SCUBAHUB
Safety expert lined up for BSAC Conference
WITH EARLY-BIRD TICKETS SET TO GO on sale soon , BSAC members are being encouraged to ‘ save the date ’ for this year ’ s BSAC Diving Conference .
Returning after an almost five-year hiatus due to the pandemic , the Diving Conference will be back with a bang on Saturday , 19 October . And there will be plenty to whet members ’ appetites .
Diving safety expert Dan Orr
To be held at The Vox at the NEC , Birmingham , the BSAC Diving Conference 2024 is open to all BSAC members . However , this year ’ s event will be particularly relevant for Branch Officers and Instructors and any members aspiring to become more involved in BSAC , whether as an instructor or any other type of volunteer .
With final plans for the one-day event coming together , members can expect an informative mix of speakers , presentations and workshops , as well as the opportunity to meet up with divers from across the BSAC network .
The speaker list for this year ’ s conference is already shaping up to match the high calibre of previous events , with former president of Divers Alert Network ( DAN ) Dan Orr now confirmed .
A world-renowned expert on diving safety , Dan played a pivotal role in shaping DAN ’ s mission to aid divers worldwide and more recently founded Dan Orr Consulting , providing expertise to the diving community worldwide . Honoured with numerous awards , including induction into several diving halls of fame , Dan ’ s dedication to diving safety and education is arguably unparalleled . With his BSAC Diving Conference talk – Mistakes Divers Make - Dan will share his decades of knowledge to help us all become safer divers .
BSAC CEO Mary Tetley said she was thrilled to welcome Dan to this year ’ s conference . “ Dan will be on the main stage and also run a breakout session on safety considerations for the older diver . His talks will be essential listening for us all and we can ’ t wait to meet him !”
Set to be the largest event in BSAC ’ s 2024 calendar , the Diving Conference is sponsored by AP Diving , Malta Tourism Authority , Otter Drysuits , Regaldive , SCUBA magazine and Scubapro .
Early-bird tickets as well as further details on the conference programme , including the speaker list , will be released shortly . In the meantime , go to bsac . com / conference or email conference @ bsac . com for more information .
Great Seagrass Survey 2024 is on
BSAC IS ONCE AGAIN SUPPORTING Scottish charity Seawilding ’ s Great Seagrass Survey 2024 – and is calling for clubs to make it a year-long event .
Designed to help map seagrass beds around the UK , the Great Seagrass Survey brings together volunteer ‘ citizen scientists ’ and marine experts to protect this vulnerable coastal habitat .
Seagrass meadows are vital underwater habitats , producing oxygen and absorbing carbon . They also provide shelter for many
8 ocean species and protect our coastlines . However , seagrass habitats are under threat and are believed to have declined by 92 % worldwide . The Great Seagrass Survey aims to discover as much information as possible about our native seagrass and identify where it can be found . Data collected during the survey will help protect the UK ’ s precious seagrass beds and support projects aimed at their restoration .
Following the success of the summer 2023 initiative , which saw 185 hectares of newly discovered seagrass beds across the UK , the 2024 Great Seagrass Survey will kick off with a late May Bank Holiday weekend ( 25 to 27 May ) series of survey events .
However , to support clubs and members in continuing with the project throughout the year , BSAC and Seawilding have compiled a range of online resources and online forms for reporting data collected .
While data can be collected during visits to the shoreline , members can also utilise skills learnt on the new BSAC