February Dry Dive. Pool Dive. By Derek Wheeler. By Jim Beedell M O N T H L Y BOARD OF DIRECTORS FIND US

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1 M O N T H L Y BOARD OF DIRECTORS President/Treasurer: Derek Wheeler VP/Secretary: Jill Hurley Board Members: Jeff Haveman Tom Penninga Mike Rainwater Jim Beedell FIND US Idaho Ave. Belmont, MI Info@grscubaclub.com Facebook grsc.forumotion.com February Dry Dive Thanks to all who came out to our recent Dry Dive at Rio Grande Steakhouse! We had a last minute cancellation of our presenter for the evening, but we had a great time regardless. Tom Penninga gave a short presentation and showed us a video of diving in Munising, Michigan, on Lake Superior. Definitely a must see for all of us great lakes wreck divers! Sam Haveman showed us some pictures and video from a recent trip to Mermet Springs, a quarry in southern Illinois. They have shallow and deep opportunities, lots of sunken attractions, Paddlefish, and a hydrophone. The music from the hydrophone plays crystal clear across the depths of the quarry! The topside amenities at Mermet are second to none, with covered gearup areas with tall benches and picnic tables, heated changing rooms with hot showers, and restrooms By Derek Wheeler M A R C H with plumbing. If you've never been to Mermet, it is a great place to dive and worth the drive. If you were interested in attending Dr. Rik Stevenson's presentation on the lost, sunken, slave ship "Guerrero," we're hoping to reschedule for our April Dry Dive. Thanks again to all of those who came to hang out and talk diving in February! I N S I D E Upcoming Events 2 Member Profile 2 What s On Your 3 Tank What s On Your 4 Tank (continued) Updoming Dive 5 Charters Pool Dive Pics 5 Scuba Swap 6 Pool Dive On February 8 the Grand Rapids Scuba club got together at East Grand Rapids High School pool to test our dive gear and get a little wet. This was a leisurely, comfortable dive; a chance to socialize with the club and make sure your gear still works at the same time. The ping pong race was a grueling one round with Jeff Haveman edging out the competition. Others were more interested in playing with new toys. Tom brought his new Torid Pulse Air Ring Blaster Gun to target the rest of the group. The rings actually carries a bit of power and will get your attention. Still others were trying out new or improved gear. Gear trialed included drysuits (hoping not to be wetsuits), weight belts, BP&W setups and new cameras (still waiting to the see the selfie video across the whole pool). The rest of the time was spent playing around in the wide open pool. Although the turnout for the pool dive was on the short side, everybody had a great time. Due to illness and head congestion, we had just as many people watching as diving. By Jim Beedell Next time we hope to get those non-scuba family members into the pool to have some fun. After the pool dive the group gathered at the Derby Station for dinner, drinks and tall tales. This pub was a comfortable mix of casual ambiance with a tasteful selection of beer, wine, and food. Please join us the next time we have a pool night for some scuba fun and camaraderie! Best to be wet! [Pool Pics on Page 5]

2 P A G E 2 Upcoming Events March 3, 2014: Dry Dive Event 6:30 p.m. March 8, 2014: Pool Dives 5:00 p.m. April 7, 2014: Last Dry Dive Event for the season 6:30 p.m. Grand Haven Public Schools Aquatic Center March 16, 2014 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. MSRA Mysteries & Histories Beneath the Inland Seas, Michigan Shipwreck Research Assoc. Saturday, March 22, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Holland, MI Member Profile IT S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN... Time to have your gear serviced before the dive season begins!! The GRSC member spotlight this month focuses on Luci Aley. Luci has been diving since 2007 and has reached the level of Master Diver. She was looking for an adventure that would allow her to go to cool places and meet new people, so she decided to start scuba diving. She enjoys being weightless in the water and seeing fish and animal life. In fact, she once went diving with whale sharks in the Galapagos Ilands. Along with the Galapagos, she has also been to Cozumel, Hawaii, and on a Blackbeard's cruise in the Bahamas. Her most recent trip took her to the Maldives. If you have ever been diving with Luci, then you know her favorite color is pink, but you may not know that her dive buddy calls her "Pink Lady Fish". When she isn't diving, she enjoys hanging out with family and friends, playing on her laptop, and doing anything to make memories that last a lifetime. Say "Hi" to Pink Lady Fish at the next club event.

3 What s On Your Tank? P A G E 3 This is what the markings represent Govt. Agency Supervision / Approval DOT or DOT/CTC = Dept. of Transport or Canadian Transport Comm. Metal Type: 3AA = Steel / SP6498, E6498 or 3AL = Aluminum Working Pressure: Maximum pressure lbs / inch2 (steel = 2250, al = psi) Serial Number: = Unique to tank Manufacturer PST = Manufacturer of the Cylinder Hydrostatic Test Date / Hydrostatic Tester s Mark = Hydrostatic Test Date (Month, initials of tester, year) +10% Overfill Allowed + = 10% overfill allowed on STEEL TANKS ONLY These marking should always be checked before filling. This is important even in different countries with different tank markings. Cylinders manufactured, have specification stamped on the cylinder which include Working Pressure, Test Pressure, Data of Manufacture, Capacity and Weight. Before filling a scuba tank with air, you should always check the tank markings, specifically looking for a current hydrostatic and pressure test date and maximum capacity / pressure. Don t overfill scuba cylinders. Diving Cylinders are required to be Hydro statically Tested (Pressure Test) every 5 years with an incremental visual inspection every alternate 5 years. Therefore your cylinder should be tested every 2.5 years alternating between the 2 tests. Cylinder tests now include a valve service as part of the test process. Cylinders used for surface use ie Airguns and Paintball Cylinders need to be tested every 5 years. Our policy is that a cylinder with a diving valve in must be tested as a diving cylinder as it could always be used in Seawater for the purpose of SCUBA. If you wish to reduce your service costs then please fit a surface use valve. Visual Inspection (Yearly) Detailed visual inspection, both internal and external with the following checks being carried out Any Bulge all fail Dent fail if greater than 2mm Wear reduction of wall thickness greater than 25% General Corrosion reduction of wall thickness greater than 20% OR where original surface is not visible Area Corrosion (I.e. where corrosion is limited to less than 20% of surface) a reduction of wall thickness greater than 25% Isolated Pitting Reduction of wall thickness greater than 40% Thread Damage all physical damage or imperfections (re-cutting of threads can be achieved up to maximum tolerance) Weight Check Weight of cylinder (less valve & boot) less than 95% of the tare weight stamped on the cylinder Any cylinder that has been subject to impact damage should be pressure tested before use. If in the opinion of the inspector, any of the above criteria are borderline, then Hydrostatic testing may also be required. (Continued on Page 4)

