Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
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Castaways Sub-Aqua Club |
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A Branch (Branch No 2071) of The British Sub-Aqua Club |
The newsletter of Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
No: 7 - Spring 1999
Voice from the POT
(Editors comments)
Happy New Year!
I am hoping that this year the weather will be kinder to divers, and we will be able to get a little more diving done. My overriding memory of last year's diving is the wind.
Unfortunately last year saw an increase in diving fatalities reported in the BS-AC Incident Reports (22 last year from16 in the previous year). Whilst diving remains a statistically safe pastime, any increase in fatalities is something that should concern us all. It is very difficult to identify a pattern from the incident reports, but a number of incidents involved the use of "technical" diving techniques. This is probably reflecting the increasing popularity of techniques like extended range trimix and recreational rebreathers. As usual the BS-AC Incidents Report showed that many people take a very relaxed attitude to the start of the diving season. At this time of year it is always worth getting your kit out of the garage, attic or wherever it was stored over the winter, and checking it over. Also, remember our mind and bodies need checking out as well. If you haven't been diving for a few months over the winter start off with a couple of gentle dives to blow out those cobwebs. In the immortal words of Sgt Esterhaus "Hey! Let's be careful out there!"
As always, I would like to thank those that have provided contributions for this issue. If you have any ideas for articles you would like to see in the newsletter let me know. Please send me any pictures, stories, trip reports or humour for the next issue.
Safe diving
Anthony
28 January 1999
The proposed date for the Castaways AGM is Saturday 17th April. The nominal club meeting place is the Rising Sun pub in West Smithfield, London, but any other suggestions of venue are welcome.
At the last AGM the committee agreed to review the membership fees of the club, with a view to reducing them to allow for covering costs only. After much deliberation and review of the accounts it was decided that the club fees would be reduced to £10 pa.
Membership fees are now due, please send your cheques made payable to 'Castaways Sub-Aqua Club' to either the Secretary or the Treasurer.
Castaways' membership is £10.00, due 1st January every year.
When you get your BSAC reminder can you reply as promptly as possible.
Anyone wanting to change their BSAC renewal month should contact the Secretary.
If your medical is due, let the secretary know and a medical form can be sent to you. Please allow a couple of weeks.
Pembrokeshire
24th & 25th April 1999
Suzanne Easton is organising this trip, contact her for full details. If you are interested, a deposit of £40 is payable now. Send your cheques either to Suzanne or directly to the treasurer, make cheques payable to "Castaways Sub-Aqua Club" and write "Pembroke 1999" on the back.
Baltimore (SW Eire)
14th to 21st August 1999
Ferry from Swansea Friday night sailing 13th August. Accommodation will be in two fully equipped self-catering houses, all you need to bring are towels. Six days diving with two dives each day, tanks and weights provided if required. Return ferry from Cork Saturday morning sailing 21st August. The price is £385.00 per diver. Suzanne Easton is organising this trip, contact her for further details.
Red Sea
New Year 1999/2000
A boat has been booked for this trip, and we are waiting for confirmation of flights. There are still spaces left, if you are interested contact Suzanne Easton. The trip will be approx. £1,000 inclusive; a deposit of £200 is due now.
If anybody has ideas for dive trips, please can they let the Diving Officer know. A calendar of Castaways' trips could then be drawn up.
You do not have to be an Advanced Diver to organise trips, providing the trip has the approval of the Diving Officer and an Advanced Diver agrees to marshal the diving activities.
The Castaways' Web site has been updated. It now contains all trip reports and all back issues of the Castaways' newsletter.
URL: http://www.chime.ucl.ac.uk/castaways/
Other useful addresses
This article is my personal view and has not been discussed by the committee, I hope to promote a debate about what you, the members, want for your club.
A number of changes are happening within the British Sub-Aqua Club at the moment, starting with the introduction of the new commercial entry level training scheme "Ocean Diver" a couple of years ago. Last year the branch training scheme was reviewed with the introduction of Club Diver and the new Sports Diver. Proposals are currently under review to revise the training scheme from Sports Diver to Advanced Diver and the Instructor Training Scheme. At the same time the membership renewal form now has a legal declaration granting BS-AC council the right to investigate members for Child Protection reasons. Some (or all) of these changes are causing a large amount of controversy amongst existing members, with some "grass roots" members feeling disenfranchised from the BS-AC management. Whilst I do not necessarily agree with all of these feelings, we can't deny that they exist.
Castaways is a relatively small club and has some specific problems because of that. It was suggested at the last AGM that the club should seek to increase the number of members within manageable limits. The changes I am suggesting in this article may help Castaways to remain a viable and active diving club.
What I suggest is that we change the constitution of Castaways Sub-Aqua Club, to make it a "Generic" dive club, this will be the club that we join. Under the "umbrella" of this club would be a subsidiary club "Castaways SAC (BS-AC Branch 2071)", keeping alive the BS-AC branch affiliation. All members of Castaways who wanted to become or remain members of BS-AC would be nominal members of this subsidiary club. We would follow all BS-AC guidelines regarding diving and training practices for these members.
This would then open up the parent club to allow members who possess qualifications from other training agencies (SAA, PADI, NAUI, etc.) to become full diving members of Castaways SAC. It would also enable the formation of other subsidiary clubs for example, "Castaways SAC (SAA branch ???)" if any members wanted to join the SAA. Again we would have to follow the guidelines for diving and have suitably qualified Diving Officers etc.
This may sound complicated but I know of at least one club that has done just this, and could easily get their views and advice on the process. I think a change like this would only act to strengthen Castaways SAC, I don't think it will denigrate it at all. Personally, my instructing commitments outside of Castaways mean that I will continue to be a member of BS-AC. This suggestion allows a far greater degree of flexibility than we have at the moment. It should also be noted that we could make the change to the constitution without any pressure to pursue affiliation with other agencies straight away, in fact despite the change members may all decide to remain as BS-AC members. The change just allows us to cope with any future developments.
Anyway, I have put my head above the parapet to make this suggestion, please let me (or any other member of the committee) have your views. This is your club, and it should reflect your needs. If there appears to be a general feeling in favour of this idea, the committee can investigate the details and put together a formal proposal to be debated and voted on at the AGM.
Bracklesham
29 November 1998
Cyprus
December 1998
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