 September 2007 Printer-Friendly | Back Divers Invited to Explore B-29 Wreck in Lake Mead  After 59 lonesome years in the cold depths of Lake Mead, one of Southern Nevada’s most unusual attractions is open to only a few privileged divers. A must see is the open parachute still in the cockpit and the escape hatch where the pilot and crew did miraculously exit safely.Contact Sin City Scuba Diving Charters of Las Vegas to schedule a guided tour of the site where a World War II-era bomber crashed and sank in 1948. This dive is not open to the public and is available only for six months on a very limited basis of four divers per week. As long as you have an advanced nitrox and decompression procedures certification, you can schedule a dive to the bomber that rests at roughly 143 feet. Details can be seen online at www.divethebomber.com. “Wounded Warriors” and Their Families Immerse Themselves in Scuba Six severely wounded United States Servicemen, most of whom suffered limb amputations as a result of injuries they sustained while fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, have met their goal of becoming certified scuba divers in the Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire this August. Army Sergeant Orlando Gill, with his wife Maria and son Darius from Queens, New York; Army Sergeant Anthony Larson, with his partner Nicole from St. Cloud, Minnesota; Navy Officer Derrick Wallace with his wife Shaunyce from Washington, D.C.; Army Specialist Latseen Benson, with his wife Jessica from League City, Texas; Army Specialist Matthew Ceccato from Sacramento, California; and Army Sergeant Michael Buyas with his son Justin Orondo, Washington tried scuba diving for the first time earlier this year in the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association’s (DEMA) Scuba Pool during the Scuba Tour stops at the No Barriers Festival in Lake Tahoe, California and the Adaptive Water Sports Festival in Breezy Point, New York. Both events were sponsored by Disabled Sports USA Wounded Warriors Project. During their time in DEMA’s Scuba Pool, the six physically disabled servicemen and their families were introduced to freedom of scuba diving and the ease with which it is learned. They quickly discovered that scuba diving is the first activity they can enjoy together because the weightlessness of the water puts them on an equal playing field as able-bodied people. Diving allows the Warriors freedom from their wheelchairs and other prosthetic devices while simultaneously helping them to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Once the Wounded Warriors, their wives and children realized how easily scuba could help heal the whole family simply by allowing them to equally participate and experience new worlds, they began the dive certification process with dive centers in their local communities when they returned home. The journey to Bonaire is the final step of the dive certification process and will include the six soldiers and their families completing their final four open water dives in Bonaire’s calm, clear and warm water August 11-18, 2007. The water surrounding the island of Bonaire is designated as a Marine Park protected area and is the example which other Caribbean islands are trying to follow in protecting their coral reefs. The waters are very calm with no significant current or tidal flow, so it is one of the most secure and stable environments in which to receive open-water dive certification. Bonaire is also a family friendly destination, so it enhances the objective of Disabled Sports USA Wounded Warrior Project and DEMA’s joint initiative of ‘healing the whole family’ when loved one comes home with life altering physical disabilities. The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization, is to raise public awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. For more information DSUSA-WWP, visit www.dsusa.org. DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry. For more information on DEMA, call 858-616-6408 or visit www.BeADiver.com. Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival Seeking Films The Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival is a competitive filmmaking event developed to bring the finest ocean films from around the world to Santa Barbara for screenings. At its core, the festival is a visually stunning event, capturing the beauty, the power and the grace of the sea and its inhabitants. Adrenaline junkies, scuba divers, sailors, sport fishers — all will find inspiration and education on the screen at the Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival. The Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival is open to all professional and amateur filmmakers, and is accepting submissions in a number of categories including: Ocean Adrenaline, Marine Conservation and Natural History, Ocean Travel Films, and Ocean Family. Date for the film festival is Saturday, an all day event, on October 20, 2007, at the Arlington Theater Santa Barbara, CA. For more information, go to www.sboceanfilmfestival.com online. Safety Record of Recreational Boating is Excellent Recreational boating has never been safer. According to the latest available statistics, more people died in bathtubs and swimming pools than in recreational boats. Operating a boat is far safer than riding a bicycle, motorcycle or off-road vehicle. In fact, you have a much greater chance of perishing from a fall involving a bed, chair or furniture or falling from a stairs or steps than you do in falling from a boat. “The rate of recreational boating fatalities per 100,000 boats has been cut by 75 percent and the number of boating fatalities has been reduced by 58 percent since the implementation of the landmark Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971,” said Boat U.S. President Nancy Michelman. Shaw’s Cove Statue Destroyed The 2 foot tall statue that mysteriously appeared earlier this summer at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach has just as mysteriously been destroyed. The statue, dubbed “Shelly of Shaw’s” by local divers, was found smashed to bits mid-July. During its short appearance underwater, no major storms passed through the area. While local divers suspect foul play, no one knows who was responsible. First Underwater Photography “Meetup Group” Is Formed The “Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group” is the first of its kind to bring together scuba divers who are interested in learning how to take pictures underwater or to polish the skills and techniques they already know. The new Meetup group is open to all certified divers, photographers at all levels, and even divers who are not photographers but are just interested in dive travel with fun people to warm, tropical destinations. The Meetup Group is organizer is Bonnie Pelnar, who is a world-traveler, avid scuba diver and underwater photographer for over 20 years. She is the author of The Digital Workflow For Underwater Photographers, part of a series of online courses about underwater photography available at www.TheUnderwaterPhotographer.com. “There are so many people diving with digital cameras these days.” notes Pelnar. “Even with the new technology, underwater photography is very difficult to perfect. Most digital cameras offer too many options, which complicates things even more. Many of these new photographers don’t know where to begin. The Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group was formed to help organize those divers to let them know that help is out there and they can take good pictures even with a small, inexpensive camera. Most of our workshops are free to the guests of those resorts and live-aboards that host the event. During the workshop guests have the opportunity to dive with other photographers who have experience using the camera equipment they use and can show them how to take better underwater pictures. We also recruit the support of manufacturers like Inon, who provide demo accessories. It works well for all involved and is a lot of fun for those who participate. Many of the attendees have become regulars.” Presentation topics include photo composition, film vs. digital comparisons, digital manipulation, shooting and color correcting in the RAW file format, fixing images in Photoshop and Elements, and destination presentations from around the world. Upcoming workshops include Grenada in October, Galapagos in December 2007, Truk Lagoon in May of 2008 and Papua New Guinea in September of 2008. There is no fee to become a member. You can join the Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group by going to http://scuba.meetup.com/132/ — from Divenewswire.com © Copyright 2007, all rights reserve, by Saint Brendan Corporation, P.O. Box 11231, Torrance CA 90510, mail@cadivingnews.com. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system/website, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this publication/website are opinions of the individual writers. The publishers of California Diving News and its contributors assume no responsibility for any mishap claimed to be a result of use of this material. Diving is an adventure sport and with it comes inherent risks. Improper use of diving equipment or improper diving techniques may result in serious injury or, in extreme circumstances, death. Readers are admonished to use their own best judgement in each individual situation. |
