Marie, Trips, WDHOF, and more

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I picked the wrong day to have Dodgers tickets. At least the game doesn't start until 7:10PM . . .

WELCOME TO THE WET STUFF - The rain we've been getting today (which I hope I will NOT be experiencing tonight at Dodger Stadium) is NOT an early indicator of El Niño but is being spun of from what is now Tropical Storm Marie as it moves NW up from Mexico. Surf is up in many areas up and down the coast: Big waves at The Wedge in Newport, there's flooding around Laguna Beach from high tides, large rocks are being thrown onto the highway around Deer Creek, and the viz at Avalon apparently went down to almost nothing as early as yesterday afternoon. From the weather prediction maps, it looks like this should be done around 7PM tonight but you never know. If you're driving, also bear in mind that "first rain" is considered the most dangerous on the freeways because the rain lifts all of the grease and slick stuff that's been accumulating all summer on the roads. Here's what the satellite photo from Windy.com showed at 2PM today and you can clearly see what's going on.

LEAVING FOR THE PHILIPPINES ON THURSDAY - We've got 19 people going and it seems like we're on 19 different itineraries which is always a challenge for me as group leader. (By the same token, that's why I get the big bucks.) We're doing our first week at Atlantis Dumaguete and then will spend our second week on the Atlantis Infiniti liveaboard. I should be able to post Top 10 Daily Pix on FaceBook and my plan is that the TWARS for 9/13 and 9/20 will be coming to you from the Philippines. Lots of good diving there and hopefully we'll have good photos and stories to share.

BONAIRE IN 2027 - We're going back June 11-19 and will stay at Buddy Dive (as always) in a combination of 1-bedroom and 2-bedrom units. Cost of the trip is $2,495 (plus airfare) which gets you 2 boat dives each day (except Sunday), unlimited shore diving, nitrox if you're qualified, breakfast daily, rental car (1 per unit), crew/staff tip, and all the fun you can handle. We generally try not to go beyond 16 people for this type of trip and already have 6 people committed. Also, we generally try to only put 3 people into the 2-bedrooms (although we can do 4 if necessary). If you're a couple and want a unit to yourself, the 1-bedrooms are an option at the same price (although sometimes, they give you half of a 2-bedroom as long as each half has a kitchen and bathroom). So different choices. If you're interested in joining us (this is great destination for both experienced divers as well as newbies or those of you who may not have been diving for a while), then be sure to at least get on our "interested" list. Or decide to commit and plunk down a $500/person deposit to secure your spot.

WDHOF SCHOLARSHIP PROPGRAM - The Women Divers Hall of Fame has a simple two-pronged mission: "Recognizing the contributions of women pioneers, leaders and innovators in the many fields of diving; Promoting careers & opportunities for women in the dive community." To further those aims, they have an annual scholarship program to help women in both training and scholarship. Applications open on October 1. There are 18 different awards listed on their website and perhaps one of them is right for you. Couple of things if you're interested. First, click this link to check out their flyer about the overall process (4 pages - includes descriptions of each award available): WDHOF 2027 SCHOLARSHIPS. If you'd be interested in applying, fill out the application (there's a link within the document - but you can't apply before October 1) and submit it by November 30. Good luck!!!

And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!

- Ken