Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
	A Branch (Branch No 2071) of The British Sub-Aqua Club

Messages from the Bottle

The newsletter of Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
No: 6 - Summer 1998

Voice from the POT
(Editors comments)

Well the diving season is drawing to a close, although some of us may be wondering where the diving weather went during the Summer. This year has seen a few successful diving outings, 2 of which are reported in this newsletter.

Once again, Many thanks to those people who have contributed to this newsletter. Please send me any contributions that you feel the rest of the club would like to hear about, it can be almost anything trip reports, photographs, amusing stories, etc.

I will remember this year mainly for the trips that never were

Anthony
14 September 1998

News

New address for Secretary

Please note that the Secretary has moved, please address any correspondence to:

Mr William Howard
Secretary, Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
10 Upper Wardown
Petersfield
Hants
GU31 4PB
Tel: 01730 265 224

Dive Show

"Dive 98" The International Sub-Aqua and Watersports Show, is being held on Sat 17th and Sunday 18th October, in Hall 9, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. A group of Castaways' members are planning to visit the show on Saturday 17th October. If anyone else is going and wants to meet up contact Anthony to arrange a place and time.

New BS-AC Membership Rates

With effect from 1st October 1998, BS-AC have revised their membership rates. This is the first change in subscriptions since Sept 1996.

Basically, the cost has risen from £32 per annum to £35 (abated from £17 to £20)

HOWEVER, members who are an Instructor, Advanced Diver, or 1st Class Diver receive a "discount", as below

This discount applies only to the full membership price, and not the abated membership, which remains the same for all grades. This means that the "senior" diver should hold the full membership and the "junior" diver the abated membership in order to fully benefit from the discounts. For example, Full Advanced Diver + Abated Dive Leader=£50, as opposed to Full Dive Leader + Abated Advanced Diver=£55

Any members between 17 and 23 AND IN FULL TIME EDUCATION can now join as "Student Members" for £10. However, this does NOT include the magazine or voting rights at BSAC elections (Castaways club rights are unaffected).

Additionally, the "new member" fee and the "rejoining" fee (for lapsed membership) have been abolished (Kevin please note!

New fees are being applied with immediate effect. Anyone wanting to change membership type should inform me when they return their membership forms.

The Secretary

Dive planning for 1999

If anybody has ideas for dive trips for next year, please can they let the Diving Officer know. A calendar of Castaways' trips can then be drawn up.

As was stated at the AGM 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 overseeing the diving activities.

Web site

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/

Admin Corner

CASTAWAYS membership is £12.00, 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.

Competition

Can you recognise these divers?

a) "Bad hair day"

b) "Am I going the right way?"

c) "Hurry up and take the photo!"

d) "Oops!"

e) "It was this big! Honest!"

Choose from:

There are no prizes other than the smug satisfaction of being right.

After guessing who each of these divers are, why don't you send in some witty captions for the next newsletter?

If you have any photographs that you want the club to see (with suitably witty captions) send them in as well (all photos will be returned).

Trip Reports

NOT Andrew's report!

Plymouth
27-28 June 1998

Who booked the weather?

Farne Islands
1-3 August 1998