Program for March 4th
Outstanding Florida Waters / Lauderdale by the Sea
Just back from a U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Washington, DC, our guest speakers for the March 4th
general membership meeting will be husband and wife team Dan and Stephanie Clark from Cry of the Water.
Cry of the Water, a non-profit organization dedicated to reef health, has been using Reef Check methods for several
years to survey reefs in Broward County, Florida.
Recently, Cry of the Water along with local volunteers, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have been working to prevent a local development to widen beaches along
the Broward coastline. This project would deposit massive amounts of sand, leading to the destruction of fish habitat
increased silt, sedimentation and turbidity to hundreds of acres of adjacent reef. By using Reef Check methods,
Cry of the Water has been able to assess the area’s ecological significance and persuade developers to reduce
quantities of sand used in these projects.
Cry of the Water is continuing to bring their concerns to state and federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of
Engineers, to work in minimizing impact of these beach nourishment projects on the adjacent coral reefs.
What is an Outstanding Florida Water? The Florida Department of Environmental Protection web site says:
An Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) is a water designated worthy of special protection because of its natural
attributes. This special designation is applied to certain waters and is intended to protect existing good water
quality.
Most OFWs are areas managed by the state or federal government as parks, including wildlife refuges,
preserves, marine sanctuaries, estuarine research reserves, certain waters within state or national forests,
scenic and wild rivers, or aquatic preserves. Generally, the waters within these managed areas are OFWs
because the managing agency has requested this special protection.
Waters that are not already in a state or federal managed area may be designated as "special water" OFWs
if certain requirements are met including a public process of designation.
Dan and Stephanie will be sharing a PowerPoint presentation with USAers titled “Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW)
/ Lauderdale by the Sea.”
Glada Blench
VP of Programs
programs@usadiveclub.com
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 At USA’s February 4th general membership meeting, VP of Overseas
Diving Nils Jacobsen introduced members and guests to USA’s three
overseas dive trips for 2010
This year, we travel to the Bahamas for Shark Diving with Stuart Cove
in May. Trip leaders are John and Kathy Ficarra.
In July, Glada Blench leads a trip to Cozumel, Mexico, followed by a
short excursion to Isla de Mujeres where participants hope to snorkel
with Whale Sharks.
Nils Jacobsen leads USA’s August trip to the Dry Tortugas. Participants
depart Key West aboard the vessel Playmate for 4-days of action-packed
diving and hunting.
John and Kathy Ficarra have planned an unprecedented schedule of local diving for 2010.
USA’s Social Butterflies, Julie Manhold and Clare Anthon, have USA’s calendar filled with exciting
non-diving events through December.
Earlier this month, Julie and I had a behind-the-scenes tour of The Florida Aquarium in Tampa,
home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals.
During Florida’s recent winter freeze, an estimated 5,000
or more ‘cold-stunned’ sea turtles were stranded across the
state due to severe cold temperatures. These ‘cold-stunned’
turtles were lethargic and incapable of swimming or eating
on their own. If left unaided, most of these endangered
animals would have perished.
Walt Disney’s Worldwide Conservation Fund donated $4,990
to The Florida Aquarium to assist with a rapid response to
the sea turtle crisis. Of the 17 sea turtles brought to the
aquarium, 13 were returned to the open ocean by the end
of January.
In the past few weeks, 4 new juvenile sea turtles arrived from Florida’s Panhandle for rehabilitation.
Sea turtles weren’t the only marine life affected by Florida’s severe and protracted frigid weather.
 Thousands of fish have perished and are now washing
ashore along Florida’s beaches.
Here in South Florida, Boca Raton’s Gumbo Limbo
Nature Center has been providing a similar service
to ‘cold-stunned’ sea turtles. Over 140 ‘cold-stunned’
turtles have been treated in Gumbo Limbo’s new
rehabilitation facility. Volunteers and veterinarians
from around the world have been working at
Gumbo Limbo during this unprecedented cold weather
phenomenon, trying to save these endangered animals
from certain death.
The USA Dive Club has a special relationship with
Gumbo Limbo, especially Marine Conservationist
Dr. Kirt Rusenko who led members and guests on
USA’s Moonlight Turtle Walks in 2008 and 2009.
For 2010, Dr. Rusenko is working with USA’s Social
Butterflies to present a new and exciting sea turtle
adventure later this summer.
