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Monday, August 23, 2010
Dive at Shinnecock Inlet - August 15, 2010After a very excellent
dive at the bridge on Saturday
with Howard, Tony and Guy, I decided to go back again on Sunday and see if the jetty
looked improved enough to get in there. A guy from LIDA Eric was there as well as another guy Jim from Huntington and
they wanted to go as well. The water at the jetty did look improved and there wasn't much surf, so we decided to check it
out. Unfortunately, Eric's BC malfunctioned so he couldn't go. So Jim and I went and headed out to the jetty tip and also
the Secret Spot. The visibility was very good, at least 20 ft, possibly as much as 25 ft. The entire area was teeming with
fish, including the usual abundance of blackfish, bergalls, sea bass, sea robins, fluke, and stingrays. We must have seen
6 stingrays, several of which were very big, and one stingray actually swam right over us like a manta. I also saw
some blowfish, which I hadn't seen yet this year. And also some sennets, looking like small barracuda. They seem to be swimming
with schools of snappers and I had never seen this before. There are still a few triggerfish left as well. And lots of blue
crabs. Some other guy was there and came out with a bag full of them. When I got out I saw a huge crowd of people on the beach,
it looked like somebody must have passed out or something, but they were all trying to get a look at the crabs. I found two
lobsters, one of which I grabbed and it seemed big enough to keep, but I let it go since I didn't have a bag or a permit.
We got in about half hour before the bridge high tide and it was
slack for most of the dive. There was current only at the end when we went around the tip of the jetty. There was surge present
most of the time, but that didn't seem to hurt the visibility. In fact the water was very clear on the way back in the shallow
area along the jetty, despite the surge.
Overall it was an excellent dive and I wish I could be around on 29-Aug to be at the dive for Sujon. It's too bad I will be
out of town. If the conditions are good, it's definately worth going to the jetty. The fish action is amazing and there's
lots to see. Every dive I have done at the jetty this year has been swell.
By: Joe Muratore
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Cozumel Dive Trip July 26 thru August 1, 2009The Cozumel trip was my first official scuba diving trip with
a scuba club. Previously, with no vacation friends that scuba dive, I usually went on a dive while on vacation in the
islands. My new scuba diving crew became fast friends and the group trip experience was fabulous! William really
worked me over to make sure that I had the right equipment and refresher classes since it had been a few years since my last
dive. He even made me get my first wet suit since I was used to diving in just a bathing suit (still not sold on diving
in the Northeast yet). Really glad that I had the wet suit. Everyone on the trip was really friendly and they
shared great diving tips that helped my skills and the diving experience. The weather was amazing everyday and the dive
crew made the trip even more fun. The best dive for me was definitely the ship wreck. It felt like a Blair Witch
Project experience. The cave was also a really cool experience. Especially when I looked up and there was a ceiling.
Even the nights were fun. With unlimited Tequila even Karaoke is fun! Thanks Deb for the gloves!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Shinnecock Inlet Dive 8/2/09Got in at 4:31pm and was under for 1 hour 34
min. Conditions were the same as except a bit dimmer and hazier due to sun lower in sky. Still probably 15-20
ft visibility.
Nice dive with loads of fish including hundreds of small drums on the sand in about 3-4 ft water
and a larger stingray that swam over my head in 20 ft of water like a small manta. Lots of triggerfish, etc. Some guy I talked
to had speared a few triggerfish.
I finally found my way back to the secret spot area. I discovered that the familiar
boulders that I uded in past summers as navigation landmarks were partially sanded in and possibly shifted, so that's why
it looked so scattered and different this year. In addition, the medium size boulder pile at the end of the north-south reef
edge as you head south was half buried, so I had to swim over open sand heading south until I found it. In past years you
could see it from the end of the north-south line of rocks and boulders, but now only if the visibility is exceptionally good.
Lots of rocky areas are now buried in sand. Even on the way to the secret spot the sand intrusions make the place look very
different, until you get down to about 40 ft or so.
The secret spot area is still the same and the depth is still
about 54ft in the bowl shaped area, and there were loads of blackfish there but I saw no stripers like in the past years.
Maybe they will be here in September. I found a decent size lobster under a ledge in the jetty and it was probably legal,
and also a small conger eel in a hole nearby.
The visibility improved as you got
away from the jetty tip. There was never much current during the whole dive, so that was different from Saturday. After diving
this place for 34 years, it's still impossible to predict what's going to happen.
