2017 NSS-CDS Midwest Workshop SEPT 23, 2017

NEWS CONCERNING 2017 MIDWEST WORKSHOP!

We have confirmed the date and venue and wanted to get this out to everyone asap so they can begin planning and inviting folks! I know with the other two workshops going on this may be confusing but I just wanted to post this here so that those who aren't on Facebook can see the date and mark their calendar.





Date: September 23rd, 2017

Venue: Machinist's District 9 Building Corporation

Address: 12365 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton MO 63044




Many of you may be wondering why the change in venue. We had such a great turnout last year that we wanted to change the venue to possibly accommodate sponsors setting up booths, and more importantly, MORE PEOPLE ATTENDING! This is a workshop for everyone! Therefore, we want everyone's input on how we can make this next event the best to date! We hope that many of you will mark your calendars! We look forward to seeing everyone next September!

Feel free to contact me, Bill Harrison, or Bjorn Loftis for information, suggestions, input, or anything at all! Thanks for your attention! SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

-Joshua Shouse

https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5612/3...976d49ca_z.jpg

Nice! It looks like it'll be another good one.

Is the Midwest workshop still happening? Same date as my 50th high school reunion, not sure which to attend.
Al

i might be in for a road trip. how are roubidoux/cannonball that time of year?

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Originally Posted by Scuba Al

Is the Midwest workshop still happening? Same date as my 50th high school reunion, not sure which to attend.
Al

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Originally Posted by patpicos

i might be in for a road trip. how are roubidoux/cannonball that time of year?

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Yes, it is still on. We pick that time of year because dive conditions are historically better in the fall. However you never know for sure.

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Originally Posted by FW

Yes, it is still on. We pick that time of year because dive conditions are historically better in the fall. However you never know for sure.

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Yeah, last year we went to Roubideaux and Boiling Springss the day every else went to Cannonball and we ended up drinking instead of diving...

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

ooooo I can make this one.

Speaker #1: MichaelAngelo Gagliardi

Michael Angelo will be speaking on the progress of 3 aspects of the achieving project. First, Michael Angelo, will speak on the development of the Hydrological Instrumentation Platform or HIP. The HIP is an is a water quality senor platform which while attached to divers takes a periodic reading of the water as the diver swims through a system. The HIP is used in conjunction with the fauna count program. Lastly, Michael will speak on the Photographic Achieving Project and show video on how to use photographic images to show the life of a spring. Really excited to have a Midwest Diver speaking at the workshop! More to be announced soon!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...96&cid=1&stc=1

Registration is LIVE!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-ns...754444#tickets

Highline Ropes has donated a 300' 7/16th sport rope for us to give away! Thanks Highline!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...98&cid=1&stc=1

Bigblue Dive Lights - USA Headquarters is sending us an awesome light to give away! Bigblue has been a huge supporter of the NSS-CDS for a long time. We really appreciate their continued support for the Midwest workshop!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...99&cid=1&stc=1

Cave Excursions has donated THREE 1 night stays, stack of free fill cards and some great t-shirts! Thanks a ton Cave Excursions!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...00&cid=1&stc=1

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Originally Posted by Sh0use

Registration is LIVE!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-ns...754444#tickets

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Done.

HUGE shout out to Kiss Rebreathers and Mike Young for sponsoring this years lunch for the Midwest workshop! KISS has sponsored lunch for the last 2 years and has been a huge supporter of the Midwest workshop! We really appreciate the continued support and are excited to have you guys at the workshop! EVERYONE BE SURE TO GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...02&cid=1&stc=1

Rainbow Reef Dive Center and Jim Wyatt have donated a Wreck diver class for two in Key Largo for us to give away! (Expires December 2018, subject to availability. Boat fees and equipment not included.)

Pretty awesome prize for someone looking for an excuse to take a trip to the keys and do some diving! Thanks Jim!

Attachment 17003

Speaker #3: Michael Raymond

Michael Raymond will speak about rescuing cavers from beyond flooded cave passages / sumps. Michael is a caver / cave diver from Minnesota. He is a National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC) graduate and has served on the MN Army National Guard domestic operations planning team. In this talk he will introduce the NCRC and discuss some of the factors involved in sump rescue. Open discussion will further our community's techniques for rescuing stranded cavers.

This should be a unique presentation from an experienced diver. Thanks Michael!

