Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Want to travel??? Upcoming 2017 vacation trips:
March 24-31, 2018 - Bonaire (Buddy Dive)
June 8-20 - Yap Immersion (same 10-day format we did this year)
July 14-28 - Sulawesi, Indonesia with our friends at Murex (includes a day at Lembeh Straits)
August 18-25 - Isla Mujeres (Whale Sharks, Cancun Underwater Museum, Cenotes)
November TBA - Roatan at Anthony's Key
STILL WORKING ON A COUPLE OF OTHER DATES & DESTINATIONS
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: Foreign Trips
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Upcoming local dives & classes:
Tues., Nov. 28 - Night dive (Squid???) - Redondo, Veterans Park (FREE!!!)
Sat., Dec. 9 - Catalina Express - Avalon Underwater Park, maybe more BSBs ($150)
Wed. Dec. 13 - (CLASS) Fish ID - Reef Seekers West(wood) ($25)
Thu., Dec. 28 - Night dive (Squid???) - Redondo, Veterans Park (FREE!!!)
To sign up for any of these dives, either call us at 310/652-4990 or e-mail us at kenkurtis@aol.com
———————————————————————————————————————————
We're havin' a heat wave . . .
TEMPS GOING UP - Look for a 10-degree jump on Tuesday and the another 10-degree jump on Wednesday. Gonna be a HOT Thanksgiving. But it also likely means that there's a high-pressure system moving in and parking over SoCal and that usually also means good diving conditions as it knocks down the swell and the surf. So give some thought to working off the weight you'll gain on Thursday or the avoiding the crowds on Black Friday by doing some diving.
FIJI TRIP REPORT & PIX - In case you didn't see my note late Friday night, the Fiji trip report and pix are all up and waiting for your perusal. The caveat ahead of time is to remember that, while we had a good time, weather issues prevented us from going some places that I think we normally would have visited. So if you've got a trip planned with them in the near future, you'll likely have a better diving experience than we did. Here are the links:
TRIP REPORT - Fiji 2017 trip report
A FEW PIX - Fiji 2017
FULL SMUGMUG SLIDESHOW - FIJI 2017 (aboard the Fiji Aggressor) - kenkurtis
SCARY NEWS FROM FIJI TOO - Right after we got back, we got word of probably the biggest fear of any diver: The boat sank. (Not our boat, but the Fiji Siren.) In the early-morning hours of November 15, the Fiji Siren hit something - they're still not exactly sure what - and eventually went down in 750 feet of water. It's not likely to be salvaged. The good news is that it didn't sink immediately and that all 16 passengers and 13 crew managed to get off safely. But what a harrowing experience. And I must confess that every time I get on a liveaboard, and especially when I'm in my cabin, I give some thought to what I'd do if the boat were to sink and, even worse perhaps, flip upside-down when you'd have to swim down to get out. And this is no tiny boat. The Fiji Siren was roughly 120' long and 30' wide. Not exactly a dinghy. Here's a story, along with comments from the owners, from the Fiji Sun: Fiji Siren Not To Be Salvaged | Fiji Sun . And here's what the boat looked like, from their website:

BE A PREPARED DIVER - One thing you likely don't think about if this were to happen, is what you'd take with you. On the Siren, they were told to take their passports and that was it. It turns out a friend of a friend was on-board and what she had done when she got on the boat was place her passport, credit cards, some cash, and her cell phone is a watertight bag (I think it was actually a Ziploc baggie) and kept it by the side of her bed in case she had to abandon the boat quickly. What great idea and it served her well. (GF Laurie Kasper says she does something similar too.) So it's not a bad idea, even on local SoCal trips, to prepare a "Go Bag" with your irreplaceable essentials just in case you have to abandon ship at a moments notice.
