The Buoy Tender - Meetup Buoy Tender.pdf · is a great opportunity to meet club members in person,...

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The Buoy Tender Marker Buoy Dive Club | Seattle, Washington December 2016 In this issue: Presidents message……………………………………………………….2 Cover photo credit…………………………………………………………3 New members……………………………………………………………...3 Monthly meeting……………………………………………………………3 What is your fitness plan?....................................................................4 Night moves—the delightful delights of the “Dond”……………….…...6 Scuba at Saltwater State Park…………………………………………..10 Lighting up the Channel Islands.........................................................12 Upcoming trips……………………………………………………………20 Marketplace……………………………………………………………….22 About Marker Buoys……………………………………………………..23

Transcript of The Buoy Tender - Meetup Buoy Tender.pdf · is a great opportunity to meet club members in person,...

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The Buoy Tender Marker Buoy Dive Club | Seattle, Washington

December 2016

In this issue:

Presidents message……………………………………………………….2

Cover photo credit…………………………………………………………3

New members……………………………………………………………...3

Monthly meeting……………………………………………………………3

What is your fitness plan?....................................................................4

Night moves—the delightful delights of the “Dond”……………….…...6

Scuba at Saltwater State Park…………………………………………..10

Lighting up the Channel Islands.........................................................12

Upcoming trips……………………………………………………………20

Marketplace……………………………………………………………….22

About Marker Buoys……………………………………………………..23

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President’s Message

Out with the old, and in with the new!

2017 is right around the corner and heralds a time of change, as well as remembrance. 2017 will see Kazakhstan playing host to a World Exposition with a theme of "Future Energy" as well as marking Canada's 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial. I've never been to Kazakhstan (though I did see that movie...), and I really like Canada, so I'm pretty sure all signs are pointing to 2017 being a pretty great year.

Unfortunately I was unable to make the "Happy all of the holidays!" party this month as I was unexpectedly called away for work. However, I heard that Andrea and Mark did a fantastic job hosting the event this year and it was a huge hit. I want to thank everyone that was able to make it out, and especially those of us who helped put it together and made it happen. Coming up soon(!) is the Banquet! I hope to see everyone there. Also, a reminder, be on the lookout for western themed scuba gear (or scuba themed western gear)...

Another administrative note. Your 2017 dues are due by the end of December. I have been, and will continue, sending out targeted emails to members who have not yet paid their dues. If you would like to be removed from these notices, you can send in your renewal at any time.

To pay your 2017 dues, please do one of the following:

Send your payment to [email protected] via PayPal (preferred), or

Send a check to: Marker Buoy Dive Club, PO Box 31163, Seattle, WA 98103, or

Bring a check or cash to any of our regular monthly club meetings and hand it to a board-member.

Once that’s done, you are renewed and don't have to worry about paying dues for another year! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Josh Schripsema

President, MBDC

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Cover Photo

Taken by: Jen Vanderhoof

Location: The California sea lions were plentiful and playful at Santa Barbara Island, California

Camera data: f/7.1, 1/125, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port. Olympus OMD-EM5

in Nauticam housing with Sea & Sea YS-D1 and YS-110a.

New Members

Welcome to the Club! You’ve joined one of the most active and social dive clubs in the region.

As you can tell from Meetup we have a steady stream of activities going on for divers of all

experience and skill levels. You are also invited to attend the monthly club meeting. The meeting

is a great opportunity to meet club members in person, hear from interesting speakers, and get

into the swing of things. Details are on the Meetup site.

First time dive hosts will receive a 5 fill air card from Lighthouse Dive Center.

If you get 6 Club members to attend you will also earn a 10 fill card from the dive shop of your

choice.

That’s almost $100 for very little work, but lots of fun. Everybody wins!

January Monthly Meeting

January 4, 2017

Sunset Hill Community Center

Our featured speaker is Soren Huber who will talk with us about

her work with the Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, San Juan Island.

Cason Ballard Samantha Pelto

Christina Shadle

Isaac Cheng

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What is Your Fitness Plan?

By Sue Bream

What is Your Fitness Plan?

As 2016 nears the end, and 2017 rapidly approaches, this is the perfect time to review, evaluate,

and refresh your health and fitness goals. Every other magazine that you buy right now has an

article about getting through the holidays without packing on the pounds and setting goals for the

next year!

I promise not to bore you with the mundane here, but it really is the perfect time to take a look at

this past year, evaluate your health and fitness, and set some new goals for the coming year.

