club trips etc. When we resume our in person general meetings remember to bring a friend to enjoy our speakers and social activities. In the mean time please continue to attend our zoom meetings and support this very special club. If you want to join, please download our membership application and send to club membership. You will find this information on the home page. Cheers to a new and better year to come. Eunice & Stephanie

December Newsletter 2020

Eunice Hamblen — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:30:04 GMT

Hello Dive Club Members and Visitors,

You may ask how can we run a club during a pandemic. It takes volunteers who work behind the scenes to arrange for speakers on Zoom, process new membership applications electronically as well as collect dues electronically. Speaking of dues......your dues will NOT be due January 1 for 2021 under the current circumstances but we are accepting donations to keep our basic services in operation. Please use Zelle to send donations to treasurer@usadiveclub.org. Thank you.

While the club will not have sponsored dives during this time, members are going diving together on local dive boats and getting together in small groups outside for other activities. Stay in touch and stay safe.

Eunice & Stephanie

November Newsletter 2020

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:49:06 GMT

Hello November Divers,

We have made it through another hurricane season unscathed. Wish I could say the same about the pandemic. Hopefully you all have been safe and well.

Fall is here and the winds are shifting. Several dives have been canceled due to sea conditions but the water temperature is still 81 and the lobsters are out there. We've had 4 new members since the pandemic started but looking forward to meeting in person again and meeting our new members face to face.

I have seen a few underwater pictures of you diving at a grouper gathering and at the Blue Heron bridge. Several of our members took off for a kayak trip that covered some of the Central Florida Springs & rivers. Staying in touch with the club virtually and exploring the outdoors are safe and rewarding activities. Keep wearing your masks and join us for our online meetings. Best wishes, Eunice & Stephanie your volunteer membership coordinators.

October Newsletter 2020

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 21:23:13 GMT

Happy October Divers!

Thank you all who voted to update our bylaws making our club operations easier for all concerned. Be sure to attend the October 1st General Meeting Virtually and you are welcome to attend the Board Meeting on October 8th.

We have been diving on a non-official club basis, just dive friends getting together on local dive boats which are only allowing half the occupants. Other members have put together a lengthy kayak trip in north central FL with other friends participating when they can for the next three weeks.

Don't forget that newly certified divers (in the past 12 months) can join our club for free!! Our dues are $50 a year later.

Remember you still need to wear your masks. Stay well.

Eunice & Stephanie, Membership Chairs

August Newsletter 2020

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 12:47:48 GMT

Hello Two Masked Members,

Here is an update on the local dive charters. They are in business and several members are making reservations and diving together. The rules are that masks and social distance is required while loading & unloading and between dives and it costs a little more. That is because the boats are only taking half the number of people. Divers report the water temperature is around 81 degrees and visibility has a minimum of 50 feels. So make your reservations soon.

Please feel free to invite guests to our Zoom meetings. Make sure that they register with the meeting and you as their sponsor need to tell Roger so he can recognize their phone number.

Thank you all for sticking with your dive club through the months of Zoom meetings and stay-at-home orders. Please wear your masks and wash your hands so we can finish this year in a healthier place.

Stephanie & Eunice

July Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 17:04:22 GMT

Hello Members from the Membership desk. Our club continues virtual meetings to keep everyone safe. Please stay tuned to our Zoom meetings and be aware that someday we will meet in person again.

In the mean time hopefully you are doing your best to contain this deadly virus so we can one day safely greet each other in person.

Members continue "unofficial club" diving with local vendors who are themselves meeting local health guidelines. Our next general meeting is July 9th so come join us "virtually" on Zoom. Stay safe, Eunice & Stephanie.

June Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 19 May 2020 16:16:38 GMT

Month number 3 of staying at home has passed and finally some establishments are opening up. The dive boat "Loggerhead" took 10 divers out in May with masks on before suiting up. Four of our members were on board. Laura reported approximately 60 feet visibility. She captured one shovel nosed lobster and several lion fish. Other sea critters spotted were morays, one turtle, a single squid and a very different and rare file fish. This was not an "official" club dive but that does not stop our members from enjoying the diving again. We have one new member application from Alison Hodges from Hood River, Oregon. Welcome aboard Alison! She was on the aborted Fiji trip earlier this year and met our trip members. Bear with us as we continue remote meetings until clearance is given for larger groups. Stay well. Regards, Your membership chairs: Eunice & Stephanie

May Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 13:20:20 GMT

If you live in Broward or Miami-Dade we are now "staying at home" going on 6 weeks. Many of us are rediscovering old hobbies, learning new ones, spoiling our pets and/or drinking more than usual. There are wonderful creative works online. If you have not already seen Jimmy Fallon, Sting & The Roots rendition of "Don't Stand So Close to Me", it is worth the search. Another awesome work by the cast of Hamilton on Zoom for a little girl whose broadway tickets were cancelled is wonderful.

But still there is a great deal of suffering and angst at homes and businesses. Positive stories abound with volunteers at food banks, animal shelters and health care facilities. We are torn between staying well and risk returning to work. Let's hope we get over the curve by the end of April and see next steps put in place in May. Stay safe and well and informed. Best wishes, Stephanie and Eunice (your volunteer membership chairs)

April Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 20:37:19 GMT

Dear Members and Want to be Members,

The best things about being in a dive club or any club at this time are the friends that you can connect with and support as they can for you. Nothing brings people closer than a crisis of global proportion. There are several wonderful concerts on line that demonstrate this. Try this one to lift your spirits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1z It is called "Playing for Change". Other concerts and museums are doing the same.

Please stay tuned to this website to learn when we will meet again. Stay safe and well. Yours Truly with best wishes, Stephanie & Eunice

March Newsletter

Stephanie Voris — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 00:25:24 GMT

Happy March to everyone. We would like to welcome our new member Ed Blackburn. who is originally from NC and has been diving for 6 years. We hope to see him on some local dives and trips. Hopefully the luck of the Irish will be with us in March and the seas will calm down enough to get some dives in.

Please join us the first Thursday of the month for our general meeting and don't forget that if you are certified within the year, your first year's membership is free.

Best Fishes,

The Membership Chairs, Eunice and Stephanie

February Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:55:20 GMT

Hello from the USA Dive Club Membership Chairs! Joining our great dive club is easier than ever. Just download the Member Application from the home page and fill it out. Bring it to our General meeting with a check for $60 single or $110 for couples and give it to the person just inside of the door at our General Meeting at the Marriott Courtyard the first Thursday of the month. Stay and enjoy the program. We welcome new guests and new members.

Besides our creative dive trips we have social events each month and encourage our members to get involved in the planning. See you at the meeting. Yours truly, Stephanie & Eunice

January Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 19:53:56 GMT

Welcome to 2020! Where did last year go? We had fabulous trips last year from February to November. We traveled as far as Yap and Palau in Micronesia, Cayman and Cuba and as close as our own local reefs. We are off and running in February with 2 weeks in Fiji. Tell your friends, invite them to come to our educational general meetings. We welcome guests.

Please do not forget that most members club dues are due this month. Hope your Holiday was warm and rewarding. Best wishes, your Membership Chairs.

December Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 17:45:06 GMT

Happy Holidays from your membership chairs. Hoping you had a fulfilling Thanksgiving holiday and that you are looking forward to the Christmas season. We will not have a December general meeting but we will have the annual Christmas party on December 7th at 6:30 pm at the Marriott Courtyard. The price is $35 for members and $40 for guests. This is an excellent event to bring guests so please consider doing so.

Remember many members' dues are due the first of January, Please save at least $50 of your Christmas money for your club dues. We all would appreciate it. Thank you all for making our club a great success. Life is so much more fun with friends. Happy New Year!

November Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 12:51:36 GMT

Hello Members and Wanttobe Members,

We have our November General Meeting coming up and you don't want to miss it. Come and bring a guest and enjoy the evening Thursday November 7th. Guests can just show up an be greeted by Claire our hostess with the mostest. She will make you feel right at home.

We have social time before the educational speaker where we visit with "old" and new members. We also have our local diving and overseas diving announcements and the lobster pot where you can win fabulous prizes!

See you there.

October 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:47:18 GMT

Hello October Divers,

As you know our September meeting was cancelled for the devastating hurricane "Dorian". South Florida came very close to experiencing the disaster now seen in the northern Bahama Islands.

More reason to come to our October meeting and bring a guest. We are always looking for new folks to join our activities. Caribbean trips, mini-trips, social events etc. Of course our general meeting speakers are always interesting AND educational.

We look forward to seeing you Thursday October 3rd at the Marriott Courtyard. Welcome desk is just inside the door.

Best wishes, Eunice Hamblen & Stephanie Voris, USA Dive Club Membership

September 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 14:57:27 GMT

Hello Members and those prospective new members! The water has been warm and full of interesting critters. You can visit our photo gallery to see some great underwater pictures. We have several experienced and budding amateur underwater photographers in our club.

Please come to our general meetings (first Thursday of each month) to expand your knowledge of diving and dive places as well as meet some very nice people. We are currently putting together our dive trips for next year so visit our web site often. Visitors can check in at the table just inside the door to meet Claire, Stephanie and/or Eunice. Claire is our official greeter and hostess with the mostest. We are a welcoming group.

New members can participate in our many dive and non-dive activities which is the best way to get to know us. Best diving wishes, Eunice

August 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 01:07:56 GMT

This August newsletter is directed to existing USA Dive Club members. We need YOU! We need you to volunteer to help us run this club. As the oldest dive club in Florida we have successfully operated as a non-profit for over 40 years. This was only possible because our members donated their time to manage our club's programs. We need you to continue this legacy.

We need an assistant for our audio/video set up once a month at general meetings. We need a co-chair for our social program. We need a co-chair for our educational programs at the general meeting. We need all our members to contribute to the lobster pot prizes. Our wonderful dive club can not exist without your volunteerism. Please contact any one of our board members to offer your help in keeping this club healthy & strong. We need your energy. Your bonus is making life long friends and strengthening a great club.

Thank you for your help. Eunice

July 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 14:34:11 GMT

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Because our general club meeting falls on this holiday, there will be no meeting in the month of July. This does not mean that our other activities i.e. diving, social, kayaking will not happen.

New members need to participate in our activities to get to know us better. Guest, including children, are welcome with a sponsoring member. So come join the fun. We are a welcoming and friendly group who enjoys the water and the out of doors. We look forward to see you!

June 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Wed, 29 May 2019 15:24:34 GMT

Hello Summer Divers!

Membership would like to welcome Kimberly Oberst as our latest new member. Thank you Don Chalaire for your referral. While I write this many of our members are enjoying the Little Cayman dive trip. This being one of our most popular club destinations. Summer is our most active dive season since we love the warmer waters. We will have Caribbean trips as well as local diving. Several years ago we added "mini" trips which may include a weekend in the keys are the Bahamas. In addition to the diving we have many social activities during the year. Interested dive folks are invited to our general meetings the first Thursday of the month. You are welcome to join in our activities as a guest or download our membership application from the main page and see us at the meeting. We welcome new members. Come join the fun.

May 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 00:38:15 GMT

Hello members and potential new members. Local diving is open again and the Little Caymen trip is coming up at the end of the month. Social chair Alan has arrange water taxi trips and brewery visits, Ryan has mini-trips planned and all is well with the club. We welcome visitors to our meetings and encourage new members to get involved with our activities which speeds getting to know us. We are a great group of outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy life. Come join the fun.

