Images From Cozumel Shootout, 2002
Meeting September 9th
By Dennis Deavenport

What has 38 legs and 55 eyes?  Stumped?  Well, it’s the group of HUPSters that traveled to Cozumel for the 2002 version of the Cozumel Shootout.  The "55" is made up of 19 divers and 17 lenses (well at least until the floods arrived).

In a special treat, the September 9th presentation will be a group show with above and underwater images contributed by the group and put together by volunteers from this intrepid troupe.  All things considered, I’ll wager that you’ve never seen or experienced underwater Cozumel quite like this!  With the capable eyes of our divemasters, Martin Vera and Manuel Briceno, one marvel after the other was spotted and recorded for posterity.  Seahorses, splendid toadfish, juvenile spotted drums, scorpionfish, octopi, squid, rays, turtles, wreck diving and a barrel full of macro critters makes for a lot of good pictures.  Throw in portraits of HUPSters caught in action and you have a show that will be a classic.  Come see the first shots from Janeen and masterpieces from Jackie, Sue, Jan, Tammy, Mary Lou, Kathy, David, Anita and the rest of the group.

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Cozumel Shootout from previous column

For the digitally inclined, a special short subject show will be presented by Lee Mixon and Henry Ragland, complete with some short digital video selections taken with their new Olympus cameras (neat stuff).

Special thanks to Jack Allyn and Ken Knezick for working hard to get this superb vacation organized for the group to enjoy.  The weather was hot and the waters mostly clear but the most impressive part was the excellent service provided by Scuba Club Cozumel.  All in all, everyone had a great time.  The proof will be there for the viewing at September’s meeting.  Don’t miss it.

The slide judging for the Shootout will also occur at the September meeting.  Participants will be divided into Advanced and Novice divisions and will be allowed to compete in macro/close up and open categories.  Come vote on your favorites.

As usual the meeting will be at the Bayland Community Center starting at 7:00 PM.  A map and directions are at the end of this newsletter.

Cozumel Image by Jean Himes ©2002

President's Message

Since the events of 9-11 I have had a desire to write about the role traveling divers play in painting a picture of an "American" to people in far off lands.  As divers we frequently travel to remote locales that get very few outside visitors.  We are often the only Americans (or Westerners) these people will ever meet or see.  To them we are America.  Their opinions of Americans will be determined by our actions and interactions with them.

I think there are several things we can do to help paint a positive picture of America.  First of all, prior to the trip, we need to educate ourselves on the local culture.  This will help us show respect for the locals.  For example, some places women need to have their legs and/or arms covered in public.  Knowing this in advance will keep you from offending the locals.  Any good travel guidebook will have tips and pointers on dealing with foreign cultures.  Learn about and respect the local beliefs.

Secondly, bring something to give to the locals.  I don’t mean cash.  Visit the local school and drop off some school supplies, bring first aid supplies to the local clinic.  Pick a local family and give them some used children’s clothing.  All these things will be greatly appreciated.  These interactions with the locals can be the most rewarding part of a dive trip.

I want share an excerpt from an email I recently received from Kathy Ringrose.  ". . . most fun was the Cultural Village Tour, not because of what we saw but because we took $15 worth of children's plastic sunglasses and a Polaroid camera.  I expected to cause a riot among the children but I even had one of the elders come up very quietly and ask me if I would take a picture of him with his granddaughter.  It was most rewarding to watch him as the picture developed and to see him smile and put it in his shirt pocket."

I think that says a lot.  Something we take for granted like having a photo of our loved ones is a special treat to most people around the world.  I commend the Ringroses for making an exceptional effort to give something special to the Fijians on their recent trip.  Think about what you can do for the people you meet on your next trip.

See ya September 9th,
David

Cephalopod Odyssey by Dr. James Wood
Wows HUPS at August's Presentation
By Dennis Deavenport

August’s presentation by Dr. James Wood, from the National Resource Center for Cephalopods at UTMB Galveston, was truly amazing.  It’s not often that we are able to experience a show that is as well done and as educational as the digital presentation and lecture given by Dr. Wood.

