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San Francisco Divers January 2020 Volume XLVIII No. 1

and being greeted with a glass of champagne, we DIVING THE REVILLAGIGEDO settled in for our 24 hour boat ride to our first dive aka SOCORRO site at San Benedicto . An active volcano that last erupted in 1993. Unlike White Island in written from faded memory and scribbled notes by New Zealand that just erupted a few weeks ago, Norm Knutson San Benedicto was quiet and it stayed quiet during If you have been drinking a few margaritas, it is our visit. During our 1st day of 4 dives, I was difficult to say the proper name of this dive area. amazed by the size of the Manta Rays and the fact Being few normal people can say correctly, they were just as curious of us as we were of them. Revillagigedo, most refer to this dive area as They appeared to enjoy our bubbles on their Socorro. Even if you can say it correctly even after underbelly as we dove under them. So graceful and a few margaritas, people still cannot understand majestic as they came at you like a stealth bomber what you just said. Socorro is one of the islands in and eye balled you. I couldn’t help feel I was in the Revillagigedo Archipelago approximately 240 some science fiction movie with aliens coming after miles south-west of Cabo San Lucas, . me. Then, Bottlenose would come by either vertically or swim right along side of us. And After the Conception tragedy and Red Sea if that wasn’t enough to get our attention, there Aggressor fire and sinking and one death just a few were lots of White Tip , Silver Tip sharks, weeks ago, I was a little concerned about the safety Galapagos sharks and some Hammerheads and a of the boat we were going on and emailed the folks couple of others as well. Very little coral but the from the Nautilus Explorer about fire safety. The grandeur geological formations were quite Founder replied back and explained things like steel impressive, especially the areas that had ledges of hull, wired smoke and fire detection, sprinklers in sharks laying together. The next day we woke up at stairways and hallways, fire suppression over the a different dive site called El Boiler which had charging tables and engine. Also an awake night awesome walls with more Mantas, sharks and watchman among other fire safety features. These dolphins. is below: were lacking on these other two boats that burned and sank. Anyways, sounds good but Steve and I were still not taking chances. He brought with him a smoke and fire detector and I brought a couple R95 masks, just in case. Something I will probably from now on, bring with me on a boat. Just call me Mr. Paranoid. Steve Neff and myself arrived in Cabo San Lucas on a warm and sunny November 23, 2019, as we had a checkout dive the following morning at Continue on page 3 Pelican Rock and Lands End not far from the marina. I did not expect much as it was a checkout dive prior to us boarding that same evening. But It was actually two very interesting dives with a sighting, octopus in the open and 3 moray eels, one that was actually swimming along the rocks and lots of big schools of fish and a sea lion that had to buzz us. Like diving in an aquarium, only better. Later that evening, after boarding the Nautilus Explorer (132 ft Liveaboard),

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REEFER’S RAP - 2020

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH

01 - New Year's Day / National 02 - Groundhog Day 08 - Daylight Savings Time Hangover Day 09 - 17 - 17 - ST. Patrick’s Day 15 - Ocean Ale House 14 - Valentine's Day 18 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 20 - Martin Luther King Day 17 - Presidents Day 20 - First Day of Spring 25 - Lunar New Year & Nat’l Bloody 19 - Movable Feast – stay tuned Mary Day 29 - Dorian Beach Cleanup

APRIL MAY JUNE

01 - April Fools Day 01 - May Day & Int’l Tuba Day 03 - Donut Day 15 - Tax Day Yahoo!!! 05 - Cinco de Mayo 17 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 15 - Movable Feast – stay tuned 08 - VE Day WII 27 - Juneteenth Day 22 - Earth Day 20 - Movable Feast – stay tuned 25 - Memorial Day 30 - 31 - Long Beach Scuba Show

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

04 - Independence Day 05 - Int'l Beer Day 02 - VJ Day WII 14 - Bastille Day 06 - 08 - Channel Islands 07 - Labor Day 15 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 19 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 16 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 19 - Talk Like A Pirate Day

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

12 - Columbus / Indigenous People's 01 - Daylight Savings-time Ends 07 – Pearl Harbor Day Day 03 - Election Day 16 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 21 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 11 - Veterans Day 25 - Christmas Day Holiday 31 - Halloween 13 - Sadie Hawkins Day 30 - Bacon Day 18 - Movable Feast - stay tuned 26 - Thanksgiving Holiday

