2013-14 New Year's Eve Social

We're four weeks out, so it's time to start planning. Before I start the official threads ("All About It" and "What Is Everyone Bringing?") we need to have a discussion - actual date and time, and how many people are we expecting.

As far as dates, we have two scenarios we follow, depending on the day of the week New Year's Day falls. For example, if New Year's Day is a Saturday, we would have a light cookout Friday night, followed by the Galaxy Dive, and a full social on Saturday. Since New Year's Day falls on a Wednesday this year, we should probably follow the other scenario, where we hold the daytime social on the afternoon of December 31, and then graze on the leftovers in the evening leading up to the Galaxy Dive.

As far as attendance, we usually get about sixty people when we hold it at Ginnie. We haven't had one at JB in a few years; I don't think we will get sixty people - more like thirty or forty. But I could be way off.

Before I start the official social threads, let's have some discussion...

OK, you start first :)

How can you discuss actual date for a New Year's eve social? That is already on everyone's calendar.

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Originally Posted by FW

How can you discuss actual date for a New Year's eve social? That is already on everyone's calendar.

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The Galaxy Dive is the night of December 31; the question was whether to have the daytime social on December 31 or January 1. Or shall we forego a daytime social and just do it from 7pm until 1am? I'd go for that - less work for me.

Okay, that's the question: shall we just make it an evening social and anybody that camps/stays overnight can just wing it the next day?

I think we should have the daytime social on the 31st and graze the rest of the day.

I also think we should have a Swap Meet that afternoon where everyone brings scuba related items that they want to swap, sell, or just give away. It would be a great opportunity to recycle your unused gear.

I'm only off on the 1st, so I can't do any day time activities on the 31st. Of course, I'm also not sure where I'll be on the 1st (Mars is calling!) but I bet there are others with the same schedule, work-wise. Some of them are too dang quiet to speak up, though! :)

I will be staying in the trailer next to CA with a few buddies at that time - we are up for whatever - no set schedule for our diving.

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Originally Posted by GL

I also think we should have a Swap Meet that afternoon where everyone brings scuba related items that they want to swap, sell, or just give away. It would be a great opportunity to recycle your unused gear.

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That's a great idea, would be be in some kind of violation of the Park's policy / ordinance or something if we did? I've got a lot of stuff I don't do anything with, I'd let the kids sell it and split the proceeds.

I'll give them fifty bucks apiece for that old Magnus you have.

I think that of the two pavialions(if we could use both) the one closer to the water could hold the food and social and the other could have the swap meet. Russell, I think she wants to get rid of some of your stuff.

Stuff I don't do anything with, you missed that huh? I have a bunch of "stuff" I'd like to get rid of some tanks. The 130's are getting heavy, great tanks, just getting too old for them, and a bunch of other stuff, especially open water stuff

I'm getting almost no response at all to holding the NYE Social at Jackson Blue.

Shall we do it at Ginnie like we always do? We need to pinpoint a location in the next few days.

(I was kind of hoping to get a response from those CDF regulars who complain that they refuse to go to Ginnie for any reason - that's one reason we were going to try JB this year.)

Also, we don't HAVE to have one. It's a lot of work if just a few people show up. Right now we're looking me and Lynn, Jody's family, and Dark Eternal and his buddies.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

I'm getting almost no response at all to holding the NYE Social at Jackson Blue.

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How about a starting a poll as to who plans to attend the social? I remember a lot of people suggesting Jackson Blue when the location was discussed a while back. And all of the dates you suggested would be just fine with me.

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Originally Posted by nakatomi

How about a starting a poll as to who plans to attend the social?

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No need for a "poll." If anyone plans to attend a social held at Jackson Blue on December 31, respond here. If you wouldn't attend one at Jackson Blue but would at Ginnie, also respond here.

I will be somewhere underwater at the stroke of midnight, whether a social is held or not.

I plan on being there Dec. 31st but won't be doing the night dive. Pass my bedtime.


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I'm trying to work out being there. The plan was to be there with Giselle and the kids... but Giselle has to be in MO on Jan 2. We're checking on flying her out of Tallahassee.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

No need for a "poll." If anyone plans to attend a social held at Jackson Blue on December 31, respond here.

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I would be very happy to attend the social at Jackson Blue and help with the planning and procedures if help is needed.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

No need for a "poll." If anyone plans to attend a social held at Jackson Blue on December 31, respond here. If you wouldn't attend one at Jackson Blue but would at Ginnie, also respond here.

I will be somewhere underwater at the stroke of midnight, whether a social is held or not.

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I would rather it be at Ginnie....JB is too far to out of the way on my way back to Mich........

I'd rater it be JB, but will probably go if it's Ginnie

Okay, here's another option: the Social can be Tuesday evening, December 31 at 7pm or so; we'll cook burgers and dogs and have sides (maybe even internet coleslaw), and do a fire and all leading up to the Galaxy Dive. Then Wednesday, January 1 we will dive and have lots of camaraderie and all, and a grill will be there, but it will be less organized than a typical social.

Any thoughts on that?

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, here's another option: the Social can be Tuesday evening, December 31 at 7pm or so; we'll cook burgers and dogs and have sides (maybe even internet coleslaw), and do a fire and all leading up to the Galaxy Dive. Then Wednesday, January 1 we will dive and have lots of camaraderie and all, and a grill will be there, but it will be less organized than a typical social.

Any thoughts on that?

