NEADC Blog

March Meeting

2010-03-08T23:52:00.003-05:00

The March General meeting will feature a behind the scenes tour of the Aquarium by Bill Murphy, the dive club liaison.

This is a special event for dive club members only. Please RSVP to webmaster@neadc.org so we have an accurate headcount. Since we will be heading to the Aquarium, and try to be on time to the Conference center for the 6:30 start.

Also keep in mind that it is St. Patrick's day, so plan parking and commute-time accordingly for people celebrating at the bars.

NEADC Events scheduled

2010-02-17T00:01:00.003-05:00

The 2010 calendar is filling up with dive club events. Check out some of what we're planning for the year:

Pre-Sea Rovers Dinner at Jose McIntire's - 3/6/10 We are continuing our tradition of having a get-together dinner before the Sea Rovers Film Festival. Join us at Jose McIntire's before heading over to the IMAX theater.
NEADC Ski Trip - 3/19-21/10 - Join the dive club on a trip to Mount Snow in Vermont on March 19-21. There are several condo-style rooms available for various occupancies and rates. Contact Al Bozza for more info
NEADC Whale Watch - 4/11/10 We've scheduled this trip for early spring because it's the best time for whale encounters. We will be onboard the Voyager 3 for a day of seeking the great Rights, Humpbacks and Atlantic White-sided Dolphins on Stellwagen Bank. Voyager 3 is the whale watch vessel of the New England Aquarium and is crewed by knowledgeable and enthusiastic naturalists who will identify and provide information on the species we will see. Tickets are $35 for adults and $26.50 for children (under 18)- children must be at least 3 years old and 30" tall) and must be paid with reservation.
White Water Rafting - 5/8/10 We will be rafting on the Deerfield River (Fife Brook Section) for the NEADC White Water Rafting Trip. This beautiful ten mile trip through mild whitewater is the perfect outing for families and friends. Bring your family and friends on this trip for the perfect introduction to whitewater rafting. This all day trip costs $57 per person-includes all taxes, wetsuit, helmet, and a great riverside lunch.

For more info and a full listing of the events, go to our events calendar

BSC meeting postponed

2010-02-10T14:59:00.001-05:00

Due to the snow storm and predicted accumulation, the Bay State Council meeting scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. As previously noted, the meeting will be held on the planned alternative date of February 24th (weather permitting).

Winter 2010 Newsletter now available

2010-02-07T23:59:00.001-05:00

The Winter 2010 Newsletter is now available for download. Featured articles include:

Grand Caymans...Thanks for the Boston Sea Rovers by Shawn Cormier
The Benefits of Membership by Charlie Benoit
Kids can learn to dive too! by Kat Aspe
Another Reason to Join the New England Aquarium Dive Club by Anthony D. Ring
Boat Diving is Fun by Jim Carozza
Shore Diving 2010 by Dan Sprague
Diving Fort Lauderdale by Tim Antonellis
Celebrating New Year's in Cozumel by Hunter Baker and Bernard Gilmore

Everyone should receive a copy in the mail in a few days (unless you opted out), but you can view it online immediately.

View previous newsletters

TUSA Regulator Recall

2010-01-31T01:05:00.001-05:00

For this and other recalls, visit our Recall Page

TUSA has announced a safety recall on its RS-670 regulator distributed or sold from May 2009 through September 2009 with retail price of $449.00.

Hazard: Loosening of the BLC plug may cause a high-pressure leak creating an unstable intermediate pressure. Immediate return of the affected units is requested.

Affected Units:
• R-600 1st stages with serial numbers between:
UR600022 - UR600029
UR600031 - UR600103
UR600637 - UR600676
UR600708 - UR600716
UR600737 - UR600776

Action:
• DEALERS: Contact customers who have purchased RS-670 units and request return of their units to your store for inspection.
• All owners and dealers with RS-670 units within the above listed range are requested to return them to TUSA for replacement under warranty.
• Contact TUSA Customer Service at 1-800-482-2282 to request a RMA# and issuance of a return freight call-tag.
• This service is covered under warranty.

TUSA will service the affected units and return within approximately 7-10 business days after receipt.

If you have any further questions, please contact TUSA at 800-482-2282 or info@tusa.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To visit the RS-670 Recall Notice page, click here: http://www.tusa.com/670recall.php

Sea Rovers has sold out

2010-01-30T22:22:00.002-05:00

There are no more tickets available for Sea Rovers, the IMAX theater can only hold 400 people, and that filled up!