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Socorro from page 1 past them. Visibility was usually at least 80 to100 ft and water The picture below like I’m temp around 80 f degrees. I’m telling these two Mantas to move already thinking of coming back to my left (there was a third someday when the Hunchback behind the 2nd in line but this Whales are coming down from picture does not show it). Alaska to either mate, birth or sightsee. Around January thru The fourth day we woke up at March over 1200 Humpback Socorro Island with a mandatory Whales are around this area and boat inspection by the Mexican sometimes they are even Navy. Then, back to business bumping into each other, as and diving with more Mantas, some divers have reported sharks, few electric rays, and a online. One day we had some Moray Eel crawling around in rain but usually the weather was the open. That evening the crew sunny or partly cloudy. Ocean The third day we woke up at said they would light up the crossing from Cabo San Lucas Isla , which looked water off the stern which would was not bad, some rolling but like a few pinnacles sticking up attract Silky Sharks and we could just enough to put me to sleep. in the middle of no where. jump in and join them and Sometimes when we surfaced (That’s because they were). from the surface while from a dive it was a little choppy we shine lights down on them on the surface but if you are use and take video and pictures. to Monterey and Carmel, it’s just Yeah, right. Who is dumb another day at the office. Out of enough to do that? So, I suited the 24 divers, most were from up and jumped in. Most of us Belgium, UK, , Germany, actually did and it was quite Switzerland (2 cute twenty-six- exciting. year old young ladies that could stay down forever) and maybe 6 This place was also really or 8 of us from the U.S. It was impressive with the deep vertical refreshing that hardly anyone walls with schools of fish, talked politics. On the second dolphins, and lots of sharks day it dawned on me, that I was swimming around us. The the oldest person on this live-a- picture below is me and Steve board boat. In my entire life, this checking out another Giant has never happened. WTF! But, Manta and the next one of a after that initial shock and White Tip rudely cutting realization, I savored the moment in front of me while I was taking on this boat of being that old guy a video of divers by a drop off. that still is diving, at least this Wasn’t expecting that. one time.

LIVEABOARD SAFETY The litany of liveaboard fires seems to be continuing, the

Conception, the Red Sea On our fifth and last day of Aggressor. One of the things diving we went back to San that seems clear is that most Benedicto Island for more close operators are unwilling to make encounters of these Giant the changes that would make Mantas, sharks, dolphins and sailing on their boats safer. huge schools of fish that were so thick at times it was hard to see Continued on page 4

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Liveaboard Safety from page 3 overalls, model R01 in the classic Carhartt Brown. I’ve Having a 24-hour watch for worn out several pairs over the instance is the standard on all years, paint-spattered, epoxy commercial shipping endeavors, splashed, oil streaked, just plain but dive boats have managed to worn through, they don’t last evade that requirement. As is forever. So now after all these usually the case all you have to years of blissful dependability do is follow the money ... safety the powers that be have decided is not the cheapest option. to “improve” upon the original So if you are diving on a design. I'm an old school liveaboard you will have to take curmudgeon when I hear "new responsibility for your safety. and improved" I tend to duck. We have been carrying a bright The “improvements” in my mind orange dry-bag big enough for suck ... that’s a technical term passports, cash and travel meaning I don’t like them. documents and a flashlight for Fortunately, through the miracle some time. Now we have added of the Internet, I found a pair of It may be a time for us to a small smoke detector ... “First NOS (new old stock) pre- reflect on Dwight D. Alert Photoelectric Smoke improved style, the right size and Eisenhower’s farewell address, Detector” available on Amazon color in Oklahoma and I got a not just what he had to say about for less than 30 bucks ... Just a veteran’s discount to boot. the military-industrial complex, thought. but the larger context of his I have mixed feelings about the speech ... As we peer into military discount. It seems that society's future, we - you and I, in an era where fewer and fewer and our government - must avoid people have any inkling what it the impulse to live only for today, is like to serve we pay what plundering for our own ease and almost seems like lip service to convenience the precious those who have. I’m not resources of tomorrow. We knocking getting a discount, but cannot mortgage the material we seem to have lost the Catch- assets of our grandchildren 22 view of the military. For without risking the loss also of those who have never read their political and spiritual Joseph Heller’s novel, "Catch-22 heritage. We want democracy to STAMMTISCH states that agents enforcing survive for all generations to By Pierre Hurter Catch-22 need not prove that come, not to become the Catch-22 actually contains insolvent phantom of tomorrow. whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating." So however you say it, the Another character explains: Yiddish Gut Rosh for “Rosch Prosit , רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה ”Catch-22 says they have a right Haschana" to do anything we can't stop Neu Jahr or Gung Hay, Fat them from doing." Choy, it’s a new year and time to get on with it.

