Archive for the 'Dive Experiences' Category

2010 Big Abalone Competition and Cook Off

Published on July 24, 2010 in Announcements, Dive Adventures, Dive Experiences and Events. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

2010 Sonoma County Abalone Network Big Ab Competition & Cook Off
Saturday August 21, 2010   7:00 am to 3:30pm   Ocean Cove, CA.

This event is open to free divers only.  Current California Department of Fishing Game laws apply.  Donation Fee’s are $30 if pre-registered, $40 day of event.  To receive a free shirt you must pre-register.  The pre-registration will end on 7-14-10, after that you will have to purchase your shirt at the event.  All divers are required to fill out and turn in a waiver form, show current CA. fishing license and current 2010 abalone tags at sign in.  All divers are required to register with at least one dive buddy.  The check in and measuring for the abalone for the event will be held at the Ocean Cove Campground 23125 Coast Highway One.  Diving can be done anywhere along the California Coast, all divers must return to “Check Out” area by 2:00 pm, no exceptions.  Free diving Divisions Awards (plaques) will consist of:  1st, 2nd, 3rd for biggest Abalone, Top Female Biggest Abalone, Top Junior Biggest Abalone, Most Beach Garbage Picked Up, Abalone cook off.

Etiquette and safety:
The Ocean Cove Big Ab competition promotes safe buddy diving and friendly competition.  All divers should be in contact with their dive buddy/ies while in the water.  Eligibility: paid entry fee, signed waiver form, 2010 California Ocean Fishing License and Abalone punch card and tags.  Disqualifications: Any California Department of Fishing Game Violations, arriving at the check in area after 2:00 pm sharp.

For more info: call 707-478-1504. 
***THIS EVENT IS WEATHER PERMITTING, WHICH WILL BE DETRMINED ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT.
***ALL EVENT PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO S.C.A.N (Sonoma County Abalone Network)
To register go to: http://2010norcalunderwaterhuntersbigabcomp.eventbrite.com/

Here are the list of all the other sponsors:  20fathoms, Sac Free Dive Shop, Bamboo Reef - Rohnert Park and Marin, Ikelite, Neptonic Systems, Herranen Spearguns, Applied Automotive, Hammer Head Dive Gear and Spearguns, Speargear Shop, Abalone Ten Divers/Erick Anderson, Jbl Spearguns, John Banks Dive Board, BB Pro Dive, Aeris Free Dive Company dive watch, Gualala Sport and Tackle, Gat Ku Pole Spears, NUVAIR Shark Sheild $200 off, Amadeo Bachar art print, Sonoma County Abalone Network one year free membership, Lozano’s Freediving Instruction Level II Free Diving class in Monterey, Cramerdecker Industries, D.A.N Divers Alert Network, Out Of Focus Productions, Rich Vanduesen Ab bar, Petaluma Sport And Dive, Allen Chitty, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Palapas Ventana Dive Resort in Baja, CA, Precision Dive Products.

Annual Club Picnic in Monterey

Published on July 14, 2010 in Announcements, Club Activities, Dive Experiences, Events, News and Status: Monterey. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

August 28, 2010   (11:00 – 3:00)   Annual Club Picnic in Monterey

Look for the Napa Valley Divers canopy at the San Carlos Beach (the Breakwater) in Monterey for the Napa Valley Divers annual picnic.  The club will provide food, sodas and waters!  Come for the day, enjoy the picnic, and enjoy the fellowship!  Arrange your own diving, dive buddies and overnight accommodations – if you so wish.  Cost:  $10.00 for members, $13.00 for non-members.  For additional information or to RSVP, contact:  Joan  at jlordnapa@aol.com.

Commitment needed:  We need a minimum of 10 commitments from club members and guests by August 15th to secure this event.

September 25, 2010 Lake Berryessa Clean Up

Published on June 25, 2010 in Announcements, Berryessa, Club Activities, Dive Adventures, Dive Experiences, Education, Events and News. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

September 25, 2010     LakeBerryessa Clean Up

This year, in unison with the California Coastal Clean Up Day, the annual Lake Berryessa Clean Up is being coordinated by The Adaptive Scuba Network (Jackie Danielsson and Roger Haseltine), Sports Cove in Vacaville, Berryessa Trails and The Bureau of Reclamation.  Come join fellow divers by helping to clean up the environment and our local neighborhood, Lake Berryessa.  Divers and land support are both needed.  There will be a BBQ following the cleanup with prize drawings!

The exact location, time and costs will be detemined in the very near future (test dives presently in process to look for the best site).  Check back for more updated information as it becomes available.

For additional information, contact: Jackie@NapaValleyDivers.com

Facebook

Published on June 23, 2010 in Announcements, Dive Adventures, Dive Experiences and News. 0 Comments Tags: .

Napa Valley Divers is now on Facebook. Check us out!

Only members will have full access to the site, to protect them when they make a posting that they are out of town, DIVING.

Find us at: Facebook – Napa Valley Divers

UPDATE: Cozumel Ultimate Diver Challenge 2010

Published on June 23, 2010 in Announcements, Dive Adventures, Dive Experiences, Events and News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Hotel Flamingo

Sponsor of Ultimate Diver Challenge

Invites two more teams to join the challenge

Hotel Flamingo will provide accommodations for 7 nights for you to attend the Ultimate Diver Challenge during Session One July 16 – July 24, 2010.

Complimentary Stay  for one person and your dive buddy can join you in the room for only $35 per night.

Submit email to diverchallenge@aol.com, answer the following questions for consideration:

Tell us your name, occupation and where you are from.

