lunarscope · lunarscope february 2015 3 pending trips and events july or august, 2015 the 14th...
TRANSCRIPT
Lunarscope February 2015 1
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 11
Lunarfins, a non-profit club that promotes the sport of scuba
diving.
Our presentation speaker at the February 11th meeting will be Rich Wooten, who is a Health & Wellness Coordinator of the incredible Wounded Warrior Project. He will explain activities that the Project provides to help veterans participate in free activities that give them a healthy lifestyle. Water sports such as scuba diving are now being introduced to veterans as an enjoyable activity that provides both mental & physical development. March will be election of officers, so February’s meeting is important for nominations. See page 2 for the positions that need filling.
General Meeting Information
Where: Clear Lake Park; 5001 NASA Road 1, on the South
(lake) side of NASA Road One.
When: Second Wednesday of each month at 7 PM except in
December. Come early for a social time at 6:30 PM. Join us
afterward at Mario’s in Seabrook for food, drink and camara-
derie.
FEBRUARY 2015 Lunarscope
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Events Calendar .................... 2
Club Officers .......................... 2
Pending Trips and Events .... 3
TGCC Banquet………...…….4
Club Sponsored Trip….…….5
Pending Dive Shop Trips ..... 6
Continuing Education .......... 7
Recent Surface Interval ......... 8
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
Moody Aquarium Tour
TGCC Scholarships
Proposed expansion of
FGBNMS
Lunarfins
P.O.Box 57514
Webster TX 77598-7514
Lunarfins Board Meetings are held the last Tuesday each month at 6:30 PM.
Arrive at 6 to order your supper.
Tony’s BBQ 17052 Saturn Ln If you have an issue to bring before the board,
contact any board member to get on the agenda.
Lunarscope February 2015 2
Elected Officers:
** indicates officers that are term limited ## those who are stepping down
President ## Randy Widaman [email protected]
Vice President ** Mike Peters [email protected]
Secretary ## Karen Bush [email protected]
Treasurer John Gorman [email protected]
Social Director Barbara Corbin [email protected]
Equipment ** Mike Smith [email protected]
Appointed:
Training Information Bill Jones [email protected]
Trip Information Open
TGCC Representative Tom Burns [email protected]
Advisors Fred Toole & George Clark
Newsletter Polly Swerdlin [email protected]
& Website Editor 281-814-4606
Events Calendar
(Tentative plans)
Feb 21 Moody Gardens Tour
Mar 22 Sunday Brunch
Apr 8 Open House
Apr 27 JSC Health & Safety Day
May 9 Blue Lagoon
May 31– Jun 7 Little Cayman
Trip
Jul 18 Pot Luck Picnic
Aug
Sep Beach Party
Oct
Nov Happy Hour
Dec Christmas Party Membership Directory Update!
It’s been a couple years since our
membership directory was updat-
ed and so we are working on an
update to come out in March 2015!
If you want to be included in the di-
rectory and want a copy there are a
couple actions you need to do!!
1) Be a current member as of
March 2015 (RENEW NOW!)
2) Select the information to show
in the directory on your re-
newal form. (Only members
who chose to be shown in the
directory will get a copy of the
directory.)
Membership Application
This link will download the file to
your computer.
Available at meetings:
Lunarfin embroidered logo shirts $15. two small (gold,
light blue), one men's medium (aqua blue).
Stickers for sale ($1 ea).
See Barbara at any Lunarfin event or email: [email protected]
Lunarscope February 2015 3
Pending Trips and Events
July or August, 2015
The 14th Annual Bill Jones Cozumel Vacation
These trips have been named the most popular “all inclusive” scuba diving vacation package in Houston. We have had more than 385 travelers enjoy the fantastic value of this vacation.
Visit http://home.comcast.net/~bill.jones.scubaguy/ for the latest plus any classes offered.
Tickets are on sale SOON.
Tickets will sell-out weeks before the travel date.
May 31 - June 7, 2015
The 2nd Annual Lunarfins Club Trip
Little Cayman Beach Resort—See page 5 for details
Last year we went to Cayman Brac for the “sister” resort of this year’s choice.
