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Gulp News June 2008 Paul started the month off in fine form by passing the practical element of his OWI exams, so joining the instructor ranks of BSAC. Well done Paul! Paul also effected repairs to the RIB (a new water pump) and Julie B gave no trouble whatsoever on the next Sea Palling day out. Shame the vis was so poor though.
May 2008 Several of us had a good day out on Paul's RIB. Unfortunately the visibility on the SS Isle out of Sea Palling was, well, appalling (as was that pun, sorry). Aaron, Nick and Mick descended only to abort the dive soon alter lining off the shot. Paul and John didn't bother so with the engine giving us cause for concern we returned. The problem with the engine was later diagnosed as water pump and the necessary repairs and testing means that the remaining boat diving dates in May have been cancelled.
April 2008 We held a vibrant and well-attended AGM. No Committee posts changed - see the AGM minutes. During the AGM there was much discussion about whether or not we should expand the Club through organic growth and the need to purchase pool kit to enable this to happen. On the night we decided to continue utilising members' own kit but subsequent discussions has led to the Committee investigating just a few sets of second-hand training kit. Watch this space!.
February 2008 Colin and Gerald took Colin's camera into a cold Gildenburgh water. See Colin's pictures at the photo gallery.
January 2008 Several of the Club have braved the cold January temperatures at Gildenburgh water. Paul and Mick went mad with Paul's camera again and the practice is starting to really show; see for yourself at the photo gallery. John, Carol and Simon elected for the warmer waters off Sharm and a jolly good time they had too. December 2007 The month started in swinging form with the Gulp Christmas meal at the Gallery in Wisbech. We had a good attendance with both present and past members and by all accounts kept other parties at the restaurant entertained with our flying balloons! Our thanks to Deb who again rose to the occasion to organise the event. We ended the year with a visit to Gildenburgh for a cold dip. In a balmy 6 degrees Nick, Aaron and Carol had a bimble for a very commendable 45 minutes, with Mick and various small pike posing for Paul's camera for slightly less time. John and Simon had the shortest dive by not much less but Simon carried out his plan to practice mask removal; taking skills practice to a new limit. It was good to also see Gerald but a cold prevented him from diving, as was also the case for Becky who sensibly stayed at home. November 2007 2007 has continued to be crap weather-wise for both Paul's RIB dates on the east and south coast and a planned day on Brighton Diver in October. To cheer ourselves up and for a very pleasant change we trotted over to Stoney Cove. This was Josh's first experience of open water diving and Paul's first run-time dive fully equipped with twinset and side-slung. The group, Debbie, Andy, Mick, Paul, Nick, Aaron (on his first dive with Gulp), Colin, Gerald, John and Josh paired up in that order. Most were diving for pleasure, but Mick and Paul visited the hydrobox with their twinsets and sideslungs for the 'teccy' dive and John took Aaron for his first open water practical training dive. All went well, with Josh taking to the water like a natural. For dive two John went in with Nick and Aaron, while Mick and Paul took Josh for his second lesson finishing off with a swim around the Nautilus. June 2007 Plenty of activity with several evenings at the Bottisham pool doing try-dives and divers getting wet at Gildy. At last Paul and the good RIB Julie B had some luck with the weather and viz and Paul, Nick, John, Colin and Gerald had a great day out of Sea Palling, one wreck being only three miles out! See the photo gallery. We had less luck on the Eastbourne trip, organised by Nick for the last weekend of June. By Friday morning it was clear that the winds and rain would be too much and the hardboat skipper canned the weekend. This was increasingly frustrating for Nick as the weekend was part of his Advanced Diver training. April 2007 The AGM went quickly, in part due to the low turnout. At the AGM Carol stood down as Treasurer and June stood down as auditor. Both were thanked for their service to the Club and were sent bouquets of flowers. Click here for minutes of the meeting. We'll obviously see plenty more of Carol but not June who will soon be emigrating with Graham. We wish them all the best with their new life. Our new Treasurer is Becki - welcome to the team! The Julie B has seen the water several times but the weather and vis has not been kind to divers so far. A full itinerary has been published by Paul - contact him for details. March 2007 Paul's hard work on his RIB during last summer and winter came to fruition when we took the renamed 'Julie B' out for her first run since purchase. She looks clean and ran well. There were teething problems with the radio which were eventually sorted. Paul, Mick, Andy and Paul's neighbour visited a wreck to practice with the boat and equipment. The day bode well for a busy diving calendar in 2007. November 2006 After getting merits in both his theory presentation and theory test Nick got an extremely impressive hat-trick with a merit in his OWI exam. An amazing achievement for which he was understandably "over the moon". Nick is putting his skills into practice by assisting the Cambridge branch with their training.
October 2006 The weekend diving from Weymouth on Tango was disappointingly blown out. So instead of immersing themselves in sea water the divers spent the weekend exploring alcoholic liquids. Paul has not been any luckier getting his RIB out to sea with several attempts being blown out.
