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12th Annual Catalina Chamber Day/Evening - May 2
Wednesday, May 3, has been selected as the date for Catalina Chamber Day/Evening 2001, the 13th annual fund raiser to benefit the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber.
Hyperbaric chambers are the only means of treating embolism and bends, life-threatening maladies that can affect divers. Although diving is very safe, it is important these facilities be available in the event of a diving emergency. Because of the high amount of diving done in Southern California, the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is quite active. Even though Los Angeles County funds a large portion of this chamber’s costs, a substantial amount of the budget must come from other sources.
Catalina Chamber Day was conceived as a way for recreational divers to have fun diving (and partying) while at the same time making a financial contribution to this important facility. With the day-time portion of the event, now in its 13th year, Southern California dive-charter boats graciously donate their time and services for the day, and divers pay to dive Catalina Island aboard one of the participating boats. Boats visiting Catalina will also take their passengers on a walking tour of the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber facilities.
Those divers (and their loved ones) unable to get away mid-week for the diving, along with those that dived Catalina that day, can also participate in the Chamber Evening, hosted by the magnificent Aquarium of the Pacific. Participants will have the opportunity to tour the aquarium, after hours, and have a sit-down dinner in the aquarium’s Great Hall. In addition to the aquatic entertainment, there will be door prizes, awards and musical entertainment.
All proceeds from the event go to support the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber.
To sign up for the event, call (310) 652-4990. Major credit cards are accepted. Requests to be on a specific boat can be made at sign-up.
Monterey Cleanup — May 5 (rescheduled)
The January Monterey Harbor Cleanup dive was postponed due to Monterey County Health Department posting that San Carlos Beach had high fecal coliform counts.
The last Underwater Harbor Cleanup netted over 5,000 pounds of items. 120 divers participated and received about $3,000 in prizes. The new date is Saturday, May 5. For more information, please contact: David Clayton, Diver Representative, MBNM Sanctuary Advisory Council, email drc@ccnet.com.
Tech Conference - May 12, 13
Technical Diving International (TDI) will hold a Tech Conference in San Diego on May 12 and 13. Guest speakers include Bret Gilliam, Joe Odom, Dick Long and other industry professionals. Seminar topics include advanced technical diving techniques, mixed gas, decompression procedures, and advanced wreck diving. Optional certification dives will be available May 14-16 on the wreck of the Yukon. Participants will have the opportunity to complete diver or instructor level ratings in advanced nitrox, decompression procedures, and advanced wreck diving. For more information, contact TDI headquarters at (888) 778-9073 or visit their website at www.tdisdi.com.
3Rs Beach Diving Workshops - May 12, May 19, 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 and Orange Co. sessions will take place: May 12, Leo Carrillo (Los Angeles Co.); June 9, Cabrillo Beach (San Pedro with afternoon Great American Fish Count presentation at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium); July 7, Reef Pt. (Orange Co..
In addition, a series of seven 3Rs courses will be staged in San Diego Co.. They are: May 19 at Hospital Pt., June 9 at La Jolla Caves (The Clam/Goldfish Pt.), June 23 at Shell Beach (Seal Rock), July 7 at North Bird Rock, August 4 at Marine Room.
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 and Orange Co. workshops are organized and conducted by the L.A. Co. Underwater Instructors Association in cooperation with the Greater Los Angeles Council of Divers (GLACD). For more info on the L.A. Co. workshops, visit the GLACD web site at www.glacd.org or call (310) 379-5681. You can also visit the GLACD exhibit booth at SCUBA Show 2001, June 2-3 at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Grand Grunion Gala - May 12
The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s annual fundraiser known as the Grand Grunion Gala is Saturday evening, May 12. The formal event includes silent and live auctions and a sumptuous sit down dinner. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (open free 7 days a week) is an educational, recreational, and research facility devoted to encouraging active public participation to promote knowledge and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. The aquarium is celebrating more than 60 years of marine education. It is located on the shore at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro between Point Fermin and the Port of Los Angeles. The large facility places heavy emphasis on the education of school children. The Gala event helps fund the aquarium’s programs.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be California Diving News Publisher/Editor Dale Sheckler. The 2001 John M. Olguin Marine Environmental Award will be presented to the Catalina Island Conservancy. For further information, call Michelle Sprokkereef, 310/548-7562, x9034 or visit www.grandgruniongala.org on the web.
International Dive-In Day - May 20
Scuba divers across the world will attempt to break the world record for the largest group dive for the 3rd Annual International Dive-In Day, May 20. Hosted by the HammerHeads, dives will take place in more than 100 locations simultaneously all over the world. All ages and skill levels will take the plunge simultaneously at 8 a.m. PST.Dive-In Day will also serve as the official kick-off for June as National Scuba Month.
For information on International Dive-In Day, or the HammerHeads, visit www.h-heads.com on the web.
