Wave Shape
Wave Shape

Instructor Team Hosts October Training Days

Waves Shape
Andy B, from the instructor team, reports on October’s training days

It has been a very busy end to October, with a couple of training days taking place for Ocean Diver, Advanced Ocean Diver, Sports Diver and Dive Leader students.

Our Sports Diver students did 13 dives to complete SO1 rescue skills, SO2 SMB, SO3 line-laying & decompression planning, SO4 compass & DSMB, and SO5 alternate source and dive leading. Our AOW student did SO4 to sign off their subset of skills. As a result, one SD student has completed all their open water skills; the others have only one left to do.

Our Dive Leader student completed DO1 midwater DSMB and DO3 leading a very inexperienced diver (thanks Bob). One of our Assistant Diving Instructors got to see a demonstration lesson as part of their development towards becoming an instructor, as well as getting extensive feedback on the lesson they gave.

For the instructors, it has been very rewarding to see Dacorum Scuba’s divers progress so well, across so many levels of diving skills.

Training coordinator Lindsey outlines the activities on the club training day on 22 October

Five instructors achieved a great deal at Stoney Cove on  22 October. Nick G dived with Rachael furthering her underwater time &  experience dives for OD.

John, worked with Andy B to deliver use of surface marker buoy, compass navigation and DSMB deployment to Jools (SD) & Alice (AOD)

Paul C worked with Nick L on his dive leading and basic skills review and various skills for Jools

Bob ventured a little deeper with Dive Leader student James H, completing DSMB deployment skills and dive leading practice.

Chairman John was there too….

It was busy in the car park due to inclement weather on the South Coast, but the group managed to meet up for a briefing, nevertheless,  and to kick off the day’s activities.

One pair went exploring down to the hydrobox at 35m though finding it cold, dark and foreboding (thank goodness for bright dive torches!) soon headed for the warmer thermoclines above.

Other groupsworking on Advanced Ocean Diver or Sports Diver skills practiced compass work in the car park and played with DSMBs before jumping in to repeat their skills underwater.

A grebe was spotted flashing by en-route to a school of fish for lunch: an unusual sight underwater for the pair who witnessed it.

What had been expected to be a relatively grey day turned into bright sunshine by the time diving was over, a lovely end to a productive day of getting skills signed off and progressing onwards to their qualifications.

Sport Diver trainee Jools reports from Stoney Cove on 29 October

We had a productive day at Stoney Cove on 29 October, completing more Sports Diver training.

First, Ed, instructed by Paul C, carried out a simulated decompression dive, while Nick L and Jools, instructed by Andy B, practised compass navigation and DSMB deployment.

Nick then acted as assistant dive manager to Andy on the shore, while Paul took Jools and Ed to practice dive leading, wall diving and alternate air source ascents.

Finally, Nick practiced his diver rescue skills, giving surface breaths, towing, dekitting and recovering a body (well volunteered Ed) from the water.

To see more photographs of Dacorum Scuba out training, check out the Training, Autumn/Winter 2022 gallery

Visit BSAC.com