July 2006 A welcome to new member Angie, who joined us on the Farnes trip. And congratulations to both her and Ian on their upcoming marriage. Nick and Mick had an enjoyable days diving off of Brighton on Brighton Diver. They travelled down and back in the same day quite comfortably, and with free parking at the marina and a good boat and skipper who knows plenty of wrecks and also good drift dives they highly recommend the destination as an excellent day's diving.
June 2006 Mick had a week on a Tony Backhurst liveaboard, MV Typhoon. The weather was good and he saw plenty. He followed it up with a weekend at Portland doing the BSAC Advanced Instructor Course. His verdict: an intensive weekend but very enjoyable, and highly recommended for all OWIs whether or not they plan to go on to do the AI exams. It was John and Carol's 25th wedding anniversary this month. They celebrated with a family party at which some of us attended. Congratulations to you both! John had a dive at Gildenburgh and returned to his car to find that it had been broken into with money and a watch stolen. Other cars had also been targeted. There had been a group of youths wandering about and they are prime suspects. Be warned. May 2006 Becki, Andy M., Gary S., Mick and Ian with new member Angie, Steve and Jeanette from Luton BSAC and Len and John from Watford BSAC had an enjoyable weekend at the Farnes. The weather north and south of Seahouses was awful but only the Saturday afternoon dive got blown out. Sunday was flat calm and very sunny, unlike the rest of the UK that was suffering torrential rain. To see the photos click here. Paul did his OWI at Mepal but didn't enjoy the experience too much. The visibility was really appalling and he had an instructor that had a very different view on how to do towing and rescue breaths.
April 2006 This month it was Paul's turn to get a distinction in his Theory Exam for his presentation on chartwork. It was also the first Gulp Divers group outing. Gildenburgh wasn't too warm yet but it was good to get in the water. Nick is already having a busy year, this month attending the OWI course.
March 2006 Nick had a spectacular success getting two merits in his Theory Instructor exam. Nice work! He and John have also been busy assisting Cambridge BSAC with diver training. John and Carol did something a little different by going hard hat diving. They found the equipment predictably heavy but not too claustrophobic. It was an experience that they thoroughly enjoyed and one they recommend. February 2006 It's congratulations to Paul and Julie on the birth of their daughter Ashleigh. I'm sure she'll enjoy playing on Dad's new RIB!
January 2006 Paul bought himself a nice big RIB. It needs some cleaning and tidying up but he, John and Mick can vouch for it's stonking performance when they took it out for a trial. This should extend he club's diving schedule once it is fully operational.
December 2005 The month started well with Mick passing his Extended Range Diving assessment. Unlike the last time, this time it went like clockwork. All the way to Chepstow for a single cold dive with a bottom time of 12 minutes, and not a single fish or lump of rusty metal! A good number of us met at Mendis for the Club Xmas 'do', and had a very jolly time with plenty of activity on the dance floor and almost everyone drinking like real divers (Mick was a designated driver and got throroughly pissed (off) with J2O!) Nick had some great news: he passed the Theory Instructor exam with two merits! Fantastic job Nick! November 2005 Just because there have been no entries in the diary definitely does not mean that Gulp Divers have not been busy. We've been diving off the Norfolk coast, despite the weather. There have been plenty of visits to Gildenburgh. Nick has dived off the South Coast of France, and Paul off of Cyprus, whilst Mick achieved his personal ambition and dived the Scapa wrecks. Congratulations to Andy McShane who completed his Dive Leader at this month's training day. The club has also been busy planning trips for next year. These can be downloaded from the Diving page. Non-members are welcome on all trips, but priority will of course be given to members. August 2005 Congratulations to Simon Oldfield who became a Dive Leader right at the beginning of the month, just before his return to University. With this year's unpredictable summer we counted ourselves lucky that the day of the summer BBQ at Mick's house was dry, if a little windy. That didn't stop us sitting out on the patio all day and evening, with the last stragglers having to go only as far as the goat field at the back of the house where their tents had been erected earlier in the day. Much food and alcohol was consumed, and Debbie and Andy brought along plenty of toys for John and Paul's son Aaron to play with. So all had a very enjoyable time. Our thanks must go to Mick's wife Amanda who laid on a great feast and Debbie for the wonderful sweets (that were eagerly finished off by the campers the following morning for breakfast!). Although there is plenty of activity at Gildenburgh, the RIB bookings out of Trimmingham are proving frustrating: as a result of various mishaps and crap weather so far not one has been possible. August has seen the number of nitrox divers in the branch rise significantly with five members passing their BSAC Advanced Nitrox. The SDC, organised and led by Mick, was a joint effort with Newmarket BSAC. Members from both clubs did the theory day together (that qualifies for the Basic Nitrox) but only Gulpers went on to take and pass the practical assessments that qualify for the Advanced Nitrox ticket. Congratulations to John, Carol, Nick A, David and Gary I. July 2005 Summer is well and truly here and there continues to be plenty of activity in the water. Highlight of the month was a very enjoyable weekend at Anglesey, expertly organised by Andy and Mandy McShane. They know the area really well so were able to ensure that we got the right boats to get the best out of the trip. We had a great time and a full write-up is available on the diary page. June 2005 With the refurbishment of the Crown Lodge Hotel now completed and increasing rowdiness at the Artful Dodger we thought it time to move. So from June 16th we will meet at the Crown Lodge Hotel. Diving and training is taking place on a regular