Author: paul Gorse-Burton

In an effort to get clubs in BSAC’s Southern Region to talk to eachother and maybe collaborate a bit more we held a stand at the London International Dive Show 2012. As part of the British Isles Experience we were round the corner from all the other BSAC pods, but next to the bar and a try-dive pool, so we had a lot of interest:

• divers wanting to join clubs all over the region (and beyond) – we gave contact details of clubs if we had them 
• clubs wanting to talk about issues they were facing
• people wanting to share good ideas

This is one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had so far with our club. I think we genuinely helped some people, and picked up lots of good ideas ourselves. We might pick up a few new members because of it (which is always nice) but I think a lot of clubs in the region will too, and that can’t be bad.

Thanks to Terry from Southampton Solent Uni SAC for helping on Saturday and all the members of Oxford branch who did stints over the weekend. We all thought that a large multi-club stand was a really valuable way of exhibiting at the dive show. Maybe again next year? 😉

Some photos from the BSAC Practical Rescue Management course (a component of the Dive Leader qualification and a standalone Skill Development course) held in Oxford in March 2012.

Photos from the clubhouse makeover, with a new paint job and lots of intense cleaning – all thanks a to a small group of dedicated members.

Divers and snorkelers from the club were more than happy to help out when asked by eighteenth century re-enacters who were putting on a Charity Pirate Day at the Swan Hotel in Radcote, Oxfordshire.

Divers were tasked with checking the riverbed for anything which would make walking the plank dangerous, finding a few bits of glass and some crayfish but little else. With little depth near the river banks, club member Andy White rushed home to pick up some scaffolding (he has that kind of thing kicking about) to build an extended platform. Not very eighteenth century but it looked great!

It took a while for anyone to ‘man up’ and rise to the pirates’ challenge of walking the plank, but eventually plenty did – and then the pirates turned on each other. During the event snorkelers were on hand in case anyone needed help in the water, which thankfully they didn’t.

This was another fun day helping out in the community – thanks go to all who helped out.