Who is your club ’ s unsung hero ?
Neil Turton , our Diving Officer , who went to the uni a long while ago . He has always stuck around as an instructor for us , and he makes learning to dive really easy . He wants to get people in the water and diving , and his professional experience can help the rest of the committee focus on what ’ s next and how to improve the experience for members .
What was freshers ’ fair like this year ?
We had freshers ’ fair in the autumn , and we have also just had re-freshers ’ fair where we always hope to gain a few more divers . We had a really great freshers ’ event ; we took in our largest number of new members in a long time and we ’ re looking a lot healthier , but every year is different at a university . As in most years , the biggest interest was from new divers who want to get their qualifications , but we did have a couple of people join who are already PADI and SSI qualified .
Where do you meet ?
We have a weekly social , quite a variety of formats from pub nights to bowling , to escape rooms . Hopefully something fun for everyone .
Where do you train ?
Training is quite hard . We would like to use the university pool but there aren ’ t the time slots for us . We ask time and time again but the answer is no , so we hire Lune Valley Swimming Pool about 12 miles away in the village of Hornby-with-Farleton on demand instead . It ’ s a great pool but is quite a long distance to travel for most of our members .
How many instructors do you have in the club ?
We have one permanent instructor and two instructors who help us frequently , they are a mixture of Open Water Instructors and Practical Instructors .
Calling from the depths of Capernway
How long does it take trainees to complete their Ocean Diver training ?
It used to take an entire academic year to gain Ocean Diver , but we are hoping to make it twice as fast . We want to speed up the process with better club organisation and more instructors available to take open-water training . So far this academic year , we have completed pool training for everyone before Christmas . Open-water training is more difficult , as we like to have one-to-one instructors and trainees . It slows us down , but more instructors could mean we get people trained quicker .
Where does the club go for open-water training ?
We are near Capernwray , which is a wonderful asset to have right on our doorstep .
What resources does the club have ?
We have lots of club equipment , including drysuits , BCDs , tanks and regulators , fins .
We have everything apart from gloves , they always get lost . Borrowing club kit is all included in our £ 45 membership fee .
What ’ s the arrangement with the student ’ s union ?
We operate as a Lancaster University Students ’ Union society , but the union doesn ’ t provide a lot . Some financial help would always be nice ; grants are available , but we don ’ t get anything regular . It would also be nice if they helped us get some time to train in the university pool , instead of having to trek to Hornby , 12 miles away . The union promised to look into it , but the date for its report on this has been pushed back for at least a year and a half now .
How do you keep diving costs down for students then ?
Over the years we have built up a selection of kit , either donated or bought second hand . Servicing is done at our local dive shop , Morecambe Area Divers in Morecambe . Students can borrow all their scuba diving kit from the club , which saves having to buy it all from the get-go . Also , we
Neil ( left ) and Wiktoria getting ready to dive
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