NAVED NEWS:

Well, Sand Dog III of 2006 is in the books! A great time was had by all. It all started with a two tank dive trip with Emerald Coast out of Destin in the Gulf! The weather was great and the seas calm. Approximately 14 divers made it to this first event. A virtual cornucopia of dive gear was used from double 72cf tanks worn by our own Bryan Pennington , who was also sporting a nice shiny new air integrated computer attached with a vintage banjo fitting. Also used were several Royal Aqua Masters, DA Aquamasters, Voit Snug packs, and fantastic reproduction harnesses made by Allan Klauda. The first dive site was some bridge rubble with several large schools of fish and somewhat low visibility. The second site was much more enjoyable in this author’s opinion as it included the always welcome shipwreck! The wreck was an old military barge and penetration was an option, though the resident fishes did not like my invasion. The media was on scene and very interested in the whole affair, please see the media section on www.vintagedoublehose.com for details. After the long day of diving we all reconvened for a fantastic seafood meal at a local restaurant and with our bellies full we made the long, sleepy, 5 hour drive from Destin to Ocala.

Friday, March 31st was the official start of Sand Dog III. We all met at the beautiful Alexander Spring. Alexander is a shallow and beautiful spring with visibility that can only be described as forever. Total numbers for the dive must have eclipsed 30 vintage divers. The equipment was outstanding with rare regulators making appearances such as, but not limited to Allan Klauda"s Voit 50 Fathom with factory blue paint, Bryan Pennington’s Spiro Royal Mistral, Rob Sewells East German Medi, and many more. The divers came and went as much as was possible, some seeing the resident 5 foot gator while in the water! The diving only stopped for a short time to allow a much needed feeding of the divers, compliments of vintagedoublehose.com, who footed the bill for a very fine spread of hot dogs (aka SAND DOGS) soda and chips. The food was expertly prepared by lovely Britinee Taylor and the bare chested, knife wielding, Allan Klauda.

On Saturday, April 1st we dived the historic Silver River with Curt of paradise springs fame. Curt had his pontoon boat all ready and gassed up for us early in the morning. He promised a good time and Curt and the river did not disappoint us. The Silver River is the famous river where many Tarzan films have been made. As a result of this, or at least the popular legend states, there are troops of wild monkeys often seen by the divers and boaters on the river. We took a quick tour of the Silver Springs park area via the pontoon boat and once back outside the park boundaries we dived in like paratroopers one right after the other. The river was clear and gentle. The bottom was full of neat artifacts and bones. Many of our group found various spear points, fossils, artifacts along the bottom of the rich river. No less than 12 gators were seen in and on the banks of the river. The dive lasted about one hour and on the way in Curt was nice enough to stop the boat for 15 minutes while we watched a troop of monkeys in the trees! So, I guess the legend was true after all! After the group got back to the dock a small band of water logged and hardened double hosers raced across the state to the Rainbow River and did yet another shallow 1 plus hour dive with Bird’s Underwater. This river was as clear as the Silver, but full of small fissures all over the bottom as well as small caverns for us to explore. The bottom was covered in spots with a carpet of grasses giving the diver the feeling of flying over green hills and valleys.

Sunday, April 2nd was officially the last day of Sand Dog III. It was also quite possibly the most anticipated! Allan Klauda had procured permission for the vintage divers to dive in the world famous Weekie Watchie Springs! The basin was beautiful and clear. An added bonus was the residents of the spring! You guessed it. The spring was full of fish and all kind and varieties of turtles! Oh, and there were some Mermaids in there as well. The Mermaids were fantastic, not only were they gorgeous and expert divers diving sans BC, regulator, and wetsuits, but they let us play with them! Two Mermaid molestations had been preplanned and orchestrated by one diver with bad manners. Fortunately our own Bryan Pennington, playing the hero, saved her on both occasions before he could do any real harm. It was really quite fun. I, Rob Studnicka, was charged with the dubious honor of playing the evil molester, aka Gomez. I say that because the plan was for me to swim over to the lovely Mermaid and start harassing her. So far sounds like fun for me, but then the was the tricky part. My good buddy Bryan, playing the hero, was to swim in with a big knife and cut an exhaust hose and send me bubbling to the surface. Well, both shows went off without a hitch and I am here to type this with all ten fingers so I guess it was ok. I am not sure how I got volunteered for the job though? The facilities at the Weekie Watchie Park were outstanding. The vintage divers were provided with a covered shelter and a large amount of picnic tables to spread out vintage gear to prepare and display. This was without a doubt the biggest display of unique working gear. William Pique amazed many of us with his exquisite collection of rare dive equipment in dive worthy condition including a US Divers Mistral with beautiful yellow hoses and set of white painted Voit twin tanks. Fred Morrison was sporting a fantastically preserved vintage Parkway wetsuit complete with original logo as well. Many divers also had a wide range of harnesses and backpacks, some new old stock and others reproductions.

Allan Klauda and Chuck Tenge volunteered to speak to the onlookers as they watched through the glass at the vintage divers swimming in the basin with the Mermaids. Allan and Chuck explained in expert detail how the equipment worked and when and by whom it was made to the curious onlookers, both young and old. Several of the older folks in the crowd approached the vintage divers after the show and shared some of their personal experiences from the when they became divers in the 50s and 60s.

Eventually, however, it became late and the 3rd Sand Dog event came to an end. Many good friends, old and new, parted ways hopefully not for the last time. This rare breed gathers, but once a year, at Sand Dog. This diver is one that hopes this tradition continues for many years to come.
 

Pictures and more information about all of our previous dive trips can be found HERE

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