Deep River Underwater Club (DRUC)

To keep abreast of the news within the DRUC, here’s a listing of notices and news, in chronological order.

News & Notices - 2007

August - July - June - May - April - March

August

DRUC is not organizing any club events at this time.

July

• Lake Clear Picnic -The next organized club event is the annual Picnic, set for Saturday July 28.  Picnic Cancelled

   

•  Wed Night Dive -  We'll be running a wed evening dive this coming Wed (July 18).  The site selected is the pool in the Petawawa River off North Street (see dive report).  The plan is to meet at the dive site shortly after work on Wed (e.g., 5:00 pm).  This means collecting gear on Tuesday evening.  I'll coordinate the dive, but the basic idea is to form buddy pairs with the people that show up. 

   

• Mayflower Dive  -The Mayflower dive was a success in the weekend - we advanced the dive plan by an hour, which succeeded in getting us off Lake Kamineskeg before the grey sky opened up (although with just light rain).  The wreck was resting peacefully in 20 feet of water, still in good condition.  For those that could not attend, we'll be back to the site next year.

  Background Info and Ripley's Believe It or Not” column,

  May Flower Wreck Site Dive Report

June

Note: Some Schedule Changes

June 09(Saturday) Lake Clear Orientation Dive Event -

Following our recently finalized events schedule (attached), the second organized dive event is set for this coming Saturday (June 09).  The event is a shore dive at Lake Clear near Eganville.  The event is combined with orientation dives of the NAUI Basic Scuba course that is nearing completion.  For this reason, there will be limited rental gear available (priority goes to the students).

The site is a shallow but interesting site.  The site is ideal for your first dive of the year where you'd want to refamiliarize yourself with your equipment and the basic skills in a comfortable environment.  By comfortable I mean good VIS (~20') and warm water (~20 deg C).  The site, although shallow (10' to 15'), offers some interesting underwater scenery - the bouldery bottom is interesting to explore, and there should be large bass to see, as well as crayfish.  This site is worth exploring, but a single dive would suffice.  The site is at a cottage, so access is good, and there's the comfort of change facilities and a bar-b-q to cook up a lunch.

Note that the annual crayfish hunt and cook up event is scheduled for the following weekend (i.e., Sat June 16), which is held at the exact same dive site - a notice for this event will follow. 

Because the orientation dives will occur over most of the afternoon, any recreational diving at the site can occur at any time.  A suggested plan would be to arrive (see attached map) around 11:00 am, then finish your dive in time for a lunch in the sun - but as before, this event does not have time constraints.

For more information, or to reserve equipment, please contact Marc by e-mail or at 584-4989.  If you are intending to come out, please let Marc know.

May

O2 Course

The O2 Provider course will be delivered this coming Thursday evening (May 31) as planned.  The course will be held at 21 Frontenac Street, starting at 7:30 pm and ending around 10:00 pm, if not earlier. The course cost will be $50 per person, the same as the previous ASHI course. Both of the Club's two O2 kits that we bring on dive events will be available for familiarization/examination. Early administration of oxygen is considered an important component in responding to a dive injury. Per Peter's notice last week, those that are interested in taking the course should have contacted Peter for advanced ordering of course materials.  If you missed the Monday deadline, you can still take the course by sharing course material then receiving the course manual later.

Dive Boat Update

The first sea trial for the club dive boat occurred on this past Sunday evening.  It was apparent that while the initial repair to the motor was effective (cracked fuel line), the motor has a second (and possibly a third) fault to repair - the water pump (cooling system) is not working.  Hopefully the fix involves just replacing the impeller, which is an inexpensive part and a relatively easy task (apparently).  Still, we need help with this repair - anyone familiar with Evinrude/Johnson 70 HP motors (or any size from 50 to 90 HP), and especially those who has experience in replacing the impellor, should contact Marc at 613-584-4989 (please, please, please).  The third fault might be a carb problem, so help may also be needed with servicing the triple carbs on the motor.

