One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Allen Murray was being voted in as his club’ s Diving Officer for a third time. Interview by Kristina Pedder
VOLUNTEERLIFE
RIB diving with Totnes BSAC
FACTFILE
Name: Allen Murray
Job title: Diving Officer Totnes Sub Aqua Club and Pilgrims SAC
First Class Diver and Advanced Instructor Allen Murray likes nothing better than planning and running dives, except perhaps the actual getting under the water.“ I really like deciding where to go, working out the logistics and just driving the boat,” he says.
With a grand total of 3,591 dives done and logged on the day we spoke [“ Sadly I log them all,” he said.“ No, that’ s fantastic,” I countered ] Allen says his favourite diving remains his home patch in the south-west of England, with the Isles of Scilly topping the list.
After a try dive experience at school, and a first attempt to learn with a club that didn’ t work out because to get to his training involved a 100-mile round trip, Allen finally learned to dive in the early 1990s at the now defunct Diver Training School in Exmouth, Devon.
“ I joined Totnes branch as a PADI Open Water Diver with just four dives,” he says.“ I was immediately made to feel welcome and supported in developing my diving.” Over the years, there was a natural progression into becoming an instructor and giving something back.
“ Tony Hoile, the National Diving Officer at the time, was a member of the club. I think when I first joined Totnes probably half the membership were instructors, and it was just the norm to go down that route into volunteering,” Allen remembers.“ I joined
“ Make them feel welcome”
One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Allen Murray was being voted in as his club’ s Diving Officer for a third time. Interview by Kristina Pedder
Recovering discarded tyres with the 1000 Tyres Project
50 Some of the SHIPS Project A7 submarine team at Buckingham Palace