Alan Brown, Bury SAC 601 Diving Officer was presented with an award for Best Candidate out of 27 on the Advanced Instructor Course 2016. Well done and many congratulations to Alan in the recognition for all the hard work and commitment that he's put in this year - it is well deserved.
Great weekend with Preston SAA diving off Tango, Weymouth. Weather was good especially Saturday when we dived the Salsette, the water was almost like a mirror it was so flat. Still dark and murky at the bottom but was reassured that this was good viz for diving this particular wreck. We also got to dive on the Alex van Ostal, although this was really murky and you couldn't actually see very much further than a couple of feet in front of you.
The Club went on a trip to Hurghada to dive some Red Sea sites. We stayed on the MV Blue Fin, which was a very nice and comfortable yacht.
The diving consisted of a variety of reef dives and wreck dives. Highlights included diving the Thistlegorm, the Giannis D, the Rosalie Moller and an hour spent diving with a pod of wild dolphins.
Some of our intrepid members helped once more at the Rotary Club's Annual Duck Races, held in conjunction with the Chocolate Festival in Ramsbottom. This year, instead of having to share a tent with the "Kiddies' Boat Building" entries we borrowed a 'tent' from BSAC. The better than usual weather attracted more crowds and this resulted in many more people making enquiries and taking information leaflets from Elaine, Heather and Hilary.
Seven of us decided to brave the waters of Capernwray on a November night. For some it was a first night dive, for others it was their first in British waters, having done many in warmer climes.
We started gathering about 3pm in lovely sunshine, not a typical November day. The water wasn't a typical November temperature either - a luxurious 13 deg! On occasions I've been colder up there in the middle of Summer.
Some of our members are currently doing their Dive Leader training, a large part of which is covered by the Skill Development Course, Oxygen Administration. I was asked to run the course and we eventually settled on a date, which was advertised around the club and with our friends in SubC. We got 6 students, 4 wanting to do the full qualification and 2 who wanted to do it as their Dive Leader training.
This was a place I’d wanted to visit for many years, ever since I was first introduced to diving with a previous dive club nearly 30 years ago. Listening to the tales from people who’d been I thought I want to do that but never getting the chance to go along, being told the dives were too deep, very challenging and dangerous for me. Heck how are you supposed to get the experience then!
PORTHKERRIS 4-7 JULY 2014
Thanks to Steve for arranging the trip to Porthkerris. No getting up for early dives this year, the downside being it was a bit of a rush to be ready for the evening meals (Saturday in the Greenhouse and Sunday in the White Hart - both St Keverne).
A club trip over to the south West Coast of Ireland in 2013 staying on the Dingle Peninsular proved to be similar to planning a mini expedition. First of all how to get there and secondly how to get all the gear over safely!
Organising this trip as part of our Advanced Diver qualification I took on the accommodation and getting there and Wayne Horner co-ordinated the dive gear and personal luggage with Steve Slade.
We looked at best options for getting there, some decided to travel by ferry whilst the remainder decided to fly.
The Derbent was an allied tanker that was torpedoed and sunk by U96 north of Anglesey. It was built in 1907 by Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, length 94.5m, width 13.5m, weight 3178 tons. The wreck was confirmed as the Derbent when the bell was recovered july 1990. The wreck now lies in about 40m of water on its starboard side.