More info at: http://www.bostonsearovers.com

Intro to Rebreathers

2010-01-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, January 9, Dan Crowell and Rick Marshall will offer an Intro to Rebreathers - this is your chance to learn about rebreathers and an opportunity to try one out!

Many divers are under the impression that rebreathers are reserved for deep divers, tech or military divers only. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Rebreathers are just another way of doing what regular scuba does, but in a much more efficient manner. Imagine never having to haul huge tanks down to the dive shop for fills or down a long dock to the dive boat. How about never having to figure out the best nitrox mix for a dive because no matter where you go you’ll always have the perfect mix. Or, how about doing a dive to 60 ft. for three hours with nothing more than what’s on your back, and no deco obligation! The reality is rebreathers offer the greatest benefits at recreational depths than at any other level.

If you would like to learn more, sign up now. The cost is $25.00. Send an email to: r_mar@comcast.net or call 617-217-8165 to register.

The fees are to help defer the cost of the room, pool time, and consumables. We'll have five rebreathers available, including the Evolution, Inspiration (Classic and Vision), rEvo and KISS.

Time: 9:00AM to 12:00
You need to bring: Your mask, fins (booties if needed), bathing suit and a towel. A shorty or 3 mm wetsuit is ok, but please bring a weight belt if doing so. The pool is heated, so even a bathing suit and t-shirt should be fine for the time you'll be in the pool.

Location:
Boys & Girls Club of East Providence
115 Williams Avenue,
East Providence, RI 02914

New Years Day Diving

2009-12-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

The club is heading to White's Beach on January 1st at 10am

There will be food, heated truck, and cold water to dive!

Contact Kat for details

Scuba equipment recals from OMS, Cressy, and Dive-Rite

2009-12-28T21:38:00.001-05:00

There are three new equipment recalls posted on the recalls page:

Ocean Management Systems Inc. (OMS) ANNOUNCES Safety Replacement OF BCS SEAL RING (Item # BCA 500)
Cressi Ellipse Black MC5 Regulator
The Over Pressurization Valve (OPV) springs found on Dive Rite wings manufactured between June 2006 and October 2008 may rust and fail allowing the buoyancy compensator devices to leak

NEAq Take the Bait

2009-12-16T22:37:00.002-05:00

Exclusive Members only open house!

The Aquarium is hosting an after-hours tour on December 30th from 6:30-9PM.

To reserve your spot, visit the NEAq Calendar. You must RSVP by Dec. 23rd

Cotting School news

2009-12-16T22:33:00.002-05:00

The NEADC is starting our campaign to help the Cotting School with one of their programs. They have a program where they introduce students into the business environment and help prepare them for work positions outside the school-- by marketing and selling books on line. This also gets them involved in the packaging and shipping of these books. We would like to ask our members if they have any books they would like to donate to the school to contact Al Bozza and he will make arrangements to pick up and deliver them to the school.

Also, one of the Cotting School staff is participating in a fund-raising marathon in Florida and is in need of financial help. If you can help in this worthy cause please email Al directly--even a small donation helps.

More info about the Cotting School

Happy Holidays from the NEADC

2009-12-09T00:52:00.004-05:00

The Officers at the New England Aquarium Dive club wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season

Lobstering regs and application

2009-12-09T00:43:00.002-05:00

It's not the season to catch the Lobsters, but you can start thinking about getting/renewing your license. There are a lot of restrictions aimed at making sure there continue to be lobsters for the next few years, and it can get confusing. There is a new guide on the Department of Marine Fisheries website for non-commercial lobster and crab fishing, including harvest by divers.

However, it is accessible to the public through the DMF web site at:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/recreationalfishing/rec_permits.htm#top

Thanks to everyone at the Department of Marine Fisheries for putting it together

We're Killing the Oceans!

2009-12-09T00:38:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, the Boston Pheonix featured an article about unsustainable fishing practices and an interview with New England native and National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry. It's an interesting read:

We're Killing the Oceans.

"You take a net, and you scrape it along the bottom to catch shrimp. In the process, everything else — all the little stuff that lives on the bottom, the sponges and the coral and all the habitat for baby animals — you wipe all that out. To catch one pound of shrimp, we might kill 12 pounds of other animals that get thrown back into the sea [dead] as by-catch.