As divers, we are all very much aware of the importance of maintaining our health and fitness.

Have an Honest Conversation with Yourself

What went well for you this year regarding your health and fitness? Were you able to get regular

exercise? Did you stick to your plan of hitting the pool or the gym 2-3x/week? Or, did you not

even have a plan?

For a lot of us, we are actually unaware of the fact that our blood pressure or cholesterol is

creeping up, but for others, it is obvious that with that extra 20-30 pounds of weight, increased

fatigue, and more difficulty hefting yourself back up to your car from a shore dive, something is

not right. Some of us hide the scale and avoid it like the plague, while others border on

obsessive, by weighing in daily. Actually, for weight loss, it is recommended that you weigh

yourself frequently so that you are not surprised by unwanted weight gain.

What are SMART Goals?

For goals to be effective, they need to be SMART.

S=Specific (clear and unambiguous, such as

“I am going to join a gym and go to Yoga class

3x/week)

M=Measurable (you need to be able to see

that you are making progress)

A=Attainable (this reinforces the desire to set

the goal and work toward it)

R=Relevant (a diving fitness goal could be to

lift weights 2x/week to strengthen your core

and back muscles)

T=Time-Bound (a finite time is very effective

here, such as I am going to lose 10 pounds before my tropical dive trip in 3 months)weights for

40 minutes on Tuesdays and Fridays no matter what”.

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In other words, it is not enough to say “I want to be healthier, so I will join a gym”, or, “I want to be

healthier, so I need to lose 10 pounds”. A better goal would be “I am going to only eat out once a

week so that I maintain my current weight”, or, “I am going to go to the gym and lift weights for 40

minutes on Tuesdays and Fridays no matter what”.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself

What are your short-term health and fitness goals (3-6 months) and long-term goals (longer than 6

months)?

What motivates you towards those goals?

(i.e., a diving trip, or longer term, the ability to

continue to dive safely)

How will you integrate exercise into your life?

(besides diving)

What types of exercise do you enjoy? What

are you willing to try?

What are hurdles to improving your health

and fitness? (i.e., you eat out a lot, so you

find it really challenging to eat healthy)

What kind of support do you have to help you

change your lifestyle and eat healthier

and/or exercise regularly?

When was the last time that you exercised regularly (at least 3x/week), and how long did it last?

Why did you stop?

How will improving your health and fitness help your diving? (If you read my articles, you will

know!)

Take a few moments to really think about setting some SMART health and fitness goals for yourself

for 2017. Remember, goals can always be modified and really ought to be evaluated regularly to

make sure that they are still SMART.

Sue Bream is an ACSM and ACE certified Personal Trainer, certified Pilates instructor, and Health

Coach, as well as avid scuba diver.

Questions? Email her at [email protected]. Find her at www.suebreamfitness.com.

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Night Moves – the Darkful Delights of the ‘Dond

Text and photos: Bob Bailey

November and December are my favorite months of the year. People are gearing up for the

holidays. Rainy October has fled, leaving in its wake clear, crisp autumn nights and days that

often start out cloudy but end up with sunshine and promise. The Seahawks are perennially hitting

their stride. And most importantly, it’s the very best time of the year for local diving. The sites are

uncrowded, parking is easy, the water is only a degree or two cooler than at the height of summer,

and the visibility is about as good as it gets.

Redondo is usually an interesting dive. But at night it really comes alive. And that is particularly

true this time of year. Living just a couple miles away makes this a very convenient post-work dive

- and this time of year that means night diving. I arrive around 4:30. The pier is crowded with

people fishing for squid. As I’m gearing up I’m treated to a gorgeous view as the sun sets behind

the silhouette of the distant Olympic mountains. As darkness settles in I’m making my way down

to the beach on the south side of the boat ramp. Detecting movement at the water’s edge, I notice

a blue heron standing in the water next to the boat ramp searching for dinner – and I make my

way a bit further down the beach so as not to disturb him as I gear up and surface swim out a

ways. Then the fun begins

A pair of gunnels makes its home inside a clam shell found near the rock reef.

