ODC October 2014 Newsletter
Owatonna Divers Club
ODC News Letter
Upcoming Events
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2014 Owatonna Dive Club Officers
President – Troy Matejcek
Vice President – Chuck Morris
Secretary – Bob Kierski
Treasure – Jim Zabel
Board
One Year – Jeff Kirchner
Two Year – Pete DeGrood
Three Year – Delbert Kepka
Club Meetings
We encourage all members, family and new students to attend the monthly club meetings to share experiences, laughs, and ideas for future dives, as well as the state of the club. We meet at 7:00, (usually) the 2nd Tuesday of almost every month. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, October 14th. All are welcome to attend.
Vice President
Please congratulate, and give your support to our new Vice President, Chuck Morris. Chuck is a Lifetime member of ODC and has been a member for many years. In addition, Chuck is a PADI Dive Master, has worked with students during the Pool Training and Open Water Checkout Dives. Chuck has also been actively involved in many of the lead pour events, the annual tubing at Mount Kato, the various maintenance projects we've had, and has gone on many of the drive tips with the club. Chuck accepted the nomination to fill the office that was left vacant as the result of Denny's death.
Fall North Shore
We had another weekend of wonderful weather for the Fall North Shore Dive and camping trip. The nights were a bit chilly, getting down to 30's or 40's each night. But the days were sunny and fairly warm – in the mid 60's. As it has been the last few years, the water in the Fall is cold and very clear. This year the water temp was about 40, and the visibility was about 50 feet.
There were 6 divers – Troy, Don, Bob, Oliver, Mike and Chuck. We also had 2 divers that didn't dive – Caleb, and Ashly. 2 who were there for the ATV trails – Glenn and Brad. And Linda was there for the leaves, long walks and to give moral support. It was a pretty good sized group.
We did 3 dives. We headed out to the Hespar just after breakfast on Saturday morning. The Hespar hasn't changed much since this last spring when we were up to put the buoy in. There isn't much left of the deer carcous. Just a few ribs. Don spent a little time digging at the Capstan.
The lake had picked up, so we headed down to the Ely Saturday Afternoon. The Ely is a wooden schooner from the same time as the Lucerne, but is a bit more intact. There are 2 cargo hatch ways that are still there. Much of the front of the ship is still there. The large spaces and shallow water makes this a great dive for both newbie's and experienced divers. Unfortunately, the Corp of Engineers piled a bunch of rock on part of the ship when they constructed the break wall near the Two Harbors loading dock.
We headed down to do Crescent City (Brent's Wreck) on Sunday. The weather at the beginning of the dive was wonderful – warm and not a lot of wind. By the end of the dive, the lake had picked up. We fought to get the anchor loose and Troy had to jump back in to free it from the rocks. Because we were being pushed into shore, we actually had to tow Troy, on a rope, out into the lake so we could cut the motor while he got back into the boat.
Fall Classes
Fall classes are right around the corner. If you know someone who is interested in becoming certified, Please have them check out the Fall SCUBA class offered by ODC through Owatonna Community Education. Our fees are at least 50% less than anyone else, and our program is much more complete and personal.
Discover Scuba is Wednesday, November 5th. We have a really big group – about 30 students. So we can use all the help we can get. We can use deck hands as well as people in the pool.
Pool starts at 8 and goes until 10:30 (we have an extra ½ hour). We can use your help at the Club House at about 7:30. ODC needs help in the following areas:
· Load and Transport gear (meet at the Dive Club at 7:30)
· Assemble scuba gear (at the Pool at about 8)
· Assist students with weights, masks, and fins
· Deck helpers to hand equipment to students in water
· In water divers to assist the instructor as required
The first night of Open Water classes is Wednesday, November 12th. If you can help, please contact Corey Monahan.
Building Maintenance
There is very little work left to complete the inside repairs, and most of the mess has been cleaned up. If you don't look too closely, it may be difficult to tell that anything has been done to that East wall. The texture and color are a perfect match… just a little cleaner.
Thanks to all those who have given their time, and donated materials to the project.
Dive Safe, Dive with a Buddy! |
Cozumel 2015 Trip
Bob Peoble is organizing a trip to Cozumel this February. The rates for the trip are $830 for a standard room and $1030 for a superior room (double occupancy). Bob had trip information that he handed out at the October meeting. If you are interested, please contact Bob.
Equipment Drop-Offs
If you drop off equipment at the ODC Club House, please include a note to indicate what your intentions are for the equipment and your contact information. If you drop off equipment that is still useable, but don't include a note or contact information, we will assume you are donating the equipment and that we can use it, sell it, or throw it away. We would also appreciate knowing if there is something wrong with the equipment. Drop-off equipment can't be used by students as we don't know if there are safety related issues with it. Please also don't drop off equipment that has no useful value. If you think it's garbage, chances are, we'll think it's garbage too.
Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation
We are in the process of updating our Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. If you are interested in participating, and giving your input, please attend our monthly meeting. We may also hold a special meeting just to discuss the issues surrounding the updates. All members are encouraged to participate, or just to attend the meetings to hear how we will be changing our policies and mission.
Polar Plunge
Deputy Tony David from the Steal County Sheriff's office talked at the October meeting about the 2015 Polar Plunge to support Special Olymics. The Plunge will be at Lake Kohlmeier in Owatonna on Saturday, January 31st. The time has not been determined. They will need several divers to help as people plunge, and then exit the water to warm up.
First Aid/CPR Classes
ODC is planning to host a First Aid/CPR class for its members. Remember that if you are a PADI Rescue Diver, Dive Master, Assistant Instructor, or Instructor, you are required to maintain your First Aid/CPR certification. This certification is good for 2 years. If you are in need of recertification, or are interested in becoming certified for the first time, please let me know. We will try to schedule the class to work with your schedule. It will probably be a weekend day this fall, winter, or early spring.
Newsletter
If you have a story you would like to write for the Newsletter, or would like to see something in a newsletter, please send me an email at owatonn...@gmail.com. The next Newsletter is scheduled to go out November 30th. Please have any material to me by noon Saturday November 29th if you want it in the Newsletter.