Chamber Day/Evening — May 5
Picture yourself finishing a “routine” dive on a charter boat. Shortly after you’re back on the boat, you notice a mild tingling in the fingers of your right hand. Then you become aware of a mild pain in your right shoulder. As you’re trying to figure all this out, you realize your arm is going numb. When you mention this to the divemaster, he tells you, “Sounds like you’re bent. I’m going to put you on oxygen and we’re getting you to the Chamber.”

In most areas of the United States, “getting you to the Chamber” can be complicated. In Southern California, that’s not the case, since we’re fortunate to have access to the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber at the Isthmus on Catalina, on stand-by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to treat possible diving accidents.

But in order for the Chamber to be there for you, you need to be there for the Chamber. And that’s where Chamber Day and Chamber Evening come into play.

Billed as the largest single-day scuba charity event in the U.S., Chamber Day/Eve will be held on Wednesday, May 5 this year. Through the daytime events (Chamber Day and the Chamber Day Raffle), the Chamber Challenge (monetary donations), and Chamber Evening (a sit-down dinner at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach), the event accounts for almost 50 percent of the annual operating budget for the Catalina Chamber.

The three main ways to participate are to either sign up for Chamber Day on one of the participating dive boats ($75—plus you get a T-shirt, 5 daytime raffle tickets, 2 dives at Catalina, and a walking tour of the Chamber) or to book a seat at Chamber Evening (also $75—plus you get 5 evening raffle tickets and a sumptuous dinner served underneath a life-sized model of a blue whale in the Great Hall at the Aquarium of the Pacific) or to simply make a donation ($100 is the suggested amount) through the Chamber Challenge.

One of the unique features of Chamber Day is the ability to “dive” the event even if you can’t take the day off from work. You can do that by signing up for the Flying Dutchman, a mythical boat for your mythical dive, but a great way to support this good cause ($75—you get 5 daytime raffle tickets plus a commemorative limited-edition “I dove the Dutchman” T-shirt).

Chamber Day/Eve represents one day of the year when the entire diving community comes together in the spirit of serving the greater good. A recompression chamber is certainly something we all hope we won’t need, but we’ll be very thankful it’s there should problems arise. Chamber Day/Eve is a way to let you dive for another year with peace of mind.

To sign up for any portion of the event you can call Reef Seekers Dive Co. (the coordinating store) at (310) 652-4990 or you can visit the Chamber Day/Eve web site at www.chamberday.org and use the secure server.

Chamber Day/Eve 2004 will be a success only through the active participation of the entire local diving community.

SCUBA Show— May 22-23
The largest dive expo open to the public in the western hemisphere will take place May 22-23 at the Long Beach Convention Center. For complete information visit www.saintbrendan.com.

Catalina Conservancy Divers Research Diver Training — begins June 6
CCD’s bi-annual training in subtidal species identification and monitoring is scheduled to begin on June 6 at 12:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. There will be a slide show/power point presentation and lecture by Dr. Roy Houston, professor at Loyola Marymount University and member of the CCD scientific advisory board, followed by a walk-through of the Aquarium. The presentation is free of charge, and the public is encouraged to attend. For those interested in obtaining their CCD Research Diver Certification, a species identification check out dive will take place at Casino Point, Avalon, on Sat. June 19, followed by a data collection/protocol & procedure check out dive on Sun. June 27. Cost for Catalina Conservancy membership, and books/materials for the Research Diver Certification is $150.00. Please see www.ccd.org under “Training” for more details, or e-mail diver training team leader Don Robarge at divebum22@webtv.net.

L.A. Co. Advanced Diver Program — begins July 10
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors Association, has announced dates for the 2004 Advanced Diver Program (ADP). Beginning July 10, local divers can take part in this wholly unique diving program that is designed specifically with California divers in mind. Participants will be exposed to the skills that will create a more confident and well-informed diver in a practical hands-on environment. With over 20 ocean dives planned and led by a staff of experienced instructors, the opportunity to have a great time and become better divers has never been easier. In addition, participants will meet with and learn from some of the most influential and respected people in diving today. Toss in a couple of barbecues, the best diving in Southern California, and the chance to make new diving buddies and you have the makings of something special. For more details and to sign-up, contact the LA County Underwater Unit at 310-965-828 or e-mail adpinfo@lascuba.com. For information visit http://www.lascuba.com online.