SCUBAHUB
Aiming for 200 new instructors
BSAC ’ S SPORT ENGLAND-FUNDED drive to increase the number of instructors in the club network has been extended to the end of the year to enable more members to undergo their training .
The Open Water Instructor ( OWI ) scheme , backed by a £ 10,000 Sport England grant , aims to support more members into instructing and help widen the age and diversity of BSAC ’ s OWIs . It offers eligible members a place on an Open Water Instructor event , subsidised by BSAC and the Sport England funding .
Launched back in January 2021 , the initiative has to date , seen 73 new OWIs created , exceeding the initial target of 60 . The project still has 40 members currently part way through the OWI training , with another 59 Dive Leaders waiting to start and 35 members working through Dive Leader so they can also be included .
A NEW COVID AND recreational diving research project from the University of Plymouth supported by DDRC Healthcare needs more divers to participate in their survey .
Dr Tina Spence from the University of Plymouth has launched an online research survey to investigate how the Covid-19 pandemic , and the subsequent lockdowns , have impacted participation in recreational scuba diving across the UK .
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the UK and the world ; however , there is currently limited anonymous field data around divers ’ participation in recreational scuba diving during the pandemic . The purpose of the survey is to benchmark diving habits before Covid-19
With the 2021 success of the initiative , BSAC has extended the subsidised training until 31 December . It is hoped the extension will mean more than 200 new OWIs will be qualified by the end of the year .
BSAC Coaching Advisor Mark Paisey , who along with David Ashmore from Reading University SAC has overseen the initiative , said he was delighted by how well the scheme has been received .
“ With an initial target of 60 new OWIs , we are now exceeding our expectations , and to have over 200 new instructors because of the project will be fantastic ,” Mark said . “ Bringing new instructors into our clubs is essential and we are now starting to reap the rewards of all our trainees ’ commitment and hard work .”
For more information on becoming a BSAC Open Water Instructor , go to bsac . com / instruct
DDRC research appeal
and understand how the pandemic has affected the UK ’ s recreational diving community .
The anonymous survey takes 15 minutes to complete and will provide important information about diving habits before , during and after the Covid-19 pandemic .
To complete the survey , go to tinyurl . com / returntodive
Dive with
Mark
THERE ’ S NEVER A DULL MOMENT in BSAC Coaching , says Coaching Advisor , Mark Paisey . Change and development are evident wherever you look . One constant , however , is having the right people ... and we warmly welcome Yasmin Thorn to the role of University Coach , Bob Huyton and Julian Gill as Regional Coach for the West Midlands and Southeast regions respectively . With these changes comes the decision not to replace the outgoing London Coach , and the placement of London branches to surrounding regions .
In terms of development , all AED instructors will now be able to revalidate , ahead of their annual 31 January expiry date , via an online questionnaire . This is part of BSAC ’ s migration to online learning , which now includes eLearning , webinars and the online learning hub . To date , 171 members have signed up to Ocean Diver eLearning , and we are midway through our 45 webinar winter series , which has covered topics as diverse as Primary Donate and Diving Belles – famous women in diving .
The current year ’ s offering kicked off in January with Know and Grow 2 , a series of webinars written and delivered by club members for club members . This really builds on Know and Grow 1 and , while aimed at Branch Officers , is open to all . Finally , the Branch + Centre Partnership is running well , with 68 trainees taking centre-based courses in the three months before December , compared to 24 in the previous quarter . To develop this further , we are looking for clubs willing to support local schools with snorkelling . If your branch would like to participate , please email me at coach . leader @ bsac . com
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