Due to popular demand, we're extending this offer!  OFD's free wetsuit promotion is sure to get people excited about diving in 2010.  If you register for the Open Water Scuba Course AND purchase a mask, snorkel, fins, and booties, we'll throw in a Henderson Neosport 3/2mm full suit!  That's a $120 value!  Henderson's multi-thickness designs give added flexibility where divers need it most.  The thicker torso provides core body warmth while the thinner arms and legs allow for easier maneuvering.  Generously cut back zippers and adjustable collars make donning a snap and flexible knee pads protect the high wear areas of lower legs.  Don't miss this incredible opportunity to get into your own gear so make sure to take advantage and tell your friends, too!

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On Thursday, Feb. 11th, The Dive Club chalked up another wonderful event hosted at Ocean First Divers. Dr. Bill Clem of Colorado Hyperbaric Medicine gave a very entertaining and informative presentation on diving at altitude, the effects on a diver's physiology, hyperbaric medicine and recompression treatment. It was another great turnout and well-received. We were also excited to have Boulder Fire Rescue attend the event. Next month Professor Mel Cundiff from CU will be giving one of his brilliant presentations on Echinoderms. We hope to see you there!

The Dive Club kicked off 20 10 with one of, if not the largest, socials to date. Seventy-three people attended this presentation on Indonesia. Ocean First Divers' fearless leader, Graham Casden, began the evening with a recount of his five week trip to the Philippines and Indonesia this past October. Graham shared his photographs and most memorable experiences with an enthusiastic crowd. Amy Christopher followed with her best video production to date- a fifteen minute visual and auditory delight that highlighted her two week fam trip to Misool Resort in Raja Ampat. This was a fantastic start to the new year and a tremendous turn out for an event that has gained popularity month after month. We will see you next time!

Demand for shark fin soup in Asia is the number one reason why shark populations are plummeting throughout the world.

Now you can take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity to make a direct impact in the fight to save sharks.

Shark Savers and WildAid are collaborating on a multi-media campaign in China targeting the consumers of shark fin soup.

Last year's billboard in Beijing featuring Yao Ming

You have a rare opportunity to make a difference.

For $100 you can fund a "Say 'no' to shark fin soup" bus stop billboard featuring basketball star Yao Ming,

one of China's most popular and influential citizens. This price includes production, installation, maintenance, and lighting for a full year. These ads are large, most are lighted, and they will be placed in many high-traffic locations in Beijing and Shanghai at eye-level.

Last year, WildAid had 200 billboards in Beijing for 3 months. In a survey, 19% of Beijingers responding remembered having seen the boards and 82% of those people said they would stop or reduce their consumption of shark fin soup. Imagine the power of 1000 billboards for an entire year. This campaign works and your billboard will have an impact!

Another view of last year's billboard in Beijing

The billboards are part of our broader shark fin soup campaign in China and will reinforce the message of television public service announcements, also featuring Yao Ming. They will direct viewers to the web site where they will learn about the environmental and health dangers of shark fin soup. At the web site, they will be invited to take a pledge promising to halt their own consumption, and be able to access campaign materials directed at restaurants, businesses, and those planning weddings.

Time is running out for sharks. Let's stop the problem at its source. Join Sharks Savers and WildAid in a proven campaign that truly motivates people to stop eating shark fin soup.

Take action now. Your billboard will make sure the citizens of Beijing and Shanghai see this important message every day.

Together we will make a difference. Thank you for your support.

Visit www.sharksavers.org to make a difference today.

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We were very honored to close out 2009 with one of the best socials of the year. Louis Psihoyos came over to OFD from the Oceanic Preservation Society and talked for about an hour on his experiences leading up to, through the filming process and the post production of his award winning documentary THE COVE. Louis has a very natural story telling ability and kept the crowd enthralled with his tales of working for National Geographic, how he forged some of his more lasting relationships in the industry and the importance messages he hopes to convey through the film making process. Thanks to Louis and the rest of our presenters for 2009. What a fabulous year!!! We thank all Dive Club members for their continued support and look forward to a even more exciting year in 2010

Click here to retrieve the Winter 2009 Newsletter

On his last voyage to Antarctica, videographer Paul Nicklen quickly became companions with the largest leopard seal the dive team had ever seen. Over the course of four days, this often vicious predator attempted to feed Paul a number of penguins, only to find out that this unusual species wasn't there to eat bird. You have to see this to believe it!

Packed house! This might have been our biggest meetup yet. John Weller drew a crowd of about 80 people, evident by the fact that we had standing room only for over twenty guests. What an amazing presentation! John has an incredibly contagious passion for diving, Antarctica and preserving the last few precious resources our oceans possess. With stunning imagery and narrative eloquence, John put on one of the best received presentations ever. Join his campaign to preserve the last untouched wilderness area left, the Ross Sea, at http://www.lastocean.com. Next month is diver appreciation on Dec. 11th and Louie Psihoyos on Dec. 15th. Let's go diving!

