What a great showing we had last night. Thanks to all 25 people that showed up to show your support. Also, thanks goes out to the emails and phone calls in support, for those that where unable to make this event. I will go into more detail in my Enews about how it all shook out. Yes, the Enews will be out soon. There is quite a bit to report on this time. All the latest dive gear from DEMA, upcoming classes and trips. Of course, we will also have a list of the next upcoming Group Gone Diving dives.
The Bench dive for December is up for discussion. What would you like to do? I have heard bowling, Movie night (renting some scuba flick) game/costume party/potluck. Let me know what you would like to do to keep them going.
Koons and Jake are going to be doing some exploration dives on Sunday. Hopefully one of them will blog on here to let you know the date and time. Last night they said 3pm at Boulevard Park. Make sure you have a surface flag float when diving out there.
What are you going to be for Halloween? Post your pictures tomorrow of you dressed up! We can have a costume party and vote on the best costume. You have until midnight on Halloween to post your costume. If you have problems posting just email them to me and I will post them.
Now go spook someone!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Diving Buddies Weekly!
So...
In the spirit of Group Gone Diving...
I'd like to start a weekly Buddy thread, for people trying to find buddies to go diving with. Hopefully these weekly threads will help people connect for places and times to go diving, in addition to all the great Group Gone Diving adventures that are scheduled.
Check the weekly thread and post your interests in diving!
Speaking of...
Who want's to go diving this Sunday at Porteau Cove in B.C. for Group Gone Diving?
In the spirit of Group Gone Diving...
I'd like to start a weekly Buddy thread, for people trying to find buddies to go diving with. Hopefully these weekly threads will help people connect for places and times to go diving, in addition to all the great Group Gone Diving adventures that are scheduled.
Check the weekly thread and post your interests in diving!
Speaking of...
Who want's to go diving this Sunday at Porteau Cove in B.C. for Group Gone Diving?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Gman's Adventures
greetings charlynn
and fellow gone divers. it has been a couple weeks since my last communication and since i have spent some time in the caribean; hiking, swimming, snorkling, drinking, and of course diving.
charlynn, i must thank you for your tutelage and all of the energy and attention that you put into your diving, teaching and your gone divers. i did 2 dives out of taganga, colombia with a decent outfit, there were many to choose from in taganga. the first dive was awesome, max depth of 75ft, bottom time 57min, visibility at 40-50ft. since i have never been diving outside of the pacific northwest everything i saw on the dive was new to me, as well as the 3mm shorty wet suit. we saw puffer fish, morray eels, another type of eel that had a goatie, parrot fish, and even an octopus amongst massive amounts of coral. they provided us lunch at a secluded cabana where we did some cliff jumping and then off to dive number 2.
there were 3 divers and an instructor on the trip, a down right dude from canada with a scottish accent and this dude from holland who was my dive buddy. we met in the dive shop before we left and the first thing that he said to me was "be sure and stay close to your buddy", i thought of course and he proceeded to inform me that it is south america and they have different rules and ways of life and the situation can turn in an instant, so i took his advice and stayed close and kept an eye on him as well. so we get to the dive sight and the helpers on the boat had switched out our tanks for us while we were eating lunch, i noticed and thus did some extra checks and adjusting before we entered the water. so, i distinctly recall turning on my air in my checks, got in the water, helper dudes inflated my bcd and dropped it in the water for me, put it on, checked my guage, and submerged with the crew. when we got to depth, 35ft, i took some breaths and attempted to neutralize my bouancy when the air stopped. i immediatly thought to drop my weights and head to the surface but paul was close and i made it to his octopus and had him check my air... it was off, the helper dudes, just trying to help, had turned it off thinking they were turning it on. everything was fine in the end but the experience had put me in a fowl mood for the 45min dive following and every little thing bugged me after that and didnt necessarily ruin the dive but didnt allow me to enjoy it. for most of my dive, though i was reflecting on all of the extra energy and attention that charlynn and her entourage of dive experts and entusaists pay to their fellow students and gone divers. not everyone is there to make sure that you are safe and especially to make sure that when something does happen under water, that you have the knowledge and the confidence to handle whatever may come your way... and you will have that time when not everything goes according to plan or flows perfectly, this was not my first potentially bad dive experience and i dont expect it to be my last which means you will be seeing me in the water again and again and again and again, and i hope to see you all at my next gone diving upon my return to the states in december. so remember, you cant check your equipment too much, especially if it is not your own.
i love you guys, and all hale charlynn, queen of all sea-ciety
johnnnnnnnnnnnn
and fellow gone divers. it has been a couple weeks since my last communication and since i have spent some time in the caribean; hiking, swimming, snorkling, drinking, and of course diving.
