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:banana: I just returned from my second of these fun events, with last year being the first time they hosted one at Santa Rosa NM, and boy - was it fun! :appls: I learned a lot, along with the fun, last year, and this year - I volunteered from 7:30am on Saturday and Sunday, learning more than ever and having a blast.
Now, I am not encouraging anyone to consider buying Diving Unlimited Inc Drysuits, but then - neither do they. Their approach is much more subtle, and I really believe that founder Dick Long's honest approach is to help boost the sport and industry in general, more than to pitch his own products. He's retired from his active position as CEO, but still makes many of the weekend events around the country - if not all - this time bringing John, Quincy, and another fellow whose name escapes me from San Deigo, and Joe from Malibu.
We had things pretty well set up when the first divers started showing up before 9am, and we'd check their certifications, have them fill out the forms, collect their $5, then start walking them through the tents full of expensive dry suits, insulating undergarments, socks, rock boots, BCs, weight systems, and all. Then we'd teach them how to don a suit, lubricating the sleeve seams with warm, soapy water, teaching them little tricks along the way. Some had a little difficulty with zippers, and I didn't mind helping with the guys, but pulling a zipper from a young lady's waist to her opposite shoulder - I was very careful. :nono: Didn't want a bad name for me or the weekend!
For $5, a diver got to test dive anything s/he wanted, and one guy tried 4 different suits in one day. We had divers from Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and maybe others, and everyone was well fed some great :lunch: hamburgers cooked by an Okie who drove in to help. Everyone who dived even got a spiffy "DUI Test Divers" cap. Saturday night, we had an optional $8 dinner and talk by Dick and several others, and Sunday we did it all again.
They were especially nice to us volunteers, as we got a free ride for the weekend, diving, lunches, dinner, caps, and bonus t-shirts. I found a couple more t-shirts I just had to have, and Dick cut me a half price deal on them.
The schedule has not been announced for 2004, but you can see where they were in 2003, and look for them to come back around next year - maybe about the same time. For more information:
www.dui-online.com
don
Now, I am not encouraging anyone to consider buying Diving Unlimited Inc Drysuits, but then - neither do they. Their approach is much more subtle, and I really believe that founder Dick Long's honest approach is to help boost the sport and industry in general, more than to pitch his own products. He's retired from his active position as CEO, but still makes many of the weekend events around the country - if not all - this time bringing John, Quincy, and another fellow whose name escapes me from San Deigo, and Joe from Malibu.
We had things pretty well set up when the first divers started showing up before 9am, and we'd check their certifications, have them fill out the forms, collect their $5, then start walking them through the tents full of expensive dry suits, insulating undergarments, socks, rock boots, BCs, weight systems, and all. Then we'd teach them how to don a suit, lubricating the sleeve seams with warm, soapy water, teaching them little tricks along the way. Some had a little difficulty with zippers, and I didn't mind helping with the guys, but pulling a zipper from a young lady's waist to her opposite shoulder - I was very careful. :nono: Didn't want a bad name for me or the weekend!
For $5, a diver got to test dive anything s/he wanted, and one guy tried 4 different suits in one day. We had divers from Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and maybe others, and everyone was well fed some great :lunch: hamburgers cooked by an Okie who drove in to help. Everyone who dived even got a spiffy "DUI Test Divers" cap. Saturday night, we had an optional $8 dinner and talk by Dick and several others, and Sunday we did it all again.
They were especially nice to us volunteers, as we got a free ride for the weekend, diving, lunches, dinner, caps, and bonus t-shirts. I found a couple more t-shirts I just had to have, and Dick cut me a half price deal on them.
The schedule has not been announced for 2004, but you can see where they were in 2003, and look for them to come back around next year - maybe about the same time. For more information:
www.dui-online.com
don
