Dear Dolphin Divers of Sacramento,                                                                               November 2023

Fall is in full swing…and after last year’s wet season, we are experiencing lots of beautiful fall colors in California this year! I hope you’ve had time to enjoy the colors this year. I just returned from visiting my nephew and his family in Fairfax, Virginia, timing it perfectly with the weather in the 80’s and the gorgeous fall colors. I forgot how vibrant the deep reds and yellow leaves pepper the trees with the green backdrop. I have seen a lot of pictures of the fall on the east coast, but getting to see it in person just gives me so much joy as we swing into Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Did I say Christmas? That means it’s time to mark your calendars for the Dolphin Divers of Sacramento’s annual Christmas party, scheduled for Saturday December 9, 2023 at 5:00pm at the Dante Event Center in Sacramento. If you have not attended in the past, it is a time to celebrate the past year with dinner, prizes, awards, and a fun game or two. The Dante Event Center is located at 2330 Fair Oaks Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95825. More information to come after next week’s board meeting as we make plans for the dinner and the event.

Please note, our next Dolphin Club General Meeting will be held in-person on Wednesday, November 15^th, 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 on the day of the meeting. You will not want to miss this meeting…everyone is welcome to join!

Hope to see you in the water and bubble up!!

Owen Autry,

President

QUOTES FROM THE SEA

“I’m pretty sure my birthstone is a sea shell.” – Unknown

“I believe in the ocean curing all bad moods. I believe in the waves wiping away worries. I believe in seashells bringing good luck. I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul.” – Unknown

“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Please send in your favorite “Quotes from the Sea” if you have not already seen them here. I am always looking for more.

Safety Officer’s Message
By: Brad Freelove

Strobe Lights for Diving

For your day and night dive safety, you might want to carry an underwater strobe.  During your night dive, having a strobe attached to your tank makes you very visible to your buddy, anyone on the shore or a boat.  Most liveaboard boats require a strobe or constant light source to be attached to your tank during a dusk or night dive.  A constant source of light might be either battery or chemical powered.  Strobes are electric.  This light source can be a life saver if you get separated from your boat or get caught in a current while doing a shore night dive. 

Depending upon your liveaboard’s policy, they may require you to have a battery-operated strobe or light source instead of a chemical light.  I prefer an electric strobe over a chem light.  Chem lights have a limited shelf life and can be used just one time.  An electric light source can be powered by rechargeable batteries, so nothing goes into the garbage at the end of the dive.  Electric lights are much brighter than chem lights, a big plus for emergency situations. 

Battery powered lights should be taken on several day dives before you trust one on a night dive.  You want to make sure that the batteries will last for the length of your dive, and you do not want to have a light that floods.  I carry a strobe tucked away in my BCD, on every dive.  The strobe has a line that allows me to attach it to my BCD or my surface marker buoy (SMB).  If I get carried away by the currents, the strobe lets everyone know where I am.  The strobe is a larger one that is visible over a mile away during the day and several miles at night.  I use a small one attached to my tank for dusk or night dives, but my large strobe is always with me. 

Check with Dolphin Scuba on reliable strobes.  Dolphin can give you up-to-date information on what brands and models are suited for your diving requirements.

Pictures From : Underwater Pumpkin Carving
October 22nd – Folsom Point

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MEMBERS YARD SALE

7MM Aqua Lung Wet Suit size XLS $100.00 No Hood

5MM Aqua Lung Wet Suit size 2XL $100.00  No Hood

Lave Core Vest  Size XL $50.00

Call David Whiteside to arrange to try on at 916-730-8282

Black Friday Swap Meet at Dolphin Scuba Center November 24, 2023

SWAP MEET

The Door opens at 9AM at Dolphin Scuba Center for all of their Raffles and SCUBAPRO  updates.  The club will have some tables set up some tables near the front door for sales and giveaways of Used Scuba Gear.  If you have some old gear you are not using or do not use, please bring as we will try to sell it for you.  You just need to tell us (David Whiteside or Brad Freelove) what you want to sell or give the gear away.  That way you can go in and enjoy the raffles, Classes or the SeaLife Camera Tutorial.  Please arrive early as to limited parking next to the shop.  We plan to stay open until all gear is gone or no more customers.  The shop will have many items on sale. The swap meet may  provide you with some cash for new equipment.

INSIDE THE STORE

Raffles – Sealife Camera Tutorial – Sales – and More!!!

FROM DOLPHIN SCUBA – You pick two courses for only $199.97! Earn your SSI Specialty Diver rating, earn two certifications, make some new dive buddies, and save big – all within a single weekend! 

