Welcome to the latest monthly Newsplash. We publish a short news blog each month, written for members, but open to anybody interested in the club.
If you have any items that you would like mentioned or any suggestions for new content, please send them through to me: elaine@clidive.org.
Trip Reports
Now most of us have stopped diving for the season, the trip reports are beginning to trickle in. You can read blogs about two very different – but equally enjoyable – trips.
First up, a real ‘best of British’ weekend in Porthkerris – featuring sun, sea, sand…and more fish than you can shake a stick at.
And find out why Anastasiya had to box the trigger fish (and who won!) in Madeira.
There are more reports to come. If you want to tell us about a trip you have taken, send your reports to me at the address above.
Clidive sends a postcard from Scotland
Our Summer Isles trip, organised by our most distant members (Neil Skilling and May Yap, who live in Perth, Australia), has featured on Scuba’s ‘Your Postcard’ page. Read the trip report here.
Annual General Meeting: 24 November
Don’t forget the AGM this Friday, to be held in the First Class Lounge (a function room!) at the Parcel Yard, King’s Cross Station http://www.parcelyard.co.uk/.
The AGM is a formal meeting and it’s important we have enough members to be quorate. However, it’s also a great chance to hear about what the club’s been doing over the last year, the issues the committee have dealt with, and plans for the future. It’s an opportunity for members to raise concerns and to thank those who make Clidive such an active and successful club.
Finally, it’s when the new committee gets elected and our Diver of the Year and Trainee of the Year awards are made.
If you enjoy training and diving with Clidive, please come along. If you can’t attend, please send your apologies to the secretary: harriet@clidive.org.
Congratulations Corner
Congratulations to the following members for gaining various new qualifications in the last month:
- Ocean Diver: Quynh Le Vo
- Sports Diver: Harriet Cross and Adam Howard
- Dive Leader: Preeda Harish Kumar:
Also:
- Tom Hughes is now fully qualified as an Open Water Instructor
- Ian Baker recently passed his Theory Instructor Exam (TIE) and the Theory Paper
- Nick Harrison recently passed his TIE
For those unfamiliar with BSAC’s instructor training system, the elements of being an Open Water Instructor (OWI) are:
- Instructor Foundation Course (IFC): teaches you the basics and qualifies you to assist as an instructor
- Open Water Instructor Course (OWIC)): focuses on the particular issues around teaching in lakes/sea compared to the swimming pool
- Practical Instructor Exam (PIE) : assessment of in-water teaching
- Theory Instructor Exam (TIE): assessment of theory teaching
- Theory Paper: a multiple-choice exam, similar to that taken for the diver grades
Training News
Winter boat handling practice
For all who have done the BSAC boat-handling course or the RYA level 2 powerboat, we’re offering a number opportunities to practise your boat handling skills on the Thames over the winter.
The sessions are in a small group with a boat-handling instructor or an experienced diver cox’n, and we launch from East London. You will cover both high-speed and low-speed manoeuvres, and it is ideal for those wanting to drive the boat more on trips and move on to being a qualified diver cox’n.
For those not yet a boat handler, there will be a boat handling course in a few months.
For more information and to sign up please email training@clidive.org
VHF Radio Course
All our boats carry VHF marine radios to allow us to talk to each other, other boats and the coastguard.To use a VHF radio, you need to do an online course and exam so we’re running one.
You will learn how to operate a radio using the right lingo and to make MAYDAY radio calls. It’s very interesting and good fun, and you will become a licensed VHF radio operator. This is a must for all aspiring boat handlers, and useful for everyone else too!
The online course takes 8-10 hours and is followed by a short multiple choice and practical exam on Thursday 18 January, 7-9.30pm.
After the exam, there will be a practical session on using VHF radio during dive trips, to give you more experience using real radios.
The cost is £80, including course materials, the online course and certification. The cheapest commercial course in London costs £120 all in.
If you’d like to book, please email Ben (ben@clidive.org) ASAP.
Knots evening: 7 December
Don’t know your bowline from your reef knot? Is the only knot you remember the bow? Break into a cold sweat when asked to tie a stern line onto the rib? Want to be more proficient with your knots?
If any of these describe you then on 7th December we’re running a knot evening. You can learn or refresh the key knots we use on the boats, be reminded when you need them and get plenty of opportunity to practice.
An excellent opportunity for all members, whatever your level of boat or knot experience. The evening is free. Email training@clidive.org to book.
First Aid for Divers: 4/11/18 January
A great addition to the dive rescue, resuscitation and incident management skills covered on the main diving courses, First Aid for Divers covers the basics of non-resuscitation first aid likely to be needed in the diving environment. It is a very practical course and aims to give you the confidence to give first aid in an emergency using equipment to hand on a diving trip.
We will be running the course over three Thursday evenings in January: 4th January to 18th January.
If you already have first aid training, this course is a good way to practise your skills while learning to apply them to the diving environment. Remember – first aid skills deteriorate rapidly if not used or practised regularly, so it is recommended that you undertake a refresher course at least every three years.
The course will cost £35 including the training pack for those who have not done it before. As with all Clidive courses, if you’ve done it before then a refresher will not cost anything. Email training@clidive.org to book.
Instructor Training Evening: 14 December
As all instructors and assistant instructors will be aware, BSAC has made some changes to the Ocean Diver course. Ben and Chris are going to run an evening highlighting the changes and refreshing skills. This will be both a classroom and pool evening.
Please email training@clidive.org if you plan to attend. A second session will be run for those who can’t make the 14th.
Social Events
There’s plenty going on to stop you hibernating over the winter months!
Christmas Party: 9 December
Venue: Troy Bar, Hoxton Street (details will be on the tickets), 7pm until late
The evening will include a buffet, a raffle, ‘Secret Skill’ showcasing and the publication of the 2018 dive programme. Friends and family welcome.
The venue will be open to the public from 10pm, when there will be a DJ playing 80s soul and funk until 3am.
Tickets: £10 from preeda@clidive.org
Star Wars Movie Night: The Last Jedi
Venue: Barbican Cinema, 17.10 – followed by a meal
Details from preeda@clidive.org
Big thanks to…
Richard Kelly for organising the recent (very red) karaoke evening.
Dave Lock for his fascinating lecture on diving HMS Victoria; and Dr Rich Walker for his lecture on Ghost Fishing in the UK.
Both the lectures were very successful and well attended, including by a number of non-members. Preeda will be organising more in 2018, so look out for future dates.
However, if you want a bit of quiet contemplation time, you might consider…
“It Comes in Waves”
An exhibition of art by Mat Humphrey, until 23 December
New Art Projects, E8 4QS
Mat Humphrey is a British artist based in London. He describes his work as an attempt to bring together in harmony elements of naturally occurring patterns or structures and man-made ones. Drawing from a diverse range influences, from urchin shells, whale skin and sand ripples, to galaxy formations, city lights and aboriginal paintings, he creates black and white paintings that he hopes capture something of the infinite.
http://newartprojects.com/events/mat-humphrey/
The next Newsplash will be published mid December.