All in all, both days were good
and I think it will continue to be good there. You should try to go this weekend if the weather holds up. Also, the water
in the back by the commercial boat slip looked pretty clear like it did on Saturday. I'm looking forward to going back there
again. Hopefully, there will be lots of tropicals there. But on Sunday I only saw a few small butterflyfish and snowy
groupers but did see all those cool drums at the end of the dive. And right over the drums was a dense school of peanut bunker
(menhaden).
Well I'm off to Seattle on Saturday for some cold
water diving. Now that I'm used to the 70F or so temperatures at Shinnecock I will
have to acclimate to the 45-50 F water of Puget Sound. One of my coworkers who has a boat in Jamesport says that the Peconic Bay is now 78F! And the water is still reasonably clear with no sign of the brown tide that's
in Great South bay right now. Also, Greg at Port Dive Shop said he just taught a class at
Cedar Beach in Mt Sinai and the visibility at high tide was 20-25 ft which is as good as it ever gets in the Sound.
You should be able to get some good diving this upcoming weekend somewhere.
By: Joe Muratore
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wreckfest 2009 Diving The Graveyard of the Altantic
Me, Reggie Callander and Joel Brisco headed down Thursday afternoon in
order to get in a extra day of diving on Friday morning. Although we got there around 4 am, we were still able
to make it to the boat by 6am. The weather was great, there were blue skies and sunshine. There
was a film crew from the Discovery Channel to film the dive, but as we all know as open water divers mother nature can play a big part in recreational diving.
About 15 min from shore they told us the waves at the dive site were about 4-5 ft high and the dive
was cancelled. I believed the fact that a film crew was on board played in the decision to call off the
dive.
Back at the dive lodge I tried to get some much needed
sleep, I didn't. Unless you can sleep through a bombing I would not recommend staying at the Lodge. Later that
night we met for dinner at the Golden Correl for the Wreckfest reception. Best fried chicken I have every
tasted. The reception was well organized, there was speeches made about the next day dives and a representitive
from DAN was there to talk about safety. Many clubs were represented , the Atlantic Rangers, the Nubian Divers
of Charllote, AVSC and others from the Washington D.C. area.
The next
morning without any sleep, I met up with Reggie and Joel at the boat at 6 am and at first headed for the site
of the u-boat-352 wreck that has been promised. But mother nature raise here ugly head again and we was re-routed to
another dive site called the "Indra". Feeling a little quezey from lack of sleep and all you can eat
from the nite before, I Just wanted to dive any where.
Diving with
a 100 cubic ft alum tank, we dove to about 65 ft with the visabilty about 10 to 15 ft. It was quite
a large wreck. Saw quite a few baraccudas which came very close. My bouyency was very good I should say, also saw
many jellyfish, Reggie and Joel were stung but I kept my eyes open for them and the baraccudas. The second dive
of the day was the "Titan" a tugboat. I did my first penetration as I could see the exit on the other side
of the boat. Once inside I was surrounded by about 20 to 30, 5 to 6 inch fish with large eyes that kinda
look at me and said what the hell. Joel has a great shot of me exiting the wreck, he ask me how much
am I ready to pay for it.
Day two: This was the day that
we would dive the wreck the "Spar" and see the amazing sharks, but to no avail, we were told
the weather was a factor again and we returned to the wreck "INDRA" At the end of the dive almost invisable
and covered in the sand was a medium size stingray. The second dive we dove the "Suloide" wreck an tanker
that was broken up by the navy so it was all spread around and not much to see. There was a strong surface current
and the water temp was much colder and we stay aroud the anchor line for most of the dive.
As the weekend go, I was pretty disapointed not having swam with the sharks and not diving
the u-boat, but as most people who know me I just enjoy diving no matter what's down there.
By: Mark Pierce
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Dive at Ponquogue Bridge, Shinnecock, NY - May 30, 2009Bridge Over Tepid Waters:
“It’s A Lovely Day”
On the morning
of May 30, 2009, a day that did not look promising, as the sky was heavy with cloud cover, our intrepid group led by Norman
Berhannan assembled at the 7-11 off the Long Island Expressway. Our shore-based
group consisted of Judy Berhannan, Zelda and Mel Betty, Margaret Low, and Charlie Davidson; our divers were Terry Klug, Joe
Muratore, Juan Medina, Bob Willis, Ivan Donovan, Mark Pierce and Norman Berhannan. As we stopped
at the dive shop, the sun began burning the clouds away.
