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Home , Global Explorer ROV, Police diving, Rescue Diver, Silt out, Underwater videography, USS Oriskany (CV-34)

www.aquatutus.org Since 1955; now in our 65th year of & fun March 2020

Since 1958... a publicaon from the Aqua Tutus Diving Club, a non-profit organizaon We understand that many are concerned about the COVID-19 pandem- established to promote and to ic and we hope that all club members and family are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. In support of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order further the sport of . for Californians to remain at home and only essential activities to continue, We Welcome everyone !  the Aqua Tutus Board is postponing all club activities until further notice. The Board will continue to monitor the situation and will provide a follow-up notifi- MEETING SCHEDULE cation once it is safe to resume club activities. General Club Meeting: First Thursday of Every Month at 7:30 p.m. Social at 7:00. In the meantime, while we can’t meet in person, we can “meet” on the club (except December, no meeting). Facebook page. This is a difficult time for all, so let’s share positive stories, Board of Directors Meeting: Third Thurs- photos, or videos of past dives, future dive plans, or other ocean adventures. day of Every Month at 7:00 pm. 6:30 din- ner’ (except December, no meeting) We appreciate your understanding. Location: Ricky’s Sports Theatre & Grill * 15028 Hesperian Blvd. Aqua Tutus Board San Leandro, CA 94578 * near Bayfair BART station Mail: PO Box 21022, Castro Valley, CA 94546 Due to restrictions regarding the coronavirus

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS We will NOT hold the general *events subject to COVID19 constraints membership meeting on April 2 April 26: Free dive practice with Dennis ** ** May 8-18 : Dennis & others to Indonesia. May 30 & 31 : SCUBA show, LA June 13 : Entries & Exits practice, Dennis PROGRAM for April 2 General Meeting July 18 : Club dive, Jade Cove. August : Club dive at Lake Tahoe Oran Arms ... Underwater Remotely Controlled August 14-15 : Club weekend, Salt Point Vehicles

For a complete listing of club activities visit Meetup or ATDC Event Calendar . See more event details on page 12

IN THIS ISSUE Entertainment Report ...... 2-3 General & BOD Meeting Minutes …. 4-6 Arnie’s Tech Tidbits, Episode 10 …. 8-10 Larry’s Scubaboard review ………….. 11 Reports, Training, Events, Travel ..12–16 Club contacts & useful links ..…...... …17

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Learn how robotics and automation are shaping the future of underwater exploration. April's guest Thank you presenters and newsletter con- speaker works for Sofar Ocean tributors for making this Aqua Tooter possi- (www.sofarocean.com), a technology company in ble this month: Alan Throop, Gayle Hudson, with the mission of connecting humanity to the ocean. He will be Linda Phillips, Arnie Warshawsky, Kari Klaboe, Brent Durand, Oran Arms, Kat discussing innovations in ocean exploration and environmental monitoring. Smith, Dave Chervin, Larry Dimitri. Oran is a Bay Area native with a background in sustainability and renewable energy systems. Understanding the importance of a healthy ocean on our species' Thanks to Steele’s Discount Scuba for existence, he is passionate about promoting Sofar's Trident ROV and Spotter sending member candidates to Aqua Tutus smart buoy, both of which provide data and information the public needs to make Diving Club. Steele’s is located at: safer decisions with regards to ocean conditions. By making the tools to explore 5987 Telegraph Avenue and monitor the ocean more accessible, Sofar hopes that more people will be in- Oakland, CA 94609 spired to be good stewards of the Earth's most important, yet relatively unknown (510) 655-4344 See Ad On Training Page resource.

1 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

area, where a diver PROGRAM REPORT needs to climb down a By Alan Throop & Brent Durand small cliff to get to a (photos by Brrent Durand, except as noted) secluded cove. Brent showed a image (selfie) Underwater photographer Brent Durand shared a collection of himself with his dive of California images during our gear rappelling down a last meeting. The journey began cliff, with the ocean in in and took us the background. This through the upper edges of immediately tells the Mendocino County, intertwining viewer a lot about what photos and videos with tales of is special about this unique dive adventures and dive site. [NOTE: photographers might want to remember this insights into the way Brent ap- when we dive at Jade Cove in a proaches photography. He dis- few months!] cussed a number of tips, an- He also showed photos where he swered questions and offered used a snoot on his flash: by - advice for photographers of all Photo: Linda Phillips ing the subject mainly and not the levels. This ranged from direction of light all the way to encour- water in front of it, the backscatter aging positive interactions with seals and sea lions. The major can be minimized. In this area a lot takeaway for our group is that it’s not about how much you can of his diving was from a kayak, spend on a camera system… it’s about how you approach used to reach some of the sites photography to create exceptional images with any camera. that were not practical to do with a Here, we’ll try to capture just some of what he presented. surface swim. One photo he Brent moved from the LA area to the Bay Area about 2 years showed was interesting in this re- ago. He is now the representative for Atlantis Dive Resorts gard: their camera systems were (https://atlantishotel.com/ ), which includes resorts in hung on a rope from the kayaks Dumaguete and in the that our club during a surface interval; and when has enjoyed several times, plus a boat the Azores. they re-entered the water, a He is an avid local diver … for wherever is local for him … and rockfish had taken up hiding he enjoys sharing his passion for the ocean and photography. in the arms of the strobe and To really appreciate these passions and the skill and teaching camera … a fun image to that he brings to it, check out his website at https:// viewers to see. brentdurand.com/ for some of his spectacular images and ex- He showed images from the cellent video tutorials. famous “squid spawns” in the In his program he took us “behind the lens” to offer some of south, where the market his thoughts and tips on how he creates his beautiful images squids come from the depths and great video clips, while showcasing the wonderful diving to mate and lay eggs, typical- we have on the west ly in the winter. Timing and coast. Here, we’ll focus on perseverance are important some of the tips he of- to work around their sched- fered. ule, usually shooting at night. Brent began by showing The lighting is tricky to cap- images from the San Die- ture their shiny bodies. For go area where he talked some creativity from the about the use of light rays standard shots, Brent even to add beauty and drama tried experimenting with col- to an image and to lead ored gels over the strobes. the eye in the image. He created these by staying close to the He showed how this spawning attracts other predators - crabs, surface. From here, he also had an unusual and well-done bat rays, even nudibranchs – that come for the feast. image of a turtle with a In discussing some heavy, shaggy coat of al- beautiful shots of Spanish gae … most unusual. He Shawls, Brent showed shared several interactive them mating and laying shots with sea lions and colorful eggs – behaviors talked about how to main- that help make photos of tain their interest in the common subjects unique. divers by bringing toys and He discussed composing keeping them excited to the images so that the nu- play. In Casino Point at dibranch rhinophores were Catalina he showed a nice on the same focal plane as the eggs in order to keep all the over-under images of kelp and the Casino. In his programs a essential details in focus. shot like this is used to “set the scene” to establish where the He showed some beautiful images of the unusual Melibe nu- viewer is, with the kelp representing what is special about the dibranchs, which have large translucent hoods that they use to diving there. capture their small prey in the water. Getting the correct light- Another example of this was an interesting shot from the LA (Continued on next page)

