Dear Dolphin Divers of Sacramento,                                                                     November 1, 2024

Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada, marked by family gatherings, gratitude, and sharing a meal that traditionally includes turkey, stuffing, and an array of autumnal sides. Getting to eat your favorite family recipes. Rooted in early harvest celebrations, Thanksgiving offers a time to reflect on blessings, reconnect with loved ones, and practice gratitude. While it has evolved over the years, the holiday remains a symbol of community, resilience, and appreciation for both the earth’s bounty and the people who enrich our lives. For many, Thanksgiving is not just about the meal but about creating memories and traditions that endure across generations. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and time with your family.

Our Annual Christmas party is coming up on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at the Donte Club, and I encourage each of you to put it on your calendar. It’s always great fun! I will be hosting again this year and have been thinking about some new games and events for the evening. I am open to any suggestions from members too! The board is working on all the details and will have more information coming out soon.

I look forward to seeing you at the next general meeting and hope you will come and listen to our featured guest speaker. Please note, our next Dolphin Club General Meeting will be held in-person on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, from 6:00 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’s up!!

Owen Autry,

President

Safety Officer’s Message
By: Brad Freelove

Fireproof Battery Bags and Containers

Longtime member and good friend, Dave Whiteside brought to our attention his newest purchase.  Dave had picked up a fireproof battery bag.  The past few years have shown that some lithium (Lipo) batteries can catch fire when you least expect them to.  I have seen it happen twice.  Both times, the batteries were model 18650 and being used in underwater lights.  One battery caught fire while being recharged and the other battery got a little wet and was dropped on a rock, catching fire.  You can purchase the batteries for as little as $3.00 each.  Or you pay as much as $25.00 per battery for an OEM replacement and probably be a little safer.

Whichever way you go for batteries, cheap or expensive, I suggest that you pick up a fireproof bag to charge and store your rechargeable Lipo batteries.  The bags are not that expensive.  Should your batteries decide to catch fire, the bags will allow you some time to get rid of the problem. 

The bags come in a variety of sizes and shapes.  Amazon, Walmart, Harbor Freight, and eBay are some of the more well-known suppliers of Lipo containers.  I purchased my Lipo container from a local supplier.  Whenever I am charging any Lipo battery that I have doubts about, I try to do it outside with a smoke detector next to it.  I am not too worried about my cell phone or my weed-wacker batteries, but my dive lights have proven to be troublesome. 

Your choice on having a little more safety in your life but the internet is full of videos showing the results of improper charging, dropping, overheating, or some sort of damage to a battery causing a fire that water cannot put out.

QUOTES FROM THE SEA

“Each dive is a story captured forever.” – Unknown

“The ocean’s beauty isn’t just a vision, it’s a feeling.” – Unknown

“Diving is about exploring the depths of not just the sea, but your soul.” – Unknown

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

Underwater Pumpkin Carving 2024
Brad Freelove

Folsom Point Underwater Pumpkin Carving Dive

The water was very warm 70 degrees and the air temperature was nearing 80 degrees.  Six divers and eight shore trolls showed up to brave the murky waters of Folsom Lake.  Lots of pumpkin guts were scattered along the shore.  Along with the pumpkin killing, Sam found a SUP paddle!  Thanks to all the divers that showed up to have some fun. 

Photos provided by Corinne and Brooke.  Thanks for helping.

Oh, Chris was the winner of the adult contest and Joe took first place for the kid’s division.

Shore security provided by Teddy Fuerst.

Member News

November 2024 Birthdays

Mark Naber 1st
Leonard Susbilla 12th
Jason Hamilton 18th
Burce Robbins 18th
Charlie Rojas 21st
Dennis Little 23rd
Pam Carlson November (?)

October 2024 New Members

No New Members

AS MEMBERS, REMEMBER WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO GROW OUR “DOLPHIN DIVERS FAMILY” SO PLEASE REACH OUT TO OTHER DIVERS AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE CLUB WHENEVER YOU GET THE CHANCE.

