Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
|
Castaways Sub-Aqua Club |
|
A Branch (Branch No 2071) of The British Sub-Aqua Club |
The newsletter of Castaways Sub-Aqua Club
No: 9 - Winter 1999
Voice from the POT
(Editors comments)
Welcome to this mini-newsletter. I have decided to send this out as there are number of activities either new or with changed details that we want to let you all know about. The committee is keen to ensure that the club has a variety of activities that benefits all members. To this end a number of training events and dive trips have been planned. If you have any specific training needs that aren't currently being met, please contact any of the committee.
The club really needs more people who are ready to take on the task of organising trips. At the moment most trips are being organised by a small number of people. If we are able to spread the load, then more opportunities for diving will be available for everybody.
Also please be aware that Castaways' membership is due on the 1st of January 2000, it makes the Secretary and Treasurer's jobs so much easier if everyone pays on time. Please send cheques to the Treasurer (address at end of newsletter).
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, humour, gossip or rumours for the next issue.
Safe diving
Anthony
12 November 1999
The Social Secretary is proposing a Castaways Christmas dinner/party in Reading on Saturday 4th December. Reading town centre has recently undergone a transformation with the new Oracle centre development and there are loads of new pubs and restaurants alongside the River Kennet.
Can you let Amy Chillingworth know if the date is suitable to you and if you can attend? If this date is unacceptable to the majority, we will have to have a new Millennium party in early January instead, as things are getting busy between now and Christmas.
Castaways' membership is £10.00, due 1st January every year.
When you get your BS-AC reminder can you reply as promptly as possible. Anyone wanting to change his or her BS-AC 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.
The Diving Officer (Jake) can now be contacted by email, his address is jakemonkfish@hotmail.com.
The club now has a replacement BSAC Neptune stamp. If you have any qualifications that have not yet been stamped contact the DO. He will need to see your blue Qualification Record Book (QRB), your medical certificate and your diving log book.
The Heinke Trophy is awarded to "the BSAC club which shows the greatest contribution to sports diving whatever their size". Suzanne Easton has received the entry form from BSAC and looking through it we think that this last year Castaways has achieved a lot in most of the categories. Unless there is any major objections we feel that it is worthwhile putting in an entry.
Suzanne Easton has agreed to compile and collate the material needed, but needs your help. If you have taken part in any activities related to diving in the last year can you let Suzanne know the details, we are also interested in activities not directly related to diving where your diving skills/experience contributed. If you have any photographs, press clippings, etc of Castaways events please let Suzanne have these. If you play in an Octopush team details of competitions, training, etc would be useful.
You get the picture, we need to compile an album of the years activities. Any detail, information or photographs all add to that.
If you have any information or would like to know more, please contact Suzanne Easton.
Castaways' would like to announce the first running of what will hopefully be an annual competition. In homage to (or parody of) the BSAC Heinke Trophy this competition will be run within the club and awarded to the member who has "made an outstanding contribution to the use of the English language within a diving situation".
The judges are looking for nominations detailing any gaffes, spoonerisms or just plain daftness that have happened in the last year. An example would be the near legendary "sea-sick daffodils" contributed by Suzanne. The nominations will be printed in the Spring issue of the newsletter and the results will be announced at the AGM.
Nominations are open in 2 categories "Heinekan" and "Heinekan Export", these categories are described below:
This category is awarded to the member who has made an outstanding contribution to the use of the English language in a diving context within the last year. The candidate must have been a member at the time of the goof.
This category is awarded to any non-member who has made an outstanding contribution to the use of the English language in a diving context within the last year. Subsequently joining the Club will not exclude nominations.
