Skip to main content
Date: 4/30/2025
Subject: The Aqua Tooter (May 2025). Aqua Tutus Diving Club's Newsletter
From: Oliver Edwards


ATDC_header

The Aqua Tooter

May 2025
 
Announcements and Club News
 
 
 
Greetings from the President
 
 
Jim Driggers monthly newsletter is here.
"Blogging about bubbles"
May 1 General Meeting 
 
Gil Zeimer will present “Blogging About Bubbles: How to Get Published or Document Your Trips - A 13-Step Real-Time Workshop”. More details here.
Board of Directors Meeting 
May 15
 
Want to have the club dive held at your favorite location? Interested in how the club is run? Want to contribute to club activities? Come attend the Board of Directors meeting via zoom. All current members are welcome to attend. See the event for details. 
Neil Benjamin's cave talk
was well received
 
Thanks to past president and club instructor Neil Benjamin for his cave diving in Mexico presentation. With just less than a week to prepare, Neil put together an entertaining and inspiring show-and-tell about cave diving in general and in the Mexican cenotes in particular.
 
The presentation included information about cave diving, safety, equipment, and a beautiful photo show. I (editor) heard several appreciative comments from club members attending.
Members Photo and Video night
May Meeting
 

Members night is where club members show their water themed photos or videos. We're encouraging all members to participate - UW snaps from your gopro or topside pictures of club dives are fine - anything water themed.

Contact David well ahead of time - the longer the better and read the news article for instructions.
 
Upcoming Dives
 
 
Want to dive more?
Use the ad-hoc dive forum
 
Planning your own dive? Want to find more dives with club members? Use the "Ad-Hoc dive" forum on our website. Posting dives on our site benefits everyone. Read the news article for details. 
 
South Monastery beach club dive
Sunday May 18
 
Great dive site with a reef close to shore, nice rock pinnacles further out, and for the adventurous, Monterey bay canyon or Mono Lobo wall. Most days require moderate to advanced dive skills. Please register at the aqua tutus event and see the dive forum (created closer to the dive date) for more information. 
 
Dive Reports
 
 
McAbee beach club dive report
 
Eight club members explored the reefs off of McAbee beach during the April club dive. Conditions were fair, with 10-15 feet of visibility. Two groups swam around the "middle" reef (about 25' depth max) and two divers "shared" a DPV to motor around McAbee pinnacle and middle reef. Given the visibility, everyone called it a day after the first dive. Club members reports are here. See the club dive forum for a discussion about rinsing the inside of your bc (yes or no and why?).
DPV dive at Point Lobos
 
Shawn Passeri and Oliver Edwards used their scooters to explore Point Lobos in a mid April ad-hoc dive. Details in the news article.
 
If you're interested in joining dives like this, look on the event calendar for "ad-hoc" dives and/or register to receive emails from the ad-hoc dive forum. (see this news article for details.)
 
North Monastery dive
 
Dan Kaplan organized an ad-hoc dive at North Monastery. Three aqua tutus members and a guest attended. Visibility was better than we've been seeing in Monterey bay (an advantage of Monastery/Carmel bay), 20-30 feet, and conditions were quite calm. 
 
 
If you're interested in joining dives like this, look on the event calendar for "ad-hoc" dives and/or register to receive emails from the ad-hoc dive forum. (see this news article for details.)
 
 
Diving Related News
 
 
 
 
 

Comic Relief
 
 
"...they call me a baby diver..."
 
  
 
 
Thailand bans entry level divers
(well not exactly)
 
Thailand has banned entry level divers from underwater photography and added a host of other regulations to protect their coral reefs. Article in dive magazine here. 
"Milky sea" events cause ocean to glow
(not bioluminescence)
 
The glow, which occurs only occasionally in less frequented areas, has been unexplained for over 400 years. Scientists are making progress understanding it. See CNN's science newsletter.
Get the coolest diving accessory
 
Maybe you've seen or heard about the Aqua Tutus club members zooming around on their Diving Propulsion Vehicles (or perhaps you got to hitch a ride or even borrowed one for a test drive). Dive-X, who builds the dpv several tooters use, is increasing prices; stock at the current price is available here.
The $250k strobe light
(sounds like clickbait doesn't it?)
 
Captain MaryJo of the Beachhopper II gives us this true story that took place on the Beachhopper. The take-away is to carefully consider how to best secure a strobe when boat diving (and what to do if it goes missing). 
That diver's medical form
whats it mean for you?
 
Increasing numbers of dive operators around the world are utilizing a diver waiver form that states if you're over 45 and any one of a large number of things are true, you need a doctor's note. (I ran into this in the Andaman islands). Undercurrent magazine explains.
Dan Safety Stop
April 2025
 
Dan's safety stop (newsletter) always has good content.
Squid vs Octopus
 
 
Quick, what the most obvious difference between a squid and an octopus? If you aren't sure, read the article in BBC wildlife Magazine.
Sea Stars recovering in Fjords off BC
 
Finally, a piece of good news for sea stars (and perhaps our kelp). Summary and link to the paper here.
 
Club Minutes
 
 
General Meeting minutes were not available at the time of publication.
 
The Board of Directors Meeting minutes were not available at the time of publication.
 
 Aqua Tutus' minutes are stored as news articles (under the categories "General Minutes", "BOE minutes" or for older minutes, under "Officer Reports") on our website, aquatutus.org.
Return to Previous Page