Laurel Divers, Monthly Newsletter, June 1999

Laurel Divers
Monthly Newsletter

June 3, 1999

President:	Diane Turcovsky	(814) 695-6878
Vice Pres:	Barb Wyland	(814) 344-8081
Secretary:	Denny Beecher	(814) 472-5776
Treasurer:	Donna Bender	(814) 472-9796

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be on July 1, 1999. The meeting will be held at the Penn Gables Restaurant in Ebensburg at 7:30 P.M.

JUNE MEETING

We had 34 members present. The door prize was scuba wrapping paper won by Lois Keegan. The daybook had a $163 balance, and was won by Barb Wyland who was present. Since she was also present at the May meeting, she received the entire amount.

Treasurers Report: Income $1,133.50. Expenses $971.90. Current Balance $2,571.34

Voting for Officers was held at the meeting. The new officers will take over in September. Officers for the upcoming year are as follows:
President: Diane Turcovsky
Vice President: Joshua Keyser
Treasurer: Donna Bender
Secretary: Denny Beecher

After a vote, the club will file the paperwork necessary to begin incorporation. The final vote was 19 in favor, 6 opposed.

Conrad Piper was present at the meeting to give a talk and video regarding his recent dive on the Monitor. The Monitor was the first of the Confederate iron clad battleships, and sunk off the coast of North Carolina shortly following her famous battle with the Merrimack. The wreck lies in 235 foot of water, is protected, and is limited to 16 divers per year. The video was stunning, and the speaker was dynamic—this is one of the best presentations ever held at our club. Thanks Conrad!

THIS & THAT

Thanks to all who participated in our annual fundraiser. The final result was $1,254 net income for the club. The prize was $100 for each of five consecutive days based on the PA daily lottery. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday were unsold tickets and had no winner. Wednesday’s winner was Nathan Mcketa, ticket sold by Ron Mcketa. Thursday’s winner was Rob Kummerer, ticket sold by himself.

Dues are due! Please don’t forget that dues must be paid by the July meeting in order to participate in the Treasure Dive.

Diane Turcovsky is still putting together an order for Laurel Diver Hats. The hats carry the Laurel Diver insignia on the front, and a scuba diver on the back. Cost is approximately $9.00. Let Diane know if interested.

Quarry Update: Mr. Coke who previously cut the grass at the quarry is not currently able to do so due to a minor accident. Judy asks that the club take over this responsibility. We’d like to do so with the EOFND (every other Friday night dive) schedule. In June, the dives are scheduled for the 11th and the 25th. If you can, please show up about 6:00 and bring a lawnmower or weedeater to help out before the dive.
There has been a complaint or two about divers not adhering to the posted speed limit on or near the quarry. Please remember to slow down to 10 MPH at the cement bridge and observe this speed limit all the way to the quarry property.

PAST EVENTS

D & R Divers sponsored a Treasure Hunt on May 15th at Elk Creek State Park. All proceeds from the events went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and over $14,000 was raised for the charity. 204 divers, including 11 from our club, entered the water for a one-hour hunt. Ron Peterson emerged as the luckiest Laurel Diver, winning a brand new tank.

OS-Systems presented a dry-suit demonstration Memorial Day weekend at Clover Creek Quarry. 10 club members took the suits for a “test drive” and generally reported favorable results. Rose Maurer has more information on the suits if anyone is interested.

A day trip to Dutch Springs took place on May 23rd. The diving was reported as good with about 20-foot of visibility. The staff has done some renovations to the quarry including an improved water entrance, and a new platform. The helicopter is still the favorite underwater attraction.

UPCOMING EVENTS

A Drift Dive on the Delaware River is planned for June 26th & 27th. Contact Bert Sharbaugh (472-7080) if interested.

The Treasure Dive will be on Sunday July 18th. Festivities will begin Friday night with the tent erection party, and will continue through the weekend. The Treasure Dive will be on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00. Cost for the dive is $15. See Donna Bender for sign-up.

The trip to Tobermory is currently full and will run as planned in July. Final payment of $100 is due at the July meeting.

A trip to Dominica will be held from December 4th to 11th. Accommodations will be oceanfront at the Anchorage Hotel and Dive Center. The trip will include five 2-tank morning dives, one night dive, and unlimited shore diving. Trip cost is $785 per diver and $445 per non-diver, plus airfare (about $690). For more information call Dee Montgomery at 944-8521 or Maurer’s Dive Shop at 344-6641.

Our June Every Other Friday Night Dives (EOFND) will be held on the 11th and 25th. These dives are a gathering of our club members for diving and socializing, and are always held at Clover Creek Quarry. Members generally arrive anytime from 6:00 P.M. on.

AROUND THE CLUB

Please keep the information coming. Let me know at a meeting, call me at 472-5776, or e-mail me at Mosskeetoe@aol.com.

A big welcome to the Laurel Diver’s newest members: Sylvia Mackinnon, Kim Mckee, and Frankie Duca. Welcome aboard!

Congratulations to Ron Peterson and Lois Keegan for receiving their Stress and Rescue, and Master Diver Certifications.

It’s official! Iggy Sprencz and Jackie Pawcio became permanent dive buddies during an underwater wedding ceremony in Grand Bahama on May 15th. The festivities even made the local Bahama newspaper.

HOW TO LOG DIVES THE PROPER WAY

With the continuing popularity of drysuit diving, it’s my belief that many divers are not logging their dives in the proper manner. A logbook should be reflective of an individual diver’s experience, and may need to be adjusted for certain factors. Accordingly, I’ve developed a new system for logbook entry called DIVE WET (Diver Immersion Variables Effecting Water Entry Tactics). Recognizing that scuba diving is a sport intended for personal interaction with a liquid environment, we should adjust our dives by the following factors:
1. Dive made in drysuit: subtract .50 (you gotta get wet if you’re gonna interact with the environment)
2. Drysuit gloves: subtract .10 (come on—your hands didn’t even get wet?)
3. Drysuit hood: subtract .10 (what—even your hair is dry!)
4. Dives made in October, November, March, or April: Add .10
5. Dives made in December, January, or February: Add .25
6. Dives 61 – 99 feet: Add .10
7. Dives 100 + feet: Add .25
8. Dives made south of the northern border of South Carolina: Subtract .50
Using the above factors should result in a weighted average system more reflective of the individual experience of a diver. You’ll notice that a drysuit diver using a dry hood and gloves, and diving relatively shallow in the milder months receives only about 1/3 credit for the dive. This seems fair and equitable since their “liquid interaction” experience is only slightly greater than an individual watching Jacques Cousteau on the nature channel. If the same circumstances were to take place below South Carolina, that diver would actually lose logbook dives. . .as well they should. A drysuit diver with wet hands and head can actually receive full credit for a dive if they venture below 100 feet during the colder months of winter. A drysuit diver who refuses to get even their hands and head wet however, can never receive full credit for a dive.

(Submitted by a wet diver after a particularly cold dive)