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Hello VBTech members.
A few of us
sat down the other evening and discussed the
2009 VBTech
schedule,
and we came up with topics for the next 4 meetings (Nov-Feb)
and discussed VBTech dives for the coming year. We also
decided to move the meeting place
to a restaurant this year,
much like the Richmond Dive Club, where we can order drinks
and food before and during the meeting. The
meetings will still be held on the 2nd Thursday
of the month @ 7pm
with a social hour from 6 to 7. We
felt that the more relaxed environment of a restaurant would
be a welcomed change
with a more
centralized location for those of us who don’t live at the
beach.
The typical
meeting will cover two topics. One that is more advanced and
will appeal to a more experienced tech diver and one
that is ‘lighter’,
for the aspiring tech diver. We recognize that with the
growing number of rebreather divers in the area that VBTech
needs to cater to OC and CC diving.
Meetings will
be held at the
Doubletree Hotel Norfolk located at 880 North Military
Highway.
November
meeting topics will be:
Managing an
unconscious OC or
CC diver underwater. Making
your own gear line (its been covered before but it was a
requested topic).
December
topics:
DCS – Getting
bent is no fun by Jeff Hewlett and …..
Attaching
gear to snaps and D-rings (or how not to get key holed and
die)
January
topics:
Penetration diving
– What you need to know and what a cave or advanced
wreck diving certification
won't/will
teach you.
Communicating
with your
buddy underwater.
February
topics:
Rebreather
types pros and cons. Cover the advantages of Manual vs.
Electronic CCRs, over the shoulder vs. back mounted counter
lungs, sofnolime vs. cartridges.
Decompression,
stage and bailout bottles for OC and CC.
Dive Trips
Several trips
were discussed. VBTech dives will have a trip leader
assigned. The only way to get on the dive will be to contact
the trip leader and space will be limited to 10 or
less. Dives run through LDC will
be considered charters so you will sign up and pay through
this trip leader. At the moment we have two trips on the
docket.
January-February. Ft Lauderdale. There is some great diving
just minutes off the beach in Fort
Lauderdale. The Hydro Atlantic is a fantastic dive in
175 FSW with plenty of relief for divers without TRIMIX
certification. There will be an opportunity on this trip to
log actual TRIMIX dives for those of you who want to
continue your training
Mid-June. The
24-hour trip. Leave VB on a Friday night aboard the Miss
Lindsey. Dive the 4A or the 1800 line for a
night dive. Wake up the next
morning (early) and dive the York or the Benson. Pull the
hook and head to the Papoose (San Delfino) for one dive.
Pull the hook and head back towards VA Beach….stopping at
the Mexicano for one more dive. Four dives on four different
wrecks.
It's a new season with a new
emphasis on serious technical diving. I hope you will plan
on attending for the content of the meetings plus the fun we
tech divers will have getting to better know each other and
diving as a group. |
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