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ing and composition to Check Training is starting !! make a technically good and interesting image is challenging. From the Monterey

area – his recentPhoto “local 5b diving” spot since he moved to the Bay Area – he showed how the often - water can be

used to an advantage by choosing the correct color sub- jects; the of anemones or At our general meeting, Dave Chervin announced the 2020 bat stars on rocks or the or- training schedule is out. Reef Check uses transect ange of a jellyfish is a pleasing diving and certified volunteers to provide scientific-grade data to match for the green water. the researchers and government agencies to help manage the marine ecosystems. It is rigorous training and divers must have Around here, he often tends a certain level of confidence. to focus on the large variety of small-but-colorful subjects, like Entry requirements are 30 lifetime dives, 15 cold-water dives, nudibranchs; but the fish schools, sea lions, jellyfish, and har- six dives in the last year, and the minimum age is 16 bor seals also offer great subjects. He showed schools of fish years. Divers must be comfortable in and around kelp forests, in the kelp and offered the tips to keep the sunlight to one side be able to perform a task-oriented activity, be neutrally buoyant, to uniformly light the fish and skilled in diving. faces and to have patience Training involves academic and pool classes, taught by experi- and take many shots to get enced marine biologist, and six Open Water dives. You’ll re- all the fish facing the same ceive an UW slate for collecting data, species flash cards, and direction. He also showed more! Divers learn how to identify about 100 species. Annual another example of “story” recertification is required. Training schedule is below: shots of urchins eating kelp and of their impact on the kelp forests. He showed and spoke about images with divers, which adds a lot of interest Photo 7b to the shot. It’s important Last year in addition to the ongoing monitoring of over 100 to have pre-arranged sig- sites in California, Reef Check conducted an experiment where nals for the models and for volunteers smashed purple urchins off Lovers point. The experi- them to look OVER the ment proved that urchin culling reduces the population and camera to properly light leads the return of kelp. This year, the experiment at Lover's and capture their eyes in point will continue and Reef Check is looking to expand this the image. The model can study to a site in Sonoma County. often use their to Log on to www.reefcheck.org to sign up for training. Contact lead the eyes of the viewer [email protected] for more info. OR see Dave Chervin. to the subject. More information on California Reef Check, see https:// Further north, he showed some beautiful shots of the BIG reefcheck.org/california/ca-overview . coastline and over-under split shots to try to capture how im- pressive it all is. Again, he showed good “story” shots of Adobe Lightroom is a great tool in kayaking in the cavesPhoto of 8the his process-flow to organize and shoreline and mentioned catalog his images for easy retriev- how useful it is to carry a al later. small waterproof camera to We thank Brent for coming to capture some of the great share his beautiful images, stories, topside activities there. Sun- and tips with us. His website https:// set shots over the spectacu- brentdurand.com/ contains some lar coastline make wonderful useful tutorials. images. Brent talked about Brent mentioned that he was pleased to see such an energet- how practicing shooting photos topside can improve your un- ic dive club as ours and offered that – if there is enough inter- derwater photography. est – he could present a more-technical photo workshop to a During Q&A, he was asked about the success rate of his im- smaller group to address specific underwater photo topics. If ages: it depends on the difficulty of the shot, ranging from two there is interest, let Alan know at [email protected]. frames for a simple macro shot up to 200 to capture a very unique shot involving subject behavior mixed with heavy surge and shifting light. Asked about post-processing, he said that

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES March 2020 Reported by Secretary Gayle Hudson tions, how to handle yourself in moving water, and getting DATE : March 5, 2020 on and off of rocks. • Dennis has an upcoming Entries and Exits training. Meeting called to order by President Jono Dove at Ricky’s • Sports Bar and Grill in San Leandro, CA at 7:30 pm. Dennis said ATDC is in need of getting members who can take a new diver under their wing and buddy up to help Present : about 68 members present. them become a more comfortable diver. Talk to Dennis if you are interested in helping out. Speaker: Brent Durand, “Wandering the West Coast: A Look • If there is interest in any other training, let Dennis know. For Behind the Lens” more information on training, contact Dennis Hocker at 510- 792-5606 [email protected] or Neil Benjamin at 510- Guests : 673-0073 [email protected] . • Aaron and Jill: sent to us by Steeles; they have experienced • Jim Steele has classes ongoing and sends ATDC many warm water diving thus far new guests and members! • Shinja: newly certified by Jim Steele Newsletter (Alan Throop) Treasurer’s Report (Helga Mahlmann) • Alan will be away the end of the month so he asked for con- Club Assets, Total: $6,806.05 tent by March 15. Content on any material of diver interest is always welcome; dive reports and photos are encour- • Classes = $2,778.21 aged. • General account = $4,027.84 • Contact Kari at [email protected] if you are not receiving the newsletter. Entertainment (Alan Throop)

• April 2: Oran Arms: Underwater Remotely Operated Vehi- Webmaster (Kari Klaboe) cles • The website up to date. • May 7: Dan Schwartz: Macro Photography in California & • Content can be sent to [email protected] . Indonesia. • June 4: Members Night Cencal : • July 2: Bill & Mari Conaway: Diving in the Banda Sea in the • No report. Maluku Spice Islands in Eastern Indonesia • The CenCal Board is looking for volunteers and ATDC is

insured through CenCal. CenCal has a long history of advo- Help with entertainment is badly needed, including writing a cating for divers and beach access. For example, access report on the program of the evening; seeking speakers; at San Carlos Beach is possible because of CenCal’s suc- back-up for Alan to do set-up. Any help is appreciated. Con- cessful blocking of a hotel development along the water. tact [email protected]. If you have any requests or suggestions for future entertain- Special Committees : ment, let us know at [email protected] • None Membership and Social Media (Kat Smith) Old Business • 2020 dues are due; members who have not 2020 due by • April will be dropped from MeetUp. MBA Sleepover : Kat says there is a lot of interest but few confirmations from members. Send email to Kat with sub- • Membership : Those with dues paid: 58 Regular, 7 Associ- ject as ‘MBA Sleepover,’ number in party and what month ate, 8 Lifetime; 73 total might work best. She has to know how many want to do this so she can get pricing. She needs 150 people to rent • MeetUp : 99 members • out the whole aquarium. About $150 which includes some- Facebook : Open to the public. If you post a dive there, any- thing like a taco bar and breakfast. one can see it and potentially show up. • Meetup : Participation is limited to club members. If you want New Business to organize a dive, let Kat or an organizer know and she will • None make you a temporary organizer so you can set up a dive.

