Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by John Day

Discover Scuba Diving to help Red Cross help Haiti - February 6th

2010-01-30T00:38:10Z

SWIM, SNORKEL OR SCUBA !!!

As most of you know the small Island of Haiti suffered and continues to suffer from a massive earthquake. As a result of this The Northern California Swimstitute and SACSCUBA have partnered together to offer a unique fundraiser - DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING.

For every person who signs up to DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING - cost $70 per person - SACSCUBA & The Swimstitute will donate $40 to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the Haiti quake. Very simple. The date of the dive is:

FEBRUARY 6, 2010

Please call:

530-346-3483

Bring a friend and let's help out!

Helping the environment

2009-06-22T17:35:45Z

Who would ever think of local scuba divers as Environmentalists?

Well we surprised everyone by removing 60 lbs of trash, debris and metal this Father's day weekend. There was a nice turnout. Everyone was surprised by the "clean" look of Lake Tahoe. When they went under the surface they were surprised to find beer tabs (from the '70's), old cans, sunglasses, a sailboat mast, car parts, tables, chairs, etc.

I first suggested Hurricane Bay after diving there last year and observing the ammount of trash in such a popular fishing site. With all of the moorings and boat usage it is not a wonder how much debris is there.

After our work, we all enjoyed a bbq and played in the water. I would like to thank SACSCUBA, Andy's Scuba World and Fish Eye Scuba for helping out by sending divers. Keeping our environment clean and making an effort to recycle as much as we can I believe really helps out. As an avid boater and diver, I would like to remind everyone to have fun on the lakes this summer. Please also take the time to haul out and separate all of your trash.

I look forward to seeing more people taking an interest in keeping our trash out of the lakes, streams and oceans this summer as we all enjoy our water. Remember a little bit of effort goes a long way and that is what made this Father's day such a fun day. Our trail walkers, bike riders, snorkelers and divers each had a great time helping out. Even the kids and dogs were excited to help clean up. Enjoy the summer.

Our aquatic environment and you.

2009-06-02T17:00:52Z

Here in Sacramento, we are fortunate enough to have access to many, many parks, lakes and rivers. We are minutes from the Sierras and a couple of hours from the Pacific Ocean. Living and playing in this area affords us the unique opportunity to discover and play locally in our aquatic environment. To date, there are more than 17 Parks and Recreation centers that have a pool for our neighborhoods. Activities that are often overlooked in these environments are snorkeling and scuba diving.

For me, scuba diving and snorkeling uniquely offers the ability to transform a person in four ways: immersion, active participation, environmental relationships and emotional well-being.

Immersion is a three-dimensional realm. The three dimensions are the physical dimension, sensory dimension and experience dimension. These three combined make a total experience for the snorkeler, skin diver or scuba diver.

Active participation provides a range of experiences from relaxing to high adventure. If you are looking to relax, a dive in Lake Tahoe, a local quarry or a Mexican Cenote could be more to your liking. If you are looking for high adventure, then the real possibility of meeting a shark outside of San Pedro in Los Angeles could be in your future.

Environmental relationships go hand in hand with scuba diving. You can help clean rivers or protect coral. Fish counting offers interaction with other people and life forms such as fishes, turtles, dolphins or mantas. Discovering how we can help keep our environment clean may be in your plans for your next vacation, or you can check on the website of Project Aware (http://www.projectaware.org) for a local cleanup. Think about helping locally in our rivers before, during and after the holidays.

Emotional well-being/self-esteem. Diving and snorkeling can enrich a person’s sense of purpose and self. Again, doing something to help the environment or volunteering to assist a class of disabled students could be something that helps. There are also the physical aspects of just getting out and moving. It’s nice to see the Discovery Channel, but actually taking a picture while snorkeling can be something you cherish and show to your peers.

Our 17 parks and recreation departments help prepare us for swimming, snorkeling, life guarding and boating safety. There are many other dive shops, private pools and professionals in the area who are there to demonstrate how much fun snorkeling and diving can be. We live in an area that is full of adventure begging for active participation. Helping keep our environment safe builds up our sense of self and is a great cause. Take a look and deciding to stop by and discover diving or snorkeling can lead to an exciting vacation, “staycation” or simply enriching oneself at a local resort. You are never too old to learn or too young to experience our aquatic environment. Ask your local shop professional or myself if you need assistance with getting started. Check your localparks and recreation department for classes starting in your neighborhood.

