Earth Day is a time we all set aside to complete a special project that restores some of the health and beauty needed by our planet. This year, we will conduct an underwater debris collection on Park Reef, just off the mid-section of the State Park in Dania. This area gets a lot of boat traffic and thus collects some incidental trash from items lost overboard. Mesh bags and gloves will help complete this task.

We will also begin a hard-bottom mapping project to record elements and landmarks of the reef and the sanded limestone shelf before it. To accomplish this task, we need cameras that link to the GPS units we will deploy on the surface. A special program synchronizes landmark photos with their GPS location - an important data point for recording purposes. The data we collect will add to a Florida State base of information to be used in monitoring sedimentation from Port Everglades enlargement projects.

Bring your basic scuba kit and a flag, if you have one. Maximum depths will be around 25' and bottom time may be 60-75 minutes. Park entrance is only $4 per single-occupant car and $6 per carload of people. Fresh water showers, clean restrooms, and picnic facilities are available. Also, the famous Whiskey Creek Hideout cafe is onsite for our post-dive debrief.

RENTAL EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE for this dive. Please post request at least two hours before event time and we will bring gear to site. Advise us of size, if you need a BCD. Air tanks, $10; BCD, $15; Reg set, $15; Weights, any amount, $5.