Dear Dolphin Divers of Sacramento, December 2022

Well, our bellies are full, and we took advantage of Dolphin Scuba Centers Black Friday event, so now it is time to get ready for Christmas and the New Year! I would like to take some time to thank the board for being so supportive and sharing in running our nonprofit diving club; while it may not seem like it, the board keeps the club going through all its ups and downs. While I do not have any events to tell you about this January or February, we are working on getting some activities planned, and I encourage you all to come up with some ideas or suggestions for the upcoming year.

Our December 10th Annual Christmas Party is just a week away and I hope you took the time to sign up to join the fun. In addition to the fantastic dinner we have planned, we will be announcing the member of the year and winners for the photo contest categories, and I am keeping my eyes out for Santa to arrive! Please take some time to sign up, the flyer is on the Dolphin Divers website (www.dolphindivers.org). Hope to see you at the Christmas Party!

With the New Year fast approaching, have you made any plans to go on a dive trip to a far-off land and sea? Dolphin Scuba Center has some great dive trips planned, with slots available for your next dive destination. Call them at: (800) 436-5744 or go on the Dolphin Scuba Center website (www.dolphinscuba.com) for more information. If you are having trouble deciding on you next trip…attending the Christmas party is a great way to meet other divers who can tell you about their latest adventures.

I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and I hope to see you at some of our great activities in 2023. I would again like to thank all of the board members for their hard work in keeping the club running and keeping us all in the water doing what we love and enjoy.

Please note, in place of the December general meeting, we are hosting the Annual Christmas Party on December 10th. Our next Dolphin Club General Meeting will be held in-person on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Round Table Pizza (9500 Greenback Lane in Folsom), and via Zoom for those who would prefer to attend remotely. Marilyn will send information the day of the meeting. Everyone is welcome to join the meeting!

Hope to see you in the water, and bubbles up!!

Owen Autry,
President

QUOTES FROM THE SEA

“Far and away, the greatest threat to the ocean, and thus to ourselves, is ignorance. But we can do something about that.” – Sylvia Earle

Safety Officer’s Message
By: Brad Freelove

Save-a-Dive Kit

Scuba diving can take you to places that many of your friends will never experience firsthand. Diving does have some inherent risks. Most divers will make dive after dive and never have an in-the-water emergency. Their training and common sense will keep them safe and having fun. That is until something does go sideways. The problem will start simple. Probably on the beach. Maybe a mask strap breaks. Perhaps a dead battery in their dive computer. Whatever the issue, the diver decides to enter the water without fixing the problem. Or the fix the diver uses looks good but fails halfway through the dive. From there, the dive is no fun or worse.

The simple and easy way to prevent these small problems from becoming dive aborting or life-threatening experiences is to properly maintain your equipment. Your local dive shop should have a class available that can help you figure out how to take care of your diving equipment. Proper maintenance of your equipment should be part of your dive plan. You may not learn how to rebuild your regulator, but you should walk away from the class knowing how to rinse both first and second stages, change a hose, and replace o-rings. Dolphin Scuba does offer classes. Take advantage of them.

Even with proper maintenance, stuff can still go wrong. That mask strap looked great at home but breaks on the beach. Maybe your tank o-ring blows out or the o-ring of your pressure gauge hose splits. Fin strap and buckles on one fin are missing! Unless you have some spares in your dive bag, you hope that your dive buddy can help you out. Depending upon your buddy to supply you with what you need might work. Best if you carry a supply of the most needed repair items. A save-a-dive kit can help you fix your repair issue and get you back in the dive game.

You can purchase a ready-made kit that contains the basics, to a more elaborate package that can handle repairs such as a spare tank burst disc kit. A trip to the dive store will give you an idea on what is available.

Maybe your next dive trip is not to Monterey. Socorro is a 31-hour boat ride from Cabo and there are no dive stores around. You have what you bring. Perhaps you are heading to Roatan for a shore-based dive vacation. There are dive stores around, but not on the boat you will be diving from. A basic repair kit might get you through some issues, but some additional stuff would be great insurance to have. I have developed my own kit based on decades of diving and many classes. As you acquire more experience, you should do the same.

