Sterling Silver Scuba had its first weekend of the summerfest at Dutch Spring during Memorial Day weekend. More than a dozen new OW students were certified. In addition, we had a few AOW and several specialties: wreck, DPVs, Drysuits, etc. The water was in the 60’s up to 30ft and 45-50 below the thermocline. The visibility was about 30ft.
On Friday, the SSS staff (KevinD, Jason, Carl, Dan, Larry, Jeremy, Annette, JF, Melissa and Derek) left Sterling as a caravan around 10am. The caravan reached Dutch mid afternoon around 2:30pm after pit stop midway. Most of the staff took a DPV training specialty course with KevinD before the students showed up.
On Saturday, we broke the OW student into 3 groups (1 large group of HS students, and two smaller groups with young divers) for their 3 first check out dives with Carl and Dan. Kevin was focusing on the specialty dives. After many hours of training, we had a BBQ for all the staff, students and family. After dinner, a group of braves went for a night dive to the Sikorsky.
On Sunday, we completed the OW check out dives and additional specialty dives. Immediately after, Larry and Jeremy guided a group of newly certified divers on a fun dive at the Sikorsky. After lunch another group went to the chopper and the new Corsair wreck.
As for myself, I had a great weekend camping, eating and diving with my family and staff. JP, Steph and Nathalie spent the weekend camping with me. I did a couple of fun dives with Nathalie. Stephie had a cold and couldn’t dive. JP did a couple specialties (wreck and DPV). I also had a few dives with Derek in preparation to our Oriskany trip in a few weeks, a couple DMC internships with Kevin during the specialty classes and did a fair amount of logistics as a DMC.
Overall, a very busy weekend.... 15 new OWs, 4 AOWs, 1 wreck, 4 Drysuits, 8 DPVs, 1 DM and a bunch of DMC internships... See you all weekend of June 14-15 for our Summerfest Dutch trip 2.