The Down Under Dive Club (DUDC) is located in Melbourne on the sunny east central coast of Florida. Formed in 1984 by a group of enthusiastic divers, DUDC currently has about 100 members. Our mission is to promote safe, organized dive events, provide a social setting comfortable to everyone, and encourage environmental responsibility among the diving community. Our past dives covered the Atlantic ocean, from Georgia to Bonaire. We organize all types of dives: drift dives, wreck dives, shore dives, live-aboards, spring dives, and even shark dives! Our members include a diverse group of divers. There are men, women and kids, ages from 11 to 65+ with all certification levels from new Open Water divers to Instructors.
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Indian River Lagoon House, Located just south of University Blvd. on US1 in Melbourne. Door prizes are awarded each month and we book a fascinating assortment of guest speakers. We invite everyone interested in SCUBA diving to stop by for some stimulating conversation, meet our group, and have some fun!
Rob Murphy Update
Wednesday, September 01 2010
At a previous club meeting we had Rob Murphy as a speaker. An avid spear fisherman, he shared his story about being struck by a boat after surfacing from a dive. This incident, in January of 2009, resulted in the loss of both his legs, though he has since returned to spear fishing. At that time, charges were still pending against Roger Nicosia, the doctor who was driving the boat that struck Rob Murphy. On August 18, a Martin County judge found him guilty of violating navigational rules. He was sentenced to six months of probation and restitution of court fees on the misdemeanor charges. This brings Rob Murphy some degree of vindication and should bolster his pending civil case. More information is available from numerous news sources:
Randy Jordan of Emerald Charters will be the speaker for our September 8 club meeting. He will be speaking about Goliath Groupers, Lemon Sharks, and Bull Sharks. Besides being a talented and experienced diver, he is skilled at collecting lobster and spear fishing. Additionally, he has earned a reputation among the dive community for his interactions with the larger denizens of our waters. Finally, he is also known for his ability to amiably relate stories of his diving experiences.
Blue Heron Bridge on August 14
Sunday, August 22 2010
Squid in the Clouds
Our own Jeri Curley took this beautiful photograph on August 14, during the club's Blue Heron Bridge dive. It is up for votes in a photography contest. Those who missed that trip can see what they are missing.
Blue Heron Bridge on August 14
Tuesday, August 10 2010
Blue Heron Bridge dive is planned for August 14. The plan is to be in the water by 11:45am. This dive is shallow and cost effective (no boat). The dive is typically planned as a single tank around the peak of high tide. NOAA is predicting that to be 12:29pm. Because of the shallow depth, a single tank will last a long time and nitrogen limits are almost irrelevant. At the same time, the variety of creatures and the beauty of the site is a favorite among photographers including Ned DeLoach.
For more information, contact
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Rex "Chip" Baumberger
Sunday, August 08 2010
At the next meeting, Rex "Chip" Baumberger of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute will give a presentation called "Fish of the Coral Reef" discussing ecological issues and how divers may actively assess reef health through fish counts.