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A juvenile wolf eel pokes its head out of a pipe in the bottle field

Submerging down into the dark water, I begin the dive at about 25 feet. Setting a westerly course I

head down to a tiny rock reef at about 60 feet. The reef is alive with gunnels, crabs, rockfish, and

the occasional giant pacific octopus. Sometimes I’ll get lucky and find a grunt sculpin or two. After

leaving the reef, I head downslope to a large bottle field, where there are always interesting critters

taking advantage of the shelter provided by all the detritus humans have tossed off their boats on

the way to the boat ramp. Stubby squids, grunt sculpins, crescent gunnel pairs in their autumn

mating colors, and more tiny red octopus than you can count make their homes in bottles, cans, jars

and any other place they can find shelter. Occasionally I’ll get lucky and encounter a juvenile wolf

eel. It’s a virtual playground for the underwater photographer.

As I’m poking around I can hear the barking of sea lions somewhere off in the distance.

Occasionally I’ll see one swim by, pausing briefly to check me out before continuing on its way.

After a time my computer is telling me it’s time to head shallower, and I turn east and start making

my way back up the slope. But the dive is far from over.

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The shallows provide their own delights. Bay pipefish, juvenile grunt sculpins, the occasional snailfish,

and tiny red octopus haunt the shallows. The water is dotted with small moon jellies, and occasionally

you’ll spot an opalescent squid out hunting for dinner. Schools of tubesnouts and shiner perch flash

brilliant reflections from the beam of your dive light. And most especially, this is the time of year for my

favorite fish of all – lumpsuckers.

These delightful little creatures, often

no bigger than a raisin, are the bum-

blebees of the ocean. You can find

them clinging to rocks or pieces of

kelp, often blending in so well that you

won’t even notice them if you aren’t

paying attention. With their round,

lumpy bodies, large lips and eyes that

look perpetually startled, they are guar-

anteed to put a smile on your face as

you watch them. Although they don’t

generally move around much, they can

be surprisingly speedy if you startle

them, or they are threatened by a

predator.

I like to reserve at least 20 or 30 minutes of my dive to just kicking around in 20 feet or less seeking out

the living treasures hiding among

the rocks, kelp and eel grass

found in the shallows.

And finally it’s time to make my

way back to shore. I usually come

back in about 10 feet of water,

looking carefully to find tiny juve-

nile bay pipefish hiding in the

horsetail, or maybe getting lucky

enough to find yet another lump-

sucker clinging to a rock until I

come upon the boulders that tell

me I’m nearing the boat ramp.

A lumpsucker admires its reflection in the lens port of my camera

A bay pipefish brings a festive look to the eel grass in the shallows

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Turning upslope I finally stand up to end the dive near where I began it – sometimes startling that

blue heron, who is still standing near the boat ramp seeking an evening meal.

All is quiet as I clip off my camera, remove my fins, and head back to the parking lot. The squid

fishers are still packing the pier. Other divers are just arriving for a night dive. It’s just past 6:30, and

I’m ready to go home, make some dinner, and download this evening’s bounty of pictures.

Once more – as it usually does this time of year – the ‘Dond delivered.

A grunt sculpin guards its eggs in the bottle field

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Scuba at Salt Water State Park….or any other State Park!

Text and photos by Rhoda Green

How many times before or after a dive people walking by stopped and asked you, “What is out there?

See any thing interesting? Isn’t the visibility poor? Does that suit really keep you warm? Have you ever

seen a shark?“

Most of these people may never dive, however their curiosity still allures them to the unknown

mysteries of the undulating sea and what goes on and lives in these waters.

Ah ha! You can spin one yarn of a tall sea tale or you can unfold the a near parallel testimony of the

tapestry of life in in your irresistible excursions in to this alter realm of liquid.

Why do you go? What does it do for you? These are some of those underlining questions that imbues

the human battery charge from recreation in

nature. Areas were designated for that specific

purpose.

Luckily, in Washington, the State Parks system

has 20 state parks with scuba opportunities.

Saltwater State Park is my local state park.

Our Friends of Saltwater State Park group is

now official thanks to Washington Scuba

Alliance as our umbrella Non Profit

Organization and dedicated Friends volunteers.

We have already had several REEF classes at

the park, repaired and replaced a few buoys,

have a Facebook page and looking to doing

more in the coming year.

As divers being in a Friends group, it's wonderful

to see how flabbergasted non-divers are that

people really enjoy and care about what lives in

the ocean as much as the non-divers enjoy life that

lives in the forest.

If you are one of those people itching to do some-

thing or want to give back to the community at

Saltwater we are developing a list of items for vol-

unteers; However if you think of something that

would really benefit the park let us know.

