Join Napa Valley Divers for the second abalone camping trip for 2011.  Ken and Teresa L. will be our hosts on August 26-28, 2011, at the Ocean Cove Campground, just south of Salt Point State Park.  Plans are being made to secure the group campground and it is hopeful that we will have two dive boats to use.  The NVD Salt Point State Park Gerstle Cove Preserve dive has been changed to August 27 and has been combined with this abalone camp out.  We will drive up to Salt Point State Park for the Gerstle Cove Preserve dive(s) on Saturday.  Come up for the day or come camp with us.  For information contact: keith@napavalleydivers.com or any Board member.

Join Napa Valley Divers on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe for the Labor Day Weekend.  Host/coordinators will be NVD club members, Randy and Becky Fitt (also owners of Adventures-Downunder).  Randy, a PADI Master SCUBA diver trainer, will be providing instruction in Open Water, Advanced Open Water, as well as Adventure Dives  To sign up for SCUBA classes, you can contact Randy at randyfitt@comcast.net .  You can also plan your own diving activities or just join us to enjoy the Tahoe area.  Accommodations are being coordinated at the Cedar Glen Lodge, which offers a variety of rooms and cabins, as well as a pool, spa and BBQ area.  Contact Becky Fitt at rebeccamoorefitt@comcast.net, who is coordinating rooms for us at the Cedar Glen Lodge.  You can also contact Randy or Becky at 707-255-6030.  Other nearby accommodations are available, as well as campgrounds for tents and RVs.  Book your rooms soon, as they will fill up for the holiday weekend.  For additional information: contact keith@napavalleydivers.com or any NVD Board member.

Mark your calendars for Chamber Day, May 4, 2011!  For a Donation of $90, you receive Two (2) dives at Santa Catalina Island, a tour of the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, a Chamber Day 2011 Commemorative T-shirt and Five (5) Chamber Day 2011 Raffle Tickets!  Be sure to book early.  More information:  Chamber Day

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND A NEW DATE WILL BE SET IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

July 30, 2011  (11:00 – 3:00)  Napa Valley Divers Club Monterey Picnic 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.  For additional information, contact: becky@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.  Price: TBD

Upcoming Events  (as of September 2010)

September 25, 2010  Lake Berryessa Clean Up Divers and land support needed to help clean up the environment.  There will be a BBQ following the cleanup and prize drawings!  For additional information, contact: jackie@napavalleydivers.com Location: Pope Creek Bridge at 8:00am

October 11, 2010   Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month) Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, 645 1st Street, Napa (east of Soscol), Phone: (707) 254-9700  Dinner (Dutch treat) will begin at 6:00pm.  The meeting will begin at 7:00pm  Tentative speaker:  Todd from the Napa County Sheriff Dive Team

October 14, 2010  Dive with Great White Sharks Great White Shark Adventures  http://www.greatwhiteadventures.com Napa Valley Divers price: First eight divers receive $200.00 off the regular price of $775.00, when you say the magic words (found at the more detailed event listing on http://napavalleydivers.com).  Non-divers can participate for $375.00.  For additional information, contact: jackie@napavalleydivers.com

October 17, 2010  (1:30 – 7:00)   Napa Valley Divers Club BBQ & Swim Come join us at Keith and Pamela’s.  Pool opens at 1:30 and BBQ at 3:30.  Please bring your drink and a side dish to share.  Napa Valley Divers will provide the meat.  For additional information, location and to RSVP, contact: keith@napavalleydivers.com, pamela@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.  Cost:  Free for members, $3.00 per person for non-club members.

November 8, 2010   Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month)  Tentative speaker:  Chris from “All about Scuba” in Fairfield, CA.

No Monthly General Membership Meeting in December

December 10, 2010 (6:30 -  9:30)  Napa Valley Divers Holiday Party Napa Valley Divers annual Holiday Party will be held at: Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center Napa, CA 94559.  For additional information, to RSVP, contact: pamela@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.  Details: TBD

January 10, 2011  Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month)

January 22, 2011  Napa Valley Divers Bowling Night Time and Details: TBD

March 12, 2011   Napa Valley Divers Movie Night Time and Details: TBD

April 2, 2011   Pool Refresher Session (Just in time for the Dive Season!) Come join us for the annual tune up at the Napa Valley College swimming pool.  Take the time to practices your skills or do all those little tasks that you don’t do in the ocean, like trim out your weights for perfect buoyancy.  For additional information, contact: jackie@napavalleydivers.com Time and Details: TBD

May 2011  Reno, Casino, Amtrak Trip Plans in the making!

