February – “2023” – Newsletter
Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport, 1123 Territorial Rd, Benton Harbor, Mi.
Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
(3rd Tuesday of every month except December)
Standard Agenda:
Club President / Officer calls the meeting to order.
Club Officer asks if there are any Visitors and ask them to introduce themselves.
Gives an overview of the preceding month goings on and current Club updates.
Identify dive related events upcoming or planned. (Dives & Road Trips).
Identify & discuss any current diving-related news important to divers.
Attendees speak about current diving experiences, “lessons learned” or reinforced from a dive near miss or not!
“Show & Tell”: This is Your Opportunity to talk about or present anything you would like to share about diving. Don’t be bashful about talking about or showing off anything scuba diving related!
Last Meeting Activities:
The January meeting was called to order by the President at 7:39 with 10 members in attendance.
An overview of last meeting minutes presented, motion made to approve and passed.
Our Club Treasurer reported we are solvent and those not yet paid up for “2023” can send their due’s to Mr. Ted Tomaszcwski, 2255 Shiawasee, Stevensville, Mi 49085. He can also be contacted at cdandwb@outlook.com
First major item discussed was will attendance change if we change the start of the club meetings.
Do we want to start the meeting at 6:30, 7:00 or leave it at 7:30. Some Pro & Con reasons:
Pro: The advantage of starting earlier means more of an opportunity for those members wanting to get together afterward for fellowship or going out for refreshments afterward.
Con: Getting off work, getting home for supper, then traveling to Benton Harbor makes everything rushed.
WE Need YOUR feedback so please go to muddydiver@aol.com and tell us your Preference!
Start the meeting at (A) 6:30, (B) 7:00 or leave it at (C) 7:30.
Meetings? While you are letting us know your choice of club meeting start times, why not tell us What do You want to see or hear that would encourage you to come to the monthly meetings?
I want to see ?, I want to hear about ?, I want to talk about ? What does it take to get you into the water ? and how can we “other” divers help!
Make SURE YOU drop us a line and provide that important feedback, remember that active members make the club active.
Club Cards: Jim Scholz obtained a new batch of Mud Club cards and past them out to attending members. The cards come in handy to pass out to interested spectators when they see us out diving. It provides them a specific point of reference if they ever have a need for a diver or want to get together with another divers. For those challenged by distance, like our MUD Club member in Alaska, drop a line to us on muddydiver@aol.com request a few.
Jim also mentioned that though the club Turkey Day Divers did not recover any of the wooden turkeys salted in the river, several were recovered and turned in by “fishermen” to him at Wolfs. The fishermen did receive a little gift for finding and turning them in to Wolf’s Marine.
Those present at the meeting took the time to review and updated their membership application forms and activity waivers. It’s very important that email addresses, phone numbers and addresses are current especially for emergency contact numbers.
If you have moved, have new phone number or need to update emergency contact names, please send the Secretary – Jim Scholz – jescholz@yahoo.com a “signed” updated list and we will attach them to your activity waivers. If you do not remember signing one, let the secretary know and one can be sent to you to update.
Plan Your Dive, Dive Your Plan, Critique Your Dive
Club members are remined that the club has a First Aid kit, Emergency O2, Portable AED, Throw bag, HD Life vest (not inflatable) Save a dive kit, and recall flag available to club members. Nice to have available if you are out and about and doing a remote area dive with friends.
And since it’s been awhile since the last Safety Classes, Wolfs (i.e.: Jim Scholz) and a MUD club sponsor are trying to arrange for First Responder, Basic First Aid, Use of O2, CPR and AED training for club members. IF You have an interest and are serious about attending this training when available, please let Jim Scholz know.
FYI- There is NO diver decompression chamber in our immediate area (SW Michigan).
If there is a diver emergency, it may or may not involve the need for recompression, the first step is to ALL WAYS call/ activate EMS – DIAL 911!. The best option is always to use the best locally available medical services.A differential diagnosis comes first. Not everything that can happen to a diver warrants hyperbaric treatment.
