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This issue is best viewed on the web with Internet Explorer:
http://RochesterScuba.org/newsletters/200708 |
Tuesday August 21st 2007
Topic: Commercial Diving, by Amanda White
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| RochesterScuba.org |
Notes from the June meeting
Frank Evans and Carl Nilsen traveled to the Bahamas for a live-aboard dive trip with Juliet Sailing and Diving. Frank showed pictures and described their trip.
John Westgard gave an overview of dive computers, and Alex Carlson described the alternative of planning a dive without a computer.
Notes from the July meeting
Mike W reported seeing a school of walleye (!) in Lake Wazee, on the south side just west of the beach area. They were hanging out in the branches of submerged trees at a depth of about 10 feet.
The recreational trips to Isle Royale have been cancelled due to low water in Lake Superior -- Jay Hanson's charter boat isn't able to get into the Grand Portage marina.
Class reports:
- O2 Provider
- Three club members were certified as oxygen providers for diving first aid.
- DIR Fundamentals
- Chris M gave us a nice summary of their experiences with the GUE DIR Fundamentals class. Other students were Mark Murch, Terry Ostby, and Bob Silbaugh. Instructor Dan Mackay described the class as "not boot camp, but close". Students worked in the pool on Thursday and then went to Lake Wazee for 2 dives per day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (14-hour days!). Chris said the class helped them improve several fundamental skills that are pre-requisites for further dive training, including the ever-popular "back kick" and gas management techniques.
- Scooter Workshop
- GUE instructor Dan Mackay stayed around to teach a scooter workshop for several of us: John Martin, John Preston, Alex Carlson, Roger Southwick, and Keith Cormican (from Wazee Sports). At the club meeting, John Martin gave a description of the workshop, which included gas management and emergency procedures.
During dinner we played a DVD of the very first "Sea Hunt" episode with the sound turned off. We improvised our own dialogue that was even better than the original.
Several club members traveled to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a weekend of adventure and cold July diving (39F!).
Roger Southwick presented a brief introduction to underwater photography, showed some old & new equipment, and discussed the technical aspects of several photos.
If you're wondering where the discussion forums went, they've moved to RUEG.org.
Treasury Report for July 2007
| Year-to-date Expenses | $1506.47 |
| Year-to-date Income | $1794.60 |
| Current Balance | $2420.55 |
August Meeting Agenda
- Judging of entries in the "Pirates Up the Wazee" photo contests
- "Commercial diving expereiences" by Amanda White
Call for Photos
If you have some photos of diving-related activities from this year, please consider including them in the slideshow at the year-end winter holiday party. Contact Roger Southwick by email (rsouthwick AT charter DOT net) for details.
| Fun Videos! |
Around the Lake in 90 Minutesby Roger SouthwickJohn Martin and I went to Lake Wazee for some trimix practice and afterward did something really fun: circumnavigated the entire lake! We stayed at a depth of about 25 feet, which took us through the thermocline several times (its depth varies a couple feet), and made it around in 1.5 hours. It's quite challenging to guess where you are, trying to anticipate the next landmark. I should mention that we used Gavin scooters, since swimming around the lake would take an absurd amount of time. (Thanks for the use of your scooter, John P!) Our SAC rate turned out to be around 0.48cf/minute. We could have done it again without changing tanks, but the scooter batteries wouldn't have made it. We tried to find the school of walleye that Mike W had reported, but we found only a solitary sleeping walleye in mid-water. Oh -- before the dive, while we relaxed on the surface, we heard some loons calling very persistently. Then we saw the reason: a large bald eagle was near the beach area, and it flew at about 10 feet directly over our heads. Very cool. |
| Confessions of a Drysuit Diver | "I haven't washed my underwear in 3 years!" |
Preparing for Isle Royaleby Roger Southwick
It usually takes quite a while for the booster pump to do its thing, so in the meantime John M and Alex worked on a scooter. They hooked up some kind of vibra-tometer sensor thingie to the motor. Then they frowned, turned screws, adjusted knobs, reconfigured prop blades, and gave up. It sure looked like fun. I spent the time taking photos while Todd provided assistance as a VALS (voice-activated light stand). | ||||
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In The News
- 19th century harpoon found in whale
- Rare giant squid washed up in Australia
- Octopus unearths 900-year-old hidden treasure
- Voracious Jumbo Squid Invade California
- Lightning hits diver's air tank
- Mighty Lake Superior Mystifies Scientists
- Divers work in a dark, dangerous world
Of Interest
Lake Superior Dive Site Locator
Upcoming Events
- Aug 11 - 12 (Sat - Sun)
- Crosby Mines - sign up at MDC Sports
- Aug 25 - 26 (Sat - Sun)
- North Shore trip - contact MDC Sports for details
See the calendar for other activities.
Club InformationMeetings are on the third Tuesday evening of each month at Holiday Inn South, 1630 South Broadway, Rochester MN. Annual dues are due each January. Annual memberships are $25 for individuals or $50 for a family. Follow the directions on this form to renew. Have you been on any dive trips lately? We'd love to publish your stories and photos! (Seriously.) Contact the editor if you'd like to contribute: Roger Southwick rsouthwick AT charter.net Get your $75 annual Lake Wazee pass for $50 - fill out this form. More info is available:
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