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Yes, I think it's a great idea and I'm all for it!

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, here's another option: the Social can be Tuesday evening, December 31 at 7pm or so; we'll cook burgers and dogs and have sides (maybe even internet coleslaw), and do a fire and all leading up to the Galaxy Dive. Then Wednesday, January 1 we will dive and have lots of camaraderie and all, and a grill will be there, but it will be less organized than a typical social.

Any thoughts on that?

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That will work for me if it's at Ginnie...

Thanks

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Originally Posted by spelodiver

That will work for me if it's at Ginnie...

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But not Jackson Blue?

Over the past fourteen years the Galaxy Dive has been at Ginnie ten times and at Jackson Blue four times. People have been clamoring to do it at JB this year.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

But not Jackson Blue?

Over the past fourteen years the Galaxy Dive has been at Ginnie ten times and at Jackson Blue four times. People have been clamoring to do it at JB this year.

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Did some checking and the time to home is nearly the same from JB as it is from Ginnie...So as of now either one will work......

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Okay, here's another option: the Social can be Tuesday evening, December 31 at 7pm or so; we'll cook burgers and dogs and have sides (maybe even internet coleslaw), and do a fire and all leading up to the Galaxy Dive. Then Wednesday, January 1 we will dive and have lots of camaraderie and all, and a grill will be there, but it will be less organized than a typical social.

Any thoughts on that?

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Avoid Chili. Otherwise, I'll go to Ginnie, I actually have time off this year. Plus a bunch of glowsticks..

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Originally Posted by BobK

Avoid Chili. Otherwise, I'll go to Ginnie, I actually have time off this year. Plus a bunch of glowsticks..

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If it's at JB, I can provide some Chili. I'm sure even the CC divers will make some bubbles... :-)

OK... we're in. Giselle, myself, and the three kids. Ginnie works better for us for a lot of reasons, but we'll be there either way. If it's at ginnie, can we get the 2 days of diving deal again?

It's looking like it will be Jackson Blue. We will start a "who's bringing what" thread in the next few days.

OK. What night/nights are we cleared to camp at JB?

It looks like the night before New Year's Eve through the night after, provided you are registered to dive. So if you were to register to dive Monday through Thursday you could camp the three nights in between.

Hmmm... so we have to be registered and paid to dive JB to camp free. No problem with that, but I wasn't planning on diving JB all those days. There is also no way I'll make it to Edd's to sign in before he closes up shop on the 31st. What do I need to do to get OK to camp that night? Is there any admission fee for all my non-diving guests?

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Originally Posted by Greenwood_60

Is there any admission fee for all my non-diving guests?

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I have been diving JB for almost fifteen years and they've never said anything about me bringing non-divers. And I'm talking having conversations with deputies and even the sheriff, so they knew I had non-paying folks there.

The folks in Jackson County are terrific to work with - they enjoy having us as much as we enjoy going there.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

I have been diving JB for almost fifteen years and they've never said anything about me bringing non-divers. And I'm talking having conversations with deputies and even the sheriff, so they knew I had non-paying folks there.

The folks in Jackson County are terrific to work with - they enjoy having us as much as we enjoy going there.

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Same with me. I usually have my wife with me and at JB never a charge, can't say that about Ginnie.


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Sounds good.

I will start a "who is bringing what" thread tomorrow. I guess we can plan for about thirty people and adjust it as we get closer to the date.

If anybody has anything that they particularly want to bring, PM me today.

Bob K has the glow sticks!

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

I will start a "who is bringing what" thread tomorrow. I guess we can plan for about thirty people and adjust it as we get closer to the date.

If anybody has anything that they particularly want to bring, PM me today.

Bob K has the glow sticks!

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Lots of them :-)

Gonna try a mustard or Ketchup bottle this year to hold the glow stuff and a scooter to disperse the stuff? I can bring both if you'll give them a try.

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Originally Posted by a64pilot

Gonna try a mustard or Ketchup bottle this year to hold the glow stuff and a scooter to disperse the stuff? I can bring both if you'll give them a try.

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Plastic bottles are a little problematic since the get squeezed underwater. It's tough to get all the glow stuff out. Best method we've found is a baggie that you can tear open, it totally empties pretty quickly.

Assuming the contents of the bottle are liquid, since liquids aren't compressible, the bottle won't get squeezed. Now have a large airspace in the bottle and that changes of course. The thought of the bottle was you could modulate how much came out at a time, the scooter of course to disperse the material. Flow is good in JB, but it's not that firehouse kind of flow like the grate at the cavern in Ginnie.
I think your going to need something to break up the glow stuff into smaller droplets, and once broken up, something to disperse the droplets. Otherwise I have a feeling you going to end up with a lot of the glow juice in blobs on the floor.

I have a syringe for injecting a turkey. Maybe I should bring it and remove the needle - that might work best!

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

I have a syringe for injecting a turkey. Maybe I should bring it and remove the needle - that might work best!

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Ok, we'll obviously see how it flows....

Does anyone do a midnight ballroom dive at Ginnie on the years the social is held at JB? We were thinking about driving up from Spring Hill on New Year's Eve but won't make it up to Marianna.

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Originally Posted by pink arrows

Does anyone do a midnight ballroom dive at Ginnie on the years the social is held at JB? We were thinking about driving up from Spring Hill on New Year's Eve but won't make it up to Marianna.

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Someone should. There isn't any reason both places can't have galaxy dives, just takes people to get together and set them up.