April – “2023” – Newsletter
Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport, 1123 Territorial Rd, Benton Harbor, Mi.
Meeting starts at 7:00 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 March meeting was called to order by the President at 7:00 with 11 members in attendance. Two club members normally in attendance were doing a presentation at the Benton Harbors Lion’s Club meeting on Recovery Diving as well as the Mud Club.
An overview of last meeting minutes presented, motion made to approve and passed.
Our Club Treasurer reported that 17 members have paid their dues for 2023 and that 20 members have not yet renewed. For those who wish to continue their membership please send their dues to Mr. Ted Tomaszcwski at 2255 Shiawasse, Stevensville, Mi 49085. Contacted Ted at cdandwb@outlook.com if you have questions.
The next item addressed was the question about changing the meeting day from the third Tuesday of the month to some other week. It was noted that some members may currently have other club or business meetings on the same evening. After a brief discussion it was determined that Kevin will be posting a survey on whether to change the 3rd Tuesday of the month to another week.
Weekday Dives? Here was additional discussion about weekday dives. It was asked if there were any members volunteering to host a planned weekday dive. It was mentioned that several dive shops do sponsor evening weekday dives so they are available. At this time nothing has been formalized.
As mentioned in last month’s Newsletter, why not host a dive yourself for the benefit of yourself and others especially if you plan a dive anyway? Major item for you is to identify a location, a stat time to dive and as important, being there to facilitate the dive. At the least you might have a dive buddy😊.
Make it an opportunity to mentor a less experienced diver and for you to showcase your best diving skills on display.
Local Diving Related Updates:
During the meetings open session Kevin Ailes shared information on the “Great Lakes Ship Festival”.
It was noted that there were a lot of young divers, male & female, as well as the usual number of gray beards in attendance.
Kevin also mentioned diving at Eagle Lake at Fort Custer (Is a state recreation area at 5163 Fort Custer Dr, Augusta, MI). It has a Public Access beach, hence a shore dive. The maximum depth is 36-40ft. The average visibility is 5-10ft. And you “Still’ hear the rumors about a lost tracked vehicle and airplane somewhere lost out there.
Kevin also brought in a sample of stoneware crock that he uses in his shipwreck & general historical presentations. Mary Beth also brought in a crown top bottle having an unusual bottom marking which made the “let me see” rounds.
Jim Scholz mentioned the Michigan State Police dive team made the final recovery that closed the search that GLSAR was involved in last month.
And the meeting ended with another challenging diver 11 question Q&A by Amy. It’s amazing what you do and do not remember about diving and scuba related local trivia.
Better late than never but there is going to be a “Intro to Scuba Class” being held this SATURDAY (April 15) beginning at 12:00 at the St. Joseph HS Pool. Experienced divers wanting to get in an early gear check and skills refresher time are invited to participate (in the deep end). Hope to see you there! (Contact Jim Scholz for additional details)
And as mentioned before:
Please tell us What do YOU want to see or hear that would encourage you to come to the monthly meetings? What do YOU want to see, hear about, talk about? What is it going to take to get YOU into the water?
Why not drop us a line and provide that important feedback, Only members that are active make the club active.
Club Cards: If your needing cards drop us a line and we can get some to you. Let those interested spectators know who “We” are. You can never tell when they may need our assistance so let’s give them a specific point of reference.
Member Information Update: Are YOU current? It’s never a bad thing to have your emergency contact names & numbers current. Contact Jim Scholz – jescholz@yahoo.com if you’re not sure that your information is current!
Remember to Plan Your Dive, Dive Your Plan, Critique Your Dive
If you ever have a diver emergency, the first step is to All Ways call EMS – DIAL 911!
Monitor the individual’s airway, breathing, circulation & provide 100 percent oxygen if available while waiting for EMS. Have the DAN Emergency number +39 06 4211 8685 available for consultation and advice.
MUD Club Potluck Picnic. Reminder – No plans yet but remember many hands make light work and volunteer to help when the opportunity arises.
Open session.
“Show & Tell”? Now I mean diving show and tell. So, bring those interesting bits and bottles and let enjoy your finds also. What have “You” got to share?
I know some club members have posted on FB about having to suffer thru current dives where the visibility was only 200’ and the water was almost too warm!
Have you started checking out your dive gear yet. Get ahead of the curve – do it NOW!
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
Review Your Health Status
Evaluate your health & fitness to dive.
• If you’ve been ill or absent from diving for an extended period, consult your physician before you return to diving.
• Follow DAN’s Guidelines for Lifelong Medical Fitness to Dive
Refresh Your Diving skills.
Update your scuba knowledge & diving skills.
• Enroll in a refresher course or continuing education program offered by your local dive store or dive professional.
• Practice your in-water skills.
Renew Your Equipment
Inspect your equipment for integrity & function.
• Have equipment professionally serviced in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.
• Assemble your gear and test each piece, looking for signs of wear and tear or other deterioration.
• Familiarize yourself with new equipment before using it
Review Your Travel Plan
Take extra measures when planning your trip.
• Research health, safety, and testing requirements for your destination.
• Learn what steps your dive operator is taking to protect you.
• Verify the fitness level required for the type of diving you plan to do and be prepared for expected conditions.
• Ensure you have adequate and current dive accident and travel insurance
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.