Gumbo Limbo’s new turtle rehab center continues to
treat ‘cold-stunned’ and injured sea turtles however,
the program is desperately in need of donations to
remain operational.
Click on the link below to view a ‘supply list’ of items
Gumbo Limbo needs for the rehab center:
Supply List for Rehab Center
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Sadly, USAers and guests can no longer order food at the Newport Cafe in the Best Western Deerfield Beach Hotel & Suites. We encourage folks to meet at Clamsters Raw Bar & Grill for food and libation before the meeting. Details below under Social Activities.
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Russ Manhold
President
president@usadiveclub.com
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Local Diving
with
Kathy & John Ficarra
We actually had two dives taken place the beginning of February and we have one scheduled on
February 27th. Even though the seas were calling for 3-5 ft throughout the weekend, the winds were
out of the west flattening the ocean. As two of our regular polar bears couldn’t do the scheduled
Sunday dive and were only available on Saturday, we all decided, let’s do both days!
So on Saturday, February 6th, USA members Luis Monroy, Mark Richman, Glada Blench, Bob Lucas
and Kathy Ficarra went out with South Florida Diving Headquarters on their scheduled drive trip to
Rodeo 25 wreck which sits in 125 ft of water. Visibility and currents were a diver’s dream as you
could see most of the ship clearly and some swear the ship is leaning starboard sufficiently more than
their previous dive. Water temperature is still 72 degrees. Then we did the Sunkist reef drift dive.
Luis was given the lobster gear for his first attempt at catching lobsters. After chasing two lobsters
all over the reef, he gave up. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch outdoors at a tiki bar on the beach.
On Sunday with the same seas conditions we headed out with American Dream II crew to dive both
Tenneco Tower sites. We did see quite a few large barracudas on the single Tenneco Tower.
Unfortunately, the current was ripping on the first tower dive so we voted to do a reef for the second
dive and let the current take us for a ride. On our drift dive of course we saw a couple lobsters but
didn’t bring the gear. Our reflexes were too slow to catch them. USA members Bob Lucas,
Glada Blench, John and Kathy Ficarra all tried as a group effort but the lobsters managed to escape
for another day in the sea. We could only laugh during dinner afterwards.
FOR A LIST OF UP COMING DIVES, CLICK HERE FOR USA’s ‘LOCAL DIVING’ PAGE.
Kathy & John Ficarra
VP’s of Local Diving
localdiving@usadiveclub.com
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Social Activities
 Greetings from your Social Butterflies.
Kudos to the 18 volunteers who helped the Club uphold
our commitment to Broward County by joining USA’s
6th quarterly Adopt-A-Street cleanup in Deerfield Beach.
Our February 21st Green Team Crew consisted of:
Clare & Tony Anthon, Barbara & Sonny Barber,
Linda Caldwell, Kathy Ficarra, Steve Jurczak,
Mary LePage and guest Kathleen Wrona,
Julie & Russ Manhold, Ray McAllister,
Kathi & Steve McCutcheon, Luis Monroy, Gary Sharp,
Larry Townsend and Bob Weybrecht.
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We picked up a total of 122 pounds
of trash and debris.
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Steve McCutcheon contributed the most by finding a damaged and discarded street sign and an old office chair.
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The men were the big winners of the "Trash-to-Treasure" prizes. Each went home with a pretty nautical candle.
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After the cleanup, we rewarded ourselves by having a delightful lunch and libations at
Muddy Waters Restaurant and Raw Bar.
We do cleanups every three months so, if you haven't had the opportunity to volunteer
for this fun-filled event, .......TRY IT........YOU'LL LIKE IT.
You'll be performing a valuable service for yourself and the community.
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Saturday, March 13, we will be spending
a fun day at the historic
Hillsboro Lighthouse.
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To get to the lighthouse, we will take a 20-minute narrated boat ride up the Intracoastal Waterway on a 49-foot passenger watercraft.
If we're lucky, USA’s own
Dr. Ray McAllister will be our guide.
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We can climb the lighthouse and take in the spectacular view, tour the grounds including the 1906
Keeper Cottages, visit the gift shop and then learn about the famous Barefoot Mailman statue.
Before the tour, join us poolside at the Patio Bar of the Sands Harbor Resort for grilled burgers,
chicken, fresh grilled or blackened fish sandwiches, pizza, salads and more.