Attachment 17021

Just curious if the Midwest workshop ever ventures outside of Missouri? I know that there are mines being dove up in Wisconsin. Has the workshop ever ventured anywhere other than MO? Like Chicago or Milwaukee? Or is it always held in the Show Me state?

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Originally Posted by sandiegoaes

Just curious if the Midwest workshop ever ventures outside of Missouri? I know that there are mines being dove up in Wisconsin. Has the workshop ever ventured anywhere other than MO? Like Chicago or Milwaukee? Or is it always held in the Show Me state?

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To my knowledge it's always been in MO. I'd say it's likely because there are at least 3 divable caves and one mine in the area. The coolest thing about this workshop is that it's generally the same crowd every year with a few new attendants. What's nice is that this crowd are extremely passionate about diving. From my experience with chairing this workshop last year, this workshop is looked at as the bastard son of the NSS-CDS workshops. It's "far away" and few are actually willing to travel. Speakers is usually difficult due to again, folks not wanting to travel. Prizes are usually difficult because most dedicate so much to the FL workshops and give left over stuff to this one, which I'm perfectly cool with because anything and everything is extremely appreciated. Nevertheless, hands down, this is THE BEST workshop period. I have been to 8 workshops now and this is my favorite, that's the reason I chair it. The folks that attend genuinely love diving and have a blast every year, no matter how many prizes we have, who's speaking, what we're eating. It's an amazing workshop and it's the attendees that make it worthwhile. We have a great crew of volunteers and sponsors that always support us every year and for that I'm extremely grateful for! We're working hard to make this another amazing workshop and I'm hoping that we have a lot of new guests this year!

Thanks to all the folks that plan to come out and those that are considering it. Special thanks to all the dive shops and companies that provide such incredible suppport for this event! Finally thanks to the volunteers than make this possible. Hope to see everyone there!

Speaker #4: Jason Richards!

o Cave Cartographer Jason Richards has been mapping dry and underwater caves throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere for more than 20 years. He regularly leads mapping expeditions and projects and teaches cave cartography and mapping to interested cavers. His latest maps include The longest cave in Tennessee, 35 mile long Blue Spring Cave, Hole In The Wall Cave (Florida), Wet Dream Cave (British Columbia), and Tongue River Cave (Wyoming). Jason is currently residing in Southern Alabama, where he is working on multiple exploration and mapping projects. His latest project was a month long expedition to northern British Columbia to explore and map sumps and springs in remote areas.

We're all super stoked to have Jason coming up to the Midwest workshop. He's a huge supporter of the NSS and NSS-CDS and is extremely passionate about caves. Thanks Jason!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...38&cid=1&stc=1

Really excited to announce the support from DUI - Diving Unlimited International and OMS - Ocean Management Systems! They stepped up big time this year and have donated the following items!

1. 8. DUI Waterproof Utility Bag ($341) - https://www.divedui.com/collections/...waterproof_bag




2. OMS Drybag Backpack (MSRP $89) - https://www.divedui.com/collections/...nt=33208125057




3.OMS Tattoo Mask- (MSRP $99) - https://www.divedui.com/collections/...nt=31883565953




4. OMS Stage Rigging Kit

5. OMS Finger Spool @ 100ft

6.OMS Finger Spool @ 150ft

7. OMS Wrist Slate

8. 2 x BIGGRIP STAINLESS STEEL BOLT-SNAP 3 1/2" and 2 x BIGGRIP STAINLESS STEEL DOUBLE-ENDER 3 1/2"

These are some awesome prizes! Thanks a to DUI and OMS for your continued support! Everyone be sure to give them a huge thanks for all the incredible prizes!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...42&cid=1&stc=1

Speaker #5: Tucker D. Palmatier

Ozark Cave Diving Alliance (OCDA) team member Tucker D. Palmatier will be speaking about OCDA?s 2016 Carol Cave Exploration and future OCDA projects. Tucker has been participating in OCDA projects since 2015, and became a member of the team while stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. Tucker actively participates in dry and wet cave exploration throughout the mid-west. He is a member of multiple NSS grottos and cave conservation groups.
Stoked to have the OCDA represented at this years workshop! Looking forward to hearing what they've been up to and their plans for the future! Thanks guys!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...43&cid=1&stc=1

Happy to have the support from "The Cutter Case" at this years workshop. Cody is donating 3 of his cases for us to give away! These are a pretty hot item right now and we're excited to be giving some away! Thanks Cody!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...44&cid=1&stc=1
http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...45&cid=1&stc=1

Super stoked to announce that Subgravity will be sponsoring the shirts for this years Midwest Workshop! That means EVERYONE gets a FREE shirt! To ensure that you get the right size, it's important to per-register using the Eventbrite link. Huge thank you to the Randy, Michael, and Josh Thornton for the support! You guys rock!