After receiving our pre-dive briefing from Norman, we suited
up so that we could be in the water by the 2:00 pm slack time. We were divided into two groups; led by
Joe and Norman. At 52 degrees, the water under the Ponquogue Bridge was like tepid ice tea in my
seven-mil wetsuit. Initially weighted at 28 pounds, I had to take on an additional four pounds before
I could successfully descend. At approximately 2:06 pm we started our dive. Surprisingly,
the visibility was at thirteen feet as we leisurely kicked down a slight grade of rock and sand. As we
approached the base of the east bridge, I was taken aback of the abundant number of starfish that were gorging themselves
on mussels. Since
I was diving without my camera, at twenty minutes into the dive, I tapped Bob Willis, my dive buddy, to take out his camera
from the pocket of his BC. While he was getting his camera, I checked his air and found he was getting
low (due to a short fill and his struggle in the beginning of the dive to descend.). Norman came swimming
up to us and determined that it was time for Bob to return to shore. Juan decided to return to shore with
Bob. Joe,
Mark and I spent the rest of the dive exploring the east and west bridge supports. I fired off a few photos,
but by then there was silt that cause backscatter to the photos. Other than observing the seafloor of starfish
on mussels and horseshoe crabs resembling miniature World War I tanks, we saw juvenile pollock, rockfish, blackfish, and a
singular sea bass. From the time we descended (at 2:06 pm) to approximately 2:36 pm when we felt the first
vestiges of current breaking east, our dive was idyllic. During that brief period, I had to crawl along
the bottom using heavy rocks as hand holds. Fortunately, we were at the back end of completing our dive
and after 49 minutes we surfaced near our point of entry to see a light blue sky with wisps of clouds. Watching
the sky while swimming on my back to shore, I could not help to hear in my mind the lovely refrain of a Bill Withers song
“It’s A Lovely Day.” Of course, since it was a song playing in my head, I substituted
the line to ‘t’was a lovely dive.” Before we headed back to our respective homes,
Norman led a caravan of cars to Shinnecock Inlet in Hampton Bays to the area where Sujohn Low’s Memorial Bench would
be placed. I think Margaret as well as the rest of us were happy with the site selection and I felt Sujohn
would be elated. Ravenous from the sea and air, we invaded the local
eatery “Tulley’s” and dined, socialized, and the song, “It’s a lovely day” was still playing
in my head.
By: Ivan Donovan
9:45 pm edt
Monday, November 10, 2008
AVSC Night Out at Club Denim in Brooklyn, NY - November 2, 2008Divers are
always looking for ways to stay fit and limber during the "off-season". What better way to sharpen your reflexes
and loosen up those joints than learning some new moves while mixing it up with young and old.? Last Sunday
evening AVSC had a ball at club DENIM in Brooklyn. Our own Naomi Wright is an experienced line
dance instructor and introduced us to the line dance scene. Judy and Naomi worked up a sweat dancing to "The
Boss", "Follow Me" and other old school hits. George Ellis and friend,
Naomi,and Norman and Judy Berhannan mingled with the crowd at DENIM and had a chance to display our club pictures and videos
and talk to other guests about our favorite sport. The event was covered by local cable TV station BCAT, and by WLIU radio,
and during the course of the evening, Norm got a chance to go on the air and talk about AVSC and NABS.
We all enjoyed the bountiful southern style buffet meal, great music and good company. Let's do it again!
By: Norman Berhannan
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mt. Sinai Harbor Spearfishing Dive - October 13, 2008Blackfish season... had
a hankering for some fresh fish. On Monday I made dives at the west jetty at Mt. Sinai Harbor and on the east jetty at
Port
Jefferson Harbor. As soon as I got underwater I ran into two other spear fishermen. Unlike my last dive at Mt.
Sinai, hardly a fish was to be seen, maybe the divers spooked them. After approx. 20 minutes, I found a good size blackfish hiding deep in the rocks. I nailed
him, swam back to the boat, and left for the east jetty at Port Jeff. This spot is not easily accessible, you can only
get to it by boat. I back rolled into the water and swam for the tip. What a difference, huge blackfish were everywhere,
it was like picking apples. Within a few minutes I bagged my limit and called it a day. The fish were filleted, wrapped in
aluminum foil and grilled with sauteed onions, tomatoes, fresh garlic, and butter. The
second batch was cooked with a mustard sauce and ground black pepper. Add a rice pilaf, garden salad, and a bottle of
chardonnay. Fresh fish, what a meal... indescribably delicious!
