a q u a tutu b diving the california coast since 1955 february … · 2018-02-24 · a q u a t u t...
TRANSCRIPT
AQUA TUTUS
DIVING CLUB
February 2018
Since 1958... a publication from the Aqua Tutus Diving Club, a non-profit organization established to promote Water Safety and to further the sport of SCUBA Diving.
MEETING SCHEDULEGeneral Club Meeting: First Thursday of Every Month at 7:30 p.m. (except December)Board of Directors Meeting: Third Thursday of Every Month at 7:00 p.m. (except December)Location: Ricky’s Sports Theatre & Grill15028 Hesperian Blvd.San Leandro, CA 94578
UPCOMING CLUB ACTIVITIESMar 1: General Club MeetingMar 15: BOD MeetingMar 17: Club Dive: POC Patti Shannon-Hocker
For a complete listing of club activities visit Meetup or ATDC Event Calendar.
IN THIS ISSUEEntertainment Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Diving at Wharf 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Good Buddy & Bone Awards . . . . . . . . . . 4Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5General Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5BOD Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Useful Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThank you presenters and newsletter contributors for making this Aqua Tooter possible: Paul Rosenblum, Helga Mahlmann, Alan Throop, David Chervin, Gayle Hudson and Jono Dove.
Thanks to Steele’s Discount Scuba for sending member candidates to Aqua Tutus Diving Club. Steele’s is located at5987 Telegraph AvenueOakland, CA 94609(510) 655-4344
MARCH MEETING ENTERTAINMENTBest Beach Dives of Monterey County with Bruce WatkinsMonterey has some of the very best cold water beach diving anymore. Marine mammals, nudibranchs, other colorful invertebrates, we have it all. Join us for a tour of some of the best beach dives of Monterey County.
Bruce Watkins is a photojournalist specializing in marine topics. He has dived California’s fantastic reefs since 1977 and over five hundred of his articles and thousands of his photographs have appeared in national and international periodicals. He is the author of “A Diver’s Guide to Monterey County,” and other books about California dive sites.
Diving the California Coast since 1955
MEMBERSHIP DUESDon’t be late! Yearly membership dues can be paid at the March club meeting to the Treasurer or Membership chair: $40/Member, $10/Associate, and $25/Student. Regular dues include $15 CenCal dues. Membership is suspended if dues are not paid by the April membership meeting date. Dues can also be paid online.
SUPPORT AQUA TUTUS DIVING CLUB
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You shop, and our merchants give up to 5% back! Shop online, buy groceries, or dine out to make a difference for Aqua Tutus Diving Club.
2 | The Aqua Tooter
ENTERTAINMENT REPORT By David Chervin
A Few of My Indonesian Friends
Paul Rosenblum showed his images from Indonesia at the February meeting. Most pictures were taken in the Lembeh Strait and Raja Ampat with some additional shots from Wakatobi.
Paul got off the plane and soon realized the more primitive
nature of Indonesia on his ride from the airport to Lembeh when he saw stacks of Coke bottles. The bottles contained a clear liquid that turned out to be gasoline for motor scooters. When he arrived for diving the boats were less than impressive and he was struck by the amount of garbage in the waters.
Despite these conditions, Paul showed us that Lembeh waters are full of a wide variety of life. Lembeh is a “muck” diving location where the creatures are often small and well camouflaged. Paul uses a smaller Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II compact mirrorless camera system and dual Sea&Sea strobes. Paul packs his whole lightweight photography system and electronics in his carry-on for travel. His system offers image stabilization and fast autofocus with the sharpness of the Zuiko lenses.
Paul showed us a variety of crabs, shrimps, and eels (ribbon and moray). The frogfish varied from big to small to tiny and were hairy, colored and hunting. A stargazer looked up at Paul on a night dive. Paul photographed tiny pygmy seahorses on sea fans. Paul captured images of a green shrimp the size of a pencil lead.
One tiny creature was a yellow bearded goby with a multi-colored eye hidden in an anemone. It took two hours to get a good shot of the goby, but luckily the anemone was in five feet of water.
Paul showed us a variety of Octopi including blue-ringed, wonderpus and large reef varieties. Indonesia has coconut octopi and Paul learned to bring them a shell to move to where they curled up and showed their iridescent blue suckers.
In Raja Ampat Paul found a different environment that featured manta rays and soft corals. He photographed creatures with eggs that included a banded pipefish and a manta shrimp.
Paul shared photos from a separate trip to Tonga where he snorkeled with humpback whales. The whales included moderate sized babies to their very large mothers. Paul photographed the whales close-up and perhaps too close-up when the baby got within five feet and he had to back out of the way. Paul processed many of the images of whales in black
and white to match their coloring and enhance the drama of the image.
