Written by Chris Manning
The Flippers Dive Club is affiliated with Blue Dolphin Scuba in Frisco and offers local divers many great opportunities to expand their dive skills. The club sponsors monthly dive events, offering the local diver a chance to dive various sites across Texas and beyond. They also offer dive trips to exotic locations around the world. Monthly meetings can feature guest speakers and industry-experts discussing engaging topics and providing an educational forum for divers of all skill levels. The president of the club, Lisa Matasso was kind enough to agree to an interview to discuss the Scuba club from Frisco.

Q1. When was your dive club formed, how many members do you have, and what was the motivation behind starting the club?
A1. Flippers started April of 2004. We have 83 active members and another 88 members who still are on our roster to receive emails. The group was started by Blue Dolphin Scuba to have a group of quality divers that enjoy hanging out together. It is great to be able to go to the lake for the weekend and know that you can always find a dive buddy.

Q2. How long have you been diving?
A2. I have been diving for about 8 years.

Q3. What got you interested in the sport?
A3. Some people I was working with at the time were going to Cozumel for a dive trip and had an odd number of people and needed another buddy. So, I got certified in February and did my check out dive in Lake Travis and froze. It was worth it when we got to Cozumel. I have been hooked ever since.

Q4. Who was your most interesting guest speaker over the years?
A4.We have had several great speakers. We had Dr Jeff Stone who is a Hyperbaric physician at Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. We then got to tour the chamber. We also had Randall Cook who is an ice diver and we got to hear all about his dives to the arctic.

Q5. When are your club meetings and what is the format?
A5.Our meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at Campisi’s resturant at the corner of Dallas North Tollway and 121. We meet for happy hour at 6 and the meeting starts at 7pm. We usually start with a speaker and end with club business and raffle items.

Q6. What local dive facility does the group typically dive at?
A6.We are associated with Blue Dolphin Scuba in Frisco and we dive many area locations. We go to The Colony Aquatic center to play with new gear, and also play games. We play a mean game of underwater Monoply!

Q7. Do you offer dive trips and if so how many trips a year do you take?
A7.We take a lot of trips throughout the year, some with Blue Dolphin Scuba. Each summer we rent a house boat and spend a 4 day weekend around July 4th. We went to Arkansas to lake Ouchita this past summer. It was such a beautiful lake. We also had a group that went to The Galapagos Islands! What a once in a lifetime experience.

Q8. What is the most common misconception about diving, especially among beginners?
A8. I think the most common misconception for new divers is that they will feel claustrophobic underwater. It is such a free feeling to be floating along with all of the peaceful sea life.

Q9. What does your dive club bring to the table that is unique among Dallas dive clubs?
A9. I think we have so many activities to choose to participate in. We go tubing down the Guadalupe, we raise money for Charity, we just have an amazing group of people.

Q10. This is your opportunity to promote your club to our readers.
A10.We have such a great group of diverse people. We do so many non-diving activies such as Texas Hold’em nights, parties, fundraisers, etc that there is something for everyone. We have several non-divers that hang out with us because we have such a fun time. We have a wonderful Christmas Party planned this December at The Tribute Golf Club in The Colony, we would love to have new people join us. You can find all the information on the Flippers website.

Thanks to Lisa Matasso for taking the time to answer our questions and for a great attitude.

DallasDivers.com is not affiliated with the Flippers Dive Club or any other local dive club. We exist to promote the sport of scuba diving in the Dallas area.

Written by Chris Manning.
Special thanks to Henry Aschner, the Scubadillo Dive Club President for his enthusiasm, cooperation, and passion for the sport of scuba diving.

Approaching their 25th year, the Scubadillo Dive Club is one of the largest and most active dive clubs in Texas. Dedicated to Ocean Conservation, and promoting safety and education in SCUBA diving, the Scubadillos donate thousands of dollars annually to charity groups such as The Dallas Aquarium, Save the Manatee Club, and The Coral Reef Alliance. Their mission is to provide a place for divers of all experience levels to congregate, network, and socialize. The Scubadillo Dive Club fosters a community of local divers intent on furthering the sport of scuba diving. Monthly meetings focus on diver education, dive destinations, techniques, and the marine environment.

Monthly Meetings
Monthly meeting are held the first Thursday of every month at the Midway Point Restaurant, located at the southwest corner of I-635 and Midway Road in Dallas. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m., but early birds can catch the social hour at 6:30. This is a great way to meet new dive buddies and share your latest adventure! Each month features interesting guest speakers on a variety of diving and conservation-related topics.

The Dillos Diver
The “Dillo Diver” is their monthly newsletter, featuring information on upcoming events, travel and diving articles from members, and safety and training articles. Another monthly feature is “Who’s Diving and What’s on Sale”, which keeps members up-to-date on dive trips and sales from the local dive shops. I found this to be an excellent resource, especially for gear junkies like myself!

Diving Activities
The Scubadillos have regular dive trips to area lakes as well as an annual blue water journey to Cozumel. The summer lake dives are well planned, emphasize safety and education, and share a common thread of camaraderie. Each year they host theme dives, such as an underwater Easter Egg Hunt, a Hawaiian Luau, and a couple of River Clean-up adventures. To top off the year in October, they hold an underwater pumpkin-carving contest! These weekend dive trips provide the opportunity to get better acquainted with fellow Dillos, camp out at local parks, and win cool prizes.

Charitable Causes
The Scubadillo Dive Club is a non-profit organization, and supports the environment that affects the diving community. In addition to Earth Day activities and river and lake cleanups, each year the Scubadillos contribute to organizations such as The Dallas Aquarium, Coral Reef Alliance and Save the Manatee Foundation.

Education and Environmental Conservation
The Scubadillo Dive Club is dedicated to education and ocean conservation. They work with several local dive shops to provide opportunities for Dallas divers to continue their diving education. Their members also participate in river and lake cleanups around the state to help keep our waterways clean and protect the area wildlife.

Social Activities
And when they are not getting wet, the Dillos offer plenty of “land-based” activities for members to connect with one another. They have monthly happy hours at different club venues and restaurants around the Metroplex, as well as an annual fund-raising Crawfish Boil in April. The annual party-barge, complete with swimming and barbecue and their Christmas Ball ensure that members are entertained year around.

For more information on the Scubadillo Dive Club, please visit their web site at www.scubadillo.org.