Packed house! This might have been our biggest meetup yet. John Weller drew a crowd of about 80 people, evident by the fact that we had standing room only for over twenty guests. What an amazing presentation! John has an incredibly contagious passion for diving, Antarctica and preserving the last few precious resources our oceans possess. With stunning imagery and narrative eloquence, John put on one of the best received presentations ever. Join his campaign to preserve the last untouched wilderness area left, the Ross Sea, at http://www.lastoc.... Next month is customer appreciation on Dec. 11th and Louie Psihoyos on Dec. 15th. Let's go diving!

Ocean First Divers has the unique opportunity to share a special viewing of a new documentary film, A Sea Change, on October 24 here at Ocean First Divers. 

A Sea Change is also a touching portrait of Sven’s relationship with his grandchild Elias, as he mulls over the world that he is leaving for future generations. A disturbing and essential companion piece to An Inconvenient Truth, A Sea Change brings home the indisputable fact that our lifestyle is changing the earth, despite our rhetoric or wishful thinking. 

A Sea Change is the first documentary about ocean acidification. While emphasizing new scientific information, the feature-length film is also a beautiful paean to the ocean world and an intimate story of a Norwegian-American family whose heritage is bound up with the sea.

Please join Ocean First Divers on Saturday, October 24^th at 6pm for a special screening of this beautiful, poignant film and help us celebrate the International Day of Climate Action.

Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Cost: FREE
Please RSVP by September 21 to 303-444-7234 or info@oceanfirstdivers.com
 

On Tuesday, the opening day of dolphin-hunting season, marine mammal specialist Ric O'Barry (right) and his son Lincoln stand near a cove where fishermen often kill dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

This week marked the opening of dolphin hunting season in Japan. During the six-month season, thousands of dolphins are corralled into narrow coves and captured for sale to aquariums or amusement parks. Those not captured are killed for meat. But this year, something different happened.

After Taiji's annual dolphin hunt was covertly filmed for a documentary, the little fishing village has suddenly found itself at the uncomfortable center of a media spotlight.

Police and fishermen in Taiji don't allow filming of the hunt, part of the villagers' everyday lives. But a team of activists and filmmakers went undercover to shoot the footage, telling their story in the 2009 documentary, The Cove.

Since its release, the documentary — which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival — has spurred an international outcry. In one case, Taiji's sister city — Broome in Western Australia — suspended its relationship with Taiji for as long as dolphins continue to be killed.

This week, activist and Cove star Ric O'Barry went back to Taiji for opening day of dolphin season. He was accompanied by a group of international journalists.

But this time, he didn't see any dolphins being killed. He didn't even see fishermen on the water.

That day, he blogged, "Today is a good day for dolphins."

While he's optimistic, O'Barry tells Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz that he isn't sure how long this will last.

The hunters are trying to figure out what to do, he says. They're thinking, " 'Should we go out? Should we be exposed? The world is watching.' And so far, they haven't killed any dolphins."

"I'm hoping it's over," O'Barry says, "that they'll just give up and stop killing dolphins." But he concedes that the future is cloudy. "We don't know what's going to happen. It's a day-by-day thing here. We just don't know."

The Cove is currently playing at the Starz Film Center in Denver until September 17.
Click here for more information and movie times.
 

Our sales representative from Whites Drysuits will be in town on Sunday, September 20 and, in conjuction with Ocean First Divers, will host a demo day at Chatfield Reservoir from 10am-2pm.  This is a great opportunity to test out some of the newest drysuits available.  It isn't often that we have this opportunity; please join us for comfortable diving in cooler water!  Not dry suit certified?  No problem!  Our staff will be on hand to get you set up and in the water.

Tanks and weights will be provided out at the reservior, but if you need to rent other gear please stop by the shop on Saturday, Sept 19.  Don't forget your certification card, $7 for the park entrance fee, and undergarments to wear under the dry suit.

Please call or Email OFD to RSVP.
303.444.7234
info@oceanfirstdivers.com

When: Thursday, September 10 at 6:30pm
Where: Ocean First Divers
What: A great presentation along with snacks and beverages and raffle giveaways
Cost:  FREE EVENT

Join us as we host Rich Woulfe with the Manthiri luxury liveaboard, which is based in the Maldives.  A chain of about 1200 islands just south of India, the average elevation of these spectacular islands is a mere 7 feet above sea level.  Rich will discuss diving with whale sharks, huge schools of manta rays, and hundreds of different species of fish which call the Maldives home.  Don't miss this great presentation!

