January 2018 Newsletter

January 2018 Edition

In This Issue:

The 2017 Annual Dive Cruise: AMAZING!!!

--by Daryl Johnson

The third annual ADA dive cruise departed on November 13, 2017 on the Crown Princess for 5 nights and six days and went to Costa Maya and Cozumel for Caribbean diving at its best. The first port was Costa Maya where we took a 5 minute shuttle ride to the Mar Adentro dive shop. We booked the dive through a third party operator so there was a little bit of adventure getting to and finding the shop but the locals were friendly and helpful so we made it just fine. Nothing like a little adventure on a dive trip!!

The boat was docked about a block from the shop and it was just big enough to do a single tank dive and then return to the dock to get fresh tanks. The first dive was 60-70 feet with about 40 feet of visibility and good marine life including a nice sized turtle. The second dive had much better visibility and again lots of marine life. After the last dive we moved to a restaurant next door for some refreshments and get a group photo.

L to R: Gerry Callis, Dan Baeza, Tony Spagnolo, Daryl Johnson, Susan Noll, Chris Noll and Cara Frederick

Our dive in Cozumel was at 12:30 PM the next day so we were able to have some morning time in the port. After a bit of confusion on where to meet the dive operator we finally hooked up with Sand Dollar Sports and were escorted to our nearby private boat for ADA divers only. The dive master on board was very helpful and after discussing our options we chose to dive at San Francisco reef where we dove to 60-70 feet for one of those unforgettable clear blue water Cozumel dives. Fifty minutes later we surfaced to our waiting boat where we boarded and the crew changed out our tanks while we moved to Tormentos for the second dive. While we thought the first dive was great, the second was even better with lots of reef fish and great visibility again. Towards the end of the dive we saw what may have been the biggest barracuda I have ever seen!

When we surfaced you could tell that the late afternoon sun was waning and the air was cooling since after all, this was diving in mid November despite it being in Cozumel. We were chilled by the splashing water and cool air as we returned to the pier, all of us with that happy after dive glow you get from great dives and a little bit of extra nitrogen in our systems. We arrived at the pier at 4:40PM, 50 minutes prior to the ship leaving and returned to our floating hotel to enjoy the last minutes prior to sail away. We all had different things planned for that evening, with a day at sea the next day to rest up from our underwater adventures.

While the ports on this dive cruise were a little less famous than others we have done, I considered it to be one of our best since it combined a new location (Costa Maya) with one of the best dives (Cozumel) with a sea day on the beginning and end to relax and refresh with good friends from ADA. Considering the rock bottom cost of $299 per person it will be a trip to remember, and perhaps repeat some day.

Cruise diving is really a very relaxing way to see some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean so keep your options open for the 2018 Dive cruise on the Royal Princess that leaves November 24,2018 for a seven day trip that stops at Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan and Cozumel. We already have 8 cabins booked for that trip and plenty more available for ADA divers!! So how easy is it to book the fourth annual dive cruise in 2018?? All you have to do is call our Cruise Planner, Karen Bradder at 1-800-901-1172 ext. 41643 and tell her that you want to book the Active Divers Group cruise (code TPH) and make a deposit. That’s it, no muss, no fuss and you will be ready for an outstanding trip with ADA!! And, by the way, if you would like to go but don’t have a dive buddy to go with you, let me know and I can try to help you find another ADA member that wants to go and share a cabin.

See you on board!

Daryl

email: diverdaryl@bellsouth.net

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PADI Introduces Four Pillars of Change:
Mobilizing Divers to Be a Force for Good

--by Rachel Davis, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Adapted from the PADI website article, Four Pillars of Change.

PADI has unveiled a new program called the 4 Pillars of Change. Introduced in November 2016, the program will serve as a platform for social and environmental brand activism is a significant step in developing an effective sustainability program for PADI.

Here is a summary of each of the 4 Pillars:

Ocean Health Pillar: Forge partnerships with organizations that support the establishment of more marine protected areas (MPAs) and the reduction of human pressures that threaten the future of our blue planet like marine debris.

Marine Animal Protection Pillar: Protect marine life biodiversity by elevating our voices on shark and ray conservation and by bringing awareness to the issue of marine entanglement.

People and Community Pillar: Support diving infrastructure and diver education so that we foster a sustainability mindset and encourage growth of the local community.