basis. Various members have been attending training events within the region. John and Carol have been training Gulp divers and lending a hand to Cambridge SAC, whilst Mick supplements branch training by instructing at the occasional regional SDC. Finally, on the training side, Nick passed his BSAC Dive Leader. The trip to Plymouth on the 19th and 20th June went really well and was enjoyed by all. The Scylla and James Eagan Layne were unmissable dives that all should do at least once. Click here to read John's write-up of the trip. April 2005 The AGM saw a good turnout of members and plenty of discussion - click here for minutes of the meeting. The suggested diving plans were received well (see future events page). Pete Gosnell stood down as Diving Officer, so Mick Barratt has taken on the D.O. role, with Paul Booth taking the Chairman's role. John Oldfield is back as Training Officer, and Debbie Rawson and Carol Oldfield have stayed on as Secretary and Treasurer. Other proposals included the first Sunday of each month being set aside for training, and the Club compiling a business plan to support a lottery grant for training equipment. March 2005 Things are hotting up with the first shake-down and training dives of the year. Mick also passed his BSAC Advanced Diver. February 2005 Another year and another diving season to prepare for. Talk at the Club meetings is of kit servicing and possible dive trips for 2005. We are not going to the Farnes this year - the timing of 2005's trip has proven problematic with members not available and recovering from operations. We should however make up for this with plenty of other trips in the offing - see events page. January 2005 Last year's extremely successful trip to the Red Sea was repeated with eleven Gulp members having a great weeks diving. They were joined by several members of West Norfolk SAC. For a diary of the trip, click here. November 2004 Summer and autumn 2004 has been busy with plenty of pleasure diving at inland waters and off the coast of Norfolk. It has also seen several members participating in SDCs, such as Mick on the Nitrox and Dive Planning & Marshalling courses, and importantly Paul doing the Instructor Training Course - another Gulp instructor in the making! We have also seen several members complete training, such as Gary I. completing the Sports Diver course. Earlier in the year, in warmer times, we decided that a trip to Stoney Cove would be a good idea. We did it this month, and despite the cold weather a great time was had. Click here to read Debbie's excellent write-up of the day's events. Mick rounded off November by acting as an Assistant Instructor at a Combined Nitrox event in Cambridge and Gildenburgh. Mick passed his assessment and can now teach Nitrox to Advanced level. July 2004 Debbie and Andy hosted the annual BBQ, thanks to them for all their hard work. The weather was good and everyone enjoyed the enormous amount of food available. We were all very tired at the end of the day after playing on the trampoline, swing ball and other games. Thanks Joshua and Abigail for letting us play with your toys. Debbie is back – Debbie did her first dive at Gildenburgh following the birth of her beautiful baby daughter Harriet. Regular Wednesday evening dives are taking place at Gildenburgh throughout the summer. These are very popular, especially with members brushing up on their skills. So if you fancy a mid week plunge ring either Paul B, John, Carol or Mick.
Mandy and Andy organised a diving trip to Trearddur Bay, Anglesey and were joined by John, Carol and Gary Sprawling. They all had an enjoyable weekend camping, the weather was good (no rain). They did three boat dives and one shore dive, including the wreck Missouri, the vis was good. Thanks to Mandy and Andy for their hard work organising the trip and hopefully a visit to Anglesey can be included in the diary for next year. Paul B has completed his Sports Diver training. Well done Paul. Congratulations also to Mick who became an Advanced Nitrox Diver this month. May 2004 The trip to the Farnes was most successful. Pete, Alex, John, Carol, Paul, Mandy, Ian, Steve Wesson, Eric, Steve Harris June and myself made up the diving party with Julie and Graham coming along as non-diving partners. We dived the Chris Christiensen, Great and Little Harcar, the Britannia and the Blue Caps. For me the Blue Caps was a welcome revisit with plenty of wrasse and other life. The weather was perfect, and the company excellent. Farne Diving services looked after us really well again, and we've already booked for next year! Later in the month me, Carol, and John all passed our Open Water Instructor exams. Hurrah for us! (And thank god it's over!!) April 2004 Steve is very busy so it's back to Mick for a while as the news scribe. We had a full agenda at the AGM with conversation about SOLAS, diver responsibilities, and the purchase of an oxygen set. We also had some changes to the Committee with John and Alex standing down from their roles as Training Officer and Secretary. Both were thanked for their work on the Committee, in Alex's case from the birth of the Club. John was recognised for his busy year with a Silver plate, sent by BSAC as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Chairman to award to a deserving member. Paul Booth and Debbie Rawson have stepped into their roles and I'm sure will do a great job. February 2004 Now everyone has recovered from Christmas and New year and your scribe is finally back in the country, having been diving in Mexico and the Caribbean and a family holiday in West Africa, its time to catch up with the news. The gulp Christmas meal was reported as excellent at the Gourmet Plaza and much enjoyed by those who managed to attend. Our members are either mad or very hardy since some of them still managed to get wet at Gildenburgh during December and January. John , Carol, Ian, Mike, Paul, Julie, Richard and Karen went off to the Red Sea on Jan the 25th. The complete diary is available under news /events diary. Training has continued apace with Sport diver and Dive leader new syllabus lectures. We are at Gildenburgh on 14th March for the practical parts of this. PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR A.G.M. IS AT 8 pm ON THE 15TH APRIL 2004 THE ARTFUL DODGER IN WISBECH. ALL WELCOME