General Announcements Training (Dennis Hocker) - See ads in this newsletter • None • An AOW class in in progress; Dive reports/Past Dives • Dennis says classes today don’t address diving our Pacific • Angela and Kat went to Lovers 3 for the Cub Dive. Condi- Coast and, after OW training, divers have a ways to go to tions were surgey, with 20+ divers in attendance plus a become comfortable. On April 25 Dennis will be offering skin handful of the beach who showed up to cheer. The weath- diving training to help divers get comfortable with the Monte- er was beautiful and Kat said she counted only five stalks of rey environment. The session will cover the basics of get- kelp. ting into the water in rough conditions: being aware of condi- (Continued on page 6) 4 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES March 2020 Reported by Gayle Hudson, Secretary

Date : March 19, 2020 Website (Kari Klaboe) Due to the Shelter-In-Place order for the COVID19 virus, the • The website is up to date, and she is working on the cancella- Board held a meeting by conference call. tions. Meeting called to order by Vice-President Devin Martinez- • If anyone is having trouble getting the MailChimp newsletter, Shinn at 7:03 pm please let Kari know. • Members Present: 12 Kari is working on the membership payment procedure and is looking to correct this issue. Guests: Larry Dimitri Special Committees Approval of the Minutes was tabled for discussion by email. • Holiday Party: Alan requested the party to be held on Decem- ber 12. Patti will check out this date with La Cabana. Treasurer’s Report (Helga Mahlmann) Club Assets: $56,440.43 Old Business • Classes: $2,778.21 • Angela Boltinghouse said Governor Newsom announced to-

• General: $3,662.22 night that a shelter in place for the entire state will be in effect

Membership & Social Media (Kat Smith) until April 19. This means our April Board meeting will also be by telephone and she suggested an email to members that • 79 total: 7 Associates, 8 Lifetime, 63 Regular, 1 Student. we’re on hold until the order is lifted; an announcement on our • MeetUp: 99. Kat will purge non-paying members in April. website would be helpful for any new members. Kat is looking at Meetup for how to make an announcement. Entertainment (Alan Throop) • Oran Arms, scheduled for the April General Meeting, has New Business been postponed. Alan will contact other presenters and • The challenge of getting people to volunteer: Kat Smith move a speaker to Members Night, if needed. Kat said younger people come to the club, are excited, start • The list below will be updated, when the COVID19 situation diving with us and something happens and they don’t contin- clarifies: ue with the club. 2020 Discussion ensued and Kari asked Gayle to retrieve an arti- • April 2: Oran Arms: Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles cle a neighbor of hers wrote on how to grow volunteers in a (to be rescheduled) club. Board responsibilities are listed on the website for • May 7: Dan Schwartz: Macro Photography in California & members to read; Kari will look at the placement to see if it should be posted elsewhere. Indo Pacific (to be rescheduled) • June 4: Members Night (to be rescheduled) • Ways to integrate and simplify some of our e-systems • July 2: Bill and Mari Conaway; Indonesia (likely canceled) (New members, waivers, rosters, contacts between mem- • August 6: Liz Cunningham ((to be rescheduled) bers, etc): Larry Dimitri

Larry says the best thing you can do for your volunteers is Training (Dennis Hocker) make it easy for them to do the things they need to do in the • Dennis would like us to focus on developing more members way the Board needs to have it done. If you minimize the who are willing to take new divers under their wing. work, decrease repetitive tasks and it becomes easier to get • If you have interest in these or any other training classes, volunteers. please contact Dennis at: [email protected] . A new committee was formed to address this issue and Kat, For more information on training contact Dennis Hocker at Kari, Alan, and Larry volunteered discuss. Larry says he (510) 792-5606 [email protected] or Neil Benjamin at could develop a new system that would consolidate our plat- forms. Discussion tabled while the committee gets started. (510) 673-0073 [email protected] .

• How to get more experienced divers to help less experi- Newsletter (Alan Throop) enced divers: Devin Martinez-Shinn • The newsletter is partially completed and will be ready by the th This was tabled until the next meeting. The Board agreed 28 . As Alan hears that events are postponed, he is overlay- we won’t create non-Club Dive events in Meetup so as not ing a cancellation notice, rather than completely removing to confuse members. A separate box in the Tooter will list them. all non-club events like the MBARI Open House and Monte- • Kat asked Alan to add a notice that signing up for member- rey Bay Sea Otters Diving Club Cleanup events

ship is a two-step process and new members must fill out the online form and then make sure to go through Square to pay Upcoming Activities

their dues. Discussion ensued about reaching out to mem- 2020 bers who have not paid their dues. Kat to send a statement • April 18 : Club Dive at Point Lobos & Group Photo for Ricky’s to Alan regarding this for the Tooter. Jono will reach out to Wall. POC is Kat CANCELLED . members who have not completed the process. • April 18 : Cleanup Beach & Dive with Monterey Sea Otters • Kat said the issue of a published roster is still not resolved. Dive Club, San Carlos Beach. POC is Alan Throop. CAN- Discussion ensued. The issue was moved to New Business. CELLED . • Contact Kari at [email protected] if you are not • April 25 : Skin diving practice at Berwick Park, PG. POC is receiving the newsletter. Dennis. • Contact Alan at [email protected] to provide re- ports, photos, etc. Input is due by the 20th of the month. (Continued on page 6) 5 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

General Meeting Report (cont.) • August 14-15 : Club dive at Salt Point State Park. POC is • Dan Schwarz kayaked from Breakwater to the Aquarium. He Debbie Driggers. Make your reservations! found an Urchin barren and dove about 30’ deep, with an ar- • September 26 : CleanUp beach & dive w/ Monterey Sea Ot- ea that included pinnacles. He said it was like being at the ters Dive Club. San Carlos Beach. POC is Alan Throop. aquarium with all the fish he had hope to see. • • Jim Driggers dove at Lovers Cove with Derek, who enjoyed September 26 : Ocean Cleanup Day dive. POC Gayle Hud- his first ever cold-water dive from the beach. Jim reported son. they dove through clouds of fry and saw feather duster worms 2021 and a huge sea anemone; the number of sea urchins were • July 26—July 10 : Bonaire with Dennis. See ad in this Toot- overwhelming. Jim was glad to introduce a new diver to the er. cold-water environment and had a great time. • Jim self-nominated himself for the Bone Award because he Next Meetings knew his computer battery was out and forgot to replace it. March 19 : Board of Directors meeting at Ricky’s Sports Thea- • tre and Grill at 7:00 PM. Dinner if desired at 6:30. After 70 cold-water dives in Monterey, Linda Phillips enjoyed April 2 : Next General Membership meeting 7:00 social, 7:30 her first warm-water diving experience off Electric Beach on meeting the west side of in . She went with her nephew, who scuba dives for the Army. She was impressed with the Meeting Adjourned : 9:18 pm visibility, which allowed her to see other divers at a distance, and enjoyed the sea turtles and the fish; the topography was BOD Meeting Report (cont.) rather bare of .

Bone & Good Buddy Nominations • April 25 & 26 : Open House at Moss Landing Marine Laba- • Jim – self nominated for forgetting to replace the battery in his tory, free admission. POC is Alan Throop. CANCELLED BY computer. MLML. • • Jane Call – she didn’t carry her camera and forget to adjust May : Local club dive TBD for the difference. At the Lovers Club Dive she could • May 8-18: Maumere, Komodo, & Bima, Indonesia - only get down to a depth of eight feet. Come aboard the Explorer Adventure Manta. POC: Den- • Larry the Elder commented he was on the beach watching nis Hocker. One space left. See ad in newsletter. divers at Lovers Club Dive. He said some divers had no idea • June 13 : Club Dive at Monastery: Entries and Exits practice; how to go through the surf line. He said it’s not Bone worthy POC is Dennis but divers need training on how to get in and out of the water • July 18 : Club Dive at Jade Cove; POC is Devin Martinez - so they don’t get knocked down by the wave that is following Shin their exit. He said, “Speak up – don’t fake it, the ocean won’t • August : Club dive in Lake Tahoe; POC is DL Popplewell fake it.” Good advice. • September 26 : Ocean Cleanup Day Club Dive, with Monte- • It was a draw with Jim and Jane for the Bone Award. rey Bay Sea Otters for Ocean Cleanup; POC is Gayle. • Larry the Elder nominated Jim Driggers for taking out a new • October : TBD diver and he was awarded the Good Buddy. • November 13-15 : Multiple Club Dives; POC is Kat

