Bottom Times

Monthly Newsletter of the Redwood Empire Divers of Northern California January 2002

RED Home Page

General Meeting:

January 3rd, Round Table, 7:00 PM

Business Meeting:

January 17th, Powerhouse in Sebastopol, 7:00 PM.

President's Message

Happy New Year everyone! I have been under the weather of late and have not been able to participate in recent club activities but I am feeling better. Sounds like the Christmas party was a huge success.

2001 was an interesting year as far as diving goes. Conditions were consistently poor early in the year and then things picked up a bit and we saw some good diving and had a lot of fun.

Despite sometimes poor conditions we often had a strong turnout for dives which is great and what it is all about.

As we begin the New Year we have some great dives planned and hopefully we will have good conditions and lots of divers to enjoy them. We have some different dives planned in addition to some of our old favorites.

One of my biggest joys is exploring new turf and finding new favorites.

So come to the meetings, come to the dives, and let's have a great year!

See you out there....

--Jock Doss

Christmas Party Recap

The Christmas party was a great success. Many people came, much food was consumed, some prizes were awarded, and raffle prizes were won.

Due to a general lack of organization (ie. We didn't have the fish log), the fish contest prizes were not awarded. But, the lucky lunker belongs to new member Dave Conte for his 24 or 26 pound monster at the October Club dive at Tomales.

I assume that Mike Mendoza would place up high, with three large fish during the club Halibut dive, and even your generally luckless editor had three fish that day.

First Place abalone went to Frank DeNicola for his 9 31/32" monster (that is 10" by RED Rules!), with Molly Gibson pulling second with her 9 5/8" effort. Both of these were from the first campout of 2001 at Magical Anchor Bay.

The above water photo contest came down to a battle between Topless Girl, and Ass Boy, both by Lisa Mendoza. May the record show that Ass Boy triumphed.

The below water competition was fierce, with Charles vs. Charles. In a stunning upset, Charles won.

Christmas Raffle

The club wants to offer our special thanks (and encouragement to reward good deeds with your shopping dollars!) to our friends at...(if you know of someone missing, PLEASE let me know!)

  • Marin Skin Diving donated a cool mask and folding snorkel. This was not in the newsletter - my apologies!
  • Member and friend to RED Tom Stone of Bamboo Reef for two(!!) BC's. (I am hoping for the sake of the Christmas budget that Molly wins one of them), a lobster bag, and a pair of nice dive boots!
  • Member Bonnie Baclawski for her great Abalone Backpack that has been our marble prize.
  • Member Jed Douglas for a cool spear gun.
  • Bennett Marine Video f or two videos, Catalina Underwater and The Art of Spearfishing.
  • Bodega Bay Pro Dive at 707-875-3054 donated a mask.
  • Pinnicles Dive Shop in Santa Rosa donated an air card.
  • Sandra Zamaroni donated a massage-I don't have a number for her, but I am be tting that we could all use her services after a good weekend diving.
  • Hood Mountain Adventures of Sebastopol donated a discounted Rock Climbing Experience(!) Check out their web site, they have a lot of cool trips planned.
  • Best Publications for three books, SCUBA Diving Sign Language, Mixed Gas Diving and Essentials of Diving Sa fety.
  • Aqua Quest Publications fo r a copy of The Blue Edge by Carlos Eyles. You may remember Carlos for his books The Las t of the Bluewater Hunters and Secret Seas.
  • Cetacea Corporation Reef Pro tector Kit and an Open Water Kit.
  • Princeton Tec Surge 8 -AA cell battery diving flashlight (Call me crazy, but I'm thinking Lobster!)
  • Dinner for two ($50) at GTO's Seafood House in Sebastopol!
  • $40 at Sweet Lous!
  • $40 at the Golden Wok in Sebastopol (I love their combination soup)
  • $30 at the Geyserville Smokehouse!
  • Three dried flower arrangements (I'm sorry-I don't know who this is from)
  • Two KKST Cards
  • Two Sonoma Express Books
  • And a night at the Abalone Inn, a BnB at Point Reyes!