November 2003 Nearly the end of the diving season and things have been quieter this month, unless you are into spending lots of money, in which case you could have gone to the dive show. Mick, Paul, Richard, Andy, Debbie, John and Carol hired a mini bus and went on a group outing. I'm told that they bought lots of goodies and spent far too much. Of course having acquired some new kit you just have to try it out and some hardy souls actually went to Gildenburgh on Sunday the 23rd November. A decent dive although the weather turned pretty awful later. I don't know if Mick tried out his new 5mm wetsuit ! On the training front, the group managed to find the time to do crossover lectures for new members and we now have lots more Ocean Divers and two Sports Divers. Well done to the training team. Carol, John and Mick also passed their BSAC Theory Instructor. John received a merit for his presentation. The Gulp Christmas meal has been arranged for the 20th of December, please contact Carol if you would like to attend for a good night out. (Sadly I can't go as I will be diving in Mexico.) October 2003 Your new scribe officially takes over the diary this month. I hope you like the new style. Following three major accidents at Mepal Outdoor Centre on Saturday 18th October, the club now has openings for a new Chairman , Secretary, Diving Officer and several new members. Anyone who is interested is welcome to our next meeting on November 8th.( Its not as bad as it sounds). Nick, Steve, Pete, Alex, John, Carol and Mick from Gulp with Gez and Gary from Grey Goose, under the able instruction of Gary Jennings, went on a two day Practical Rescue Management course . This consisted of an evening in the Cutters Arms in Ely doing the boring bit. Followed by a day at Mepal Outdoor Centre for the exciting and practical bits. The day included rescuing lost and unconscious divers from 30 meters (more like 3 feet really) , towing, av, oxygen, cpr, fending off onlookers and the press. Everyone got involved and into the spirit of things. A great days training and a terrific group outing. At one point in the afternoon it seemed that everyone was a casualty and the only person left standing was the man from the press, who with great presence of mind declared that the Ambulances, Helicopter and the Para Medics had arrived so we could all go home. Whilst waiting for the accidents to happen we also managed an imaginary Barbie with the left overs from August. The group are planning a trip to the Red Sea on January 25th 2004, further information from John or Carol. John and Carol have now completed their Dive Leader training , many congratulations from all of us. September 2003 The proposed trip to Pembroke was called off due lack of numbers but was replaced by a Club day diving at Gildenburgh. More training for some and fun being rescued , for others. A trip on a rib boat was also arranged and Mick, Carol, John, Mick Clayton and Pete managed two good dives from Trimmingham. This month saw us change our meeting place (to the Artful Dodger), which is now at a somewhat quieter venue (no Jazz nights!). It has met with approval from the members. August 2003 A somewhat quieter month with club members going on holiday and of course including some diving in Sardinia and the Red Sea. More training and trips to Gildenburgh Lake during the evening and some weekends. John and Carol provided a barbecue in the middle of the month which was well attended. A nice social afternoon with plenty of food to go around . June / July 2003 The last two months have been spent on dive training towards the Dive Leader qualification. This has mostly been on Wednesday evenings and the occasional weekend at Gildenburgh Lake , not the most exciting place in the world but an ideal venue for training and within reasonable travelling distance for most members. Those of us not training , had the experience of being rescued and acting as casualties. We also had lots of fun by playing at being novice divers and creating problems for the dive leaders, who to their credit, took it all in their stride. All in all a couple of nice months diving and it set an example to the rest of us to consider our own further training. May 2003 For a change the annual Gulp Divers pilgrimage to the Farne Islands took place in May, instead of September. The change of date gave us more seals and islands full of birds, but the weather was not that kind. Saturday morning saw Alex, Mick, Carol, John, Ann, Ian, Steve, Debbie and non-diver Andy, and Steve from West Norfolk SAC at Seahouses harbour waiting for the tide to come in and free the boat from the harbour bottom. After a long wait we finally loaded up and set off. By the end of the first dive most divers were cold and so were not too disappointed when the skipper said that another dive was not possible due to the weather and the spring tide. After getting our cylinders filled and a great night at the local, a comfortable night saw us up for an earlier breakfast and embarking into a quieter sea. Two dives and many seals later a happy group of divers were on their way back down the A1. April 2003 Our first trip to the coast proved to be a great success. John and Carol, who organised the weekend at Portland, were accompanied by Pete and Alex, Steve, Debbie and non-diver partner Andy, Paul and Mick and his non-diving wife Amanda. The diving, including the Hood, proved good even though visibility was not so great. The sunny weather and the millpond flat sea also contributed to a very pleasurable weekend. We also had our AGM this month. After two years of sterling service June stood down as Treasurer, and Carol Oldfield was voted in. Husband John is also joining the Committee as Training Officer. March 2003 At last, we are diving again! Not that there was no diving over winter, but we've got our kit serviced and the planned trips are now happening. So far these have been pretty much limited to warm up dives, with our first trip to Portland lined up for early April. October 2002 A reasonably busy seasons diving was capped with a 'dive and nosh'. Divers met at Gildenburgh and all had a dive except Mick who was experiencing ear problems. He kept himself busy being the dive marshall and taking photos. Then it was off to the Chinese for an excellent buffet that was enjoyed by all. For more see the downloads page for the Autumn/Winter 2002 newsletter.
