www.emeraldseadiveclub.org

In This Issue

Guest Speaker

ESDC DIVERS:

DESCEND….. if you will into a world where the water can be so clear there is no sense of water at all – visibility is measured, not in feet but in inches and in football fields. It is a real wilderness, a place pure, beautiful, and calm. One of the coolest spots on earth and yet it can create strange emotions. It’s a world where the sea floor is littered with sea stars, corals, sea cucumbers, octopus, nudibranchs, sea urchins, and sometimes anemones slowly devouring a jelly fish, you name it. Our underwater world can thrill and infatuate and – sometimes quickly, an equally overwhelming desire to get the hell out!

ENJOY:

My favorite dive was last year in May.  I have been certified for two months at this time.  My friends decided to take me to Sund Rock for a nice day of diving.  We set off at 5:30 in the morning.  We arrived there at 8:00.  It was cool. I got to see wolf-eels for the first time.  They are an ugly creature in my eyes.  Rich Carton saved me from getting stung by some lion’s mane jellyfish that I was not aware of.  Our second dive we dove the 32 foot fishing boat.  And saw lots of rock fish and ling cod.  I liked that dive because my closest friends were with me enjoying the underwater life.  My thanks go out to Rich, Jeremy and Brian for a cool experience.  I Love you guys. (Shawn Miller)

MY COOLEST DIVE?

It would have to be that very first experience that got me hooked on diving. Every dive is wonderful and now that I know more about the wildlife and its environment it’s more and more interesting every time. But that first dive was sheer magic…..my husband and I were vacationing in Belize when he surprised me with a "resort dive". Just 2 hrs of book and shallows practice and we were off in a boat to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. My husband discovered his total discomfort for the activity and I found a second home. Our instructor, Kathy was great. Just the two of us to look after and she had her hands full with Mike. I was so comfortable and relaxed she would tell me to stay put while she went back to the surface to retrieve Mike. I saw a giant parrot-fish trying to overturn a conch. And off in the distance two manta rays came gliding in through a cut in the reef. (One look at the tourists and they turned around and flew away.) The magic continued with a school of yellow tails. 75?, 100?, all facing into the slight current. I slowly approached and they kept just out of reach. Then I dropped down and maneuvered right under them. I took a deep breath and slowly lifted up into the middle of the school. They made room for me and I just hovered among them. It was unreal! If only I had gills… As I looked around from this new home I saw Kathy and Mike beckoning to me to come back. I hesitated, took one last look around and started easing toward my husband. My new friends opened the way for me to leave and I came back to reality. But that experience changed me forever. (Peggy McCright)

MY BEST DIVE         

The dive that seems to stick in my mind the most was at Keystone Jetty a few years ago.  It was one of those "The Bluest Sky You've Ever Seen Is in Seattle" type of days.  The water played along with the game also as it was a mirror calm all around the Jetty.  The air temperature was comfortable also and all that was left was the viz.  For some reason Loogpla and I decided to surface swim about half-way out and then go down.  This is the part I can still picture in my mind, the viz. was terrific and I remember descending into another world of floating white clouds with sunlight filtering through all the white plumose anemones.  They were everywhere and made it seem like a free fall through the sky.  I think what makes this stick is just the memory of the moment, never to be replaced or repeated but to just stay where it’s at, in my memory.  (Skip Stacy)

THE RUBY E:

Less than two miles off the coast of Mission Beach in San Diego the former 165’ Coast Guard cutter sits upright on the bottom in approximately 85 feet of water. The Ruby E is a very popular San Diego wreck that is frequented by local dive charters, often as part of a local trip to "Wreck Alley". She is a component of the 200-acre Mission Beach artificial reef sunk in July 1989.

Widely known for the invertebrate life this wreck is a haven for macro photographers when Poseidon gives his blessings. The sun was shining on this beautiful, nonetheless, very choppy October day. This was our 2^nd dive. Following a grueling rocky surface interval, which made some of us without seasickness medication in their system grateful to reenter the water, we descended to the ship. Visibility was 20-25 feet, the water blue and a balmy 61 degrees.

The ship appeared to be a float in a parade. The colors were absolutely spectacular, by far the most colorful dive site I have visited in my short diving career.

Most of the wreck is covered with thick growth. The most dominate feature being strawberry anemones. Thousands blanket the wreck in patches of lavender, pink, red and more. You will also find a small kelp bed on top of the wheelhouse.