This was a unique opportunity for HUPS members to learn more about the habits and characteristics of these strangely fascinating mollusks.  It was obvious from the outset that James is a consummate professional and a true expert in his field.  His talk was liberally sprinkled with striking portraits of squid, octopi, cuttlefish, and nautiloids in their natural habitats.  Some of the most compelling image sequences were taken over a period of weeks as we observed freshly deposited eggs mature and give birth to tiny “aliens” ready to fight for their right to grow, breed, give birth and die after a brief stay in our watery world.

As a special treat for us UW photographers, James spent time giving numerous hints on how to locate and interact with cephalopods in our quest for the perfect image.  To have missed this show was to miss a great program given by an immensely talented and dedicated expert.  Not only did we experience an impressive visual presentation but we were also constantly entertained by his stories and humor.  It was a distinct honor to have had the opportunity to hear and see this show.

Interested in learning more about cephalopods from Dr. Wood?  Check out "The Cephalopod Page" web site at http://is.dal.ca/~ceph/TCP/index.html.  As I said in last month’s article, it will be time well spent.

Above Water Shots

The topic for the September slide contest is Dive/Water related shots taken above water.  If you have some favorite slides that were taken on or around but not in water bring them for the contest.  As always we will have both advanced and novice divisions and each contestant can enter up to three slides.  You can’t win if you don’t enter.

Many of us take our camera gear with us when we go to "exotic locations" to dive and come back with some great pictures.  I’ve taken my digital camera to Fiji, Belize, California, etc, and I’ve also traveled with my Nikonos V film camera; during these trips I’ve noticed that each system has its own special needs.  This month, I’d like to write about some of the important things to consider when traveling with your underwater digital camera setup that you may not have considered.

Photo Storage: As many of you know, when using a digital camera, you can fit a lot of shots on your storage card – but what do you do when your card is full?  You can’t easily "change film" like you would with a traditional camera, so if you’re traveling, you need some way to store your images.  Here are a number of solutions:

Laptop: Sony makes the Picturebook and Fujitsu makes the Lifebook – both of these are "subnotebook" computers that weigh about 2 pounds and have a half-height and full width screen.  They are fully functioning computers that will let you view, edit, and store your photos, just like you can do at home.  Cost new is roughly $1,500 though.

Digital Wallet: A company called Minds@work makes a portable hard disk called the Digital Wallet.  This device comes in various storage sizes – the bigger the storage the higher the price.  These compact (smaller than a paperback) units let you plug your card in and transfer images for storage.  A mid-sized Digital Wallet costs ~$450.

Nixvue Vista: by "Jobo" comes at a little higher cost than a Digital Wallet but it has a small LCD screen that allows you to view your images.  It’s about $600 or so.

Image Tank: This is the cheapest "rough and ready" storage solution.  It is a very simple "hard drive holder" that is built to hold a laptop sized hard drive.  It has slots to insert a compact flash or smart media card and transfer images.  The unit can be ordered with or without a drive, so you can use any size you want.  The bare Image Tank is about $150 and with a 40gig hard drive costs $350.

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Diving Abroad from previous column

Packing: Most consumer digital cameras pack down pretty well.  I can fit my Coolpix, housing, strobes, and arms into a Pelican 1600 case.  Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket!  If possible, carry on your camera and memory cards.  The airport security x-rays won’t harm your gear, but the checked baggage x-rays might.

Care and Handling: Digital cameras tend to suffer more problems due to fogging than film cameras – probably because they are electronic devices and heat up during use.  It is best not to bring your camera out of an air-conditioned boat, stick it in your housing, and go diving!  I recommend that you let your camera warm up outside before a dive – even if it is humid.  If you put it in your housing and it still fogs, try cracking open the housing and leave it in direct sun, but only for a minute or two.  If this still doesn’t work, use silica gel packs inside the housing – or my old-standby – a small piece of a "minipad."