September 2002 The annual pilgrimage to the Farne Islands went like a dream. Good weather, diving, and great company ensured that all had a good time. For more see the events diary.
August 2002 The diving season is with us and there is plenty going on - despite several organised dives for various reasons being called off. We've had a number of group dives at the inland sites of Stoney Cove and Gildenburgh that were well attended. For more see the downloads page for the Summer 2002 newsletter.
April 2002 Well, Christmas has gone by, as has our Christmas meal. All who made it (unfortunately, not including me) had a great time. Some hardy folk have been in the water through the colder months, however now we've had some sun, diving activity has increased significantly. I've been able to beat the ear problems and get into the water. Tony, on the other hand, still has major problems and on Doctors orders has reluctantly sold his kit. The plan is that it will be replaced when his ears do finally sort themselves out. Lets hope that happens sooner rather than later. Ed has also been selling most of his kit, but for a different reason. He has sold up and in early May sets off to travel the world, dive instructing along the way. His exploits can be seen at his site www.worldscuba.net. With Tony to be out of the water for some time, and with Ed travelling to pastures new, we've lost both the driving founders of the Club and our Chairman and Diving Officer. So at the April AGM yours truly (Mick Barratt) stepped in as Chairman and Pete Gosnell is now wearing two hats as our Diving Officer and Training Officer. Both Tony and Ed remain as members. More about the new Committee and the rest of the AGM soon. November 2001 Not much happening this month. Some lucky members have had excellent trips abroad, but there has been little U.K. diving going on that I know of. However we do have our first Newsletter - click here to access (in .pdf format). Of note is of course the Diving Officer's Conference which Ed and Pete attended. Here's Pete's notes: "1. As from 10th Nov 2001 the skill of buddy breathing is to cease being taught at any level. The emphasis is to be put on using your AAS, alternative air source. 2. The first dive grade is to become known as "Ocean Diver" for both clubs and schools. 3. There will be changes yet again to the content of all diver grades. Significantly, Dive Leaders will need Oxygen Administration and Practical Rescue Management as a requirement for core training. 4. Advanced diver can be taught within club. These changes are expected to be in place by September 2002. Instructor grades have been retitled and the cross-over was discussed. The introduction of a risk assessment i.e. SEEDS brief was introduced as in try and think of every dive being a risk so make a "risk assessment" before every dive and "use proper terminology"? Diving incidents were up this year. I have 3 copies left but it is on the BSAC web site. The self certified medical seems to be staying, and evidence was provided that the controversy of medical conditions being missed because the non-diving doctor did not ask the same questions which are on the self cert form was very far and few between. David Bellamy was a scream and made the DOC worth going to. First Class Diver, National Instructor awards were given out plus the safety, Heinke, Wilkinson awards. Talks on "gas blending" was given by Jack Ingle and a pro Greenpeace talk given by Gavin Newman. A good time was had by all. Regards all, Pete Gosnell Training Officer" October 2001 October was a stupendous month for me. Sadly, it was because after being unable to dive since Pembrokeshire due to an ear infection, the medical experts gave me permission to pool dive! That 2.6 metres felt so good! The BSAC Instructor Training Course that I attended was also excellent: even if becoming a fully-fledged instructor is not your thing you'd do yourself a favour by attending it. Sadly the medical prognosis for Tony is not so good. He's out of the water for at least another 12 months and as a consequence has sold most of his kit. He's remaining as our Chairman and will replace his kit when he is able to dive again. June and Graham had a very enjoyable two weeks at the Red Sea. By pure coincidence they met Kieran at the airport, and it turned out that Kieran was off for his one week holiday too, and was on the same flight and staying in the same hotel. The first that anyone back in the U.K. knew of this was when Ed got a call from Kieran. Kieran had returned and was still at the airport but knew that he'd got a couple of cracking photos and wanted to get them onto the web site before June and Graham returned the following week. This they did. Shortly after June and Graham's return I received the following email: Mr Chairman and Esteemed Members of Gulp Divers, I wish it to be known that contrary to the pictorial evidence I was in fact working very hard on the clubs behalf during my all expenses paid trip to Egypt. My personal trainer and financial adviser assured me that the only way the books would balance is if I were horizontal - hence the picture taken in my newly knitted nacrami hammock. As for the picture taken with saucer, this in fact was an in depth study of the effect on a Liptons tea bag in a non buoyant situation all very valuable research on behalf of the club. I will in fact be producing a thesis on this and 'How to enjoy a non diving weekend in the Farne Islands' or alternative title' The Gulp Divers Rambling Group' to be presented to the committee on