We really hope that you enjoy this copy of BSAC Talk. If you have any comments regarding this issue, please let us know by email at maryt@bsac.com

A PDF copy of this issue of BSAC TALK can also be downloaded from the BSAC TALK index page on our website at www.bsac.org/page/93/bsac-talk.htm.

We have just launched our brand new DVD - Go Diving UK - to showcase the very best in diving with BSAC in the UK.

Produced by BBC journalist and underwater cameraman John McIntyre and sponsored by Dive Master Insurance, Go Diving UK features amazing footage of Britain's diverse underwater heritage.

From wrecks in Scotland to basking sharks in Cornwall, the DVD highlights the varied diving experience that's on offer in the UK and will inspire divers of all levels to make the most of our own unique shores.

The DVD is also a fantastic introduction to diving with BSAC and will be used to support our Go Dive and Try Dive campaigns. We hope that by including these DVDs in the packs for the participants it will really encourage people to want to go diving with BSAC.

The DVD was officially launched at this year's AGM. "Go Diving UK shows people that you don't have to go overseas to get the best diving in the world," said BSAC operations manager Mary Tetley. "We hope that it will help put British diving with BSAC well and truly on the map."

Go Diving UK will be made widely available to all BSAC branches, participants of BSAC's Go Dive/Try Dive campaigns as well as anyone wishing to find out more about BSAC and diving in the UK.

For more information on BSAC's new DVD please call Mary Tetley on 0151 350 6200 or email maryt@bsac.com.

Plymouth and its National Marine Aquarium was the impressive backdrop to this year's Annual General Meeting of the British Sub Aqua Club, hosted by Heinke Trophy winners Totnes SAC.

The day's proceedings started at Plymouth's Mount Batten Centre where the morning featured the AGM business followed by an afternoon of presentations from the National Marine Aquarium's Doug Herdson and Dr Phil Bryson from DDRC. BSAC's new DVD - Go Diving UK - was also officially launched and received a fantastic response from all who attended.

This year's AGM saw the appointment of our new NDO, Sean Gribben and Andy Moll as Honorary Secretary as well as four new council members - Rachel Sharp, Eugene Farrell, Don Quilliam and Alan Robinson.

We also said farewell to several outgoing council members, including NDO Clare Peddie and Honorary Secretary Mike Todd, who has now been made Honorary Life Vice President in recognition of his tireless work for BSAC over many years. The contribution of the other retiring members - Anne Clarke and Keith Lawrence - was also acknowledged.

To round off the day's activities, dinner was held at Plymouth's National Marine Aquarium, which is the UK's leading aquarium committed to marine education, conservation and research.

After dinner, guests were treated to an entertaining talk by TV presenter and diver Miranda Krestovnikoff, with the floor-to-ceiling aquarium tank and its inhabitants -including sharks and rays - as her background.

BSAC HQ and Council would like to offer special thanks to Totnes SAC - in particular Allen & Sarah Murray and Nick Booth - for all their hard work in hosting this year's AGM and making the day and evening such a success.

Sponsored by

We're interested to hear from our overseas members about their BSAC experiences and any ideas on how we can improve our services and benefits for members based abroad.

If you have any ideas or feedback on being an overseas member of BSAC please email alisond@bsac.com.

The BSAC, in conjunction with other agencies, is conducting a major survey of UK diving to build an accurate picture of the nature of sports diving in this country.

Each year the BSAC publishes a report on diving incidents (see http://www.bsac.org/page/546/incidents-information.htm) but we don't have an accurate picture of the type of diving taking place to put these reports into their correct perspective. For example, in recent years, 13% of diving fatalities in the UK have involved solo divers. Now it is very probable that this is a disproportionate number compared to the number of solo dives that take place, but we just don't know for sure. Similarly, in the 2006 incident year, 19% of the fatalities were divers using rebreathers; is this high or low in comparison to the amount of rebreather diving taking place? We simply don't know. A major purpose of the survey is to allow us to put these and other statistics into their correct perspective.

The survey will have two main elements. The first will be a very broad, site based survey, which will provide an overview of the demographics, affiliation and experience of UK divers. The second will be club/branch based and will provide much more detailed information on dive detail - depths, gasses, decompression, equipment, type of dive etc.

The purpose of this article is to alert divers to this survey, to explain its purpose and to seek your support.

The site based survey will take place in June and BSAC coaches and other helpers will be in attendance, for one day, at many key dive sites around the country, with their clip boards. They will be asking for just a few minutes of your time to answer a few simple questions about you and your diving history. No information will be asked that could identify any individual and, as with our incident reporting scheme, we will take great care to respect individuals' privacy. If you are approached by one of our researchers please support the programme.