When: Wednesday, September 16 at 6:30pm
Where: Ocean First Divers
What: A great presentation along with snacks and beverages and raffle giveaways
Cost:  FREE EVENT

For our second social in September, Ocean First Divers will host Dr. Alex Antoniou from the Shark Research Institute.  Alex has led SRI field expeditions and filmed whale sharks in the Bay Islands (Honduras), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), LaPaz (Mexico) and Cocos Island (Costa Rica), and Thailand, conducting both visual ID and satellite tagging of whale sharks.  In October 1999, his presentation of SRI’s work in Honduras and quantifying the value of the species to the local economy directly resulted in protection of whale sharks in Honduran waters.  Alex will also discuss his work tagging Great White sharks off of Isla Guadelupe near the Mexican Baja.  Come find out how you can get involved in this important research project!
 

Want a preview?  Visit www.sharks.org today.

Ocean First Divers is proud to invite Dan Goldan from South Metro Fire and the Boulder Emergency Squad to our August 13 social. OFD has a long history of working with our local rescue squads. Dan and his crew will be sharing information on Public Dive Safety and will have their rescue van and equipment on display. Kids are welcome to all OFD events!

Time: 6:30pm

Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP: info@oceanfirstdivers.com

Rules & ways to enter:

We look forward to seeing your amazing photos & video!

Recovery Act Announcement: Obama Administration Announces $3.2 Billion in Funding for Local Energy Efficiency Improvements

March 26, 2009

Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced plans to invest $3.2 billion in energy efficiency and conservation projects in U.S. cities, counties, states, territories, and Native American tribes. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency nationwide.

The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.

To ensure accountability, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will require grant recipients to report on the number of jobs created or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed, greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and funds leveraged. Funding is based on a formula that accounts for population and energy use.

Cities and counties will receive nearly $1.9 billion under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and states and territories will receive nearly $770 million. States will receive and administer funds for those counties and cities that are not large enough to qualify for direct DOE funding. More than $54 million will flow directly to Tribal governments.

Up to $456 million of this funding is planned to be made available under a separate competitive solicitation for local energy efficiency projects. That solicitation will be released at a later date.

Today’s announcement is in addition to DOE’s recent release of nearly $8 billion to support weatherization and state energy projects.

A detailed breakdown of the funding by state, county, city and tribal government is available on the DOE's Recovery Act Web site.

Following today's announcement at the White House, Secretary Chu and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis are visiting the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Workers at the facility are being trained for the kinds of "green jobs" that the city and county are investing in—ranging from construction and facility upgrades of green buildings to installation of energy efficient street lights to building energy audits. Secretaries Chu and Solis will highlight the city and county efforts as a model for other communities and an example of how this funding can create local jobs and save energy.

More information on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is available on the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program's Web site.

Source: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=154

For one dexterous octopus, an attempt at a great escape turned into a great flood Thursday at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium in California.

The female California two-spotted octopus swam to the top of her tank, disassembled a valve with her powerful arm, and released at least 200 gallons (757 liters) of seawater into nearby exhibits and offices.

The foot-long (0.3-meter) creature remained in her tank and survived her ordeal. But the aquarium's brand-new floors weren't so lucky.

Such high jinks are typical of the invertebrates' still unexplained smarts, experts say.

"Octopuses have a wonderful combination of intelligence, tremendous manipulative ability, curiosity, and strength," said Jennifer Mather, a psychology professor at Canada's University of Lethbridge who has studied cognition in octopuses.

"So the result is that everybody who has ever kept octopuses has a string of stories about how octopuses can go where they want in aquariums."

Unbelievably Brainy?

Many octopuses show behavior that suggests curiosity, consciousness, and even a sense of humor, said Eugene Linden, author of the 2002 book The Octopus and the Orangutan: More True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity.

In one instance, an octopus given a slightly spoiled shrimp stuffed it down the drain while maintaining eye contact with its keeper, Linden said.

Wild octopuses have also been found to maintain "homes" and can remember where they've been in their neighborhood, pointing to a sort of self-awareness, Lethbridge's Mather said.

But it's hard to directly prove that octopuses are intelligent.

A smart animal that has the lowly clam for a cousin already "flies in the face of conventional wisdom of where you look for intelligence," Linden said.

Also, many scientists believe that intelligent beings are social, learn from others, and need a long lifespan to accrue brainpower. Octopuses live only about a year and are solitary animals.

"It's enjoyable to think that nature doesn't always follow our rules [when] it decides to create an intelligent being," Linden said.

Fast Decisions

The University of Lethbridge's Mather suggests octopuses may have evolved braininess to cope with a highly complex environment—usually coral reefs—where they must make lightning-fast, life-or-death decisions.

For example, the animals are extremely flexible, able to fit their boneless bodies through tiny cracks. Some species can change color in a thirtieth of a second.

(Watch a video of an octopus squeezing through a one-inch hole.)