my return. Yours very truly, June C Reader Treasurer. Nice try June. By the way, is the new Rover on expenses too? September 2001 The first blow-out for the club happened at the now annual weekend trip to the Farnes. The waves were rolling and the wind howling and the rain lashing so the man in charge of the hardboat had no alternative than to say "No!" "Never mind", said June, "let's go for a walk". "No problem!" retorted the group of disappointed divers. To a man and woman they all knew that as super-fit BSAC divers, a gentle jaunt down the lanes with one of the club's elder members (don't argue June, you are!) would pose no difficulty. Why, I'm told, they didn't see the need even to limber up! So armed with mobile phones and designer sunglasses (as one does) they strolled after June. And they strolled. And they strolled yet more. I'm told that, being nearer to the ground our erstwhile D.O., Ed, was one of the first to suffer. Then as 1000 yards passed (okay I exaggerate, about a couple of miles) Graham had to fend off a mutiny as weary divers pleaded to go back. June would have none of it, confiscating their phones and sunglasses to ensure that they stayed together (okay I made that bit up, but from various accounts it was something like that!). Eventually they returned to base, a weary yet fitter bunch. Later that evening they made up for the exercise at the bar, and funnily enough were not so keen to 'yomp' it with June the following day! August 2001 Congratulations are due to our erstwhile D.O. Ed who is now a fully fledged PADI Instructor. What is PADI? Well, ask Ed! Mind you, Tony beat Ed to a PADI Instructor T-shirt! (ask Ed to tell you the story!) Sunday 5th August saw a boat-load of members enjoy a days hardboat diving at Wells. I should have been there but an ear infection meant that I had to reluctantly sell my place. I've yet to receive a report from someone who was there so all I can tell you at the moment is that (i) the weather couldn't have been better; (ii) the diving was great; and (iii) Graham was not impressed when his brand new reel jammed resulting in a rather rapid ascent. Fortunately he was no worse for wear for his ordeal, and nor were the rest of the party despite not being able to run for cover when Graham vented his anger! Late July saw a great weekend at Pembrokeshire - see events diary for a complete write-up. Roger clearly has read my write-up since he's sent the following message to Ed:"Dear Ed, Both Michael and myself would like to distance ourselves from the not very subtle implication in Mick (scratch your eyes out) Barratt's write up that the rooming was fiddled to put us together. Having spent a weekend in an unheated caravan with him on the I.T.C. in December some years ago I can tell you he puts more clothes on to go to bed than most people actually own. Nick Dillnutt can vouch for this!! It was his caravan and anyway it was a new tube of K.Y. and I just wanted to know where it was. It was on the floor not on the pillow!!! I can assure you that we are both happily married (not to each other); my wife is a sword swallower and his is a Corporal in the Irish Guards. Signing off hoping I have scotched the rumours (on a quiet night you can hear screams as well). Roger Loose Bugger just broken my nail!" I can't follow that except to suggest that if you want to know what I said, read the diary. If you want to know what happened at the ITC then don't ask me. In fact I'd suggest that you don't ask anyone in polite company, especially Roger! It is obvious that June also saw my write-up! Here's a message from her: "Mick, As a member of the group that dived in Pembrokeshire I am somewhat 'miffed' that no mention was made of the time and effort us ladies put into our hair and make up for the BBC camera crew on Sundays Dive. I personally rose at 5am to wash and style my hair, apply 3 layers of Tango Pink nail varnish to my toes and complete a full facial. I think it was most unfair that the camera was not turned on until after our first dive and if anyone is interested 'No Graham had not given me a black eye, waterproof mascara is not what it used to be these days' and if anyone finds a strawberry blonde wig floating about please send it back. Oh, and I think some mention should go to the way Pete polished his pate, such a beautiful shine it dazzled us all, don't Cuprinol have some wonderful finishes! Anyway less of the diving and more of the important things in future. Thanks, June" And to think how complimentary we were to the ladies about their diving skills! I've amended the write-up! There is also some news from BSAC - for full information see their site or email me or Ed:
Please note that all BSAC news received from 8th August is now posted to a new page "BSAC News" (link is at the top of this page). BSAC news posted to this site before that date will be left on this page. July 2001 Sarah Deal did well this month, passing her BSAC Instructor course at the first attempt, with distinction. Well done Sarah! Yet again there was a healthy turnout for a day at Ed's, this time the Oxygen Administration course. It was led by Pete Gosnell and (of course) Ed, ably assisted by three mannequins, several oxygen cylinders and assorted masks, and Pete's huge rucksack of equally huge needles. What have needles got to do with oxygen administration? Pete's anecdotes about his life as a paramedic were a regular (and indeed enjoyable) interruption to the pertinent elements of the day. Somehow he got onto the joys of impaling anyone silly enough to get ill in the back