By: Norman Berhannan
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mt. Sinai Harbor Dive - September 28, 2008On Sunday, September 28,
2008, AVSC members did a shore dive at the Mt. Sinai Harbor's, West Jetty in Port Jefferson, Long Island.
In attendance were: Norman, Mel, Robert, Ivan, Kevin, Mark, Joe and Mel's nephew Daryl who provided shore support
and digital documentation (He took pictures).
Visibility was about 10 feet. The water temperature was 66 degrees
and the depth at the west jetty was 15 feet and 35 feet in the inlet.
There were sightings of large black fish of approximately
two to three feet long. There were also schools of whiting passing us like a passing train back and forth
during the dive.
Like on many dives there were some positives and negatives relating to the weather conditions.
The visibility wasn't great, but the rains of the previous two days made the water warm enough to make for very comfortable
water temperature throughout the dive... and anytime I can go diving is a great day.
After the dive Norman took the group
to one of his hangouts for lunch at "Tara's Inn Irish Pub" and introduced us to the best burgers for a
buck. Those burgers were actually very good. Also joining us were Joe's wife and children. We ate, downed
three pitchers of beer and watched the Jets blow out the Cardinals.
In the end... it was a good day.
By: Mark Pierce
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Project Oceanology - August 8 - 9, 2008The
NABS Science and Education Committee promoted their 3rd. visit to the University of Ct., Avery Point and Project
Oceanology. The following organizations were represented: The National Association of Black Scuba Divers
– Atlantic Rangers –Philadelphia, Aquatic Voyagers Scuba Club-N.Y., Black Dolphin Divers-Richmond, The University
of Ct., Avery Point, Dr. Richard Cooper, The National Undersea Research Center, Dr. Ivar Babb, The School District of Phila.
Charlie Lumpkin, Project Oceanology, The 106th Precinct Explorers, N.Y., Brenda Bratcher, The U.S. Navy, Chief
Petty Officer, Ken McWilliams.
Twenty
one students and adults investigated such activities as: ROV’S, Re-breathers, Hyperbaric chambers,
Living underwater (Sub Base I), Visit to the Nautilus Submarine Museum, Living on and operating a Nuclear Submarine.
The Movie “PRIDE” was also shown. Again
we boarded the Project Oceanology vessel and learned about water temperature; salinity, density, and PH balance.
We also collected marine life, everything from spider crabs to fluke to squid. The trip was capped
off by a roller-skating party were the old heads taught the young people a thing or two. Everyone had a
great time and we thank all who participated. NABS representatives included: Henry Rori, Regional Rep., Bob
Williams, President of ATRA, Corey Joyner, AVSC.
by: Charlie Lumpkin, AVSC, ATRA
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Cape Ann, MA Dive 9/12-13/08Last weekend the Aquatic Voyagers traveled
to Rockport, Massachusetts for our Annual Cape Ann Dive. Our group was spread between the Eagle House and the Motel Peg Leg. Mel, Zelda, Steve, Tina, Kayla, Jalar,
Corey, Jean, Darnella, Margaret, Mark, Keith, Terry, Dolly, Kevin, Marzena, Joe, Tony, Judy, and Norm made the trip. There
were12 divers and 8 non-divers who were a big help especially with moving cars and transporting gear at Folly
Cove. We made dives at Folly Cove, and Front and Back Beach in Rockport. What did we see, LOBSTERS lots of LOBSTERS.
and we saw them well because visibility was over 30ft at Front and Back Beach on Sunday. In between diving, members of our
group shopped and toured the historical and picturesque towns of Gloucester (Perfect Storm) and
Rockport. On Saturday evening we got together for a great meal at the Fish Lodge in town. There was story telling and loud guffaws
until well in the night on the balcony at the Eagle House, it must have been the wine at dinner. Our impromptu party
committee has been charged with developing a cocktail to commemorate the weekend, it will be known as a "Dolly on the
Rocks". Thanks Zelda and Judy for the chicken, salad and snacks on Friday and hot coffee, tea and
pastries in the morning before dives. It was a great trip and we're all looking forward to next year.
