May 2011
W elcome to
May 2011 issue of
the
the Sea Swells Log!
Daytime temperatures are final-
ly on the rise around here. Some
of our members even braved the
still chilly local waters, like
TSSC president Nick Lappano
who insisted on—briefly—
proving his toughness by diving
the local 50 degree water in his
5 mil wetsuit…. Other members
preferred warmer water and
headed to a Caribbean destina-
tion instead. Warm or cold wa-
ter, club diving has begun in
earnest!
At the April meeting Alan Duck-
worth of the Blue Ocean Insti-
tute awed us with his experienc-
es diving in Australia without
becoming lunch for large fanged
predators.
The excellent program put to-
gether by Allan Rios continues
at the May Membership
Meeting
on the second
Wednesday of the month! See
you there!
A s I write this, an intrepid
group of TSSC members
should be returning from the
first Club trip of the year. They
went to Guanaja, one of the
Bay Island off the coast of Hon-
duras. I’m sure there will be
lots of great stories to be told
about their adventures. One by
one, TSSC is knocking off the
Bay Islands, having previously
gone to Roatan and Utila on
Club trips. I myself am looking
forward to revisiting Fantasy
Island in Roatan later this
year. I will be using a trip that
I successfully bid upon in the
silent auction at Beneath the
Sea.
On April 9th, as documented in
the April edition of Sea Swells,
the Club had its Open House at
the North Salem Firehouse
which was secured for our use
by Tom Butcher. THANKS
TOM!
Tabby Constantino and her
team put together a very suc-
cessful event using a pirate
theme. Both existing members
and potential members had a
great time enjoying the endless
supply of food which was pro-
vided by the members them-
selves. I would like to thank
everyone for their generous
participation at the event.
By the time this issue of Sea
Swells is published a few
events should have already
taken place. These include the
Run for the Wild on April 30th
Visit Our Website At: www.thescubasportsclub.org
Activities Left,
Right & Center
at the Bronx Zoo and the Or-
chard Beach Clean Up/
Barbeque/Clambake on May
In This Issue:
ANCHOR LINE 1
1st.
ENVIRONMENT: 2
I look forward to reporting on Orchard Beach 2011
the Club’s success at both of
EVENTS: 3
these events at our General
Vintage Dive Film
Meeting on May 11th. Festival
Don’t forget our upcoming pic-
DIVE LOG: 4
nic on May 29. Bring whatever How Sharks Do It
you want to throw on the bbq.
LOOK:
We have a new location this
Run For The Wild! 4
year and I’m sure everyone
LOOK:
will have a great time. Stay Scuba Reader 5
tuned for an announcement
with the exact location. DIVE IN: 6
2011 Dive Schedule
On June 5th, the Club will
have a table set up at the Ma- CLUB NEWS: 7
maroneck Harbor Fest so drop
Activities
by and say hello. Social Events & Program
List of Directors
As most of you already know,
one of the Club’s most dedicat-
SPECIAL EVENT: 7
ed members, Don Reynolds, is Whitewater Rafting
suffering from a severe medi-
ON-LINE: 8
cal condition. Bob Bak is coor-
UK Diving Record Attempt
dinating efforts by Club mem-
bers to assist Don with some MAY PROGRAM NOTES: 8
property maintenance issues Bernie Chowdhury
which he is currently unable
to attend to. So if you can
Well that’s it for this
spare any time to help out
month. I look forward to
with these tasks (painting,
seeing everyone at our May
lawn mowing, whatever)
Meeting and at one or more
please contact Bob to let him
of the upcoming events,
know when or how you can
either above or under the
help. Don has always given
water.
generously to the Club and the
community and we now have
an opportunity to show him Nick Lappano
our appreciation and return
the favor. President
 Environment 
By
Nick
Lappano
O n Sunday May 1st, TSSC, together
with Captain Mike’s Diving and
Long Island Diver’s Association (LIDA)
participated in the Second Annual Or-
chard Beach Underwater/Shoreline
Clean-up. Afterwards there was a
Barbeque/Clam Bake.]
I arrived (way too) early at 7:30AM to
participate in the set up. Instead I was
greeted by a group pf undisturbed sea-
gulls where we had planned to gather.
I enjoyed a quiet Dunkin’ Donuts
breakfast and coffee with the sound of
gentle breakers heralding the great day
to come.
By 8:15 Captain Mike with his crew as
well as Bill Pheiffer from LIDA had
Page 2
Orchard Beach 2011
arrived to start divers entered the water
setting up. Dives with thirty or more peo-
flags were put up at ple collecting trash along
strategic locations the shoreline.
to guide attendees
to “section one” and
alert any boaters in
After diving we all re-
paired to the picnic area
the area to the where we enjoyed all
presence of divers. manner of delicious food
Tables were set up which was cooked on two
and all was made grills provided by LIDA.
ready to regis- We continued to stuff our
ter divers and faces and quench our
keep track of thirst while trading tales
their entry and with both old and new
exit from the acquaintances, At about
water, 3PM it got a little chilly
and the wind started to pick up so
The first divers entered the water
at about 9:30 to search for under-
water debris and the land crews
started to scour the shoreline to bag
the detritus which had washed up
to the high water line, It’s incredi-
ble how much junk washes ashore and
scary to imagine how much garbage is
floating around in our oceans. The big-
gest item was a large rudder which
must have come from some unfortunate
boat which probably lies some where
everyone donned sweat shirts
or jackets and continued to
party until 5 PM when we
cleaned up our area and head-
ed home.
Everyone had a good time and
we collected a significant
amount of trash to make the
area more enjoyable for the
public to use this summer. All
in all, it was a great day.
beneath the surface of Long Island
Sound. Underwater the scene was not
quite as littered and most divers were Nick Lappano
hard pressed to fill their mesh bags alt-
hough some did manage to collect some
significant debris.
I dove in my usual 5mm wetsuit with a
“chicken vest” despite the 48 degree
water. Call me hardy or stupid, but it
really wasn’t that bad and I actually
made two dives. Of course the more
“normal (a//ka “sane”) divers were in
drysuits. In total, I believe about twenty
May 2011 Sea Swells Log
 EVENTS & A llan Rios has collected several films for our first ever Vintage Dive Film Festival, to
be held on Saturday, May 14th at 7 pm, at the North Salem Firehouse.