The basic kit should contain the following items that fit your equipment. Mask strap, snorkel keeper, tank o-ring’s, fin strap, second stage mouthpiece and zip ties. Somewhere in this kit you should have a tool to remove your old o-ring and cut off the excess tail of the zip tie. If the kit you purchase does not have a container to keep your tools and parts in, get one. You might want to consider the purchase of a spare mask. If you drop your mask on a rock and it cracks or some inconsiderate diver sets his tank down on your mask and breaks the lens, you could be done diving for the day…..or the trip. Most masks come with a nice plastic case that can store your spare parts, your o-ring pick, and small cutters for that zip tie. This kit should be with you on every dive trip. Along with the repair kit, I suggest that you have a small first aid kit. Duct tape is okay for an emergency band aid, but waterproof band aids are easier to remove than industrial strength tape!

A more advance kit should include all the items of the basic kit plus some additional items that have been shown to cause problems for divers. O-rings for all your hoses and your tank valve. A burst disc kit, spare computer batteries and seals, straps for your knife, zip ties, a spare fin strap complete with buckles that fit your fins, zipper lube, bulb and batteries for your dive lights, wetsuit and/or drysuit repair items and glue, d-rings, quick links, and double ended bolt snaps. Duct tape, paracord, butane lighter and silicon spray can come in very handy. The tools to change out hoses on your regulator or other repair issues.
Finally, if my dive trip will take me away from the convenience of a dive store for an extended time, I carry along a spare regulator, dive light, computer, BCD dump valve and BCD inflator system. Used equipment and parts will work. If you purchase used stuff, get it serviced.
It is no fun to be sitting on the beach or staying on the boat while everyone else is having fun under the water. Proper care of your equipment with cleaning and maintenance will keep you out of trouble most of the time. On every dive bring along the appropriate repair kit and spare parts. Have the knowledge and tools to resolve common issues. Have a functional first aid kit.

How to decide where to go next…
By: Joe Morgan

How do you decide on your next dive trip? Do you see somewhere on a movie and just feel the need to explore it? Do you have an animal encounter that peaks your interest and drives the location? Do you see a conservation article and want to help somewhere? Are you sitting in a Dolphin Divers meeting listening to someone talk about a far-off dive location and immediately add it to your list? Are you like many people and just browse your local dive shops options and pick one for simplicity of having everything arranged? No matter what your particular way of deciding is, here is a list of things to add to your dive vacation planning to maximize your fun wherever you decide to go.

WORLD DIVE MAP

Planning question 1 – How many types of diving are offered at this location?
Ask yourself what type of diving do you love most? Are you a reef diving lover, who is looking for abundant aquarium fish…. Wall diving? Deep blue holes? Large animal encounters? Are you into the wonderfully lazy floating that drift diving offers? Caves? Pinnacles?

Planning Question 2 – Do you have a weather/water temperature that best suits you?
I personally am addicted to diving in locations that allow me to wear shorts and a rash guard only. Tropical places with 85* weather and 85* water. I have met others though (Crazy in my opinion) that love cold-water diving, where the challenge of the climate makes the diving more exciting. To each their own I guess, but regardless of your answer, checking local water temperatures should always be on your list before a dive trip.

Planning Question 3 – Location type, amenities, and surroundings
Are you a land-based diver, where you can explore after diving, or lounge by the beach, or are you a liveaboard diver who can focus the entire trip on underwater adventures?
Personally, I am a liveaboard addict. I like my vacations on a rocking boat, surrounded by divers, new dive sites after every meal. Perfection. My wife has brought to my attention that some people travel with things other than diving in mind, apparently, they like to have activities planned that include (wait for it) staying on land…
Where do you prefer to stay on your diving trips? A busy city area with lots of after-dive options, a quiet resort with plenty of lounge chairs and tropical drinks? There are of course limitless options for the combinations, but long story short the level of activity in your location should be on your radar as a question to ask. It would be a shame to arrive to find out your room’s lounge area is right next to the kiddie pool and waterslides.

Planning Question 4 – Animal encounters
Every diver has the one animal that they have seen that makes them smile every time they remember the encounter. Every diver also has the one elusive animal that they have always wanted to see and just haven’t gotten to yet. Is this trip a discover new animals trip, a “see some old friends” reunion with old animal friends trip, or a combination of the two? What animals are common in the area?

