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3Rs Beach Diving Workshops - August 4, 11, 25, and more
Rocks, Reefs and Rips program (3Rs) is a mini-course designed to familiarize divers with popular beach dive sites and improve their beach diving skills.
Los Angeles County sessions will take place: August 11, Point Dume (Los Angeles County); September 8, Long Point (Los Angeles County); October 6, White Point (Los Angeles County).
In addition, a series of seven 3Rs courses will be staged in San Diego County. They are: August 4 at Marine Room, August 25 at Alligator Head (La Jolla Cove), September 8 at South Casa (Children’s Pool).
Instructors will demonstrate and supervise proper surf entry and exit procedures, explain unique aspects of the dive site, and discuss dive condition assessment techniques. Participants are then led on a snorkeling tour of the dive site. (Participants are to wear full wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel, and a weight belt with half of the normal weight they use for diving. Tanks and regulators are not allowed.)
The courses are staged in the morning beginning at 8 a.m. A donation is suggested. The San Diego 3Rs are staged by the San Diego Council of Divers, San Diego Lifeguards, and various area dive clubs. For information on the San Diego workshops, contact Steve Haynes at (619) 222-7866 or on the web at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rocks-rips-reefs. For last minute changes in the San Diego schedule and/or locations, call (619) 221-8824.
The Los Angeles County workshops are organized and conducted by the L.A. County Underwater Instructors Association in cooperation with the Greater Los Angeles Council of Divers (GLACD). For more info on the L.A. County workshops, go to www.glacd.org or call (310) 379-5681.
Imaging Workshops — Aug. 10-12
Light & Motion, manufacturer of high-end underwater imaging equipment, is now leading the way in education. Long recognized for pioneering innovative underwater imaging equipment, Light & Motion makes a plunge into education by sponsoring workshops, seminars and photo shoot-outs. Monterey will be the location of the workshop offered August 10-12.
At Light & Motion they believe everyone, novice and pro alike can enjoy the thrill of underwater imaging. Seminars and workshops offer instruction for all levels, including essential techniques for shooting great underwater video and digital photographs, making the most of your digital photographs using software programs and the world wide web, digital video editing, and housing maintenance. Shoot-out competitions offer a chance to test newly learned skills. Contest judges and other professional photographers help critique your images and give tips for improving your work before you submit your favorite shot. The beauty and exquisite color of the underwater environment inspired many of the industry firsts from Light & Motion; workshops and contests are just another way they plan to share their passion with fellow photographers and videographers.
For workshop details, contact Light & Motion at 831-645-1525, www.uwimaging.com.
Sonoma County Rescue Symposium - Aug. 24-26
Since the 1970’s an annual non-profit Dive Rescue Symposium weekend has been offered in Sonoma County by various organizations to help educate the public, public safety personnel, and divers in particular, about diving hazards and the techniques and tools that exist to reduce injuries and fatalities, especially on the North Coast. This year the event will be held on the weekend of August 24, 25, and 26 in various locations around Sonoma County. It is open to everyone, scuba divers, freedivers, and non-divers alike and individuals may participate in any segment or all of the various Symposium phases. To register please call Ed Whitt at 707-584-2323, write rpdced@sonic.net, or check out www.aktun.com/SONOMARESCUESYMPOSIUM/index.html for more information.
Diving Medicine Conference - Sept. 7, 8
The 28th annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society will be held in Las Vegas, NV, September 7 and 8. The meeting is cosponsored by Divers Alert Network (DAN) and co-hosted by the UNLV department of Biology.
The first day (Sept. 7) is geared towards health professionals in the hyperbaric field. The second day (Sept. 8) is designed to educate divers of all levels about diving medicine and diving safety.
For information, contact Matthew Berry, MD, FACP President, Pacific Chapter UHMS, email: PacificUHMS@aol.com, voice mail: (310) 373-0142.
Channel Islands Chamber Day - Sept. 10
You can benefit local hyperbaric chambers and chamber programs by joining Channel Islands Council of Divers (CICD) with Captain Eric and the crew of the charter boat Peace on Monday, September 10, 2001, departing at 7:00 a.m. from Ventura Harbor Village. Plan for 3 dives on oil rig Grace*. Food (Continental breakfast and hot lunch), air fills, a commemorative T-shirt, and the famous Hot Tub are included.
The cost is $75, payable to CICD. All proceeds benefit the Hyperbaric Chambers at Catalina and Pleasant Valley, and CICD’s Uninsured Diver’s Fund.
*Note! Oil rig dives are for “Advanced” or experienced divers! Destinations, number of dives, etc., are dependent upon weather and sea conditions.