How long have you been diving?

Why do you love diving?

Describe your most exciting, scary or memorable dive experience. How do you rate yourself as a diver.

Do you think that you have what it takes to be the Ultimate Diver? Why?

Tell us who your dive buddy would be and why you chose this diver.

www.hotelflamingo.com

For Our Photographers

Published on June 4, 2010 in Dive Experiences, Photography and Whatever. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Got pics of nudibranch? Old and new… please take the time to email them into to The Nudi Base by Dragonmouse to help build a comprehensive database. Where available please include date and location to help in the research of these fantastic critters!

Alert Diver magazine is looking for stories from Scuba Divers

Published on May 20, 2010 in Announcements, Dive Adventures and Dive Experiences. 0 Comments

The publishers of Alert Diver magazine, DAN’s internal publication for divers, are looking for YOUR stories.  One of the key elements of the magazine’s redesign last fall was the development of several columns that allow divers to submit and share their stories and advice with other divers.  Each of these columns has proven to be popular, and the publishers of Alert Diver want to invite all readers of the magazine to share their stories in the coming year.

So tell us, do you have a tale to tell?

  • DAN Was There for Me – This column focuses on real-life emergencies in which DAN played a key role in the outcome.  Has DAN been there for you?  Tell us about it at  ThereForMe@dan.org.
  • Scuba 911 – Have you ever had to put your DAN training to good use?  Tell us how you used skills learned in a DAN course to save yourself or someone else – even if you applied them in a non-diving situation.  Write to Scuba911@dan.org.
  • Member to Member – This is a chance for divers to speak directly to other divers about matters important to them.  The column shares everything from consumer tips, travel strategies, dive techniques, fitness matters, personal experiences and lessons learned.  If you have something to say to divers, tell us about it at m2m@dan.org.

Of course, thoughts, suggestions, feedback and story ideas are welcome for any column or feature of the magazine.  But these columns were designed specifically for divers to share their stories, and we want to hear every one of them.

So don’t be shy – tell Alert Diver your story!

To check out past columns, read them on AlertDiver.com.

Napa Valley Divers Abalone & Camping Trip at Salt Point State Park

Published on April 21, 2010 in Dive Adventures, Dive Experiences and News. 0 Comments

The weather and ocean condition predictions for the April 15-18, 2010, camping and abalone diving trip at Salt Point State Park left us expecting cloudy conditions with a 20% chance of rain, and a 50/50 chance of getting in the water. What we experienced was warm temperatures with minimal clouds or breeze - good enough weather to wear tee shirts, tank tops and shorts during the day and getting a mild sun burn, and cool temperatures at night.

Thursday and Friday ocean conditions were better suited to surfing, but the ocean finally cooperated Saturday and Sunday with “fair” conditions and a total of seven abalone were taken from the sea (Jon Niebling earns the name of “Great Hunter”).

Three families shared the adventure, as well as each family taking turns providing meals, and everyone contributing to the ”ab feast” on Saturday evening.

Games were set up during the days in the camp sites, with camp fires and spooky stories during the evenings.  A fox provided entertainment while finishing Ty’s dinner (Pam’s 100lb yellow lab) and Keith discovered a muddy raccoon footprint inside the drink ice chest one morning.

Everyone left on Sunday saying; “This was so much fun, I really had a wonderful time. We have to do this again.”

Take a moment to check out the photos of the weekend.

Keith

Aumentos Reef

Published on December 21, 2008 in Dive Experiences. 0 Comments

One of the best dives I’ve ever experienced in Monterey was at a location named Aumentos Reef which is located within Monterey Bay, east of the Inner Chase Reef. Aumentos Reef should not be confused with Aumentos Rock which shows on the NOAA charts and is over by Eric’s Pinnacle (but closer to shore and closer to Pt. Piños). 

Aumentos, meaning “enlargement” in Spanish or ”a rising up” in Portuguese, is an appropriate name for this reef although I’ve also heard this location called “George’s” (George Gregor was an avid instructor and captain from Marin who reportedly re-discovered the rock in the mid 1970′s).

I enjoyed this dive with Steve K. and my daughter Jennifer T. and we were introduced by Captain Tim while diving from the Monterey Express.

Large blocks of granite make up the majority of this reef, some reaching as high as 40 feet. The depth range of the entire area is between 40 and 80 feet (some report 90 feet). The reef is covered with corynactis, bryozoans, and yellow zoanthid anemones along with sponges. The shallow potion of the reef has many broken areas of rock which had interesting cracks and crevices filled with all types of sea life.

As the reef drops a bit deeper, the walls are covered with fluffy, white Metridium anemones that cover the vertical surfaces of the rock walls. As you go deeper the rocks are spotted with bright red Telia anemones and encrusting sponges.

Every square inch of rock is covered with some form of encrusting invertebrate. In fact, it is difficult to find any exposed rock at all. This is one spot where you don’t have to go below 60 feet to find excellent diving. In fact, the most colorful parts of the reef are shallower than 50 feet.

We saw big schools of small blue rock fish swimming just off the reef and surf perch and rockfish on the reef itself. We were delighted to see lingcod, cabezon, and sheepshead and some small sunfish in the area as well. The visibility was about 25 feet.

This is a beautiful dive for observing and photographing all the beauty that diving in Monterey has to offer.

GPS Coordinates:
N36 38.315 W121 55.334

Golden Rays

Published on October 16, 2008 in Dive Experiences and Education. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Golden Ray photos of amazing mass migration: Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico. The golden rays are 7 feet wide.

Golden Ray Photo

What a great experience for the people in the boat who came upon this group.