to use his NI status to help divers in his region . “ I hope to get myself qualified to run Instructor Trainer events as the Senior Examiner as quickly as possible , as having a suitably qualified person here in mainland Europe will benefit the region greatly .”
BSAC ’ s National Diving Officer , Dai Atkins , welcomed the two new National Instructors to the team .
“ The commitment required of individuals to prepare for entry into the NI development process should not be underestimated , and credit is due to all participating candidates on this year ’ s exam .
“ I ’ d like to offer my congratulations to the successful candidates . Both Kevin and Dave demonstrated their ability to effectively meet the grade and I 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 2024 , go to bsac . com / ni
world record attempts for his disability category at Stoney Cove – fastest one mile scuba diving with and without a swimming band and greatest distance scuba diving , all in fresh open water . He is currently still waiting to hear from the Guinness World Records if he has been successful . Meanwhile , as well as achieving his Open Water Instructor ticket , Dan was also part of the organising team for BSAC ’ s 70th anniversary River Thames Boat Run . Achieving his OWI status over the summer has just confirmed to Dan how much scuba diving means to him . “ Before the crash , I was a builder , a kick boxer and cycled a lot , so was fit and active , but I was never this determined . “ There is real therapy in diving – I am focused and free and it stops the noise of the world for a while . I can honestly say diving saved my life .” Dan is now focused on helping other people with disabilities to experience scuba the way he has . “ Scuba is also a great leveller ; if there is no medical reason why you can ’ t dive , then you should . I thrive on what I achieve and how people respond to it as if I can do it , then someone else disabled can .”
2023 UPY winning image ‘ Boto Encantado ’ by US photographer , Kat Zhou
UPY 2024 gathers momentum
THE PRESTIGIOUS UNDERWATER Photographer of the Year 2024 is still open for entries , with photographers having until Friday , 5th January to submit their images .
Attracting some of the best underwater photographers around the globe , the Underwater Photographer of the Year ( UPY ) is widely considered one of the world ’ s leading underwater photography competitions and attracts thousands of entries every year .
With last year ’ s winning image of an Amazonian dolphin by Kat Zhou wowing the judges , the standard of entries are once again expected to be high .
Sponsored by The Crown Estate , the Save Our Seas Foundation and Marelux , the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition has 13 categories , including Macro , Wide Angle , Behaviour , Wreck and Conservation photography , as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters .
The UPY 2024 judging panel consists of photographers Peter Rowlands , Tobias Friedrich and Chair Alex Mustard . Alex said he hoped the 2024 competition would match last year ’ s success .
“ 2023 received our biggest ever entry , with 546 underwater photographers submitting almost 6,000 photos . That ’ s a huge jump up from the 2,500 images we received 10 years ago when this contest was re-born .”
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the re-launch of UPY , although it can trace its origins back to 1965 . To celebrate its 10-year milestone , organisers are now planning a special award ceremony in London , as well as an exhibition of the most iconic images from the past 10 years .
For more information on Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 and to enter go to www . underwaterphotographeroftheyear . com
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