 
May 26-First Club Diveat Stonecliffe

The first club event was held successfully on Saturday.  A small group descended on the flooded village of Stonecliffe in the Ottawa River.  It was originally planned that the dive would be held in the Petawawa River at the bottom pool, but the river current level was still too high for the dive to be enjoyable, so we changed sites for the day.  At Stonecliffe, the water was somewhat silty, likely because of spring run off.  The water temp was a cool 50 deg F, which was easily accommodated with a full 7 mm suit with hood and gloves (nobody reported being cold after an hour in the water).  The guide line extending from shallow water to the church foundation and the rail station seems to have been disturbed - some effort is required to restore the guideline (a project for some evening).  All in all, the dive was quite good, and everyone had an enjoyable time, and the water temp was just fine!

15 May - Water Devils Annual Tropical Trip

The DRUC has been invited to participate in the annual tropical dive trip that the North Bay dive club, the Water Devils, organizes each year.  The trip in 2007 February was to the island of Curacao, known for its excellent reef diving.  The trip for 2008 (February again) is planned for the Mayan Riviera, also known for its fantastic reef diving.  For more information, contact Gerry Lavigne at Watersports Scuba School & Supply.

 WATER DEVILS TRAVEL GROUP
 AKUMAL BEACH RESORT, MAYAN RIVIERA
 February 09th to the 23^rd, 2008
 "ALL INCLUSIVE"
 $2206.00 Tax Included
 $150.00 non-refundable deposit
Balance due 45 days prior to departure

 Watersports Scuba School and Supply
1011 O'Brien Street, North Bay
Ontario, P1B 5X3
705-472-2272
1-866-414-1500 (toll free)

 14 May - BCD Inspection Clinic 

DRUC will be holding a clinic to demonstrate how to inspect buoyancy compensators for faults and wear.  The proper functioning of BCDs is an important element in safe diving, as loss of buoyancy control can be an initiator to a dive accident, either from uncontrolled rapid ascent or from swimming against negative buoyancy.  Incident reports from recent years show that a number of failures can occur with BCs, many of which can be prevented by routine inspections and function testing.  A procedure is being developed for this purpose.  Once completed (reviewed by a dive shop), we'll put the club BCs through the inspections and offer a clinic for people owning BCs to come and watch and learn and apply.  The clinic will be held on an evening in several week's time - more information will follow, but until then please consider coming out and checking your BC.  The procedure will be posted on the club web site, at www.druc.ca.

14 May - O2 Provider Certification

The O2 Provider course will be held on the evening of Thursday May 24.  The course, now available within the NAUI training organization, will be offered by our club instructor, P. Angell.  More information on the course will follow (location, cost, prerequisites), but with this early notification, please leave this evening open on your calendar.  We hope to attract a class size of about 10, based on the number of people that took the course 2 years ago.  We have two O2 kits that we bring on dive events.  Early administration of oxygen is considered an important component in responding to a dive injury.  With the certifications issued 2 years ago expiring this month, and the safety value in having this certification, we're hoping that we'll attract a strong turn-out.

We are sending you this year's membership forms to fill out if you intend to re-join the DRUC this year. As in previous years, we also require an image of your dive certification to keep on record. We keep these from year to year so we may have yours already on file. If you think that you submitted images in previous years, please contact the Membership rep at the following e-mail address (anne.audet@maccready.ca ) and we will let you know if we have one on file.  If you wish, you can have a digital photo taken of your cert cards and we can put this on file.

Some members have filled out the registration form but not the liability form. We will let you know which members need to complete the membership process by signing the liability forms.

Membership Forms and Information

04 May - St. Lawrence Dive Trips

Both St. Lawrence trips will be the same as last year with meals, accommodation and diving at the Riverside Resort in Brockville for two days. The first trip is the weekend of June 22 to 24. This trip is included as part of the Basic Scuba course. The cost will be $275 for everyone else. Spaces are guaranteed for the students, Peter and those helping him with the course. The remaining spaces will be available on the following basis: students of the scuba refresher course (provided there is one), club members who can't make the September trip, and remaining club members. Non-diving spouses/partners are welcome and will be given the same priority as the diver they are accompanying. The rate for non-divers will be approximately $200. I have reserved 12 spaces for this weekend but more may be available. The agenda for this weekend is: Friday evening final open water dive of Basic Scuba course at Brockhouse Island (shore dive); Saturday dives on the Conestoga and Rothesay (wrecks that can be reached from shore); and Sunday two dives on the Lilly Parsons (a wreck that requires boat access).

