Oxford Scuba Diving Club

Author: Paul Burton

  • Speakers Night Proudly Present

    Thames Valley Police

    Specialist Search and Recovery Team

    The Specialist Search and Recovery Team (SSRT) is involved in far more than diving.

    The SSRT is a specialist team with training and expertise in search and recovery in hazardous environments. It works over land and under water, searching for and recovering items such as firearms, drugs, property, explosives and missing persons.

    The team is made up of eight officers – one sergeant and seven constables – plus one police staff dive technician. The unit is involved in around 350 operations each year.

    Thurs 22nd Sept @ 8pm (doors 7.30)

    Open to the general public.

    FREE ENTRY

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  • Snorkel Theory Assessment

    Snorkel Theory Assessment

    Congratulations to Mike, Fern and Corin who passed their Snorkel Diver Theory Assessment this week.

  • Alex van Opstal survey, 3rd and 4th December 2011

    Alex van Opstal survey, 3rd and 4th December 2011

    Alex van Opstal Survey Divewierd pressure vessel

    I’m planning (weather-permitting) to run a survey dive on the Alex on the weekend of the 3rd & 4th December. Plan is to use the ‘new’ RIB out of Casteltown to shuttle to the dive site.

    Dive plan (provisional):

    Saturday 3rd

    Dive 1
    • 0830hrs launch RIB and begin loading kit.
    • 0915 hrs all aboard , ropes off.
    • 0945hrs – arrive at Alex and deploy shot
    • 1010hrs divers in – start of slack – tide running SW 0.4 knots
    • 1100hrs divers up – second wave in
    • 1150hrs all divers recovered, pull shot and return to casteltown
    • 1230hrs lunch at castletown, air fills etc

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  • Costs of Open Water Snorkelling from Naiad for 2011

    Costs of Open Water Snorkelling from Naiad for 2011

    naiad-snorkelingTo cover the cost of fuel and any maintenance overheads, the cost of snorkeling in open water from Naiad are as follows:

    £5 per person for each open water snorkel dive from Naiad.

    £5 per person for each shore based snorkel dive where Naiad is used as safety cover.

    Shore based snorkel dives with shore cover are free.

    All cost are to be paid to the Snorkel Dive Leader at the end of the event.

    Costs are reviewed on an annual basis.

  • Dates for Autumn 2011 Snorkel Diver Course

    Dates for Autumn 2011 Snorkel Diver Course

    Due to the large amount of interest in the up and coming snorkel diver course, the pool practical lessons will be spilt into two courses, the first for adults and older teenagers and the second for children.

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  • Trip Report – Lulworth Cove 21st August 2011

    Trip Report – Lulworth Cove 21st August 2011

    snorkelling-lulworth-005After launching Naiad, mid morning at Kimmeridge Bay our first stop was Worbarrow bay. The visibility was about 7 metres and from the moment we entered the water we were surrounded by fish such as wrasse, mullet, white bait and Pollock. It was hard to decide where to look. Half an hour in the water passed very quickly.

    We then took a leisurely trip round into Lulworth Cove where we anchored up and swam to shore for lunch. While waiting for Andi and Howard to fetch the fish and chips, Amelia and I snorkeled around in 1 metre of water about 3 metres from the shore and surprisingly saw some decent size wrasse.

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  • Accelerated Decompression Techniques Course

    The spec for the BSAC course is

    Longer, safer bottom times and optimum decompression using rich mixes

    Building on the foundation of Nitrox knowledge contained within Ocean Diver and Sports Diver training, the course develops this knowledge and in particular highlights the benefits that can be gained from using high oxygen mixtures to improve the efficiency of off gassing during decompression stops. This course takes your diving to a higher level.

    Entry requirement

    Entry level is BSAC Sports Diver who has completed the 2007 syllabus (with nitrox content) and has been endorsed as a Nitrox Diver, plus 20 additional dives including depth experience to 30 metres.

    Alternatively, applicants must hold an acceptable diving and nitrox qualification with another agency which equates to the above standards. All students must hold gold standard buoyancy from the Buoyancy and Trim BSAC workshop.

    What you’ll learn

    The Accelerated Decompression Procedures course has a mix of classroom-based and practical lessons, teaching you:

    • Knowledge of safe diving using Nitrox and accelerated decompression techniques

    • Use of gas mixes up to 80% oxygen

    • New concepts and skills

    • Dive planning

    Learning materials

    Your course pack includes all the learning materials you need for the course. The pack includes: ‘Ox-Stop decompression tables’ (plus ‘Nitrox tables’ unless already BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver), the ADP course manual and a Qualification Card application.

  • New Basic Snorkel Divers

    Congratulations to Corin, Emma, Grace and Fidelma who have all passed their Basic Snorkel Diver course in the last few weeks.

  • Snorkeling Trip to Lundy Island

    Snorkeling Trip to Lundy Island

    seal underwaterSunday 2nd October 2011

    Lundy Island, snorkeling with seals from the charter boat Obsession I out of Illfracombe.

    The boat trip takes about 1 hour each way.

    Due to fierce tides and sudden changes in the weather experienced around Lundy each child snorkeling MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult.

    The trip will cost £40 per person and a £20 deposit secures your place. There are a limited number of 12 places.

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  • Scapa Flow 2011 Trip Report

    Scapa Flow 2011 Trip Report

    The gun on the F2 - Scapa FlowJuly 24th – August 5th 2011

    A two week stint in Scapa Flow is any British diver’s dream. Frequently suggested as the best diving the UK has to offer it should certainly be on your to-do list if you haven’t already been, and almost certainly on your ‘must return’ list if you’ve experienced it already.

    Once you’ve recovered from the drive – from Oxford it takes about 11 hours + the ferry crossing to reach Stromness in Orkney, far north of Scotland. It really does make sense to fly, but only if you can get someone else to take your kit – excess dive baggage is apparently frequently discarded when planes are overweighted. The drive beyond Glasgow is quite scenic though, as is the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness, so that helps. It is certainly even better on the way south.

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