of his 'truck' with a needle that is meaty enough to pierce the victim's (sorry, patient's) chest wall. To prove his point (get it?) he went out to the Range Rover and returned with his first aid kit: a rucksack the size of which you need a Range Rover to carry! No-one seemed to argue with his assertion that you'd want him in the boat if you got ill..... So what did we learn? A great deal through practical use of the mannequins, video and short lectures (which again seemed to veer into Pete's seemingly pathological dislike of patients!). We finished the day with a test and a role-play exercise where Ed played the buddy of a drowned diver. Oh, and we learned that the Americans have CC/AV mannequins that can be physically sick - nice! Those who are now qualified to handle oxygen in a diver-related incident are Alex, Spike, Simon, John, Carol, me (Mick), and Greg from Grey Goose Divers. Sincere thanks to Ed and Pete for the considerable effort taken to run this course. It was a most enjoyable, and potentially life saving day that no diver should not make the effort to do. After all, do you really want to impotently watch your buddy die for the want of some basic CC/AV/oxygen skills? May 2001 There was a good turnout for the Dive Leader course. Over half a dozen potential Dive Leaders spent the morning, afternoon and evening gamefully participating in lectures. All except Chris that is, who's excitement over attending the course got the better of him the night before and he left the lectures early because of his hangover. Congratulations to those who attended and sincere thanks are due to the Trainers: Pete, Sarah, Wesley and Ed. Those who use Nitrox need to read this: Dave Lock (BSAC Eastern Regional Coach) has reported an error on page 15 of the Nitrox tables: Table B, 18 metres depth Decompression Stop Dives between 92 and 108; dive time is printed as 161 minutes in error - it should be 101 minutes. Replacement pages are being printed and will be in stock in the next few weeks and enquiries for replacement pages should be directed to Mary Tetley, Operations Manager, tel. 0151 350 6220, email maryt@bsac.com. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society are holding walks as part of their SEA RED campaign. They are to be held on the 10th June - not much notice I'm afraid but I've only just found out myself! For information on this and other WDCS events call 01225 334511 or email Kate Sweeney at kates@wdcs.org or walks@wdcs.org. For more information about the WDCS SEA RED campaign email events@wdcs.org. Their website is www.wdcs.org. BSAC have had a larger than anticipated response about diver medicals (over 40% response rate) but expect to present their findings at the June Council Meeting for discussion and decision. Arrangements are unchanged until a formal announcement is made. Arrangements for the transition to the new Open Water Instructor Training Scheme have been announced. There's too much to include here so for details please see the BSAC web site or contact Maggie Cowling, NQI Level 1 Co-ordinator, maggie.cowling@bsac.com. Finally it is hoped that another Regional Conference will be held, in either Romford, or Soham near Ely. Dave Lock would like to know of any preferences over location. Please also let Dave or Ed know if you are likely to attend. Please do consider attending: Dave may be forced to cancel the event if there is insufficient interest. April 2001 General Meeting Thanks to everyone who attended the general meeting on the 19th, we now have a formal committee (details on the contacts page). During the meeting, we discussed dive trips and training proposals (see the future events page). As a club we are offering training of Sports Diver and Dive Leader theory along with an O2 Admin SDC to both our own members and to members of other clubs in the area. This is being organised by our Training Officer (Pete Gosnell), who is also our BSAC Area Coach. The idea of offering resources to other clubs is that we can share resources for example pool time or boat use. It should also allow us to arrange training for a small number of our own members that are interested in a particular course. e.g. If two of our members would like to attend the Combined Nitrox SDC and we have several interested students from other clubs; then we should be able to arrange a course between us, with help from the regional instructor team. P.S. We will be meeting every Thursday for the duration of the dive season, so we'll see you down the Blacksmith's Arms! April 2001 Let rejoicing sound across the land and the festivities begin! Gulp Divers has officially arrived! BSAC have done whatever they do and have approved their latest BSAC Branch, Gulp Divers. The next step is for the prospective members of Gulp Divers to translate commitment to deed and to join the Gulp Divers Branch. We also must now elect a Committee to take over from the interim Committee. This will be done at Ed's house at 8.00pm on the 19th April. To get directions please contact Ed or click here for a map. Remember to bring with you your qualification records and medical certificate. Did
you know.... that a sea that is deep
blue and has great viz is 'dead'? Want to know why? Then
