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The last few weeks of Project Neptune has seen plenty of back office tweaking and lots of documenting of procedures. There has been more work done on the events side of Project Neptune including data conversion and proceduring.

With plenty of work still to be done in the back office for the web implementation, things are moving along steadily.

More exciting developments are happening on an ongoing basis so keep watching this space for more updates.

Chris Horan
Project Neptune Project Manager

Diving Officers' Conference 2006

The BSAC is proud to announce the sponsor for DOC 2006 as Dive Master Insurance.

Since its formation in 1987 Dive Master Insurance has supported Diver Safety and this year has shifted its support to a higher level by being the sole sponsor of DOC.

DOC will take place on Saturday 2nd December 2006 at the Institute of Education in London. Watch this space for news of exciting speakers at this year's event.

The BSAC compiles a comprehensive Annual Incident report see http://www.bsac.com/legacyorg/techserv/increp05/intro.htm to aid diver safety by sharing information and allowing all divers to learn from the reports of others misfortunes. The report is published at the annual Diving Officers Conference (2nd December 2006).

The reporting year runs from 1st October to 30th September each year to fit with both the diving season and to allow compilation of the report in time for DOC. It is important that all reports are submitted as soon as possible in order to be included in this years report and so we would remind all members to submit reports for any incidents occurring between 1st October 2005 and 30th September 2006 before Friday 13th October 2006.

Please note that all reports are treated in confidence and names and other identifying characteristics are not included in the published report.

There's no better place to see the latest kit to hit the diving scene than at Dive 2006. Taking place on 14/15 October at the NEC in Birmingham, the show will be packed full of the very latest dive kit, clothing, boats, holidays, training options and much, much more.

This year the show's organisers are offering BSAC branches and clubs an opportunity to run a competition to win free tickets to the show. If you have a club newsletter or ezine, and are prepared to run a competition and a story in this about DIVE 2006, you will be given a pair of free tickets to offer to your members.

All you need to do is contact Liz Scriven at Dive 2006 by email or telephone, and the first 20 branches to do this will be offered the free ticket competition.

Liz's email is liz.scrivenpr@ntlworld.com and her contact number is 020 8398 3327.

Visit the BSAC stand 1420 and take advantage of the fantastic new range of clothing that will be launched at the show - exclusive discounts are available to BSAC Members and offer up to 50% reduction on the fabulous new range of clothing.

2) Add your voice to the call for Marine Reserves - Vote Now!

3) Forward this message to your friends, family and colleagues.

Thank you

  Marine Conservation Society www.mcsuk.org
  Caring for our seas, shores and wildlife - now and for future generations

Announcing the Boxing Day Raft Race run by the Derbyshire Association of Sub Aqua Clubs.

For more information please contact Stuart Bird stuart.bird@dasac.co.uk or visit http://www.dasac.co.uk/index.html to find out more information.

Entry forms will be available through the web site shortly.

Money collected goes to two charities close to divers; RNLI and Hyperbaric unit.

If any Members are flying on Air Malta it might be worth noting that we have been advised by the check in people at Birmingham Airport that a letter from Air Malta authorising an extra weight allowance for dive kit is now needed.

It is worth checking your flight information and allowances before travelling.

The 2007 Tide Plotter is now available from the BSAC Shop for a Members' price
of only £10.99.

With extensive features, the tide plotter is an absolute must for divers.

Visit http://www.bsac.com/legacyorg/shop/cdrom.htm today to order your copy.

Oscar the Basking Shark - Paul Critcher

Oscar thje basking shark is feeling hungry, but what is it that he likes to eat?

'Is it you that I like to eat?' he asks the diver, the seal and the ray.

Join Oscar in his search for a meal as he meets a variety of marine animals.

The first in the 'A drop in the ocean' series, this book includes stunning marine life photography with easy-to-understand fact boxes for the younger reader.

Only £5.99 and would make an excellent stocking filler!

Visit http://www.bsac.com/legacyorg/shop/bookshop.html today to order your copy.

Jackie the Seal - Paul Critcher

Jackie the seal is upset, he doesn't think he can do anything. "What am I good at?" he asks, as he tries to jump like a dolphin, hide like a scorpionfish and see like a squid.

Join Jackie on his journey through the ocean as he meets a variety of marine animals.

The second in the 'A drop in the ocean' series, this book includes great marine life photography with easy-to-understand fact boxes.

Only £5.99 and an ideal read for the younger sea lover.

Visit http://www.bsac.com/legacyorg/shop/bookshop.html today to order your copy.

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Welcome to the latest member of the BSAC; Lili Tetley Young was born on 3rd August 2006 weighing in at a healthy 5lb and 12oz to proud parents Mark Young and Mary Tetley.

CONTINUED TRAINING
Now is the time to start thinking about what diving you want to do next year. Time to reflect on what dives you have enjoyed most this year and would like to repeat or extend and what didn't work as well that you might like to change next time round. It may be that you want to explore more and deeper wrecks or take up photography to capture the images you see on a dive in a more permanent way than relying on just you memory. However you decide to expand your experience it is best done with improved skills and training.

Training can take many forms ranging from the formal to the informal. As all instructors know you are always learning and they are fond of saying "the day you think you know all there is to know is the day to give up." As a consequence of this, instructors are almost always teaching and sharing their experiences even in the pub after a training session or a dive.

DIVER GRADE

The obvious starting consideration for most divers is 'what does further training allow me to do that I can't do now'. In the context of Diver Training to the next higher grade the common consideration is increasing your depth limitations. However, the key aspect of advancing your diver grade is usually the additional skills that allow for that safe progression to increased depth. For example it is the achievement of skills in use of an SMB, deployment of a delayed SMB, navigation using pilotage, compass and distance lines to ensure safe return to a fixed datum, and simulated decompression stops that are essential skills to be gained before progressing your depth experience beyond the 20m limit for an Ocean Diver.

SDC

Skill Development Courses form discrete training, typically either one or two days, leading to a formal qualification in a specific area. This could be to enhance diving safety through nitrox, rebreather or rescue skills training, to develop diving skills through courses such as Search and Recovery or Dive Marshalling or to expand areas of specialist interest such as seamanship, marine life identification or archaeology.

INSTRUCTOR

Already highly skilled? Time to consider passing on your skills to others. BSAC Instructor Training not only teaches you how to pass on your skills and knowledge to others but also provides a means to constantly analyse and update your own skills. Developing a formal approach to critically analyzing, assessing and reviewing skills is a very good way of self improvement. Further more, the need to constantly demonstrate those skills provides constant practice whilst contributing to the development of new divers and providing you with a constant stream of new buddies to dive with.

The best news about thinking about this now is that there is still plenty of time to get some more diving and training in before the end of the year or before the waters cool down too much.

Think SAFE - Dive SAFE
Jim Watson
BSAC Safety and Development Manager

For more detail and information please visit http://www.bsac.com/legacyorg/safety.

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