Looks like one of my favorite New Years' traditions ... Bleigießen or more technically It’s a new year and as is molybdomancy, the art of usually the case it brings with it divination using molten metal is all sorts of challenges, no more, more on that later. opportunities and disappointments. This may seem Continue on page 5 petty, but for years I have been wearing Carhartt duck bib

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Stammtisch from page 4 George Washington served his marketed and sold a 16-foot, quests an eggnog-like drink. His 2500-pound sub-surface craft. It’s fairly popular in Germany, recipe called for: "One-quart Austria and Switzerland, but also A 25 horsepower marine cream, one-quart milk, one dozen Finland, Bosnia, the Czech engine powered the Seahorse tablespoons sugar, one-pint Republic, Turkey and combined with a snorkel that brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 Herzegovina. The basic idea is allowed it to dive to a depth of pint Jamaica rum, and 1/4 pint that you melt lead shapes over a 60 feet. The top speed was sherry." The recipe instructs candle flame and then pour the approximately 8 knots on the cooks to "mix the liquor first, molten metal into cold water. surface and 6 underwater. then separate yolks and whites of The resulting shapes are then During an American test, the eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, interpreted as omens for the Seahorse made it from the mix well. Add milk and cream, future. mainland to Catalina, 26 miles, slowly beating. Beat whites of in six and a half hours. As to We’ve been doing it for years, eggs until stiff and fold slowly cost, you could have one of these but now thanks to the EU into mixture. Let set in cool babies for $4,500. To put that regulations limiting the sale of place for several days. Taste into perspective a 55 Cadillac toxic lead-containing products, frequently." Fleetwood Sixty Special, the anything with more than 0.3 %, December wasn’t a good priciest model in the lineup, cost is banned. And people wonder month for diving, at least not for $5,350, the median household why the Brits voted for Brexit. us. Our final club dive on the income was $5,000 and the Don’t worry, we still have a pre- Sanctuary was canceled due to average cost for a house was ban divination kit. engine problems. A few of us $9,100. So this was not a toy for had signed up to dive on the last the average or median person. weekend of the month, but the The company that made the engine was still sputtering and subs had interesting if checkered the mechanic is on vacation. history and was eventually shut What’s that about anyway, don’t down by the Italian Government. people have a sense of priorities Something to do with sales to anymore? Iraq, international arms dealers, Doing a little end of the year the usual interpole arrest clean up when I came upon an warrants. article in The Journal Of Diving Norm brought this to my History concerning another As an aside, The San Francisco attention, when does the decade article in the long-defunct Water Reef Divers are celebrating their begin and end? I recall similar World Magazine. During WWII 47th year as a club. I dug up our conversations toward the end of the Italian Special unit club’s constitution and the 1999. So is the beginning of the Decima MAS pioneered the use signing date was the 1st of next decade on January 1, 2020, of submersible "human January 1973. Time flies when or should we wait until January torpedoes". After the war, some you’re diving. 1, 2021? It all depends on whom veterans of the unit started a you ask. One of my favorite things about company to make two-man subs this time of year is the for civilian use. Healthways out The US Naval Observatory, the appearance of Eggnog on the of Los Angeles, an early pioneer agency that maintains the grocery store shelves. It’s been in the American dive industry country's master clock, an American favorite since America's timekeepers as it were, colonial times, also known as looked into the question back in milk punch or egg milk punch, 1999 when people were debating The combination of milk, cream, when the new millennium would sugar, whipped egg whites, and begin. egg yolks along with a bit of Being on the astronomical antifreeze, brandy, rum, whiskey dating system, the observatory or bourbon makes it an ideal holiday beverage. Continued on page 6