Close examination of the wreck revealed tiny shrimp, nudibranchs (among them my favorite the beautiful Spanish shawl nudibranch), sponges, tunicates, small gorgonian sea fans. Small fish such as perch, kelpfish, black-eyed gobies, some I have not indentified yet, as well as various kinds of sea stars and crabs are hiding out on the marine life encrusted hull. Even though the life is prolific, the ship appears to be in great condition.

The abundance of life is simply incredible. This dive will make every critter diver very happy, while the wreck diver will also benefit.

For those of you who are certified, I read up and listed a few facts regarding penetration of the wreck. Sunk as an artificial reef and made safe for divers, it provides great interior access as well as access to the superstructure. Most everything was stripped from the wreck prior to sinking including all hatches, windows, and some bulkheads in order to make it safe. Doors have been removed or welded open. The engines are still there with the heads removed exposing the massive cylinders, which have now become home to many marine inhabitants. All the hatches have been made larger and each room has an exit to the outside. The interior areas are heavy with silt and very dark. Lights are a must if diving the interior.

This was a three-tank drive for my buddy (in and out of the water) Glenn and I, which also included diving the Yukon and the kelp forest. I loved our excursion, despite getting seasick. I am hoping to be able to return some day with a healthy dose of Dramamine. (Sabine Fisher)

THE HONEY BEAR:

I had to go see the mother octopus that was living in the belly of the "Honey Bear" that everyone was talking about. It was my 1^st time to see her at cove 2, and it’s my third dive for the day; My dive buddies and I swam through a thirty foot viz. covered with plankton bloom, schools of fishes, and jellies everywhere. It was so thick I got tunnel vision. I saw an abundance of sea anemones clinging to the piling beams. Then out in the distance I see the Honey Bear, I swam over to it. I searched high and low, and finally there she was, her "suckers" were the size of my palm…she was absolutely GORGEOUS! After visiting with her for five minutes, my air supply was running low, and we started to head back to shore. My energy was depleting. I got out of the water, undid my gear and lay down in my van to take a rest. Fully satisfied…..Tomorrow is another day.

Loogpla.

Open to all members of the ESDC.

Each member may submit up to three photographs per month through October 5.

Bring them to the club meetings where they will be displayed for all to see and/or e-mail them to me and I will forward them to Phil so he can put them on the club web site

Considering top three for yet to be announced but undoubtedly spectacular prizes to be awarded at the Christmas Party.

Also considering creating a calendar for 2006 using the top twelve photographs.

If the calendar is created any one contributor will be limited to no more than three photographs.

In order to open the competition to more members, photographs may be of above water (diving related) subjects as well as underwater subjects.

Voting to be done by all members of ESDC casting one vote each for their top twelve choices.

Deadline for submissions is October 5, 2005.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions contact David Ripley at the club meeting

or at esdcnewsletter@mindspring.com

Deadline for submissions:

August 29—for the September newsletter

September 26—for the October newsletter

October 24—for the November newsletter

November 28—for the December newsletter

Norman Gregory

I figured that writing an article for the newsletter might be an efficient way to get involved in the dive club as a new member. I have been a diver since 1998 with most of my experience in Puget Sound. My wife is a non-diver but wanted to join the club so she could tag along to Thailand on the club trip.

Both of us are RN’s and spent last year posted in the southern tip of Belize, Central America volunteering in a medical clinic. When we heard where we would be spending the year I quickly declared that one of our bags would be dedicated to diving and snorkeling equipment. Here is a story about the worst and best of my dive experiences in Belize.

The pitsy part of diving in Belize is that it is pretty much impossible to go rent some tanks and head out to a dive site – it’s just not done. The reasons for this are that the locals depend on the guided trips for income (not a small issue in a 3^rd world country), it’s often very costly to get to the sites as they are all out on the Cayes with fuel costing over $8 Bz/gallon and the dive sites are at risk of being severely damaged by overuse so the guides monitor diver etiquette closely. On one not untypical dive there were about eight divers with one dive master. Most of the divers had been either recently certified or only dove on their once every two year trip to tropical waters (we even ended up with one woman that convinced the dive shop she was certified when she wasn’t). I tagged along at the back of the group as I had learned from experience that some local dive masters spend so much time playing tour guide that they seldom pay attention to the divers. I may be a paying customer out for a good dive for myself but the nurse in me is unable to ignore those who need a hand and are at risk of injuring themselves. Sure enough at least one of the new divers was having buoyancy problems and I found myself watching out for her and periodically catching her when she would start to torpedo to the surface.

In addition, I had promised a visiting MD that this was a good company to dive with and he was disappointed that we were limited by boat size and weather from going to the outer islands as we had been promised. In the end I finally complained to the dive shop owner who gave me a free trip later in the year.

