In 1999, we came up with the idea of expanding Chamber Day to include an evening event (since not everyone can take the day off to go diving) and thought the then-new Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach would be the perfect venue. It was and still is. And we’re proud to have the Aquarium co-sponsor with us the 10th annual Chamber Evening, which has really transformed itself into the diving social event of the year.

Chamber Evening will also be on Wednesday, May 7, from 7:00-10:30PM. Because the Aquarium realizes the vital role our Chamber plays in the overall safety of the SoCal dive community, and because they realize what a valuable contribution the roughly 170 volunteer divers make to the smooth running of the Aquarium, they waive their normal facility fee for this event and host this event for us at no charge. (We’ll still be paying for catering, but that’s outside of the Aquarium’s control.)

The donation for Chamber Evening is $90 per person. (Those who do both the Daytime - including the Flying Dutchman - and Evening events will receive an extra $20 in raffle tickets as a bonus for doing both events. If you do all THREE events Day, Eve, & Dutchman you will receive our "20/10 Raffle Ticket Bonus," 20 additional Day Raffle Tickets and 10 addtional Evening Raffle tickets, a $40 value.) Last year, this event sold out about two weeks ahead of time. And because we’re limited in the number of people we can have attend (we cap this at 500 - it makes us the largest event at AOP), the earlier you sign up, the better.

Look for the tables that are sponsored by the dive shops or dive clubs that you deal with and choose to sit there. What’s great to see is how, over the years, is how so many tables are now sponsored. Because the reality is that the whole event doesn’t happen without the cooperation of all the stores, clubs, boats, and other organizations.

Each table holds 10 people (dinner is a sit-down, served affair). You can sign up either directly with a table sponsor, on-line, or by calling us at 310-652-4990. Just make sure you let us know where you want to sit so we can make sure you’re with your friends and dive buddies.

Doors will open at 7:00. Dinner will be around 8:15. We’ve got raffle prizes to award, recognitions to make, and a check to hand to Karl Huggins. (Plus, we’re working on one other special treat for the evening.) It’s going to be a very special evening, and appropriate for divers and non-divers alike (so you can bring along your non-diving Significant Other and he/she can share the excitement of our sport).

With your ticket you receive 5 raffle tickets, good for some special prizes we’ll have on hand for the evening. Plus, there will be opportunity (and encouragement and arm-twisting) to buy more raffle tickets while you’re there. Evening raffle prizes should include regulators, BCs, computers, and more (Check out the Raffle Prize website for a complete listing of all prizes and donors).

During the entire evening, we’ll have access to the full Aquarium and it’s 12,000+ critters consisting of over 550 species, representing three major regions of the Pacific. In case you didn’t know, the Aquarium of the Pacific is the only Aquarium to focus solely on the Pacific Ocean. And, it’s also the only Aquarium in the United States to have, all under one roof . . . a Napoleon Wrasse (in the 350,000 gallon Tropical Reef exhibit), Sand Tiger sharks, sea dragons, sea lions, sea otters, and lots of SoCal dive volunteers (who will be on hand to answer any questions you might have). You can also wander out to Shark Lagoon to take a gander at some of the sharks you CAN touch, and some which you can’t.

As with Chamber Day, Chamber Evening tickets can be purchased by calling 310-652-4990 or on-line. Just indicate how many tickets you want, what table you’d like to sit at, and how you want to pay. It’s as simple as that.

Mark the date -Wednesday, May 7. This is one dive party you don’t want to miss.