June 4 – 5, 2011  Abalone and Camping Trip Salt Point State Park in the Woodside Campground.  Come camping or come up for the day on Saturday to hang out in the campground.  Reservations at www.ReserveAmerica.com, you need to reserve your camping sight early!  For additional information, contact: keith@napavalleydivers.com

July 30, 2011  (11:00 – 3:00)  Napa Valley Divers Club Monterey Picnic 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.  For additional information, contact: becky@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.  Price: TBD

August 27, 2011  Dive Gerstle Cove Preserve at Salt Point State Park Day trip (unless you reserved a camp site at Salt Point or a nearby campground or lodge).  Come for the day; enjoy the diving, picnic and fellowship!  For additional information, contact: becky@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.

October 15 – 16, 2011  San Diego, Catalina, or Channel Islands Plans in the making.  For additional information, contact: becky@napavalleydivers.com or any Board Member.

September 2 – 5  Labor Day Weekend  Lake Tahoe Campout and Diving Plans in the making.  For additional information, contact any Board Member.

Listen for updates on member plans to dive the Philippines and Palau in 2011!!

Upcoming Events

July 25, 2010   (3:00 – 5:00)   Pool SCUBA Refresher Class and Certification          Napa Valley College swimming pool with Roger Haseltine as your instructor.  Take the time to do all those little tasks that you don’t do in the ocean, like trim out your weights for perfect buoyancy.  Cost:  $35.00 per person, which includes tanks, equipment, and weights if you need them.  For additional information, contact:  jackie@napavalleydivers.com   Commitment needed:  We need a minimum of 4 commitments from club members and guests by July 15th to secure this event.

July 25, 2010   (5:00 – 9:00)   Napa Valley Divers Club BBQ          Come join us at Steve and Jayma’s home.  Please bring your drink and a side dish to share.  Napa Valley Divers will provide the meat.  For additional information, location and to RSVP, contact: Jayma@napavalleydivers.com or any club Board member.  Cost:  Free for members, $3.00 per person for non-club members.

August 7, 2010   (9:00 – 1:00)   Emergency First Response Course – Refresher & Training          Instructor Roger Haseltine.  Cost:  $50.00 for Refresher (previously certified) plus $15.00 for certification card, $100.00 for the entire course – plus $15.00 for certification card.    For additional information, contact:  jackie@napavalleydivers.com

August 9, 2010   Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month)          Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, 645 1st Street, Napa (east of Soscol), Phone: (707) 254-9700.  Dinner (Dutch treat) will begin at 6:00pm.  The meeting will begin at 7:00pm

August 13-15, 2010   Abalone and Camping Trip          Salt Point State Park in the Woodside Campground.  Come camping or come up for the day on Saturday to hang out in the campground.  Reservations at www.ReserveAmerica.com.  For additional information, contact: keith@napavalleydivers.com and please be sure to let him know you are coming.

August 28, 2010   (11:00 – 3:00)   Napa Valley Divers Club Monterey Picnic          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 and to RSVP, contact: Joan – 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 13, 2010   Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month)          Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, 645 1st Street, Napa (east of Soscol), Phone: (707) 254-9700.  Dinner (Dutch treat) will begin at 6:00pm.  The meeting will begin at 7:00pm

September 25, 2010   Lake Berryessa Clean Up          Divers and land support needed to help clean up the environment.  There will be a BBQ following the cleanup and prize drawings!  For additional information, contact: Jackie@napavalleydivers.com  Time, Location and Cost:  TBD

October 11, 2010   Monthly Napa Valley Divers Club Meeting (second Monday of each month)          Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, 645 1st Street, Napa (east of Soscol), Phone: (707) 254-9700.  Dinner (Dutch treat) will begin at 6:00pm.  The meeting will begin at 7:00pm

October 14, 2010   Dive with Great White Sharks           Great White Shark Adventures   http://www.greatwhiteadventures.com  Napa Valley Divers price:  First eight divers receive $200.00 off the regular price of $775.00, when you say the magic words (found at the more detailed event listing).  Non-divers can participate for $375.00.  For additional information, contact: Jackie@napavalleydivers.com

More complete details for all events  are available on the Napa Valley Divers “events page”

To All Napa Valley Divers:

