The New York City Sea Gypsies
As COVID-19 cases fall and the New York and New Jersey area moves towards reopening, charter boat diving has also begun for the season, and, our club dives have resumed. We will not be doing the traditional Introduction to Northeast Diving camping weekend at Dutch Springs, but we will facilitate more informal mentoring by experienced northeast divers who have volunteered to dive at Dutch Springs with divers who are new to northeast conditions - watch your club email for more information about this.
The decision to do boat diving this season is going to be a personal one based on your own risk factors. Until there is a vaccine, everyone is at risk of contracting COVID-19. All of us - especially those with underlying health issues - will have to make hard decisions this year. If you have concerns, especially if you are at significantly increased risk, you shouldn’t do a charter boat dive. Certainly anyone who feels that they might be currently sick should not be around anyone else before being evaluated by their physician.
However, the Sea Gypsies will not try to independently assess these endless and largely unknown factors. Rather, we will follow state guidelines, which are based on a wide range of data, such as population-wide antibody screening, hospitalization rates, and PCR testing results. And of course the captains have the final say on the implementation of these guidelines on their dive boats.
The captains have instituted a number of new practices to minimize the risk of virus transmission. These vary from boat to boat, so contact them directly if you have specific questions about this.
Michael Rothschild
Dive Chair
NYC Sea Gypsies
The decision to do boat diving this season is going to be a personal one based on your own risk factors. Until there is a vaccine, everyone is at risk of contracting COVID-19. All of us - especially those with underlying health issues - will have to make hard decisions this year. If you have concerns, especially if you are at significantly increased risk, you shouldn’t do a charter boat dive. Certainly anyone who feels that they might be currently sick should not be around anyone else before being evaluated by their physician.
However, the Sea Gypsies will not try to independently assess these endless and largely unknown factors. Rather, we will follow state guidelines, which are based on a wide range of data, such as population-wide antibody screening, hospitalization rates, and PCR testing results. And of course the captains have the final say on the implementation of these guidelines on their dive boats.
The captains have instituted a number of new practices to minimize the risk of virus transmission. These vary from boat to boat, so contact them directly if you have specific questions about this.
Michael Rothschild
Dive Chair
NYC Sea Gypsies
2020 Local Dive Boat Charters
| DATE | DIVE BOAT | DETAILS | SPONSOR | CAPTAIN'S CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS | CAPTAIN'S EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENT* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, May 16 | Indy II | Stolt Dagali (60-130'), 10 spots @ $125 [SOLD OUT-CANCELLED] | Bryan Mitchener | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel, ASD |
| Sun, May 24 | Ol Salty | Pinta (55-85'), 15 spots @ $120 [CANCELLED] | Sandra Clopp | OW | DC, RGS, SMB, Reel, ASD |
| Sat, May 30 | Halftime | Oregon (125'), 6 spots @ $150 [SOLD OUT-CANCELLED] | Elliot Bertoni | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sat, Jun 6 | Gypsy Blood | Mohawk (80'), 16 spots at $110 [SOLD OUT] | Renata Rojas | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sat, Jun 20 | Indy II | Algol (70-145'), 10 spots @ $125 [SOLD OUT] | Rick Hormigo | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel, ASD |
| Sat, Jun 27 | Gypsy Blood | Intro to NE Diving: Venturo Tug (70'), afternoon dive, 16 spots @ $80 [CANCELLED] | Antonio Simonini | AOW (OW with Pro) | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sat, Jul 11 | Halftime | Panther (60'), 6 spots @ $115 [SOLD OUT] | Yuri | OW | SMB, Reel |
| Sun, Jul 19 | Gypsy Blood | Coney Island (80-125'), 8 spots @ $110 [SOLD OUT] | Mike Fiechter | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Fri, Jul 24 | Gypsy Blood | Stolt Dagali plus Night Dive on SS Mohawk, 10 spots @ $240 [SOLD OUT] | Michael Rothschild | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sun, Jul 26 | Halftime | Mandy Ray (85'), 6 spots @ $115 [SOLD OUT] | Yuri | OW | SMB, Reel |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Sea Turtle | Block Island - Lightburne (30') and the Pinnacles (75'), 6 spots @ $150 [SOLD OUT-CANCELLED] | Beth MccCrea | OW | None |
| Sun, Aug 23 | Sea Turtle | Block Island - Lightburne (30') and the Pinnacles (75'), 6 spots @ $150 [SOLD OUT-CANCELLED] | Beth MccCrea | OW | None |
| Sat, Aug 29 | Gypsy Blood | Intro to NE Diving: Stolt Dagali (60-130'), 16 spots @ $100 [2 SPOTS LEFT] | Mike Fiechter | AOW (OW with Pro) | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Sea Hawk | Iberia (60'), 4 spots @ $125 [SOLD OUT] | Craig Slosberg | OW | None |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Indy II | Balaena (170'), 10 spots @ $125 [SOLD OUT] | William Ahrens | DP & Northeast Experience | RGS, SMB, Reel, ASD |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Gypsy Blood | Arundo (110-140'), 16 spots @ $100 | Timothy Lindblom | AOW & PADI deep or equivalent | RGS, SMB, Reel |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Gypsy Blood | Tolten (95'), 16 spots @ $100 [SOLD OUT] | Joshua Levkov | AOW | RGS, SMB, Reel |
*RGS = Redundant Gas Supply (i.e. pony tank and reg for single tank divers), SMB = Surface Marker Buoy, Line = Reel or Spool of adequate length to deploy SMB from bottom, ASD = Audible Signaling Device (e.g. whistle).