If you suspect a diver has a dive-related injury you should safely: Monitor airway, breathing, circulation & provide 100 percent oxygen if you are a trained oxygen provider while waiting for EMS.
All approved Class A and B chambers that function in an appropriate healthcare setting have trained staff can treat dive injuries with equal effectiveness. While large multi place chambers may be more comfortable for prolonged treatment, they are no more effective in treating DCI or any other approved hyperbaric indication than smaller mono place chambers.
ABSOLUTLY Call the DAN Emergency number +39 06 4211 8685 for consultation and advice.
Local Hospitals that may provide access to a chamber include:
Areas Corewell Health, Hyperbaric & Dive Medicine, 221 Michigan St., NE, Suite 20, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, United States, 616-391-1269
Spectrum Health Lakeland, Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine, St. Joseph Ave, Niles, Michigan 49120, United States, 269-383-8070
Corewell Heath (Beaumont Health & Wellness Center, Coolidge, 4949 Coolidge Hwy, Royal Oak, MI 48073, phone: 248-655-5695
Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL (Chicago suburb) is the only chamber in the Chicago area that will accept emergencies of any sort. Multiple place (up to 8). Hospital is also a Level I trauma center.
It may not be a “Mackinaw Shipwreck dive week “this year but Mr. Jim is planning on going north and hitting a few of his favorite dive sites around the first two weeks in August. So maybe call this “Gypsy Diving” and contact Jim to see if you can tag along or where you can meet up and dive. I believe that should be around the first 2 weeks in August.
The MUD Club has no Ecology Dive plans for this summer BUT there are some in the planning by other groups. They are always fun and always serve a good purpose. When we hear of one, we shall let you know! We will let you know if we hear about any, who knows maybe you could participate in an established one such as the Biannual-Underwater Cleanup in Marquette’s Lower Harbor.
Lake Arvesta Sport Complex opens in May and they may be looking for a few divers to help place inflatable Obstacles (and remove them in the fall) its anticipated that they will again host the “MerFest International / Mermaid MegaFest this summer and may be looking for help full volunteers for water safety and first aid. If interested, let us know to keep you posted.
Last year’s MUD Club Potluck Picnic was well attended after two years of COVD layoff. We are hoping to have an active club year and a bumper crop of Muddies to have a huge Club Picnic in Mid-August or September. No plans yet but remember many hands make light work and volunteer to help when the opportunity arises.
To dive or not to dive, that is the question. Are we to have “Tankful Tuesday’s, “Thirsty Thursday” or Freaky Friday dives this year? In review of last year’s weekday evening dives it was generally the same divers and then just a few regulars. I don’t think we ever had over 5 divers at a time and generally the same ones. It’s understood that work gets in the way so it seems like most divers just prefer to post their planned weekend dives. Just remember if you don’t see one posted, someone may be just like you just waiting to see what’s happening and planning on joining in . Why not be the lead plan a dive and post I for others to join. The more the merrier.
Did I mention “Show & Tell”? Now I mean diving show and tell. How about sharing what you find while grubbing but bring it in for other s to see and maybe peak their interest to find something themselves. So, bring those interesting bits and bottles and let enjoy your finds also.
And good examples of Show & Tell are the Cob stopper bottles that Mary Beth brought in last year and the most current was the very interesting presentation on his U/W ROV that Kevin Ailes did at the January meeting. What have “You” got to share?
Open session.
Wow, mid-February – Spring is right around the corner and it’s getting to be Gear Check Out time!
Get those tanks needing 5-year Hydrostatic Tests and Visual Inspections in now and beat the rush.
There are only a few of the new club Tee shirts still available and the sizes are very limited-so let us know if you are interested.
Don’t forget the “Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival” presented by the Ford Seahorses and Sea Lancers on Saturday February 25, 2023, from 8:00 AM till 5:00 PM at the Embassy Suites on 19525 Victor Parkway, Livonia, MI.
Hope to see YOU at the next Mud Club Meeting!
Comments – Questions – Concerns? Drop a line to muddydiver@aol.com and let us know!
Lessons for Life – REMEMBER:
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it.
It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence.