The last dive I did in Belize was off Tobacco Caye. My wife and I had previously visited the island for our anniversary and I had learned that since the dive sites were only a few minutes away (the island is ON the barrier reef) that the resident dive master was willing to take me out as a single customer if I was the only diver on the caye that day. The evening of our arrival I found the dive master and reminded him that I had dove with him before and asked about diving the next day. He remembered that I have fairly advanced skills (cold water divers find warm water diving to be very easy by comparison) and asked how I felt about doing a run to shark cave with another diver on the island. I confirmed that the escape route was always overhead and that the maximum depth would be 130 ft.. I met the third diver the next day and she confirmed that she was dive master qualified. We entered the water directly over the cave (how the locals find the sites by visual navigation is beyond me). The cave had two large bull sharks "guarding" the entrance but they pretty much ignored us. We dropped to 130 ft (the cave kept right on going down) and then explored the nearly vertical shaft as we ascended. What was most enjoyable to me was that everyone in the group was in sync. We all watched each other for problems and it was clear that everyone was using great care in managing the dive plan. I enjoyed being able to hover next to stalactites hanging from the ceiling. On the second dive of the day we played (as in just goofed around and had fun) in a sand and coral basin about 30 feet deep. Having the chance to dive with experienced people who watched out for themselves and each other and who enjoyed just being under water was what made this dive the highlight of my Belize year in diving.

LoogplaCowden

Back by popular demand!  We have the Beautiful ESDC Club Wear, patches and blankets on hand.  Patches are available on hand for $10.00,  fleece blankets are $40.00. Bring your favorite shirts, pants, or any thing you want to get embroil for only $15.00.   If you are interested in any of these items please contact Rodney Windhorst at livision@earthlink.net or see any officers at the meeting.

Rodney Windhorst

Hey Boys and Girls,

This is just a reminder regarding our upcoming dive club picnic on 

Sunday, August 7th from 12:00 (noon) to 4:00 pm
Janie (my girlfriend), Loogpla, and I are planning some good times for all...

We are having the picnic at Cedar Grove City Park in Bothell. It is a brand new park just opened two months ago and is gorgeous. The parking is right next to the covered BBQ area, there is a brand new basketball court, beautiful restroom facilities, and 13 acres of new lawn for our volleyball games.

Shawn Miller has just announced a pre-picnic crawfish collection dive at Magnuson Park on Lake Washington with a splash time of 9:00.

The club is providing German bratwurst, burgers, and beverages. You all get to bring the remaining goodies based on the following schedule:

If your last name begins with:
     A-G    Bring DESSERT
     H-N    Bring a SALAD or SIDE DISH
     O-Z    Bring an APPETIZER

We are also planning a little raffle with some two-tank dives  and other goodies.

I'll send out a few more reminders so that you don't forget. I've attached a PDF map file for you.

Hope to see everybody there. RSVP so that I can get a head count for 
the food...

rawdiver@earthlink.net
lsvision@earthlink.net

Shawn Miller

     I am hosting a dive at the Magnuson Park boat launch.  It is not your ordinary dive-- we are going Craw fishing.  Magnuson Park is located on Lake Washington on the south side of Sand Point Naval Base near Lake City.  Dive brief will be at 8:30 splash is at 9:00. 
     Myself and my buddy Brian scouted it and it looks good for Craw fishing.  Craw fishing rules are as follows.  Minimum size is 3 1\4 inches from nose to tip of tail.  Total pounds per person is ten.  What you will need is a collecting bag and something to cut fishing line (just in case).  Brian and I had no problems with that but bring something just in case.  Also bring a bucket.  No license is required.  All females with eggs or young (which is located on their belly's) are to remain underwater and let go.  Open May 1st to October 31st in all waters.
     If that doesn't wet your whistle.  I will give out a small prize (tiny) for the most trash picked up-- but leave the big structures down below, they provide habitat for our fish and tiny lobster (Craw fish).  
     Any questions e-mail me at: Shawnm1833@yahoo.com 
    

BACK TO VIZ. DIVES

Skip Stacy

Here’s a dive trip to get everyone's minds off the back to school rush and welcome in the good viz. time of year after all the summers algae blooms and warmer weather.

The weather will still be comfortable and we are hoping the northern waters around Quadra Island will be clearer.  Join Loogpla and I for 4 days away from the Seattle Buzz on Sept. 22 thru 25 to go up north to dive with Earl and his family and enjoy the hospitality of Abyssal Dive Charters and Lodge.  This area has some of the best diving the NW has to offer.  We start with a relaxing ferry ride to Dukes Point near Nanaimo and for those who wish, you may visit Ian for a quick dive or dive Madrona Point a little further north or just meander north and eat and browse along the way.

