We've got some more used gear for sale, take a look.

Here are the winners from the May Intraclub Competition. Head over to the photo gallery to see the digital winners. I've added notes on all the print winners I can remember, please send comments on any I forgot.

CREATIVE FREESTYLE PRINTS
1ST PLACE = JIM LYLE (double pygmy seahorses)
2ND PLACE = ROGER CARLSON (watercolor motion blur sgt majors)
3RD PLACE = MARGARET WEBB (Dendronotus iris)
 
MARINE RELATED DIGITAL
1ST PLACE = MATT SEGAL
2ND PLACE = JIM LYLE
3RD PLACE = TODD WINNER
 
NOVICE CALIFORNIA PRINTS (can't recall, send help!)
1ST PLACE = CHRISTIAN VON STENTZSCH 
2ND PLACE = MARGARET WEBB
3RD PLACE = JOHN GONDA
 
NOVICE COLOR PRINTS (can't recall, send help!)
1ST PLACE = JOHN GONDA (longnose hawkfish)
2ND PLACE = MARGARET WEBB
3RD PLACE = SCOTT WEBB
 
NOVICE CALIFORNIA DIGITAL
1ST PLACE = JOHN GONDA
2ND PLACE = JOHN GONDA
3RD PLACE = JUDY CARLSON
 
NOVICE COLOR DIGITAL
1ST PLACE = JOHN GONDA
2ND PLACE = JOHN GONDA
3RD PLACE = JOHN GONDA 
 
OPEN CALIFORNIA PRINTS
1ST PLACE = MELISSA BOAG
2ND PLACE = ROGER CARLSON (Flabellina iodinia)
3RD PLACE = JIM LYLE
 
OPEN COLOR PRINTS
1ST PLACE = JIM LYLE (yellowhead jawfish)
2ND PLACE = ROGER CARLSON (trumpetfish)
3RD PLACE =  TONY FRANK
3RD PLACE =  JIM LYLE
 
OPEN CALIFORNIA DIGITAL
1ST PLACE = KELLY BRACKEN
2ND PLACE = KELLY BRACKEN
3RD PLACE =  KELLY BRACKEN
 
OPEN COLOR DIGITAL
1ST PLACE = TONY FRANK
1ST PLACE =  ROGER CARLSON
2ND PLACE = KELLY BRACKEN
3RD PLACE =  TODD WINNER 

LAUPS member Jim Lyle is back from another great trip to Cozumel, his first since hurricane Wilma. Here's his trip report.

Here's a message from the Sipidan Dive Operator community on the recent damage to a reef from a barge grounding.

Just added a few more items to our "Gear for Sale" page, head over and check out the listings.

An enormous steel barge carrying thousands of tonnes of coarse gravel, sand, steel tubes, iron mesh, prime movers, a large bulldozer and a gigantic crane — which had incredibly been allowed to anchor right in front of Sipadan’s legendary dropoff before unloading its cargo on the supposedly protected island — was pushed against the reef by wind, ending up beached on the island.

A few articles:

Divester Article

Fins Online Article

The USS Oriskany, an 888 foot aircraft carrier, was successfully sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Pensacola, FL. It's upright. This is the first wreck sunk under a pilot program to dispose of old Navy vessels by making them into artificial reefs. Hopefully we can get one on the west coast.

Mac users, if you use iCal, here's a calendar you can subscribe to. It has LAUPS meetings, Sea Divers boats, and other local dive events.

here's the link.

Adobe has updated CS2 and Camera Raw, jump to the updates page here.

Our first Intra-Club Comp of the year will be this Wednesday! Please get to the museum early and help set up if you can.

Please name your digital files as follows

for California Category:
0605_open_CA_your-title_your-name.jpg
0605_novice_CA_your-title_your-name.jpg

For Color Category:
0605_open_color_your-title_your-name.jpg
0605_novice_color_your-title_your-name.jpg

For Marine Related Category:
0605_open_marine_your-title_your-name.jpg
0605_novice_marine_your-title_your-name.jpg

There will be no speaker or video comp this month, due to the time it takes to judge prints and projected stills.

As a refresher, here are the rules from our Club Competitions page:

Any current member may compete in the Intra-Club Competitions. A minimum number of 3 entrants in a category are needed to provide a competition. All entries must be exposed underwater by the entrant unless noted otherwise. The same image or portion thereof may not be entered in more than one category. Any image that has won 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Place in a previous Intra-Club competition is ineligible for re-entry in the same or another category except as part of a portfolio. Published images are ineligible. Winning images from the monthly Mini-Comp may enter the Intra-Club competition. No aquarium scenes permitted except in Creative Freestyle or in a video where they are not counted as underwater footage. Any images/videos indicating harassment of marine life will be immediately disqualified.

CATEGORIES: The 6 categories for 2005 Intra-Club Competition are as follows:
• Color Slides • Color Prints • California Slides
• Marine Related Slides • Creative Freestyle Prints • California Prints

With a sufficient number of entries, categories are divided into Novice and Open divisions. Contestants participating in the Novice category for the monthly mini-comps must enter in the Novice Intra-club categories. Contestants participating in the Open category for the monthly mini-comps must enter the Open Inter-club categories. Point accumulation for the Intra-Club competition is as follows:
Each Intra-Club Competition: 1st Place - 5 points, 2nd Place - 3 points, 3rd Place - 1 point

NCUPS' Annual California Beach Dive Photo Competition (CBDPC) will be June 10-11. Rules are here.