Fellow Divers and Club Members Keith and Pam Reuter (and Ty, Pam’s 100 pound, very friendly Yellow Lab) will be camping and abalone diving at Salt Point State Park from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday April 18 and would like to extend an invitation to anyone interested to com and join them.  Salt Point State Park is situated above Jenner and below Sea Ranch, and these dates have some very nice low tides, but as always, weather and ocean conditions may not cooperate.  Keith has been diving at Salt Point for ten years an “typically” comes out (if conditions allow) with his daily limit of 7″- 8″ abalone. (pristine conditions provide access to the 8″- 9″ abalone)

Salt Point Gerstle Cove is a protected “Marine Reserve” for SCUBA diving and South Gerstle Cove offers good abalone diving.  There are various other abalone dive sites along the coast nearby, including several “safer, protected” areas.  Ocean Cove Campground, just south of Salt Point, has a campground and “fee” boat launch site.

Keith and Pam are staying in the Salt Point “Woodside” loop.  Reservations are non-specific, which means you get was is left when you arrive.  They will be staying in the upper loop if available, and will resort to the lower loop if needed.  Salt Point limits RV or Trailers to 31 feet, but when specifically asked at the check in station, the rangers have stated (in the past) that length is not important as long as you don’t extend out off your site onto the street.

Keith and Pam will assist club members in organization of abalone diving, pot luck dinners (hopefully with abalone) and fellowship.

• To SCUBA:  Bring full cold water gear, weights and tanks.  Air fills may be as far away as Jenner.
• To abalone dive:  Bring a CA ocean fishing license with abalone card (there are very, very specific requirements for tagging your abalone), full cold water gear (less BC – abalone diving is free diving without tanks), weight belt with weights, abalone iron and gauge, and a float (highly recommended). 

It is reccomended that you obtain your reservation as soon as possible at ReserveAmarica.  Camping (No Hookups) is $35.00 per night with an $8.00 convenience fee per reservation.  If you book reservations for the camping trip, please let Keith know you are going.

Keith and Pam “might” be putting together a second trip in August, probably also to Salt Point.   

Saturday:
NW winds 5kt becoming N. wind waves 1ft or less. NW swell 2 to 5ft. Patchy fog.

Sunday:
NW Winds 5kt becoming W. wind waves 1ft or less. NW swell 1 to 4ft. Patchy fog.

Already looking better than last week and last week was SUPERB!! Although vis was generally 25′ to maybe 35′ in most areas, the sea state was gentle and the weather was great… although Sunday a bit cooler with some overcast.

This Week: The direction of the marine forecast appears to be excellent for both marine weather and dive conditions.

Yesterday… we were diving Monterey Bay (Aumentos) with 40′ of vis and ZERO swell and wind. Overcast yes, but diving OUTSTANDING!

The Saturday and Sunday afternoon charters are now closed for reservations… BUT the mornings both have many spaces available and this would be the time to get in some excellent diving as we move into Fall.

Tim

A SUPERB weekend for Monterey. GO FOR IT…

Simply put… warm weather flat seas, almost ZERO swell. GO FOR IT this weekend. The Fall season of diving which is always the best is with us this weekend.

Spaces remain on Saturday morning and Sunday morning. NOTHING in the forecast tell us to stay local.

Saturday
NE winds 5kt becoming W in the afternoon.
Wind waves 1ft or less. Mixed swell NW 3 to 5ft at 11 seconds and SW 2 to 3ft at 13 seconds.

Sunday
W winds 5 to 10kt Wind waves 2ft or less.
NW swell 3 to 5ft and SW 2ft

Tim

Ok… I hit the water yesterday aboard the Beach Hopper (Yes that was me)… joining my very close friends MaryJo Nelson and Brian.

In the bay 80ft of water depth and 60ft+ visibility with maybe 1 – 2ft surge… AWESOME!

StrawBerry Hill (outside Pt. Pinos) 50ft of vis <2ft of surge… superb!.

A decreasing swell beginning on Friday. Should clear the way for some good really good diving in and outside Monterey this weekend. I know it is my plan to get wet as long as there is the time and opportunity.

Spaces remain for Sunday morning BUT you will need to watch for those as they occur.

Some large Mola Mola’s in Monterey 300lb+ and the small shrimp population still feeding the reef and critters in and around this GREAT marine environment.

The Sunday outlook will be SWEET and although a bit early… here it is:
W winds 5 to 15kt wind waves 1 to 2ft NW swell 2 to 4ft and S 2ft patchy fog.

ALSO… don’t forget the night dive on the 30th (15 max for this dive).

ALSO… offering a discount for THAT weekend for those wishing to join on 2 charters during that weekends activities. Call or email me for details if interested.

Tim