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Stammtisch from page 5 Lucca Ravioli, after 94 years is Haul behind a hearse” Denzel empty, no more made that Washington stated that the new millennium morning pasta and would begin on It’s not all bad; the lot is slated ravioli. Aardvark January 1, 2001. for 108 units of affordable Books, home to The Old Farmer’s housing which for this site is an Owen the Almanac, the go-to income of $61,000 or less for a bookstore cat called for weather family of four. Let that sink in it quits after 40 predictions for a minute. years. The Treasure founded in 1792, Island Flea Market Times change, sometimes in a took a similar had its last run and positive direction, other times stand. It all goes Beach Blanket not. Rumor has it that Julius’ back to the Babylon had its last Castle on Telegraph Hill may be Gregorian calendar show after a 40- reopening. Of course, I've heard and the anno year run. that before. Kennedy's Irish Pub, domini era, which Guinness and Persian food in begins with year Kahn and Keville North Beach has apparently not one. I'll just go with the Jewish a tire shop and garage are closing closed as earlier reported. It’s calendar and New Year on Rosh down after 107 years in the like Lucky 13 the bar on Market Hashana (Friday, September Tenderloin. I’ll miss their sign, that just celebrated its 25th year. 2020 through Sunday, September always something interesting. It has been on the cusp of closure 20) and celebrate 5781. Time is They have been posting witty for the last 15 years or so. what you make of it. messages since 1956 ranging There’s a proposal to build a 33 from the profound to the Continuing on the theme of unit building on the site. It’s humorous. “Those who can changes in Baghdad-by-the- never simple, housing, a legacy make you believe absurdities can Bay", the phrase coined in the bar ... the City is in the throes of make you commit atrocities” late 1940s by columnist Herb major changes, but then it always Voltaire “We would like to Caen, to reflect the has been. To quote Giuseppe welcome Twitter to the multiculturalism and exotic Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel Il neighborhood. But we have too character of the city, as well as Gattopardo about Sicily during many characters” One of my possibly implying a moral the formation of Italy ... If you favorites, “You’ll never see a U- association with Babylon. want things to stay as they are, things will have to change. There were plenty of changes in 2019. There's the Sanctuary for Stay tuned for news of our first starters. We have been chartering dive aboard the Escapade, the the boat since 2010 when the National Oceanic and Cypress Sea sailed into the Atmospheric Administrations sunset. KFOG the Foghead radio (NOAA) call for public comment station went from rock to sports. on their five-year process to end The Commonwealth restaurant all traditional paper nautical on Mission pulled the plug on charts and so much more. their California tasting menu.

DORAN BEACH CLEANUP The Redwood Empire Divers have an annual cleanup at Doran Park ... https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Visit/Doran-Regional-Park/ ... They are looking for divers and kayakers to haul the junk they find back to shore. Afterwards there is a terrific potluck. The drill will be the same as last year - Divers check in a little before 8am, Kayakers put in at the beach, support crew fire up their stoves, set up the tables, lay out the food and get ready to chow down as the divers and kayakers come back from the water.

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Gerda and I have gone a couple of times and had a great time. So if you’re looking for a chance to get out and do some diving or paddling and have some fun ... February 29, 2020. 8-12. We are planning on going again as soon as we figure out how to strap our kayaks to our new dive mobile. Let me know if anyone else is interested.

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION YOU CAN your manual for any special instructions, if you KEEP - EQUIPMENT CARE AND don’t have it anymore; look online, if it's not online, contact one of the outfits that buys vintage gear. MAINTENANCE After rinsing, hang your regulators up and let I know I drag this chestnut out every year, but I them dry before putting them away. Store them in think it bears repeating. Besides, if you’re like me, a cool, dry place away from dust, light and heat. by now most if not all of your bold resolutions for You might even consider having them serviced the New Year have already been kicked to the curb. once in a while, nothing like a tune-up to make Here’s your chance to keep at least one resolution. them breathe easier and getting rid of that green So dig your dive gear out from under that pile in the growth at the same time. corner of the garage where it’s been moldering away since the last time you got wet. Tanks - rinse your tanks with fresh water after use. Watch out for corrosion in and around the tank The operating premise here is that you own your book. Crack the valve briefly to blow out any gear. If you don’t it’s time to start thinking about moisture from the valve opening. getting some. There’s nothing more aggravating or potentially dangerous than splashing around in Make sure your visual and hydro tests are unfamiliar, ill-fitting gear that hasn’t been so that you don’t find yourself trying to get a fill the maintained since Mike Nelson last used it on set. morning of a dive only to be told they are out of hydro or due for a viz. We tend to take our gear for granted until we’re gearing up for a dive, but it is life support Store the tanks in a cool dry place. We live in equipment and it isn’t cheap, so why not spend the Northern California, so it wouldn’t hurt to secure time to keep it in good order? You might even them so they don’t take a tumble in case of an want to live stream or read the “manual” that came earthquake. with the gear. BCD’s - again, rinse in freshwater after use. If you have Some water always seems to get inside, this can new gear, try it lead to the formation of salt crystals, so rinse the out at the inside of the bladder as well. To do this, depress Breakwater or a and hold-down the oral inflator button and partially similar venue fill the bladder with water. Swish the water around before you take by shaking the BCD; then drain the water by that plunge into turning the BCD upside down while pressing the the deep. I still oral inflator button. remember my I usually store my BC partially inflated. If I first boat dive won’t be using it for a longer period, I unscrew the with my then brand new . I was on the bottom dump so that it can completely dry and hang Cypress Sea with Captain Xcott at the helm. it to store. Like any other piece of gear, they can Everything was going well until I tried putting on benefit from occasional servicing. my fins. They had worked great with my wet suit, but the boots on the dry suit were another story, just - Drysuits - Booties and Gloves - I soak a tad larger. my , gloves and hood in a large plastic garbage can. I generally add a little “Sink-the- Regulators - when you’re done diving for the Stink" or a similar product to take the edge of the day, rinse your regulators in freshwater. Make sure smell that tends to develop after a week or so of you keep water out of your first stage, blow or warm water diving. towel dry the dust cap before putting it on. Check