Paul’s presentation proved there is a plethora of life in Indonesia available for your next dive trip.
February 2018 | 3
RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR DIVING AT WHARF 2, MONTEREY By Alan Throop
At the February 1 general meeting, questions arose about diving at Wharf 2. There have been rumors that diving was no longer allowed at that site. I called and spoke with Brian Nelson, who is the Dive Safety Officer at the Monterey Harbormaster office, an active diver, and also one of the two diver representatives on the Advisory Council of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Wharf 2 (or “Wharf II”) is a popular dive site in Monterey – and particularly so for UnderWater Photographers, due to the large number of invertebrates and great macro-photography opportunities here. Bruce Watkins, who writes about our local dive sites in California Diving News (and is speaking to us in March), has a good article on this dive site.
While it is a protected site and shallow ( less than 30’), it is often considered an advanced dive due to poor visibility (5’10’), entanglement hazards (active fishing lines from topside and lost fishing lines at the bottom), junk and snags, boat traffic, etc. This is also a good site to practice your navigation skills or as a second-dive after diving the boat and half-track off Del Monte Beach.
The dive typically consists of diving from the sandy beach next to the concrete pier/wall that juts out into the water, usually surface-swimming well away from the wall to avoid people that are fishing from the pier. One then cuts left/west to the end of the concrete wall where the wooden pilings begin. The wall there is covered with marine life and offers great macro opportunities. One can then turn north and dive along the OUTSIDE pilings, called “fender pilings” since there are better protected against boats or objects that may tie-up next to them. One can dive navigating north from piling to piling, out to the “bend” in the pier, where fishing and other boats tie-up to the commercial pier. Alternatively, you can swerve out away from pilings (east) to where there are grassy beds with nudibranchs, fringeheads, and other life in the grass and debris that you find there, then swerve back toward the pilings, covering the larger area west of the pilings. As noted below, divers are NOT allowed to dive under the wooden pilings that comprise the wharf.
Basically, Brian said there has been no change from what the policy has been for many years. It has always been the case the divers are not allowed UNDER the wharf and some divers may have recently misinterpreted this to mean that diving is generally not allowed there. This is not the case.
I’ve listed below some notes and guidelines below from the conversation. I hope that this will clarify the concern, since Wharf 2 can be a very interesting dive.• Diving in buddy teams IS allowed the along the concrete wall
and outside of the fender pilings.• Diving groups are allowed; it is recommended that a topside-
spotter be with a dive team to warn fishermen of divers and call the Harbormaster if there are any problems during the dive.
• Diving is NOT allowed (mandatory) under the pier, east of the fender pilings. This is city-property and you are not allowed
to dive either under or east of the wooden pilings.• The Harbormaster Office recommends that you call them at
831-646-3725 or -3950 before you suit-up, to notify them that you will be diving. Give them an estimated time that you expect to be there.
• It is recommended that dives NOT dive beyond the “dogleg” bend in the pier since boat traffic and overhead activities make that area more of a hazard.
• Notify the Harbormaster Office when you complete your dive.
Brian was a real find! We are in discussion with Brian and friends to come to the club to speak about the Monterey Harbor Operations, Dive Boats and dive sites in the area, and/or aspects of interest to diving within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Let the entertainment chair know if you would like to hear some or all of these!
4 | The Aqua Tooter
JULY GENERAL MEETING DATE CHANGEDateThursday, July 12, 2018
TimeSocial time from 7:00 – 7:30 pmMeeting starts at 7:30 pm
PlaceRicky’s Sports Theatre & Grill15028 Hesperian Blvd San Leandro, CA 94578
BONE AWARDDave Chervin drove to Monterey without fins. Lesson: store all your gear in one place where it’s easy to grabMatt Warren for bringing a partially filled tank. Lesson Learned: Check your gear prior to leaving the house.
GOOD BUDDY AWARDDennis and Jon: Dennis brought extra fins, too small for Dave Chervin (see Bone Nomination), but Jon was able to wear Dennis’ fins and Dennis wore his own extra finsBill Briscoe: Diver wrangling, plus in-water rescue of non-waterproof droneLarry Muth: All The Club members who went to Cozumel – you know what you didMatt Warren for leading a group of club divers at January Club DiveDave Chervin for leading another group of club divers at January Club Dive
GOOD BUDDY& BONE AWARD
UPCOMING 2018 DIVER TRAININGAdvanced Open Water - Summer (prerequisites: five club dives, entry/exit)Rescue Diver - Fall (prerequisites: first aid, CPR, O2 admin.)
