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The Snorkel Keeperthe official newsletter of the
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President: Tim Swanberg |
Treasurer: Dan Lovik |
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Vice President: Ron Nelson |
Editor: David Merbach |
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Junior Officer: Monica Merbach |
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Volume: 20 Issue: 2 |
March 2010 |
Next meeting:
Tuesday March 16th
Clarion Inn (formerly Holiday Inn South)
Come hear Cheryl Moertel and two
of her students, Charlie and Alexa, talk about the
student trips that she conducts each year. If you've ever thought of taking a
trip to
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Presidents Corner by Tim Swanberg |
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So what would drive a person to want to put them self through divemaster class? I mean, I've been through several other scuba classes and they really were no big deal. Even the rescue diver class, it was definitely challenging, but it wasn't really all that difficult. Then I signed up for the divemaster program. This is like going back to school again. Class 2 nights a week, homework, and studying. Physics and physiology. I didn't even study when I was actually in school! Then there's the pool sessions. I gotta swim how far? 800 yards? Come on now! I'm 44 years old. I don't think I could do that when I was 24. Kinda makes a guy wonder what he's getting into, and I've only just started doing the internships! Ok, in all seriousness, the divemaster
program is great. Yeah, it's challenging, but any goal worth earning should
be. The classroom work and studying isn't easy, but it's not all that
difficult either. And the physical part is strenuous, but hey, I did it and
look at me, not exactly the athletic type. I've only had a chance to do a
couple pool internships so far, but they were a lot of fun and very
rewarding. I guess I shouldn't complain too much; my instructors for the
course, besides being among the best at what they do are also my friends, as
are my fellow students. And that is really what diving is all about; doing
something we love with people we like to do it with. When you get right down
to it, that's what the |
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Just Wacky |
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Casabianca The boy stood on the burning deck Yet beautiful and bright he stood, The flames roll'd on...he would
not go |
He call'd aloud..."Say,
father, say "Speak, father!" once again he cried Upon his brow he felt their breath, |
And shouted but one more aloud, They wrapt the ship in splendour wild, There came a burst of thunder sound... With mast, and helm, and pennon fair, - Mrs. Felcia Dorothea Hemans |
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The boy stood on the burning deck His feet were full of blisters. The flames rose up and burned his pants And now he wears his sisters. - The Skipper |
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Dive into the Past by David Merbach |
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http://www.glsps.org/index.html The show seemed scaled back this year, although it is hard to compete with the big name speakers they had last year. As a result, John and I spent most of our time in the vendor area. It was a lot of fun seeing friends from past dives. Keith from Wazee Sports was
showing the new Halcyon cinch system. If you have a backplate
system, you know how difficult it can be to get into and out of the harness,
especially in a boat. This addresses a common complaint with adjusting the
harness when donning and doffing the system. A simple pull on the belt straps
tighten the harness and a pull on the shoulder straps loosen them. I was a
bit skeptical at first, concerned that it would not fit snuggly during a
dive, but Keith has used the system and says that it stayed in place during
his dives. He also said that it is now a breeze to demo the remove/replace
skills during training. Contact Melissa at
The handgrip is an ambidextrous glove. It looks like it would be a difficult fit over a dry glove but the representative said that it is a tight fit but works. My reservation is with the usage of the glove instead of a Goodman Handle. I find that I move my light back and forth between hands and often clip it off when I’m doing different activities. This can be done with one hand with a Goodman Handle, but appeared to be a two hand operation with the glove. Keep an eye on the Club Forum, I’m sure there will be more discussions about these new lights. |
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Featured
Fish – Barracuda |
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They have been known to mistake shiny objects for food, such as rings or other jewelry. Barracudas are popular as both food and game fish, commonly eaten as fillets or steaks. |
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Featured Recipe - Barracuda |
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1 part Southern Comfort 1 part Vodka 1 part Triple Sec Pour the liquor into the shot in equal parts. |
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A Sinking Feeling – by The Gossip Girls |
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I had a chance to speak with one of these outcasts, who agreed to speak with me strictly off the record. To protect his identify, I will refer to him as ‘Stooge’. Stooge is a member of the group of Scoober Doers that I discussed in my last article (Tube Tossing). According to Stooge, these Scoober Doers are no longer content to haul tubes around. Now they are starting to sink perfectly good items; such as boats, statues, gazing balls, signs, basically anything they can get their hands onto. These items are unceremoniously cast into the water while other Scoober Doers are waiting to put them into obscure positions on the bottom. The care and methodical manner by which these items are positioned is quite impressive. Stooge outlined that great care must be taken with larger items. Sometimes the planning alone can take months if not years to complete. Very heavy or large items are generally sunk in the winter, when the water is frozen. This allows the Scoober Doers to move the objects around on the ice with ease and then they cut a hole into which the item to be sunk is dropped. Smaller items are easier to manipulate and can be carried to their final resting places under an arm or in a Scoober Bag. I was not able to ascertain exactly what will be sunk. Stooge was very cryptic about the details. He did say something about it being big and also alluded to potentially many items being deposited around the watering hole. If you care to find out more about these activities or perhaps even participate in these arcane events, attend the next Scoober Club meeting to hear more.
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Ponderings
of a 
The
last weekend of February several of us headed up North to the 2010 GLSPS Dive
Into the Past show in Mounds View. Dan, Steve, Roger, 
Another
very interesting new product is the Hydro Light from Titan Dive Gear. There
have been some posting in the dive forum recently about LED lights and we
were able to see one first hand at the show. The Hydro Light was very
impressive – it can switch between 10 and 25 watts. The units are available
in self contained (cleverly called SCULA for Self Contained Underwater Light
Apparatus – these people obviously need to get out more) or with an external
battery (cleverly called the X System). 
A
common ruffian of the reef is the Barracuda, a large fearsome fish often seen
in the 
The
Gossip Girls have just learned that a gang of ruffians may be planning to
sink something in a nearby watering hole. This group of miscreants attempted
to sink a boat last summer, but was thwarted by the good and proper
authorities policing the waterways. Club Information
Meetings are on the third Tuesday evening of each month at Clarion Inn, 1630
South Broadway,
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! Contact the editor if you'd like to contribute.
Get your annual