CLUBFOCUS
on the engines . Another problem is boat storage and the associated cost . They are now stored some 20 miles away , which makes maintenance and servicing difficult . But we are fortunate to have access to a local sailing club ’ s lake , where our boats can be tested . This facility also allows inexperienced members to familiarise themselves with boat launching and entering / exiting the water from small boats .
Who are your members ?
We currently have 44 members ; mainly divers and a couple of social members . Burntwood strives to be a truly inclusive and sociable club . We have members from most ages and backgrounds , and we have a strong drive to make scuba diving accessible to everyone . Ages range from early 20s to 70-plus ; our older members provide a wealth of experience and knowledge invaluable to new divers and trainees . Our members are mostly men , but that ’ s not intentional , we do try to actively recruit women – it ’ s something we are looking to address .
What diver grades are represented ?
We have 13 Ocean Divers , slightly fewer than in 2020 , and 11 Sports Divers ; we find some divers are happy to stop at this grade as it gives them everything they want from diving . There are seven Dive
Leaders ; there ’ s been no progression on this number for a couple of years . This is the grade where we encourage them down the instructor route and some are indeed embarking on that journey . There are eight Advanced Divers in our club , which we consider a quite healthy number based on our membership . We don ’ t have any First Class Divers ; they are a rarity .
How exactly are you inclusive ?
We encourage people of all ages and types who want to take up diving . BSAC ’ s Diving for All ( DfA ) programme was fully endorsed by our club . A number of our instructors trained on the DfA programme to prepare them for training people with different needs . Now we can tailor our training programme to take into account what trainees can do , and discuss solutions to the things they can ’ t do . We tell prospective members : if you would like to try scuba diving , don ’ t worry , whatever personal challenges you face , we can teach you .
Have you put DfA training into action ?
In 2017 , we trained our first Ocean Diver using the DfA scheme and we are proud to see what a keen , competent and safe diver he became . Sam – a young man who is paraplegic as a result of an accident – said :
Loading the RIB at Amlwch
“ It ’ s something that I can enjoy with my dad . Being underwater I can feel a sense of calm , it ’ s the first time I ’ ve properly enjoyed doing something , so where I am now , I feel happy .” That ’ s a great tribute to the dedication of our Training Officer . As a club , we will help anyone learn to dive , using one-to-one tuition from trained instructors who have a passion for making a dream into reality . We will work through any problems and solve them .
Graham Waldron ( left ) and Training Officer Mark Bishop in Plymouth
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