Membership blog

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!  

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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