These four questions are simple, but often we overlook things just for the sake of convenience or cost. Although I am a realist and understand that money, timing of days off, family considerations etc. are major driving factors in any trip decision, adding these four questions to the list of options will help you make a more informed decision and have a more enjoyable experience.

Merry Christmas and here is to wishing of far off places with new dive buddies.
Joe

King Tides On The Way
By: Brad Freelove

As a diver, you should know what a tide is and how to read and interpret a tide chart. A couple times a year on our coast, there are extremely high and extremely low tides. These tides are called “King Tides.” The tides occur when the sun and moon get their closest to the earth. The gravitational forces of the sun and moon upon the earth move the ocean around creating some very spectacular tidal variations. Water goes where it would normally not be found. Rivers back up from the ocean side. Bridges and roads become flooded messes and ocean waves get larger and more powerful. But the tides stay high for a bit then they move out and create some extreme lows in the water height.

King tides can provide you with some great photo opportunities. The tides are worth a day’s drive to the coast. Pack a few snacks and drinks head on over to the ocean. No need to take your diving equipment on this trip. Just go and enjoy the view. This year the tides should show their extremes December 23 – 24, 2022 and January 21 – 22, 2023.

If you would like more information, visit the following websites:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/stories/king-tides

https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/gallery.html

Member News

December Birthdays:
Laurie C.
Will D.
Brandon F.
Mike J.
Tom M.
Joe M. (happy early birthday Joe!)
Janiece P.
Sara P.
Richard S.
Bob T.
Mario P.

New Members:
Janiece and Scott Parker

Are you interested in becoming a Dolphin Divers of Sacramento member?
CLICK HERE TO JOIN

CHRISTMAS PARTY
Save The Date

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

PICTURES OF PAST EVENTS

For this months “Past Events” I am just adding the photo contest entrants for “At a club event

Dolphin Divers
History Highlights
1986-1990

1986
Dues $17.50

Board of Directors:
President – John Payne
Vice President – Joe Wilhelm
Secretary –Svea Edstrom
Treasurer (separated position from Secretary) – Patty Austin
Safety Officer – Gary Lewis
Activity Chair – Jack Millard & Phil Wagner
Editor (new board Position) – Dianna Smiley
Members at Large – Frank Marr, Judy Wilson, Yvonne Johnson
Past President – Skip Smiley

March – 4th Underwater Easter Egg Hunt

September – Spearfishing Contest winners: Big Fish – Ed Reames’ 8 Lb 4 oz Ling Cod, 1st place Team Joe Wilhelm & Noel Scott 20.3 Lbs

December – Christmas Party at Dolphin Dive Shop pool
Member of the Year – Judy Wilson
Big Fish – tied Jan Johnson & Noel Scott 21 Lbs
Big Abalone – tied Joe Wilhelm & Noel Scott 8.75 inches

1987
Dues rise to $25.00 annually and $5.00 for each family member. Social Meetings held at Eddy’s Hof Brau. Business Meetings held at SMUD Annex

Board of Directors

President – Dianna Smiley
Vice President – Phil Wagner
Secretary – Judy Wilson
Treasurer – Frank Vanacore
Safety Officer – Vaughn Bedard
Activity Chair – Bert Grant
Editor – Jarmila ( Isha) Penk

Members at Large – Jerry Young, John Payne, Jim Farmer, Rose Rivera

May – Carp Shoot at Lake Comanche Resort (Last Lake Comanche Carp Shoot & Navigation Contest)

July 18th – Dolphin Divers rescued 45 people at the Eppie’s Great Race.

September – Rose Rivera takes over as the Editor.
19th – First Annual Crab Feed at Dillon Beach, Event Leader/s Yvonne Johnson.

