Bottom Times: April 2026

Greetings and salutations!

Spring is here and the club is firing on all cylinders.

Last month was a blast—21 divers hit Carpinteria for the underwater Easter Egg Hunt, and somehow… we still left eggs for the fish. If you missed it, you missed a good one. And yes… we even made the news!

April is stacked!

Starting off with our April Speaker Darvil Mcbride. I have been in contact with Darvil for almost two years, and I am genuinely excited that he is finally making it out to our humble corner of the world to share his knowledge. I am even more excited for all of you, because this presentation is going to be a fun one.

The last time we had a presentation on this topic was three years ago—John Barrus, Lee Mackay, and Tom Hodge. Some of you might remember (I never forgot) … that was one of those nights no one wanted to end. Wild stories, real experiences, and yes… the blackout topic that makes you pause a bit.

Darvil is bringing that same energy—but with a lifetime of global experience, lessons learned, and insights that can make you a smarter, safer diver from day one. Expect great stories, real takeaways, and plenty of photos to go with it.

If you have ever been curious about freediving or spearfishing, this is your opportunity to learn what it is really about.

And speaking of that…

Rob Johnson, Dale Burrows, Rob Marion, and I met recently to dial in the Baja trip. The goal is simple…make this expedition epic. We are close to locking in the agenda. So, thank you for your patience.

It will be worth it… especially with my new speargun. Oh yeah.

I can already picture it. Somewhere off a remote stretch of Baja, grilling up the day’s hunt, surrounded by Channel Islands Divers and howling at the moon. And the best part? We are working on making it happen.

For our shore dive enthusiasts, we are taking a shot at Point Dume ("The ocean owes us one!" ~Divemaster Dan). Read his article in the April newsletter. I am really looking forward to this dive!

Also, my dear friends, this month is a Progressive Raffle The Insta360 is on the line so be sure to bring your old raffle tickets for another shot at winning. You can also buy more tickets at the meeting. Remember, all non-winning tickets roll into the progressive raffle… second chance win!

We are also seeing a ton of momentum in the club right now—new members, strong turnout, and more people getting in the water. This is what it is all about.

If you have been on the fence… this is your sign.

Show up. Get wet. Be part of it.

See you at the meeting.

Del