• More communication was requested
  • Emails to the membership with updates
  • Expansion of social media (Facebook, Instagram)
     
• Other suggested areas of focus:
  • Juniors Development
    • Promotions to existing clubs to start a Juniors Program
  • National uniforms cohesive across all sports
    • Partially funded by USOA
    • National "look" as our teams travel
  • Package for new clubs or clubs looking for new pools
     
• In the works
  • Corporate sponsors and partnerships
    • FINIS Swimwear
    • Divers Alert Network (DAN)
  • Guidelines for World teams
    • What does it take to send a team to World competitions?
    • How to the finances work?  Fundraising?

• Marketing Director
• Website Content Coordinator
• UWH Committee Members

From the Editor:  
Thank you for reading our newsletter!  We hope to make this a semi-annual event. If you have articles or ideas to contribute, please contact me at wendyok@comcast.net.
--Wendy Okafuji, Editor

Carol Rose Honored with NOGI Award

Carol Rose, longtime USOA president, was awarded the 2020 NOGI for  Distinguished Service by the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences!

The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) is an international, multi-disciplinary, non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing pioneers and leaders who have had a global impact on the exploration, enjoyment, safety, and preservation of the underwater world. AUAS is committed to supporting its members as they pass on the stewardship of the sea to future generations.

The prestigious NOGI Awards are presented annually by AUAS and are considered the "Oscar of the ocean world."  Selection of recipients is based on their record of accomplishments and excellence in the diving world.  Distinguished Service award recipients are described as quiet achievers whose contributions keep the wheels of the diving industry and the global diving community turning.

Congratulations Carol!

NEW UNDERWATER RUGBY CLUBS

The Tallahassee Tarpon attended their first UWR tournament in November of 2021 and it was NATIONALS. This enthusiastic bunch played their hearts out and learned so much at this tournament. We are so excited to see the future of this club and how much it grows! 

Denver UWR also joined the organization this year! Not only did they participate in Nationals, but they also hosted the tournament. They rallied together and sent a women's and mixed team to their first UWR tournament. With speed on their side, they will surely be a force to be reckoned with. We are so excited to see the future of this club and how much it grows! 

Tallahassee practices Mondays and Thursday from 5:45-7:15 pm at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).  Denver practices on Sundays from 2-3 pm at the Carmody Rec Center in Lakewood Colorado. Come join these new clubs! 

UNDERWATER RUGBY POtluck!
 

For the first time in USA UWR history, there was a potluck tournament hosted by the Boston Narwhals, in mid-September. This was the first tournament since February 2020 and the energy was electric! There were about 60 athletes from across all states who came, conquered, and got some pool time playing their favorite sport. The National teams prospects were able to meet and get some pool time for the first time. Everyone enjoyed their journey to Boston and it was said that "This was such a good way to get into the tournament mindset!" Thank you to the Boston Narwhals for hosting!

underwater rugby nationals

--Timmy Burke

Upcoming Underwater rugby events:

February 2022:     Newark NJ (hosted by Newark UWR)
May 2022:                Coral Springs (hosted by new club Florida Inter)
June-Sep 2022:     UWR Nationals TBD (Bid process ongoing)

PAT JOHNSON ROOKIE TOURNAMENT

--Eileen Toussaint

Upcoming Underwater hockey events
 

January 29-30, 2022:  Battle At Altitude, Denver, CO
March 11-12, 2022: Championship of the Universe, Key Largo, FL

Treatise on Underwater Hockey Fouls
Want to call fouls like a pro? Now you can with this book published in 2021 by USOA Rules Director Don Matthews. Available now on Amazon.com

Welcome to our newest club - the New York Blackfish!

2021 Spearfishing Nationals

--Scott Turgeon

After having no Spearfishing Nationals in 2020 due to Covid, it was imperative to try and hold them in 2021. As the newly elected USOA Skindiving Spearfishing Director and with no other Council or Club able to step up, I decided to host the 2021 Nats myself under my club the Palm Beach Freedivers (PBF). Fortunately, with only 4 months notice & Covid still gripping the country - Nationals somehow turned out to be a huge success! We ended up with a total of 49 registered participants (13 Men’s Teams & 5 Mixed Teams). I solicited sponsorship for the event from over 100 potential sponsors and received 15 companies who stepped up big time and provided over $13,000 in awesome gear/prizes that 100% of went to the competitors.