AVSC....Always Ahead of the Tide
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
YOUTH PROGRAM - DISCOVER SCUBA SESSION 8/13/08AVSC members Juan Medina,
Ivan Donovan, and Judy and Norman Berhannan provided a Discover Scuba experience for 12 youngsters at the Hempstead Roosevelt
Pool on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. The program was a success and very well received by the participants, the staff,
and supervisors of that facility. Thanks again to Raph at Long Island Scuba for providing tanks and other equipment,
we are very appreciative of his generous support of AVSC's initiatives.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
GRAND CAYMAN DIVE 7/26 - 8/2/08Well,
we're all back from Grand Cayman safe and sound, and remembering our week in Paradise.
Personally, I'm reshuffling my best dive experiences, and emerging at the top is AVSC's club trip to Cayman.
Thanks to Steve Miller and Naomi Wright for all their work in planning and coordinating
the trip. The diving was fantastic, the accommodations were great, the Ocean Frontier dive operation was perfect. What was
that Steve? Norm didn't growl the entire week? Thanks Naomi and Judy for keeping us well fed, for the cake and the
midnight snacks. Thanks Steve for coordinating and leading the night dive, your compass coordinates were right on (I saw the
mermaid on the way back). Paul, you did a great job with the fish ID program, our guys know
a lot more about what they've been looking at and I'm sure they appreciate it more. Will, thanks for handling the
financial details with Compass Point.
It was a team effort that made it all happen, it was a great group to vacation with. Thanks again to Naomi Wright, Steve Miller,Deborah
and Will Landers, Paul Washington, Ivan Donovan, Joe Place, Keith Hoskins, Juan Medina,Terry
Klug, and Judy and Norman Berhannan. AVSC you've left your mark on Grand Cayman and Grand Cayman has left it's
mark on us.
AVSC...Always Ahead of the Tide
Monday, June 9, 2008
Shinnecock, Long Island June 7, 2008Great and Luck Day at the Inlet
You know my favorite saying is that its "better to
be lucky". Well today was a good luck day. With all the hot weather Margaret and I decided to head east to the inlet.
When
we got there it looked relatively good enough to dive but not as good as the last few times out. Glad I decided to go in.
Water visibility was poor right up to the point where I got no more than 6 feet. However, as soon
as I got out to the north edge of the bowl things changed dramatically. It started to clear up to 12 to 15 feet and I began
to see schools of stripers moving through. First some schoolies then the big ones showed up. I picked the first one off at around 10
feet away. I knew he was a keeper right away and I sensed by his size underwater he would be a trophy. Guessed right as he
came to 41 inches (23 pounds). Without measuring him underwater I slowly dispatched him, put him on the stringer and reloaded
the gun. Glad I did. That gave the school time to come back and I was able to pick off the smaller of the two, 34 inches less
than ten feet away with a spine sheet that basically paralyzed him where he just settled into the sand in the bowl. Boy, wasn't
sure that the trophy would hold up but I had two, my first double header. Regulations let you take a second less than 40 as
long as you have one greater than 40 inches. All of this in less than a half an hour. Cut the dive short as I certainly couldn't shoot
any more and headed back to the beach. Surge had picked up but what a feeling. Raoul who was not diving met me at the shorline
and helped with fins, the gun and the fish. Glad he was there. The weight of these two fish easily came to 40 pounds extra
as we both got tired carrying them back to the car. Water temp close to 60 degrees. Half an hour later the winds changed and thick blanket of
fog rolled in. Still,
one of the best spearfishing days ever. There are big ones trolling the inlet right now. May go back tomorrow if I get a good nights
rest.
(Check out photos of catch in the Photo Gallery)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Shinnecock Dive - April 26 & 27, 2008Dives this weekend
Dove both days this weekend with Black Fish season ending on April
30th. Yesterday was the better of the two days. Inlet was relatively calm, water temp in low 50s, visibility was coose to
12 feet at the bowl. Caught
these 4 tog which is now the limit on a daily catch. George reported getting a 9 pounder a couple of days before at the bridge.
Went back
this morning and dove with George and Louis. Visibility was much poorer where I got probably around 6 feet at best when I
got to the secret spot. Got one tog that swam right in front of me. Well that is probably it for this part of the Black Fish season. 8 nice tog in total. Season opens back up in October. From here on in its Stripers and Fluke
for the rest of the season. Striper run should begin in the next couple of weeks. Sujon
11:35 am edt
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Well I can definitely attest that it is better to be lucky than smart. Took the opportunity to check
out the inlet today with Black fish season underway. When I got to the inlet conditions were calm and the water hinted at
being dive worthy. George and Freddy showed up and George and I were the only ones on the beach besides the line fisherman.