CELEBRATIONS Those of you who attended our Open House Party in April will be familiar with the loca-
tion. If you need directions, please refer to the event website at http://bit.ly/tssc-movies.

The film festival is free of charge, however, advance RSVP is required at

crimefighter112@aol.com!

Page 3 May 2011 Sea Swells Log


By
Martha
Weissberg
I have been fortunate to witness many
interesting things over the last few
years, but my first experience with Leop-
ard sharks tops them all!
On a recent trip to the Maldives
(February 9, 2011) our first day of diving
from the live-aboard was the strangest.
Yes, I’ve seen rhinoceros mating at Six
Flags in NY. I’ve seen lions mating in the
Serengeti. But I never dreamed of seeing
By
Tabitha
Constantino
O n April 30th TSSC Ran For The
Wild!!
Seven TSSC members formed a team and
ran/walked 5K to save the penguins. It
was a great day. We started the dat at 7
am at the Bronx Zoo. There were 552
teams, and 8,057 donors. The TSSC team
Page 4
How Do Sharks Do It?
Leopard sharks "getting it on"
during my first day of diving in
Maldives.
We were at Huvadhoo Atoll, div-
ing Meadhu Faru Reef. The
deepest I went was 82' down.
The water temperature was a
warm 80 degrees. I did not check
the depth when I took the pho-
tos.
I noticed our group ‘gathering’
around what looked like a shark biting This trip was to celebrate my birth-
something on the ocean floor. By the day which was the day of the leop-
time I got my camera into position, the ard sharks. What a surprising way
shark had moved away, and I saw an- to celebrate!!!
other shark lying on its back -- it did not
For camera enthusiasts - I was not
look like it had been eaten by the first
as close as I would have liked. Used
shark. I was surprised there was no
my SeaLife 1200 on automatic.
blood. All of a sudden, the bottom shark
Flash was really of no use because of
(female - as I learned later) flipped over
distance. We were at Huvadhoo At-
(it was alive after all!) and swam toward
oll - Meadhu Faru Reef. The deepest
me and away. The male swam off as
I went was 82' down. Water temper-
well. I had come upon two leopard
ature was 82 degrees. I did not look
sharks as they were concluding their
at depth when I took the photos.
mating ritual. Never did I imagine any
fish/sea life turning on its back for un-
derwater sex.
Martha Weissberg
Run For The Wild!
set a goal of $900 and thanks to all the
members and friends and family we
exceeded that goal and raised a total of
$1,205!!!!
I have never run or walked in a walk-a-
thon and found that it was a lot harder
then I expected, but we (Cindy, Craig,
Allan, and myself) did it in under an
hour. I am not sure how long it took
Joann, Jim and Bianca because they
ran instead of walked (kudos to
them). After crawling though the fin-
ish line we were all greeted with some
good food. There were lots of ven- Tabitha Constantino
dors with all kinds of new "green" prod-
ucts. We were able to spend the rest of Note: There will be another Run
the day wandering the zoo. It really for The Wild on October 9th at
was a wonderful time and a very re- the New York Aquarium! Vote for
warding day. your favorite ocean creature now!
I hope that next year more people will Details at:
join us in raising money for the wild www.wcsrunforthewild.
life. org/nyaquarium/
May 2011 Sea Swells Log
 Foreword
Scuba Reader
By
Ruth illustrates the little in 2006. Ila
Emblin
known, intelligent France Porcher
and kinder nature of grew up in Brit-