SCUBA Show 2001 — June 2, 3
The largest dive expo in the western U.S. At the Long Beach Convention Center June 2-3. For more information see the article in this publication, or link to the SCUBA Show pages at www.saintbrendan.com.
CA Beach Dive Photo Competition - June 23-24
The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society will host its 20th annual California Beach Dive Photo Competition in Monterey on June 23 and 24. There will be over $15,000 in prizes, sponsored by Kodak Professional, Reef and Rainforest, Dive Asia Pacific, Backscatter Underwater Photo and Video, Oceanic Worldwide, Ikelite, Sea & Sea, Dive Discovery, Baja Expeditions, and many more.
Entry fees are $50 prior to June 15 and $65 on the day of the event. The entry fee includes: film, BBQ dinner party, evening slide show, and an official Beach Dive T-Shirt.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday when entrants will be given a 36-exposure roll of Kodak E100VS film. The exposed roll must be returned no later than 4:00 p.m. Only beach entry is allowed in and around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. There will be Novice, Amateur, and Open categories. Subjects will be Macro, Marine Life, Diver, and Wide-Angle. Entrants will select their best slides during the Saturday evening dinner party. Judging will take place Sunday morning and prizes for the best photos will be awarded at the awards ceremony beginning 11:00 a.m.
For more detailed information and to download the entry form, go to www.ncups.org and visit the Beach Dive Competition, or contact Clark Miller at 415-456-8468. Checks should be made payable to NCUPS and mailed to: NCUPS, P.O. Box 1168, Alameda, CA 94501.
Great American Fish Count - Prep Seminar June 9, Fish Count July 1-14
Volunteer divers are invited to participate in the Great American Fish Count (GAFC) the first two weeks of July. Participants receive training in local fish identification in an easy to learn survey method developed by fish ecologists. By recording their observations in a standardized method, divers and snorkelers assist resource managers in identifying trends in fish populations and distributions, as well as heightening public awareness about these issues.
Since 1992, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary have been the primary focus areas for the event.
The GAFC is a cooperative effort between NOAA, the Channel Islands National Park and a number of non-profit organizations including REEF (Reef Environmental Educational Foundation), Marine Conservation Network, and American Oceans Campaign.
Participants are encouraged to attend advanced training sessions in fish identification methodology. A number of seminars are being offered in communities around the country in June and July to prepare divers for the GAFC. On June 9th a training seminar will be held at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, San Pedro, CA, at 1 p.m. For information on this training seminar, call (310) 379-5681 or visit www.glacd.org on the web.
For complete information, on the fish count, call 800-8ocean0 or visit the web site www.fishcount.org.
Monterey Bay Marine Biology Course - July
The Institute of Diving Technology has designed a course to teach you about the aquatic environment of Monterey Bay. Included will be an introduction to the geological make-up and oceanography of the bay, identifying the major aquatic life groupings, dispelling myths about potentially dangerous aquatic life, different marine environments in the bay and proper techniques to conduct underwater research.
The course consist of 10 classroom sessions and 12 dives held in Monterey. Participants will also be able to obtain at least five specialties for either the diver or the instructor. The course will be held during the month of July. For more information contact Gene at the Institute of Diving Technology at 925-551-8478.
LA County Advanced Diver Program (ADP) - Starts July 7
The need to provide a continuing education and training program for the recreational scuba diver in the Southern California area, the Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors Association, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, established the Advanced Diver Program in 1964.
The program objective is to improve diving skills and expand diving knowledge, with an emphasis on the Southern California diving environment.
Combining lectures from experts in their field with pool and ocean labs, the candidates are provided with a learning environment to increase the students’ safety and enjoyment in our local ocean surroundings.
The ADP program is conducted annually with participants receiving over 100 hours of training including a minimum of 14 open water dives.
This year’s ADP programs starts July 7 and culminates with a graduation banquet in September. For more information, call L.A. County Underwater Instructor Association Vice President Pat Burke at (818) 525-0225. More information is available on the UIA website at www.LASCUBA.com. You can also visit the LA County Underwater Instructor Association exhibit booth #541 at SCUBA Show 2001, June 2-3 at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Gold Star Dive — July 14
The Fourth Annual Gold Star Dive on Catalina Island at the Casino Point Underwater Park will be held on July 14. This event is sponsored by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Athletic Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, several dive shops, and companies associated with diving. This event will be a fund-raiser for the Avalon Sheriff’s Station’s S.T.A.R. (Success Through Awareness & Resistance) program and the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber.
The Gold Stars are hidden underwater and made of solid chocolate. Participants who find a Gold Star will return the number to check-in table for a prize. Those numbers not found will be raffled off, along with non-diver prizes.
Participants and donors will pay a fee of $25 until June 14, 2001, $35 thereafter. The first 150 persons will each receive a free commemorative T-shirt the day of the event at Wrigley Plaza in downtown Avalon. T-shirts, hot dogs, and sodas will be available for sale. For further information, call (310) 510-0174, or e-mail klclevel@lasd.org.