April 2019 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 18:46:05 GMT

April brings Spring showers and warmer waters so get your gear ready to dive! We have more dive trips & social events in the 2019 plan so come get involved and join the fun. Guests are always welcome to our general meetings and to social events. I would like to thank all those wonderful club members that have paid their dues for 2019. Thank you.

Starting April 1st a $10 late charge will be added to dues. It will be $60 instead of $50. Please pay your dues on time.

USA Divers is a friendly and welcoming dive club with experienced divers and photographers always willing to share information with newcomers. Come on by.

March Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 01:43:01 GMT

Hello From Palau where 10 USA club divers just got off the Ocean Hunter live aboard. Last week we were in Yap. Exotic diving is just one benefit of club membership. Come join us in local diving, Caribbean diving and more. See you soon!

February Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 22:39:56 GMT

February brings cooler seas and only the strong of heart are diving locally. That is OK since our dive club has many social activities planned so check them out. Membership would like to welcome Dan and Cheryl Rosen as our latest new members. I believe they won the lobster pot at their first meeting.

Remember all guest are welcome to our general meeting. Guest are also welcome to our social events when accompanied by a member. We also encourage members to get involved in planning club activities. We are all volunteers. That makes a great club!

December Newsletter 2018

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 19:08:07 GMT

Happy Holidays USA Divers,

The 2019 dues for most people are due January 1 so save some of that holiday money for the club!.

Membership would like to welcome three new members: Gus Lowery has rejoined from his home in NC; Eugene Ryvkin from Boca has joined and Kimberly Lamaze from Coconut Creek. Welcome to our great dive club. The best way to get to know us is to participate in our activities, better yet volunteer to help with them. We have a new application from Roy Harrington, thank you Roy.

To Robert Horin: if you are reading this, I need your contact information asap!

I hear the water is still warm enough for diving, come join us. Please remember that the December general meeting will NOT be at the Marriott Courtyard. Look for the address on the USA Dive Club Home page.

See you at the club Christmas Party December 8th at the Marriott!

October Newsletter 2018

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 17:10:44 GMT

Hello USA Divers,

Our club is happy to welcome Susan Sheen as our latest new member. Welcome Susan! Please check out our Social Chair's latest activities for more club fun. Come visit us on October 6th at the Discovery Museum's Coral Reef event. Guests are always welcome to our club general meetings as well as activities as a member host.

Let us all hope that tropical storm season is at an end! Best diving wishes, E

September 2018 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 23:18:16 GMT

Membership would like to welcome Susan Sheen to our great Dive Club. Susa has been diving since 12 years old! We are excited about adding her expertise to our membership. Pictures are now in from our members Bonaire trip. It looked like a great trip!

Please join us at the General Meeting September 6th. Our welcome mat is always open for new members. Come join a great group of people who love to dive, kayak, camp and various other social activities.

AUGUST 2018 NEWSLETTER

Eunice Hamblen — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:50:28 GMT

Hot Summer Hello from USA Dive membership. We have a new application from Susan Sheen. The Board will review this application August 9th. If you want other applications to be present at this Board meeting, please get them to me before then.

Membership news and things to be proud of included a benchmark goal achieved by our very own Ryan Goheen. Congratulations!! Phebe Young has been diving again after a year long battle and victory over health issues. Yippee! Last we should mention Laura's singular goal to rid the reefs of lionfish. I believe she caught 5 on her last dive.

We welcome all guests to our general meetings and to our dive & social activities when accompanied by a member. That's all for now. E

July 2018 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:05:53 GMT

Membership would like to welcome Jay Rubin to the USA Dive Club. Jay has been to a couple of our general meetings and been diving with the club. As a new diver, he has picked the right club in which to increase his diving skills. Welcome Jay! Remember guests are always welcome to our club meetings and to our activities when accompanied by a current member. We are a dive club with the addition of various social activities. Our members are fun and welcoming. This club is run by volunteers and we encourage all members to contribute to this great club in some way. Happy July and warm waters everyone!

