Welcome to Patowmack Divers
Who We Are
Patowmack Divers is a social group of people with a common interest: SCUBA DIVING!! Our members are male and female, from 20s to mid 60s, and from all walks of life. Our diving experience ranges from recently certified to old salts; from warm water photographers, to deep wreck technical divers, and cave divers.
Meetings
Wednesday, April 4
We will not meet on April 4. Our meeting will be combined with the Pasta Pigout -- that "lowest form of dinner party" with great food, lots of great company, great supply of wine, and a great time--on Saturday, April 14 at 6 pm. Contact the club for details. We will have our regular meeting on Wednesday, May 2 when Dr Lita Proctor discusses her research on the role of microbes in the marine environment. June, July, and August programs will be announced soon.
In the meantime, see our New Trips page for lots of upcoming trips.
Wednesday, February 1--New Dive Shop in The Area
Meet the owner of Submerged in Rockville and learn about what they have to offer.
Past Wednesday, October 5--Diving Fiji
Patowmack Divers members Gloria, Sarah and Kris showed pictures and discussed their trip in May to Fiji on the Nai'a
Past Meeting--Wednesday, September 7--Marvin Barrash will discuss his book on the U.S.S. Cyclops
From the day it was realized that the U.S.S. Cyclops would never arrive at her destination, much attention has been drawn to the subject of this colossal collier. Many have been curious because of the mystery surrounding her disappearance in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle. Others are interested in naval history and some because of a family connection to a member of her crew. For more details click here
Also...
Shooting In The Wild by Chris Palmer, and Marine Sponges: Symbiotic Bacteria & New Drugs by Dr. Russell Hill & Naomi Montavo.
Past Meeting--Wednesday, August 3--Diving the U.S.S. Monitor - Archaeology at 240 feet with Ron Carmichael
The year 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the civil war. Technical Diving Instructor Ron Carmichael explored the wreck of the U.S.S. Monitor. Topics discussed include the wreck's history, Trimix dive planning for 240 foot dives and training required to dive such a historic deep wreck.
Past Meeting--Wednesday, May 4--New Frontiers In Dive Medicine
DAN Referral-Physician Dr. Craig Cook is involved in undersea exploration and undersea medicine. As a physician he is especially interested in the mechanisms of decompression sickness and its treatment in remote locations. He has been an active diver for more than 40 years and is a PADI dive instructor.
Dr. Cook is a contributing author for the medical textbook Expedition Medicine to which he contributed chapters on dive medicine and hazardous marine life. He is currently the Medical Editor for Sport Diver Magazine. Dr. Cook has also served as a consultant to NOAA for search and rescue procedures in diving operations and is one of the contributing authors to the NOAA Diving Manual. He is an award-winning underwater photographer whose photographs have been published in multiple magazines, books, and calendars.
up-coming programs at future club meetings will include Shooting In The Wild by Chris Palmer, and Marine Sponges: Symbiotic Bacteria & New Drugs by Dr. Russell Hill & Naomi Montavo.
Our best meetings are when we go diving with Patowmack Divers guests.
What We Do
Patowmack Divers arranges several dive trips per year to locations off Virginia and Maryland seashores, Outer Banks, NC, and other great dive sites in the United States, the Caribbean, and beyond. We also schedule local tune-up dives in local pools and quarries. Group purchasing power allows us to enjoy discounts on charters, rentals, and accommodations. We are also active in preservation, research, and environmental protection. We take full advantage of the aquatic expertise in the DC metro area for speakers at our meetings, including such diverse topics as Underwater Archeology, Reef Ecology, Treasure Hunting Expeditions, and Aquarium setup and operations.
We also have an annual Pasta Pigout to enjoy fresh pasta, good sauce, good wine, and good conversation.
Where We Dive
The short answer is anywhere. Club dive trips can be two divers or a dozen. Our recent dive trips include local quarries, West Palm Beach, Cozumel, Puerto Rico, Belize, St. Vincent, Palau, Sidapan, the Philipines, and Indonesia.
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