All nominations should be sent to Anthony Peacock, with the name of the nominee, the category, the actual phrase or saying and a short description of the context. The deadline for receipt of nominations is the end of January 2000.
| Oxygen Administration and First Aid for Divers Skill Development Courses | |
| Date | 29 January 2000 |
| Minimum Grade | Sports Diver |
| Estimated cost | £32 (This will depend on costs involved in hiring lecture facilities) |
| Description | These courses will be run in the Cheddar / Bristol area, and are open to all Sports Divers (or above). We are hoping to run them both over the course of one day. It will be a fairly intense day but they are both enjoyable and worthwhile courses. The Oxygen Administration course will allow you to use the club's emergency oxygen administration kit, and counts towards your Advanced Diver training. |
| Contact | Anthony Peacock or Suzanne Easton |
| Sports Diver Training | |
| Date | 19 - 20 February 2000 |
| Minimum Grade | Club Diver |
| Estimated cost | |
| Description | This training session has changed slightly from the proposed programme advertised in the last newsletter. The current proposal is to try to run the Theory and Pool work over a number of weekday evenings leaving this weekend free for the open water element. The exact format will be decided when we know how many people are interested. |
| Contact | Anthony Peacock or Suzanne Easton |
| Warm up weekend | |
| Date | 11 - 12 March 2000 |
| Minimum Grade | Club Diver |
| Estimated cost | £100 |
| Description | This will be a gentle weekend of pleasure diving. The aim is to provide the venue and opportunity to safely return to diving for those that have had a winter break. The plans will be finalised once we know how many people are interested, but one suggestion at the moment is Portland: Saturday – shore diving from Chesil Cove, Sunday – diving from a RIB on sites in the 20m or less range. The Saturday shore diving will enable people to refresh their diving skills, check their equipment still works, etc. in a gentle, controlled environment. |
| Contact | Anthony Peacock |
| Tobermory, Isle of Mull | |
| Date | 1 - 8 April 2000 |
| Minimum Grade | Sports Diver (Club Divers may be allowed at the Diving Officer’s discretion) |
| Estimated cost | See "Trip Details" newsletter section |
| Description | See "Trip Details" newsletter section |
| Contact | Suzanne Easton |
| Isle of Wight | |
| Date | 27 – 29 May 2000 |
| Minimum Grade | Sports Diver (Club Divers may be allowed at the Diving Officer’s discretion) |
| Estimated cost | Not known yet |
| Description | This is a chance for those of us who don’t live in the south west to do some diving without having to drive for half a day to get there. Again, full details will be decided when we know how many people are interested. Provisional plans are to charter a hard boat to dive the wrecks and reef around the Isle of Wight, and to use B&B accommodation. |
| Contact | Anthony Peacock |
1st April - 8th April 2000
Tobermory is on the north of the Isle of Mull, and is ideal for diving either in the Sound of Mull or around the Islands of Coll and Tiree. The diving is influenced by the Atlantic - the water is dark but very clear with exceptional life including seals and wrecks. The skipper also has some new sites he would like us to try!
The Silver Swift
The diving will be from a hard boat called Silver Swift, based in Tobermory. Air (no nitrox) is available in Tobermory as is self-catering accommodation.
The cost of the trip will be approximately £300, this includes all dives, air, breakfast, lunches (for those who wish to join the kitty), ferry over to Mull and accommodation. You will need to get to Tobermory and supply your own dive kit, to include two cylinders per person. Due to the nature of the tides everyone will be diving at once so kit shares are not possible.
If you wish a place to be reserved for you, a non-returnable deposit of £50 is required before 1st November 1999. If you pull out after this date you will be liable for the full cost of your place unless you find a replacement. The club will need full payment (£300) by the 1st February 2000 as we need to pay the accommodation and boat shortly after this date.
A form is provided at the end of this newsletter, please fill this in and send it with your deposit to reserve a place on this trip.
Contact: Suzanne on 01934 742446 for more details
The beautiful harbour at Tobermory
| Most recent modification: 10 April, 2001 10:52 |
Maintained by: Castaways
WebMaster
|
|
Copyright © 1996 - 2001 Castaways
Sub-Aqua Club. All Rights Reserved.
|
|