The second element, the branch survey, is currently in the planning stage and information on this will be circulated later. We will, however, be looking for branches and clubs, of all affiliations, who would be prepared to fill out a spreadsheet detailing the dives that they have conducted and send us that information on a quarterly basis. If your club would be prepared to support this part of the survey please let us know via safety@bsac.com.

We are also planning other supporting activities such as a web-based reporting facility and data gathering through commercial sports diving facilities (boats and sites).

As stated earlier the purpose is to provide a better understanding of the nature of UK diving and thus to strengthen our ability to provide sound, evidence based advice to UK divers on diving practice and diving safety - please support this initiative either by giving a little time if approached by a researcher or through your branch or club.

Brian Cumming
BSAC Safety and Incidents Advisor.

Sign up now and get a
£5 voucher or gift FREE!

With thousands of BSAC Branch members already making the most of Direct Debit, we’d like to encourage even more to pay their BSAC subscriptions the Direct Debit way. Project Neptune, the new membership relationship management system, incorporates this facility.

Paying by Direct Debit has real benefits for both members and Branches:

• Easier for members
• Less work for Branch Secretaries – easing admin burden
• Guaranteed uninterrupted membership

How do I arrange to pay my BSAC subscription by Direct Debit?

Your Branch Secretary has all the details. There is a simple form for you to complete and your Branch sends this to BSAC Headquarters and we do the rest!

The BSAC Membership Department will set-up the DD instruction and send it to your bank.

We will also send the Branch details of which members have elected to pay by this method and the renewing dates as well as the membership cards.

Do I have to pay by Direct Debit?

No - the system is completely voluntary and you can continue paying conventionally if you wish.

We think that the vast majority will sign up to this concept – it’s so much easier for all.

     

All members electing to pay BSAC subscriptions via Direct Debit gets a £5 voucher to spend with BSAC.

Alternatively, members can ask for the ‘Waterbook’ instead. A6 size, 50 leaves.

Branch Secretaries/Treasurers

Have you received the Direct Debit details? If not, or want to know more, contact the Membership Department on: 0151 350 6257/6202 or email: membership@bsac.com.

Note: Direct Debits are taken on the 15th of the month.

Book of the Month
Under water to Get out of the Rain - Trevor Norton

This is a beautifully told tale of Trevor Norton's growing love of the sea, from family holidays to Whitley bay as a boy, to his first over zealous attempts at diving.

All that we know and love of the British seaside weaves throughout this funny, nostalgic and richly told memoir. This book introduces us to a eclectic mix of sea- loving characters all of whom have helped to inform and shape Trevor's journey to becoming a marine biologist. This is both a history and a memoir of an enduring, if at times perplexing, love of the sea that won't fail to resonate with all who have felt the pull of the shores.

This book is priced £7.99 and can be purchased online at http://www.bsac.org/page/887/book-of-the-month.htm.

Order your copy now and postage is free. Offer Ends 30th June 2007.

Roger Bray and Malcolm Streeter, the Dive Philippines competition winners paid a courtesy call on H.E. Ambassador Edgardo B. Espiritu at the Philippine embassy in London on 3rd May 2007.

Pictured with Roger and Malcolm and the ambassador is Domingo Ramon "Chicoy" Enerio from Dive Philippines and Bettina Walsh, who is the sales manager of Qatar Airways in the UK.

Roger and Malcolm are going to the Philippines on the 23rd May to 1st June 2007 together with four additional members from their BSAC Branch in Stowe. They will be staying at the Sangat Island reserve for the duration of their stay, and will have the opportunity to do some great wreck diving around Coron Bay in Northern Palawan.

We are certain that the group will return to the UK with great diving stories to share.

BSAC is on the look-out for three branches to take part in a pilot of Sport England's Clubmark scheme.

Sport England's Clubmark is an accreditation scheme designed to recognise the achievements of sports clubs in developing 'high quality and welcoming' environments for young people. The scheme underpins Sport England's commitment to the engagement of young people in physical and sporting activity, skill development and their life-long participation in sport.

As the governing body for underwater sports, BSAC is now working towards becoming licensed by Sport England so that it can accredit branches with the Clubmark. The pilot scheme will start from June/July 2007.

If your branch is interested in becoming one of our pilot clubs, please contact Mary Tetley on 0151 350 6200 or email maryt@bsac.com for further information.

Summer is almost upon us so if you haven't yet booked your holiday, why not visit the Travel Club website and find out how just much you can save on your next break.

As a member of BSAC you are entitled to great holiday discounts thanks to our Preferred Travel Partner Scheme. That could mean up to 10% off your next diving holiday or trip abroad.

For more information on BSAC Travel Club and the great savings you could make, go to http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk.

OXFAM 2007 Charity Walk- Cambridge

recently responded to an unusual request to assist in the provision of safety cover for this, the 40th OXFAM charity walk along the banks of the river Cam.