On tournament day, the weather and water conditions cooperated perfectly and the tournament proceeded as scheduled without a hiccup. Which was extremely lucky because the very next day a tropical storm rolled through! There were some amazing results by some 1st time National competitors. The Team of Matthew Warner, Mirco Zanella, and Mike Graff (1st Nats for all 3 of them) won the Men’s Team Division. Also Nationals 1st timers, Julie Higgs and Javier Verdaguer won the Mixed Team Division. Julie was also Women’s Individual Champion and set a new IUSA Women’s gag grouper record in the process. The Individual Men’s National Champion is no stranger to competing in Nationals but 2021 is his 1st time ever winning it in the USA. Mikhail Kuznetov won the Men’s Individual Division and in doing so probably became the 1st diver in history to ever be National Spearfishing Champion in 2 different countries because, not only is Mikhail the current USA National Champion but he’s also a 4-time Russian National Champion!

I’d like to again thank the companies who stepped up and supported the Nationals by providing incredible prizes for me to give to the competitors. SpearPro, Beauchat, Pathos, Croatian Island Spearguns, Kais_Handcrafted_Spears, Neptonics, Strike Lines Charts, Florida Freedivers, Ocean Guardian (Shark Shield), Venture Wetsuits, Red Tide Spearfishing, Mako Spearguns, TH20 Gear (Tony Ludovico), Murk Crew, and Julie Higgs Spearfishing. If you ever get the opportunity to give any of these awesome companies your business, please do!

I hope everyone had a good time and enjoyed the tournament. My goal was for everyone to have fun and also introduce some new divers to the sport. I feel the tournament was a huge success and I thank all the participants from the bottom of my heart, I greatly appreciate everyone’s support!!!

World Spearfishing Championship
USA Women Take Silver

In 2018, for the first time ever, women were allowed to compete in the CMAS World Spearfishing Championship. That year the USA Women's Team took home the gold - the first time a USA Spearfishing Team has won since 1959!

In 2021, the 32nd World Spearfishing Championship was held in Sardinia, Italy and the USA Women’s Team took home silver!

• Kelsea Albert, CA
• Rosibel Molina, FL
• Nicole Burko, FL
• Team Captain Melody Engle, FL

These women are incredible athletes, diving to depths of 100+ feet in cold water while holding their breath for several minutes at a time.    Read more about these amazing women in the article published in the Tampa Bay Times (see link at top).  Congratulations Team USA!!

World Freshwater Spearfishing Championship

Condensed from www.freshwaterworlds.com

Men and women competing in the World Freshwater Spearfishing Championship at Beaver Lake, AK, brought in some breathtaking catches from the cool depths.  Some of the world’s most skilled spearfishers donned masks and fins, but no scuba tanks, in the contest held on July 20 through 23.

These freedivers from around the world can hold their breath underwater four to five minutes in their spearfishing quest.  Imagine not breathing, then swimming down 30 feet with a speargun to shoot a big striped bass, then hauling that fish to the surface.  The 44 divers from seven nations accomplished that task, bringing stripers, freshwater drum, walleye, catfish and more to the scoring table. 

The championship is truly a world event.  Divers hailed from Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Moldavia, South Africa, Cuba and the United States.  Six divers came from Guam, including one of several women in the contest.

Divers are allowed to scout the lake for 10 days ahead of the championship, exploring the silent underwater world and putting a plan together for the competition.  Some even get to go see the sights!  Prizes were awarded in several divisions, including men, women, co-ed teams and masters.  A fish fry feast for divers, their families and guests was held the evening of game fish day.  Stripers were donated to the Game and Fish Northwest Arkansas fisheries staff for a study of striped bass.  Rough fish were hauled off and turned into fertilizer.

“The World Freshwater Spearfishing Championship happens every other year,” said Tournament Director Mike McGuire of Colorado.  The 2023 championship site isn’t set yet, but Ukraine is being considered.

upcoming spearfishing events
 

usa finswimming:
the world games 2022

--Leon Valderrama

U.S. Finswimming teams will compete in the World Games for the first time! The 2022 World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama this summer and the U.S. will be sending both a men’s and a women’s relay team. 
 
The World Games is a multisport event that takes place every 4 years and involves the best athletes in the world in disciplines that are not part of the Olympic summer games; among them, billiards, rescue, karate and of course, Finswimming!