As for the crafty cephalopod in Santa Monica, aquarium staffers have rigged her tank with clamps and tape to thwart future getaways, the Los Angeles Times reported.

But, as Mather pointed out, there "isn't an awful lot [that will] stop them."

If you enjoyed this article, then come join us for our free monthly social on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30pm at Ocean First Divers.  Dr. Mel Cundiff from the University of Colorado will be giving a presentation on the mollusk (i.e. octopus, squid, snails, etc.).  Refreshments will be served and prizes given away.

Global Dive Operators Receive Environmental Honors

Project AWARE Foundation honors dive operators around the world who display commitment and excellence in their efforts to protect underwater environments within business operations and their community.

Project AWARE Foundation Chairman, Dr. Drew Richardson recognizes the importance of the scuba diving community taking its part on protection of global ecosystems. “The Environment Achievement Award is about rewarding vision, excellence and pursuit of conservation. More importantly, this award ensures the enjoyment of underwater environments for future generations," states Richardson.

Ocean First Divers is the ONLY only dive shop in the world to have earned this award every year running.  We operate in an environmentally responsible manner and demonstrates an outstanding commitment to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.

ECO Operators and Official Partners are committed to sustainable business practices and pledge to follow the ECO Operator guidelines.

Click here to retrieve the November 2008 Newsletter

 Click here to open your fall Newsletter.

Click here to read your Newsletter

Click here to open your February Newsletter

Global Dive Operators Receive Environmental Honors

Project AWARE Foundation announces Environmental Achievement Award Recipients.

Project AWARE Foundation honors dive operators around the world who display commitment and excellence in their efforts to protect underwater environments within business operations and their community.

Project AWARE Foundation Chairman, Dr. Drew Richardson recognizes the importance of the scuba diving community taking its part on protection of global ecosystems. “The Environment Achievement Award is about rewarding vision, excellence and pursuit of conservation. More importantly, this award ensures the enjoyment of underwater environments for future generations," states Richardson.

Ocean First Divers, the only Colorado Dive shop in 2007, and the ONLY only dive shop in the world to have earned this award every year running.  Ocean Fist Divers operates in an environmentally responsible manner and demonstrates an outstanding commitment to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.

https://www.projectaware.org/shares/EcoOperators/

“The new owner of a Boulder scuba-diving shop aims to reduce the environmental impact of the excursions it organizes to take divers beneath the seas.

Graham Casden, who recently bought Boulder's venerable Scuba Joe dive shop and tour operator, plans to add solar panels to the shop, remodel the facility with recycled materials and buy enough carbon credits to offset the emissions of all the planes, boats and automobiles used in the scuba trips it organizes.

The environmental consciousness is a way to tap the loyalty of area divers concerned about the deteriorating state of the seas. It's also being done out of a sense of responsibility to the planet and the hope that the scuba industry will follow its lead, Casden said.

"We want to make companies that aren't doing this stuff an anomaly," said Casden, a Boulder resident.
On June 2, Casden's 30th birthday, the shop officially will change its name to Ocean First Divers and throw a grand opening party.

Casden arranged to buy the dive shop at 3015 Bluff St. months ago. Since then, he negotiated the purchase of the 7,500-square-foot building for $950,000.

The sale of the Scuba Joe store comes four years after its founder, David Cain, died on a dive trip to an island off the coast of Colombia. His son Michael Cain and widow, Linda Cain, owner of the Cain Travel company, took over.

Casden, a California native who became immersed in diving over the past decade and was a Scuba Joe regular, one day asked store manager Amy Christopher and educational director Bob Ross whether the shop's owners would sell.

Talks developed, and the transformation of Scuba Joe — with Christopher, Ross and the rest of the six-person staff staying on — will be complete with its "re-launch" next month.

Casden's purchase comes at an interesting time for the industry.

Scuba diving has struggled to regain its strength following the national decline in travel after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The number of new divers picking up the sport nationally has shrunk, according to the Boulder-based Leisure Trends recreation and sports market research firm.

The lean times sparked consolidation in the $726-million-a-year industry, said Jason Gee, director of retail sales tracking for Leisure Trends.

Shops in Colorado have largely avoided the industry troubles, he said.

Gee suspects it's because shops in land-locked Colorado have always had to work harder to hold divers' interest, and that makes them better at it, he said.

The shop's impact could be widespread, he said.

Ocean First Divers, like Scuba Joe, is one of the few dive shops that trains other scuba instructors. Ross said the store plans to ingrain the importance of an environmental consciousness in its curriculum for diving teachers, who then hopefully will pass it on and help keep the undersea world healthy for future divers.

"We want to do this for a long time, not just a weekend and then it's gone because we spoiled it," Ross said.”

For the complete Daily Camera article, click on the link below.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/may/22/with-an-eye-to-the-environment-scuba-shop-going/