This prestigious event staged by OXFAM on 20 May 2007, attracted approximately 1,500 sponsored walkers and based on the funds raised by the 2006 event, should raise in the region of £50,000 for OXFAM's emergencies fund.

How Did Two BS-AC Branches Contribute To The Safety Of This Event?

An initial risk assessment by the event organisers identified a potential problem in delivering timely first aid assistance and casualty evacuation along much of the route should a walker fall into the river. Vehicular access to the tow paths is limited or non-existent over much of the route and therefore it was decided the only way to reduce this risk would be to base the first aiders on boats patrolling defined sections of the river Cam and to coordinate the cover by an effective 2 way radio communications network.

Cambridge City Sub-Aqua Club Cambridge City Sub-Aqua Club were approached by the organisers and asked to provide boat cover. In order to provide effective boat cover, the club needed to use both its RHIB's and to ask neighbouring St Ives Sub-Aqua Club to assist. They did this by providing a third RHIB and crew to work a stretch of the river. Ian Benney of St Ives SAC responded with a crew and offered his own RHIB for the day.

Much of the initial planning was carried out by Neil Burgess, the assistant diving officer of Cambridge City SAC. Neil found that meticulous planning was needed to plan an effective boat cover strategy based on the three RHIB's. There was also the requirement for close liaison with the river Cam conservators and the Environment Agency.

Other factors to be considered were other water users and a series of locks on the river that meant it was not always possible to access the length of the river route by the most obvious and direct means.

Co-Ordination and Working with Other Organisations


The safety cover was provided as a coordinated effort by three separate organisations working together. It was interesting to note that some BS-AC members who participated were also members of these separate organisations.


Neil Burgess demonstrates the set up and use of a stretcher on one of the safety cover RHIB. B (left).


Radio Communications

The primary method of communication between the Red Cross and the RHIB's was set up by amateur radio enthusiasts who set up a RAYNET system operating on 144 MHz, with a control post on Stourbridge Common adjacent to the Red Cross control post and RAYNET stations at various strategic locations along the route. RHIB to RHIB communications was via the on-board VHF marine band transceivers with mobile phones and PMR radios as further back up.

Jenny Bailey, a member of Cambridge City SAC is also an amateur radio operator and spent the day driving between various locations to keep the radio equipment operational.



British Red Cross First Aid

The control point for first aid was a tent adjacent to the RAYNET team on Stourbridge common. This enabled RAYNET and the Red Cross to communicate efficiently; in addition for the Red Cross to maintain contact and direct their field staff who were assigned to the RHIB's.

Emma Faid of Cambridge City SAC was one of the Red Cross coordinators/ first aiders on duty at Stourbridge Common.

Steve Parry
BS-AC Eastern Regional Coach
eastern.coach@bsac.com http://www.bsac.eastern.org.uk

GOT ENOUGH GAS?
Our sport is somewhat unique in that we deliberately set out to enter an alien environment that does not support human life. The fundamental principle that allows us to enjoy our sport is to be able to carry our breathing supply with us. For a typical dive this means carrying with us the equivalent of a telephone box or so of breathing gas but actually compressed into a much more manageable 10, 12 or 15 ltr cylinder. As your diving progresses, deeper, longer or both then the safety margin provided by a single cylinder decreases and you need to consider alternatives.

Cylinder size
Having the right size cylinder in the first place is an important consideration. If you always find that you surface with lots of gas left in your cylinder but not quite enough for a full second dive then the answer might be to get a smaller cylinder rather than a big one? Having to carry less weight and mass both in and out of the water will help make life easier than having to carry excess gas that you never use.

Alternate Source
In normal Buddy diving there is a degree of redundancy you have trained for in being able to use your buddies Alternate Source as a means of getting enough gas to terminate a dive safely in an emergency. Thinking carefully about how you configure your Alternate Source for use by your buddy can minimise some of the stress associated with this situation.

Pony
The first step towards gas redundancy for many divers is to fit a pony cylinder. Even with a simple extension such as a pony you need to make sure the additional risks are minimised. Important considerations include, does it provide adequate gas to allow safe return to the surface? How do you avoid inadvertently breathing from it on the bottom? Making sure it doesn't unbalance the diver and do you have the skill to locate it and smoothly switch in an emergency?

Twin Set
The final logical step in true redundancy for a diver is to go to twin main cylinders. This provides substantial amounts of gas and depending on the configuration can allow a diver to safely complete a dive without the destabilizing effect of having to rely on assistance from a buddies Alternate Source. There are many options available for configuring twin cylinders including independent, manifolded, with and without isolation valves and slob knobs, and normal or inverted. Whatever configuration you consider there are advantages and disadvantages and may require additional training.

And the next step? Rebreathers...?

Think SAFE - Dive SAFE

Jim Watson
BSAC Safety & Development Manager
For more detail and information please visit http://www.bsac.org/page/45/diving-safety.htm

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