"If we did that on land — to catch a single deer you go through the forest and kill all the raccoons and squirrels and skunks and everything that lives there — people would be outraged. Yet you can do it in the ocean and nobody cares."

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/93157-Were-killing-the-oceans/

The Explorers Club presents Sea Stories

2009-11-12T09:02:00.002-05:00

The Explorers Club
Join Us for Sea Stories on November 14th
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
New York City Headquarters
46 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
Advanced Reservations Required
Please call(212) 628-8383 or email reservations@explorers.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sea Stories is day focused on exploration, scuba diving, shipwrecks, nautical history and marine life. This will be a great opportunity for those who are interested in the ocean to interact.

General Admission: $60
Students with ID: $25

Presenters include:
Edward Von der Porten FN'80 - "The Galleon San Felipe."
Mr. Von der Porten shares the saga of the galleon San Felipe through eight Mexican - U.S. expeditions along the desert shore of Baja California to discover and reconstruct the tragic fate of the Spanish galleon San Felipe, lost without trace in 1576 with a treasure of Ming porcelain.

Dr. Charles E. Rawlings FN'90 - "Portraits of Living Mollusks."
Dr. Rawlings has written multiple articles concerning mollusks, photographed several species never photographed alive and won awards for his living shell photography. As the underwater world deteriorates, Dr. Rawlings will be discussing the importance in documenting these wondrous living organisms in an attempt to educate the public about the splendors of the underwater world.

Ty Sawyer FN'02 - "How to Save the Seas."
Mr. Sawyer is the Editorial Director of ISLANDS magazine and the Bonnier Dive Group, which includes, Sport Diver, Scuba Diver and the Undersea Journal. He has been on dozens undersea exploratory adventures. Mr. Sawyer is also a frequent on the Travel Channel.

David W. Jourdan FN'04 - "Never Forgotten - The Search and Discovery of Israel's Lost Submarine Dakar."
Just after midnight on January 25, 1968, the Israeli Navy's newly commissioned submarine Dakar transmitted her last communication before she disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea without a trace. Author Mr. Jourdan will take us on his deep sea search for the missing 287-foot submarine and her sixty-nine officers and crew.

Jill Heinerth - "Into the Planet Using Closed Circuit Rebreathers." As a pioneer in the use of closed-circuit rebreathers, Ms. Heinerth will share her experiences exploring caves inside Antarctic icebergs, volcanoes and karst terrain around the world. An award-winning filmmaker, Ms. Heinerth co-wrote, produced, and appeared in Water's Journey, the PBS documentary series that takes viewers on travels through the world's greatest water systems.

Dr. Gregory Skomal - "Ocean Travelers: Tracking the World's Biggest Sharks."
Dr. Skomal is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, aquarist, and author. He currently heads up the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. Dr. Skomal will highlight the ecology and life history of the world's largest sharks with new technologies to examine the migrations of basking, Greenland, great white, porbeagle, and whale sharks.

November General Meeting

2009-11-05T23:18:00.003-05:00

The general meeting this month will also be part of the Lowell Lecture series. The topic is

An American Tail: The Life and Science of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) by Anita Metzler, Lobster Facility Manager, New England Aquarium

The American lobster conjures up images of a boiled delicacy with drawn butter on your dinner plate, yet there is much more to know about these animals. The Aquarium’s Lobster Research and Rearing Facility has focused on raising, caring for and studying the early life stages of this iconic animal. Learn about lobster life history and the ups and downs of raising these animals. Current research on lobster shell disease and its impact on the animal and the fishery will also be discussed.

Because this is a Lowell Lecture, we ask that all attendees preregister through their site so there are enough chairs.

2010 officer elections will also be held at this meeting.

Other upcoming Lowell Lectures include:

Monday, Nov. 9 - Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King, a biography by Brad Matsen

Monday, Nov. 23 - Minimizing Vessel Strikes to Endangered Right Whales: A Crash Course in Conservation Science and Policy Dr. Moira Brown, New England Aquarium Right Whale Team

Febuary Newsletter

2009-11-05T23:13:00.002-05:00

The next NEADC newsletter will printed in Febuary. We are asking all members for submissions. It can be anything from a trip report to a book review. Tell us about your latest dive or a new piece of gear, or what you've learned this year.

The deadline will be January 15th.