L ike Allan Rios, who usually

writes the Scuba Reader column,
I am always on the lookout for interest-
these wondrous ani-
mals. Through years
ish Columbia,
Canada, and
of studying the local now lives in
ing publications with ocean– or scuba-
blackfin reef sharks Tahiti, French
diving related topics. Recently I came
in Polynesia, author Polynesia. She
across “My Sunset Rendezvous, Crisis
Ila France Porcher has spent much
in Tahiti” by Ila France Porcher, and
has made some intri- of her life as a
because I loved diving in French Poly-
guing discoveries and wildlife artist,
nesia I purchased the book.
has had some strange (under the
Ila France Porcher’s book perfectly ex- and startling experi- name of Ila Ma-
presses her love for wildlife, both in the ences. She and a sci- ria), seeking to
oceans and on land, and adds colorful entific colleague, Ar- capture the
descriptions of island life. Ila’s illus- thur A. Myrberg Jr., beauties of na-
trations are full of imagination and found the first evi- ture on paper.
emphasize her prose. The book is full dence that sharks can The connections
of humor and inspiring information, think and the degree she formed with
yet also of heartbreak. The main part to which they are so- the sharks in
of the book describes the author’s work cial creatures. She also published a Polynesia and the atrocities she wit-
with the sharks of the island of Moorea scientific paper on the gestation peri- nessed happening to them, inspired
(one of my personal favorites). Her de- od and reproductive cycle of the her to write My Sunset Rendezvous.
scriptive writing style evokes the feel- sharks. When a company from Sin- She is now working on her next
ing as if you were diving with her, gapore began finning them in August book about wildlife.
among the sharks she loves to observe. 2003, she witnessed the devastating
results underwater and sought to Ila recently also wrote a blog on the
The official editorial review says it all: protect her friends from this cruel Sharksavers website, which may be
For years, the misconception has and wasteful practice. Through the found at this link:
flourished that sharks are mindless, hard work and determination of http://tinyurl.com/6g9npxb
vicious creatures that we all should many wildlife advocates, the sharks
Enjoy!
fear and avoid. My Sunset Rendezvous of Polynesia finally found protection

 Vintage Dive Film Festival - May 14th, North Salem Firehouse

http://www.thescubasportsclub.org/events/movie-night.html
 First Annual Shark Dive Weekend Labor Day Weekend 2011. Fisherman's State
Park Rhode Island, http://www.riparks.com/fisherma.htm
 Run for the Wild, October 9th, 2011
www.wcsrunforthewild.org/nyaquarium/
 TSSC on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheScubaSportsClub

 TSSC on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ScubaSportsClub

Page 5 May 2011 Sea Swells Log

 2011 Dive Schedule
All dates and programs are subject to change without prior notice. For more details and updates, either contact
Tom Butcher or the dive coordinator shown, or refer to our website at www.thescubasportsclub.org.

Date/Time: Location Description Contact/Organization

July 17th Dutch Springs, PA TSSC Day Tom Butcher

July 21st—24th Lake Champlain (VT Side) Dive & Camp Camping at Grand Isle State Tom Butcher
(3 nights) Park, so far we have reserved site T008.

Sept. 2nd—5th Fisherman’s State Park, RI First Annual Shark Dive Weekend Allan Rios
www.thescubasportsclub.org/dives/rhode-island-
shark-dive.html Reserve your spot now!

Aug. 14th or 21st Lake Tiarotti, Harriman Details to be announced Allan Rios
State Park

Sept. 1-10, 2011 Fiji, Beqa Lagoon Resort A Taste of Fabulous Fiji Ski & Scuba Connection *)
*) not organized by TSSC, however,
See details at http://thescubasportsclub.org/dives/ several members are booked on this
fiji-dive-trip-2011.html trip.