Spaces are limited so we’re opening the calendar now to schedule our SSI Specialty Diver certification classes for the Black Friday weekend. For only $199.97 (yes – this includes the eLearning materials for both of your classes, too!) select two classes from our choice of:

Perfect Buoyancy – Computer Diver – Equipment Techniques -Enriched Air Nitrox 

Schedule: 

Friday, Nov. 24th 
11:00am – 1:00pm – Perfect Buoyancy
11:00am – 12:00pm – Enriched Air Nitrox
2:00pm – 3:00pm – Equipment Techniques
2:00pm – 3:00pm Computer Diving 

Saturday, Nov. 25th 
8:00am – 10:00am – Perfect Buoyancy 
9:00am – 10:00am Equipment Techniques 
11:00am – 12:00pm Enriched Air Nitrox 
1:00pm – 2:00pm Computer Diving 

With most of these classes starting at $250 each, before eLearning materials, two classes with their eLearning materials at only $199.97 is savings we can only offer once a year! 

Have any questions or ready to sign up? 

Give us a call at 916-929-8188 or stop by the shop today! 

Another River Dive
By: Brad Freelove

The Great American River Clean Up dive was Saturday, the 24^th.  On Sunday the 25^th. Jack Millard, Kenny Carraher, and I went back into the river and dove between the highway 160 bridges and the train and bike bridges just upstream from the 160 set.  The American River Parkway Foundation asked that we check out the bottom to see what kind of stuff we saw.  Captain Kenny and crew launched from Discovery and headed upstream.  Between the two sets of bridges, we dove mostly on the south side.  The north side of the river is the residence of many campers, and we did not want to disturb them.  Jack did make a dive on that side, but the campers did not see him as he was underwater.  Lots of shopping carts and bicycle parts along the bottom.  The combination of chopping carts and limited visibility made for a somewhat spooky environment. 

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On the south side, we found all sorts of human refuse.  The usual cans, bottles, plastic, clothing, umbrellas, computers……..and over 2 gallons of golf balls!  Golf ball makers estimate that golfers “misplace” over 300 million balls each year.  As many balls contain plastics, pulling out the balls reduces the amount of plastic headed to the ocean.  We did find the two sunken boats that rest on the bottom. 

The visibility was almost 5 ft if you did not stir up the bottom.  After doing that, the vis. dropped to less than a foot.  The water temperature was 65 degrees. As you can see from the photos, all sorts of junk were brought up.

Thanks to Kenny and Jack for helping out for 2 days in a row. 

Pictures from the Deep

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POOR MAN’S LOBSTER
Recipe By: Ken Takata

POOR MAN’S LOBSTER

Cabezon or Halibut
DESCRIPTION: This is about as close in taste and texture to real lobster as you can get.
INGREDIENTS:
2 qt. water
½ c. sugar
¼ c. salt
1 lb. Halibut or Cabazon – skinned fillet (I think Cabazon has the closest texture and taste to lobster)
1 cube (stick) REAL butter
1-2 fresh lemons

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium-large pot add water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cut fillets into 2-3 large pieces (so it cooks faster) and add to boiling pot. Boil for about 5-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked. In the meantime melt butter in a pot*, but do not boil. Remove fish from water, squeeze a little lemon on it and serve with melted butter. I like to completely submerge my fish in the melted butter, much like you would with lobster.

*You can purchase clarified butter at Trader Joe’s, Costco, at an Indian food store. It is called Ghee.

KELP RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

2023 Club Photo Contest

Entries are already in for this years Photo contest, but remember that the winners are chosen by you, the Club members.   

Photos will be judged by the General membership during the November 15, 2023, meeting and by email from November 16-23, 2023.  

Please be sure to attend the November meeting and vote for your favorites.

Member News

November Birthdays:
Sian Magee
Ray Brown
Pam Carlson
Heather Esemann
Jennifer Gaffey
Jason Hamilton
Amanda Diamond
Dennis Little
Declan Little
Leonard Susbilla

New Members:
Dennis Gatchalian
Larry & Debi Goldsmith
John Steenkolk

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

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE PLEASE CLICK HERE

Nov. 1, 2023	DDS Board	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Nov. 15, 2023	DDS General Meeting	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Steven Bruegman, Introducing youth to SCUBA diving with the SCUBA Explorer program
Nov. 24, 2023	Swap meet	Brad Freelove	(916) 879-3853 bradlinda@frontiernet.com
Dec. 6, 2023	DDS Board	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Dec. 9, 2023	Christmas Party	Event Leader Needed
Dec. 13, 2023	DDS Gen Meeting	NO MEETING	NO MEETING	General Meeting Not Held in December

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Ready to go to the party!? Pay securely here:

EDITOR’S NOTE
By: Joe Morgan

I AM LOOKING FOR MEMBERS TO SEND IN PICTURES OF DIVING, DIVING VACATIONS ETC.

• 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: David Whiteside
Webmaster: Renee Viehmann
Promotions Chair: Tracy Clarke
Newsletter Editor: Joe Morgan
Historian: Jack Millard
Member at Large: Tom Mischley
Member at Large: Lalanyia Little
Member at Large: Ed Hurff
Member at Large: Sally Walters
Member at Large: Douglas Hillblom
Alternate Member at Large: Corinne Fuerst