The cost is $15.00 to be paid on the day of the tour. There is no charge if you are a member
of the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Contact USA’s Social Butterflies if you would like to join our group.
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 A "Walk on the Wild Side" is coming up Saturday afternoon, April 10th. We are going to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, followed by dinner at Chaiyo Thai Bistro located nearby.
Bring your camera and binoculars. There will be an abundance of waterbirds nesting and feeding their babies.
Boardwalks wind through three of the wetland's ponds, allowing visitors the opportunity to read interpretive signs and learn about water purification, wetlands ecology, natural history, and the interdependence of people and their environment.
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands have attracted an abundant variety of wildlife including turtles, frogs, alligators and birds. More than 140 different species of birds have been spotted at the site. These species thrive in the various wetland zones found at Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The zones were designed for a mixture of habitat types. With the exception of dinner, this is a FREE event.
Watch your next newsletter and e-mail for additional information.
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Our social events are open to all USA club members and their guests. So, why wait?
Sign up for a social event, get to know your fellow USAers, and let the fun begin!
Future social events include:
DINNER BEFORE THE MEETING:
Clamsters Sports Bar & Grill (Click here for map and driving directions) @ 6:00 PM
Located at Sawgrass Promenade Plaza, 3/4 miles southwest of Best Western
1391 S Military Trail, Deerfield Beach FL 33442
954-481-3755
Clare Anthon & Julie Manhold
VP’s of Social Events
social@usadiveclub.com
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Hospitality Hut
 Greetings from The Hospitality Hut.
We would like to take this time to give a special “thank you” to our
fellow USA Dive Club members.
Guests are future members!! It is so very important that we take
time to meet and greet each of them. After guests fill out our
brief questionnaire, we introduce them to a few USAers.
Soon after, they mingle and find a seat.
We thank all USA members who take the time to approach a guest and introduce themselves. We are lucky to
have a group of friendly, outgoing divers who are eager and willing to engage guests in conversation.
Your experience and enthusiasm are what make the Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club appealing to guests.
We wish you all "Happy Diving".
Clare Anthon & Julie Manhold
Hospitality Coordinators
hospitality@usadiveclub.com
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Membership
People interested in joining the USA Dive Club will find membership
applications available by clicking on the link appearing below:
MEMBERSHIP PACKET
Jorge Carvajal
Membership Coordinator
membership@usadiveclub.com
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Promotions
Hi y’all from the Promotions Desk of the USA Dive Club.
Last month, we had a $47 Lobster Pot won by Clare Anthon.
 A two-person dive trip on the Lady Go Diver,
donated by Pavan from Dixie Divers in Deerfield
Beach, won by Luis Monroy.
 A $50 Gift Certificate donated by Bob Meadows
from Force-E in Boca Raton, won by Julie Manhold.
Kurt Kohler and Margie Hanratty each won $20 off of a USA local dive.
Margie also won a ‘9 LED’ light donated by Harbor Freight Tools.
Congratulations to our winners! Be sure to stop by the local area dive shops who support USA and
say “Thanks”
At the March 4th meeting, look for the following items in USA’s Lobster Pot:
- The usual 50/50 cash pot.
- The usual 2 each $20 off a USA local dive.
- Book, “Shipwrecks of the Sunshine State” by Michael C. Barnette.
- A dive trip for two on the “Wreckreation” donated by Paul Molinari.
- A two-tank dive, including weights and tanks, in the Florida Keys donated by
Joe and Wendy Hall at Dive Duck Key, brought to us by Glada Blench.
- And perhaps a couple of other little surprises for you too!
For the last three months, our 50/50 Lobster Pot has been right at, or above, $50.
Unheard of in the history of the USA Dive Club.
I thank you, and the club thanks you. Let’s keep it up!
And, as I always say, “ If U miss it, U will miss it!”
Larry Townsend
Promotions
promotions@usadiveclub.com
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USA’s Overseas Diving
Bahamas Dive Trip
Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas
May 21 – 24, 2010
4 days / 3 nights / 6 dives
Here is the update on USA’s 2010 trip to Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas.
We presently have 7 members signed up and we have room for more. Contact trip leaders
Kathy and John Ficarra for names of members and guests participating.
Stuart Cove’s is an old favorite of the club and it has been a while since we were there. We are
planning a long weekend, starting with a shark dive Friday afternoon (non-shark dives also available).
We are staying at Orange Hill Beach Inn, again an old favorite. The airfare is relatively cheap.