The second St. Lawrence trip is the weekend of September 14 to 16. Cost will be $310 because of additional boat dives. The dives that we do that weekend will be determined at the time but the intent is to do one day of American wrecks. I have reserved the whole resort for this weekend. Space will be on a first come, first served basis. As in previous years, you will be able to choose your room in advance. The floor plan is attached. A $20 deposit is required per person per weekend except the Basic Scuba Students.

April

26 April – DRUC Dive Boat Project

Thanks to a very generous donation of a local resident, the DRUC is embarking on a Project to outfit a small dive boat for diving in the Ottawa River and other waters that have boat launches.  Responding to an add in the NRT, an older (1975) boat motor and trailer package was donated to the club. The motor was not working, but the boat and trailer are in excellent condition.  The boat is not large (15' fiberglass) but it is a bow rider, tri-hull design, which provides maximum useful floor space and which affords excellent stability for divers gearing up and exiting/entering the boat. The boat should be able to adequately accommodate 4 divers.

The task of outfitting the boat involves servicing the engine, then modifying the boat to make it as dive-friendly as possible.  After a number of evenings working on the engine, it appears that it may now be operable, but its reliability is not known yet.  Still, this progress is good enough that it's worthwhile outfitting the boat.  We also need a fitting name for the boat, for which suggestions are needed.

So as to avoid having this project cut into club funds that are needed for upgraded dive equipment and safety equipment, the boat project is aimed at being zero-cost to the club.  To achieve this, we're asking for members to donate outfitting items (listed below) and to help with the outfitting tasks. Some tasks involve welding (making a good ladder), painting (painting the club name along the sides), and possibly additional mechanical work on the engine.  Those with talents in these areas are encouraged to help out where they can.

We also need ideas on how best to outfit the boat. Towards this we're having an "open-boat" (open house) event this evening.  Hopefully the rain forecasted for this evening will hold off long enough to check out the boat and brainstorm ideas.  Everyone is welcomed to stop by. The boat is "moored" at 21 Frontenac.

 Here's the list of what we need for the boat.  The plan is to approach some of the local stores to see if they are willing to donate the items that we can't provide ourselves.  For theses "sponsors" we can place sponsorship stickers on the boat and formally acknowledge their generosity during what will eventually be a launching ceremony.  Of course, the donors of the boat will be royally acknowledged.

• Tarp (~8' x 20')
• winch rope for trailer (1/2" x 20')
• dive stickers (you may have stickers from equipment purchases)
• flag pole (for raising a large "diver down" flag off the boat during dives)
• 2 boat cleats
• 12 VDC light fixtures (3 small sockets, for floor lighting)
• switch for floor lighting
• 2 paddles
• 4 adult-size life jackets
• 2 anchor ropes (1/2" x 50')
• 2 anchors (25 lb)
• 2 marine batteries
• OMC 5 gallon gas tank (missing from the boat)
• 4 or 5 gallon jerry can for extra gas
• fire extinguisher
• heavy ladder for side entry (probably need to weld something that fits the boat perfectly)
• tool kit (screw drivers, wire, tape, fuses, pliers, wrench, etc)
• safety throw rope
• whistle
• flashlight
• 12 VDC bilge pump
• foot valve for bilge pump (for automatic pumping)
• large Tupperware containers or coolers (2), for storage and seating
• small brass or stainless steel hinges (for storage hatches)
• pieces of vinyl for dashboard refurbishment and for covering the storage hatches
• tank retainer system (a stand for securing the tanks in an upright position during transit)

Check through the list, and if you happen to have any of these items sitting around that have not seen much use in recent years, please consider donating them to the boat.

Thanks everyone, and don't forget to stop by this evening to check out the boat and to give us your thoughts on how best to modify and outfit the boat.