Link to registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-ns...54444?aff=eac2

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...56&cid=1&stc=1

I had a great time at the June 3rd NSS-CDS conference in FL and I'm strongly considering going to this one. I met a lot of nice people. In FL, I showed up a day early, dove Cow and met Gayle Orner there. I dove Little River and met Tom Baurle and Steve Boyer. And, I had lunch sitting next to Woody Jasper and Lamar Hires--not to mention all the excelent presentations (Joshua's included!). (Which makes me really want to go side mount and do TAG diving!) Yeah, I got my one win of a lifetime in and won the UWLD-35 video package. It was pretty awesome. And while, I like meeting new people, I'm completely obsessed with cave diving. And, I'd love to dive on Sunday, September 24th after the midwest workshop. Really any cave that I can fit into with backmounted LP85s in between Atlanta and near St. Louis, MO would be fine.

If someone will commit to diving that Sunday morning with me, I'll be there!

My wife's got her eye on some St. Louis BBQ, so I may be there anyway. :)

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Originally Posted by Joe Schofield

I had a great time at the June 3rd NSS-CDS conference in FL and I'm strongly considering going to this one. I met a lot of nice people. In FL, I showed up a day early, dove Cow and met Gayle Orner there. I dove Little River and met Tom Baurle and Steve Boyer. And, I had lunch sitting next to Woody Jasper and Lamar Hires--not to mention all the excelent presentations (Joshua's included!). (Which makes me really want to go side mount and do TAG diving!) Yeah, I got my one win of a lifetime in and won the UWLD-35 video package. It was pretty awesome. And while, I like meeting new people, I'm completely obsessed with cave diving. And, I'd love to dive on Sunday, September 24th after the midwest workshop. Really any cave that I can fit into with backmounted LP85s in between Atlanta and near St. Louis, MO would be fine.

If someone will commit to diving that Sunday morning with me, I'll be there!

My wife's got her eye on some St. Louis BBQ, so I may be there anyway. :)

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Hey Joe! A lot of us will be diving (likely) at Cannonball Cave off Lake Wappapello near Poplar Bluff MO. Usually a big group shows up to dive and we all use the same line to the cave entrance. It's an awesome cave and likely my favorite cave I've ever dove. You're more than welcome to join us when we go and I'm certain you can buddy up with someone there. Definitely make the trip up as its going to be a great time!

Happy to share that SUMP UK is sending us another harness to give away this year at the Midwest Workshop. If you're not familiar with this company, they make all kinds of hardware, wings, and now 3D printed items that are as extremely well made as they are useful. Andrew Goring has come up with several novel hardware concepts and continues to make useful and unique pieces. Check out his Facebook site for more info. This is a U.K. based company and we're super stoked to have their support. Thanks SUMP UK!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...71&cid=1&stc=1

HUGE SUPPORT from DEEP SIX this year! They have graciously donated a full sidemount regulator set for us to give away this year! Deep 6 has been huge supports of the NSS-CDS workshops and they continue to make every possible effort to help us make these workshops a success. This is an incredible donation and we're stoked to be able to give this reg set away! Thanks a ton Deep 6! And thanks to Chris Richardson for making this possible!!



View the reg set and all the other awesome gear from Deep 6 here: http://www.deep6gear.com/sidemount-regulator-package

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...72&cid=1&stc=1

Ozark Dive in Poplar Bluff has graciously donated a Mk17EVO/G260 for us to give away at the workshop this year! One heck of a reg combo from a local Midwest dive shop! Thanks a ton to Earnie for reaching out to support the workshop. Thanks for all the support!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...73&cid=1&stc=1

NSS CDS MIDWEST CAVE DIVING WORKSHOP HOTELS

Closest hotels are in Bridgeton, MO 63044, including:

-America’s Best Value Inn & Suites, 3655 Pennridge Dr.

-Super 8, 12705 St. Charles Rock Rd.

-Motel 6, 3470 Hollenberg Dr.

The meeting room is also halfway between the St. Louis International Airport and Earth City/Riverport, both of which areas have numerous hotels to choose from.