Upcoming Activity and Dives . 2021 • Club members are not responsible for any diver. Each diver June 26-July 10 : Diving in Boniare. POC: Dennis. See ad in newsletter needs to assess their own capacity to dive

2020 Next Meetings • • March 21 : Club Dive: Golf Ball Cleanup at Pebble Beach. Next General Membership, April 2 meeting: CANCELLED • POC is Gayle Hudson. Next Board of Directors meeting: April 16, 2020. • April 18 : Club dive at Point Lobos. POC is Kat. Meeting Adjourned : 9:24 pm by Devin Martinez-Shinn • April 18 : CleanUp beach & dive w/ Monterey Sea Otters Dive Club. San Carlos Beach. POC is Alan Throop. Make your reservations for campsites at our • April 25 : Berwick Park, PG; Skin Diving practice. POC is Salt Point Club Dive Weekend on August 14-15 Dennis Hocker • April 25 : Open House at Moss Landing Marine Lab with free Reservations admission. POC is Alan Throop. should be • May 8-18: Maumere, Komodo, & Bima, Indonesia - Aboard made ASAP. the Explorer Adventure Blue Manta. POC: Dennis Hocker. POC is Debbie One space is left. Additional spaces might be available; please check with Dennis. Driggers. The • June 13 : Club Dive at Monastery: Entries and Exits practice; Muths have POC is Dennis. reserved sites • June 13 : Club dive at Coral Street for club photo for Ricky’s. 51 & 53 in POC is Devin Martinez-Shin Woodside • July 18 : Jade Cove POC. Devin Martinez-Shinn. campground, • July 18 : Open House at MBARI, Moss Landing. POC is Alan Friday & Satur- Throop day nights. Make your reservations near theirs at https:// www.reservecalifornia.com/CaliforniaWebHome/

6 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

2020 membership dues are due NOW

… if you want to stay current with club dives and activities!

Annual membership dues can be paid at any club meeting to the Treasurer or Membership chair: $40/ member, $10/associate, and $25/ student. Those join- Bone & Good Buddy Awards ing after Oct 1 are considered paid through the fol- — January meeting

lowing year. The highly-coveted Bone Award is meant in fun, but also to be a useful dive-learning experience, to remind us of what NOT to do. It is Dues can also be paid online at awarded by vote, based on the dive report discussions at the General https://aquatutus.org/membership-application/ . Meeting (see minutes in this newsletter). The Good Buddy Award is given to the person who went above and beyond to help another diver. After all, the club is all about growth in OTE: Ros r f i e diving and helping other divers. oc PL, s p y e W t The winner of the Bone this month was a tie between Jane vi isn u !! Call and Jim Driggers. Jane won for forgetting to add more weight when she didn’t take her camera on the Lovers Cover ** SEE HOW TO JOIN BELOW ** dive (must be a heavy camera!). Jim self-nominated for forget- ting to replace the battery in his ; he had to care- fully keep track of his dive Membership information - How To Join parameters.

Annual membership dues are $40/member, $10/associate, The Good Buddy award and $25/ student. Those joining after Oct 1 are considered paid went to Jim Driggers (so it through the following year. sort of balanced out the Dues can also be paid online at Bone Award) for taking a https://aquatutus.org/membership-application/ . new diver out and mentoring

them so well. …. That’s Please don’t forget that membership (new what our club is all about!! (Note the Good Buddy or renew) is a 3-step process. To join: award on Jim’s shoulder.) 1. Sign up for membership on the web page above; this includes signing the club waiver. Photo: Linda Phillips 2. Submit payment online, in person at a meeting, or mail in your check (PO Box 21022, Castro Valley, CA 94546). We accept cash, checks or credit card. 3. Sign up for MeetUp so that you can be kept in the loop for upcoming club dives and for receiving announce- ments. If you need help with any of the above steps, please contact Kat Smith, our membership director, at member-

[email protected] ‡ Postponed due to COVID19

We will reschedule programs as events allow Club Roster: We have added an opt out button for the club roster. This Upcoming Programs at Club Meetings opt out button is part of the membership application. Unless you opt out, the following information will be listed on • ‡April 2 : Oran Arms, Remotely-operated Underwater the club roster: First and Last Name, phone number and, email Vehicles. address. The roster will be distributed to other current club members. • May 7 : Our own Dan Schwartz, UW photographer. Mac- While Aqua Tutus Dive Club will never sell your personal in- ro-photography in California and the Indo-Pacific. formation to third party vendors, Aqua Tutus Dive Club is not • June 4: Member’s Night. Your short programs to share. responsible for how other members use this information. • Please email [email protected] if you would like July 2 : TBD to opt out of the club roster and you have already processed • August 6 : TBD your club membership renewal for the year. • September 3 : Jim Steele & Ed Sheldon, Jr. History of and How it’s Changed. • October 1 : TBD • November 5 : Member’s Night. Your short programs to share. • December 12 : Holiday Party

7 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Tech Tidbits … Episode 10 reef. The Sara, as she is affectionately known, experienced two nuclear tests: Test Able on July 1, 1946, and Test Baker a few weeks later, on July 25. At the time, the US Navy was by Arnie Warshawsky (photos provided by Arnie) convinced that the nuclear tests would not sink the venerable . It was partly right, after Test Baker, the Sara [ Editor’s note: Arnie has offered to write a series of articles on hung on for two days before finally settling onto the floor of 2 his experience with . Dennis has trained a num- the lagoon (175 feet) . I consider the USS Saratoga an actual ber of club members and others for this, and has opened up wreck because it was not prepared for divers. No holes were some wonderful experiences that combine both technical and cut into the hull for divers to easily find their way in and out. during his trips abroad. There are ship cables and piping hanging helter skelter just Arnie is part of the Aqua Tutus contingent that now lives in waiting to ensnare the unwary diver. Hatches were neither Kailua, Ohau. Enjoy his perspective on this! ] welded open nor shut. In 2006, the USS Oriskany, CV-34 (Figure 2) was purposely sunk as a diving attraction in the I love wreck diving. Not exploration wreck diving—I’m too old for that—but diving on authentic wrecks, not artificial reefs with huge holes cut into the hulls. Still, I must confess that diving onto a lot of the artificial reefs throughout the world is fun, too. In this month’s column, I hope to excite you enough that you will want to try, and caution you enough so that you will approach this kind of diving safely. I’ll begin by defining terms. A wreck is a sunken vessel that got to where it is by natural events, like being sunk in a storm; by accidental human -caused events, like colliding with another ship; or by intentional human events, like being torpe- doed during war. An is a sunken vessel that was purposely sunk to become an underwater attraction, either for fish, fishermen or SCUBA divers 1. Nowadays, at least in US waters, there is a lot of paperwork and preparatory work in- volved in getting permission to sink a vessel. Two things are of most interest to the authorities: First, removal of any haz- Figure 2. USS Oriskany, CV-34, near Midway Island in 1967.She served ardous or environmentally threatening material prior to the during the Korean Conflict and in the . sinking. Second, ensuring that, after the sinking, the new arti- , some 25 miles south of Pensacola, , ficial reef does not pose a danger to navigation. after finally getting a long-delayed EPA permission. It sits on I’m partial to diving on warships, so I’ll illustrate the differ- the ocean floor (Figure 3) at 212 feet; the top of the ship’s ence between wrecks and artificial reefs using aircraft carri- island is at 84 feet. All ers. There are three aircraft carriers accessible to SCUBA environmentally dubious divers: USS Saratoga, USS Oriskany, and HMS Hermes. The materials were scrupulously HMS Hermes (95) is a British aircraft carrier—the world’s first removed, dangling cables ship to be designed as an aircraft carrier. (The world’s first cleared out, and holes cut aircraft carrier to be launched and commissioned was the Im- into the hull. perial Japanese Navy’s Hosho.) It is an example of a true All things being equal, wreck. The Hermes, without her aircraft, was attacked by and they never are, I prefer several dozen Japanese dive after being spotted by diving onto real wrecks than a scout plane. She was sunk off the coast of today’s Sri onto artificial reefs. I am not Lanka. She sits on the sand at a depth of 55-60 meters suggesting that a more dan- (approximately 180-200 feet). The USS Saratoga, CV-3, is gerous diving environment “sort of a” wreck. (figure 1.) Although she was intentionally Figure 3. The USS Oriskany slip- makes for a better dive, just ping between the waves in 2006. sunk at in the Republic of the Marshal Islands expressing my personal pref- during nuclear testing, she was not intended to be an artificial erence. Because the dive experiences are different they con- sequently require different training and equipment. Let’s now turn our attention to training. A diver learns ad- vanced skills by either the experience he/she acquires with successful dives that needed to mimic other divers using new skills, by taking advanced training to learn new skills, or both. Keep in mind that jumping into a situation where the diver is not prepared can improve the diver’s skill level, but only if the diver survives the experience. Some who have used this approach have not survived. Diving inside sunken ships - even those that have been carefully prepped