Member of the Year – Jack Millard
Big Fish of the Year Award – Mike Beaman for bagging a 17.2 lb Ling Cod.
Big Ab of the Year Award to Joe Wilhelm 8.75 inches

1988
New location for the business meetings – SMUD Foothill Service Center.

Board of Directors

President – Dianna Smiley
Vice President – Vaughn Bedard
Secretary – Jack Millard
Treasurer – Frank Vanacore
Safety Officer – Jerry Young
Activity Chairman – Bert Grant
Editor – Kay Grant

Members at Large – Ken Takata, Marie Aubin, Kevin Knechte

March – 5th Underwater Easter Egg Hunt at Macabee Beach in Monterey. Awards Ceremony at Surdi’s Two Guys from Italy. Event Event Leader/s John Payne & George Styer

May – Lake Comanche Carp Shoot replaced by “Un-Carp” Shoot, Spearfishing contest, at Albion Campground and RV Park. Fund Raising Event open to all divers and earned $1,100.00!

July – Dive at Point Arena, camping at Manchester KOA, Event Leader/s jack Millard. Alan Austin shot a 19 3/4 lb Ling Cod at Arena Rock.

July 16, Eppie’s Great Race lifeguard services Event Leader/s Alan Austin

July 23rd – 1st Bay Area walk organized on Angel Island by Jack Millard

September – Labor Day Spear fishing Contest held at Albion Cove and Schooners Campground. Event Leader/s Alan Austin & Phil Wagner. 13 teams entered the annual Spearfishing Contest at Schooner’s Landing. Big fish was an 8 lb Ling Cod shot by Richard Skapinock. Big Scallop was taken by Jack Millard, a 6 17/32″ scallop. Alan Austin & Phil Wagner introduce the first Men’s Cooking Contest, and the kids scavenger hunt.

Newsletter Editorship taken over by Kay Kroke and Marie Aubin

Inland Lobster Feed moved to September 17th because of construction at Negro Bar, Lake Natomas.

October – Point Lobos Dive Event Leader/s Jim Farmer
Soda Lake, Nevada, dive Event Leader/s Alan Austin

December – Annual Christmas party held at the Sacramento Horseman’s Assoc. Event Leader/s Yvonne Johnson and Marie Aubin
Jack Millard voted “Member of the Year”
Big Fish of the Year Award to Alan Austin for a 19.75 lb Ling Cod Big
Ab of the Year Award to Jerry Shull for a 9.5 inch Ab.

1989
Dues $25.00 + $5.00/family member
Business Meetings held at SMUD offices on Elkhorn Blvd
Alternate with Social meetings held at Eddie’s Brau Hauf on Auburn Blvd.

Board of Directors

President – Vaughn Bedard
Vice President – Ken Takata
Secretary – Kevin Knecht
Treasurer – Marie Aubin
Safety Officer – Skip Smiley
Activity Chair – Jack Millard
Editor – Kevin Knecht / Frank Vanacore
Members at Large – Tim Foley, Jan Johnson, Bill Markham

March – 6th annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt at Macabee Beach in Monterey. Event Leader/s John Payne and George Styer

May – 2nd “Un-Carp Shoot” fundraiser (Last of the (un) Carp shoot fundraisers)

July – Phil Wagner involved in boating accident at Eppie’s Great Race. Foot was run over by outboard motor of rescue boat. Frank Vanacore rescued him from the river current, and Dianna Smiley nursed him to Mercy San Juan Hospital.

March – Jack Millard introduces a new membership application

July – 4th of July dive trip to Morro Bay and San Simeon State Park, with a tour of Hearst Castle

September – Meetings to be held at Mountain Mike’s Pizza located at 2033 Arden Way. The meetings are still on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30.

Labor Day Spearfishing contest at Schooners Landing & Albion Cove was postponed Saturday when the Safety Officer (Skip Smiley) reported small craft warnings. Many divers decided to go out into the bay and dive anyway. Jerry Schull is glad he did because he shot an 18 lb Ling with his pole spear in 12 feet of water. Wayne (King Cong) Callen popped a nice 9 1/2 ” ab in 4 feet of water. Another surprise came on Sunday after the contest and after everyone had left. Frank Vanacore and his wife Marci were gone 45 minutes and came back with a 47 lb stringer of fish. Specifically, two Lings, one 19 lbs, and the other 28 lbs. First team entry of 13 teams was won by Tom Wattusch & John Yantis.

October – Business and Social meeting combined inot a monthly General Meeting held at Mountain Mike’s Pizza at Arden & Alta Arden.