Not the smartest assessment as visibility was crap throughout
the dive. I had inched my way out past the bowl towards the secret spot and landed right on the PVC piping that I have come
to use as a landmark. Usually if you are going to see fish (blacks and stripers) its right in that area. Initially all I could
make out were shapes, some quite large. At one point I went to lift my spear and realized that I was lifting a Blackfish easily
in the 5 to 7 pound range. Needless to say he didn't appreciate being disturbed and quickly moved away. At that point
I saw this guy come along and at first thought it was a huge blackfish but got him in my sights and realized by the lateral
stripes that he made the mistake of swimming right in front of me. I shot him basically a point black range and he took off
like a rocket as it was a flesh, non kill shot. He easily took the line out twenty feet or more. I started pulling the line in because I knew I had him from the tension but not sure where
the spear had hit. The reel gets your line back on the spool but can cost you time if you don't have a sure shot. Well
when I pulled him close and saw what I had it was a nice surprise. He was hit just below the mid point but secure enough to
pull in and dispatch. The downside was that my line had been drawn out so much and he had spun around quite a bit that it
was all tangled and knotted preventing me from reeling it through the spool. What
a beautiful fish and he put up quite a struggle initially where I had to pivot with him as he was making a circle that could
have tied me up in my own line. Something out of a cartoon :) Like
I said better to be lucky than smart. The lucky part
is that had I shot the black I would not have been ready when he shot right in front of me. He turned out to be slightly more than 40 inches and weighed in at twenty two pounds. Striper
gumbo, striper pizza, striper and eggs, striper stew. Life is good! Water
temp was 62, visibility at best was no more than five feet. Saw
Howard at the end of the dive. Seems he was working out on the boat and came in just as George and I were cleaning up to pull
out. Trying to get in the water at least once or twice more
before the pumpkin head dive. Sujon
2:08 pm edt
Sunday, October 7, 2007
2:57 pm edt
What can I say? It hardly gets any better than this unless
your bringing in Stripers also. It was a beautiful day on the water. The inlet looked like the Caribbean with shades of aquamarine
and blue. It must be something about this time of year when the water is still cold. The Bridge looked flat and the water
in the shallows was crystal clear without the algae. I decided to head to the inlet and glad that I did. It was also flat.
and inviting. Ran into Rauol and a friend of his named Rusty.
He had also taken the day off. They got in a few minutes ahead of me. When I hit the point of the inlet, Raoul's friend
Rusty had already bagged a Black Fish that easily looked between 8 to 10 lbs. I headed over into the bowl and settled into
the wall of rocks that lines its south east border. Good spot because there were many, many black fish hanging out there.
I got these four but lost the opportunity to get even more and a few larger ones due to the time it took me to reload my Riffe.
Really cumbersome with the thick cold water gloves. I shot through a fish and hit a rock as a backstop and had to replace
a spear tip with one that I was carrying so that cost me another ten to 15 minutes of actually shooting. Really bizarre is
that one of my shots was a double header. A small short black swam in front of the spear just as I shot the larger fish. It
went through the short and bagged the bigger fish behind it. Can't
wait till it warms up a bit and I can switch to the wet suit and lighter more dextrous gloves. Water temp is still a bit chilly
at 50 degrees, though I was quite warm in my dry suit. Raoul complained about how cold the water was in his wet suit and thought
he had succombed to some mild hypothermia after the dive. He said he was shivering most of the time he was down. Visibility was around 15 to 20 past the point towards the bowl and inlet. Saw skates, fluke, many blacks, bergals, though no stripers. The good thing is that the fish
are coming in. Rusty said that he saw a school of short stripers so that is a good sign. They could be moving in and through
soon. Plan on going out Sunday, though it will be late. Sujon
"Anything
else is just bowling" ...is plainly stated on on the logo and tee shirts of their employees.
Last Friday AVSC discovered
Harlem Lanes more than lives up to this claim. Its a party atmosphere; The DJ was grinding out a funky beat, folks were dancing
in the lanes, we snacked on jerked chicken, barbecued wings, and fried fish. There were several bars and private parties.