DateSave
the
PRE-TAX CLUB SOCIALOn April 14, 2018, join other Tooters at La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant for an evening of socializing and dinner.
We usually gather at La Cabaña for our Holiday Party in December, but we want to thank them and enjoy their food by patronizing them a few other times during the year.
This is no host; just come, order what you want, and join the others that are there!
POC: Alan Throop, [email protected]
MARCH 8 - 11, 2018The International Ocean Film Festival is the biggest festival of its kind in North America, featuring dozens of ocean-themed films by independent filmmakers from around our Blue Planet.
» Visit the IOFF for complete details.
February 2018 | 5
CHANNEL ISLANDS DIVE SEPTEMBER 9 - 11, 2018
Join Vaqueros Del Mar Dive Club and other Tooters for three days of fun diving the Channel Islands aboard Truth Aquatics’ Conception.
• Limited load (< 30 divers)• Kelp Forests• Fall conditions… warm(er) water• Great food, crew, & divers• Nitrox available (O2-clean tanks NOT required)• $600 per diver (non-diver 10% discount)
Sign-ups begin May, 2018
Questions?$Bill Delameter, VDM
orAlan Throop, Aqua Tutus
925-577-7876
REEF CHECK CALIFORNIA TRAININGCalifornia’s Kelp Forests Need Your Help!
Join the Reef Check California Team and Become a Scientific Diver!
Give back to the ocean by scuba diving and collecting information on the life in California’s Marine Protected Areas – our Yosemite of the Sea.
Trainings are thought by experienced marine biologists.
They include classroom instruction, a pool practice session, and ocean dives. You’ll also receive an underwater slate for collecting data, species flash cards and more!
Log on to Reef Check to sign up for training. Contact Don Abbott ([email protected]) for more info.
2018 Northern California Training Dates• Fort Bragg: April 21-22 & May 5-6• Sonoma: June 9-10 & June 23-24• San Francisco: June 23-24 & June 30-July 1• Monterey: May 19-20 & June 2-3
Date: February 1, 2018
Meeting called to order by President Kari Klaboe at Ricky's Sports Bar and Grill in San Leandro, CA at 7:30 pm.
Speaker: Paul Rosenblum – A few of my Indonesian Friends
Guests: None identified
Entertainment (Gayle Hudson)2018March: Bruce Watkins: The Best Beach Dives of Monterey CountyApril: Dennis Hocker – Dive Equipment MaintenanceMay 3: Jan Freiwald, PhD, Executive Director of Reef Check:
Abalone and North Coast UpdateJune 7: Members Night – Submit your photos/videos to [email protected] or bring a flash drive/CD/DVD to the next Aqua Tutus Club or Board Meeting
Please check Meetup and the Aqua Tooter for entertainment updates. If you have any requests or suggestions for future entertainment, let us know at [email protected]!
Treasurer’s Report (Helga Mahlmann)• Club Account: $4,933.02• $195 Cencal• $200 donation to Pacific Hyperbaric Chamber• $328 donation to Pacific Hyperbaric Chamber
GENERAL MEETING MINUTESBy Jono Dove
6 | The Aqua Tooter
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTESBy Jono Dove
Date: February 15, 2018
Present: Patti Shannon-Hocker, Kari Klaboe, Helga Mahlmann, Lola Johnston, Gayle Hudson, Larry Muth, Elizabeth Gilroy, Myran Gist, Alan Throop, Kat Smith, Jono Dove
Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm by Vice President – Patti Shannon-Hocker.
Upcoming Entertainment (Gayle Hudson)2018March: Bruce Watkins – Monterey Area Beach Dive SitesApril: Equipment Maintenance with Dennis HockerMay: Jan Freiwald, Ph.D., Director for Reef Check CaliforniaJune: Members NightJuly (12th): Backscatter will present on cold water diving and compact camera systemsAugust: TBDOctober: TBD
Membership (Elizabeth Gilroy)• 89 members• Renewals are due – please renew your membership at
aquatutus.org• Email reminders will go out to the membership at large.
Training (Dennis Hocker)• Entry and Exit program on Feb 25: Prerequisite for Advanced
Open Water Class with Aqua Tutus Instructors• If any interest in training agenda: First Aid, CPR, DAN O2
provider– please contact Dennis at: [email protected]• Advanced Open Water class this Spring/SummerRescue Diver class this Fall (CPR and O2 provider required)
For more information on training contact Dennis Hocker (510) 792-5606 [email protected] or Neil Benjamin (510) 673-0073 [email protected].
Newsletter (Lola Johnston – not present)Contact Lola at [email protected] if you are not receiving the newsletter. Input due by the 20th of the month.