It was a grand time had by all who went. The savings generated if we have
12 divers will be spread evenly. You are responsible for booking your own
air fare, but prices and flights will be researched and published.
(we need a roommate for one male diver)
February 21 at noon
Moody Gardens Aquarium Tour
http://www.moodygardens.com
It will cost $20pp which includes admission
to the Aquarium.
We need RSVPs by February 14 to
our Social Director – Barbara Corbin
Lunarscope February 2015 4
TGCC AWARDS BANQUET
(by Fred Toole)
The Texas Gulf Coast Council
of Dive Clubs held it’s annual
Awards Banquet at the Bay-
land Community Center near
Bellaire on January 31. The Center did an outstanding
job in accommodating the group of Houston divers. The
event was a great success with Lunarfins enjoying the
camaraderie of members from other dive clubs in the
Houston area.
Prior to the ceremony, everyone feasted on an “all you
can eat” buffet prepared by Todd Rushing. During the
ceremony, the Council and clubs recognized members for
their contributions in 2014. Again this year Lunarfins had
the largest attendance. Clubs present included Lunarfins,
HUPS, and CHUM.
TGCC presented Lunarfins members
George Clark with a Service Award as outgoing 2nd Vice
President and Tom Burns a Lifetime Achievement award.
Lunarfins presented Barbara Corbin with the 2014
Member of the Year Plaque .
Recent Surface Interval
Lunarscope February 2015 5
Little Cayman Beach Resort
May 31-June 7, 2015
$1879pp, plus air
(non-diver package also available)
Little Cayman Beach Resort is the only deluxe full service resort on Little Cayman. Workout at the fully equipped fitness center, or pamper yourself with a massage or facial at the health and beauty center. Play a game of tennis on the night lit tennis courts, or try your hand at horseshoes, tetherball, basketball or beach volleyball. There is snorkel equipment as well as sailboats, kayaks and paddleboats. Take a vigorous swim in the freshwater swimming pool, relax in the heated jacuzzi, walk or play on the 500 feet of stunning white sand beach, or just relax in a hammock or soak up the warm sunshine in one of the poolside lounge chairs. Little Cayman Beach Resort has been rated as the number one
resort destination in the Caribbean for wall diving, number two for favorite reef diving, and within the top five for advanced diving, sea life and underwater photography. Little Cayman offers over 100 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish just offshore. The on-site Reef Divers has everything needed for the avid diver, including a fleet of modern customized dive boats, professional guides and dive instructors, plus a complete inventory of dive gear. The Beach Nuts Bar offers cool drinks which can be enjoyed at the bar or pool side. And as the sun begins to set, you'll enjoy a wide variety of gourmet specialties, delicious fresh seafood and sumptuous island favorites in the air conditioned Bird of Paradise Restaurant. The menu is changed daily, so you'll never tire of the chef's creations. $50 deposit per person is required by January 25, with final payment due on March 20. Discount of $156pp to above price for every 11 booked. We recommend all divers have DAN or Dive Assure membership and Travelers insurance.
Contact Barbara Corbin or Polly Swerdlin (email on website & newsletter) for more information.
Clearly Cayman Package 7 nights accommodations 17 boat dives Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily Airport ground transfers Hotel tax & service charges 3 COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS DAILY* Welcome Rum Punch Managers Cocktail Reception *Drink package includes beer, house wine or well drinks, bottled water, soda & juices*
Resort Web Page
Lunarscope February 2015 6
LOCAL TRIPS
Flower Gardens
Texas Coral Reefs
Texas Dive Center www.txdivecenter.com
281-741-9949
Shoving off on the
Easy Diver
Sport Divers www.sportdivers.com
281-338-1611
Our trips are generally
30 miles offshore,
although longer trips
or three tank dives
can be arranged.