Health and Wellness Pillar: Spotlight amazing stories of triumph over adversity, illness and hardships that testify to diving’s healing power. In diving, many people have found hope for their futures and we aim to inspire others to find similar personal transformation and healing, both mentally and physically.

The Four Pillars serve as a platform to empower divers with information to get involved with causes they care about in a tangible way. Creating synergy with other specialized change-agents will provide more opportunities for global impact and lasting change.

The PADI family embodies tremendous human strength that has the potential to make a positive difference. PADI is dedicated to elevating its purpose, as an organization and as individuals, by continuing to bring the conversation to the forefront to inspire action.

PADI is currently collecting stories about divers who are making an impact. Share your stories by emailing fourpillarsofchange@padi.com.

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Water Stortage???

--by Jerry Kosakowski

We have all heard about clean water and the shortage of it. There are numerous articles about the impending disaster. Well, in Africa and other locations it is more current. People die from the lack of clean water daily. There are numerous products on the market for travelers to buy to improve their water quality, for example,safety straws. This supposedly purifies any water. This is probably something I should look into since I travel to Honduras and haven’t left without being sick from the water. I do my best to avoid it, but it seems impossible. They do wash the plates and utensils in tap water. So, my sensitive system just dooms me. The locals have an immunity to it. But that only works so much.

Is there a long-term solution? Well, vast reserves of freshwater exist under the seabed of continental shelves off Australia, China, North America (lucky us) and South Africa. The volume is enormous. It is 100 times greater than the amount we have extracted since 1900. The water is from a long time ago. It is trapped rainwater that seeped into the ground and was covered when sea levels increased. This may help the situation as the prognosis is that by the year 2025, 2/3 of the world’s population will no longer have a secure supply.

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It's Time To Renew For Discounted Rates

--by Dr. Dan Baeza

The clock is counting down and we are nearing the last chance to renew at a reduced rate. Renew now and your membership fee is only $35 for a calendar year of discounts and diving news. After March 31, your annual membership renewal fee is $45.

Your membership includes periodic eNews emails about club activities as well as electronic access to The Mouthpiece monthly newsletter. You may pay by check or online. Go to http://activedivers.org/Membership-Renewal.html to renew your membership online. To pay by check, mail a check made out to "Active Divers Association" with the appropriate amount to:

Dr. Dan Baeza
Membership Chairman
Active Divers Association
7592 Parkview Way
Coral Springs, FL 33065

Note: If unsure when your membership expires, drop us a note at ActiveDiversInfo@gmail.com. Include your name and "Membership Expiration Date" in the subject line.

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Become a Coral Restoration Specialty Diver

--by Roy Wasson

If you love diving, but would love it even more if the coral reefs were as lush and colorful as they used to be, this is your chance to become serious about doing your part to make such dreams a reality. For more than 10 years the ADA has been working with the Coral Restoration Foundation transplanting baby corals from CRF’s nurseries onto the Florida Keys’ reef systems. Those of our members who have participated in our ADA/CRF reef restoration programs have enjoyed informative classroom education, hands-on training, and numerous missions to help maintain CRF’s nurseries and outplant coral cuttings to repopulate barren reefs in the Upper Keys. Some of the baby corals we started planting more than 10 years ago are several feet tall now.

For 2018 the ADA and CRF are tentatively planning a two-day program to further our members’ expertise in restoring coral reef systems. The PADI Coral Restoration Distinctive Specialty is a two-day program that works towards developing standardized skill sets as well as helping to provide continuing education for divers’ buoyancy skills in a working diving setting. Both days have a morning of education and hands-on skills, followed by two afternoons of restoration diving. The first day of education will review coral biology and general reef ecology, as well as in-depth review of the underwater tasks; the second day of education will discuss the different types of restoration that exist, the different types of methodology that have been tested and where we are planning to go in the future. The restoration dives will be a mix of nursery work, monitoring and/or outplanting depending on the general needs of CRF at the time and the education/experience interests of the dive group.

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Underwater Archaeology Training

--by Connie Crowther

Last September, a dozen Active Divers Association members got our first taste of underwater archaeology when we did a group basic certification course with the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN). Now we have a new opportunity to participate in advanced training and actually re-map some of the many historic wreck sites in South Florida.