Web Goddess (Lola Johnston – not present)Content can be sent to [email protected].
Social Media (Gayle Hudson)• Facebook: 128 Members. Participation is open to the public.• Meetup: 73 Members, 25 Pending. Participation is limited
to club members. Meetup instructions are available on our website.
Special CommitteeCommittee to investigate Club Liability Insurance – Seeking ATDC members who are interested in contributing time, effort, and/or knowledge are welcome. Please contact Kari Kalboe at [email protected] to offer your time
Old BusinessNone
New Business• Looking for volunteer for Entertainment Chair – looking for
someone to run computer and projector at Club Meetings• Reef Check Training Schedule
• May in Monterey• June in San Francisco• Talk to Dave Chervin about getting certified with Reef
Check• Abi – Collecting signatures to prevent cruelty to animals• Contact Debbie to learn more about a friends and family
deal she is promoting – a non scuba trip to Galápagos Islands which has received rave reviews from ATDC members
Past Dives• Club Dive at Lovers: Lots of urchins covering the rocks –
bring more Sea Otters! Matt Warren packed a partially filled tank.
Awards• Good Buddy Award:
• Dennis and Jon: Dennis brought extra fins, too small for Dave Chervin (see Bone Nomination), but Jon was able to wear Dennis’ fins and Dennis wore his own extra fins
• Bill Briscoe: Diver wrangling, plus in-water rescue of non-waterproof drone
• Larry Muth: All The Club members who went to Cozumel – you know what you did
• Matt Warren for leading a group of club divers at January Club Dive
• Dave Chervin for leading another group of club divers at January Club Dive
• Bone nominations: • Dave Chervin – Drove to Monterey without fins. Lesson:
store all your gear in one place where it’s easy to grab• Matt Warren for bringing a partially filled tank: Lesson
Learned: Check your gear prior to leaving the house.
Upcoming Activity and Dives2018February 25 at MacAbee Beach – Meet at the stairs by the Beach at 9 am – Jono Dove POC – Updates will be posted to MeetupSt Patty’s Day Club Dive at Del Monte Beach: Wear something green to dive in! Potluck following the dive. Patti Shannon-Hocker POCApril 21 – Kat's Birthday Dive at Whalers Cove: Kat will be celebrating her birthday weekend in Monterey. Come, celebrate, and dive! Reservations are now open – follow link to register your dive team.Long Beach Scuba Show: June 23 and 24June 28-July 8: Papua New Guinea – contact Dennis HockerNorthern Channel Islands: Sept 8-12 Vaqueros Del Mar Dive – typically $600 for three days on the Conception.Annual Pilgrimage to Cozumel: Before Christmas, 2018 to Friday after New Years 2019
2019June/July: Return to Truk Lagoon - 13 of 14 spots are filled
MeetingsNext Membership meeting: February 15, 2018Next BOD meeting: March 1, 2017
Meeting adjourned at 9:14 pm.
February 2018 | 7
November: Members Night 2December: Holiday Party – December 8, 2018 at La Cabaña in Newark, CA
Please contact Gayle at [email protected] if you have any requests or suggestions for future entertainment.
Brian Nelson, Diving Safety Officer for Monterey Harbor Master- also diving rep to Monterey Bay Sanctuary, has a menu of four talks, one of which will be presented at a future Club Meeting. Thanks to Alan Throop for encouraging Brian to come and speak to Aqua Tutus.
Treasurer’s Report (Helga Mahlmann)• $1,893.12 in club classes account; $4,798.98 in club general
account• $200 Annual standing contribution to the Monterey
Chamber will be made this month. In addition, at the 2017 Holiday party, an additional $328 was raised in additional contributions for the Chamber. Thanks to everyone who contributed by donating prizes, cash donations, and through ticket purchases.
• Amazon Smile is making semi-annual contributions to Aqua Tutus. If you use Amazon.com, register at smile.amazon.com and contribute a small percentage of your amazon.com purchases to Aqua Tutus. It doesn’t cost you anything and helps out your favorite, local, SCUBA club!
• Recurring Payments: Board to present motion for annual club fees at every September membership meeting. [This item is to permanently stay in meeting minutes.]
Membership (Elizabeth Gilroy)Membership dues are due. Please pay online at www.aquatutus.org/renew-membership/, at the next club or board meeting, or by USPS mail to PO Box 11952, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Director of Training (Dennis Hocker)Rescue class tentatively planned for the fall (must have first aid, CPR, O2 admin before taking class) and Advanced Open Water class planned for later in the year
Web Goddess (Lola Johnston)• SSL Certificate: Google is requiring SSL certification. Lola will
explore associated costs and present to club for a vote.• Aquatutus.com landing page: The board discussed
continuing the aquatutus.com landing page and re-direct to aqaututus.org. The re-direct will stay in place for the time being.
