Greetings!
Can you believe August is already here? It feels like summer just started! But not to worry, we still have plenty of fun events and travel opportunities planned to keep you active! First up, on August 19, 2012, Denver Divers will be co-hosting a fundraiser for Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation and Teens4Oceans at the Denver Downtown Aquarium. This fun event includes amazing guest speakers, a silent auction, cocktail hour, and a kid's corner to keep the little ones entertained! Read ouir article for more information! More fun activities include trips to the Sea of Cortez in September and Fiji in December. Remember, you can complete your basic open water certification, as well as advanced certifications on these trip, so don't miss the opportunity to travel with us! To close out the summer, we will be holding our Annual Golf Tournament at Park Hill Golf Course on Saturday, September 15! Registration is due by August 15, so don't delay! In this newsletter, you can also learn about this year's Master Diver Challenge and underwater photography contest. Please join us for a summer full of fun! Thank you for being Denver Divers! |
PLAN YOUR NEXT DIVE TRIP NOW | |
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Kadavu, Fiji
December 13 - 22, 2012
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Join Denver Divers at Fiji's premier eco-resort, Matava, located on the pristine island of Kadavu. Designed with the environment in mind, Matava Resort offers a unique Fijian experience by sourcing local products, offering traditional Fijian tours, and leaving minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
Just out Matava's back door is the Great Astrolabe Reef, where divers can enjoy Fiji's only year-round manta site as well as some of the best dive sites in the world.
The all-inclusive price of $3499 includes roundtrip airfare to and from Los Angeles to Kadavu, seven nights accommodations in a traditional oceanview bure, three meals daily, and all the diving you can handle!
Call and make a deposit soon.
For further information, please visit our website!
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Sea of Cortez Liveaboard
Midriff Islands
September 29 - October 6, 2012
The warm waters separating Baja California from the Mexican mainland provide a nutrient-rich haven for more than 800 species of fish and many large migratory marine animals, such as whale sharks, flying mobulas, turtles, dolphins and several species of whale. If that doesn't necessitate a trip aboard the Rocio del Mar with Denver Divers, what does?
The Rocio del Mar was custom built with the diver in mind: It features 10 air-conditioned staterooms with private baths, large open patios, a media room with leather sofas and convenient little extras like showers on the dive platform and plenty of wet-gear storage.
But the real advantage of a trip on the Rocio del Mar isn't the ship itself, but where it takes you. It is the only live-aboard in the Sea of Cortez that cruises through the Midriff Islands (so named because they sit near the middle of the gulf) on its seven-night itineraries, so you'll have the opportunity to kayak along the unpopulated desert coastlines and hike into bird sanctuaries when you're not fin-to-fin with the big animals for which the area is famous. Because most other vessels stay farther south, it's possible that you won't see another boat the entire week.
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Jacques Cousteau called the Midriff Islands the Galapagos of North America. The Midriff Islands have long been popular with fishermen because of their large numbers of yellowtail, grouper, dorado and big bass, but they are virtually uncharted territory for divers (which is, of course, the allure).
Sharp tectonic shifts have created a craggy underwater geology full of steep drop-offs, submerged cliffs, soaring pinnacles and seamounts throughout the island chain where currents can get fairly strong depending on the season, but there are also numerous sheltered coves for novices.
 Most drift dives - especially off the larger islands like Isla San Lorenzo and Isla Àngel de la Guarda - begin around 30 feet and descend to nearly 100 feet, though the reef walls continue down much farther. And after your diving is done in the evening, you can kick back on the patio with an icy margarita and enjoy the dramatic, ever-reaching Sonoran sunset. Dawn to dusk, each day on the Rocio del Mar offers plenty of ways to rediscover the New World.
(Reprinted from Scuba Diving Magazine, May 15, 2012)
Liveaboard diving allows you to do up to five dives a day over six days with two night dives and Nitrox included. The $2650 cost includes everything but round trip air to Phoenix.
There are three spots left. Don't miss this one!
Follow this link for all the information you will need for this trip! | |
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The fall swim session officially starts September 10, but you can join any class with room at anytime and pro-rate the fee. Each stroke class consists of a 30-minute group lesson or a 20-minute private lesson for $30. If you buy group or private lessons for each of the remaining five weeks, your total cost is $100 plus a $50 registration fee (if you and your family are new to the Denver Divers' swim programs.)
