Chairman’s View

I’m into my second month of the chairmanship and I’m happy to report that I am enjoying the role>and I’m happy to report that I am enjoying the role. As always there is plenty to do. I will continue to run the Try-Dives as well as being the main contact for the branch and of course do a share of the training!

As the Chairman, I would like to officially welcome all the Officers who have so kindly volunteered for posts on the committee, especially the three new people.

Here is your committee for 2000/2001:

At this moment in time I have two things to report. One is that we are going to renew our membership of Calvert Water (Aylesbury area). The second thing is that we are looking into applying for a grant to upgrade or replace the boat.

The next committee meeting is Tuesday 13^th June – please speak to me if you want anything to be discussed at a meeting.

‘Till next time,

Barry Perton

DO’s Corner

On Safety

As the 2000 dive season is already under way, and BSAC headquarters were a little late in sending us the Dive Safety campaign material, it is perhaps a little late to start preaching good practice -  but it would be wrong not to remind you all that we are all at our most numerable at this time of the year and equipment recently serviced should be tested in a safe environment such as the pool prior to using it in open water.  Begin your season gently building up your dive fitness and depth experience slowly and safely.

On Training

We have recently experienced problems regarding the use of club equipment for evening training sessions in the pool.

Due to recent recall of aluminium cylinders for retesting, and the fact that a number of the clubs steel cylinders were in for test we have found ourselves short of cylinders.  In such circumstances priority has to be given to the trainees who have paid for the use of club equipment.  To compound the problem cylinders have been left unfilled after pool sessions or returned empty after open water use at the weekends.

In order to alleviate this problem it has been necessary to reiterate the rules regarding the use of club equipment by trainee’s or instructor:

Firstly, as a club trainee issued with a particular cylinder for pool training it is your responsibility to ensure that after a pool session the cylinder contains sufficient air for the following session, if not then take it and get it filled.
I appreciate that as trainee’s it may be difficult to estimate how much air the next pool session will require, that’s where your instructor come in.  They know what skills are to be taught or practised at the next session and can give you guidance on the amount of air needed to complete that session.  Any instructor or anyone else wishing to use a club cylinder should first confirm with the training officer that there is a cylinder spare.

For the sake of good practice, and to establish good  rather than bad habits all club trainees are to exit the water (pool or open) with a minimum of 50 bar.

Secondly, any cylinder taken away from the club for filling or open water use is to be returned to the club full in time for the next meeting without exception.  This ensures that all cylinders are available for use.  The committee is at present trying to decide how best to regulate the use of club equipment and ensure that while it remains available at all times, the person who paid for the air will get to use it.

On the subject of training, can I take this opportunity to remind all instructors that they should work through the pool session as described by the BSAC.  This enables the trainee to master the basics before introducing other more advanced skills, such as ditch and retrieve and drysuit use.  Such training is not a requirement of the club diver course, however having completed the basics and having passed the pool assessment every opportunity should be taken to teach additional skills (with the consent of the trainee, training officer and myself).

When taking Club trainees on open water dives instructors should do so on a one to one basis.  When trainees are ready for open water exercises such as CBL, then instructors should pair up trainee’s for lifts and dive as two buddy pairs, with one instructor taking overall responsibility and the other acting as additional safety cover during exercise.

Finally, moans and groans over, I would like to congratulate our two newest Club divers; Garry Ferrand and Karen Gosling, awarded Club Diver qualifications on 9^th May , Nick and Lucy Haw and Debbie Hartley also awarded club diver under BSAC “Statement of Alternative training scheme” from PADI Open water/Advanced open water and Jo Brown and Michelle Pilkington awarded Sports Diver from PADI Rescue Diver under the same statement.

Training Officer’s Update

As I have become more involved and interested in training over the last couple of years, I am very pleased to now be Training Officer (although I did enjoy being Membership Secretary too!!).

My main aim is for the DS-AC tradition of producing safe, competent divers, to continue.

We are very fortunate to have so many instructors actively involved in training and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.

There is a Club Diver course currently in progress and I have also started a Sports Diver course with no fewer than 17 students!!!

This means the pools are often very busy so please do speak to me if you intend to go in to check your equipment etc (for safety we need to know who is in the water, plus best use can then be made of the pool space).

My future plans include another Club Diver course soon and a Dive Leader course for the autumn, plus a series of Skill Development courses (SDCs) eg Lifesaver, Search and Recovery, Practical Rescue Management and Oxygen Administration. Also I will be encouraging divers to develop themselves as instructors as there is always plenty of training to be done!!!

Steve Lee has volunteered to run a series of theory and pool photographic sessions so contact me if you are interested.

I would like to hear from anybody who has any requests, as I am here to organise training for EVERYBODY !!!!

Lindsey Doyle.

MembershipNews

We now have 64 fully paid up members.  There will be a new list coming out shortly, if you wish to change any of your details please let me know.

Margaret Fowler