Alex ‘ Woz ’ Warzynski has adopted various technical kit configurations , but his heart remains set on cold-water diving . Interview by Kristina Pedder
Living in rural Derbyshire about as far from the sea as you can get , is the Managing Director of an engineering business , with a sideline owning half a country pub ( which seemed like a good idea after a few glasses of wine over dinner one evening ). Oh , and he has also made time for a variety of both branch and national roles during his 35-year diving career .
Alex ‘ Woz ’ Warzynski found out about diving from his dad . “ He was a very occasional diver ,” Woz says . “ More to do with owning a boat than anything else . He had a set of scuba kit including an old Snark regulator and an aluminium cylinder shaped like a wine bottle , complete with a black wetsuit with yellow stripes down the arms .” As a result , Woz has always been interested in the underwater world . He used to get told off at school for swimming lengths underwater instead of on the surface .
The University of Nottingham Sub Aqua Club is his branch . It ’ s a large , enthusiastic and active diving club and Woz has been Boat Officer and Diving Officer a few times . Now his role is a little more behind the scenes , for example helping with the kit and compressors , the more advanced training , and mentoring new instructors . Going diving is important too . “ The nice thing about being in the middle of the country ,” he says , “ is we can get to the sea in any direction in about three hours , so if it ’ s blown out in Plymouth , we just go to the
VOLUNTEERLIFE
Farnes instead .”
Technically minded
Alex ‘ Woz ’ Warzynski has adopted various technical kit configurations , but his heart remains set on cold-water diving . Interview by Kristina Pedder
FACTFILE
Name : Alex ‘ Woz ’ Warzynski
Job titles : Technical Chief Examiner , Technical Instructor Trainer . Former BSAC Chair .
First dive : Wast Water , Lake District February 1990 ( 4⁰C , 3mm wetsuit )
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TEACHINGHIGHLIGHTS
An incredibly intensive course where you
“ see divers develop the quickest is the first level of rebreather training , known as Mod 1 . You see people go from being nervous , to hating the thing and wanting to put it on eBay , to getting out of the last dive with a massive smile as it all comes together . That ’ s very satisfying and CCR is a great leveller ; I ’ ve taught very experienced open-circuit trimix divers and you ’ re picking them up and dropping them back into beginner mode again .
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