• Evergreen email address: should they simply forward, or capture and store email? Currently the email addresses store email – we will continue this practice until further notice.
Newsletter (Lola Johnston)• Jim Driggers is assisting Lola with the newsletter.• Content is needed for the newsletter. All content is due by
the 20th, email [email protected].
Social Media (Gayle Hudson)No significant updates for Meetup or Facebook.
Special CommitteesNone
CenCalCenCal.org is being actively updated.
Old Business• Club Banner: Alan ordered the banner printed for the club• Club Insurance:
• Jim will review the club liability waiver and report back at March Board Meeting
• Legal Document Review Subcommittee will perform review of content for Facebook, Meetup, and welcome letters
• Adobe E-signatures, Docusign, and Google Forms will be reviewed and reported on at next Club Meeting
• Elizabeth and Helga will review database of historical waiver forms
• Entertainment Duties: There is now an entertainment committee consisting of Gayle Hudson, Alan Throop, Dave Chervin, and Elaine Berger. Gayle and Alan will coordinate speakers. Gayle, Alan, and Dave will share the responsibility of the entertainment write up. Elaine will be the digital media host at general meetings.
New Business• The board appointed Alan Throop and Myran Gist as Board
Member at Large to fill two vacancies.• Meetup.com Replacement Project: The board has decided
not to pursue a replacement project for Meetup and the club website.
• Streamline Club Responsibilities: Alan Throop will assume newsletter publisher responsibility. If club members are interested in volunteering for the role, please reach out to Alan and Lola.
• Alan Throop spoke to the Harbor Master in Monterey – you can still dive the Wharf II site – but you cannot go under the wharf, and not past the dog leg. The fender pilings are OK.
• Gayle would like to purchase a new laptop for Aqua Tutus – Approximate budget $500
Upcoming Events2018February 25: MacAbee Beach POC Jono DoveMarch 17: Club Dive at Del Monte Beach – POC Patti Shannon-HockerApril 14: Pre-Tax Day Club Social Dinner at La CabanaApril 21: Kat’s Birthday Dive – Point Lobos (Reservations are Open and available) POC Kat SmithMay: TBDJune 23 – 24: Scuba Show in Long BeachJune 28 – July 8: Papua New Guinea – POC Dennis HockerJuly: Coral Street Dive and tour of Pacific Hyperbaric Chamber – POC Helga MahlmannSeptember 8-11: VDM Channel Islands Boat Trip on the Conception
2019June 22 – July 6: Chuuk Lagoon 75th anniversary of Project Hailstorm – the 48 hour event which transformed Truk Lagoon and World War II
MeetingsNext Membership meeting: March 1, 2018Next BOD meeting: March 15, 2018
Meeting adjourned at 8:41 pm.
8 | The Aqua Tooter
2018 OFFICERS/BOD/VOLUNTEERSPresidentKari Klaboe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Vice PresidentPatti Shannon-Hocker . . . . . . . [email protected]
SecretaryJono Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
TreasurerHelga Mahlmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Membership CoordinatorElizabeth Gilroy. . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Training DirectorDennis Hocker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Entertainment CoordinatorGayle Hudson . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Newsletter EditorLola Johnston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Social Media CoordinatorGayle Hudson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Board Members at Large:Myran Gist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Throop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Past PresidentJono Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Web “Goddess”Lola Johnston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
SUBMISSIONS NEEDEDDive pictures, stories and videos needed for the website, Tooter, YouTube channel and social media sites. Visit our photo submissions page for details.
PUBLICATION SCHEDULESubmissions due by the 20th of each month. The Tooter is published by the end of each month. No publication for December.
USEFUL LINKSInternet Resources for the Bay Area Diverhttp://www.garlic.com/~triblet/swell/
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaryhttp://www.mbnms.nos.noaa.govhttps://www.facebook.com/MBNMS
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institutehttp://www.mbari.org/https://www.facebook.com/MBARInews?fref=ts
California Marine Sanctuary Foundationhttp://californiamsf.org/index.html
Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamberhttps://www.facebook.com/PGHyperbaricChamberhttp://californiamsf.org/pages/donate-pgh.html
BIG ISLAND, HAWAII KONA CONDO FOR RENTBook now at this low price!June 15 - July 13, 2018$450 per week + $14 taxOne-time $50 registry fee covers one or all weeks. Weeks run Thursday to Thursday.
Contact Don Kelsey 925-820-8362 [email protected]
» Resort info can be found on The Kona Billfisher website.