It seems to change from $100 to $161; no explaining the logic airlines use to set their prices.
When your sign-up is confirmed, please book your airfare right away. We have 16 spots.
Click here to view and print a copy of our Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas flier.
Package Includes:
3 nights stay at Orange Hill Beach Inn, west end of New Providence Island, Bahamas
Friday afternoon 2 tank Shark Feeding Adventure Dive plus or 2 tank reef dives
2 tank morning dives on Saturday and Sunday
Airport transfers. Transportation to boat by Stuart Cove
All service charges, taxes, and tips
Per person, double room
Diver’s Package with Shark Adventure $550
Diver’s Package without Shark Adventure $480
Non Diver $215
Single supplement $150
Options:
2 tank dive Saturday afternoon: $50
Nitrox 6 or 8 dives: $50
Deposit of $100 is required to hold a spot (16 spots available); your spot should be confirmed
shortly after 2/18
Not Included:
Air flight – Jet Blue $161 (price checked last time: 1/22). Round Trip including exit tax
ˇ 1st checked bag 50 lbs FREE, 2nd bag $30
ˇ Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau Friday 5/21 9:25 AM arriving 10:24 AM
ˇ From Nassau Monday 5/24 leaving 4:11 PM arriving 5:09 PM
Meals – Orange Hill Beach Inn has a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an honor bar
open in the day, and bartender available in the evenings. There are other restaurants in area.
Boat Dock has a Grill Restaurant.
Transportation is available at the Orange Hill Beach Inn. Public bus $1.50 runs every 15 minutes
(downtown 20 min.) until 6 PM. Taxis are available.
Forward questions to trip leaders Kathy & John Ficarra
localdiving@usadiveclub.com
954-340-7755
Check out web sites below for more info.
www.stuartcove.com www.orangehill.com www.JetBlue.com
Cozumel - Isla de Mujeres, Mexico
July 10-18, 2010
8 nights/10-15 dives/2 islands/1 Whale Shark trip
(Cozumel countdown ticker)
Here is the update on USA’s 2010 trip to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres!
We presently have 18 members signed up and we have room for more. Contact trip leader
Glada Blench for names of members and guests participating.
After we hit the magic number of 20, we will be taking a waiting list and may be building to fill
another boat in Isla Mujeres (limit of 10 on a boat for our whale shark snorkel).
Cozumel is an old favorite of Under Sea Adventurers. We are going back for the first time in 5 years
and we are doing it slightly different this time. Cozumel ranks high on “value for money” and we do
a single direct flight from Ft. Lauderdale. The prices compare to what we paid 5 years ago.
We will be flying out of Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, July 10th, into Cancun and traveling to Cozumel
for 5 days and 6 nights at the Villa Blanca Garden Hotel. We will be diving 5 days with ScubaMau,
highly rated on Trip Advisor. With ScubaMau, we will be offering two options; either 2 or 3 boat dives
a day. Both options come with unlimited shore diving right there at the Villa Blanca beach.
ScubaMau is conveniently located right next door to Villa Blanca. Our first day of boat dives will be
Sunday and the last boat dives for this trip will be Thursday.
On Friday the 16th, we will be traveling to Isla Mujeres for a tour to snorkel with whale sharks,
with Delfin Diving. On Isla Mujeres, we will be staying at the Posada del Mar, four doors down from
the ferry dock. Saturday is our Whale Shark tour and, since it is a snorkel trip, we will be off-gassing
both Friday and Saturday.
Package includes:
- 6 nights at Villa Blanca, with breakfast
- 10 dives
- 2 nights at Posada del Mar
- 1 whale shark snorkel trip
- All transfers, taxes, and tips
Diver: $850 Non Diver: $575
Options:
- 5 extra dives: $ 150
- Single Supplement: $260
- Night dive $35
- Nitrox: $7/tank (cost)
Not included:
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Ft.Lauderdale (FLL) to Cancun (CUN) and from Cancun back to Ft.Lauderdale.
Flight #1795 leaves FLL July 10 at 10:25 AM, arriving CUN at 11:09 AM.
Flight #1796 leaves CUN on July 18 at 12:04 PM, arriving FLL at 2:45 PM.
Today’s price (2/3/10) is $284.90; first checked bag free (max 50 pounds; max dimensions 62”; optional second bag will be $30 each way, total of $60.