Here are the parks departments links:
http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/parks/Pages/OtherParkDistricts.aspx

Have you ever wanted to ask the California Governor a question?

2009-05-20T17:11:05Z

Well here is a chance. DiGG DIALOG digg.com/dialogg/Arnold_Schwarzenegger_1 will be interviewing California Governor & actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and asking the most popular questions as submitted and voted upon by you live from the Capital Building in Sacramento, CA. From now until Tuesday, May 26th at 12:00pm PDT, you can submit and Digg up questions to decide which will be asked.

Join them and post your questions soon. I have and hope that his administration and the rest of our "leadership" will be put to the test as well.

Good Luck.

Scuba Review or Refresh

2009-05-18T21:45:55Z

Can you believe this warm weather? Who would have thought that we would be warming up so quickly. I was surprised to see divers and snorkelers on the Lake recently. This type of weather always reminds me to ask about Scuba review or refresher classes.

I know we are all safe when we are around the water, but it never hurts to be reminded about the past few years and the expectation that 6 or more people will not be with us, due to water related accidents. I am a snorkeler and scuba diver, as are most of us who love to see in the water. I can't get enough of the rivers and lakes we have access to around here. Even the Delta feels good on a hot day.

Why a Refresher program you may ask?

That is a darn good question! Why would you want to spend your time and money rehashing something you know? I was very surprised when a fellow diver told me about a vacation the family had planned to take. It was going to be a local "staycation".

I was even more surprised when she said she needed a review for her and the family. It is no biggie, was my thought – but I go diving all of the time. I quickly learned they did not.

Upon arrival at the Swimstitute in Rancho Cordova I was even more surprised to learn about her past – she was a Marine Biologist! At this point, I had to stop her to find out why I was giving a “Refresher Program” to her and the family.

Here is someone who has about the same dive skills and experience as me. She informed me about a recent surgery and 18 month recovery period. “Ah” I said. Also, she said she did not want to waste a day of vacation on a review. We were completing it before they were officially on vacation.

The final bit of news as we ended the course was her willingness to admit they had each learned something “long forgotten”. In her case she needed to learn about varying entries; her son was reminded about taking a photography class, and her husband needed to be reminded about buoyancy.

Let’s face it; even with the best intentions to dive regularly, I know about family considerations, money issues, time conflicts, etc. we don’t all have follow thru to go diving all of the time. Remember, even 6 months of not going diving is long enough to lose proficiency.

Before you know it, several months or more have passed and the wetsuit has shrunk. Most divers I speak with say, “I thought it would all come back to me, but I always felt like I was forgetting something.”

My thought or feeling is, “why take the chance or worse ‘ruin your vacation?’ ” In a couple of hours, the course presented by your local dive instructor will have you ready to be back in the water.

Another refresh I did was a buddy of mine. He was certified and last dove in 1977. Needless to say, we spent a bit of time on gear review, dive tables and dive computers.

Again, a refresher program or Scuba Review course is much quicker and safer than the trial-and-error method. Some dive centers and resorts require a review before you can get on the boat, unless you can prove you have completed a Scuba Review.

My thought is why waste your time during a vacation doing homework? Complete a local program at home thru your dive shop and enjoy your vacation! I hope everyone is safe this summer.

Let's continue EARTH DAY

2009-05-07T15:02:58Z

SACSCUBA Dive for Earth Day continued at HURRICANE BAY LAKE TAHOE. We will be making a Splash

Lake Tahoe, CA– This 21st day, 2009 June, SACSCUBA and community volunteers will join in the action for Project AWARE Foundation’s global Dive for Earth Day events continuation. More than 300 collective events will take place in over 100 countries around the world and SACSCUBA will make a local splash for this conservation celebration.