LOCAL DIVE SHOPS - AT YOUR SERVICE

The listing of local dive shops is provided to you as a reference and public service. For each shop’s specialty, dive training and trip programs, please call or visit their website.

Aqua Visions Scuba Captain Mike’s

118 West Boston Post Road Diving School
Mamaroneck, NY 10543 530 City Island Ave
Tel. 914-381-1884 City Island, NY 10464
www.aquavisions.biz Tel. 718-885-1588
www.captainmikesdiving.com

Ski and Scuba Connection Abyss Scuba

26 Saint Roch Ave 222 E Main Street
Greenwich, CT 06830 Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Tel. 203-629-4766 914-244-3483
www.skiandscubaconnection.com www.abyss-scuba.net

Marsh Scuba Supply

93 Lauer Rd.
2037 Central Park Ave Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Yonkers, NY 10710 2672 Gerritsen Ave
Tel. 845-452-8994
Tel. 914-779-2966 Brooklyn, NY 11229
and Tel. 718-769-0099
www.marshscuba.com

Pan Aqua Diving (2 locations): Captain Saam’s Scuba Cougar Sports

460 W 43rd St., New York, NY 10036 School 917 Saw Mill River Rd.
Tel. 212-736-3483 863 E Main St., Ste B Ardsley, NY 10502
and Stamford, CT 06902 Tel. 914-693-8877
461 Federal Rd., Brookfield, CT 06804 Tel. 203-32 SCUBA
Tel. 203-775-3573 www.capt-saam.com Durland Scuba Committee
www.panaqua.com & School
Venture Crew #53
Rex Dive Center The Dive Shop 35 East Grassy Sprain Rd. Ste 204
144 Water Street 439 Federal Rd. Yonkers NY 10710
Norwalk, CT 06854 Brookfield, CT 06804 Tel 914-961-1263
Tel. 203-853-4148 Tel. 203-740-9166 http://www.durlandscuba.org
www.rexdive.com www.TheDiveShoponline.com

Page 6 May 2011 Sea Swells Log

 TSSC Members May Program
We need Your Help! Directors Meeting:
May 4th, 2011 at 7.00 pm, Amore, Ar-
monk

A s you know, your board of directors has been working hard to present you with the
best possible program, information and events all year round. Our primary concern is
keeping you, the membership interested and entertained, and providing you with dives,
General Meeting:
Wed., May 11th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
outings and events we will all enjoy. Victor’s Restaurant, Hawthorne
In order to better manage these events we need your help. In the future we will ask you to Program Notes:
send us an advance RSVP to let us know whether you will attend an event or not. This will
Bernie Chowdhury on “Controversial
help us gauge interest in our events as well as plan ahead in terms of food and drinks and
other elements. With your help we can avoid waste of food and materials, and make our
War Wrecks of Scotland’s Orkney Is-
events and outings even better! So please look out for invitations on Facebook and via lands/Scapa Flow”
email—and please RSVP! Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
See page 8 for details!

June Program
PRESIDENT: Nick Lappano Directors Meeting:
VICE PRESIDENT: Denise Kurz Wed, June 1st, 2011 at 7 pm, directors to
be advised of location
TREASURER: Cindy Fisher
SECRETARY: Craig Thomae General Meeting:
Wed. June 8th, 2011, at 7.00 pm
PAST PRESIDENT: Jim Sacci Victor’s Restaurant, Hawthorne
NEWSLETTER DIRECTOR: Ruth Emblin
Program Notes:
PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Allen Rios Rosanne Masone, author
Note: of Chasing the
ENVIRO/LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR: Bianca Thomae Shark
Programs may change without prior notice. See
www.thescubasportsclub.org for updates.
EDUCATION/SAFETY DIRECTOR: Ricky Bates
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR:
DIVE PLANNING DIRECTOR:
TBA
Tom Butcher
S OCIAL & EVENTS
2011
For details on individual events,
SOCIAL DIRECTOR: Tabby Constantino please go to
www.thescubasportsclub.org
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Dan Levin
Date Description
LEGAL ADVISOR: Robert Schrager
May 14th VINTAGE DIVE FILM
FOUNDER: Armand Zigahn FESTIVAL
CO-FOUNDER: Soliman Shenouda North Salem Firehouse

LIST MAINTENANCE: Ann Judge May 29th ANNUAL MEMORIAL

DAY WEEKEND PICNIC
Location to be announced.