click here! March 2001 Ed, Tony, Pete, Alex and yours truly went to the Regional Meeting held on the 29th March at Ely and what an interesting evening it was. Seriously. A number of topics were discussed and various gems of feedback given to the assembled BSAC instructors, coaches and a National Committee Member. The first topics on the agenda were Trimix and rebreathers. BSAC is developing instruction and rules to cover both types of diving, including a rebreather awareness course for non-rebreather divers. Next came a discussion on the cancelled Regional Conference. The Conference was cancelled due to insufficient bookings. The relatively few attendees that were aware of the Conference is in my opinion key to why it generated such little interest - a shame really since the agenda looked good and a great deal of effort had gone into its organisation. The issue of communication between BSAC HQ and members came up several times during the evening. Both BSAC HQ and members get frustrated that BSAC communications don't get through to members because Branch Committees don't pass the information on. A number of suggestions were given to redress the situation. In any case hopefully another attempt to hold a Regional Conference will be made. Steve Game presented on the a BSAC initiative to help potential Club Instructors through the course and exams. He stressed that the examination team are there to pass candidates, and that the regional coaching staff are there to help Branches and prospective Instructors alike. Keith Lawrence, a BSAC Council Member, gave a presentation on BSAC HQ's work plans. BSAC continues to regain strength and the members of the Council and much reduced BSAC staff should be applauded for their efforts. Keith also discussed the Wreck issue, by far the most important issue of the evening. The importance of this issue to all divers including those that don't see themselves as 'wreckies' cannot be overstated. I know from my motorcycling and shooting interests that Government tends to act in a very blunt manner so now is the time to stand up and be counted. Furthermore this issue now seems to be gathering an international dimension. For more information including web links see the BSAC site or www.wreckrespect.org.uk. Keith was handbagged by Ed and Tony (especially Tony) and will investigate the ongoing delays in getting our Branch paperwork through! February 2001 It was a quiet evening in early March 2001. I (Mick Barratt) was just finishing my tea when the phone rang. Said Ed: “Hey, I could do with some help with the web site. You're good at the writing thing, so how about you maintaining a news page on the web site?” I had previously offered to help with the site and it is true that I do enjoy writing. I’m also a sucker for a compliment so I agreed on the spot and the deal was done. I can't hold a light to Ed's web skills so he is continuing to build the site on his own. We do want to get items of interest onto the site as soon as possible, including topical ‘news’ items and that's the purpose of this page. So, what has happened lately? We've held one meeting so far to ensure that there was indeed sufficient interest to create the Branch. We agreed who would be the interim Committee, and the Branch name. We had one dissenting voice on the choice of Branch name (didn't we, June!) but she must have forgiven us because she agreed to be our interim Treasurer. The interim Committee has met with Dave Lock (BSAC Regional Coach) and we understand that he has has expressed support for the formation of the Branch. So once BSAC HQ have completed whatever it is that they need to do to get the "Officers Approval" the Branch will be up and running. So what has the 'Branch' been up to? Well not a lot really, but then again that's understanding given that until BSAC HQ approve us we don't yet exist! We will get together again when approval is given, at which time I will ensure that members get news, gossip and issues to me at news@gulpdivers.co.uk. One event that we are looking for members (and anybody else who can spare a weekend) to support is the Marine Conservation Society's "Beachwatch" campaign. "Beachwatch" is an annual litter survey that has run since 1993 and this year will be held on the weekend of 15th and 16th September. It is part of an event, co-ordinated in America, called the International Coastal Clean-up. Beachwatch will result in a clean beach for at least a few days. It will also identify the type of litter on the beach and the Marine Conservation Society will investigate the source of the litter and work to tackle the causes. For further information and to register as a volunteer please contact me. The beach to be cleaned has not yet been selected but will be somewhere on the North Norfolk coast. For further information about the "Beachwatch" campaign please see the MCS website at www.mcsuk.org. Some of us have partaken in the joys of Gildenburgh on a cold February day. Yes it’s cooler than in August but with so few divers Gildenburgh is also much clearer. Ed and I went in with a PADI Instructor and a PADI Dive Master who were doing the last part of the wreck penetration skill development course. A.N.Other was present at Gildenburgh but refused to join us on the dive, citing the cold. She knows her name! We swam through a shoal of this year’s crop of young perch, the fish bigger than they were last November but seemed to be fewer presumably through predatation. I spent most of the dive cursing the slither of cold water that felt like a flood down my back. This had slipped through my neck seal after I’d foolishly twisted my neck to watch the bus being ‘penetrated’ by the PADI guys. I’ll endeavour to keep all interested parties informed through this web page. In the meantime if you want a taster of our branch trips then read my diary from our last trip to the Farne Islands in September 2000. |