M 2 The Presidents Corner

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1 FAIRFIELD COUNTY DIVING ASSOCIATION November 2010 Volume 17 Issue 11 Inside this Issue M 2 The Presidents Corner Presidents Corner Events of Interest page 1 page 2 FCDA Donors I page 2 FCDA Donors II page 3 October Meeting Raffle Winners page 4 FCDA Donors III page 4 Palau Announces Massive Marine Sanctuary page 5 FCDA Member Ads page 5 Special Diving Event at the Explorers Club page 6 FCDA Annual Holiday Party page 7 Next FCDA Meeting page 8 The Christmas decorations are already out. That can only mean one thing, time for the FCDA Holiday Party. This year s festivities are on Saturday Dec 4th, so be sure to make your reservations. The underwater pumpkin carving fest was held on October 24th. The water temperatures were a comfortable 64 degrees and visibility was surprisingly good. As I carved my very buoyant jack-o-lantern, I was joined by a variety of sea life including crabs, sea stars and a small flounder. The dive lasted about 20 minutes and was followed by a hardy feast with a sizeable group of dry FCDA members. Mel Rich presented a video compilation of our recent trips to Cape Anne. We make the trip two times a year. The diving is excellent and the night time campfire activities are even better. Although we sleep in tents, we eat and drink like royalty. I strongly recommend the trip, unless you are allergic to fun. The Norwalk Maritime Aquarium has recently begun a diver interaction program. The dives take place in the Open Ocean Tank. Although it is really fun to dive with the sand tigers, I have particularly enjoyed the interactions with the visitors through the glass. The program is planned each weekend until the end of the year, and hopefully longer. Multiple FCDA members are participating, so come by and say hello. The dives are usually planned for 11:45 and 1:30. It is a great opportunity to raise awareness for the Aquarium, promote conservation of the Sound and showcase our sport. I have already participated in several dives and it has been a tremendous experience. The paid and volunteer staff are absolutely a pleasure to work with. Capt Bill Palmer had to reschedule his talk to January. On short notice, FCDA s own Paul Gacek will share video from Fantasy Island The Plane, The Plane in Roatan. As a reminder, the meeting will be on Nov 19th and not the last Friday of the month because of thanksgiving. Also note, if you re a fan of 70 s TV, Mr. Rourke is not a part of Paul s video. Well be good, be well and be safe. Au revoir, adios,...mike

Page 2 FCDA Donors Events of Interest to FCDA Members November 27, 2010 - End of "Season" Dive - Fort Wetherill, RI - meet in the main parking lot at 10am, dive and cookout (weather

. The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. New England's Tech Diving Center!

! New England Dive Center 476 North Colony Street Wallingford, CT 06492 203-284-1880 Fax 203-284-1355 Dealer for OMS, UWATEC, Oceanic, Mares, Dacor, Cressi-Sub, P o s e i d o n, Scubapro,

aol.com http://www.fcda.us Presidents Vice-President Secretary Treasurer 2010 Board Matt Rownin & Mike Cassetta Mark Shannon George Sharrard Paul J.

2 Page 2 FCDA Donors Events of Interest to FCDA Members November 27, End of "Season" Dive - Fort Wetherill, RI - meet in the main parking lot at 10am, dive and cookout (weather permitting). Contact Matt Rownin if you want to attend - (203) or Matt@AssetBuildersCT.com.. The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. New England's Tech Diving Center! December 4, Annual FCDA Holiday Party - 7:00 PM. Ristorante Cinzano's, 1920 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, CT Advance reservations required by November 27, 2010!! New England Dive Center 476 North Colony Street Wallingford, CT Fax Dealer for OMS, UWATEC, Oceanic, Mares, Dacor, Cressi-Sub, P o s e i d o n, Scubapro, Bare, O'Neill and Henderson. P.O. Box 3005, Fairfield, CT Internet mail: fcda@aol.com Presidents Vice-President Secretary Treasurer 2010 Board Matt Rownin & Mike Cassetta Mark Shannon George Sharrard Paul J. Gacek The region's foremost source for scuba and technical diving gear, training and everything for the recreational or serious tech diver. Draeger Atlantis I Rebreather training, certification and rental. New England Dive Center offers complete training for all levels of diving, from Open Water through the most advanced technical courses. Our instruction provides certification through SSI, PDIC, TDI and IANTD. Visit us on the Web:

3 Page 3 FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association.

Page 4 October Meeting Raffle Winners After excellent presentations by FCDA member Mel Rich, the club held its regular raffle to support our DAN Diamond sponsorship.