Lee and Rosie Wood hosted last year’s group at their Key Largo home and participants earned the Heritage Awareness Specialty Certification after spending three days in the classroom, pool and ocean, learning to map wreck sites. The group dived with Captain Slate and FPAN representatives and mapped the El Infante, one of 13 Spanish galleon wreck sites from the New Spain Fleet swamped on the Keys reefs by a hurricane in July 1733.

The 2018 Diving With a Purpose (DWP) popular maritime archaeology program is being offered June 3-9, 2018, in Key Largo. Course participants will earn the PADI Archaeology Survey Diver certification. Participants will dive all week with Rainbow Reef Dive Center and stay at Ocean Pointe Suites in Key Lago and have evening meals in the Florida Bay Science Center Dorm, with related speakers and experts.

Early registration is suggested, since the course fills up very quickly.

Activities will include a welcome event and briefing on Sunday, June 3; classes and instruction in introduction to maritime archaeology and ship construction; wreck site description; peak buoyancy and archaeology techniques; in-situ scaled drawing instruction; mock wreck site instruction; coral restoration; and diving and practical training Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 8. Participants will submit their trilateration and offset points on the composite site map and finalize scaled drawings Saturday, June 9, and have a graduation ceremony in the afternoon before departing. Participants will work with DWP, Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA staff throughout the week of training.

Biscayne National Park alone contains numerous historic wrecks within its boundaries, including the Alicia, Erl King, Mandalay, Aratoon Apcar, Mandalay and a 19^th century unidentified wooden sailing vessel. ADA aspires to assisting the BNP staff in mapping or remapping these sites, after receiving additional training.

To be eligible to participate in the DWP course, a diver must have a minimum of 30 logged dives, including at least 10 ocean dives, six within the last year; peak buoyancy skills; the ability and thermal wear to withstand 70 degree water temperatures for 60-90-minute shallow dives; all dive gear, less tanks and weights; good verbal and written communication skills and work with a team; the ability to make accurate measurements on land and underwater, using Imperial and Metric measurement systems and conversion; and a desire to dive with a purpose and gain new underwater experiences and skills.

The cost of the training is $75 fee for new DWP participants; $550, including all diving, instruction manuals, Sailing Ship Artifacts Guide and other course materials; and $40 for the PADI certification card. Returning DWP participants pay only $400. A limited number of rooms have been blocked at Ocean Pointe Suites, at $170 per person for the week.

To register or find out more about the course, go to www.divingwithapurpose.com.

Several ADA members and representatives of NOAA, Biscayne National Park, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and other maritime archaeology enthusiasts attended a lecture by DWP lead instructor and NOAA science diver Erik Denson November 9 at the Deering Estate in Miami. He outlined their key projects and announced the 2018 training course in Florida. He said, “Archaeology is a precise science that requires painstaking patience and precision. The DWP course is an intense week-long program that teaches you the basics of underwater archaeology. “

DWP is a community-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of submerged heritage resources by providing education, training, certification and field experience to adults and youth in the fields of maritime archaeology and ocean conservation. This is their 14^th offering of the maritime archaeology program.

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Are You Due a Refund?

--by Lon Von Lintel

ADA members will be issued a refund for the 2017 dive season:

If you paid for a dive with insurance and did not attend...or
If you paid for a dive and ADA canceled that dive...or
If you paid for a dive and then you canceled one week in advance

(If you paid for a missed dive that did not include insurance or you did not cancel one week in advance, we cannot issue any refund)

If you are due for a refund, you may choose one of the following options:

Apply $35 (the cost of early renewals) to extend your membership one year. You need not act, ADA will automatically extend it for you. Your refund (less the $35) will be sent to your mailing address on record. Please note: If your address has changed since you joined ADA, please send us your updated address.

Request a full refund, with no extension of yearly membership. Your request must be made by email to Lon before Feb.1, 2018 lon@diverlon.com

We anticipate that this process will be completed by February 1, and refunds will then be mailed to those opting for an extension. Those opting for a full refund can expect their refund at about the same time.

If you have not received your refund by the middle of February please contact me via email. If your records indicate I have made a mistake in calculating your refund, give me a call at 305-251-4975.

Thanks, and happy diving in 2018.