Speaker #6: Forrest Wilson!

"Forrest Wilson has been caving, and cave diving since the late '60s. He has been an NSS, and NSS-CDS member since the mid '70s. He served as Training Director for 6 years, and also as an Officer for about 6 more years. He has dived caves in 11 states, and 10 countries. He has dived everything from nice warm, clear springs to cold, low visibility sumps. In 2016 he was proclaimed a "Luminary" of the NSS, and gave a talk at the 2016 NSS convention in Ely Nevada. His talk at the Midwest Workshop will be a somewhat shortened version of that talk."

Attachment 17118

More donations from Dayo Scuba in Winter Park, Florida.

Really excited to announce an incredible donation from one of our biggest and most faithful supports, DIVE RITE! They have decided to let us give away one of their brand new HP50 Light Systems! They helped change the canister light game by introducing their LX20 a little bit ago and are now adding to the revolution. The HP50 light system gives you the choice between a can or can-less light, and boasts an impressive 3500 lumens. Winner will get the full light system allowing them to go between a canister or just the hand held. As if that wasn't enough, the guys at Dive Rite have also thrown in a couple of their slidelock reels to give away too. Dive Rite has been a huge support of the NSS-CDS and the Midwest Workshop specifically. Thanks Lamar and Jared and the rest of the crew for the incredible support!

Full specs here: https://www.diverite.com/hp50-light-system/

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...40&cid=1&stc=1

Shirt numbers have been placed but you can still register! We ordered a few extra of the popular sizes for those that show up the day before. HUGE thanks to the guys at Subgravity for not only designing the shirts but paying for them so that everyone in attendance goes home with a free shirt! The design is really cool and perfect colors for the fall season!

Pre-register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-ns...ts-36310754444

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...41&cid=1&stc=1

FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL
Location: Dave and Busters
Address: 13857 Riverport Dr., Maryland Heights 63043
Time: 6pm


Every year we do a social to get folks together to catch up and have some fun telling stories and talk about cave diving. The NSS-CDS will provide some appetizers for folks just let us know who's coming so we can make sure we reserve enough room in advance. Hope to see everyone there!!

http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...42&cid=1&stc=1

Super stoked to announce that Shearwater Research has graciously donated their newest Perdix AI computer WITH the transmitter!! One lucky person will go home with quite possibly the best dive computer in the industry. Thank you to everyone at Shearwater that made this happen. Shearwater supported us last year and it's great to have their continued support for this years workshop. It's shaping up to be an incredible time full of great speakers and incredible prizes!!



Make sure you give a huge thank you to Shearwater for their support.


http://www.cavediver.net/forum/attac...54&cid=1&stc=1

anyone with condition reports for roubidoux/cannonball or other BM dive sites in the area? Might visit on way down to bentonville and after the conference.

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Originally Posted by patpicos

anyone with condition reports for roubidoux/cannonball or other BM dive sites in the area? Might visit on way down to bentonville and after the conference.

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CBL: As of august 19 : . 30-40 ft vis with very little flow. Temp 60 degree. Line intact down to 240. Only a quarter inch of rain since then on August 31.

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Originally Posted by bl6394

CBL: As of august 19 : . 30-40 ft vis with very little flow. Temp 60 degree. Line intact down to 240. Only a quarter inch of rain since then on August 31.

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The amount of rain will change by end of next week with Irma now predicted to start moving west after Georgia. Due to arrive in MO/TN on Wednesday

fwiw, with the mid day Sunday storm track there is still very little rain forecast over the next week in the Farmington or StL area and none in the Waynesville area.

Rain forecasts are picking up a little bit, but still less than 0.25" thru TUE 19th.

Dived Roubidoux this weekend. No perceptible flow, a little milky-looking with 20-25 ft. visibility. 64 F water temp. Come on down.

WJH

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Originally Posted by scububa

Rain forecasts are picking up a little bit, but still less than 0.25" thru TUE 19th.

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This morning they are saying the storm is headed more northerly, and may miss MO completely.

Fingers cross for good conditions for everyone!

WOn't bother to repeaat the numbers as all can get them, but StL, Farmington (CB) and Waynesville (RBD) all have basically dropped any rain in the 10-day forecast.

Looking for activity recommendations for the Sunday morning in St. Louis to do with the missus (no diving) before i fly back home in late afternoon.