4 Page 4 October Meeting Raffle Winners After excellent presentations by FCDA member Mel Rich, the club held its regular raffle to support our DAN Diamond sponsorship. FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. The winners were: Tom s number was pulled for the Antifog donated by New England Divers; Matt looked OH SO GOOD in the Doo Rag donated by New England Divers; The dive light and retractor donated by Rex Dive Center was won by Bob ; Rachael won a mask donated by Orbit Dive; Charlie won the Dive Log Notebook donated by New England Divers; George has a new snorkel donated by Rex Dive center Thanks to New England Dive Center, Rex Dive Center and Orbit Marine Dive Center for donating tonight s raffle prizes for our DAN raffle. Remember, you can't win if you don't buy tickets and you can't buy tickets if you don't get up and come out to FCDA events and meetings! Rex Dive Center has expanded it s operations Rex Dive of Norwalk has acquired the Pan Aqua Diving shop in Brookfield, CT. With the addition of the Brookfield store Rex acquires a strong technical dive training capability, including tri-mix and intro to tech and an expanded repair department. Rex Dive is committed to providing the best in equipment sales, classes, local charters and warm water trips. VISIT OUR NEW DANBURY-AREA STORE in BROOKFIELD 30-70% LIQUIDATION/MOVING SALE WHILE WE RE-INVENTORY. 457 Federal Rd; Brookfield near Stew Leonards/Costco

5 Palau Announces Massive Marine Sanctuary By Stephen Leahy NAGOYA, Japan, Oct 25, 2010 (IPS) - One of Japan's closest allies declared over the weekend that all of its oceans - more than 600,000 square kilometres - would be a sanctuary for whales, dolphins, dugongs, sharks and other species. "There will be no hunting or harassment of marine mammals and other species in our waters," said the Honourable Harry Fritz, minister of the environment, natural resources and tourism of the Republic of Palau. "We urge other nations to join our efforts to protect whales, dolphins and other marine animals," Fritz said at a press conference during Oceans Day at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. Japan has long sought to overturn the global ban on commercial whaling and has actively solicited and received Palau's support for many years. Japan is its second largest source of development aid after the United States. Japanese tourists frequent the islands since many people speak some Japanese. "Palau now supports conserving marine mammals, along with sharks and other species," said Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, a large U.S. NGO. "This is a very significant announcement," Lieberman told IPS. "Japan remains our very good friend, and we would like to work in harmony to achieve what we both want," said Fritz. One of the world's smallest nations, with 22,000 people, Palau is an island in the Pacific Ocean, some 800 kms east of the Philippines and 3,200 kms south of FCDA Member Ads Page 5 Tokyo. Japan occupied Palau after World War I and Japanese immigration was encouraged until World War II when the U.S. occupied the region. A year ago at the United Nations General Assembly, Palau's President Johnson Toribiong announced that the waters in its economic zone, about the size of France, would be a shark sanctuary. Scientists have said about half of the world's oceanic sharks are at risk of extinction, mainly due to the practice of catching them for their fins. Palau is also home to at least 11 whale species, including a breeding population of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that can dive more than three kms deep in search of prey. As many as 30 other whale and dolphin species may also use the rich waters around Palau, Fritz said. (read more at: idnews=53280 ) Hey - have you got a non retail-diving business that you d like to share with fellow members of FCDA? Get your business card size ad in the FCDA monthly newsletter Surface Interval for only $50.00 for one year. Give your business a boost and help support the production of our monthly newsletters. For more information, write to FCDA, P.O. Box 3005, Fairfield, CT or to fcda@aol.com.