Black rockfish

Happy diver

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As Friends we assist the park in doing what is best for the park and the patrons. This includes writing

grants, designing an multi-use outdoor shower system. Some of the tasks we can offer you include

designing an Interactive outdoor kiosk, doing web-page design, being a fundraiser or an historian or an

outreach coordinator. And of course if it's diving you just want to do, that is awesome too. Post your Salt-

water dive adventure on our Friends Facebook page with as much or as little information and photos as you

like.

In our interpretive center we will be updating the marine display that

will include videos and photos and keep an on going data base of

everything that lives in the underwater park especially seasonal

activities and species are real highlights. All credits will be given.

For more information or send to

[email protected] .

Well, the marine world is all about saltwater, so no matter which

State Park marine waters you grace check to see if they have a

friends group let them know how was your dive. You can always

post it on the Facebook State Park website.

Corkscrew worms

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Lighting up the Channel Islands

Text and photos by Jen Vanderhoof (All photos taken with Olympus OMD-EM5 in Nauticam housing with Sea & Sea YS-D1 and YS 110a strobes unless otherwise stated)

I’ve heard of the storied Truth Aquatics

fleet for years, and my November 2016

trip to the Channel Islands on the Vision

was my initiation.

When I signed up, I knew the sleeping

arrangements were not separate state-

rooms and the risk of being nightly at the

mercy of a snoring chorus was high.

I’ve been on a lot of different types of

boats, and I had never shared one giant

sleeping room with everyone on the boat

before, ever. So I was a bit reluctant. But

having been diving in the Channel Islands

in 2008, I very much wanted to return. I

packed noise-canceling headphones and

filled my i-devices with music to sleep by.

The boat felt like one giant floating

dive platform. And who wouldn’t

like that? The back deck (the dive

deck) was large. I should disclose

that we had fewer divers on this

charter than normal, so I know that

luxury contributed to the spacious-

ness everywhere – on the dive

deck, in the galley, and in the

sleeping room. But even with

guaranteed more divers, I will go

back. That’s how much I

enjoyed it.

The Vision anchored in the kelp off of Santa Cruz Island f/9, 1/100, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14 mm in Zen dome port

The large dive deck of the Vision

f/7.1, 1/250, 7mm, ISO 200, Lumix 7-14 mm.

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I signed up for the trip through Anacortes Diving, and they had booked Richard Salas, a professional under-

water photographer, to give photo workshops. Richard gave us daily lectures combined with live

demonstrations to illustrate his points. He also gave us assignments – thorough, meaningful, helpful, and fun

assignments. Richard was enthusiastic and engaging – he never tired of our questions, of talking about

photography, nor of inquiring about our experiences, and he never tired of trying to help us improve. He was

generous with his time (to a fault) because he is insanely passionate about this stuff. It made everyone else

excited too.

In terms of sleeping, the online map of sleeping quarters makes it look like one big awful room with and

endless sea of depressing, skimpy sleeping pallets. That’s not what it’s like at all. The area is U-shaped

with bunks along the walls, and each bunk has wood partitioning, lights, and thick curtains – and the

double beds are massive – so when you are in your bunk, it’s very private, and I found it to be cozy and

comfortable (aided, perhaps, by the flannel sheets I brought with me – you do bring your own sheets).

I didn’t just tolerate it – I actively enjoyed it. And bonus – no snorers! I didn’t even need the headphones.

“Kerbil” with hogfish. Richard made a little army of these guys for us to take in the water and practice our photo lessons. The female sheephead (pictured) and senoritas kept trying to eat mine. f/13, 1/125, 43mm, ISO 400. Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm.

California golden gorgonians, some with yellow zoanthids growing on them in the foreground, brittle stars all over the bottom, and red gorgonians on the right. f/5.6, 1/60, 7 mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port.

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Richard’s lessons centered around

lighting – strobe placement – and how

to bring more life and dimension into

our photos. It forced you to prepare for

a specific shot, rather than just aiming

and shooting at everything you swim

by (which is how I normally, er,

previously behaved).

Of course it’s great when a

fish actually cooperates once

you have your lighting all set

for some coral.

Our first day was spent at Santa Cruz Island, then we headed to the oil rigs just off-shore from LA. That

night we headed to Catalina, where we spent a couple days. Next up was Santa Barbara Island, where

we had two delightful dives with the California sea lions. Then one more day at Santa Cruz Island before

heading in. Six days diving with opportunities for about 25 dives total (I did 22). And we were never

rushed to get in the water – with the exception of the oil rigs, you could take your time getting in and stay

in the water as long as you liked.