The first version of the Games was held here in the U.S. in California in 1981.  Now in 2022 the Games are returning to the U.S. and we want to encourage interest in and knowledge of the event and the sport of Finswimming.

The United States teams will participate in the 4x50 SF (Surface Finswimming) and 4x100 SF relay events. In these events the athlete must wear a monofin and snorkel.  Team members come from across the country: California, Florida, Massachusetts, and North Carolina!

The teams are working hard to raise the necessary funds to compete in the Games and represent the U.S.  If you would like to support their efforts, you can make a tax deductible donation at https://gofundme.com/f/usa-finswimming-world-games-2022

OR you can purchase cool Finswimming attire at http://bonfire.com/finswimming

CMAS Finswimming world cup

Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA is proposing to designate up to 1,786 square miles of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands region the state of New York that serves as a gateway between the Great Lakes and the ocean as a National Marine Sanctuary. The nominated area contains 64 known shipwrecks and one aircraft representing events spanning more than 200 years of our nation's history. Based on historical records, an additional 20 shipwrecks and three aircraft may be located there. 

NOAA established a sanctuary advisory council for the proposed sanctuary to bring members of the local community together to provide advice to NOAA, serve as a liaison with the nominating community, and assist in guiding NOAA through the designation process. Ray Tucker of the New York State Divers Associate (NYSDA) has been appointed to the Advisory Council.  The Council's 15 voting members represent a variety of interests, from recreation and tourism to education and research. 

Following a comment period, NOAA will develop a proposed rulemaking, which will then be available for public review.  After reviewing the comments from the public, NOAA will decide whether to designate the sanctuary.

Zale Parry Scholarship 2020 & 2021

Congratulations to Olivia Thomas and Courtney Wheelock, the 2020 and 2021 recipients of the Zale Parry Scholarship!  The scholarship is sponsored by the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences and is designed to offer financial support to individuals seeking to advance their knowledge or enter a professional career in the fields of underwater research, equipment technology or hyperbaric research.  The program is open to candidates who are currently enrolled in a graduate school program (Masters or Ph.D.) in the diving fields of study (Marine Conservation and Education, Diving Medicine and Hyperbaric, Ocean Engineering, and Underwater Archeology.

USOA helps sponsor these scholarship with an additional award to the recipients.

What does USOA do?
 

That question gets asked a lot.  To many members, USOA has always been there in the background but most are probably not aware of what takes place or the work that goes into keeping things moving.  Here are some things that go on behind the scenes:

National Federation:  USOA is recognized by CMAS as the U.S. national governing body for underwater sports and pays membership dues to CMAS annually. USOA monitors worlds event scheduling and liaises with CMAS and host countries to coordinate team entries, CMAS licenses and subscription fees and other required documents.  USOA helps to coordinate finances and fundraising for Worlds teams. 

Charitable organization:  USOA is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization and an affiliate member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.  As such, we can accept tax-deductible donations in support of our endeavors, including support for World teams.  Maintaining this status means annual tax filings as well as compliance with other federal and state regulatory agencies.

Insurance:  USOA maintains an insurance policy that can be used by its member clubs and councils. Currently over 2 dozen club pools are insured annually through USOA.  USOA also provides insurance for numerous short-term events such as sport tournaments and spearfishing competitions.  USOA has been able to offer member clubs this insurance at a much lower cost than if individual clubs had to purchase it themselves.

Administration & Finance: USOA provides centralized accounting for UWH & UWR Development funds, worlds teams, insurance and numerous other accounts.  USOA provides a centralized member database and website where all sports clubs and dive councils are represented. 

Policy:  USOA maintains standardized policies including:  Standardized Competitive Rules, Harassment Policy and a Social Media Policy, as well as sport committee rules.

Upcoming sport:  A U.S. Finswimming team will compete in the World Games for the first time!  The 2022 World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama this summer and the U.S. will be sending both a men’s and a women’s relay team.  USOA is working hard to support these new teams and to help expand Finswimming in the U.S.

Member discounts: USOA has negotiated a discounted rate with Finis and hopes to work on more retail relationships in the coming months.

Currently all of USOA’s efforts are 100% volunteer!  One USOA goal for the upcoming year is to designate part of the budget to go to hire outside accounting and legal firms to assist with some of the administrative work.  USOA is also looking to provide more support for club expansion, juniors programs, and national teams.