1 The Test Able was an air burst, which the Saratoga survived with only minor damage (although the teak flight caught fire). If a crew had been aboard at the time, it would have experienced se- Figure 1. USS Saratoga, CV-3, circa 1942 vere casualties from the heat, air blast, and radiation. Test Baker 1 Artificial reefs include more than sunken ships, but you get my was an underwater burst, which lifted the ship completely out of point. the water.

8 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Tech Tidbits (cont.) for divers - can be dangerous. The two most challenging prob- lems are (1) getting lost inside and running out of air before finding the way out, and (2) accidentally becoming trapped inside by something in the wreck shifting, falling, and blocking the dive team’s exit. Once a wreck is newly located there is a burning desire on the part of many divers to enter and explore. That enthusiasm must be tempered. It would be foolhardy to rush into a wreck and make a dash for the ship’s bell. Prudent wreck divers use the tried and true technique of progressive penetration. Pro- gressive penetration means making a series of short penetra- tion dives, each one going a little further into the wreck. This allows the wreck diver to develop a mental image of the wreck and the route. The mental image must be sufficiently detailed so that even in the event of a total loss of visibility, the diver can still find his way out. Wreck presented by most of the recreational diver training agencies is, at best, a cursory overview of how to dive wrecks safely. Some of the technical diver training agen- cies offer a more extensive training experience. Cave diver training teaches nearly all of the skills necessary to fully pre- pare the budding wreck diver. In fact, most of the wreck diving Table 2. Wreck Penetration Dangers protocols were taken from practices. Before em- barking on technical wreck penetration training, the diver should have already mastered a set of diver skills. Table 1 lists during team planning. The same applies to jump/gap reels. typical prerequisite skills. These reels are intended to be used when taking an excursion away from the main line; the line is attached to the main pene- tration line. This is much more common during cave diving than in wreck diving. As for the emergency/safety reels (or spools), everyone needs to carry at least one and probably several. There is nothing special about used for wreck diving. The important point is to bring enough of them. I recommend a primary light, a secondary light, and a backup light. Plan the same way you would for a night dive on a moonless night. If your lights use standard batteries, always begin each wreck penetration with fresh batteries. If your lights are sealed re- chargeable units, make sure they are fully charged before be- ginning the dive. Wrecks are natural sumps filled with fine silt consisting largely of minute rust particles. While the silt may be concen- Table 1. Wreck diver training prerequisite skills trated on the deck (sometimes as deep as several feet), all surfaces tend to be covered with a silt layer. Accordingly, ex- We all recognize that SCUBA diving has inherent risks. cellent skills are critical for safe wreck diving. A sin- Well-trained, experienced divers are able to use problem solv- gle errant fin kick can be enough to suspend these fine silts in ing skills to diagnose and develop a for problems that the water column behind the diver completely obliterating any may present. Wreck diving introduces five classes of potential visibility for the diver behind you and the entire team upon re- dangers that add to the usual set. These are described in Ta- turn. Even your exhaust bubbles can dislodge silt from fea- ble 2. tures above you decreasing the overall visibility. It is challeng- As for equipment, there is actually little to add to the usual ing, to say the least, to find your way out of a wreck in near complement of technical diving gear: More reels and lights. zero visibility. Initial wreck diver training focuses on buoyancy Reels come in different sizes (line capacity). Typically, reels control and modified to minimize stirring up are grouped into three categories: Penetration, Jump/Gap, and silt behind the diver. The next step in training addresses line Emergency/Safety. The main difference among these reels are laying techniques. Finally, training covers what to do if the div- the amount of line they hold running from 100+ yards to a er finds himself in a silt-out, since divers will rarely be able to small finger spool only holding about 50 feet. I discussed the wait for the water to clear. You’ll run out of air way before the difference between reels and finger spools in a previous col- water clears. umn. Spools omit the crank and axle so that they can more Wreck diving is best done as a team with each team mem- easily be stored in a belt pouch. ber assigned specific responsibilities. The line the team pays Reels, however, are really a team resource. Not everyone out is the bread crumb trail to follow on the way out. This necessarily needs to carry a penetration reel, but the team means that the team has to come out the reversing the way it needs enough of them so that the combined line length is long went in. The line is reeled back up on the return. (In a total silt- enough to handle the expected length of the route plus a little out, the team should not worry about the line and simply leave more. How many and who carries them is decided in advance it there to be recovered another day.) The first team member pays out the line on the way in. On the return, team members