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Dining in Cozumel:
There are restaurants galore in Cozumel, something for everyone. At the hotel there is “Nemo-Catch
of the Day” gourmet restaurant open from 3:30 PM to 10:30 PM; Las Adas, a bar and casual restaurant
by the pool; and Lahach, a beach club and snack bar. Upstairs from ScubaMau is a Café. A short taxi
ride away are a few places I always visit for dinner; Casa Denis, Especia’s and Guido’s.
Sunday night I always enjoy the Fiesta in the Plaza with mariachis and food cart vendors (my favorite
being the churros – yum). The spray-paint artists are amazing to watch using cans of spray paint,
paper plates, newspapers, torches and odd little tools here and there to make their masterpieces.
Taxis around town are plentiful and the prices are set in zones. Sharing a ride makes it all the more
affordable.
DEPOSIT: $100 due with your sign up ($150 if opting for a single supplement). Please sign up by
2/18 or earlier. Please book your airfare when confirmed.
Check out websites for more info:
Dry Tortugas on the “Playmate”
August (14)15-18, 2010
Note: 2008 Prices
Here is the update on USA’s 2010 trip to Dry Tortugas on the “Playmate”.
We presently have 3 members signed up and there is room for more. Contact trip leader
Nils Jacobsen for names of members and guests participating.
This will be my “8th” trip on the “Playmate”. We took a break last year for many individual reasons
and are now ready to do it again. This trip is a hunting trip for lobsters and spear fishing. The boat is
60 feet long with a twenty foot beam. Holds 8-10 (11) passengers in four separate air conditioned
staterooms, plus two bathrooms with showers. The fine cuisine is prepared to your delight using only
the best cuts of meat, poultry, and fresh-caught seafood. Other amenities include: sun deck, satellite TV/VCR/stereo, water maker, DNA 32% Nitrox, shaded back deck, cut out transom with platform,
2 electric on-board air compressors. Prices include: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners, snacks, water
and lemonade. Weights, tanks and tips included. All dives are drift dives
When we did this in 2008, our trip got cut short by hurricane “Fay”. The new owner, Mark, (even
though he was not in charge when we did the last trip) has offered that we can do the trip at 2008
prices. Compared to pricing from this year, that is $800-1700 value depending on how many divers go.
Prices are: $1,350.00 Air, $1,450.00 Nitrox, $1,490.00 for tanks over 80 with own tanks.
PS: It is highly recommended to use Nitrox on this trip. There is a small risk of a fuel surcharge (priced
in already), but only if the prices stray up from where they have been the last year.
We board the boat after 7:00 PM, Saturday night, August 14th. The boat leaves the dock at 5:00 AM
while we sleep. We wake up to the smell of fresh coffee and are served a full hot breakfast. We start
diving around 8:00 AM. We average 6 dives a days, diving on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday (2-3 dives), and return to the docks on Wednesday the 19th around 3:00 PM.
This boat books up fast! Many prior participants sign up for this trip.
Deposit: $200
Trip Leader: Nils Jacobsen
overseasdiving@usadiveclub.com
954-783-1667
Links:
http://www.seaclusive.com
http://spearfishingcharters.com
http://www.usadiveclub.com/html/august_2006_dry_tortugas.html
More details at USA’s March 4th dive club meeting.
Nils Jacobsen
VP Overseas Diving
overseasdiving@usadiveclub.com
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USA Calendar
- March 4th - Regular Monthly meeting @ 7:30 PM
- Best Western Deerfield Hotel & Suites
1050 E Newport Center Drive
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
- March 11th - Board of Directors meeting @ 7:00 PM
- Julie and Russ Manhold
13210 SW 17th Court
Miramar FL 33027
- March 13th - Hillsboro Lighthouse Tour @ 11:15 AM
- March 17th - Sea Secrets Lecture Series @ 5:30 PM
- University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Key Biscayne FL 33149
- March 20th - USA local dive @ 8:00 AM
Click on USA’s calendar to view future events.
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Contact Info:
Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club web site: www.usadiveclub.com
Meetings: First Thursday of each month at:
Best Western Deerfield Beach Hotel & Suites
1050 E. Newport Center Drive, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Social: 7:00 PM, Meeting: 7:30 PM
Board of Directors
Membership Dues - - - $40 yearly; $70 for married couples
Download the Membership Packet from our website.
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All information and images are property of ©2010 Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club
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