WHO STEALS FROM A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION? - Sadly, this is not a joke question as the offices of Diveheart, a national organization that teaches disabled people how to dive, was broken into and thousands of dollars worth of stuff was taken (plus the office got trashed in the process). From Diveheart founder Jim Elliott: "On Tuesday, Nov 14th thieves broke into Diveheart Headquarters and made off with thousands of dollars of gear, laptops and other merchandise. 2017 has been a challenging year for fundraising already, and this is a kick in the stomach. I pray that our friends and supporters will be able to rally and help us recover." Donations can be made through this link: Donate | Diveheart.
HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU . . . - How does for two-for-one sound? That's the 50th anniversary special that Anthony's Key is running for all of 2018 and one reason why we're going to go there next year. Most likely date is October 27 - November 3. And if there aren't two of you, you be the one and I'll find the two. (In other words, the Reef Seekers pricing applies even if you're coming by yourself. We'll find you a roomie.) The plan is to go into the Key Superior rooms, do three dives a day, meals included, and have one hell of a good time. Normally, with the crew tip added in and the 19% tax that's in the small print, this would come in over $3,000 for the week. But with their special, we can offer it (including crew tip, etc.) for $2,195. Group size will be limited to about 12 divers and we're already getting inquiries. Give us a call at 310/652-4990 or shoot me a note here if you're interested and not already on my list.
8AM THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING - At the Aquarium of the Pacific, in our Blue Cavern exhibit, there is currently a holding pen in the back with a couple of hundred Sardines that will be added to the exhibit. Needless to say, a number of the fish already in the exhibit have been swimming by going, "Oooooo, what have we here???" The release is scheduled for sometime between 8:00-8:30AM this Wednesday. We're going to undo some tie-wraps, shoo some of the more aggressive fish away, and then try to release all the fish in one fell swoop, the hopes being they immediately form a protective school (as they have during previous releases). And the reason I'm mentioning all of this is that we have a live webcam in that exhibit (through Explore.org) and if you'd like to see how things go, you can do so Wednesday morning from the comfort of your computer. The link to the cam (or the carnage) is: Live Underwater Aquarium Camera - Catalina Blue Cavern | Explore.org .
And on that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
March 24-31, 2018 - Bonaire (Buddy Dive)
June 8-20 - Yap Immersion (same 10-day format we did this year)
July 14-28 - Sulawesi, Indonesia with our friends at Murex (includes a day at Lembeh Straits)
August 18-25 - Isla Mujeres (Whale Sharks, Cancun Underwater Museum, Cenotes)
November TBA - Roatan at Anthony's Key
STILL WORKING ON A COUPLE OF OTHER DATES & DESTINATIONS
GET MORE INFO ON ALL OF OUR VACATION TRIPS HERE: Foreign Trips
———————————————————————————————————————————
Upcoming local dives & classes:
Tues., Nov. 28 - Night dive (Squid???) - Redondo, Veterans Park (FREE!!!)
Sat., Dec. 9 - Catalina Express - Avalon Underwater Park, maybe more BSBs ($150)
Wed. Dec. 13 - (CLASS) Fish ID - Reef Seekers West(wood) ($25)
Thu., Dec. 28 - Night dive (Squid???) - Redondo, Veterans Park (FREE!!!)
To sign up for any of these dives, either call us at 310/652-4990 or e-mail us at kenkurtis@aol.com
———————————————————————————————————————————
We're havin' a heat wave . . .
TEMPS GOING UP - Look for a 10-degree jump on Tuesday and the another 10-degree jump on Wednesday. Gonna be a HOT Thanksgiving. But it also likely means that there's a high-pressure system moving in and parking over SoCal and that usually also means good diving conditions as it knocks down the swell and the surf. So give some thought to working off the weight you'll gain on Thursday or the avoiding the crowds on Black Friday by doing some diving.