Equipment Insurance: Digital cameras can be expensive!  If you dive enough, you WILL flood one.  So, just like with a film camera setup, purchase good insurance.  However, here’s the important difference to consider when buying a policy for your digital: don’t buy a replacement policy!  If you flood your camera a year or two after you bought it and your insurance company sends you a direct replacement, you just got some "brand new" old technology.  Since digital cameras are improving so fast, you should aim to get a policy that will pay your claim in cash – that way you can buy the latest and greatest model.

Battery Management: If your digital camera takes AA batteries, consider yourself lucky.  Bring lots of them – preferably 1800 mAh Nickel Metal Hydrides, and a good fast charger (or two).  If anything happens to your batteries, you can usually find AA’s locally.  If your camera uses a special proprietary battery, then bring plenty of spares.  Also, consider buying a "universal" battery charger that will work on multiple voltages.

On my first trip to Fiji, I was literally limited to bringing back only 150 shots because all I owned were two memory cards and I didn’t have a laptop or portable storage.  I also "smoked" my battery charger on a powerstrip that my friend assured me was 110 volt. . .

Hopefully these few tips will help you out on your next trip – remember, learn from others mistakes, so you don’t have to make them all yourself!

Fiji Trip Report
By Kathy & John Ringrose

Bula!

John and I will remember our trip to Fiji as a dive trip full of surprises.  We arrived in Nadi on the island of Viti Levu expecting to board the Fiji Aggressor on that Saturday morning for a week of diving.  We were met by Rob and Belinda, dive masters who surprised us with the news that the boat was not in Nadi (western coast) but rather in Suva (eastern coast) and we would have a 3-hour van ride.  He also added that the boat had sustained some damage the previous week but was being repaired as we spoke and would be ready to go.  Our group of sixteen boarded the van for Suva.  We were gradually told that the boat did, in fact, have hull damage, had not passed inspection, and would be dry docked for repairs.

We were taken to the Centra Resort in Pacific Harbor where we were fed news updates at every meal and pacified with local diving from the hotel.  As days went by our original group of 16 dwindled to 12; the first to leave being a lawyer who we are sure was already planning his suit.  John and I dove six dives in Beqa Lagoon.  Certainly not what we expected, but these things happen.  Our pitiful group was most excited when Aqua Trek told us our fourth dive would be a shark-feeding dive, but we had to hurry because local officials had just closed all diving operations and evacuated coastal schools due to the 15-foot swell that would be arriving in the next 36 hours.  By the time we got to the shark-feeding site and saw the surge on the reef only 5 divers opted to dive.  No sharks were spotted and in the words of the dive master, "The sharks were smarter than we were."

We did, in fact, board the Fiji Aggressor on Wednesday evening and, after a rough overnight crossing, dove four sites off Makongi Island and three sites off Wakaya.  As I look over the Aggressor brochure of favorite Fiji dive sites and compare it with our dive log, we dove none of them.  After all, "Dive sites are selected by the Captain and may vary due to weather conditions and logistics."  Did I mention the final surprise announcement by Rob and Belinda made after we boarded?  The air-conditioning was not working.  Our cabins ranged from 79-84 on the two days and three nights we spent on the Aggressor.  Most divers slept on deck.  Are you thinking refund yet?  Well, that was the nicest surprise of the week.

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Fiji from previous column

known all week of the Aggressor’s decision.  Was our vacation ruined?  Absolutely not, we spent a great second week on Taveuni diving the Somosomo Strait, hiking to beautiful waterfalls, and getting to know the local culture.  Will you see any pictures?  Not many, my local cameraman left an o-ring out of the capped strobe socket.  Would we dive in Fiji again?  Definitely, we really haven’t seen the best it has to offer.  Would we dive on an Aggressor?  Of course, our next dive package on any Aggressor boat has been generously paid for and the Fiji Aggressor is a fabulous boat when it is in working order.  Would we dive with Rob and Belinda again?  Never.  They were deceitful and manipulative from the moment they met us to the last night when they told us of the refund- they had

Ni sa moce,
John and Kathy Ringrose

Call for Rig Diving Slides

Leonard Cichowski is still collecting rig diving images to be used at an upcoming presentation for The Association of Lease and Title Analysts (ALTA) on September 17, 2002, at the Petroleum Club, downtown Houston.  The program will focus on the habitats created by drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Title of the presentation will be "Oil and Water Do Mix."