June 2018 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:46:07 GMT

Hello June, Welcome members and guests. Let us hope that the rain will let up for clear diving this month. We invite our members & guests to visit our photo gallery to see diving and social activities. They are impressive.

Our next general meeting is June 7th. It will be a social meeting which is perfect for members to reconnect and guests to meet members and ask questions about our club. We have a least one interactive meeting each year. A slide show of our past activities will be running.

Remember guests are welcome to our meetings and certified divers are encouraged to join. Our local dives are well planned and include the group rate, our international dives trips are phenomenal and our social activities are definitely not dull! Come join the fun. Best membership wishes, Eunice

May 2018 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:20:59 GMT

Hello May Divers,

We are very proud to have 8 new members, 3 of which are Floridians. Welcome aboard. The social chairperson has been very busy creating fun opportunities outside of diving. I can not wait to see the pictures of the SKYDIVING experience!

Our local dive chairperson is also busy lining up local dives so get your equipment ready and dive dive dive.

Guests are welcome to our general meetings. Next one is May 3rd. Come introduce yourself. Stay for our interesting programs and meet some of our fun members. We have a great group of people.

See you soon. Eunice

April 2018 Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 13:30:23 GMT

Hello USA Divers and guests. Membership is happy to announce the addition of eight new members! Six of the new members are outside of South Florida which has doubled our out of state membership.

They are: Holly Piza, Lisa Gibson, Hector Piza, David Beckhouse, Raul Rodriguez and Beverly Ropek. Welcome to all of you. Welcome also to local new members: Maciej Zhanifcici and Krzyszfot Blicharski. We have members from Phoenix to Baltimore. Some have move out of the area and kept their membership, others we have met on trips and see them each year as we travel.

Our club is great because we have such a diverse and experience group of fun people. We also enjoy diverse activities such as camping and kayaking. Guests are welcome to our general meetings. Come listen to our guest speakers and meet our members. Our water is warming up and the local dive activities are back in full swing.

March 2018 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 15:25:12 GMT

March is supposed to roar, but February had its share of windy days. Seas were rough! USA Dive club still had fun with Monster Gooney Golf and the Manatee experience in Riviera Beach. Some of us like to kayak in protected waters when diving isn't possible. We welcome new members in all our activities!

Speaking of new members, Membership now has 7 new membership applications for the Board to review. That is a record! Most of them are out of state new members going on Nancy Styles Cozumel trip in June. I hope we get to see them on other trips as well.

If you are a certified diver and would like a fun group to dive, camp, kayak and socialize with, come to our meetings the first Thursday of each month. See for yourself that we are friendly and accepting people.

Remember guests are welcome to attend our general meetings too. We have a busy dive agenda as well as other fun activities. Enjoy, Eunice

February 2018 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:03:51 GMT

Hello and Happy Valentines to all you divers! We are happy to add two new members, Kamala Shadduck and Don Mordowanic to USA Divers. Welcome to our fun club. Kamala is a new resident of South Florida and Don is an out of state member. Our out of state membership is growing! I have three new member applications from out of state to be presented to the next board meeting.

Members - Please remember to give me your dues. $50 per individual and $90 for couples. Do not make me beg! Thank you.

Remember guests are welcome to attend our general meetings the first Thursday of each month as well as our activities if accompanied by a member. We have a busy dive agenda as well as other fun activities such as kayaking, camping and other events our social chair, Alan, discovers. Enjoy, Eunice

January 2018 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 22:13:41 GMT

Happy New Year! It is 2018 and we are off adventure diving, kayaking, camping and whatever our Social Chairperson dreams up. If you are a certified diver and want a great group to dive and play with, we are the club. We have a wealth of experience diving locally and around the world as well as underwater photography and various other water skills. We are very friendly to new members, so come join the fun.

Guests are welcome to our general meetings. Guests are also welcome to join our activities when accompanied by a member.