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With drysuits, I rinse mine off with a garden hose or vinegar to get rid of built-up grit, grime and hang it upside down to dry. If you have latex and wax. seals use some mild soap or baby shampoo and Like so many things having to do with diving, find after drying, talcum powder. The new silicon seals yourself a local shop that you are comfortable with. seem to be happy with just a freshwater rinse. I They can help you keep your gear in top shape, keep the zippers waxed and every so often use a provide advice on equipment, introduce you to toothbrush to scrub the zipper with some mild soap fellow divers and maybe take you on a trip or two.

PEACE - SAFETY CHANGES FOR 2020 In an effort to keep everyone safe while aboard our vessel we have made some proactive changes. These are not yet required by the Coast Guard, but we have made them policy on our vessel moving forward immediately. No one is allowed to charge any batteries or electronic devices overnight (during the hours of 8PM- 6AM). This includes but is not limited to batteries, electronic devices, laptops, cell phones, lights, cameras, and photography equipment. Our charging station will be turned off between the hours of 8PM-6AM. Make sure all batteries and devices are charged prior to boarding and put in airplane mode to reduce battery drain when not in use. We have other outlets on the boat and galley and these can be used between the hours of 6AM-8PM as long as they are unplugged during the night time hours, but the outlets in the bunkroom are not to be used to charge any device at any time whatsoever. The outlets in the bunkroom can only be used to power medical devices, such as CPAP machines and only while in use and are to be unplugged when they are not operating. We have made a big change to our boarding procedures and are no longer allowing any passengers on board prior to 8PM for trips that depart between 9PM and 5AM and for trips that depart at 7AM boarding will be at 6AM. We know that in the past we have allowed people to board the boat early and sleep on board, but due to the recent events we decided that this is a necessary change for safety. This means if a passenger shows up earlier than the 8PM or 6AM boarding time the galley doors will be locked until our crewmember is there to open up the boat and help the passengers get signed in and settled. A crew member or “roving patrol” will be on deck or in the galley at all times while at dock, anchored or underway. For Overnight trips we have hired an additional crew member to help at the dock so hopefully all passengers will feel safe and comfortable. We wanted to remind you that Ventura Harbor has some wonderful restaurants and shops that people can explore while waiting for boarding time. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we do our best to assure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable trip aboard the Peace. NEW DOCK LOCATION - Our harbor is going through some renovations so The Peace is now located on the end of “E” dock. That is 2 ramps closer to the Harbor Village restaurants and shops then our previous dock, which was “G”. This most likely will become our new permanent home. Click on the link for a more detailed map and description ... www.peaceboat.com.

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San Francisco Reef Divers Annual Channel Islands Dive Trip Thursday, Friday and Saturday 2020 August 6-7-8

• The tradition continues ... we have 11 spots (half of the Peace) reserved for the SFRD! • The Cost per spot is $570 - Our first price increase since 2014. Note one of the safety changes is that there are no longer any double bunks, one person per berth. Still one of the best bargains for Channel Island diving available anywhere. • To secure your spot, send $100 to our treasurer - Pierre Hurter, 515 Diamond Street, SF, CA 94114. Final Payment due by June 1st! • The Peace leaves the dock at 10PM on Wednesday, August 5th - The first dive is on Thursday morning, the 6th. • Bring all of your dive gear, including one full tank. The Peace can refill air or 32% . • For those diving Nitrox, unlimited Nitrox fills cost $75. If you want Nitrox, bring your Nitrox certification card and a separate check for $75 payable to the Peace Dive Boat. • Wine, beer and other adult beverages may be brought on board, but remember, your 1st drink marks your last dive of the day. • For additional information, directions to the boat, etc. check out the Peace website … www.peaceboat.com. • New Dock Location - The Peace is now at the end of “E” Dock, closer to the Harbor Village restaurants and shops. • For any other questions, contact Jim Vallario at 415.566.0784 or 415.819.1159 (cell). • Please keep in mind that the Coast Guard could enact major safety, construction and procedural changes, which could impact the pricing of our charter. The Peace has already made several proactive changes ... see Peace Safety Changes. PS ... This is for SFRD Members in good standing, dues are $25