December Christmas Party , Sacramento Horsemen’s Association on Longview Drive. Event Leader/s Yvonne Johnson & Marie Aubin. Cost $17.50 / person.
Member of the Year – Jack Millard
Frank Vanacore was awarded Big Fish of the Year with a Ling Cod weighing 28 lbs.
Wayne Callen took Big Ab of the Year Award with a 9.5 inch Ab.

1990

Board of Directors

President – Jack Millard
Vice President – Jim Farmer
Secretary – Janice Bucher
Treasurer – Margie Tomenko
Safety Officer – Bill Markham
Activity Chair – Skip Smiley

Members at Large – Wayne Whitney, Fred Knoles
Gordon Schneider, Vaughn Bedard
Editor – Janie Bucher & Frank Vanacore

February – Ski Trip to Sierra Ski Ranch Event Leader/s Mike Johnson

April – Easter Egg Hunt in Monterey at Macabee Beach. Awards Ceremony held at Tarantino’s Pizza. Event Leader/s John Payne & George Styer. Contest $5.00, dinner $6.00

May – Memorial Day Weekend camping and Diving at Lawson’s Landing. Event Leader/s Skip and Dianna Smiley.

June – Dive trip to Fort Bragg, camping at Schooner’s Landing, Event Leader/s Jack Millard

July – First Annual Dolphin Divers Halibut Hunt Event Leader/s Gordon Schneider.
Lake Tahoe Dive Event Leader/s Mike Johnson

August
Inland Lobster Feed at Lake Natomas Event Leader/s Jan Johnson and Skip Smiley

Jack organizes first annual Channel Island Boat Trip aboard the Conception August 19 – 21, 1990. This is the beginning of our largest fund raiser to date.

September – Spearfishing Contest held at Albion – Camping at Schooners Landing. Event Leader/s Gordon Schneider & Frank Vanacore. Big Fish was taken by Ken Takata with an 8.25 lb beauty, and Big Scallop went to Jan Johnson with a shell of 7 3/32″. First place team entry out of 9 teams went to Skip Smiley & Jan Johnson with 22.5 lbs of fish. The Ladies Desert Contest was won by Margie Tomenko for her Amoretto Cheesecake, and the Men’s Cooking Contest winner was Jan Johnson for his Venison stew.

October – First Halloween Party held at the Elks Lodge in Carmichael Event Leader/s Debby Millard

December – Christmas Party
Big Fish of the Year Award went to Ken Takata for a 8.25 lb fish
Big Ab of the Year Award was taken by Mike Beaman for a 9.625 Ab.
Member of the Year Award was given to Jack Millard

EDITOR’S NOTE
By: Joe Morgan

Each month I will be looking for submissions in the following categories:

• Trip Reviews: Let us know where you have been diving, what operator you used, the hotel you stayed at and how was the diving there. Let us know if the operator was safe and fun. Let us know if the hotel was a good deal, give us as much detail as possible and hopefully more Dolphin Divers will venture there in the future.
  
• Recipes: I was told that in the past Dolphin Divers gave each other SEAFOOD recipes that they loved so that everyone could enjoy the bounty of the sea, I hope to continue that each month with at least one good recipe.
  
• Dive and Camping yard-sale items you wish to include in the newsletter.
  
• Dive Activities: Please let me know if there are any dive-related activities you would like included in the newsletter.
  
• Pictures from your last dive. Please make sure to let me know how you would like the picture credited in the newsletter. -example – Picture by John Member, of a Silky Shark, at Roca Partida Mexico.

PLEASE MAIL ALL SUBMISSIONS TO

Editor@dolphindivers.org

DOLPHIN DIVERS OF SACRAMENTO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Owen Autry
Vice President: Ken Takata
Treasurer: Marlyn Sepulveda
Secretary: Elizabeth Marchiondo
Safety Officer: Brad Freelove
Activity Chair: Ilkan Cokgor
Webmaster: Renee Viehmann
Promotions Chair: Tracy Clarke
Newsletter Editor: Joe Morgan
Historian: Jack Millard
Member at Large: David Whiteside
Member at Large: Corinne Fuerst
Member at Large: Marylin Campbell
Member at Large: Steve Campbell
Member at Large: Lalanyia Little
Member at Large: Tom Mischley
Alternate Member at Large: Bob Taylor
Alternate Member at Large: Tom Oja