This is a reminder to our current membership that dues are due. Please do not make me beg for your 2018 check. Remember we are all volunteers in this club, so be kind to the volunteers! Have a healthy and happy New Year.

Best wishes, Eunice your "Volunteer Membership Chair"

December 2017 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Sun, 03 Dec 2017 23:18:01 GMT

Happy Holidays from USA Dive Club. We have a new application from Kamala of Single Divers, thank you Kamala. We have our Club Christmas party this month and hopefully our members can all come and enjoy the good company and spirits. We have had a great year of social activities and diving. Come join this great group of folks who know how to have fun!

If you are a first time visitor and certified diver and interested in joining our club, please find the Membership application on our web page, download, complete with a photocopy of your C-card and Insurance card. Mail with a pro-rated amount from the application table plus the $10 to the membership chair. Returning member does the same.

Encourage friends and fellow divers to join USAer’s for all club activities. Guests are not required to be USA Dive Club members to participate in USA functions. Guests are always welcome when accompanied by a member.

November 2017 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 19:24:39 GMT

Please join me in welcoming Brad from Texas to our club. Brad attended the October general meeting and met many of our local members. He was also witness to the excellent speaker for the evening. You too can enjoy experienced speakers and great photography at our general meetings. Come join the fun.

October 2017 Membership Newsletter

Eunice Hamblen — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 18:47:20 GMT

Hello USA Divers and want-to-bes. I hope your homes survived Irma and you had power restored within that first week. Let's hope for a very DRY October! I look forward to meeting all the new members at October's general meeting. We have one new membership application from Brad in Leander, TX. Thank you Brad.

If you are a first time visitor and certified diver and interested in joining our club, please find the Membership application on our web page, download, complete with a photocopy of your C-card and Insurance card. Mail with a pro-rated amount from the application table plus the $10 and mail to the membership chair. Returning member does the same.

September 2017 Membership

Eunice Hamblen — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 20:49:36 GMT

Hello September Divers and hello new members Candy Hickman, Stephanie Voris, Abby Buckman, Zaher Hajar and George Oneill. I look forward to getting to know you. It is goliath grouper spawning season so get yourselves underwater to see these incredible creatures. Bring a friend and introduce them to our great dive club. Remember that guests are always welcome to our events with the sponsoring member. Our membership application can be downloaded from our home page. Please come to our general meeting and meet our friendly members. I will be just inside the door at the name badge table. Until then, Eunice

August 2017 Membership

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 19:02:29 GMT

We are very happy to announce the arrival of five (5) new members. Thank you Ryan and Ronnie for your new member referrals. Our new members are:

Abby Buckman and Zahar Hajar, Stephanie Voris, Candy Hickman and George ONeill.

Welcome! Please join us in all our fun activities and get to know our super members. We look forward to getting to know you better.

If you are a first time visitor and certified diver and interested in joining our club, please find the Membership application at the bottom of the home page. Download & print, fill it out with a photo copy of your C-card and Insurance card, a check for the prorated amount on the application plus the initial fee of $10 and mail to the membership chair. If you are a returning member, please do the same.

July 2017 Membership

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:58:24 GMT

It is July and the water temperature is warm! Dive Dive Dive! I could not believe all the divers that showed up for the Deerfield Pier cleanup June 17th. After which was a record breaking human underwater chain (that lasted way too long), but broke some records, they said. I hope some of those divers visit our web site and better still our general meeting this month.

We have a pretty active dive season both with diving and other social activities. Please bring a friend that would like to dive with some super people. Bring them to our social gatherings as well. We have a great group of people and the only way you will get to know them is to spend a little time, have a little fun and laugh a lot.

If you are a first time visiter and certified diver and interested in joining our club, please find the Membership application at the bottom of the home page. Download & print, fill it out with a photo copy of your C-card and Insurance card, a check for the prorated amount on the application plus the initial fee of $10 and mail to the membership chair. If you are a returning member, please do the same.