Cannons Marina is proud to announce a sponsorship of the West Florida Scuba Club. The new club is growing fast, has a board of directors filled with world-class professional divers, and a number of exciting events planned for the near future.
The inaugural meeting was held June 11 at the Carlton Arms River Clubhouse in Bradenton. The crowd of over 50 participants were treated to an incredible opening slideshow and presentation on adventure/expedition diving by founding club member Curt Bowen. The meeting then became more interactive as other club leaders were introduced and the floor was opened to ideas for exactly what members wanted to get out of the club.
The West Florida Scuba Club is the brainchild of Bowen and Justin McNesky, both world-class divers and long-time residents of the Bradenton area. Bowen is the founder of Advanced Diver Magazine and President of the ADM Exploration Foundation. Bowen has worked with National Geographic, Animal Planet, and others in his hundreds of scuba expeditions around the world.
Justin McNesky has been a dive instructor for over 17 years and certified over 1000 students.  Mr. McNesky has a dynamic background in high-profile underwater archaeology projects across the globe, including over a year on the Serapis project in Madagascar. Justin is currently the manager of the Scuba Quest Bradenton store.
The club has a variety of upcoming events scheduled, including a shark’s tooth dive in Venice, Florida, a spearfishing tournament, and a “Stone Crab Grab” in October. More events will be scheduled as the club continues to gel. The club meets on the second Wednesday of every month, and each meeting includes guest speakers, presentations, food and drink, and a chance for members to meet new dive buddies. For more information please visit www.westfloridascubaclub.com. You can also call or stop into Cannons and talk with Andrew White for the lowdown on the coolest scuba club in town.