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

WE LOST A MEMBER OF THE POD

Phil Wagner, 1947 – 2024, was a Dolphin Dive Club member through the 80’s and 90’s. He passed on October 28 after a long battle with Parkinsons.

Phil and I worked together at John Taylor Fertilizers, in Rio Linda, where we met in the late 70’s and became best friends. We were both working one Saturday in the summer of 1984 when Phil was reading the paper and saw an ad for SCUBA lessons. He looked at me and asked if I had ever been interested in learning to dive. I replied “YES” enthusiastically because SCUBA had been one of my dreams since I was about 12. We both signed up for classes and finished our certification dives at Van Damme State Park.  The next year we spent most weekends driving to Fort Bragg with our families and diving in Van Damme. We both logged over 100 dives that first year. I drove an old station wagon, at the time, and we would pack over 12 tanks and all our gear for SCUBA and camping, along with our growing families, for the long drive to Van Damme.

Phil was very active in the club during 80’s serving on several Boards in different positions. He and I joined the club in early 1985 and were immediately drafted to share the position of Activity Chair. The big event for DDS at the time was the Memorial Day weekend Carp Shoot at Comanche Lake. This was a fund raiser open to all divers, and we had to get written permission from Comanche Lake Resorts, East Bay MUD (owner of the Lake) and the Department of Fish and Game. Since we both worked in agriculture, and spring is a busy time, only one of us could get the weekend off, it was Phil.  Also: in November of the 1984 Phil was the Best Man at my wedding to Debby. (This has made it very easy to remember when I was married 😊)

Phil, wearing a Dolphin hat during a club campout.

We partnered in leading several annual events, including the Underwater Easter Egg Hunt and the Labor Day Spearfishing Contest. It was Phil’s wife, Leronne, and Marie Aubin (now Vanacore) who were feeling left out while most of the guys and a few women went diving, so they came up with the idea of a Men’s Cooking Contest. Naturally this became more and more competitive, especially when all the women in camp would stop by every guy as he was cooking and expect a “bribe”. Before the guys were done cooking there were a lot of inebriated women wandering around camp.

Phil getting ready for his participation in one of the Labor Day cookoffs

Phil was on one of the Channel Island dive trips the club sponsored in the early 90’s when he and his buddy became disoriented and his buddy offered to surface to get a heading on the dive boat. A stiff current and wind had come up and the buddy was pushed too far from Phil to go back down. Phil eventually surfaced to find his buddy when he, too, got caught in the current. Running low on air Phil was swept around a point from the boat and panicked after swallowing salt water. This was pretty much the end of his diving because even though he tried again several times, the memory of panic kept returning.

I’ll miss you buddy!!                     Jack Millard

November Meeting

Our November meeting will be held on November 20th at Round Table Pizza @ 9500-1 Greenback lane in Folsom.
We will be having our annual underwater photo contest. Please come and vote for your favorites. We look forward to seeing you there.

Just Laugh

Mark your calendars…
The Dolphin Divers Christmas Party
is right around the corner.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

For the full view click here…

Nov 20, 2024	DDS General Meeting	Round Table	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Photo Contest, Member of the year awards, Unexpected UW Events Presentation
Dec. 7th 2024	DDS Christmas Party	Dante Club	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Tickets on sale
Dec. 15th 2024	DDS Board Meeting Board Christmas	Doug’s Home	Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Jan. 1st. 2025	DDS Board Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Jan. 15th. 2025	DDS General Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Speaker Needed
Jan. 15th. 2025	Pt. Lobos Dive to Celebrate Jack’s Birthday	Point Lobos	Jack Millard	(916) 955-8017 jbmillard@aol.com
Feb. 5th. 2025	DDS Board Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Feb. 19th., 2025	General Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Walter Marti, Black Water Photography
Mar. 5, 2025	DDS Board Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com
Mar. 19, 2025	General Meeting		Owen Autry	(916) 955-9105 ocautry@gmail.com	Erica Bishop-Water Forum

EDITOR’S NOTE
By: Joe Morgan

I’M 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: Brad Freelove / Corinne Fuerst
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