This was not the kind of bowling lanes I'm use to seeing, otherwise I'd be a better bowler. At the club meeting at
York College the week before wolf tickets were flying all over the room. In case you don't know Will collected on all
bets. Thanks again Will, for introducing us to Harlem Lanes, it was a lot of fun and a very worthwhile Friday night out.
Now, where to next month, suggestions, ideas?
Norm 5/29/07 Early yesterday morning our pirates descended on the sleepy town of Tom's
River New Jersey for the Ocean Wreck Divers Annual Divers Flea Market. It was a day of sacking and pillaging, and at least
one unsubstantiated complaint of rape (something about a pony bottle). Grinning from ear to ear our crew hacked their way
from table to table filling their bags with booty and leaving vendors in a state of shock and awe. Tanks, regulators, wetsuits,
lights, fins, and assorted treasures were to be had at below bargain price. Participants in the rout were Mel Betty, Steve
Miller, Joe Muratore, Sam Skeete, George Ellis, Terry Klug, Ivan Donovan, Robert Willis, Paula White, Timothy Johnson, Franklin
Solis, and Norman Berhannan. Atlantic Rangers and NABS President Toni McNeal, Bob Williams, and Leon Hammond were along for
the fun. After so much blood letting and at the closing minutes of the show, the vendors simply surrendered what they had
remaining. Norm was seen to stalk out with three regulators he got for free, all in working condition! As our happy crew headed
back to New York with their prizes, remarks were made about the mayhem they had witnessed, others were thoughtfully planning
for next years raid. You may want to get on board.
Norm,
Pres. AVSC
Submitted 2/19/07
Some of the "usual suspects"
attended the Dive Safety Seminar hosted by LIDA at the Nassau University Medical Center last Saturday. They included Norman
Berhannan, Mel Betty, Franklin Solis and Paula White. Among the
guest speakers at this all day seminar was Bernie Chowdhury, the author of The Last Dive, Dan Nord, Director DAN Medical Services
and several others representing various areas of dive expertise. Topics included the recognition of DCI/DCS symptoms, their
treatment and prevention; actual case studies of DCI/DCS; the evolution of diving as a sport/discipline; and the importance
of comradery as an essential aspect of one's continued growth in this arena. Perhaps the most surprising information presented
was the fact that diving guidelines have evolved largely from the evaluation and analysis of the collective experience of
divers over the years, rather than hard and fast scientifically proven facts, as many of us may have assumed! Besides lunch, compliments of LIDA, a guided tour of the hospital's recompression chamber
was offered for those interested in seeing it. Kudos to AVSC
for actively working towards achieving one of its worthy Goals and Objectives, i.e. "To promote dive training and diver
education and provide activities to promote comfort and skill level." I'd
like to thank Paula White for writing up this synopsis of our trip to Nassau Medical Center this past Saturday. Norm, Pres. AVSC
Submitted 2/26/07
Sunday,
May 27th, 9 determined divers unloaded there gear pool side at York College. 9 divers determined to get better, to improve
their skills, to master the sport.
Becoming proficient requires practice, pool sessions are an opportunity to work on
basic skills before heading out to open water. This past Sunday AVSC divers, kicked laps, practiced mask clearing, regulator
recovery, front and back entry's, buoyancy control, and doffed and donned gear both in and out of the pool. Tim brought
two certified divers with him. Others who participated were Joel, Robert Willis, Ivan, Darnella, Hanna, Joe Place, Judy, and
Norm.
It was useful pool time and a lot of fun. Our mission:to be the best dive club with the best divers (period) We're
on our way!
Norm
Submitted 5/29/07 I love this place!! Visibility 20ft, gorgeous beach, beautiful day, fresh fish. What could
be better! Water was a little cold (47degrees) but well worth it. Thanks Sujon, Dannella, Margaret, and Judy for starting
the season off right. I can't wait for the next dive. Norm
5/7/07
Monday September 3, 2007
Lake Ontario Dive
Reggie Callendar and Norm represented AVSC on dive
trip to Lake Ontario sponsored by the MASK Chapter of NABS. In addition to two divers from the Michigan club,
the Atlantic Rangers participated, including NABS President Toni Mc Neil and Vice President Bob Williams, who are
also AVSC members. Norman recommended the dives as an opportunity to experience well preserved wrecks. Dry suits
are needed for diving conditions in the Great Lakes.
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