Join SACSCUBA hikers, bikers, walkers, divers and snorkel volunteers to keep Lake Tahoe clean. Let’s start the summer off right! We will be meeting at 9am. Please stop by Sacramento Scuba World, Sacramento or Fisheye Scuba, Folsom.

Each year, divers and water enthusiasts worldwide make a splash for water conservation in partnership with Project AWARE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to underwater conservation. This year events include shoreline and underwater cleanups, coral reef surveys, AWARE Kids projects, mooring buoy installations and more.

Please contact: John Day at SACSCUBA to take action for our Earth Day continuation this year. We really need folks to help on the shore, bike path and bushes.

Earth Day began in the United States on 22 April 1970 to raise the status of environmental issues to the global stage. In 2000, Project AWARE began to help dive volunteers put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map. Since that time thousands of divers in 115 countries around the world have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities each April.

This year SACSCUBA decided to keep up the effort and add a Local clean-up at Hurricane Bay Lake Tahoe.

Project AWARE Foundation is a registered nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. www.projectaware.org.

Contact: JOHN DAY, SACSCUBA
Email: divetraveltrain@gmail.com

Learn to Snorkel

2009-04-10T21:36:42Z

Start snorkeling today. Seems simple enough! Why do I need a class to, “Learn to Snorkel?” Snorkeling may seem easy enough, except when you realize you are in the Ocean and there is a problem.

I found that “Education today” and practice really allowed me to enjoy my trip to Mexico. Training allowed me to solve my own problems. I saw so many other “cruisers” who hated the experience, because they had an issue and didn’t know there was a simple fix.

My training allowed me to learn in a pool; make mistakes and solve problems. I found out that taking a snorkeling class before my cruise to the Mexican Rivera helped me really enjoy my days on the beach and in the water.

The instructor told me how to find a good fitting mask and fins. I learned to clear my snorkel and breathe easily. I received some information about what I would see in the water in Mexico. I learned how to safely feed the fish for great photos.

In the class I got safety tips and signed up for a 1st aid class to help myself and my wife – should something happen. Nothing did, but I was prepared and that felt good.

I am fair skinned, so the instructor gave me some useful advice about exposure protection and exposure suits. He gave a talk about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, so that I would protect myself and NOT spend the trip, bathed in Aloe or worse yet, in the infirmary.

After the pool training my wife and I signed up for his ocean exploration class in Monterey. Monterey was great. It was a small romantic weekend along with some fun exploration.

While in Monterey, we learned more about exposure suits; an area called Breakwater cove, Jellyfish, sea otters, California Sea Lions, an old pump house, Kelp and soft corals. After 2 hours in the morning exploring “The Pipe” – a great area to see many things, we had the afternoon off.

My wife and I explored Cannery Row and the Aquarium. Wow, is the Monterey Bay Aquarium cool. There was so much to see and do. Around 6pm everyone in the class met up for a great dinner at London Bridge on the Wharf – for clam chowder. The dinner, conversation and other people were very fun and interesting.

On Sunday we met at 10 am and there were divers coming out of the water. Our Instructor and a couple of others offered to take us on a tour. We were going to snorkel while they dove down to the bottom. We split into small groups and followed the divers.

The water was so clear it was like swimming in the aquarium. Some people had a problem with their mask and snorkel, but they applied their new skills and enjoyed the adventure.

I found that I enjoyed watching the fish follow the divers. Our Divemaster or DM, as the instructor referred to him, brought up “rocks”. The “rocks” turned out to be Decorator Crabs. The life in the water made the weekend very cool.

It really was a great class and an enjoyable weekend. I found that my new skills came in handy during my cruise. My trip was fabulous – we had one good day and one day where the weather dictated we stay on the ship. Next time I will tell you about my snorkeling experience in Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe.

Would you like to see more of the world? If so, learn to snorkel. Contact: SACSCUBA (http://sacscuba.synthasite.com), your local Parks and Recreation District or
PADI (http://www.padi.com)

Some local places to snorkel in Sacramento are: Folsom Lake, Ice House, Lake Tahoe, Sly Park, The American River and many more. Also, you can snorkel up and down the California coast. Remember to get proper training.