charlynn, i must thank you for your tutelage and all of the energy and attention that you put into your diving, teaching and your gone divers. i did 2 dives out of taganga, colombia with a decent outfit, there were many to choose from in taganga. the first dive was awesome, max depth of 75ft, bottom time 57min, visibility at 40-50ft. since i have never been diving outside of the pacific northwest everything i saw on the dive was new to me, as well as the 3mm shorty wet suit. we saw puffer fish, morray eels, another type of eel that had a goatie, parrot fish, and even an octopus amongst massive amounts of coral. they provided us lunch at a secluded cabana where we did some cliff jumping and then off to dive number 2.
there were 3 divers and an instructor on the trip, a down right dude from canada with a scottish accent and this dude from holland who was my dive buddy. we met in the dive shop before we left and the first thing that he said to me was "be sure and stay close to your buddy", i thought of course and he proceeded to inform me that it is south america and they have different rules and ways of life and the situation can turn in an instant, so i took his advice and stayed close and kept an eye on him as well. so we get to the dive sight and the helpers on the boat had switched out our tanks for us while we were eating lunch, i noticed and thus did some extra checks and adjusting before we entered the water. so, i distinctly recall turning on my air in my checks, got in the water, helper dudes inflated my bcd and dropped it in the water for me, put it on, checked my guage, and submerged with the crew. when we got to depth, 35ft, i took some breaths and attempted to neutralize my bouancy when the air stopped. i immediatly thought to drop my weights and head to the surface but paul was close and i made it to his octopus and had him check my air... it was off, the helper dudes, just trying to help, had turned it off thinking they were turning it on. everything was fine in the end but the experience had put me in a fowl mood for the 45min dive following and every little thing bugged me after that and didnt necessarily ruin the dive but didnt allow me to enjoy it. for most of my dive, though i was reflecting on all of the extra energy and attention that charlynn and her entourage of dive experts and entusaists pay to their fellow students and gone divers. not everyone is there to make sure that you are safe and especially to make sure that when something does happen under water, that you have the knowledge and the confidence to handle whatever may come your way... and you will have that time when not everything goes according to plan or flows perfectly, this was not my first potentially bad dive experience and i dont expect it to be my last which means you will be seeing me in the water again and again and again and again, and i hope to see you all at my next gone diving upon my return to the states in december. so remember, you cant check your equipment too much, especially if it is not your own.
i love you guys, and all hale charlynn, queen of all sea-ciety
johnnnnnnnnnnnn
Vegas Baby
Viva Las Vegas! Yes, we are in Vegas. As I type this right now, I am sitting on the balcony of our hotel in my swim suit. I am sweating profusely with my computer on my lap. I thought I would give you all an update of what Vegas is doing today. Sunny. I guess they stop using air conditioners around here. With global warming happening, Vegas is doing there part. Since they can't turn out their lights to save on energy. They have turned off the air conditoners. I guess what I am saying is that I didn't pack real well. I did bring 4 pair of shoes with me though!Here is a view from our hotel, the fabulous Sahara!
Tomorrow we have lots of seminars to attend and walk the floor. I will let you know what cool things are out in the world of scuba that you don't quite know about yet. Jake, CAndy and myself are out to go look for a costume for me!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Post UWPCC
Awesome showing for the third annual UWPCC at Rosario Beach. What a great time we had, along with beautiful weather. We met at 10ish and helped load over supplies over to the picnic tables, buddied up and let the game begin. The rules were simple. One hour to gut, trace, walk down to the beach, dive under the water, carve pumpkin under the water, make sure it sinks, come back to shore, climb back up the hill and put your masterpiece on the table.
The teams that competed:
Killers: Zack & Mike
HipHopOpotomis: Disco & Caiti
Knicho: Wes & Techno
The 3 sum: Jason K, Chris & Jake
Randy Quaide: Josh & John
Good Question: Tim & Tara
Sexy Utters: Al & Brit
Our NonDivers/Shore support:
Haley
Jodi
Scott
Jason F
Chuck
Taylor
Anne
Trevor
Lindsey
John
Karin
The pumpkins are on display at Gone Diving if you want to come by and check them out.
This weekend coming up is Edmonds Underwater Park. Meeting at Gone Diving at 7am, Edmonds at 9am. There was talk of going to Canada for a charter but not enough interest was shown.
Candy, Jake and myself leave for Vegas, Monday night for DEMA. We are going to go check out the latest and greatest in the diving industry. If there is anything you are interested in I can keep you updated from the show. Since I am unable to be apart from my computer to long.
If anyone has any other pictures from this weekend post them to me and I will get them up.
Thanks again to everyone who showed up. You guys rock!
The teams that competed:
Killers: Zack & Mike
HipHopOpotomis: Disco & Caiti
Knicho: Wes & Techno
The 3 sum: Jason K, Chris & Jake
Randy Quaide: Josh & John
Good Question: Tim & Tara
Sexy Utters: Al & Brit
Our NonDivers/Shore support:
Haley
Jodi
Scott
Jason F
Chuck
Taylor
Anne
Trevor
Lindsey
John
Karin
The pumpkins are on display at Gone Diving if you want to come by and check them out.