    There are links to the websites of these fine contributors on the club website at www.redwoodempiredivers.com.

    Our sincere thanks to all of these people for their donations! My apologies for anyone I missed. I will print an updated list in the next newsletter, and on our web site.

    Other things will be available, you've got to come to see what's being raffled. If you have something you would like to donate as a raffle prize, please bring it to the Christmas Party. One man's Dive Trash is another mans Dive Treasure!.

    See you at the Christmas Party!!

    This Month's Club Dive: Monterey

    Details will be fleshed out at the meeting, but I know of five members who are planning to go…

    Lisa shares the Joy over 'Ass Boy' Victory!

    Nail Biting Raffle Ticket Excitement Builds!

    Jon does the Toilet Paper Boogie!

    Member Roster

    Member List - password protected. The username is an acronym for the club, and the password is a vernaculer expression for a particularly fine example of something that we hunt.

    GENERAL MEETINGS

    Start at 7:00 pm at:

    Stony Point Roundtable Pizza

    2065 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa

    DIVES!

    Single day dives meet at 8:00 am (except when they don't). Alternate dives take place at the same time and location as the first dive, but only if the scheduled dive is canceled.

    WEB SITES

    RED Site: http://www.redwoodempiredivers.com

    Jed Douglas RED WEB: http://www.webperception.com/jdouglas

    Rocky's Home Page: http://www.sonic.net/~rocky

    (with great tips on Abalone!)

    CA Dept of Fish & Game: http://www.dfg.ca.gov

    California Coastal Buoy Map: http://www.oceanweather.com/~oceanwx/data/cal.html

    Club Equipment

    Videos - Tom Stolzheise

    Marine Radio - Michael Mendoza

    O2 Kit - Jed Douglas

    Fish & Ab Log - Jed Douglas

    Picnic Supplies - Dave Batt

    Contact these members for use of the equipment.

    Club Officers

    Jock Doss - President

    Michael Mendoza - Vice President

    Jed Douglas - Secretary

    Bob Simpton - Treasurer

    Rich Gibson - Newsletter Editor

    RED Events Calendar 2002
January 
1/3 Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
1/5 Monterey
1/17 Business Meeting at the Powerhouse
February
2/7 Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
2/9 - Fort Ross
2/21 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
March
3/7 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
3/9 Stillwater
Sat 3/16 St Paddy's Day Blast!
3/21 Business Meeting Location  TBD
April - Abalone!
4/4 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
4/6 Salt Point/Kruse Ranch
4/18 Business Meeting Location  TBD
Date TBD Member Dive Timber Cove with Jon and Bon
May
5/2 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
5/4 - Pt Arena/Arena Rock
5/16 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
Memorial Day - Charles' Big Weekend at Ocean Cove 
June
6/6 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
6/7-9 Campout Doran Beach. 
6/20 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
July
7/11 General Meeting 7:00 pm Pot Luck at 
Findley Park!
7/12-7/14 - Monterey!
7/18 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
7/20 or 7/27 - Member Dive Jock Split Rock/Tomales
August
8/1 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
8/2-4 Doran Beach 
8/15 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
Mike Mendoza in Catalina for a week. Looking for Sea Bass and Yellow Tail! Bob Simpton on a houseboat water skiing
September
9/5 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
9/6-8 - Van Damme or Russian Gulch
9/19 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
Date TBD Member Dive: Jock, Halibut! 
October
10/3 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
10/5 Tomales, Halibut!
10/13-15 (or so) Member Dive: Gary: Peace lobster dive 
10/17 - Subject to change Business Meeting Location  TBD
November 
11/7 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
11/9 - Anchor Bay
11/21 - Business Meeting Location  TBD
December
12/5 General Meeting 7:00 pm Round Table
12/7 - Stillwater
12/14 Christmas Party!