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Originally Posted by patpicos

Looking for activity recommendations for the Sunday morning in St. Louis to do with the missus (no diving) before i fly back home in late afternoon.

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What do you like?
Nice Botanical Garden, great museums at Forest Park, the art museum is world class and free. The Zoo is same place, same price opens at 9:00. If you like to get out and hike there are several nice parks/areas. Confluence Park where the Mississippi and Missouri meet is an option. Lots of birds migrating at this time. If you want some brunch options I can recommend a place or two. Grants Farm in the south part of town is nice with a little local history thrown in. I am not sure what state the Arch Grounds are in, but the museum there is one I like and of course there is the top of the Arch. We have no lack of casinos if that floats your boat (see what I did with that?)

Could make some other recommendations depending on your interests and amount of time. Feel free to PM.

Looking pretty good. Rain was not in, then in multiple days, but not really much, and now...
CB first image
RBD next
Attachment 17255Attachment 17256

Is there a list of vendors that will be at the show? Well, what I'm really after is four UW light dude 7.25 inch hose retainers (1 inch wide). And, there's not enough time to get them shipped to me before the workshop. I was thinking if one of the vendors sold those, I could reach out to them to see if they would bring them to the workshop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Joe Schofield

Is there a list of vendors that will be at the show? Well, what I'm really after is four UW light dude 7.25 inch hose retainers (1 inch wide). And, there's not enough time to get them shipped to me before the workshop. I was thinking if one of the vendors sold those, I could reach out to them to see if they would bring them to the workshop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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About the only vendor would be a local dive shop. While a lot of manufacturers have donated stuff, there won't be vendors like at the Florida Workshops.

Here is contact for a local dive shop:

Address:
9936 Kennerly Road
St. Louis, MO 63128

Directions/Map

Phone:
(314) 843-0354

FAX:
(314) 543-3002

General Company E-mail:
info@y-kiki.com

Just left Bennett spring30-40 foot vis at the surface, but apparently requires some prior permission to dive there. Oh well, on I go.

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Originally Posted by rchrds

Just left Bennett spring30-40 foot vis at the surface, but apparently requires some prior permission to dive there. Oh well, on I go.

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Yes, they only let so many in a day, require shore support, and only out of trout fishing season (something like Nov to Feb).

What about sheep cave in beaver lake?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by scububa

Yes, they only let so many in a day, require shore support, and only out of trout fishing season (something like Nov to Feb).

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The trout dudes were thick. And solo wouldn't have worked for shore support. Ha. So much for last minute setups.

Roubidoux conditions are still as above- almost no flow, 25-30 viz out to 1500 or so, then 10-15 after that to the second drop off.

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Originally Posted by rchrds

Roubidoux conditions are still as above- almost no flow, 25-30 viz out to 1500 or so, then 10-15 after that to the second drop off.

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Viz was very poor after it comes up again after the 220 section

How is this possible? Is there an infeeder of the clear water?

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Originally Posted by rchrds

How is this possible? Is there an infeeder of the clear water?

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It would seem so. FWIW, after about 1500' the viz was bad today. I turned at 3300, so I don't know what it was like beyond the second drop.

Well, I know I didn't stir it up ;-)

Big thanks to Josh for organizing this. Thank you also to the volunteers and companies that donated items.

Ya Josh, you knocked it out of the park again, based on what I can see! Sorry I missed out.

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Originally Posted by Napalm

Big thanks to Josh for organizing this. Thank you also to the volunteers and companies that donated items.

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The workshop went very well, everyone seem pleased. All the divesites had clear water (well at least when we started).

I dont think Linus is on the CDF, so we can talk bad about him for winning everything.

Thank you Josh for doing this again. I know the headaches it can be, and you knocked it out of the park again.

If this is the guy that won the shearwater and sidemount reg setup he bought $150.00 worth of tickets just before the drawing for the high ticket items. Not looking to start anything, but I did find this questionable.

Al

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Originally Posted by deepdiverbob

I dont think Linus is on the CDF, so we can talk bad about him for winning everything.

Thank you Josh for doing this again. I know the headaches it can be, and you knocked it out of the park again.

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Originally Posted by Scuba Al

If this is the guy that won the shearwater and sidemount reg setup he bought $150.00 worth of tickets just before the drawing for the high ticket items. Not looking to start anything, but I did find this questionable.

Al

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I would say it was more odds, and luck than questionable.