9 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Tech Tidbits (cont.) without a guide line. This is fine, given the ’ expert simply turn around in place; the original lead diver becomes the knowledge of each wreck. Fine, that is, as long as you stay with last in line. She retrieves the line. If the team wants to, for in- the group. On one of these dives, my camera was my downfall. stance, enter the wreck at the , explore the engine room, and exit the wreck at the stern the team would not be able to retrieve the line. Unless everyone in the team has used the pro- gressive penetration technique and can navigate the entire route blindfolded, a wreck dive plan that does not use a line, is a disaster in the making. Be safe, avoid dive plans that have divers exiting differently from where the divers entered. (More on this point later.) Although that discipline can reduce the time inside the wreck, it is far better to have a short safe dive than a really, really long one. Laying line protects against two common dangers: A com- plete loss of visibility because of a silt-out and simply getting lost inside the bowels of the wreck. Training covers how to lay a line, where to lay it, and how to periodically secure it so that it doesn’t drift into inaccessible areas—a disaster if you have to retrace your steps along the line in zero visibility. Training also includes what to do if during a silt-out a diver loses contact with the line, what to do if the line breaks, how to search for a miss- ing team member, and other related skills. Divers also learn the different roles for dive team members as well as specialized communication techniques to use during a silt-out. Divers need to be able to communicate with each other to confirm data, inform others of a problem, ask questions and give/receive answers. The normal diver hand signals and notes on slates are often inadequate for a team strung out in a line— more so during silt-outs when team communication is more criti- cal than usual. Cave divers developed comprehensive ways to communicate using one-handed signals, keeping the other Figure 5 Example wreck diving hand signals for line status hand free to contact the guide line if necessary. There are also As we travelled through the engine room, I was attracted to a touch signals to use when the visibility is so bad that you can’t really nice photo op of a set of large engine wrenches mounted see hand signals from the next diver in line. The caver signals on the bulkhead. As I focused on getting a great photograph, I have been adopted for use in wrecks. Figures 4 & 5 show some failed to notice that the group had moved on leaving me be- examples. However, signals are only useful if everyone in the hind. I had been last in the line. Eventually, I realized I was alone and not exactly sure which way the group went (there were several possible routes to take from that point). I covered my light to look for the group’s lights. Nothing. Had the group been laying a line as it proceeded through the wreck, all I would have had to do was follow the line. But there was no line to fol- low. The next thing I did was check my air supply, depth, and deco status. I decided against continuing forward since that was simply getting deeper and I had no idea where the exit was located. Turning around, I realized that as we moved through the wreck I had not paid much attention to landmarks, since all I had to do was follow the diver in front of me. There was no unambiguous way back to the entry point. I covered my light again and looked for the dim glow from the surface shining through the engine room skylight. Using that very dim glow, and knowing how engine rooms are laid out, I began my return to the top level complicated by the fact that the wreck was not sitting upright thus skewing the orientation. There were several dead ends. Lessons learned: Cameras can be dangerous. A team taking a straight-through path through a wreck is courting danger. Maintaining situational awareness of the surroundings is important. Once you discover your plight, take a few breaths to calm down, diagnose the problem, formulate a solution and Figure 4 Example wreck diving one-handed signals for numbers act on it. is never a helpful response. team understands them, and better yet, practices them. Conclusion. Wreck diving can be an exciting addition to the diving experience. To do it safely requires only a little more Now an anecdotal story. For many years ATDC has taken gear but a lot more training. I hope I’ve intrigued a few of you to trips to , in the Federated States of Micronesia. embrace this fascinating part of our sport. Chuuk Lagoon sports nearly 80 wrecks, courtesy of the US mili- tary during WWII. Typically, penetration dives are led by experi- Next month , I’ll begin a few columns on, what else, under- enced divemasters, who generally use straight-through routes water photography with a technical diving focus.

10 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

one from a different listing, but still ended up saving 50% over Scubaboard the cost of a new one.

Items are listed in Categories like Regulators, Exposure Suits, An online resource for divers of all levels and Lights, Photography, etc., which you can browse using the interests … by Larry Dimitri link below, or you can even “watch” a category so you get an email notification when a new post is created and get first crack at a new listing. https://www.scubaboard.com/community/forums/scubaboards -classified-section.220/

Dive Trips, Locations and Operators “I think somebody found your weight belt.” was the message I received from Aqua Tutus member and former President Mike Heading somewhere and wondering what the dive options are Barrett. “There was a message posted on Scubaboard.” from beach to day boat to liveaboard? Want to know which dive operators are 40 minutes for everyone or which ones It had been my second time diving in cold water and there cater to the cruise ship once a year diver crowd? went my weight belt (with too many pounds of lead) sliding off my hips and down to the bottom of Whalers Cove in Pt. Lobos. A quick search of your destination will bring up not only plenty Three weeks later I responded to a Palo Alto diver who had of info for any location, but also specific recommendations on retrieved my bright belt. ( https://www.scubaboard.com/ where to go and what to do, including post-dive. community/threads/found-weight-belt-at-point-lobos.535282/ This is also a great place to get alerted on specials such as #post-7832122 ) when run their 50% off deals. I had no idea at that time what Scubaboard was and what a Skills resource it would become for me as a diver. Scuba diving is definitely an activity where “the more I learn, Located at www.scubaboard.com, here are just some of the the more I realize I don’t know” applies! things you may find useful: There are specific forums for New Divers and Basic Scuba so Monterey Conditions you can learn about things like alternate ways to clear your We all know that reports are great, but you really don’t ears to ditchable , as well as Advanced and Technical know what the diving will be like until you can “see” the actual areas for those interested in Sidemount, Solo, Wreck, Cave, conditions. This thread, started in 2012, is updated by mem- and Technical Discussion groups. bers who have seen them firsthand: And while we know experience is the best teacher, you can https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/monterey- walk through “what if” and “what would I do” scenarios via conditions-lets-keep-it-going.425815/page-214 posts in the Accidents and Incidents section to help learn through the experiences of others. Product Research and Reviews And Much, Much More Thinking of buying a new dive computer or any other piece of gear? Type a few keywords in the Search box and I’m pretty I’ve tried to give you an overview of the site and how I have sure that you will find information for anything that you are in- used it in the years since getting my belt back - that I still use terested in from people who have actually used it. today! When I was considering switching from a jacket style BC to a Take a look at the Community section ( https:// backplate and wing (BP/W), there was plenty of helpful infor- www.scubaboard.com/community/ ) to get an overview of what mation to guide me in areas I didn’t even know to ask about, Scubaboard has to offer, as well as the Recent Posts ( https:// like the considerations for a steel or aluminum backplate when www.scubaboard.com/community/find-new/49504894/posts ) it comes to weighting in cold vs warm water - or even packing and you may find yourself visiting on a regular basis as well. it in your suitcase when traveling. To be fair, you’ll find that the more you read, the more opin- ions that are out there on a given topic, but it’s a great way to help you determine the questions you should be asking and Sign up for Reef Check California training what is the best way for you to proceed based on your needs, http://www.reefcheck.org goals, budget, etc. Classifieds Register today! Our 2020 Reef Check California train- ing classes are now open for registration, providing 10 Looking for an additional piece of gear? Have something to locations across the state to get sell? Used, and even new, gear is constantly being bought and sold via listings on the site. Think of it as an eBay for scu- involved in our kelp forest moni- ba. toring program! If you have been previously trained as a California I purchased two barely used DST regulator sets that aligned with a trip to Phoenix. I was able to inspect them in- Reef Checker, then please sign person before purchasing, but most transactions are done with up for one of our 12 recertifica- shipping using PayPal for payment. Just make sure that you tion classes to get ready for the use the Purchase option (rather than Friends and Family) so new survey season. that you have the PayPal Purchase Protections, which ensure See ad in this newsletter or that you receive the item as described. Dave Chervin, our active Reef I did have one issue with a doubles wing that was quickly re- Check representative. http://reefcheck.org/california/ solved by PayPal. After I had my money refunded I purchased training-schedule/

11 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

** All events subject to COVID19 impact ** News from Shark Stewards Upcoming Club Events

.. See MEETUP or call POC for CURRENT information .. See MeetUp for other “pickup dives” during the month