For information or reservations contact Dick Shrewsbury, CICD, (805) 485-8483, email DickShrewsbury@aol.com.
International Underwater Cleanup - Sept. 15
Divers engage in a unique one-on-one relationship with our underwater world. This relationship makes divers and snorkelers the first to recognize habitat decline due to marine debris.
Every September, nearly one million people come together to clean up our world’s beaches and waterways in the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).
Sponsored by the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC), the ICC expanded in 1995 to include cleanup of our underwater wild places. With the cooperative efforts of PADI and Project AWARE, over 8,000 divers in 60 countries suited up last year to help recover “unseen debris below the water’s surface.
Last year, divers netted over 106,000 pounds trash, and scoured nearly 350 underwater miles of ocean floor cataloging the type of trash they found so we can get to the bottom of who’s polluting our oceans. Overall, volunteers cleaned over 21,894 miles hauling in 13.5 million pounds of trash.
Over 60 percent of the underwater debris recovered was from land-based activities. And more that half of that debris was plastic. Because plastics float in the water column it is often mistaken for food by aquatic animals and birds.
Divers are uniquely qualified to monitor our underwater resources. Now, even the most remote areas aren’t exempt from human’s bad habits. You’ve probably seen seals caught in derelict fishing nets, egrets strangled with monofilament fishing line, six-pack rings, or rusty soda cans.
The annual event in September is one way to dive into underwater clean- ups, but you can be a year-round ambassador for the sea by building in a few simple steps into your regular dive routine and adding some inexpensive accessories to your equipment list. Bring a mesh bag, a flashlight to check for animals living in debris, gloves, and clippers to free fishing line.
So this September 15th, take the plunge with the Center for Marine Conservation and PADI for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup. For more information log onto www.cmc-ocean.org or call 1-800-CMC-BEACH.
Cabrillo Chocolate Lobster Dive - Sept. 22
Snorkelers and scuba divers, ages 12 and above, are invited to dive into the waters of Cabrillo Beach at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 22, 2001 to take part in Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s 4th Annual Chocolate Lobster Dive, an activity-filled fundraising event devoted to those ocean enthusiasts with a “sweet tooth.” This playful and unusual underwater event is limited to 500 participants who will be searching for hundreds of solid milk chocolate lobsters. Last year participants received prizes worth over $35,000, as they searched for the specially-tagged crustacean confections. Among the prizes offered this year is a seven-night dive trip aboard the M/N Star Dancer in Papua, New Guinea, and a four-day Royal Caribbean Mexican Riviera Cruise for two. Proceeds from the event benefit the Aquarium’s Spring Outdoor Classroom program, which educates 36,000 children about the marine environment. Save money by pre-registering before September 7, 2001 for $25, which includes beach parking and lunch; registering after September 7th until the day of the event: $28 + $6.50 parking. For further information and/or registration form, call 310/548-7562, x9039, check with local dive shops and dive clubs or link to the Chocolate Lobster website http://members.home.net/chocolatelobster.
Marine Species ID Class at Cabrillo Aquarium - Sept. 30
The Catalina Conservancy Divers is offering a marine species identification class for divers wanting to improve their marine life identification skills. Dr. Bob Given noted marine biologist and former director of the Catalina Marine Science Center will be giving a slide show lecture. This will be the first phase of three phases of a scientific research certification class offered in the spring and fall to members of the Catalina Conservancy Divers. Phase II is a slide show quiz on what Dr. Given covers in the lecture, and a talk and discussion on data collecting techniques. Phase III is two identification skills check out dives at the Casino Point Underwater Park at Catalina. Divers completing the three phases will be eligible to participate in the key species I.D. project where data is being collected and monitored at seven dive sites around Catalina Island by the Conservancy Divers.
Phase I (Dr. Bob Givens lecture) is open to the general public for those interested in improving their identification skills and increasing their marine species I.D. vocabulary. There will be a question and answer period following the lecture, and a tour of the aquarium, where the marine organisms that have been discussed can be viewed. Phase I attendance is free, but a $5 donation to the aquarium at the door is suggested. The lecture will be on Sunday (9/30/01) at 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. Participation in Phase II and III require membership in the Catalina Conservancy Divers. For those interested in membership information in the CCD call Erica at (310) 510-2595 Ext 114 or for class sign up call Ted at (714) 960-2304 or visit the web site at www.ccd.org. Those attending phase I lecture need not sign up.
Save the Date:
September 29: Opening day of lobster season.
October 7: Abalone Festival, Mendocino. Call 707-937-5397
