I recently got a phone call from Ronda Moniz, a member of the old and famous Boston Sea Rovers dive club.  For 55 years, they have sponsored an annual Underwater Clinic and Film Festival.  This event is very popular with divers from all over the country.  At her request, I am providing a copy of the press release announcing their next event.

The Boston Sea Rovers

Underwater Clinic and Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Boston Sea Rovers, one of this country’s oldest and most prestigious dive clubs, have announced they will be sponsoring their historic 55^th Annual Underwater Clinic March 6^th – 8^th, 2008 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, St. James Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s event is sure to uphold their time-honored tradition to “Raise the Level of Knowledge of the Underwater World”. Features of the Clinic include over forty daytime seminars covering every aspect of scuba diving and the marine environment, including a dozen detailed workshops on advanced diving techniques, a world class evening film festival, and, with over sixty booths, the largest display of dive equipment and services in New England for the year. Tickets at the door for the evening show are $25 per person, and tickets for the Clinic Saturday, which includes exhibit displays and the diverse programs offered, are $25. On Sunday, admission is $20, children under 12 are free, and admission for students with valid ID and Senior Citizens is only $15. Daytime events run from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on Saturday, March 7^th, and 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM on Sunday, March 8^th. Exhibit hall opens 15 minutes prior.

The spectacular Saturday Evening Film Festival is one of the most prestigious in the underwater world. The Saturday Evening Film Festival runs from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM, and will be held at the John Hancock Hall, two blocks from the hotel.
The Sea Rovers are a not-for-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the marine environment. A portion of the proceeds benefits scholarships, and SeaMark, an organization dedicated to helping children with disabilities. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets or obtaining further information should call (617) 424-9899, write to the Boston Sea Rovers, P.O. Box 935, Bedford, MA 01730-0935, or visit our website at http://www.bostonsearovers.com.

We wish the Boston Sea Rovers great success with this event.  Maybe some of our readers will be in the area and can make plans to attend this event.

Phil Ellis

Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com

In tight economic times, divers begin looking for ways to enjoy our great sport without spending a ton of money.  Short, weekend trips become all the rage when money and time are short.  Here in Alabama, we are fortunate to be close to lots of great scuba diving.  Our panhandle coast destinations in Panama City, Destin, and Pensacola provide ocean shipwreck diving that rivals almost anywhere.

We are also fortunate to have easy access to the some of the best freshwater diving in the country.  The natural springs of central Florida and the Florida panhandle  provide some amazing diving.  If you haven’t taken advantage of these great fresh-water resources,  maybe this would be the year.  For those who might have forgotten just how good this diving can be, we have provided a image that will make you forget the cold weather and head just a little bit south for some simply amazing diving.

We are in the process of planning some weekend, fresh-water diving trips for the 2009 diving season.  If you have particular dates you would like to travel and particular sites you would like to visit, give us a call and maybe we can plan a weekend group trip that fits your travel needs.

Phil Ellis

Fun Group Dive Travel with DiveSports.com

About the Image Above: This image was provided to us by our friend Matthew Bull, or “SuPrBuGmAn” as he is known on ScubaBoard.com.  Matthew took this photograph in 2004 at Cypress Springs.  Matthew made a great photograph here, but he also had a great subject.  Looking at this picture surely makes you want to explore the fresh-water springs of Florida.  We will be providing you with a few more of Matthew’s photographic gems in future posts.