Yo-Han Cha tells the story of his friend Kay Dewhurst and her journey to BSAC Advanced Diver status
UKDIVING YO-HANCHA
Making the grade
Yo-Han Cha tells the story of his friend Kay Dewhurst and her journey to BSAC Advanced Diver status
There ’ s apparently a lot of determination required for any diver to complete their Advanced Diver training . I wouldn ’ t know how much exactly as I ’ m still a Sports Diver , but I ’ ve spoken to many a Dive Leader who has started their Advanced Diver ( often years ago ) and have yet to finish it . My friend Kay Dewhurst of Manchester University Sub Aqua Club however , has recently become an Advanced Diver . For reasons that will become apparent , it hasn ’ t always been an easy journey .
Kay ’ s Advanced Diver journey started back in 2015 , with theory sessions organised by BSAC . Her club then took over the majority of her training and it ’ s worth mentioning and thanking Adam Rhodes for doing the vast majority of it . The range of experiences required for Advanced Diver have taken her from Shetland in Scotland to the Azores in Portugal . It ’ s also involved a range of settings and depths , from shore diving off Anglesey to diving the Rondo shipwreck down to 50m in the Sound of Mull . She has also completed her Twinset and Accelerated Decompression Procedures SDCs on her Advanced Diver journey .
The Advanced Diver qualification hasn ’ t been a box-ticking exercise for Kay . She ’ s found that one of the highlights of her training has been learning a broad range of skills from different people . She ’ s really enjoyed picking the brains of more experienced divers on everything from knots to wreck diving . She also highlighted Helen and Hazel of Orkney ’ s Valhalla liveaboard helping her a lot with her navigation . This experience has helped her with other diving interests , like Seasearch , which she says she now carries out with an Advanced Diver mindset . She describes this as being more curious about what she sees while diving ; she makes more observations and questions what she sees , ultimately resulting in more comprehensive Seasearch forms .
As I mentioned earlier , it ’ s not always been plain sailing for Kay . Finding an Advanced Instructor to sign the relevant skills and experiences off hasn ’ t always been easy , and her biggest hurdle was organising a dive trip to an unknown site . Her first attempt was out of Anglesey , but the bad weather forced
“ She ’ s really enjoyed picking the brains of more experienced divers ”
her to cancel it . Kay had another attempt out of St Abbs , but Covid caused that trip to be cancelled . Then Covid reared its head again for an abortive trip to Jura on the Honeydew liveaboard . At which point , if Kay had given up , I don ’ t think anyone would have blamed her !
Kay was understandably a bit glum after these thwarted project trips . In an effort to try and offer some encouragement and support , I asked if she had ever been to the Azores before . Well , I just happen to know an Advanced Instructor in the Azores . I had also been promising Gary and Lindsey Fell of Twin Peaks Diving Centre that I ’ d come and visit for years , so , Kay , would you like to organise a dive trip to the Azores ? I ’ ll come if you do … I didn ’ t have to try very hard , the Azores was an easy sell . And so , in September 2024 , nine years after embarking on her Advanced Diver course , on a trip that wasn ’ t affected by Covid or called off because of the weather , Kay Dewhurst finally completed her final requirement and qualified as an Advanced Diver ! �
Kay Dewhurst with her instructor , Lindsey Fell
Kay underwater in the Azores
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