Westsylvania Divers

Underwater archaeologists may have found 'Water Witch'

SAVANNAH, Georgia (25 Oct 2007) -- Captured by Confederate sailors in a bloody midnight sneak attack in 1864, the gunboat Water Witch became one of the few Civil War ships to sail under the flags of both the Confederate and Union navies.

Archaeologists say they found strong evidence Thursday they've located the Water Witch's wreckage buried under more than 10 feet of mud in the Vernon River south of Savannah.

Divers pushed a 20-foot metal rod through the river mud Thursday and tapped solid wood and metal underneath. It was the same location where an 1865 survey map showed Confederate sailors burned the ship to prevent Union Gen. William T. Sherman's army from recapturing it. READ MORE....

Mike's Scuba Christmas Party

Hello Everyone,

Mike is having a Mike’s Scuba Christmas party on December 14^th at 5pm. Everyone is invited. Please let me or mike know if you are coming by December 13^th. Tonya is making meatball sandwiches and sloppy joes. Please bring a covered dish or dessert with a drink of your choice, alcoholic or nonalcoholic. I believe Tom baer is making his famous rum punch. Barb Euker always makes a delicious dish too. So come one or come all. If anyone has scuba pictures, please bring and share with the group.

Thanks and happy holidays,

Kory

Club Picnic

Could there have been any better day for scuba diving? The answer is no. The weather was great, the pool was refreshing, and everyone enjoyed each others company. To all who attended thank you. For those who missed the event check out the pictures located here in the photoalbum.

The Bonaire Gang

Hi there fellow divers. Erin here with some brief news from Mike. As you may know several club members are on a dive trip in Bonaire. It mus be nice but I thought I would share Mike's BRIEF message with me about the trip.

The following message was an email from Mike.

"It was a good day down here.  Saw a reef shark today.  Dove a wreck that was about 100 feet.  Kory and I did some penetration.  Really neat.  I have about 300 pictures to bring back."

Sounds like they are having fun. In a brief Instant Message with Tom and Mike they were enjoying the sun, surf and sand. Mike is suffering because he can not use his cell phone.

November Dive Club Minutes

The Westsylvania Dive Club meeting was called to order on Wednesday November 1, 2006 by club president Dave Smith.  All officers were present.  Under old business, the club voted by a margin of 9 to 1 to . . . . MEMBER SIGN IN.

My Apologies

I am extending my apologies for not blogging more often on Westsylvania Divers. I have had two significant changes in my life

1. New baby. My wife gave birth to our first child, a son, Ethan Douglas Cooley. As you can imagine I am still learning the ropes for being a first time Dad. Advice is appreciated :-)

2. My company released its own Social Network site. I have been blogging about things Altoona in hopes it inspires people to participate. For more information visit www.storytrax.com.

But enough of the apologies. I am back and if there is something you wish to see on the site, please let me know until then. Thanks for your patience.

Erin

PADI Dumbing Down?

Have you been reading the latest Blogs, forum discussions, and headlines. PADI has heated up the online Scuba community by talking about shortening the certification time to 3 days. They tell us this is necessary because other sports like skiing and snowboarding only have minimal training and people can not make long term committments to training.

All I can say is wow! What a very serious lapse in judgement. I spent a long time mastering the knowledge base and skill base to become a competent diver. Can this be done in three days? No. Contrary to what some may feel the book work is just as important as the skills. This is not snowboarding, this is not skiing. There is no bunny slope at 40 feet, you make a mistake it can be a fatal mistake.

DIve club members let me here from you.