Hello Aqua Tutus,
Thanks to Erik Hoagland, Dan Wilcox, and Dennis Hocker for joining me during the September general meeting to present our images and videos from the trip we took to the Philippines last June. I'm grateful the club provides opportunities for members to show their work during our semi-annual members night presentations. It's always a pleasure to see others' work and creativity.
The presenter(s) for the club's October 1st general meeting will be a surprise. You'll have to join the meeting in person or via Zoom to see what the program is.
What I can say about the October general meeting is that sometime after the program is over, I'll open the floor for nominations for next year's club officers. All the positions (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and membership coordinator) are open for new volunteers. We're especially looking for candidates for the secretary and membership coordinator positions, since those incumbents are planning to step down after several years of service. For information about each role's responsibilities, see
Board of Directors, Elected Member & Volunteer Coordinator Duties. Joining the board of directors is a great way to give thanks for the volunteers who keep the club going by accepting the baton from them.
As I mentioned in my last letter, since the club has purchased new audio-vision equipment to better support our hybrid general meetings, the old AV equipment is available to any club member who wants to take it home. All the equipment is free. Just let me know what you want and arrange to pick it up. If you're coming to the October general meeting, I'll be glad to bring it with me, and you can bring it home.
You can view the equipment list by
(1) going to the club's For Sale Forum
(2) click on the "Audio-visual Equipment Free to Club Members" thread.
(3) click Reply to post a message to let me know what you want.
For the October Club Dive, I'll lead those interested in snorkeling from MacAbee Beach to either San Carlos Beach or Hidden Beach, if the sea lions haven't relinquished their San Carlos Beach beds in Monterey. This "dive" is open all members able and willing to put on appropriate exposure protection, mask, snorkel, and fins, walk from the San Carlos Beach parking lot and swim to MacAbee Beach. See
Club Snorkel from McAbee to San Carlos - 10/10/2026 for more information and to register. Given the relative lack of equipment and training needed, this is an excellent opportunity to introduce others to seeing the marine life in Monterey Bay up close and in the wild.
Be aware: the November Club Dive will be at Point Lobos State Park on November 11, 2026. Per the California State Parks website linked below, only 10 buddy teams can dive each day in the park and reservations are required. Since November 11 is a Saturday, reservations for those 10 spots will likely be gone within 15-30 minutes. From my personal experience, if you want to join the club dive at Point Lobos, log into the park's reservation system on Wednesday, September 30, so when midnight comes, you can immediately fill out the form and submit it. For more information, see
Point Lobos SCUBA Diving and the "Point Lobos Nov 14th" thread in the Club Dive communication forum in
Forums.
As always, hope to see you all at the next general meeting or dive.
Warmly,
Jim Driggers