4 P A G E 4 What s On Your Tank (continued from Page 3) Hydrostatic Test The cylinder is filled with water and then placed inside a water filled, high pressure chamber. The water pressure inside the cylinder is the increased to five thirds of its maximum working pressure. This is sufficient to cause the cylinder to expand slightly. This expansion causes the water outside the cylinder to be displaced and this is channeled into marked collection tubes that allow it to be measured. If the cylinders expansion is within acceptable limits (<5%), it passes the test. Test Procedures Removal of the cylinder boot, bands and valve(s) The exterior of the cylinder is then inspected for impact damage and corrosion The interior of the cylinder is examined using a special endoscope Examine the area around the inside of the tank neck The valve is checked for smooth operation and its threads lubricated to help prevent galvanic action between the dissimilar metals of the tank and valve Valves may also require periodic overhauls, just like scuba regulators If no corrosion or damage is detected, the cylinder is reassembled and filled A sticker is then placed on the tank which identifies the facility providing the inspection and the month and year in which the inspection was done If damage or corrosion is detected, the technician will decide upon an appropriate course of action Minor scale or the presence of contaminants on the inside of an aluminum cylinder can usually be removed by rinsing with distilled water and drying with warm air. Minor oxidation on the inside of a steel cylinder may be best left untreated due to the fact that the process of removing it might actually weaken the cylinder more than the oxidation itself Extensive oxidation or deep pitting is treated by degrees of sand blasting New Standards Testing The new standards are more stringent and require that all but the very lightest of corrosion needs to be cleaned. This means that your maintenance costs will go up although they will be less frequent. In addition the criteria for failing cylinders are now much more strict. The new standard accepts less damage, set and corrosion on a cylinder before it is scrapped. Enriched Oxygen Cylinders These still require inspection and cleaning every 12 months.

5 P A G E 5 Upcoming Dive Charters Whitefish August 2-3, 2014 We will be diving with Shipwreck Adventures. There will be a morning boat and an afternoon boat. Therefore we have room for 12 total divers. The cost is $125/diver/day. We will make 2 dives per day. I am organizing this trip so deposits of $125 can be made to me at anytime. It is a first-come first-served deal, so if you want in, get your deposits to me as soon as possible to reserve your spot. There are ONLY 3 SPOTS REMAINING for this charter (the morning boat is full, 1 spot reserved on afternoon boat), so act fast if you want to dive some great shipwrecks! Milwaukee Sept , 2014 We will be diving with Shipwreck Adventures on this trip as well. There will be a morning boat and an afternoon boat, again room for 12 total divers. The cost is $125/ diver/day. We will make 2 dives per day. I am also organizing this trip so deposits of $125 can be made to me at anytime. Also, a first-come first-served deal, so if you want in, get your deposits to me as soon as possible to reserve your spot. The morning boat currently has 4 spots reserved. All diving is recreational depths, avanced certification is required. If you have any questions, me directly at: scubajeff@ameritech.net February 8 Pool Dive at EGR High School

6 P A G E 6 OUR SPONSORS Middle Island Keepers' Lodge Scuba Swap It is time to get this thing going again! If you have anything you would like to add to this list, please e- mail Jeff at scubajeff@ameritech.net Also, please let Jeff know if you sell your item, or would like it removed for any reason. Items For Sale: XS Scuba/ Worthington AL30 tank $ / Best Offer Born 04/2011 Current Vis Thermo convertible valve Contact Jeff at for more info. Pinnacle Dry Suit, Undergarment and Carry Bag. Worn once. $ / Make Offer Pinnacle Freedom 2 Front-Entry Dry Suit Unisex/Mens Size Large, Adjustments made to legs, but will accommodate up to 5 10 Weight: Up to 180 lbs. Attached Boots, Men s Size 9 Pinnacle Evolution Undergarment Unisex/ Men s Size Large Contact Jill at aquagirl07@comcast. net for more info. Bare XCD2 Pro Dry Drysuit $ / Best Offer Men s size Large. Has been modified for extra room in the elbows and one inch added in torso length. Neoprene neck seal, latex wrist seals with Diving Concepts rings and dry gloves (size large). Light Monkey pee valve. 2XL attached boots (fits size 11-12). Also includes 2 sets of undergarments (CT200 and T100) size large. Carry bag. Contact Jeff at for more info. EVO Hooded Vest, Size Large, $20. Scuba Pro 2.5 mil Hooded Vest, Size Large $25. Scuba Pro.5 mil full length Rash Guard, Size Large, $30. Dacor BCD, Size Medium, $35. Contact Gary at or gfgib@hotmail.com This is a portion of our newsletter that will be posted each month. If you have any items you want to buy or sell, or are looking for something specific, just let us know.