FIJI TRIP REPORT & PIX - In case you didn't see my note late Friday night, the Fiji trip report and pix are all up and waiting for your perusal. The caveat ahead of time is to remember that, while we had a good time, weather issues prevented us from going some places that I think we normally would have visited. So if you've got a trip planned with them in the near future, you'll likely have a better diving experience than we did. Here are the links:
TRIP REPORT - Fiji 2017 trip report
A FEW PIX - Fiji 2017
FULL SMUGMUG SLIDESHOW - FIJI 2017 (aboard the Fiji Aggressor) - kenkurtis
SCARY NEWS FROM FIJI TOO - Right after we got back, we got word of probably the biggest fear of any diver: The boat sank. (Not our boat, but the Fiji Siren.) In the early-morning hours of November 15, the Fiji Siren hit something - they're still not exactly sure what - and eventually went down in 750 feet of water. It's not likely to be salvaged. The good news is that it didn't sink immediately and that all 16 passengers and 13 crew managed to get off safely. But what a harrowing experience. And I must confess that every time I get on a liveaboard, and especially when I'm in my cabin, I give some thought to what I'd do if the boat were to sink and, even worse perhaps, flip upside-down when you'd have to swim down to get out. And this is no tiny boat. The Fiji Siren was roughly 120' long and 30' wide. Not exactly a dinghy. Here's a story, along with comments from the owners, from the Fiji Sun: Fiji Siren Not To Be Salvaged | Fiji Sun . And here's what the boat looked like, from their website:

BE A PREPARED DIVER - One thing you likely don't think about if this were to happen, is what you'd take with you. On the Siren, they were told to take their passports and that was it. It turns out a friend of a friend was on-board and what she had done when she got on the boat was place her passport, credit cards, some cash, and her cell phone is a watertight bag (I think it was actually a Ziploc baggie) and kept it by the side of her bed in case she had to abandon the boat quickly. What great idea and it served her well. (GF Laurie Kasper says she does something similar too.) So it's not a bad idea, even on local SoCal trips, to prepare a "Go Bag" with your irreplaceable essentials just in case you have to abandon ship at a moments notice.
WHO STEALS FROM A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION? - Sadly, this is not a joke question as the offices of Diveheart, a national organization that teaches disabled people how to dive, was broken into and thousands of dollars worth of stuff was taken (plus the office got trashed in the process). From Diveheart founder Jim Elliott: "On Tuesday, Nov 14th thieves broke into Diveheart Headquarters and made off with thousands of dollars of gear, laptops and other merchandise. 2017 has been a challenging year for fundraising already, and this is a kick in the stomach. I pray that our friends and supporters will be able to rally and help us recover." Donations can be made through this link: Donate | Diveheart.
HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU . . . - How does for two-for-one sound? That's the 50th anniversary special that Anthony's Key is running for all of 2018 and one reason why we're going to go there next year. Most likely date is October 27 - November 3. And if there aren't two of you, you be the one and I'll find the two. (In other words, the Reef Seekers pricing applies even if you're coming by yourself. We'll find you a roomie.) The plan is to go into the Key Superior rooms, do three dives a day, meals included, and have one hell of a good time. Normally, with the crew tip added in and the 19% tax that's in the small print, this would come in over $3,000 for the week. But with their special, we can offer it (including crew tip, etc.) for $2,195. Group size will be limited to about 12 divers and we're already getting inquiries. Give us a call at 310/652-4990 or shoot me a note here if you're interested and not already on my list.
8AM THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING - At the Aquarium of the Pacific, in our Blue Cavern exhibit, there is currently a holding pen in the back with a couple of hundred Sardines that will be added to the exhibit. Needless to say, a number of the fish already in the exhibit have been swimming by going, "Oooooo, what have we here???" The release is scheduled for sometime between 8:00-8:30AM this Wednesday. We're going to undo some tie-wraps, shoo some of the more aggressive fish away, and then try to release all the fish in one fell swoop, the hopes being they immediately form a protective school (as they have during previous releases). And the reason I'm mentioning all of this is that we have a live webcam in that exhibit (through Explore.org) and if you'd like to see how things go, you can do so Wednesday morning from the comfort of your computer. The link to the cam (or the carnage) is: Live Underwater Aquarium Camera - Catalina Blue Cavern | Explore.org .
And on that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
