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Rogest Painting Offered at Charity Auction to Benefit Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Artist Rogest (Ron Steven) and the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society (LAUPS) are proud to present an original Rogest painting for auction again this year. All the proceeds from the auction this year will be donated to the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Santa Barbara, California to support their “oceans to classroom” projects and other education projects.

Bidding is now open on web site www.laups.org. The auction will close at 2 p.m. (PST) Sunday, June 22, the last day of SCUBA Show 2003. The SCUBA Show is held at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, June 21 and 22. During the show, the painting will be on display at the LAUPS booth. The winner will be announced at the show and on the web site. This original Rogest painting will be a 18" x 24", acrylic on canvas. The painting depicts the “Best of Show” image from the 40th Annual LAUPS International Photographic Competition. The photo contest is one of the oldest and largest of its kind, focusing on underwater and marine images.

The Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to support the management, research and educational goals of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary encompasses the waters that surround the five islands, Anacapa, Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Santa Barbara Islands. The Foundation and the Sanctuary work together to ensure this unique area is preserved for this and future generations. More information about the organization can be found at www.cisanctuary.org.

Artist Ron Steven, better known as Rogest, is a leading painter of aquatic related images. He has been influenced by the Australian Aboriginal style of dot painting and utilizes seawater and sand from the dive sites for texture. His paintings are done on stretched canvas with acrylic paints. More information on the artist can be found at www.rogest.com.

Peace Adds Easy Monday Diving to Mid-week Trips
The popular Ventura-based dive boat Peace is now offering Monday three-tank trips to Anacapa Island. They will be running the new Monday trips along with their popular Wednesday four-tank outer island/advanced trips and Thursday three-tank trips to Anacapa Island.

Monday and Thursday trips are excellent for all levels of divers. They are a great trip for instructors to conduct classes and for certified divers to gain experience within the beautiful Northern Channel Islands underwater reserves. Activities on these trips include sightseeing, snorkeling, and photography, with all of the dives taking place in 60 feet or less.

The Wednesday outer island/advanced trips are geared for the more experienced diver with four dives offered at San Miguel, Santa Rosa, or Santa Cruz Islands or the oil rig Grace. The day usually begins with an initial deep dive followed by 3 dives at 60 feet or shallower. These trips offer new and exciting marine life that can only be found at the outer islands, like lush invertebrates, schools of large rockfish, giant lingcod and the largest Southern Californian sanctuary of elephant seals, California sea lions and Stellar sea lions. These trips offer exciting opportunities for hunting and amazing sea life encounters.

All trips aboard the Peace include food, non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and airfills. On board Nitrox fills are available on all trips for a nominal extra fee. If you are visiting or do not own all of your own gear rental equipment is available that will be delivered to the boat waiting for your arrival. Group discounts and instructor rates are available.

The Peace serves all of the Channel Islands with both single and multi-day charters. The boat is 65 feet long and 22 feet wide and can accommodate up to 32 divers with amenities such as two compressors filling up to 3500 psi, full galley, hot showers, bunk room, inflatable chase boat, TV/VCR, hot tub and a highly qualified and experienced crew. To contact the Peace, call 866-984-2025 or visit their web site at www.peaceboat.com.

Peter Hughes Wind Dancer Luxury Live-aboard to Serve Tobago
Peter Hughes Diving announced that the M/V Wind Dancer will begin operations in Tobago beginning in early October, 2003. According to Peter, “This has got to be the most exciting move I’ve ever made and that’s saying a lot considering all of the destinations we operate in and have operated in over the years.”

There’s a really good reason that Peter feels this way. It all started for him in Tobago back in 1957 with his first scuba dive off the beach of the beautiful Batteux Bay where he fell in love with the ocean. He knew then it was going to be his way of life.

Peter truly believes Tobago offers the Caribbean’s most prolific and healthy reefs as well as mountainous volcanic underwater formations offering a kaleidoscope of color. From comfortable drop-offs teeming with life to ripping two-knot drift dives with huge marine life encounters, Tobago satisfies all levels of divers.

Divers should not expect 150-foot visibility in Tobago. These nutrient-rich waters generally offer visibility of between 60 and 80 feet, excellent being sometimes 100 feet plus, but sometimes dropping to as little as 40 to 50 feet. What divers will find is some of the Caribbean’s healthiest reefs, huge sponges, the largest brain coral ever recorded in the Caribbean and an incredible variety of marine life—both big and small.

The 120-foot Wind Dancer will carry 18 divers around the island of Tobago in the style that is consistent with Peter Hughes live-aboards. All en-suite and air-conditioned staterooms, a spacious salon, warm showers on the dive deck, morning beverage service plus other five-star hotel touches. All diving will be conducted from two 25-foot tenders, complete with tops and boarding ladders.

Low introductory rates will be offered for this year’s charters. For information or reservations, call 800-9DANCER or 305/339-9391 or e-mail dancer@peterhughes.com. You can also visit exhibit booth #155 at SCUBA Show 2003, June 21-22 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA.

Research Divers Get New Dive Gear
Research divers at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach recently received a donation of eight new Zeagle buoyancy compensators from Reef Seekers Dive Co. of Beverly Hills, California in conjunction with Zeagle Systems, Inc. of Florida. The BCs will be used by the full-time research divers/aquarists in their daily work at the Aquarium.

The aquarists and research divers at the Aquarium of the Pacific dive regularly in support of the more than 12,000 marine animals on display at this premiere facility in Southern California. Not only do they collect marine specimens to exhibit, but they also work in support of the Aquarium of the Pacific Marine Conservation Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to collaborative research with other marine research organizations. Groups with whom the Institute partners with on a regular basis include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the Catalina Conservancy Divers, and the City of Long Beach.

“Between the full-time diving staff and the volunteers at the Aquarium, over 12,000 dives are made each year,” says Diving Safety Officer Pete Pehl. “Our aquarists and research divers are in the water daily.”

Ken Kurtis, one of the co-owners of Reef Seekers Dive Co. is an example of an avid aquarium volunteer who puts in more than his share of time, working to bring the message of the oceans and the Aquarium to the public. “It’s a way for us to give something back to the oceans,” observes Kurtis, who with his partner, Billy Wright, have devoted numerous hours to public service in support of diving in Southern California.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach and is open everyday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the Aquarium of the Pacific, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or call 562/437-FISH.

Chamber Day/Evening Sets Records
The Catalina Chamber Day and Evening was a resounding success and a true financial boost for the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. The final tally raised was a whopping $77,125 — new record for the event.

Additional records were set this year:
• Most divers ever to sign up: 411 (including 66 on the phantom boat “Flying Dutchman”)
• Most daytime raffle dollars: $5,485
• Most raffle prizes—daytime, evening, and on-board: over $30,000
• Most people to attend Chamber Evening: 356
• Most evening raffle dollars: $7,170
• Counting all diver, diners, and volunteers: Over 1000 people involved with this event, making it the largest single-day scuba charity event in the US.

Success of the event is attributed to the generous spirit of hundreds of individuals and businesses. The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, a true safety net for Southern California divers, would not be able to operate fully if not for outside private fund raisers, the largest of which is Chamber Day/Evening.

Chamber Day/Evening 2004 will be Wednesday, May 5.