Bottom Times: September 2026

Greetings and salutations, Amigos!

What a great time to be a Channel Islands Diver!

Our club continues to grow, and we are now 115 members strong! Even better than the number

itself is the participation we’re seeing. Our trips are filling up, members are showing up, and

there is a lot of enthusiasm around this club right now. We are absolutely killing it on

participations, and there is still so much more to come!

Our Ensenada trip last month was an absolute blast. It was one of those trips that reminded me

why I enjoy being part of this club so much. Great diving, a few unexpected Baja adventures,

and most importantly, a really fun group of people to share it all with. If you haven’t read the trip

report yet, grab a cup of coffee or maybe a tequila, because I got a little carried away with that one!

And we, as a club, are not slowing down anytime soon. Our Refugio BBQ is September 19,

Cozumel is only about a month away, followed by Catalina, Santa Cruz Island, our Christmas

Party, and plenty more diving along the way.

And there's another Baja adventure coming 2027! It's already picking up momentum.. and giving our members even more reasons to get out there and dive together.

I’m really excited about what the rest of this year—and especially 2027—has in store for CID.

We’ve built some great momentum, and from where I’m sitting, this club is just getting better.

Of course, 2027 will be a little different for me because I will not be a board member.

Yep, this will be my final Bottom Times as President. The next one will be written by your new

president. A few people have asked me why I’m stepping down. Is everything okay? Did something happen?

Nope. Everything is good.

I’ve always believed that about two years is a good amount of time for a club president.

Leadership changes are healthy. A new president brings new energy, different ideas and maybe even a few adventures that the rest of us haven’t thought of yet. To me, that’s exciting. The club shouldn’t belong to one president or one board—it belongs to all of us.

So, to any current or former board member who has thought about stepping into the President

position, I really encourage you to consider it. I can tell you from experience that it is worth

doing. You get an opportunity to help shape the direction of the club, work with a great group of people and, occasionally, convince a bunch of divers to follow you across the Mexican border.

It truly has been my pleasure serving on this board and as your president. I’m taking with me a

lot of great memories, but what makes those memories special is that we created them together.

The dives, road trips, meetings, dinners, laughs, friendships and even the occasional

chaos…that’s what makes CID what it is. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just be sitting on the other side of the room as a regular member and looking forward to continue diving with you all.

And I also want to mention something that may not always get a lot of attention: our club is

doing great financially!

CID is now in a position where we can independently put up the deposits and upfront costs for

our trips. We have built a healthy financial cushion that allows us to plan ahead, secure trips

early, and make things happen without having to wait for all the money to come in first. That is a really nice position for our club to be in.

And we didn’t get there overnight. That financial stability is the result of current and past board

members slowly and steadily putting money away, being responsible with club funds, and always keeping the future of CID in mind.

But I especially want to recognize our current and past treasurers, because they deserve a huge amount of the credit. They are the ones behind the scenes keeping an eye on every dollar,

tracking everything coming in and going out, keeping the board informed, and occasionally

reminding the rest of us that we can’t spend money just because Del has another great idea.

Seriously, that job takes a lot of time and responsibility, and the financial position we are in

today is a reflection of years of good stewardship.

So, a big round of applause to our treasurers, and to all of our past and current board members

who helped build that cushion one year at a time. Today, our entire club is benefiting from

it..

This is another sign that CID is in a really good place and something we should all be proud of..

For now, 115 members and growing, trips filling up, Cozumel around the corner, and 2027

already taking shape.

The club is in a great place, amigos.

Let’s keep it going!

Del Stewart

President, Channel Islands Divers