• March 12-15 : 17th International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF) Postponed See adjacent article • April 18 : Club dive at Point Lobos and Group Photo for Ricky’s wall. POC is Kat. Cancelled • April 25 : Club free-diving practice at Berwick Park, PG. POC is Dennis. • May 8-18 : Dive with Dennis in Indonesia … long drive if you want to attend !! • May : Local Club dive TBD. • June 13 : Club Dive at Monastery: Entries and Exits prac- tice; POC is Dennis. For over 15 years, Shark Stewards has bought people togeth- • July 18 : Club Dive at Jade Cove; POC is Devin. er in person from many walks, cultures and nations to save • August : Club dive at Lake Tahoe. POC is DL Poppelwell sharks, protect habitat and ocean health. But until this global • August 14-15 : Salt Point State Park: Dive & Camp. POC health crisis passes, we have canceled all events and are us- is Debbie Driggers. ing the virtual model to continue educating and engaging ac- • September 26 : Ocean Cleanup Day Dive with Monterey tion. Sea Otters Dive Club, San Carlos Beach.. POC is Gayle … perhaps a silver lining (in the coronavirus outbreak) is that Hudson. in response to this pandemic emerging from eating wild- • October : Club dive TBD life, China has stated it will ban the buying, selling, and trans- • November 13-15 : Multiple Club Dives, Monterey. POC is portation of wild animals in markets, restaurants, and online Kat Smith. marketplaces across the country. While there are caveats, this could have a positive impact on the conservation of en- dangered wildlife and benefit human health. Below is more on what we are doing to reduce wildlife traffic, including shark fin, ** All events subject to COVID19 impact ** and maintaining our work with energy and hope. Other Diving-Related Events CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK TRIG- .. See MEETUP or call POC for CURRENT information .. GERS NEW • March 18 : Alameda County Sheriff’s Department Dive MEASURES Team Open House & Registration. See Ad in newsletter. AGAINST WILDLIFE Postponed TRADE IN CHINA • April 18: Cleanup Beach & Dive with Monterey Sea Ot- ters Dive Club, San Carlos Beach. POC is Alan Throop. … Feb 28, 2020 by Thom- Cancelled as Sheridan (Cntrl-Rt- • April 25 & 26 : Open House at Moss Landing Marine Lab, Click on link above) A Sunda Pangolin (Paul Hilton for WildAid) Moss Landing. POC: Alan Throop. Cancelled by MLML • May 30 & 31 : SCUBA Show, Long Beach Convention Center. See Ad in newsletter. • July 18 : Cleanup Beach & Dive with Monterey Sea Otters Dive Club, San Carlos Beach. POC is Alan Throop. • July 18, ~12-5pm : MBARI Open House, Moss Landing. We are sad that POC Alan Throop. the International Ocean Film Festi- val has been post- poned, so we would like to share our film from the 2013 Festival. “Swim For Sharks”. ( Cntrl-Rt- Click on image)

12 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Remember Brent Durand talking 2020 SCUBA SHOW about a snoot during his program? (See this newsletter program report for March, 2020)

Snoots can : minimize backscatter, sepa- rate subject from background, and add mood to your image.

May 30 & 31, 2020 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, California

Information and early discount tickets at See: hps://www.backscaer.com/Backscaer-Mini-Flash-1- https://scubashow.com/ Opcal-Snoot-Combo-Package

Live Aboards New Products

Exhibits Resorts

Workshops Travel

Future Club meeting dates Equipment Seminars ** All meetings at Ricky’s Sport Bar & Theater **

… and much more General Meetings Board of Directors Meeting

st rd (typically 1 Thursday) (Typically 3 Thursday) (all 1 st Thursdays, 2020) ( ALL MEMBERS INVITED ! )

All activities subject to coronavirus restrictions April 2 (Cancelled) April 16 May 7 May 21 June 4 June 18 July 2 July 16 August 6 August 20 September 3 September 17 October 1 October 15 November 5 November 19 December - No meetings; Holiday Party, December 12

13 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Save The Date & Submit Your Entry See http://intloceanfilmfest.org/

We're excited to begin a new season, with amazing Training & Growth Opportunities !! films and more opportunities to entertain, educate and If interested in training classes (, DPR, DAN O2 empower audiences of all ages to fulfill our mission: Provider, Enriched Air, Deep Air, other specialty), please Saving our oceans … one film at a time! Contact Director of Training, Dennis Hocker at den- [email protected] The upcoming 17th Annual IOFF will take place on • For more information on training, contact Dennis Hocker March 12 - 15, 2020 at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason at (510)792-5606 [email protected] or Neil Benjamin Center for Arts & Culture, as well as other theaters with- at (510)673-0073 [email protected] . in the Bay Area (and beyond!). Upcoming Diver Training Club members are always welcome & encouraged to attend any classes or dives. • The Advanced Open Water (AOW) class is finishing up. • Skin diving practice at Berwick Park on April 23. See https://vimeopro.com/user21783508/ every-nine-minutes • Entries and Exits practice at Monastery on June 13. • class will be held after AOW class if there Blue whales, the largest beings ever to is interest (currently a couple are). CPR and O2 provider grace our planet, can weigh up to required. Cost to club members will be $150. See Dennis 300,000 pounds ... the same amount of plastic entering our at [email protected] . oceans every nine minutes. The Monterey Bay Aquarium and Golden Gate National Recreation Area created a life-

Upcoming Open Water Classes size traveling art installation, a blue whale sculpted from recycled plastic. Their objective: to reduce plastic Available from “Original Steele’s” Dive Shop use, while celebrating this magnificent creature’s exist-

“Jim wants to train competent divers The club needs your help !

who will become a part of the local Join our Entertainment Committee and help by occasion- dive community” … YELP ally writing reports for the Tooter, controlling the laptop A 5-week class, Tu & Wed nights, 14 hours in a pool, 5 dives during programs, contacting interesting people, or in oth- in Monterey… a 40-hour class that trains you for diving in the er ways that suit your interests. more-challenging California coastline, along with some rescue training. Divers say if you can dive here, you can dive any- It’s a great way to discover and meet interesting people where in the world ! from the local diving Upcoming OW classes for May & June are: community and the (call for any changes in the dates below) many marine-oriented

• Classroom: Mar 24 & 25 organizations in the • greater Bay Area. Pool: Mar 31 & April 1, April 7 & 8, April 14 & 15 • Pool test: April 21; Written test: April 22 No long-term commit- • Checkout Dives: April 25 & 26 ment is required and it’s • Classroom: May 26 & 27 a great way to get in- • Pool: June 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 16 & 17 volved and help the • Pool test: June 23; Written test: June 24 club. • Checkout Dives: June 27 & 28 Interested? Contact Jenn Pechacek at entertain- 5987 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609 [email protected] . or Alan Throop at 925-577-7876. 510-655-4344

14 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Reef Check Training is starting !!

Alameda County Sheriff’s

Office Dive Team is

Recruiting divers !!