Dive platforms Ellen and Elly. We did one dive on each. f/8, 1/640, 14mm, ISO 200. Lumix 14mm pancake lens.

Garibaldi with California golden gorgonian at Catalina Island f/4.5, 1/125, 12 mm, ISO 400. Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm.

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Richard convinced me to not worry about

backscatter, at least not yet.

Unleash your inner backscatter?

Why not. But then when my backscatter

got totally out of control and you could

sometimes even see my strobes in the

photos, he taught me how to dial it back

just a little bit.

Acres of purple hydrocoral at Farnsworth Bank f/7.1, 1/125, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-144mm in Zen dome port

Male sheephead and macrocystis kelp, Santa Barbara Island f/7.1, 1/40, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port

Down at the hold-fasts, Santa Barbara Island f/7.1, 1/125, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port.

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I used wide angle nearly the entire trip. That itself was a lesson to me, as I am so much more comfortable

with macro. Breaking out of the camera comfort zone in California.

Richard also helped us with ambient light. We were instructed on getting the ambient light set correctly

before even turning on the strobes. The only time that’s a bummer is when you drop in and there is a sea

lion immediately staring you in the face, and the instinct to snap produces a silhouette at best – but with

great ambient light no doubt.

Red coralline algae, Santa Barbara Island f/7.1, 1/60, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port.

Red gorgonian on our final day. Santa Cruz Island. f/6.3, 1/100, 7mm, ISO 500. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port.

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I was happy to take my standard lens on a few dives, especially when encountering one of the local

octopus or horned sharks

Although it was November, we had unseasonably delightful weather and calm seas. Everyone wore

shorts and t-shirts, and we never had to shut the galley door that leads to the dive deck all week long.

Skies were clear, which is great in kelp forests. Water temps ranged mostly in the low 60s, though on a

couple dives at Santa Cruz it got all the way down to 55. But I remained comfortable with no gloves the

whole trip.

California two-spot octopus, Catalina Island. f/11, 1/125, 43 mm

ISO 400. Olympus M. Zuiko 12-50mm

Horned shark, Catalina Island. f/6.3, 1/60, 18mm, ISO 400.

Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm.

Sun, good viz, and beautiful kelp at Santa Cruz Island f/22, 1/80, 7mm, ISO 320. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port.

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One rather unexpected phenomena occurred our

second night on the boat. The crew had dropped a

light in the water, and dozens of squat lobster

came to the surface and floated around.

But what was even stranger was their butts

seemed to give off sparks! Yes, I said that.

Their butts gave off sparks.

One of the final photo lessons was about aiming your strobes to light up only what you wish to

illuminate. This is tricky, but it is possible. I managed to successfully bring out the details in some very

black sea hares while not washing out their very white egg masses. It’s a good thing giant sea slugs

don’t have eyes, because there would be a lot of blind sea hares at Santa Cruz after my stubborn

efforts. Anyway, the photos below are not sea hares. But I got a million great sea hare photos if anyone

would like to see them. Just let me know.

The trip felt like a floating classroom; each dive a study session. It didn’t have to be that way, but I em-

braced it. Though in terms of academic placement, I was in first grade. AP first grade at best. But as

with most adults going back to school, I’m excited to learn and improve. Back here at home in Puget

Sound, I am excited to get out as much as I can to keep practicing what we learned. Old subjects just

became new again.

f/4.5, 1/60, 100mm, ISO 500, Canon 100-400mm. Canon EOS 7D Mark II.

f/5, 1/60, 248mm, ISO 500, Canon 100-400mm. Canon EOS 7D Mark II.

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Garibaldi at Catalina Island. f/10, 1/125, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port

Red gorgonian with macrocystis kelp at Santa Cruz Island. f/5, 1/100, 7mm, ISO 400. Lumix 7-14mm in Zen dome port

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Hornby Island—Diving with Sea Lions…...and More!

February 17—21, 2017

Diving with Sea Lions is an amazing and memorable experience... something every PNW diver should

experience. The Sea Lions at this location are curious about divers and jump off their island to check you

out. You can stay back and just watch these agile underwater acrobats play with other divers or jump in

and get highly 'interactive'.

There are also great 'non-Sea Lion' dive site where you will see many creatures that are rare here in

Puget Sound. You can anticipate visibility that significantly exceeds what we have locally.

Above water there is are possibilities to explore local cultural sites such as a re-discovered clam garden

and a local mead winery. Our itinerary of dives and after dive activities will be chosen by the divers that

sign up for this adventure.