This weekend coming up is Edmonds Underwater Park. Meeting at Gone Diving at 7am, Edmonds at 9am. There was talk of going to Canada for a charter but not enough interest was shown.
Candy, Jake and myself leave for Vegas, Monday night for DEMA. We are going to go check out the latest and greatest in the diving industry. If there is anything you are interested in I can keep you updated from the show. Since I am unable to be apart from my computer to long.
If anyone has any other pictures from this weekend post them to me and I will get them up.
Thanks again to everyone who showed up. You guys rock!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
UWPCC #3
Things to know about the park situation. I have paid for a park permit for us to use the park with restrooms. The gate will still be closed. If you have a wagon, cart or anything with wheels that can help haul in dive gear, that would be really appreciated if you brought it along. If it is not a great weather day, we will setup potluck items under the covered picnic area. Remember, this is a chili cook off also, for those that think that make good chili. If it is a absolutely fabulous day, I will bring my EZ up and we will setup on top of the hill with the picnic tables. I am sure we will get it figured out when we get there.
Rules of participation: must have c-card, bring your own pumpkin, do not pre-carve or trace on your pumpkin before the start. There will be a set carving time where you gut your pumpkins, gear up, get into the water and be back to shore. Must have a buddy system in place. If you don't have a buddy, don't worry we can get you one.
Just so you know what some of us are planning for the rest of the weekend, in case you want to join us. After the carving activities, some will dive Rosario. Plans for a night dive at Langley Tire Reef. We will be camping at Deception state park Saturday night. I am not sure what is going on for diving on Sunday. I am flying out on Monday so no diving for me! I am off to Vegas to get the best costume ever! Ok, maybe not the best.
Let me know what you planning on bringing for food wise and who is coming.
If you would like to purchase an UWPCC T-shirt let me know what size and quantity. The order will be placed Monday after the event.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
adventures of scott and jake
Jake and I went to check out a new dive site today. Wow the visibility was very good 50+ feet. The name of the site was 100' rock in Lynnwood. The entry and exit was a challenge as we had to walk 100 + yards then climb down some big rocks to get to the water. It sounds like work but it was worth it. One giant rock surrounded by sandstone cliffs with holes. The rock was about 30' tall and about 100' around. Covered with life: tunicates, nudibranchs, sponges and even a grunt sculpin. The cliffs surrounding the rock had tons of life in the holes: gunnels, sculpins and a juvenile wolf eel. The base of the rock was in 90 to 100 feet of water. For a shore dive I rate this in my top ten.
Please join us next week for Underwater Pumpkin Carving or on the 25th for Group Gone Diving at Brackets landing (Edmonds underwater park).
A big shout out to the new divers that finished up today see you underwater soon.
Ask Jake about his new 2nd stage.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Bench Dive October 29th, 6:30pm
What do you think about an underwater park in Bellingham?
Mark your calendars for October 29th, 6:30pm at Gone Diving. The Port of Bellingham is coming in and talking to us about the direction the Waterfront is going. This will be a really exciting event since we will get a sneak peak of what the city has planned for the new waterfront property. The best thing, is that we will get to talk to him about the possibility of doing an underwater park. Similar to what the city of Edmonds has done. Tell everyone you know that might be interested about this event. If we have a great showing the Port might be just as excited about this project as all of you are! Get ready to bring all your ideas to the table.
Mark your calendars for October 29th, 6:30pm at Gone Diving. The Port of Bellingham is coming in and talking to us about the direction the Waterfront is going. This will be a really exciting event since we will get a sneak peak of what the city has planned for the new waterfront property. The best thing, is that we will get to talk to him about the possibility of doing an underwater park. Similar to what the city of Edmonds has done. Tell everyone you know that might be interested about this event. If we have a great showing the Port might be just as excited about this project as all of you are! Get ready to bring all your ideas to the table.
On another note. It was recently just brought to my attention that Rosario Beach is closed for the winter. What does this mean to us as divers? I called the Parks department and talked with the main guy to find out what the story was. The gates and restrooms will not be opened for the winter. You can still access the park but you must park outside the gates. Okay, now you might be asking, what about our Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest? No worries, I took care of it. I applied for a special day use permit. This will grant us the privilege of using the facilitates with parking inside the park and use of the restrooms.
One other thing to mention. I am thinking about doing a charter out of Horseshoe Bay on the SeaDragon on October 25th. I know Scott has planned a dive to Edmonds Underwater Park already but for those who have been to Edmonds already, here is another option. Let me know ASAP if you are interested. We need 8 of us total to pull it off.
Alright already, get out there and go diving!
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