president's waves

My wife and I won four of the eight items in the February Lobster Pot drawings. The money the club receives selling Lobster Pot tickets is an important source of income to help offset our biggest expense - our hotel meeting room. I would like everyone to purchase more tickets, so in February I decided it was time to set a good example. Hopefully, in the coming months members will purchase more tickets, the winnings will be more evenly distributed, and the club will be the big winner thanks to your donations.

There is still one open spot for a female diver on the Bahamas Aggressor, April 14-21. Check it out. https://www.aggressor.com/bahamas.php

Also, I am surprised we have not yet filled the Bonaire trip, August 11-18. If you wonder why I am surprised, just check out these sites.

• http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/diving-bonaire
• http://www.feelbonaire.com/listings/underwater-photo/
• http://www.tourismbonaire.com/image-gallery

And check out the posts on our Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/usadiveclub) Howard just posted a link to an article about how some of the underwater photography was done for the movie The Shape of Water. I might have to watch the movie again just to see if I can pick out the scenes they are talking about.

At the Board of Directors meeting in January, the following people were appointed to positions on the Board of Directors. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered time and effort to work for our club.

There has been a lot of interest in our overseas diving trips this year. There is one spot open for a female diver on the Bahamas Aggressor in April. Our Grand Cayman trip in June is taking names for the wait-list. They managed to add spots so we have 27 divers going on that trip. There are still spots available for Cozumel in June, Bonaire in August, and Yap-Palau in February 2019.

It is time to get your gear serviced before our local dive season starts. Yes, it is true that some of us dive all year. Check out Howard's Facebook posts (https://www.facebook.com/pg/usadiveclub/posts/) to get his local diving reports and see interesting articles he has found.

I hope everyone has a healthy and prosperous new year for 2018, and had a merry Christmas. Amy and I had a cold white Christmas visiting family in West Virginia. Meanwhile, here in South Florida some club members have continued diving. Check out local diving reports on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pg/usadiveclub/posts/). Howard Ratsch has added a link to an interesting article about Asia's disappearing WWII shipwrecks.

Please come to the January 4th meeting to learn about the overseas diving trips that are planned for 2018 and 2019. I am excited about the opportunity to return to Palau for a week on a liveaboard in 2019. My first trip to Palau was land-based and I can hardly wait to get back to try the liveaboard diving there.

The new club website has features that allow us to send dues reminders. We have not implemented the feature that allows on-line payments because that requires us to pay a fee for each payment. Please send you dues to the following address.
    Eunice Hamblen, Membership
    2756 NE 30th St.
    Lighthouse Point, FL 33064

If you log on to the new club website, you can see member-only content such as directory information. You can also edit your own directory information. If you have not set a password, use the Forgot Password link to set a new password.

USA Dive Club Members:  Club By-Laws require that the Board’s proposed slate of officers be presented to you in both the November and December newsletters.  Presented for your consideration are the following:

Elections will be conducted at the General Membership Meeting held in conjunction with our Holiday Party on December 7.

Well, golly, September started out with some nasty surprises for us, didn't it? I hope you all came through with lives and homes intact. I haven't been able to get back in the water since the storms but I've been told that there was some damage to the reefs and at least one local wreck was broken up.  On a positive note, the lobsters still seem to be there for the hunting and the visibility is coming back.

We're trying to get back on schedule with regular monthly meetings, local dives and couple of social events on the calendar.  Please plan to come to the October meeting to sign up for some activities, check on all your dive buddies and enjoy another great program.  Also, we didn't get your Lobster Pot dollars in September, so buy a few extra tickets this month if you can.

Finally, note that our annual holiday party is going to be held on the regular meeting night (first Thursday) in December and will feature our favorite things, i.e., food and socializing with friends.  Mark it on your calendar and join us.

Happy bubbles,
Phebe

You may recall our January program when Wilhelmina Stanton gave a moving account of the experiences she has had and witnessed as a diver with Diveheart, an organization that provides scuba diving instruction, opportunities and adventures to people with disabilities. In Cozumel we shared a hotel with a group of disabled divers and their buddies from Diveheart. While our dive and meal schedules did not permit a great deal of interaction, we were able to chat a bit with members of their group. It was as inspiring as Willie told us it is! First and foremost, all of them, disabled or not, were HAVING FUN! One wheelchair-bound woman I talked to told me, while her buddies were piling gear in her lap, that she’s logged over 60 dives since 2004, all with Diveheart. None of us is a more enthusiastic diver than this woman. It’s always good to see what we’ve been told in a program translated into action!

Speaking of Cozumel, it was a great trip. Fun friends, beautiful dives and amazing luck: there was a storm the week before we were there and one the week after but the week or our visit: BEAUTIFUL! Our one night dive ranks as one of my best dives ever. I’ve never seen so many octopi out and about. I’m sure many of us (not me) got great pictures on that dive but you really should see Alan’s videos!

So the overseas portion of the 2017 program is behind us but the local dive activities continue unabated. Also, we’ve got some new and different social events scheduled for the rest of the year. Check out what your club has to offer!

Happy bubbles,

Phebe

FUN, FUN, FUN

So far, 2017 has been a busy year for the Under Sea Adventurers. We’ve put two overseas dive trips astern, with one still ahead. The local diving program is going strong with many scheduled for the next couple of months. The first Keys mini- trip was a raging success with another in the works. We had a summer pool party and have some ideas for social events to be held once the diving slows down. See the reports of past events and schedule of future events in the Overseas Diving, Local Diving, Mini-trips and Social sections of this newsletter.

While you can sign up for all events by contacting the person in charge, the very best way is to come to the monthly meetings, held the first Thursday of each month. In addition to finding out what’s going on, signing up for events and socializing, you have the opportunity to experience one of the GREAT PROGRAMS that Ken has been arranging for us. See the Program section of this newsletter for this month’s offering.

Please investigate what your club is dong and join us!

Phebe Young

WE BE DIVIN’

So summer is finally here. Of course, for us, summer doesn’t bring the lifestyle changes that many of our “northern” friends experience. Still, the water is warmer, the attitude is more relaxed (if that’s even possible) and the club activities hit high gear. The overseas trip agenda for 2017 is more than halfway over already with two trips in the books (Truk and Little Cayman). Another group will be spending a week in Cozumel in August. What a wonderful way to relax and enjoy some really good diving with your fellow USA divers. If you haven’t made one of these trips, put it in your tickle file for next year! Not to be outdone, the local diving team has been enjoying warming waters and calming seas here in our own back yard. Additionally, at least one mini-trip is on the schedule already. Social events continue on a more relaxed schedule for the summer now that the in-water events have taken over. So there’s something for you, whatever your preference. Sign up, gear up and show up!

See you there.

Phebe Young