For Jason Demers '96 and Brian Balsis '96, the annual Winter Carnival polar bear swim just does not cut it when it comes to winter diving. They are looking for something just a little cooler.
Demers and Balsis plan on diving in New England, no matter what the weather report says. Throwing caution to the wind, they have planned the first winter dive of the revived scuba club for February 19 at Nubble Light, in York, Me.
The possibility of sub-zero temperatures are not a deterrent. "The temperature? Good question. The water should be in the upper 30s," said Balsis, treasurer of the club, "but if it's zero out and ice on the rocks, obviously we won't go."
Diving for lobsters off the coast of Massachusetts and New Hampshire have made Demers and Balsis thick skinned to the cold waters associated with diving in New England. According to Balsis, one purpose of the club is to introduce other divers to the excitement and challenge of cold water diving.
"Most people are warm water divers. We wanted to expose people to diving in New England," said Balsis.
The co-founders first envisioned the club as a way to get people on campus together who shared their interest in diving, whether it be warm or cold water.
Obviously, they are not the only two divers looking for an adventure. The club currently has 28 members, certified as well as uncertified, ranging from undergraduates, Tuck and graduate school students and even a faculty member.
Demers feels the club provides the opportunity for members of the Dartmouth community who have not done much diving to gain more experience, and for experienced divers to gather and plan trips based on their common interests.
Still, Demers and Balsis know the thought of submerging into water colder than a bath is enough to keep others from joining in.
With this in mind, Demers wants the club to arrange dives that will not require tents, heaters and wet suits, with plans to schedule trips during warmer times of the year. Especially sophomore summer when Dartmouth students just about forget how cold it really was the previous winter.
"I was really thinking about dives during the summer," said Demers, who added that members are considering organizing wreck dives, which are best during the fall, as well as night dives and seal dives.
"A goal we're reaching for would be to eventually raise enough money to do a spring break trip to the Caribbean," said Demers. "It would be a reward for members doing their fund raising. "
At the end of Fall term, Balsis and Demers went around campus putting up flyers about an informational meeting. Based on the response, they felt that they had enough support to organize a club.
Knowing that they had a core group interested in the club, Balsis and Demers went looking for a base.
"If no one wanted to do it, there's not much we could do," said Balsis. "The main motivational push was the response we got."
Demers and Balsis approached the Dartmouth Outing Club with their idea, but were told the D.O.C. was not taking any new affiliations at the time. They next went to Ken Jones, associate director of physical education, and found out the idea was not such a crazy one after all.
Jones was excited that Demers and Balsis would be reviving the College's scuba club from the early 1980s that disbanded because of a lack of interest. According to Jones, the College not only had facilities available for the group that added to the ease of restarting the club, but an already existing budget of $800 in the original club budget.
"When Jason started asking questions about forming a club, it was great. They not only could get the club organized and running, but there was a budget too," Jones said.
What Demers and Balsis have created is not that unusual Jones said. When students have ideas about starting a club, the College sees where it fits and what it can offer the students, as well as being sure the club is going to become a permanent fixture, Jones said.
There are 14 active clubs on campus which can fall under the College either through the Dartmouth College Athletic Council, the D.O.C or Committee On Student Organizations, Jones said. The scuba club fell under the sphere of the DCAC. The club is still only recognized on a provisional basis, which is standard for beginning clubs, Jones said.
"We've got them organized and we'll see if they operate for a year to make sure that there is permanent interest in providing an activity for the students," he said.
The club's adviser, Randy Miller, who has been teaching scuba classes at Dartmouth for the past three years, feels that the club is an excellent idea.
It is not unusual for Miller, who has been diving since 1963, to take weekend trips in the winter, most recently logging 15 dives under ice at Lake Fairlee. Miller, who has seen a steady stream of people come through his classes, says he feels many people dive because of the thrill.
"Diving is an adventure," he said. "I think it's a good idea to get warm water divers involved."
Miller cited the added complexity of New England winter diving, as well as his own experience, as reasons for his interest and involvement with the new club. Miller feels that the New England area offers some of the best unspoiled diving around, that is, if you know what you are in for. Miller advises a little more care and pool time practice for warm water divers.
"It's not a good idea to put someone in who has never been in New England conditions without practice," he said, "it's a real eye-opener."
The divers of Dartmouth are ready for the challenge though, with new members praising the advent of the club, even if they are not one of the five headed for Maine in February.
"I think it's great," said club member David Zipkin '97. "Diving is relatively uncommon in New Hampshire. The club allows people to get a group together and organize dives."
Zipkin, while excited about the club, will not be donning his gear for the Nubble Light expedition since he is primarily a warm water diver.
"I'm not really too psyched for that dive," said Zipkin, who added that people have told him about cold water diving, "they say it's horrible."
Besides braving the cold, ice and snow of New England diving, there will be perks for club members, including discount rates on classes, purchasing power for equipment and a 50 percent discount on rental equipment.
There are currently no dues for clubs members, who are expected to help pay for transportation on dives they participate in. Balsis said that the club will be having a raffle to raise money.