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is seeking volunteers to join this organization. Both Divers and Non-Divers are needed to pro- vide a valuable service to the community. At our general meeting, Dave Chervin announced the 2020 Reef Check training schedule is out. Reef Check Information Open House uses transect diving and certified volunteers to provide March 18, 2020 7:39pm scientific-grade data to the researchers and government agencies to help manage the marine ecosystems. It is rig- 485 Broder Blvd., Dublin orous training and divers must have a certain level of con- fidence. This Dive Unit is an all-volunteer organization devoted to providing a professional level of diving to police agen- Entry requirements are 30 lifetime dives, 15 cold-water cies within Alameda County and the State of California. dives, six dives in the last year, and the minimum age is The unit has been in existence since the mid-1950’s, is 16 years. Divers must be comfortable in and around kelp the oldest team in the USA , and is proud of being one forests, be able to perform a task-oriented activity, be neu- of the most experienced and respected Unit in California. trally buoyant, and skilled in diving. Their role is to serve the public, recovering evidence for Training involves academic and pool classes, taught by criminal investigations, searching for or homi- experienced marine biologist, and six Open Water dives. cide victims, and providing rescue services during dive operations. The Unit also provides water rescue standbys for sever- al large water-related functions. These services are available to other counties in California through the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid System. You’ll receive an UW slate for collecting data, species flash cards, and more! Divers learn how to identify about 100 species. Annual recertification is required. Training schedule is below: Last year in addition to the ongoing monitoring of over 100 sites in California, Reef Check conducted an experi- ment where volunteers smashed purple urchins off Lovers point. The experiment proved that urchin culling reduces the population and leads the return of kelp. This year, the experiment at Lover's point will continue and Reef Check Team Commitments is looking to expand this study to a site in Sonoma Coun- • One monthly classroom-style meeting, 1 st Tuesday ty. • One monthly training exercise in Alameda County waters Log on to www.reefcheck.org to sign up for training. Con- tact [email protected] for more info. OR see Dave • On Call 24/7, 365 days/year Chervin within Aqua Tutus. More information on California Questions? Come to the Open House, March 18. OR Call Reef Check, see https://reefcheck.org/california/ca- Dan Edick at [email protected], 925-422-8199., OR Tony Sung overview . at [email protected] , 925-203-0205.

NOTE: Club members Scott Harrison and Gregg Gleeson serve in this Unit, so see them when they come to our First Thursday General Meetings.

recruitment event 18MAR2020

15 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

Interested in dive travel ? DIVE BONAIRE in 2021 ! … let us know !! June 26– July 10, 2021

Folks in the club are planning some interesting dive Dive with Dennis in Bonaire … a premiere dive des- trips in the near future and need to hear from you if you tination … easy diving; a marine sanctuary since 1972, so great might be interested. marine life, both boat and shore diving & ; and many topside activities. See Dennis at [email protected] Includes: 14 nights at the Sand Dollar Hotel, with breakfast, room tax, 5 two-tank boat dives, 12 days of unlimited air for shore diving - at the resort or around the island- and a pick-up DIVE INDONESIA in 2020 ! truck - to bring your gear to the 60 easy shore dives or visit the sites around Bonaire. May 8-18, 2020

Maumere-Komodo-Bima … and visit the Drag- Packages from $1,825 - $2,500, depending on rooms, without airfare. ons of Komodo … Contact Dennis for $500 booking deposit if you are interested at [email protected] .

See www.infobonaire.com/scuba-diving

(photos: Bonaire website)

On board the Explorer Ventures Blue Manta : https://www.explorerventures.com/indonesia-liveaboard- diving/blue-manta-explorer-komodo-itinerary/

Package price $4,700 (based on payment by check)

• 10 nights twin share accommodations • 9 ½ days of diving • meals & snacks, park fees, • Port & Hotel taxes and transfers.

Airfare to Maumere (MOP) or from Bima (BMU) is extra. Space is limited to 12. Booking deposit $1,000. As always will be filled on an as-deposit-received basis.

There will be an option to add some pre trip / post trip ex- tra days of Land Based Diving. Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamber For more information contact Dennis via email den- [email protected] or 510-RxSCUBA (797-2822 ). “Saving Monterey Divers since 1966”

>>> SUPPORT AQUA TUTUS DIVING CLUB <<<

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible -

zon Smile purchases to our dive club. Just sign up for the club at www.smile.amazon.com The Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamber came into existence under the Pacific Grove Ocean Rescue, which was created and established for the purpose of promoting water safety and per- forming marine water rescues within the City of Pacific Grove and neighboring cities. The team additionally provided emer-

You just shop and our merchants give up to 5% back to gency medical treatment to victims suffering from SCUBA diving our club !! Shop online, buy groceries, or dine out to sup- related injuries and carbon monoxide poisoning in the hyperbar- port Aqua Tutus Diving Club … at no cost to you !! Just ic facility located at the Pacific Grove Fire Department. sign up at www.escrip.com Our volunteer staff includes medical doctors (MDs), registered nurses (RNs), respiratory therapists (RRTs), dive medical tech- nicians (DMTs), emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and other trained personnel – and are on call 24/7 for emergencies. Tours are available. PGHC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. More in-

NOTE: SaveMart is no longer on the eScrip list formation at http://www.pghyperbaricchamber.org/ .

16 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020

BIG ISLAND, HAWAII 2020 CLUB OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS [email protected] KONA CONDO FOR RENT President Book now at this low price! Jono Dove ….……………….. …… [email protected] June 29 - July 13, 2019 Vice-President $500 per week + $14 tax One- Devin Martinez-Shin ………. [email protected] time $50 registry fee covers one or all weeks. Weeks run Secretary Saturday to Saturday. Gayle Hudson …………….……… [email protected] Contact Don Kelsey 925-820-8362 Treasurer [email protected] Helga Mahlmann…………...………. [email protected]

» Resort info can be found on Membership Coordinator The Kona Billfisher website . Kat Smith ………...……….…… [email protected]

Director of Training Internet Resources for the Bay Area Diver Dennis Hocker ………………...... …. [email protected] http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/swell/ Entertainment Coordinator Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary https://montereybay.noaa.gov/ Alan Throop …...…….…..… [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/MBNMS Newsletter Editor Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Alan Throop ……………….…. .…. [email protected] http://www.mbari.org/ https://www.facebook.com/MBARInews? fref=ts Social Media Coordinator

Kat Smith…………………...……. [email protected] California Marine Sanctuary Foundation http://californiamsf.org/index.html Board Members at Large (BML) , July’19-July’20 Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamber Angela Boultinghouse ………..……..…. [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/PGHyperbaricChamber http:// Chuck Harlins …………………… …… [email protected] californiamsf.org/pages/donate-pgh.html “DL” Debra Popplewell … …………...… [email protected] Monterey Beach Water Quality Report https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/ Webmaster health/environmental-health/general/public-beaches-water-quality Kari Klaboe ………….……...…. [email protected]

Past President Patti Shannon-Hocker …..…. [email protected]

SUBMISSIONS TO NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE NEEDED

Dive pictures, videos, reports, article, stories, envi- ronmental, and (almost) anything diving- and marine -related are needed for the website, the Tooter news- letter, YouTube, and social media sites. Visit our photo submissions page, send to [email protected] OR webmas- [email protected] .

NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

Submissions for the “Tooter”, both web- and emailed/pdf-newsletters, are due by the 20 th of each month. The Tooter is published by email on the last day of the month. No publications in December.

17 | The Aqua Tooter March, 2020