Check in at the lodge and relax or get a shore dive in.   Friday-Sat-Sun morning there will be six boat dives in such places as the HMCS Columbia or the many wall dives like Copper Cliffs, Row-N-Be Damned or Steep Island.  See more Puget Sound king crab than anywhere I've ever been and acres and acres of bright strawberry anemone with schools of herring and rockfish, rock and swimming scallops.  Big-Big-BIG lingcod, cloud sponges and all sorts of nudibranches, coming up shallower to watch abalone's inch around on the rocks.  Back to the lodge for a hot lunch between dives and then to top the days diving off with a gourmet dinner and some socializing and a dip in the hot tub or short walk to the shops and store to do some browsing.  I have never had a chance to explore the east side of Quadra so that might get done on this trip also.  Don’t miss out on this.  Like someone said "90% of life is just showing up) and you'll be glad you showed up for this trip.  All meals, lodging and diving in this package for right around $438 Canadian (and I think that was tax included)   More information to follow or contact

Skip or Loogpla.          

Skip    425-775-2410

Did you know that when you show your ESDC membership card at Starfish Dive Shop you receive a 10% discount? Did you know that if you show your ESDC membership card at Northwest Sport Dive you get a free air fill? Be sure you have your ESDC membership card with you when you go shopping at dive shops—you just never know.

If other shops give you a discount please let us know and we will publish their name.

You could win a $50.00 ESDC check by hosting club dives. Every time you sponsor a club dive your name "goes into a hat" and twice a year a raffle will be held and one person from each drawing will receive $50.00 from ESDC as a Thank You for sponsoring dives, friendships, and fun! Remember, a club dive is a dive approved by Greg Becvar, Activities Coordinator, and placed on the clip-board and on the ESDC web site. This is a great way to meet club members and have lots of fun. Book your dives today! Remember: the more dives you book the more chances you have of winning.

When you take a class that furthers your diving experience, such as Advanced Open Water, Rescue, Dive Master, etc., show The Board your certification card and you will receive a congratulatory $15.00. This offer is only good one time per calendar year.

E-mail Jason Miller, our mailing list moderator, jason.t.miller@comcast.net

to be put on the ESCD yahoo group mailing list

(www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ESDClist) where you can communicate with other members regarding various dive topics, find dive buddies, or let everyone know about a

planned dive that did not make it to the newsletter or clipboard in time. Join the list so YOU won’t be left out!

4820 196^th SW

Lynnwood WA

425-775-5459

Board meeting, 6:00 p.m.; everyone is welcome to join. General meeting, 7:00 p.m.

Heading north on I-5: take exit 181B (196^th St SW/Alderwood Mall Pkwy). At the top of the exit there is a stop light, turn left. At the next stop light turn left onto 196^th St SW proceeding to 48^th. Alfy’s is on the south side of the road. (Alfy’s is 4 blocks down from The Rock.)

Heading south on I-5: take exit number 181 (Lynnwood). At the top of the exit there is a stop light, turn right onto 196^th St SW, proceed to 48^th. Alfy’s is on the south side of the road. (Alfy’s is 4 blocks down from The Rock.)

President Loogpla Cowden loogplacowden@att.net

Vice-President Steve Berthinier resoyrua@verison.net

Secretary/historian Rose Lyn Tadlock tadloro2002@yahoo.com

Treasurer Cheng-Hui Wong chengwong@comcast.net

Activities Coordinator Greg Becvar tridoxia@yahoo.com

Newsletter Editor David Ripley esdcnewsletter@mindspring.com

Big Buddy Coordinators Skip Stacy skipstacy@aol.com

Wendy Drucker astromoi@earthlink.net

Greeter Shawn Miller shawnm1833@yahoo.com

Web Master Phil Morgan-Ellis pmorg@olympus.net

Visit our web site: www.emeraldseadiveclub.org

Write us: Emerald Sea Dive Club

PO Box 73

Edmonds WA 98020

Contact any of the board members via telephone or e-mail www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ESDClist

₪ Greg Becvar

360-659-2853

tridoxia@yahoo.com

₪ Bruce Bury –PADI rescue

425-788-8063

bury1of6@aol.com

₪ Jason Miller –Rescue

425-778-7548

Jason.t.miller@comcast.net

₪ Skip Stacy – rainy days

425-775-2410

₪ John Laggart –weekday dives

jmnlaggart@msn.com

If you are interested in being included on this list please contact the editor.

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