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Movie Time

--by Jerry Kosakowski

Here are some of my favorite scuba-related movies:

Sphere (1998) The actors are all time favorites; Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel Jackson (one of my favorites) and Queen Latifah. A strange sphere is discovered and it must be investigated. The above team does the work. Of course, as they do it many strange things happen. The plot is a little crazy to say the least but that is to be expected in scuba movies. They always seem to be that way. It was a flop at the box office. I think the actors regret ever doing this one. Watch the Bond films is my advice.

Men of Honor (2000) starring Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding Jr.. Story line is about the first African American diver in the Navy. I thought it was interesting but you know how I am. It’s a real-life story so I liked the history. Carl Bashear, (the real person) retired in 1979. He passed in 2006. The movie mainly covers racism and the ability of someone to overcome it and teach the racist a lesson.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954). Yes, one of these where you ask yourself how old am I if I recall this one. Well. It’s been remade several times. This movie is the original made by Disney productions. James Mason is the star, playing Captain Nemo. He is great with his acting. I always loved his movies. Recall he played in the movie Masada, A Star Is Born, Lolita, and North By Northwest. This movie is a actual hit. Everyone loved it and still does. It is based on the Jules Verne book. With all that going for it you must see this one.

Don't see your favorite? Send an email with "Movies" in the subject line to ActiveDiversInfo@gmail.com with your recommendations.

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Off-Season Fitness

--by Mo Smith

The Active Divers Association dive season ends usually in November, but for some of us it can even end earlier. Every diver has his temperature settings for his or her own dive season ending date. Divers could be out of the water from three to six months before the warm water invites us to dive again. Being stagnant for that length of time diminishes the divers’ fitness levels greatly. To recover their level of fitness could take a large part of the new season. There is a solution that would allow divers to maintain and even increase their fitness level for the new season without undergoing exhausting in lengthy training regimens.

Training sessions can be three times a week, 20 to 30 minutes each day. Yes, it does take some effort, but the results are solid. I guarantee the diver will notice improvement on their first dive of the season. The diver’s physical comfort underwater will improve. The comfort will equally improve self-confidence and performance.

In my opinion, the best training for divers is cardio first, followed by strength training. If you have access to a heated pool, or one where the water temperature is tolerable during these cold winter months, fantastic. Swimming is the most complete training for divers.

Swim at your own confortable pace for ten to twenty minutes. Use any swim stroke, and vary the stroke during the swim. As the pace becomes easy, increase the speed and length of time until you reach thirty minutes, twice a week. Once you’ve consistently reached the thirty minutes threshold, just increase the pace for improvement. This training will amazingly increase your cardio as well as build strength. The third day each week consist of a twenty-minute workout at home or your local gym. The home/gym workout day can be inserted between the water training days. The workout begins with a full body stretching exercises starting with your legs (calves, hamstrings, quadriceps) then back, neck, and shoulders. Once you complete the stretching segment, follow with three sets of lunges, 12 to 15 repetitions with each leg. Remember, if at the beginning you can only do a few, it’s ok. Depending on your space available, the lunges can be moving or stationary. Follow with two to three sets of push-ups and two to three sets of abdominal crunches, maxing out each set. If you can only do a few repetitions, no worries, it will quickly increase. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets. Do what you can. Use hand support for balance if needed during the lunges, or knees on the floor during the push-ups.

Everyone is different, so do a little research on the Internet and switch some things around to prevent boredom. The Internet can also demonstrate the proper techniques for different swimming strokes and stretching exercises.

If you don’t have access to a pool, next month there will be a part two to this article for individuals like us. Tenacity and consistency will be your success.

Good luck, and I’m watching, so don’t cheat…………..

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Match Them Up

-- by Jerry Kosakowski

Everybody knows what several fish hanging out together are called.... They are a school. A bunch of crows is called a "murder of crows". See if you can match up the critters with their group. I did horrible. See if you can get more than two. No peeking:

Congregation		lobsters
Battery		trout
Pod		barracudas
Stand		otters
Romp		crabs
Brace		dolphins
Bale		mallards
Hover		flamingos
Bed		alligators
Consortium		jellyfish
Fluther		clams
Risk		turtles

Coffee, Anyone?
--by Jerry Kosakowski

Coffee cups come in a variety of styles and materials, including paper, metal, and ceramics. But the ones we should be concerned about are the ones that contain carcinogenic materials, specifically those manufactured out of Styrofoam. As one who has lost family members to cancer, it is a risk that just doesn’t have to be taken. As a side note, one of my daughter does cancer research with the Ludwig Cancer Institute in New York City, so you might say I have insider information.