Infant Aquatics lessons are scheduled and priced separately. Check our website for further details or send an email to swim@denverdivers.com. We continue to offer private adult lessons that conform to individual schedules. |
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Master Diver Challenge | |
Don't get left behind this year! The Master Diver Challenge is back, and SSI and Denver Divers have some great prizes for those who complete the challenge!
What is the Challenge? To become a Master Diver, takes skill and dedication. An SSI Master Diver rating means you have done 50 dives, completed four specialty courses with open water dives, and completed the Stress and Rescue course. After becoming a Master Diver, you should feel accomplished and will be a better diver because of it!
Why should you accept the Challenge? Besides receiving bragging rights, SSI as well as Denver Divers, have secured some amazing prizes that you could win! If you complete the Challenge by the end of December, you will be put in to a pool to win a trip on the Aggressor Liveaboard to the Bahamas! And, if you complete the Challenge as a Denver Diver, you will also have the chance to win a new computer from Oceanic!
How do you get started? Contact us at Denver Divers to set up a meeting with one of our Instructors, where we will evaluate the best specialties for you to take, how to help you complete your 50 dives, and schedule your Stress and Rescue course!
Don't miss it! |
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Next year we have many trips already planned, such as the Philippines, the Galapagos, and a special trip to see the Great White Sharks of Guadalupe Island!
Let's go diving!
Denver Divers
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Fins Attached and Teens 4 Oceans Fundraiser and Silent Auction
Sunday, August 19, 2012
4 pm- 7pm
We are really looking forward to this fundraiser scheduled for August 19. Proceeds from this party and silent auction will be used for shark research and educational programs about ocean conservation. Both non-profit organizations are based in Colorado. Event tickets are $25, advanced-purchase, and $30 at the door. Tickets include light appetizers, a cash bar, a silent auction, amazing guest speakers, and a special entertaining "kids corner." Behind-the-scenes aquarium tours prior to the event can be purchased for $11 per participant. Tickets for this event can be purchased at Denver Divers or you can go online and purchase tickets on Fins Attached Website. Guest speakers include Dr. Alex Antoniou, Dr. Mauricio Hoyos Padilla, and Dr. Peter Klimley, all leading shark research scientists and activists, as well as Trevor Mendelow, director of Teens 4 Oceans and an advocate for ocean conservation through education. Dr. Antoniou is the founder of Fins Attached and will be discussing their efforts in shark conservation. Dr. Antoniou lives in Colorado Springs. Dr. Hoyos enjoys a reputation as one of the world's leading experts on great white sharks. He also has a knack for entertaining through funny stories and loves to engage younger generations. He is coming to Denver from his home in La Paz, Mexico. For more information about Dr. Hoyos' research, visit his website, www.tiburonblanco.org! Dr. Peter Klimley has studied sharks for over three decades and written over 50 scientific articles on the behavior and ecology of sharks. Known as Dr. Hammerhead, Klimley is a man who has held his breath and dived down 100 feet to hand-tag hammerhead sharks with a dart gun. If you want to know something about hammerheads, you ask Pete Klimley. As the director and founder of Teens4Oceans, Trevor Mendelow loves working with young people and deeply believes that through experiential education, youth can understand the wonder and beauty of the ocean. Trevor is the imagination and inspiration of T4O.Trevor drives the T4O student team to excel, and he has proven that bright, engaged, passionate kids can do magic! Silent auction items include attractive travel and class packages, scuba equipment, and entertainment packages donated by local Colorado businesses. The auction items will be available for bid throughout the night. All proceeds will go to help support Fins Attached and Teens 4 Oceans. About the Organizations  Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation's mission is to conduct research, promote conservation and provide education for the protection of marine ecosystems. The health of any ecosystem is controlled largely by its apex predators. So, while long term efforts aim to impact the marine ecosystem as a whole, much of the current research is focused on the apex predators of the marine environment - sharks.  Teens 4 Oceans' mission is to empower the next generation to become impassioned stewards for their oceans through education, experiential learning, scientific research, and innovative technologies.