Click here to see past newsletters

Tropical Fish Hunt photos

2009-10-20T00:22:00.001-04:00

The recap and photo gallery for the 2009 Tropical Fish hunt is now online. You can find it at:

http://www.neadc.org/images/scrapbook/2009/2009-10-04_Tropicalfishhunt/index.htm

Diving events in October

2009-10-04T22:14:00.003-04:00

The end of this month features two fantastic dive shows:

On Saturday October 24, 2009,
Metrowest Dive Club presents The 16th annual "Wrecks" symposium
They've already got a great lineup of speakers on their website and will be adding more information with, more speakers, exhibitors, and raffle prizes

This year's tickets are $15 if purchased prior to October 14 or $20 at the door. Children under 12 years old get into the show for free!

More info at: http://www.mwdc.org/wrecks/index.html

Sunday, October 25, 2009
The 7th Annual O.R.G. Benefit: CELEBRATE THE SEA!
OCEANIC RESEARCH GROUP'S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

Featuring World-renown shark biologist Dr. Greg Skomal will present Ocean travelers: tracking the world's biggest sharks.He will also be signing copies of his new book The Shark Handbook. Jonathan Bird will present new never before seen segments from the new season of Jonathan Bird's Blue World

The 2009 O.R.G. scholarship will be presented, and there will be raffles, door prizes, and auctions including a dive in the Giant Ocean Tank

Tickets are $10 (adults) and $5 (under 12) at the door. Admission is limited to 375 people

More info at: http://www.oceanicresearch.org/scholarship/benefit/benefit.htm

2010 Elections

2009-10-04T21:58:00.001-04:00

At the October General meeting we will be taking nominations for the 2010 officer positions. The elections themselves will be held at the November General Meeting.

ANYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO RUN FOR ANY POSITIONS! Some officers may be running again, but don't let that stop you from running - we'd love to have elections with multiple candidates.

If you have some ideas for the club, or you want to see something happen, become an officer. Look for officer duty descriptions on the by-laws, or email an officer

Fish Hunt Rescheduled to October

2009-09-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

Due to some more bad weather, we've decided to reschedule the Tropical fish Rescue (again) to

Sunday October 4th 9:30 to 4:30.

Email Al at programs@neadc.org if you have any questions

A Sea Change TV Premier

2009-09-21T07:43:00.002-04:00

A SEA CHANGE, A new movie about ocean acidification (the process by which carbon emissions is making the oceans more acidic) will have it's Cable TV premier on 9/26/09 at 8PM on Planet Green.

There will also be a showing at the IMAX on 10/5/09. Register by going to the Lowell Lectures page

A Sea Change
Imagine a world without fish

US TV premiere
Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 pm EST
Planet Green
re-broadcast: 11:00 pm , Thursday, October 1
check Planet Green website for more info:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/reel-impact/sea-change.html

Marin Maven:
"Ocean acidification is the flip side of global warming and if you have children, grandchildren or any investment in life as we know it continuing on this planet, this is a must-see film."

San Francisco Chronicle:
"This film is both a love letter to the planet and an urgent plea to its citizens."

The Washington Post:
"The story that "A Sea Change" tells is urgent, unsettling and desperately in need of understanding and action."

Pre-meeting social at Jose McIntire's

2009-09-16T12:37:00.003-04:00

The Reef is closed tonight, and closing for the season on September 20th. Join us at Jose McIntire's bar, 160 Milk Street, Boston for drinks and food before the meeting. People usually start showing up around 5:30 for an informal get-together.

For directions, and an area map, go to:
http://www.neadc.org/lng_nxtmeet.html

Tropical Fish Hunt Rescheduled

2009-09-13T21:57:00.001-04:00

Due to bad conditions we will be rescheduling the tropical fish rescue in Jamestown, R.I.for Sunday, Sept 27th--We apologze for any inconveniences.

Please let Al know or visit the webpage if you will be able to attend or if you need more information.

Marine Science Center Open House

2009-08-27T07:30:00.003-04:00

Northeastern's Marine Science Center on Nahant is having an open house SATURDAY September 12, 2009 from 10 AM- 3 PM

Activities include:

Guided Tidepool and Geology Walks
Tour Center for Vertebrate Studies
Tours of the WWII Bunker
Tours of the Solar Observatory
Marine Research Exhibits
Marine Life Exhibits
Beach Cleanup
Activities for all ages, and much more!

For more information contact
781-581-7370 or www.marinescience.neu.edu