17 April Splash Party

The first Deep River Underwater Club dive event is being planned for the warm, clear waters of the Deep River Community Pool on the evening of Tuesday April 17. For veteran divers, you'll be able to check out your gear, practice skills, play some underwater games, or otherwise re-integrate yourself with the underwater world without having to endure near-freezing water temperatures. The event also caters to people curious about scuba diving in that we'll have our instructor on hand to let you try scuba diving in the shallow end to determine if you're interested in taking up the sport. The pool is booked for one hour, starting at 8:30 pm (with set-up on the pool deck starting at 8:00 pm). Fees to cover pool rental and air costs are $10 for divers, and $5 for prospective divers. For this event, membership is not a requirement. A few gear sets will be provided (free), so just bring the equipment that you have and we'll complete your set. If you need any equipment, or if you'd like to reserve a "try-out session" with the instructor, contact Marc Audet at 594-4989 or Peter Angell at 584-4617 in advance.

For those interested in taking up the sport of scuba diving, the NAUI Basic scuba course will follow, scheduled to start on May 01 and end on June 24 in time for a range of local dive outings throughout the summer and fall.

The DRUC training program for 2007 also includes advanced training for certified divers, such as the ASME O2 Provider course (administration of emergency oxygen) later this month, the NAUI Advanced Diver (to be delivered throughout the summer during club dives) and the NAUI Rescue Diver (to be delivered in July).

 

General Training

For those interested in taking up the sport of scuba diving, the NAUI Basic scuba course will follow, scheduled to start on May 01 and end on June 24 in time for a range of local dive outings throughout the summer and fall. See Events 2007 page for more training information

The DRUC training program for 2007 also includes advanced training for certified divers, such as the ASME O2 Provider course (administration of emergency oxygen) later this month, the NAUI Advanced Diver (to be delivered throughout the summer during club dives) and the NAUI Rescue Diver (to be delivered in July).

ASHI course "O2 Provider" April 12th Deep River

Watersports Scuba School & Supply is offering the ASHI course "O2 Provider" in Deep River on the evening of Thursday April 12.  This course will qualify you to administer emergency oxygen to people injured during dive events.  The early administration of oxygen to people suffering from dive injuries such as decompression sickness is regarded as being extremely beneficial in promoting recovery.  The course will be delivered during one four-hour session on the evening of Thursday April 12 (starting at 6:00 pm).  The cost of the course is $50.  Course prerequisites include emergency first aid and CPR.  If you require training in these areas (e.g., your certification has expired), and you can take advantage of free training at school or at your workplace, you can take the O2 Provider course in advance of the other certifications, but you will be awarded your O2 Provider certificate only after you complete the prerequisite courses.  In order for the training course to be viable, we must have enough people interested in taking the course.

Please let Marc Audet know as soon as possible whether you are interested in taking this course.  The course date (and specific location in Deep River) will be confirmed early next week.

March

March 27

Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting, is being planned for next Tuesday evening - March 27, starting 8:00 pm at Shemron Suites - i.e., the restaurant there (where we can order some snacks and beverages).  This meeting is intended to be more of a social event than a business/administrative event, so don't let the "AGM label" deter your interest.  The meeting is open to anyone, regardless of membership status (aside from the voting of the 2007 executive).  The meeting intent is three-fold;

• to get divers together for some relaxed conversations (we'll be showing pictures at videos of winter dive trips to Cuba, Curacao and Roatan),
• AGM discussions, executive voting then brief outline of the 2007 program elements such as training, equipment, events, etc., and
• discussion of dives to include/exclude in the 2007 events schedule.
   

March 23

Equipment Servicing for 2007

This is just a quick reminder about the upcoming shipment of tanks and regs to North Bay for servicing.  I'll be driving to North Bay on Monday (March 26) and we're doing the equipment shuttling in only one trip this year,  

Another update since the previous notice is that we'll be developing a procedure for BC inspections then testing our BCs here, so you have an option of having your BC tested here (later in the spring) or having your BC shipped to North Bay for servicing.

The prices for tank inspections are given below (the fees are up slightly from previous years, but they are still very good - and the fees include taxes).  Reg servicing normally costs between $50 and $70 for o-ring replacements and basic rebuilds.  Any other replacements (cracked housing or hose) would be extra.  Make sure your name is clearly marked on your equipment and put a tag on the equipment indicating any problems that need to be addressed or salt water usage since the last servicing.

 Thanks, Marc

TANK  INSPECTION PRICES (includes air fill) 

• ALU hydro VIS-eddy - $28  

• ALU VIS-eddy - $14 

• Steel hydro VIS - $20 

• Steel VIS - $10 

Notices -2006