September 2004
My Adventures at SCUBA Camp
by Michelle Caron
On August 9, 2004 I began a very exciting camp. It was the first day of scuba camp. My mom and I were on our way to the pool. Little did we know we were supposed to go to the Dive Connections office. We soon got to the pool and were informed so, we got back in the car for a short drive to Dive Connections. When I got there I was introduced to Susan, my scuba instructor, her assistant, Miranda, and my new friend and scuba buddy, Jessie. Those were the only people there! After I got to know Jessie a little, we watched a safety movie. We then rode to the ACAC outdoor pool in Susan’s GTO convertible which was loads of fun.
When we arrived we learned how to put our gear together, how to use a snorkel in
the water along with lots of snorkel skills, including reading an air gauge.
Before ending that day we swam around with our scuba gear on and then were
allowed to slide on two water-slides that were there.
The second day we reviewed what we had learned and learned new skills such as a giant stride entry, hand signals, put our BCD on in the water, clear our mask, and retrieve our regulator, along with wearing a wet-suit for the first time. So far, I was having the time of my life!
The third day we learned how to use an octopus, how to clear our ears, take
our mask off and put it back on again, and we got to build this ‘thing’ that was
suppose to look like a boat.
The fourth day was the best of them all. We reviewed everything, learned to fin pivot, hover and best of all, we got to go to the deep end. It was so cool. We got to swim through hoops and go up a line to get to the surface.
The last day was Friday, August 13th which was exciting but sad. We showed a small audience, my mom and Jessie’s mom and grandmother how to put the gear together and hover which is what I did. Jessie showed how to snorkel and fin pivot. Some of our demonstration was filmed but not to go on TV. Afterwards, we all went to Cici’s Pizza where we had lunch and received our certificates and a special scuba pen from Susan. Jessie and I also got to play in the game room and we bought almost matching light-up necklaces. I will miss my friend Jessie but hope we can e-mail each other.
Going to Scuba camp was one of the most exciting things I did this summer!
“Don’t Be Afraid of
Color”
-
Art
Lessons from Wyland
by
Lisa O'Connor
Twenty
feet long and ten feet wide, the canvas was taped to a wooden base and placed
on the ground. Having removed his shoes, the artist seated himself
cross-legged in the middle of the canvas, inviting the timid children to join
him. One intrepid young artist kicked off her shoes and without a word
selected her crayons from a large tin. Plopping down beside the friendly
looking man who was busy creating a dolphin, she began to draw.
Very quickly, it was standing room only around the edges of the platform as
proud parents and onlookers snapped pictures and watched the interaction
between the world renowned marine life artist Wyland and some 30 children as
they created a mural to be displayed along side a selection of the artists
work on exhibit at the Wyland Ocean Challenge in Virginia Beach. “Don’t be
afraid of color” he encouraged. Over and over he called out to his crew “more
crayons, we need more crayons!”
The
children were participating in one of the events slated for a day of global
conservation awareness and education sponsored by the Wyland Foundation as
part of the Wyland Ocean Challenge. The events included a beach cleanup
during which trash was picked up and hauled away by an army of volunteers
scouring the beachfront in the cool morning. All of us were pleased and
surprised to find that there was not as much trash as we expected.
Later in the afternoon, Wyland set his easel and paints up on the stage where
the band 34 Below was playing, and began to create a new painting. Watching
the artist bring a humpback whale and her calf to life right before our eyes
was an amazing experience. The painting was finished in an astonishingly
short amount of time, and placed on display until the raffle that evening,
when one lucky person who had pledged to become a member of the Wyland
Foundation would go home with their prize.
Throughout the day, a barefooted and easygoing Wyland signed hundreds of autographs, posed for pictures, and spoke at length to anyone who would listen of the goals of the Wyland Foundation; conservation, education, and preservation through art and science of our water planet. I encourage you to visit Wyland's website to learn more about his art, his foundation, and what you can do to help save the worlds oceans.
SeaDevil Divers: Not Just A Dive
Club
What does it mean to be a SeaDevil Diver? Certainly it is a point of pride, a worthy organization of our friends and fellow divers. SeaDevil club meetings and outings offer us a place to socialize, to learn new things, to meet new people who share our love of the Ocean.
But SeaDevil Divers are more than just that; they are Doctors and Lawyers, Artists and Educators, students, adults, teens, kids, and most of all, citizens of this community. With such a vastly diverse membership, SeaDevil Divers is looking into itself and asking what more can we do? How can we give back to this community?
On Wednesday, August 11th, SeaDevil Divers gathered at a local eatery to ask that very question. Our many thanks to fellow SeaDevil Walter Slawski and the great staff at Shebeen Restaurant for the terrific appetizers and great service. The impromptu meeting was announced at Dew Scuba the previous Monday and through email to SeaDevil Sponsors.
The goal for the evening was to get some fresh voices and ideas in the mix, and try to establish what project or event SeaDevil Divers could sponsor that our membership would get passionate about and participate in. Several ideas were open for discussion ranging from Environmental Clean-Up’s to an Essay Contest held in the local schools with a scholarship awarded to the winner.
While nothing concrete was decided at the gathering, the excited ideas and enthusiastic support for such an endeavor were just the feedback we were looking for. The leadership committee was charged to come up with a specific proposal. the committee meets the Wednesday after every DEW Scuba, next meeting is September 15th. All SeaDevil's are welcome.
Keep your eyes and ears open for idea and come to DEW Scuba. We need your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your support, as we get the ball rolling to bring SeaDevil Divers to the forefront as an organization that cares about our community and environment.
909 Gardens Blvd.
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434-975-5570 * Toll Free 877-964-3483