These photos must be taken in the Gulf of Mexico around drilling rigs.  Any images, above or underwater, are welcome.  Gulf diving video footage would also be accepted.  There will be a credit slide with the names of all contributing photographers.  Leonard will accept slides at the September meeting.  Slides will be returned at the October meeting.  He can be reached at lcichowski@srcx.com or gdivareef@aol.com.

3rd Place Advanced - Mary Lou Reid ©2002

Photo Contest Winners
August 2002 - "Itty Bitty"

3rd place winners from July contest are as follows:
Novice - Tie	Pat Miller, Sue Watson
Advanced	Jackie Reid

HUPS Monthly Photo Contest Rules

1. Photographs must have been taken underwater, with the exception of the "Marine Surface Slides," a category which will be announced periodically.
2. The photographs must be the work of the photographer named on the slide.  The photographer does not have to be present at the monthly meeting to enter their slide.
3. No aquarium, pool, or over/under shots.
4. Photographs with divers touching or stressing marine life will not be judged.
5. Entries that have won 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, in previous HUPS contests, or any major competition are ineligible.  The only exception being the Best of HUPS night at the December meeting.
6. Slides will be disqualified if in the opinion of the Photo Contest Chairman and monthly judge, the slides do not meet the monthly subject matter, or do not meet one of the aforementioned rules.
7. All contest judging will be performed by a judge selected by the HUPS Photo Judge Coordinator, except nights when it is announced that the general membership will judge.  In these instances the Photo Contest Chairman will tabulate all ballots.
8. If a member wishes to question the results of a contest, they must submit their complaint in contest to the Photo Contest Chairman or any club officer.  The complaint must include: complainant's name, questionable slide, nature of complaint (indicating rule broken), proof behind complaint.
9. The Board of Directors will review the complaint, and if they find merit, they may disqualify the slide.

The Novice category is for those that meet the following criteria:

• Photography is a hobby.
• Have never taken best of show or 1st - 3rd in national or international photographic competitions.
• Have not been a HUPS Photographer of the Year.
  

UpComing Meetings and Events

September 9, 2002 - HUPS Meeting
Cozumel Shootout Show and Judging

October 5, 2002 - Trashfest

October 7, 2002 - HUPS meeting
Ken Knezick – Irian Jaya and Komodo

October 12, 2002 - BAD Flea Market
Bay Area Divers 27th Annual Scuba Divers Flea Market http://www.bayareadivers.org

November 4, 2002 - HUPS meeting
Drew Trent - British Virgin Islands

December 2, 2002 - HUPS meeting
Annual Christmas Party

Win a Trip to Yap

Island Dreams Travel is hosting a free "Explore the Pacific" Party Sunday, September 22, 2002, 2:00 - 4:00 pm at Saint Arnold Brewing Company.  Special guests will be Henrik Rosen of Wakatobi Resort, Indonesia; and John Boozer of Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia.

In addition to plenty of great Saint Arnold beer, there will be special gifts, prize drawings, slide shows, tasty snacks, and a Grand Prize Drawing for a land and diving package at Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia.

The Brewery is located just outside the northwest corner of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas.  From 610 take 290 heading northwest.  Exit 290 at Antoine/34th Street.  Make a U-turn under the freeway and take the feeder road southeast for 1/4 mile.  Then turn right to Mitchelldale.  Take the second left onto Fairway Park Drive.  The Brewery is 150 yards down, at 2522 Fairway Park Drive, on your left; the phone there is 713-686-9494.

Find all the details here: http://www.islandream.com/party.htm

The Houston Underwater Photographic Society (HUPS) meets the first Monday of every month at 7:00PM at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonet, near Hillcroft.

Social time begins at 7:00PM for members and visitors to get acquainted. Visitors are always welcome to join us. So, stop by and see what we are all about!