Styrofoam is made of polystyrene foam, a synthetic petroleum-based plastic. Are Styrofoam cups bad? You bet. They contain numerous poisons, and can leak toxic chemicals into your body. You may have noted that many companies moving away from using this product with food. Although that Styrofoam clamshell was great because you didn’t need an extra little wrapper to insulate your hand, it is otherwise a pure disaster for our bodies.

Well, what about the plastic covers? It is Styrofoam minus the foam (air). Of course, since the coffee is not directly in it, it is a little harder for chemicals to leach into your coffee. But does that help? NO! In addition to being bad for you, Styrofoam is bad for the environment. A Styrofoam cup takes over 500 years to break down in a landfill. So that cup o’ Joe you drank today will still be around in 2518.

So, let’s be careful what we use to get our coffee. It may just prolong your life, the life of a friend or loved one, and the environment,

If you would like to read more about Styrofoam, check out these references:

http://naturallysavvy.com/live/put-down-that-styrofoam-cup-dangers-of-polystyrene

https://bottomlineinc.com/health/diet-nutrition/styrofoam-really-is-bad-for-your-health

https://www.healthbeckon.com/drink-coffee-styrofoam-cups-research-says-hazardous/

...or search for "coffee and styrofoam" in your favorite search engine.

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Newsletter Delivery Options

Want your newsletter delivered via snail-mail? Contact the webmaster and request a printed copy. Be sure to put "ADA Newsletter" in the subject.

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Have You Moved or Changed Email Addresses Lately?

If so, please email or call us with your current information. You may send an email to: Dr. Dan Baeza, Membership Chair at ActiveDiversInfo@gmail.com. You can also call Dan at 954-260-8225 and leave a message with your new contact information.

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ADA T-Shirts For Sale

Show your pride in the best dive club anywhere! Sizes small, medium, large, xlarge, xxlarge. Some tank tops available also. All shirts are $10 each. CALL LON AT 305-251-4975 AND PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY!. Lon will deliver it to you on your next dive

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Scuba Micro-Aggression Syndrome

--Jerry Kosakowski

If you are wondering why you haven’t heard about this it is because I just invented it. I also invented the Internet, contrary to Al Gore’s claims, and the corkscrew, a truly marvelous invention

But what exactly is Scuba Micro-Aggression Syndrome? Just as road-rage and narcissism have woven its ugly tentacles into society, this devious behavior has worked its’ way to scuba diving. You may not have noted it because you, yes you, are the person demonstrating it.

It is a serious problem that needs addressing, we can not ignore it any longer. I am so glad to have discovered it and be able to bring it under control. Don’t you feel it on the boats? You were just about to stand up with your gear and the person next to you attempts the same thing. That is a scuba micro-aggression and should be brought to the Captain’s attention immediately. If he looks puzzled, it is not your issue, but rather his problem. Report that additional micro-aggression to his boss when you dock. You may receive the same puzzled look once more. This is all proof how bad the situation has become. These aggressors don’t even realize what they are doing. I myself have been guilty of this. Let me explain. I just finished a long shore dive with my grandson and were walking back to the car on the beach. The park ranger was passing by and stopped his vehicle. He asked what was in the bag. It was not lobster season. I told him some trash and a couple shells. He inquired where I got them. I gave him a puzzled look (yep, micro-aggression) and replied, “The ocean.” This micro-aggression set him off. He informed me that everything in the ocean belonged to the park and I was in violation of the law. Gee, that escalated quickly. I asked if he was kidding? Another micro-aggression. Now he was calling FWC and having me arrested. Again, that puzzle look overcame me. Another micro. I was clearly out of control. Learn from my stupidity about this subject and don’t become an aggressor. Only after I apologized profusely did he back off the FWC request and of course, I had to return the shells to the ocean. I wondered if someone out for a stroll later on would end up picking them up, but I quickly got my micro-aggression under control and did not voice that opinion. I learned my lesson. And that is how I invented it. All thanks to that Park Ranger. This is going to be an on-going series. Be ready for your next lesson.

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