Twinning-up
AS A BSAC INSTRUCTOR , I HAD THE pleasure of completing Ocean Diver training for my 12-year-old twin boys , Lincoln and Nate , in October last year , 32 years after I too became a diver at the same age .
We ’ re all members of Severnside SAC in Bristol ... I had taken them through their BSAC Dolphin Snorkeller in 2018 , however Covid stopped them jumping onto the Discovery Diver course when they were 10 .
I struggled with getting access to diving wetsuits their size , but luckily Greg Parker from Hidden Depths Scuba helped me out . Training took place at the club ’ s weekly pool sessions . They had such big beaming smiles the first time , I thought they would be letting water in . We managed to complete the open water dives at Cromhall and Vobster before it turned cold . Tim at Vobster Quay was super supportive , letting us dip into the shallow training area to practise mask replacement .
The boys soaked up the theory and eagerly fired questions and scenarios back at me – they picked up the buddy brief acronym , B . A . R , at the very first session and remembered it flawlessly thereafter . The other day they asked the ultimate question : “ Can we go on a dive holiday next year ?” With their Mum also a BSAC diver , I will be only too happy to oblige ! JAMES EVANS , Severnside SAC
Robert Burgess remembered
FOUNDER OF FYNE-DIVERS SAC , Robert Burgess died in February 2023 . He initially moved to Scotland to care for his mother , but continued to follow his passion for diving . He joined a Scottish Sub-Aqua Club ( SSAC ) and qualified as an instructor . However , he wanted to dive more often than the club did and made use of the emerging social media to find dive buddies – that ’ s how I first met him .
He was always looking for new sites to dive – especially if there were razor-shells or scallops to be had . One of his sidelines was exchanging shellfish at restaurants and takeaways in return for a free meal .
Robert had a goal to set up his own diving club . To that end he organised the formation of BSAC ’ s Fyne-divers SAC ( Branch 2393 ). He became the club ’ s Chair and twice successfully applied for funding from Sport Scotland . In doing so he provided the new club with safety equipment , and Fyne Divers became one of the first BSAC branches to own its own AED . The second grant enabled the club to buy its own compressors , which allowed us to operate with total independence .
Robert didn ’ t sever his links completely
A tribute to Eddie Gardner
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT WE announce the death of one of our founder members , Eddie Gardner , in November last year , aged 87 . Equally sadly , his wife Sandra died shortly after , in early December .
Eddie joined Coventry BSAC in 1973 , but could not swim at the time of joining . For those of us who are a bit longer in the tooth you will remember the Swimming ‘ A ’ test . It comprised six individual tasks and 350 yards ( 320m ) swimming , 50 of which were with a 10lb ( 4.5kg ) weightbelt . It ’ s a wonder anyone ever passed , but Eddie eventually managed it , with huge support from branch members .
He was always ready to give his time with a smile on his face to other members and was himself a hugely active member ,
with SSAC , he was appointed onto the SSAC Council , at the same time I was serving on BSAC ’ s Council .
In 2007 , Robert approached the South Scotland Regional Coach for permission to run open water training events for BSAC members throughout South Scotland . These events continued , with few cancellations , until the Covid-19 pandemic closed the facility .
Robert was well known throughout western Scotland ’ s diving community for his generosity and willingness to help others . He will be remembered . EDWARD HAYNES , Fyne-divers SAC 2393 ; BSAC Chair
serving as Diving Officer for three years in the 1980s , and Chair from 1991 to 1993 . He was the first branch member to organise a Red Sea trip , for 15 divers back in 1981 , with a long desert drive from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to the dive sites .
On the home front , he ran and maintained the branch compressor for over 11 years . As the owner of a garage , being a mechanic was a bit of a plus ; he built a portable compressor for UK club trips . I had the pleasure of diving with him on his last Red Sea liveaboard trip in 2007 .
He hung up his fins in 2010 and spent many happy years in his retirement travelling with Sandra . Our last memory of him was on 14 October last year , when the branch held a gathering of former and existing members . Of course , Eddie came along to take part and meet old buddies . He will be sadly missed by all who knew him .
Eddie and Sandra leave two daughters and a son . DAVE PLUMB , Coventry Branch 58
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