WHAT'S A CEN CAL? Current issues: abalone, nearshore fisheries, 60 YEARS LATER Marine Protected Areas, Artifical Reefs and the Marine Life Management/Protections Acts. Many By Carol Rose, Past President hours are spent by many persons at many meetings, writing letters and making contacts, so divers are This is history of CenCal, a time frame within my represented and heard. own history in the Council - 1976 to present. CenCal started in 1959, so it has a long history of Abalone is always a key issue. The Abalone 'doing' for divers. The Central California Council Management and Recovery Plan (AMRC) is in of Diving Clubs, Inc. is better known/AKA/DBA as transition as a FMP (Fishing Management Plan) in Cen Cal. It is a north/central California recreational process. This Plan will update and mostly replace diver membership organization, a tax exempt, not the AMRC and will take through 2017 to finalize. for profit corporation formed in 1959. The 2012 heavy die off in Sonoma County But the question is what has CenCal doing now reduced the population dramatically, and since the and what has it done for me lately? perfect storm: warm water, sea urchin explosion, star fish die off and starving abalone has done

9 San Francisco Reef Divers January 2020 Volume XLVIII No. 1 extensive damage. The season is closed for the In 1997 Cen Cal worked tirelessly to gain forseeable future. passage of SB463 which provided for the Abalone Stamp, closed recreational and commercial abalone CenCal sits on the RAAC, Recreational Abalone harvest south of the Golden Gate Bridge (including Advisory Committee, a state panel with authority to off shore Islands) and provided for recovery of the recommend use of abalone tag moneys. As there is abalone resource. The Bill passed and was signed. no season, no abalone tags, the RAAC is in limbo. For halibut - halibut was under great , So What is Cen Cal good for? and Cen Cal provided expertise at meetings to It's good for Access - Ever Dive? Carmel River change the 'experimental' fishery demolishing the Beach? The Monterey Land Use Plan wanted to population, tearing up the bottom and wasting ban divers from crossing the beach except at either incredible amounts of 'incidental catch.' end. Constant and persistent Cen Cal testimony to For lobster - Cen Cal works with the other the Coastal Commission prevented access California Councils on lobster issues to benefit restriction. divers. Lobster season now opens a little earlier just Ever Dive? Lovers Point Cove? Pacific Grove for divers. passed an ordinance preventing diving in the Cove Its good for competitive divers: for skin divers who for 5 months each year, Cen Cal initiated want competition; for /rugby successful litigation preventing the closure. players who want to go to world championships. Ever Dive? Stillwater Cove on the 17 Mile Cen Cal has all this too. These activities are Drive? You can thank Cen Cal for collecting the entirely self funded without financial support usage data and being persistent before the Coastal from Cen Cal dues. Commission. The result was not only access but Kelp issues with the Monterey Bay Marine bathrooms, parking and a pier. Sanctuary were settled and without detriment to the Ever Dive? Monastery Beach? The Monterey dive community, but persistence, reason and logic Land Use Plan would have closed all parking or pays off. built parking on the far side of the highway - Its good for education: Cen Cal has an annual sometime. Cen Cal kept the parking open. college Scholarship, a $1000 grant given to a Its good for information: Ever get a ticket for worthy California diver student each year. your inflatable boat? Some years ago the Coast Cen Cal has a brand new modern web page – Guard began ticketing - with every right - inflatable CenCal.org - where members and other divers are boats for many irregularities. Cen Cal has all the able keep up on current issues and the upcoming regulations on paper; created a brochure and sent it calendar of dive events and activities.. to all stores selling inflatables, all dive stores, all dive clubs, so boat owners now know! If it sounds as if Cen Cal is a busy organization, it is. Keeping up with the legislature, Fish & Game, Cen Cal worked for the Prop 132 Reserve Parks & Rec, Monterey Bay Sanctuary, the Coastal Initiative banning inshore gill nets in Southern Commission can be a big job, and it is all managed California and provided for 4 reserves. Cen Cal by volunteers. The council meets via phone achieved locations for the new reserves with little conference in odd months on the last Wednesday, impact on . and all members and other divers are welcome. On the Marine Resources front, its always good More help is really, really needed. Can you help for abalone. out? give us/me (650 224 8353) or [email protected] - a call, whatever you can Cen Cal collected thousands of signatures offer - lots of stuff can be done from home. More opposing any commercial abalone fishery on the hands - lighter work. north coast. There is now a law against such a fishery. Cen Cal sits on the DFG Recreational And That's a Cen Cal! and What It Does for Abalone Advisory Committee, and Cen Cal did not Divers... give up on action for an Abalone Stamp which now provides funds for enforcement and research for abalone.