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DENVER DIVERS ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
September 15, 2012
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Join us for the annual Denver Divers Golf Tournament! This is a fun event, to be enjoyed by golfers and non-golfers alike, as we play in a scramble format, so everyone gets a chance to show off their skills!
There must be some wild and crazy divers that can play a fair game of golf? The Park Hill Golf Club will host this shotgun start scramble beginning at 1:30 p.m. Scuba equipment prizes will be awarded.
The $90 entry fees buy greens fees, cart, range balls, dinner, two drink tickets, and a small contribution to Fins Attached. The deadline for registration is August 10, 2012. Payments should be made to Denver Divers.
As usual, the 6:30 p.m. barbecue dinner will be the site of some prizes and much hilarity!
Stay tuned for more information!
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 NEW Product Corner!
New Oceanic USA line: Support our Veterans by buying this USA themed snorkel equipment!
The Warrior Line by Oceanic supports our Veterans by donating a portion of every sale of this line to our Veterans.
The products included in this line are the same great products Oceanic has been producing for years, with a USA themed color scheme! So, if you are looking for new gear, this is a great way to support a great cause and get uniquely colored gear! |
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Denver Divers Bike Ride
Sunday, August 19 at 9am | |
Show off your US Pro Cycling skills at the Denver Divers bike ride!
Join us as we bike through Denver on a 9 mile "cruiser" ride. We have picked our route, so beginners and more advanced bikers can bike together as we enjoy the last of our warm weather before the snow comes! We will stop for lunch along the way at Four Mile Historic Park, and then make our way back to Denver Divers.
We will meet at Denver Divers at 9am to begin the ride and also finish at the shop at the end of the ride. Lunch will be provided, so we need to know if you will be in attendance!
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Underwater Poker Party
Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 5:30pm
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We would like to invite you to join us in our pool for a unique underwater Texas Hold 'Em Poker Party! The Poker Party will be held on Saturday, September 8th. A brief overview and registration starts at 5:30-5:45pm, with an expected end time of 9:00pm. Each player will pay $20, which will include tanks, weights, prizes, and refreshments. We will provide light refreshments and give away prizes based on participation.
To sign up, call Denver Divers at 303-399-2877, respond to this email or sign up on our Facebook page. Please let us know if you will need any equipment to participate, so we can ensure we have the equipment available and ready.
We are limiting participants to 24, so RSVP by September 1, 2012!
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Environmental Challenges | |
WHAT IS FISH FRAUD?
Do you know what fish you are actually consuming?
 Picture this, you go out to your favorite restaurant and order the wild caught salmon, you enjoy your dish, but it does not taste as good as before. Why?
Between 25-70 percent of the seafood sold in the United States is mislabeled as higher-grade or more expensive fish to boost profits. The restaurant very well could have thought they were serving you wild caught salmon, but in reality, they were serving you something else, such as farmed salmon (on the AVOID list at Monterey Bay Aquarium) which is less expensive than its wild caught counterpart.
Why should you care? First of all, as a consumer, you have the right to know where your food has come from. Second, as a diver, you were making a conscientious decision to eat seafood off the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Good Seafood Choices list, but instead were served a product from the Avoid List!
What should you do about it? Be an informed consumer!
Oceana has a very comprehensive section on their website regarding Fish Fraud and what you can do as a consumer to avoid being tricked in to consuming the wrong seafood. So, visit their website first: http://oceana.org/en/our-work/promote-responsible-fishing/seafood-fraud/overview
Then, make sure you are following the advice of Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch each time you order or purchase seafood for consumption! Your oceans will thank you!
Download theMonterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch App and Stay informed!
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Additional Upcoming Events with
Denver Divers
October (Date TBD): Chef Eric Evert will inspire us with a unique themed cooking demonstration!
October 7, 2012 at 6pm - Galapagos Group Trip Information Session with special guest, Donna Lattin from South Pacific Island Travel!
October 20-21, 2012
Special Making Waves Event in conjunction with
Colorado Ocean Coalition
More details to come!
Much more events to come! Please stay tuned by liking us on Facebook or continuing to read our newsletters to find out about all our upcoming events!
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