Western Maryland Dive Club

For Dive Students needing check out dives, certified divers wanting a refresher, or any diver looking to blow bubbles read below.

Our annual trip to Lake Phoenix will be Thursday June 16 to Sunday June 19. If you are planning to come I would ask you to do two things:

1. Email me and let me know you are coming so we can plan equipment.
2. Come to a pre-trip get together – Saturday May 21 at 5 PM. My house at 1057 Richwood Ave Cumberland.

If you are undecided or just want to get together and watch diving videos and pictures please come. We will have light refreshments and snacks – don’t bring anything.

If you are planning to come to Lake Phoenix and can’t attend this Saturday please get on the Lake Phoenix website and complete either the student waiver or certified diver waiver on line and watch the video. We will do these things this Saturday

— Bill Lamm

The 2013 Fall scuba class starts Sept. 10th at 7pm.

View the course info on Allegany College’s site here http://www.allegany.edu/x2763.xml, or call Spotty @ 301-707-3085.

SCUBA Certification – Open Water (C/S068)
The Open Water SCUBA class is designed to provide students with the background knowledge and water skills to be certified as an Open Water SCUBA diver with SCUBA Diving International (SDI). This is a six (6) week course which consists of two (2) hours each week of classroom instruction to address the physics and physiology of breathing compressed gases and the hazards related to SCUBA diving. The other two (2) hours each week are pool activities to familiarize students with the dive equipment and practice the water skills needed for a safe diving experience. There will be a final exam that will cover all related dive information. After successful completion of the classroom and pool components of the course, four (4) open water checkout dives will be scheduled. These are low stress, controlled dives in local lakes to help students make the transition to open water diving. Students will need their own mask, fins and a snorkel for this class. These can be ordered the first night of class for an additional fee of $115 – $125. This includes a mask, fins, snorkel, booties, a mask box and a mesh carrying bag.

9/10-10/16, Tuesdays (Classroom Instruction) & Wednesdays (Pool Instruction) (12 Sessions)
7:00-9:00 PM
ACM: G-171 & Pool
Instructors: F. S. Kiser/ William Lamm
Course Cost: $350.00
(includes $75.00 material fee)
Maryland Senior Course Cost: $304.00

We were originally planning to go to Lake Rawlings 10/14, but so far no takers. New firm plan is to go to Dutch Springs in Pa. and dive 10/13-14 ( Sat and Sun). Plan to drive up Friday night and get an early start Saturday. Have 2 students going to do checkout dives. Will stay at Comfort Inn – Bethlehem Pa. Dutch Springs is a scuba quarry. Many platforms for training at 20-25 feet. Many underwater attractions 25-40 feet. Below 30 feet is pretty cold. Even to 25 feet a 7mm wetsuit, hood , gloves are recommended( can get by without gloves for training platform). Easy drive – about 3.5 hours. Let me know if you want to go.

– Bill Lamm

Title: Lake Rawlings Trip
Location: Lake Rawlings, VA
Link out: www.lakerawlings.com
Description: There is a trip planned to Lake Rawling’s, VA where Bill and Spotty will be conducting advanced training, and OW checkout dives. Please contact Bill Lamm (Click here to email Bill) for more info.
Start Date: 2012-06-28
End Date: 2012-06-30
Notes from Bill:

Lake Rawlings 6/28-30
Some of this may be redundant but we are planning to dive Thursday afternoon , then 4 dives on Friday and 2 dives Saturday. We will do a night dive either Thursday or Friday – or both if there is enough interest. I need liability releases and signatures on the group log ahead of time. Call me 301-707-8752 to set up a time to do this. The release you can fax to me 240-522-0104. Remember to bring your c-cards. We will do OW checkouts and the Advanced course these 3 days. We have enough time to get in all the dives- even if anyone can only be there 2 days. If you are going to take the advanced course let me know and I will get course book to you.

The Lake Rawlings caravan will leave Burger King on Industrial Blvd at 0700 hrs on 6/28. We usually stop before getting to I-95 for pit and eat stop. Will arrive Rawlings around 1200-1300. I will already have everyone registered in if I have your paperwork before 6/20. If you need to rent equipment email me and I will set it up. Prices are on the Lake Rawlings website, but remember we will get at least a 20% discount as the group. I am assuming that everyone will rent tanks. They have 80 and 100 cu ft. The 100’s are steel and have different buoyancy characteristics. You need less weight with them. This is part of the AOW we will teach. For Rawlings extra gas is not an issue but it will be for deeper dives in Florida so for those going on that I recommend the 100’s. If you cannot commit till after 6/20 then Spotty will have blank releases and we will add you to the group roster and sign you in at the lake. I will keep an accounting of each person’s expenses and you can reimburse us at the end of the week. For accommodations there is the Nottoway Inn about 3 miles for the lake 804-478-4421. Let them know you are diving with Western Md divers at Rawlings (doubt it saves you any money). For this room you pay yourself. The other option is a cabin on site at Lake Rawlings. Reserving this is done on the LR website and for 4 or more people it is less expensive than the hotel but more cramped. Easier logistics for early AM and night dives. Ok that’s about all for now but if anyone has questions call or email me. I think we are going to have a big group and a LOT of fun.

Bill

Apparently diving is once again prohibited at Mt. Storm. Here are some sites to watch for updates.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/mid-atlantic-bottom-feeders/

http://www.mtstorm.com/

Apparently Mt. Storm in now open to divers once again with some basic rules.

The word is there are three conditions.

1. Divers must pick up their trash and keep the area clean.

2. All divers must use the diver entry area, meaning the step area, and are not to enter the water near the boat dock.

3. Divers are to use as little parking space as possible. If you bring a tarp, or tent or canopy it is to be infront of your vehicle and not beside it. In other words, only one spot per vehicle.

Should be easy enough. Will post more info as provided.

Mt.  Storm has suspended any swimming/diving from the entire boat launch area until further notice.

Here are a couple sites with further information:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/mid-atlantic-bottom-feeders/391720-mt-storm-closure.html

http://forum.scubatoys.com/mid-atlantic-darkwater-diver-90/no-diving-mount-storm-lake-37057/

From Spotty:

Check out dives are starting.

May 24^th, 25^th & 26^th Let me know which dates are best for you and i well see if we can get a group together.

Going to Mt. Storm. Water temps are still a cool 70 degrees, so wet suits will be needed.

These are just the beginning, and we will have many more.  These dates are not mandatory as this is early and some are going out of town, and they wanted to get certified early.  Don’t feel like you must make these.

We are also planning on going to Lake Rawlings June 23^rd & 24^th, and may add the 25^th.

Spotty