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SFRD January’s Blast from the Past Once again You are There, the time is January1990, I looked for the 2000 Newsletters, but they seem to have disappeared ... puff. So instead here are some of the highlights of January’s Reef Diver Times. For those of you wondering how this is possible, you need only remember Mr. Peabody of Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show. As you may recall, Mr. Peabody, is a beagle and the smartest being in existence. A Nobel laureate, Olympic medalist, scientist and inventor, despite his many accomplishments, he is lonely. So, he decides to adopt. He meets Sherman a dorky, bespectacled, red-haired boy. After saving Sherman from a group of bullies, Peabody discovers that Sherman is an orphan and decides to adopt him. After a court appearance and a talk with the President, Peabody becomes Sherman's new guardian. As a birthday gift for Sherman, Peabody invents the WABAC (Wayback) time machine. He and Sherman go back in time to see a Roman speaking in Latin; Peabody adds a translator circuit to the machine so that everyone seems to speak English. Their next trip is to see Ben Franklin flying his kite and discovering electricity, but Peabody and Sherman realize that they cannot interact or change the past. Peabody makes some more adjustments, turning the WABAC into a "should-have-been machine". That brings us to where we are now … The January Newsletter came in at a whooping four pages not including the enclosed membership list. Two things I noticed, first there were 64 members, not counting couples and second no e-mail addresses. How times have changed. Meetings were on the third Tuesday of the month at Wawona Lodge, Stern Grove. On the first Tuesday of the month there was an officers meeting ... we had a lot more of those back then as well. Reef Diver Schedule January 20 - Night Dive Monterey ... Back by popular demand. Jim Valario has agreed to coordinate another night dive at the Breakwater. Anyone who went last year can tell you what a great weekend we had. After the yellow flag was thrown and I was penalized for a personnel foul (illegal use of the hands) Jim agreed not to plan the dive for Super Bowl weekend. Jim is looking into a group rate at a nearby hotel. More info later. February 3-4 - Spear Fishing-Salt Point ... Curtis is determined to increase the spear fishing activity of this club. This will be a tank dive. As usual, at this time of year, the dive will be held “Weather Permitting”. Call Curtis. February 17 - Ray Sante’s Birthday Dive ... We will meet at the Aquarius dive shop between 9 and 9:30 am and then proceed to Sobrante Point (unless the birthday boy has a favorite spot) for diving, birthday cake and general, unorganized merrymaking. Bring two tanks, lunch and a good pair of sneakers. Air fills are on the club courtesy of former member Dave Duringer who donated his unfinished air card.Please call Pam Denney by Thursday, February 15 and let her know you are coming. B.Y.O.P.F. March 3-4. Ski Trip-Lake Tahoe ... It has been a tradition to hold a ski weekend at Nortshore at least once. It has also been a tradition that Mark Gibson coordinates the trip. Boy, do we like traditions. See article later in this newsletter. Other highlights included a review of the New Year Point Lobos Dive, titled “Hangover Dive”, more information on the Lake Tahoe Ski Extravaganza including stick figure graphics and plans to celebrate the club’s 20th anniversary.

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A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR WAS INTERNED BY DIVERS WEARING WWII ERA GEAR When Lauren Bruner passed away the Pearl Harbor survivor's remains were returned to the USS Arizona. The Navy has done this before, but always with modern dive gear. This time it was the Army’s turn. Members of the US Army 7th Dive Detachment wearing what may be the last two Mark V hard hats still certified for operational use returned Bruner to the ship he had escaped 78 years ago.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MANY MAMMALS MAY LIVE MUCH LONGER THAN HAD BEEN THOUGHT Scientists now think that Bowhead whales may have an average lifespan of 268 years. They had previously been dated by using amino acid from the eye. In 2007 a whale was found with a 200-year-old harpoon lodged in its side. Australian researchers used what they termed a "genetic clock" to predict animal lifespans. They worked out the potential lifespans by studying a specific group of genes and the chemical process they undergo called methylation. They also worked out the "natural" lifespan for humans as being 38. It was tough to be an early human.

THE RECOLONIZING OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY COULD TRIPLE CALIFORNIA’S OTTER POPULATION The current otter population in California is estimated to be 3,000. A study published in The Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences estimates that if otters were reintroduced in the San Francisco Bay that population could expand to 10,000. The southern sea otter was widely considered extinct until a remnant population was found in 1914 in Big Sur near the Bixby Bridge. In a letter dated February 2nd, 1915 to the California Department of Fish and Game, lighthouse keeper John W. Astrom reported on a small southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population of the coast of Big Sur. As noted by John Steinbeck in the Logbook of the Sea of Cortez, once academics have made up their minds that something is what they perceive it to be, they do not change their minds. A none to subtle dig at the University of California who despite locals talking about their sea otters refused to believe they were not extinct. The biggest barrier to sea otters heading north to the Bay is the presence of “The Landlord” near the Golden Gate. So they would need a bit of help to make the journey. Time will tell.