Freeport to the Rigs
Weekends that
weather allows $250 pp - $15
additional for tanks Rig diving day trips by
Captain Beard
Charters www.captainbeardchar
ters.com
832-603-1698
Trips Offered By Dive Shops etc
OceanicVentures
Selected Escorted Adventures: Cozumel March - Grand Cayman May - Fiji July
[email protected] for more information
REEF Trips There is always this web page to check out for Dive Vacations That Count: www.reef.org/trips
Island Dreams April 8-21 Galleon Resort, Puerto Galera, Philippines July 5-12 Galapagos with Secret Sea Visions www.divetrip.com
Gigglin Marlin February 21-28 Tech diving in Cozumel
May 2-7 Key Largo, Marathon and Key West www.gigglinmarlin.com
Maximum Scuba Feb 21 – Mar 1 Bonaire http://maximum-scuba.com
INTERNATIONAL
Lunarscope February 2015 7
Advice from the Ocean
Be shore of yourself Come out of your shell
Take time to relax and coast Avoid pier pressure
Sea life's beauty Don't get tide down
Make waves!
1. National marine sanctuaries protect natural and historical resources including: A. Coral reefs. B. Archaeological treasures. C. Shipwrecks. D. Fish populations. E. All of the above.
2. A composite of certifying agency statistics places the average age of scuba instructors in the United States at: A. 28 years. B. 38 years. C. 48 years. D. 58 years. 3. A certified dive master may be authorized to assist instructors by guiding students on underwa-ter tours and teaching certain training activities under the direct or indirect supervision of an in-structor from that agency. A. True B. False 4. An example of a laterally compressed fish would be a: A. Damselfish. B. Triggerfish. C. Pufferfish. D. A and B are correct. E. B and C are correct. 5. Fish have more muscle mass per weight than any other vertebrate. A. True B. False 6. A fish's muscle fibers are bundled into three-dimensional, W-shaped blocks called: A. Macrocyts. B. Ketolynes. C. Myotomes. D. Kinesthes. 7. Several recent studies have confirmed that performing safety stops deeper than the generally accepted "10-15 feet" allows nitrogen to escape a diver's body more efficiently and prevents, or drastically reduces, the formation of silent bubbles. A. True B. False 8. Both the front feet and rear feet of the American alligator are webbed. A. True B. False Answers: 1. E 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. B
Continuing Education
Dive Training Magazine Quiz – December 2014 issue www.dtmag.com
Lunarscope February 2015 8
The Lunarfins Scuba
Club was organized in
1963 by a small group of
divers who worked at the
Manned Spacecraft Cen-
ter, as Johnson Space
Center (JSC) was known
back then. The club grew
primarily through the
sponsorship of SCUBA
training classes, local di-
ve trips and social activi-
ties. Since that time,
membership has broad-
ened to include anyone
interested in diving. The
majority of our members
are in some way affiliated
with NASA but this is not
a requirement for mem-
bership and we have
members from all across
the board.
Recent Surface Interval
Lunarfins
P.O.Box 57514
Webster TX 77598-7514
281-814-4606
These and more can be seen at the Photo Gallery on www.lunarfins.com
TGCC is ready to accept applications for the
TGCC 2015 Scholarship Awards
Club members, children and grandchildren of members are eligible
Proposed Expansion of the FGBNMS (From George Schmahl) The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) has published a “Notice of In-tent” (NOI) to solicit public input and prepare a Draft Environmental Impact State-ment for the expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This review is based on the recommendations contained within the Sanctuary Ex-pansion Action Plan, which is a component of the FGBNMS Management Plan, published in April 2012. The core of that Action Plan is the recommendation made by the FGBNMS Advisory Council (see map).
The public comment period will be open for 60 days from the date that the NOI was published (Feb 3). As part of the public scoping process, we have scheduled 3 pub-lic meetings. They will be held from 6-8pm at the following locations:
March 3, 2015 – New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Airport Hilton)
March 5, 2015 – Houston, TX (Bayland Community Center)
March 11, 2015 – Galveston, TX (FGBNMS Office)
Comments may also be submitted by any of the following methods:
● Federal eRulemaking Portal Submit with Docket Number NOAA-NOS-2014-0154
● Mail: George Schmahl, Sanctuary Superintendent, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg 216, Galveston TX 77551
All this information is also on FGBNMS website
January Meeting—Randy’s spiffy jacket, and our two speakers,
Dave Garden and Dave Romano from Diver’s Paradise Dive Shop