6 Special Diving Event at the Explorers Club On Saturday, November 20, 2010, the Explorers Club will host its annual Sea Stories, a day focused on exploration, scuba diving, and marine life at its headquarters in Manhattan. The presenters will include: Kim Fisher Exploring Spanish Treasure Galleons. Twenty-five years after Mel Fisher and his crew located the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha off Key West, treasures and artifacts are still being discovered under the leadership of his son Kim Fisher. Mr. Fisher continues his father s unwavering quest for lost treasures and the constant pursuit and development of new treasure hunting techniques, as well as maintaining a world-class conservation laboratory to ensure that the treasures live on for generations. Amos Nachoum The Ambassador of the Big Animals. Mr. Nachoum brings attention to some of the most fragile regions of the underwater realm through his photos and essays which appeared in hundreds of publications around the globe, including National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Le Figaro, and Der Spiegel. He has been profiled in television appearances on National Geographic Explorer, Today, and Good Morning America, as well as featured in People, Esquire, and Money magazines. Mr. Nachoum was the team leader for National Geographic's Red Sea, white shark, and killer whale photo expeditions. He cofounded Israel's Marine National Park on the Red Sea. Heather Knowles and David Caldwell Sinking off Cape Ann - The Story of the.s.s.nezinscot. While steaming to Boston, the U.S.S. Nezinscot capsized and sank when a deck load shifted in heavy seas off Cape Ann, Massachusetts on August 11, Of the nine-person crew, there were four fatalities. Ms. Knowles and Mr. Caldwell will describe the story of the U.S.S. Nezinscot its sinking, the sensational aftermath following the tragedy, and one group s discovery and exploration of the wreck nearly 98 years later in 240 feet of water. Dr. Richard A. Cooper - "SeaBase1 - Ocean Floor Habitat. Dr. Cooper is a world-famous undersea explorer, a veteran aquanaut of 5 ocean floor saturation diving programs (SeaLab III, Tektite 2, Helgoland, Project FISSHH and Deep Diver), has dived 12 research submersibles and logged over 2,000 hours "bottom time" with SCUBA. He received the NOGI award for Science Diver of the Year (1984). Dr. Cooper s research over the past 50 years covered the biology and geology of submarine canyons, the Gulf of Maine, ecology of the Maine lobster and impact of gas and oil exploration and ocean dumping on the Continental Shelf s fauna and habitats. Page 6 Steve Gatto and Tom Packer - The Bow Mariner A Modern Day Maritime Disaster. Captains Gatto and Packer explored this 570 foot, chemical tanker just six weeks after her explosion and sinking in 200 feet of water, some fifty miles off the Virginia coast in February Exploring shipwrecks for over 30 years from Nantucket to Florida, including 20 years diving on the Andrea Doria, their photography and films document history before it is lost forever for future generations due to the corrosive action of the sea. Joe Romeiro Filming and Saving Sharks. Mr. Romeiro is an underwater videographer and his Death of a Deity, a short film about shark conservation won multiple awards including best emerging filmmaker at the prestigious BLUE ocean film festival. Mr. Romeiro s latest short film, A Lateral Line, (1st place winner of the 2010 Adex film fest) is an excellent demonstration of the majestic beauty of pelagic sharks and their plight due to overfishing. Many shark species now face certain extinction if nothing is done to help them their survival rests largely on all of our shoulders. He lives in Rhode Island but leads expeditions all over the world to do what he loves most: filming sharks. Starts at 9 am at the Explorers Club (46 East 70th Street between Park and Madison) with coffee and a continental breakfast. The presentations begin at 10 am. The $60 admission includes lunch (served at noon) as well as a reception at 5 pm (beer, wine and soda). Please book soon as tickets will not be sold at the door. Attire: smart casual (no jeans, t-shirts).

Page 7 Annual FCDA Holiday Party Saturday, December 4, 2010-7:00PM Ristorante Cinzano's 1920 Black Rock Turnpike Fairfield, CT 06825 203 367-1199 Buffet Menu:

Raffle $5 Grab Bag All this for only $32.00 per person! Advance reservations required!

7 Page 7 Annual FCDA Holiday Party Saturday, December 4, :00PM Ristorante Cinzano's 1920 Black Rock Turnpike Fairfield, CT Buffet Menu: Penne Vodka, Chicken Francese, Roast Tip Sirloin, Broiled Salmon Vegetable, Roasted Potatoes & Melange of Field Greens, Coffee, Tea and Dessert; Cash Bar Dive Raffle $5 Grab Bag All this for only $32.00 per person! Advance reservations required!! Good Company Music I want to have a great time at the 2010 Annual FCDA Holiday Party! Name(s) Number of $32.00 per person= Make your check payable to FCDA and mail to: FCDA, PO Box 3005, Fairfield, CT postmarked by November 27, 2010.

Page 8 Next FCDA Meeting Friday - November 19, 2010-8:00 PM Coast Guard Cottage - South Benson Marina - Fairfield, CT Fantasy Island, Roatan, Honduras a video presentation by Paul Gacek A visit to

8 Page 8 Next FCDA Meeting Friday - November 19, :00 PM Coast Guard Cottage - South Benson Marina - Fairfield, CT Fantasy Island, Roatan, Honduras a video presentation by Paul Gacek A visit to Roatan - one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras in Central America - at the Fantasy Island Beach Resort in April of this year. An inclusive resort including accommodations, meals, 18 dives and a night dive, unlimited shore diving and bar tab at a reasonable rate. Located on a 21 acre island on the south shore the resort provides access to some of Roatan's finest dive sites. Fairfield County Diving Association P.O. Box 3005 Fairfield, CT Address Service Requested Annual FCDA Holiday Party Saturday, December 4, :00PM

The Presidents Corner by Mike Cassetta

The Presidents Corner by Mike Cassetta FAIRFIELD COUNTY DIVING ASSOCIATION January 2012 Volume 19 Issue 1 Inside this Issue The Presidents Corner page 1 Thank You! page 1 FCDA Donors I page 2 Annual FCDA Holiday Party Raffle Winners page 3