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ON THE FLIP SIDE ... A MODEST PROPOSAL FOR HUNTING SEA OTTERS Not everyone is a fan of the photogenic sea weasel. As a matter of fact, there are those who see them as literally eating their bottom line. The northern sea otter was hunted to near during the Russian fur trade. In the 1960’s 412 sea otters from the remnant populations in the Aleutians were transplanted to sites near Craig and Sitka. The sea otters struggled until the nearly 2000s when their population took off. From 2002 to 2011 the population more than doubled from 11,000 to 26,000. The current population is estimated to be around 50,000. So what’s the problem? Sea otters range from 60 to 100 pounds and unlike other sea mammals they don’t have a layer f blubber, so they need to eat, a lot as much as 25 percent of their body per day. That’s a lot of Dungeness crab, geoduck clams, red urchins and sea cucumbers. They are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). That means they are not managed as a state-level the way that bears and wolves are. That leaves fisherman in the lurch when sea otters enter an area and eat the local critters, it reduces the harvest left for local fishermen. It's the ongoing tug between people and critters. It turns out that if you are ¼ native (does that sound a bit racist?) you can hunt sea otters. The rules about what you can do with the pelts are a bit Byzantium, but the end result is if you are a native Alaskan, you can sell products made from them.

COZUMEL MARINE PARKS REOPENED You might remember that the southern dive sites in Cozumel had been closed to give the reefs a chance to recover. The issue was the destruction of reefs being caused by white band disease. This is not the same as coral bleaching, caused by higher water , from which reefs have recovered. White syndrome (Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease) is thought to be a bacterial infection. The verdict as to where it comes from is still out, but it seemed to have started in Florida and followed the routes of the cruise ships ... purely coincidental I’m sure. Protected Areas Commission (Conanp) believes factors such as sewage, pollution from hotels and resorts, agricultural runoff and cruise ship discharges of ballast and bilge water are also suspect. Since then Planacar and reefs have been reopened. The area known, as “El Celo” on the southeastern tip of the island is a fairly shallow area popular with snorkelers will remain closed until March 31st, 2020. During August and September 2020 the government plans to suspend diving in the area of Columbia Reef to the Bricks and Cuevones sites of the Planacar Reef system. As of April 2020, a third preservation stage will begin, with a shifting plan for different areas to be given a break from recreational activities. Stay tuned for the latest developments.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END The Sherman started life in 1922 as the General Frank M. Coxe, an army ship built to ferry soldiers between the Bay Areas military bases. She was sold as surplus in 1947 and plied tourists across the bay. It was later sold to a private investor who sailed her to Stockton's downtown waterway where she became the

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Showboat Restaurant and Wheelhouse Lounge. In the 60's and 70's she was operated in Oakland's Jack London Square. From there she became the Pattaya Princess, a Thai restaurant in Burlingame. She enjoyed a bit of notoriety in 1978 when the owner of Diamond Jim’s Showboat, James Katsaras was shot to death by a disgruntled business partner. There followed a long list of restaurants before being sold in 2006 and renamed the Sherman. The Sherman eventually returned to Stockton, the venture folded and the ship was towed to Vallejo. The Sherman is now in dry dock in Mare Island after the City of Vallejo paid $500,000 to have tugs drag the ship into its final resting place.

WILDLIFE SALVAGE PERMITS When Senate Bill 395 goes into effect in January, the legislation won’t allow the general public to collect and eat animals fatally struck on California roads. But it does authorize the Fish and Game Commission, in conjunction with CHP, to start creating a pilot program that would allow people to apply for a permit to remove and recover deer, elk, pronghorn antelope and wild pigs that have been killed by a car - so long as the wild game meat is for human consumption.

ST SINCE JANUARY 1 1973 ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO REEF DIVERS (SFRD): The Reef Diver Times is the official newsletter of the San Francisco Reef Divers, a not for profit community organization dedicated to safe and the preservation of our ocean resources. Membership is $25 annually, dues payable to “SFRD”. The General Meeting is held the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Location is announced one week prior to the meeting. Please check our yahoo site for details http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sfreefdivers/ We meet at 7:00pm for socializing, drinks, food and club business. For more information, visit http://www.sfreefdivers.org or our Facebook page

SAN FRANCISCO REEF DIVERS Reef Diver Times C/O Gerda Hurter 515 Diamond Street San Francisco, CA 94114

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