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Safety Group lead Jon Parlour looks back on 2022
Joining the instructor elite
BSAC HAS WELCOMED TWO NEW National Instructors to its team , after a successful final assessment .
Alex Bicheno and Sam Clarke were put through their paces over four days at the end of the summer , before being awarded their National Instructor ( NI ) status . They now join BSAC ’ s current cohort of NIs who lead and develop BSAC training and delivery around the UK and overseas .
National Instructor is BSAC ’ s highest instructor qualification and has been held by 275 members since it was introduced back in 1966 .
Each year , suitably qualified BSAC members are given the opportunity to complete the National Instructor course , culminating in the final assessment and exam . During the final exam , candidates are assessed on their instructor and leadership skills across 23 separate elements . This year ’ s National Instructor assessment took place in Dunoon , Scotland , where BSAC North West Regional Coach , Sam Clarke and former South Scotland Regional Coach , Alex Bicheno successfully made the grade . A member of Hartford SAC , Sam was originally set to sit the National Instructor exam in 2020 before Covid struck . BSAC ’ s first amputee National Instructor , Sam said she found the whole NI experience challenging but enjoyable .
“ With the National Instructor exam , you learn a lot about yourself as a person , diver and instructor . And obtaining NI means a huge amount to me , it has shown that anything is possible if you put your mind to it ,” Sam explained .
“ I now plan to continue to develop as a newly qualified NI and hopefully inspire others to aim high as well as be an ambassador for divers with disabilities .” The second generation of National Instructors in his family , Stirling University SAC member Alex said that for anyone considering pursuing their NI , the hard work was worth it .
Alex Bicheno
Sam Clarke
“ One of the biggest challenges is how much time needs to be committed to the preparation for the exam . So , if you are considering it , you do need to be prepared ,” Alex added .
BSAC ’ s National Diving Officer , Dai Atkins , welcomed the two new National Instructors to the team .
“ The commitment required of any individual for the National Instructor assessment should not be under-estimated . Credit is due to all participating candidates on this years ’ exam , all of whom have contributed a great deal of personal time alongside volunteering on our Instructor Training Scheme for a number of years already .
“ I ’ d like to thank and congratulate both Alex and Sam for their ongoing commitment to the organisation and look forward to working with them in their post-exam development .”
Are you interested in becoming a National Instructor ? For more information and to register for National Instructor 2023 , go to bsac . com / ni
IT ’ S BEEN A BUMPER YEAR OF diving for me . I ’ ve gone no further afield than the UK but have done a great variety of dives , the majority on wrecks , and made many new friends . In addition to my home range of South West sites , I ’ ve been as far east as Eastbourne and north to Northern Ireland .
A quick glance at my logbook brings back vivid memories of mostly bright skies and good visibility . Most of all , it reminds me of all the new friends I ’ ve made . The great thing is that , though we might not have met before , we implement very similar processes to ensure our dives are safe and enjoyable . Within the period of time it takes to get to the dive site , we will have familiarised with each other ’ s gear and formulated a plan .
It ’ s coming to that time of year when the weather can make fitting in safe dives at sea and offshore quite challenging . Many of us can turn to an inland dive site or even take a trip overseas , to maintain and even extend our skills . It ’ s a good time to catch up with rescue skills , either in branch , regionally or through BSAC Centres .
We improved the AED Instructor renewal process in 2022 , giving an online option to confirm currency of practice and knowledge . Automated External Defibrillator Instructor renewals will start again in 2023 , as AED use is integrated into our basic life support training .
The series of Safety Seminars delivered in early 2022 were well received and prompted lively discussion . I ’ m looking forward to them being repeated in 2023 . The 2021 Diving Incident Report is now available . You can read about it in this issue of SCUBA and it ’ s available
at bsac . com / incidentreport
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