Other Club Dives for 2020
| DATE | LOCATION | SPONSOR |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Apr 18 | Dutch Springs Opening Day [CANCELLED] | Greg Rosengarten |
| Sat, Jun 13 | Dutch Springs Intro to NE diving [CANCELLED] | Meredith Massey |
| Sat, Jul 18 | Dutch Springs International Women's Day [CANCELLED] | Meredith Massey |
| Sun, Aug 2 | Beach 8th Street [CANCELLED] | Nick Tromboukis and Superdive Foundation |
| Aug 16-21 | Thousand Islands [CANCELLED] | Elliot Bertoni & Robert McCarthy |
| Aug 21-24 | Long Island camping & diving weekend [CANCELLED] | Beth McCrea |
| Sep 4-8 | North Carolina [CANCELLED] | Mats Stahlkrantz |
| Sep 18-20 | Belmar NJ shore diving weekend (hotel or camping) [CANCELLED] | Beth McCrea |
| Nov 14-21 | Little Cayman [CANCELLED] | Beth McCrea |
For boat charters, the minimum certification and equipment requirements listed on this schedule are the requirements of the boat captains. The NYC Sea Gypsies do not vet divers, or determine if any diver is qualified to do any dive. This is up to the diver and the captain, please contact them directly if you have any questions about the suitability of a dive for you. Click here for our club diving requirements.
For shore dives, the decision to participate in a club dive by any certified diver must be made by the diver alone, considering their training and experience.
For all dives, the NYC Sea Gypsies do not provide buddies, gear, transportation or training. However, the dive sponsors will do their best to help club members find what they need for a dive by setting up email groups for the rosters to help people coordinate rides, buddies, etc…
To reserve a spot on any of the above dives, you must contact me directly before sending in any payment. I will confirm availability of a spot and that your certification level meets the captains requirement if applicable. Once this has been confirmed, you can pay to secure your place on the dive, as long as we have a copy of your C-card on file and your waiver for the current year.
Payment can be done by cash, check, or by Zelle or PayPal to treasurer@seagypsies.nyc. Please contact me using this form or by email to reserve a spot, or if you have any questions.
Michael Rothschild
Dive Chair
NYC Sea Gypsies
diving@seagypsies.nyc
For shore dives, the decision to participate in a club dive by any certified diver must be made by the diver alone, considering their training and experience.
For all dives, the NYC Sea Gypsies do not provide buddies, gear, transportation or training. However, the dive sponsors will do their best to help club members find what they need for a dive by setting up email groups for the rosters to help people coordinate rides, buddies, etc…
To reserve a spot on any of the above dives, you must contact me directly before sending in any payment. I will confirm availability of a spot and that your certification level meets the captains requirement if applicable. Once this has been confirmed, you can pay to secure your place on the dive, as long as we have a copy of your C-card on file and your waiver for the current year.
Payment can be done by cash, check, or by Zelle or PayPal to treasurer@seagypsies.nyc. Please contact me using this form or by email to reserve a spot, or if you have any questions.
Michael Rothschild
Dive Chair
NYC Sea Gypsies
diving@seagypsies.nyc