George Hooper and Roger Bray , proudly showing off our compressor and air bank
What about training ?
As a response to the Covid lockdown , we started to offer our members online Sports Diver training . After sharing on the BSAC website , we quickly expanded to other diver training and skills courses . By the end of the second lockdown , we had provided online theory training sessions nationwide to more than 440 divers . We had a good response to Twin Set Diver and Nitrox Gas Blender Skill Development Courses , along with a Using Less Air programme developed by one of our divers who is a yoga instructor . This course highlighted the changes that every diver can make to optimise their gas consumption ; little things like tucking in loose kit , getting horizontal or breathing deeply and slowly . training for OD will need to bring their own kit to complete the training . This reduces their costs , and is particularly important for younger members . We ensure that we keep the kit used by trainees fully serviced using the money raised from try dives .
What happened during the Covid pandemic ?
UK lockdowns have obviously been a challenge : not only have we had to suspend diving and training , but we are in the middle of a major refit of our compressor operation , having bought eight large cylinders to make a bank and ultimately link them up to store nitrox . We haven ’ t been able to undertake any fund-raising activities , which has affected our financial situation , but we are confident we can recover quickly . We have successfully raised just under £ 20,000 in the last five years for our compressor development projects from fundraising activity ( our try dives ) and some very helpful grants , including from Sport England , Heart of Bucks charity , and also Buckingham Town Council
“ By the end of the second lockdown , we had provided online theory training sessions nationwide to more than 440 divers .”
Where do you dive ?
We dive wherever it is wet , liking to do a mixture of wreck and reef dives . Sadly , we are located about as far from the sea as it is possible to get , but we still have a thriving club and do a lot of diving locally in freshwater locations , as well as travelling to the sea when we can . Most of our sea diving is from charter boats , as we live so far away .
And locally ?
Our local training lake is at Great Moor Sailing Club , in Calvert , Buckinghamshire ; an old clay quarry about five miles from our base . Having dived there very regularly ( usually at least once a week ), we are pretty familiar with the lake and have managed to erect a variety of training platforms as well as exploring some of the old quarry remnants ( buildings , tunnel entrance ).
Placing an attraction in the lake for wayfinding
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