The fact he won one right after the other speaks volumes. All the tickets for the other table are out of the bucket greatly increasing the odds of a win. Not a sure thing, but again in "my" mind questionable. Seems to me ticket sales should end once the workshop begins. Also maybe only one premium prize per person? This is just my opinion and we all know about those :-) I won't say anything else, again don't want to start anything.
The workshop was fantastic, enjoyed the speakers and catching up with people. Josh and company hit it out of the park once again, Thanks.

Al

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Originally Posted by FW

I would say it was more odds, and luck than questionable.

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Originally Posted by Scuba Al

The fact he won one right after the other speaks volumes. All the tickets for the other table are out of the bucket greatly increasing the odds of a win. Not a sure thing, but again in "my" mind questionable. Seems to me ticket sales should end once the workshop begins. Also maybe only one premium prize per person? This is just my opinion and we all know about those :-) I won't say anything else, again don't want to start anything.
The workshop was fantastic, enjoyed the speakers and catching up with people. Josh and company hit it out of the park once again, Thanks.

Al

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There were mentions of opening ticket sales before the big items. He sure capitalized. He had more than 50 tickets in front of him. Regardless of how much he spent in total in tickets (id say $300 ish), he sure got his money back lol.

Its still a luck of the draw. I've had great success myself, buying less tickets. I spent quite a bit this weekend, and won an awesome CDS mat. I dont want to see people turned away from the CDS making more money. If this becomes a trend, then maybe the issue needs to be revisited.

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Originally Posted by patpicos

There were mentions of opening ticket sales before the big items. He sure capitalized. He had more than 50 tickets in front of him. Regardless of how much he spent in total in tickets (id say $300 ish), he sure got his money back lol.

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Closer to $450.

One thing I hate more than anything is if the raffles and sponsors and such cause attendees to lose sight of what we are actually trying to do. Its great to be able to give away some awesome prizes but the over all goal is to allow cave divers and other interested persons an event to learn and hear from other divers that are out there bringing light to new exploration, education, and conservation. It's never been my goal to make money from this event. However, the ticket sales are hands down the best way to be able to ensure we provide the NSS-CDS with funds to continue the organization and continue doing what they do for the cave diving community.

As Bob said, its odds and luck of the draw. I hope everyone had a great time and I really hope to see everyone at next years event. I'd love and welcome everyone's suggestions and criticism as I want to make sure we have the best workshop possible. So please feel free to reach out to me and let me know what you hated, loved, or would like changed.

HUGE thanks to all the volunteers for making this such a smooth running operation. Thanks to the many many sponsors that have continued to aid in making this workshop such a successful and overall fun event. Thanks to Subgravity for getting everyone an awesome free t-shirt. Thanks to KISS for sponsoring the food! Thanks to the numerous speakers for dedicating their time and effort for the workshop. And finally, thanks to everyone that attended this workshop and helped make this worthwhile for us to continue to put on. See you next year!

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Originally Posted by Sh0use

Closer to $450.

One thing I hate more than anything is if the raffles and sponsors and such cause attendees to lose sight of what we are actually trying to do. Its great to be able to give away some awesome prizes but the over all goal is to allow cave divers and other interested persons an event to learn and hear from other divers that are out there bringing light to new exploration, education, and conservation. It's never been my goal to make money from this event. However, the ticket sales are hands down the best way to be able to ensure we provide the NSS-CDS with funds to continue the organization and continue doing what they do for the cave diving community.

As Bob said, its odds and luck of the draw. I hope everyone had a great time and I really hope to see everyone at next years event. I'd love and welcome everyone's suggestions and criticism as I want to make sure we have the best workshop possible. So please feel free to reach out to me and let me know what you hated, loved, or would like changed.

HUGE thanks to all the volunteers for making this such a smooth running operation. Thanks to the many many sponsors that have continued to aid in making this workshop such a successful and overall fun event. Thanks to Subgravity for getting everyone an awesome free t-shirt. Thanks to KISS for sponsoring the food! Thanks to the numerous speakers for dedicating their time and effort for the workshop. And finally, thanks to everyone that attended this workshop and helped make this worthwhile for us to continue to put on. See you next year!

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Joshua did a great job running the workshop!

I suspect anyone unhappy with the raffle was just jealous that they didn't win anything :-D

I just looked in my logbook, and this was the 12th Midwest workshop. The first was in July 2006. We had the first 2 in July, the rest were in September, or October. I missed one in 2014. Has anyone been to all 12?