For the donation of an unwrapped toy, more than 80 attendees, age 10 or older, participated in the Scuba Santa Discover SCUBA Experience, including instruction, donning gear, submersion in the pool, and a photo with Santa underwater. Also contributing to the record toy donations was the newest attraction, the Aquarium on Wheels provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.

Joining the SCDCIE were Sport Chalet, the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Dive Rescue Team and new sponsors, California Diving News, PADI, and Project AWARE, as well as the Aquarium of the Pacific. Also on site was the KLOS Cool Patrol. Other sponsors supporting the event included Round Table Pizza, KFRG Radio and the local COCO’s Restaurant.

The entire event was planned and conducted by thirty-eight SCDCIE member volunteers from the non-profit scuba diving organization.

The strategy clearly worked with the result being more that three times the toy donations. “This event is truly about the kids and providing those less fortunate with a little bit of Christmas joy,” adds Mr. Thompson. “We are very proud to know that our efforts will deliver more than three times the smiles and three times the cheer than we have in the past.”

At the conclusion of the highly successful event the SCDCIE presented a “Thank You” card signed by more than one hundred event attendees to members of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District. The card was presented to and in honor of, all the firefighters who worked so hard battling the recent wildfires in California.

The Southern California Dive Club of the Inland Empire, Inc. is one of the largest independent dive clubs in California. With more than 200 active members, the club spans the entire Inland Empire including Riverside, San Bernardino and portions of Orange and LA Counties. For more than 10 years the club has furthered its mission to promote and enhance the recreational sport of scuba diving for its members, aid the environment in which such activity takes place, raise awareness of the opportunities to participate in such activities, and provide social interaction and fellowship among those with similar interests in such activities.

For more information on the SCDCIE, contact the Membership Director at 909-280-0999, e-mail at scdcie@comcast.net or visit the club’s web site at www.SCDCIE.com.

Divers Alert Network Unveils Spanish Web Site
As part of its continuing efforts to serve all its members, Divers Alert Network (DAN) announces the launching of its new Spanish-language website.

DAN’s international members will appreciate the new site, which is located at http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/s.

It is similar in format and content to the English-language version, only in Spanish. The big difference is that since it is geared toward Latin America, there is a full listing of medical coordinators for emergencies and their contact information in areas stretching from Mexico and the Caribbean to Chile and Argentina in South America.

As with the DAN website in English, non-DAN members may access the site for free, except for a few areas restricted as benefits for members only.

For information on the Spanish DAN web site email LatinAmerica@ DiversAlertNetwork.org or call Elizabeth Carrasquillo at +1-919-684-2948 ext. 616.
- From Divenewswire.com

CA Sport Fishing License Fees Increase January 1
Fishing and hunting license fees, which are used to pay for managing fish and wildlife populations and their unique habitats, are scheduled to increase January 1, 2004, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced.

The sweeping fee increase will affect all those who hunt or fish in California. Fishing license fee changes that take effect Jan. 1, 2004 include the following:
- Eliminating the annual “Pacific Ocean Only” sport fishing license, which was $17.25.
- The annual Resident Sport Fishing License, which is valid in inland and ocean waters, increased from $29.25 to $31.25.
- The annual Nonresident Sport Fishing License increased from $78.50 to $84.
- The one-day “Pacific Ocean Only” sport fishing license was eliminated.
- Anglers can now purchase a One-Day Sport Fishing License for $10 that is valid in both inland and ocean waters. (Anglers do not have to buy an ocean enhancement stamp with the purchase of this license).
- The 10-Day Nonresident Sport Fishing License fee increased from $29.25 to $31.25.
- A Two-Day Sport Fishing License will also be available again and increased from $10.50 to $15.75. It is valid in all waters. The two-day license, like the one-day license, is exempt from ocean enhancement stamp requirements.
Some of the stamp and report card changes include the following:
- The Ocean Enhancement Stamp fee increased to $3.50 for saltwater anglers south of Point Arguello.
- The Abalone Report Card increased from $12 to $15. Divers are required to have a Sport Fishing License and an abalone report card. Revenue generated from this report card is used for abalone restoration projects throughout the state.

Business licensees will also face fee increases in 2004, including fees for commercial fishing licenses, commercial fish businesses, guides and aquaculturists.

Fees for lifetime hunting and fishing licenses will also increase Jan. 1, 2004. The Lifetime License fee is based on the age of the person at the time of the purchase.

Abandoned Gill Net Removed by SDOF and Mexican Authorities
The San Diego Oceans Foundation (SDOF), designed to promote ocean stewardship by leading community-supported projects that enhance ocean habitat and encourage sustainable use of ocean resources, has combined efforts with Mexican marine authorities to remove an abandoned gill net near the Coronado Islands, according to Fred West, President of SDOF.

Gill netting is a commercial fishing practice that indiscriminately catches nearly everything in its path. Hundreds of nets are set each night both in Mexico and three miles off the California coast and deplete not only fish populations, but also those of seals, sea lions, sharks, turtles, and crustaceans.

In November SDOF members Marty Snyderman, Mark Thurlow, and Howard Hall discovered the net near the Lobster Shack. They revisited the following day and were concerned the net had been abandoned since it had not been monitored. As professional photographers and marine conservationists, each documented the net’s devastating effects. Five sea lions, one cormorant and one shark reportedly fell victim.

Because of the large percentage of “incidental kill,” or animals that are caught and then thrown back into the ocean dead because they are “undesirable,” the practice of gill netting in near shore waters was banned in 1990 in the State of California. Most divers, line fishers and spear fishers agree that since the law’s passage, the stocks of halibut, white seabass and several other kinds of fish have rebounded. However, because gill netting is still an active fishery in both Mexico and three miles off the California coast, hundreds of marine mammals and other marine species still perish every night.

For more information on the SDOF, visit their web site at www.sdoceans.org.

NAUI Announces New Distributor in Mexico
The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI Worldwide), NSG, Inc. has announced that it has finalized an agreement establishing a new distributor in Mexico with long-time NAUI Instructor, Alejandro Diaz, as part of its ongoing effort to bring support and services to members residing and teaching in Mexico. The agreement enables Diaz to distribute NAUI products in both Spanish and English through NAUI Distributor, Mexico.

The distribution office will be located in Mexico City and will make available translated education and training products in both Spanish and English to NAUI instructors teaching NAUI diver training courses in the region. NAUI members will be able to order products directly through the distributor. Distributors do not process student registrations, so members who wish to order certification cards should continue to order these directly through NAUI Headquarters in the United States.

NAUI Worldwide is the oldest, second-largest and one of the most respected dive training and certifying organization in the world, and offers a full range of training programs from Skin Diver through Instructor Course Director, with dozens of specialties including Nitrox and Technical diving.

Thousands of NAUI member instructors, dive businesses, resorts, and service centers are located in countries throughout the world. For further information on NAUI affiliated stores, resorts, and certified diving instruction, contact NAUI at (813) 628-6284 or www.naui.org.