In addition to Marker Buoy club members, we will be joined by Joe Gaydos, a marine mammal veterinary

and Director of the Sea Doc Society. Joe will be available as a naturalist during the dives and give us a

presentation on Stellar Sea Lions one evening.

Hornby Island Diving is a top notch dive operation that provides simple but very comfortable

accommodations and excellent meals. Their package includes:

4 nights accommodation: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday nights

All meals during your stay: Dinner Friday through breakfast Tuesday

6 boat dives, plus unlimited shore diving

Air fills, tanks and weights

Cost is $916 (Canadian) plus taxes. A deposit of US$250 will hold your spot. Contact Doug Coutts at

[email protected] for payment instructions. (Final payment in February based on

US/CDN currency exchange rate at that time.)

This opportunity is limited to 10 divers and as of December 11th there are only 3 spots left!

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Forest Lane Cottage on Rich Passage

Vacation rental and Diving

Doug Miller and Karin Fletcher

Looking for a break and some diving somewhere new? Why not rent our cottage on the water for

a weekend?

Karin and I bought the house next door as a vacation rental. It is a 50-year-old two-bedroom

wood cottage. The cottage is fully equipped with kitchen, wood stove and laundry facilities and

features an awesome deck over the water out front and a beautiful forest and hiking trails behind.

And of course, there are steps down to the water giving you direct access to diving, kayaking and

more. We have mapped out four distinct dive sites in the reefs out front plus if you have a boat

there are numerous other sites minutes away including Waterman Wall, Wautauga Beach and

Orchard Rocks.

Deck at sunset

Dive sites in West

End of Rich Passage

For more information and reservations check out our website at: www.forestlanecottage.com

or send me email at [email protected].

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About Marker Buoys

The Marker Buoy Dive Club of Seattle meets at 7:00 PM, the first Wednesday of each month (except July, which is our annual picnic) at the Sunset Hills Community Center, 3003 NW 66th St. 98117 in Ballard. The Marker Buoy Dive Club is one of the most active dive clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Membership level is over 200. Our members include some that are new to diving or to the Seattle area as well as those with over 1,000 dives in their log.

In addition to hosting many dives each month, monthly meetings are held at the Sunset Community Center in Ballard. Monthly meetings give members an opportunity to give reports on club dives of the previous month, information on upcoming dives, and occasionally slide and video presentations of dives. A guest speaker related to scuba diving, the marine environment, or something of interest to divers is featured every month. Club-sponsored activities include over 100 dives each year, dive planning parties, an annual picnic, and an annual banquet.

General Club Policies

DIVER’S EDUCATION

The club will reimburse members $15 for successful completion of advanced certification courses that increases the mem-ber’s competency and safety. Limit of 3 reimbursements per club member per calendar year. Courses that qualify are advanced diver, rescue diver, dive master, instructor, nitrox, DAN O2 Provider, and initial First Aid & CPR (non-renewal). Reimbursement for other courses subject to board approval. Just show proof of course completion to David Riley, Treasurer, for your reimbursement.

MEET UP/ MARKER BUOYS

Join our members only on-line web group! Find a last-minute dive buddy, ride, or directions to a dive, trip reports, as well as our newsletters:

http://www.meetup.com/Marker-Buoy-Dive-Club/

WEIGHT BELT REPLACEMENT POLICY

The club will reimburse any member who ditches weights in what they consider an emergency during any dive, anywhere. The reimbursement is for replacement cost of all items ditched and not recovered, up to a maximum of $150.

SPONSOR A DIVE, EARN AN AIR CARD

Dive hosts receive an Air Card good at local dive shops when 6 Marker Buoy members participate on the dive. The Club Oxygen Kit counts as a buddy as long as one member of the party is O2 trained. Limit of 1 Air Card per club member per calendar month. The club has two O2 kits - currently with Fritz Merkel and Steve Kalilimoku. To request an air card, complete the “Dive Host Air Card Request Form” and submit it to the Treasurer, Dave Riley.

Membership

Members must be a certified diver and 18 years or older. Any certified diver under 18 is welcome on club dives if a parent is a club member and comes as their buddy.

MARKER BUOY 2016 BOARD

President: Josh Schripsema Treasurer: David Riley Webmaster: Justin McClellan

Vice President: Steve Kalilimoku Programs: Bob Bailey Event Director: Andrea Naert

Secretary: JoLee Ford Newsletter: Myra Wisotzky Refreshments: Catherine Knowlson