February’s weather was mostly crappy, but it looked like it was getting better this morning.

However, for various reasons I was not able to dive.

I’m hoping to get back in the water this Friday or Saturday.

On another note, I have been going through my vast collection of VHS tapes and digitizing the best.

I found an old SoCal Connected episode that features the Ocean Defenders Alliance.

SoCal Connected – Ocean Defenders (Circa 2010)

As important as the Ocean Defender’s work is, it is interesting to note that the producers of this episode are obviously not SCUBA divers.

In one part the narrator says something like, “The dive is so deep that the tanks are filled with a special mixture of Oxygen and Nitrogen.”

And of course, for dramatic effect, Don has never been this deep before and is a bit nervous.

This was an interesting retro-find.

UPDATE FROM Heavy.com: Jerry Boylan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

UPDATE From CBS News: 34 people missing after deadly boat fire off coast of Southern California

Breaking News from KTLA Channel 5:

A 75-foot diving vessel named the Conception caught fire Monday while anchored off Santa Cruz Island, prompting a multi-agency effort to find and rescue 33 missing people believed to have been on board, authorities said.

An unknown number of people are believed to be dead, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

At the time of the fire, the boat was scheduled to be on a Labor Day trip that started at the Santa Barbara Harbor on Friday night, then was expected to head to San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and the Santa Barbara islands before returning to the harbor at about 5 p.m. Monday, according to vacation planning website, Worldwide Diving Adventures.

The boat, which is based in Santa Barbara Harbor, can carry up to 46 people and has a large upper deck area, a built-in barbecue grill, bunkbeds, bathrooms and showers, according to its’ specifications page on the website of Truth Aquatics, a Santa Barbara scuba diving operation.

The Conception is equipped with a fixed CO2 engine room fire suppression system and an emergency radio beacon. There are also rafts and jackets for 110 passengers, according to the website.

The Los Angeles/ Long Beach Coast Guard station overheard the “gargled” mayday at about 3:15 a.m. Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Read the entire story here: Burning Boat Near Santa Cruz Island Was on Labor Day Trip From Santa Barbara; 33 Missing, Some Believed Dead