Legislative Alert

[HarleyDiver]

Just received this, please read.


PADI Americas
30151 Tomas Street
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-2125
USA
Ph.: (800) 729-7234 or (US) (949) 858-7234
Fax: (949) 858 7264
Email: webmaster@padi.com
http://www.padi.com


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Dear Lance,

We have a unique opportunity to sink only the second diveable aircraft carrier in the world in the waters off Miami. But, we need your help. The Florida Legislature is meeting right now on the general issue of economic development, and will be in session through Thursday of this week. Florida divers and PADI members who would like to see this incredible dive site happen need to contact their legislators and urge them to support the resolution by Wednesday. We're sorry for the short notice, but just learned about this today. We've included a sample letter below for you to email to your legislators. If you aren't sure about your Representative or Senate member or don't have their contact information, the best source to get information on members of the Florida House of Representatives is to look at www.myfloridahouse.com, and for the Florida Senate, www.flsenate.gov. Their email addresses are included with their contact information.

Thank you for your time,

Bob Coleman
Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing
PADI Americas


Dear Florida Legislator:

Florida scuba divers support the resolution sponsored by the Miami-Dade County legislative delegation at this week's economic development special session. The resolution would organize an advisory council to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for the placement of U.S. Navy vessels as artificial reefs in Florida. The resolution would require that the FWC utilize criteria which emphasizes economic development, the generation of the maximum projected economic and other beneficial impacts to the state of Florida, and accessibility to the reef by Florida residents and tourists, when making a decision on the placement of these Navy vessels as artificial reefs.

Sincerely,



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[CincyBengalsFan]

Well, this was in this months issue of Dive Training magazine.

Miami claims they need it to boost up travel industry down there. Even though the Speigal is just 1.5 hrs. away. But Pensacola, Fla. is #1 right now on the list to get it. Personally I hope it goes to Pensacola. They could use the travel industry money over Miami, I'm pretty sure of that one. Not to mention it would be closer for me.

VOTE PENSACOLA

 

[netmage]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...
Well, this was in this months issue of Dive Training magazine.

Miami claims they need it to boost up travel industry down there. Even though the Speigal is just 1.5 hrs. away. But Pensacola, Fla. is #1 right now on the list to get it. Personally I hope it goes to Pensacola. They could use the travel industry money over Miami, I'm pretty sure of that one. Not to mention it would be closer for me.

VOTE PENSACOLA

I'm not sure what the diving is like in Pensacola - but it appears Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Keys has plenty of diving opportunities to give someone alot of variety and options for diving. (Pennekamp, Grove, Duane, Bibb, countless other wrecks up around Ft. Lauderdale.)

Putting a huge wreck like this someplace that has limited options would seem to have the bigger boost on a local economy. In the Miami area it might get lost in the array of options... However in Pensacola it could be the star attraction and I could see people making entire dive trips out of the one wreck.... (Again - this is all based on my lack of knowledge about diving in Pensacola - for all I know it could be just as good as Key Largo)

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

I know there is good diving in Panama City, Destin and over in Alabama...But I don't know about Pensacola either. I would think the viz. and occasional wreck around that area would be the same for Pensacola.

This aircraft carrier is 888 ft. long. Hands down the largest artificial reef in the world, once they sink it.

It's in Texas now so Pensacola would be so much easier and pratical for them.

It could really be a booster for their local economy alright.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

I am curious to start diving the pensacola area next year as it's only half the distance that Lauderdale is. Are there any wrecks there currently? I'd rather drive 4 hours to hit great beaches n dives than 8!

 

[Genesis]

There is a LOT of diving off Pensacola and Destin.

This latest thing from PADI is a load of B.S. It appears to have been orchestrated by "Dive Miami", who is pizzed off to no limit as a consequence of the FWC's decision to place the Oriskany off Pensacola. They have pulled out all the stops in a brazen attempt to get the FWC to change a made decision, including sabre rattling about alleged improprieties in the FWC itself.

Frankly, Dive Miami's actions in this matter come dangerously close to being SO self-serving that any reasonable person would instead organize a boycott of the members of the alliance - which would be most of the dive shops down there. You DO have other options in South Florida, 'ya know.....

The actual planned location is about 25 miles from EITHER Pensacola's pass or Destin's pass. It will be, if it comes here, sunk in roughly 220 feet of water, and will be diveable for anything from recreational divers (50' or so to the top of the superstructure) to the bottom at 220 for trimix divers.

We have no good deep wrecks of this kind right now. Zero. We have a lot of intentional wrecks and some good reefs, but nothing like this.

The draw for this area, from Pensacola to Destin, will be significant. The only "really nice and deep" wreck in this area right now is the Ozark, which is sitting in close to 300' of water and is completely beyond the reach of recreational diving at all. It is also 40 miles offshore!

Pensacola was chosen due to it being THE Naval Aviation training center. It is only fitting that she be deployed here if she's going to be sunk at all, as a tribute to the thousands of men that have been trained to fly in Naval Aviation throughout our nation's recent history at the Pensacola NAS.

If you decide to come this way I can give you a list of more than a dozen good artificial reefs in recreational limits. We have a load of fun out here - in fact, I was diving out of Destin today.