Florida Sea Base News

The full time staff of the Florida Sea Base met yesterday from 0900 to noon.  Our budget is doing very well.  The scuba and sailing programs are budgeted to generate over $5.5 million in income this year.  Expenses are well below budget.   Preparations for summer program are on schedule.  More staff members trickled in yesterday and the vast majority will check in today.

Today is the first of two Captain’s Training sessions for this year.   Another is scheduled for next Saturday.   This is  Captain Rich Beliveau’s show with guest appearances from some outside personalities.  Tim Stanfill, Captain Ed Marill, Lt. Liz Reisz (FSB alumnus currently serving with the Florida Wildlife Commission), Captain Paul Beal, Rob Kolb, Captain Keith Douglass, Barbara Hewett (USCG Auxillary), and Captain Martin Ivy  will address the captains.  I will be there to add some class and good looks to the gathering.

Stephanie Mansburger is back as the Sailing Commisioner.  (I know Captain Rich is ecstatic.). Josh Zajac will serve as Dockmaster this year.  Sue Mahoney is the Office Manager and Laura Kuras is the Scuba Commissioner.

Our weather continues to have a 30%  chance of rain, highs in the upper 80s, and lows in the mid to upper 70s through the forecast period.  There was continued good news from Dr. Jeff Masters yesterday:

La Niña officially ends
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC), La Niña conditions are no longer present in the equatorial Pacific, where sea surface temperatures were approximately average as of May 13. The threshold for a La Niña is for these temperatures to be 0.5°C below average or cooler. CPC forecasts that neutral conditions will persist though the summer, with a 41% chance of an El Niño event developing in time for the August – September – October peak of hurricane season. El Niño conditions tend to decrease Atlantic hurricane activity, by increasing wind shear over the tropical Atlantic.

Capt. Steve Willis
Professional Scuba Bum™
Aboard S/V Escape