June 5th Mamaroneck

Harbor Fest

June Clearwater Festival

18th/19th Croton-on-Hudson
Join The Scuba Sports Club
On Our Annual Whitewater Rafting & Camping Trip June 24th Camping/WW Rafting
Lehigh Valley, PA -26th Lehigh Valley, PA
June 24—26, 2011
July 17th TSSC Day at Dutch
Camping at Hickory Run State Park Springs
Rafting at Whitewater Adventures
(advance booking required) Sept International Coastal
Clean-Up Day
For details, please go to Details to be posted shortly
http://bit.ly/tssc-rafting

Page 7 May 2011 Sea Swells Log

 Official
Sea Swells Log, 20 Tinker Hl, Putnam Valley NY 10579 Dive Club

EDITOR’S NOTE:
UK Divers Plan To Break Guinness World Record
S oon I will have a few days off and
the first chance this year to go div-
ing. I can’t wait. My freshly serviced
A dive organization in Dorset,
England, is planning an at-
2009, in a stunt organized by the coun-
try’s navy (see image below).
tempt on the Guinness World Record
gear is packed, I threw in a few bathing
for the Most People Scuba Diving
suits, shorts and t-shirts, and my trusty
Simultaneously.
flip flops, and I am ready to go. And
yes, I will take a few pictures as well so Diver and organizer Jason Haiselden
I can write a Dive Log article when I plans to hold the event off Swanage
return, I promise! Though I do hope beach on 24 September, weather per-
that some of you who just returned from mitting. Permission to run it has
Guanaja or any other dive destination been granted by Swanage Town
will put pen to paper and write some- Council. In the process, Haiselden
aims to raise money for Heroes Ha-
thing for the SeaSwells Log. It has been Haiselden hopes to get as many as
ven Swanage, which wants to build a
just a little too quiet around here for my 3000 divers under water together for,
holiday cabin for disabled service
taste… articles are sorely needed for the as required by Guinness, at least one
personnel; the Scuba Trust, which
next few issues of our monthly newslet- provides dive training for the disa- minute. Observers and a Guinness ad-
ter! So don’t let this publication “dry bled; and the RNLI. judicator will decide whether or not
up”, tell us something about one of your this has been achieved.
dives! Looking forward to hearing from
The attempt has the backing both of
you soon! For the full article and registration
the Council and of the Swanage and
Ruth Purbeck Hospitality Association,
which represents many local busi-
information for those of you who’d like
to travel to England to partic-
ipate, please click on
Editor nesses. The Guinness record to beat
is the figure of 2486 divers who de-
scended together off Indonesia in http://tinyurl.com/6y6u2ve

May Program Notes:

British Army set out to find and dive
the World War I British destroyer
H.M.S. Pheasant, which sank myste-
riously in 1917. This project was the
Bernie Chowdhury first of its kind approved by the Brit-
ish military and is noteworthy be-
cause it employed technical, rather

B ernie Chowdhury is best known for

his critically acclaimed, international
top-selling book, The Last Dive, (non-
2004. Bernie was named Beneath the
Sea’s Diver of the Year for Education in
2001. He is an active technical diving
than commercial or military, tech-
niques. The team found what it be-
lieves to be H.M.S. Pheasant in 280
fiction, HarperCollins, 2000) which has instructor, teaching courses up to and feet. Some of Bernie’s underwater
been published in eleven lan- including Advanced Trimix; video taken on this project was
guages, plus audio and e-book and also Advanced Wreck shown on BBC Scotland news. Other
versions. Bernie is a popular (Penetration). dives in the Orkney Islands include
and engaging speaker who has the controversial war grave H.M.S.
presented worldwide at dive Scapa Flow, in Scotland’s Hampshire, which took British Sec-
shows, shops and clubs. He Orkney Islands, is Europe’s retary for War Lord Kitchener and
has worn many hats during his wreck diving Mecca. The his general staff to their graves in
27 years in the diving industry: main attraction for divers June, 1916, at the height of World
recreational and technical in- continues to be the rem- War I. Recent British Parliamentary
structor, expedition organizer, nants of the German World action has now officially restricted
industry consultant, documen- War I High Seas Fleet, these sites. Video and slides selected
tary co-producer, and author, which fought in the Battle from Bernie’s fourteen
to name a few. Bernie has of Jutland. These wrecks trips to Orkney will be
been a Fellow of the Explorers Club since include three dreadnought class battle- shown.
1995. He has been a board-certified hy- ships and four light cruisers. In May,
perbaric medical technologist (CHT) since 1996, a team of technical divers from the
This newsletter is a publication of The Scuba Sports Club of Westchester, NY—Issue 05/2011 Material may not be reprinted without explicit permission by TSSC.
Page 8 May 2011 Sea Swells Log