43rd Annual NACD World Seminar – November 11th to 13th

Mark your calendars for November 11th thru 13th, the weekend of the NACD’s 43rd Annual World Seminar. I will post more information during the next week for each day’s events but here is an overview of the weekend.

As in prior years, we will begin the weekend with a social at Ginnie Springs on November 11th from 6 to 10PM. This is a great time to see old friends and meet new ones.

On Saturday the 12th, the seminar will be held at the American Legion in Lake City, Fl. The address is 2602 SW Main Street, Lake City, Fl 32025. As in the past, we have some outstanding speakers and topics including:
1. Eric Hutcheson – “Rich Cave Diving Mapping History”
2. Doug Ebersole – “Cardiac Concerns in Cave Diving – PFOs and Coronary Artery Disease”
3. Andrew Pitkin – “M2 Blue Cave Exploration
4. Garrett Mitchell – “Deep Sea Ocean Exploration/Carbonate Caves”
5. Casey Coy & Mike Terrell– “Little Salt Springs Exploration”
6. Sandy Robinson – “Sistema Sin Nombre Exploration”
7. Orie Braun – “NACD Science / Water Quality Kit”
8. Fritzi Olson – “Current Problems Update”
Lunch will be provide to all attendees.

Finally, on Sunday, we will have the Rebreather Summit at a place to be determined and also a Vertical Cave workshop at Jennings cave in Ocala.

Again, I will post more details in the next few days. We hope to see you at Ginnie, Lake City, and maybe a few other places.

Safe diving,
Sandy Robinson
pr@safecavediving.com

To kick off the 43rd NACD’s Annual Seminar, their social will be Friday night, November 11(Veterans Day) at Ginnie Springs Outdoors. Admission is free to GSO and the social if you are an NACD member or if you are registered for the seminar. Bring your family as there will be enough for all to do. Activities include:
• The social starts at 6PM with a band and refreshments – can drinks, water, and a couple of kegs.
• Just before supper, we will decide the winner of the annual Chili Cook-off. Plan to enter your favorite chili dishes in the hot, exotic, and/or traditional categories. Our Saturday guest speakers will determine the winner in each category and an overall winner. We will provide more information on the cook-off as we get closer to the event.
• Supper will begin around 7PM. We will have grilled burgers and dogs with a variety of trimmings and side dishes.
• After supper, plan to enjoy more music, a bonfire, smores, and some socializing with your current and new friends.
• We will have some games to help keep younger children occupied.
• And maybe you can squeeze in a night dive (dive fees still apply).

We are fortunate to have Ricky and Tammy Dumm planning and managing Friday’s events. Thank you Ricky and Tammy!

More info to follow in a few days including registration information, the seminar and Sunday’s events.

Safe diving,
Sandy Robinson
pr@safecavediving.com

Hey Sandy, is the free admission to GSO good for the entire day on Friday?

Allen, I will check. If it is, I know it does not include diving if that is what you are asking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandy

Allen, I will check. If it is, I know it does not include diving if that is what you are asking.

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That's what I was asking :-( Thanks, Sandy!

If you partied too much at the social, we will have coffee ready for you the next morning. Just show up on Saturday the 12th at the American Legion in Lake City, Fl. The address is 2602 SW Main Street, Lake City, Fl 32025.

In an earlier post, I listed the speakers and their topics. Here are some bios for your information. I will post some more bios after you have had time to absorb these.

Doug Ebersole –As a cave diving cardiologist, Doug is questioned often about diving and PFOs as well as diving with coronary artery disease (after MI, stents, bypass surgery, etc). This has intensified recently due to several incidents. Additionally, there are several cave divers who have had PFO closures after recurrent DCS events. Doug has given presentations on Heart Disease and Diving as well as PFOs to several diving medicine meetings as well as at last year's Innerspace CCR event in Grand Cayman. He is also the principle investigator for a DAN sponsored study on PFOs and DCS that has enrolled almost 50 divers.

Garrett Mitchell – Garrett is a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire working in an ocean mapping laboratory (with Sean Denney). He was aboard an oceanographic research ship (E/V Nautilus) last summer in the Eastern Mediterranean that was devoted to ocean exploration. During the cruise they used an ROV to collect some interesting HD video and photos of an extensive deep-sea karsts system on top of a seamount offshore of Cyprus that was previously unknown. Garrett has a lot of quality images of carbonate caves and sinkholes on top of this seamount. He is a cave diver and is excited to address an audience of divers keen on both caves and exploration.

Also, we could do this without the help of our sponsors. Thanks to OMS, Innerspace Systems Corp, Advanced Diver Magazine, and Silent Diving. Also, thanks to Ginnie Springs Outdoors for sponsoring the Friday night social.

Again, I will post more details and bios in the next few days. We hope to see you at Ginnie, Lake City, and maybe a few other places.

Safe diving,
Sandy Robinson
pr@safecavediving.com

Sunday’s events – Rebreather Summit, Vertical Cave Clinic, Dry Cave Clinic.

Hi all,

Here is a recap of Sunday’s events at the NACD Annual Seminar. Choose one of these events to cap off the weekend.

The Rebreather Summit will be held at Camp Kulaqua (Hornsby Springs – no diving though) from 9AM to 4 PM. Admission is $10 and lunch will be provided. Some of the presenters include Lamar Hires, Vince Ferris, Leon Scamahorn, and Mike Fowler.

Attend the Vertical Cave Clinic if you want to learn to climb in and out of an entrance to a cave. This clinic will be held at Jennings Cave from 9Am to 4PM.

IF you just want to forget about gas management, plan to attend the Dry Cave Clinic at Bat Cave from 9AM to 4 PM. There will be both a beginning and an advanced session from which to choose.

If you have not registered for the seminar, go to www.safecavediving.com for more information

Thanks to Dive Rite, Hollis, OMS, Innerspace Systems Corp, Advanced Diver Magazine, and Silent Diving for sponsoring your event. Please note that Dive Rite and Hollis signed on since our last post. Thanks!


Safe diving,
Sandy Robinson
pr@safecavediving.com

I'm registered for Saturday and was wondering whether or not a non-NACD cave-diving friend could attend? If so, can he pay at the door?

Bill, your non-NACD friend can attend and pay at the door. FYI registration at the door does not include a tshirt. Your friend can also register at the social if you attend. I am out of town and away from my info but I think non NACD members pay an extra 5 or 10. Thanks for your interest! See you in two months.

ADM and RBW will have representatives attending / speaking at both the CCR Summit and the vertical clinic. I will be filming the CCR summit for both the NACD and ADM.

Last year we had some good attendance and speakers. Hope to see a larger attendance this year as we have several special things planned.

Curt Bowen