CLUBFOCUS
Simone Simpson and Kevin Jones at the Farnes
John Godwin at Capernwray in Instructor Foundation, Snorkel Instructor and Advanced Instructor courses. We will also run a Rescue Management scenario day and an Oxygen Administration course.
Who is in the instructor team?
We have four Open Water Instructors and an Assistant OWI( hoping to qualify early this year). Six members are Assistant Diving Instructors, following their Instructor Foundation Course, one of whom is a Snorkel Instructor. Our training is organised by our much appreciated and brilliant Training Officer and Kit Officer.
And the enthusiasm for instructing doesn’ t stop there; at least two members hope to do their IFC this year. Two hope to do the OWI course in March and one OWI is looking into Advanced Instructor training. One of the team is starting to help with the regional team.
I hear you reach out to other clubs in your region.
We believe working together with other local clubs makes us stronger in the long run. We have been sharing dive trips with Trafford SAC and are planning on meeting up for a dive on Anglesey this year. Flintshire SAC are joining us for our Oxygen
Administration course in March and our Practical Rescue Management day in May; they also join us on trips. Our Diving Officer helped Rhyl SAC when they needed an instructor on a training day and we have an agreement to help each other, if and when needed. The others offer us spaces on their boat days out and lend instructors if needed. We have also set up a photography club, which will share knowledge and skills among the group.
What is the club planning for the next few years?
In the past few years, new members have taken roles on the committee, which has given the club a new outlook and these are exciting times.
We have entered the Heinke Trophy competition. BSAC introduced a new two-year cycle to allow clubs to plan, deliver and present their stories.
The 2026 cycle kicked off in June 2025 with a preparation phase running until 30 November. This is followed by the activity phase from January to December 2026, during which clubs record their activities, achievements and successes throughout the year to create their final Heinke Trophy report, which must be submitted by 31 January 2027. The winner of the trophy will be announced by Spring 2027.
Anything else you’ d like to tell SCUBA magazine readers about?
Our club will celebrate its 50th year in 2027, so we will be planning something for that. Diving is a lifetime journey, and we recognise that members join at different points in their life. We have had members for several years then they head off to university, job moves, family commitments but they often come back. Our sport is literally‘ out of this world’ and this is the magic that draws us in.
The minutiae of sea life, the variety of species, the magic of diving with seals and sharing their space all amaze and humble divers. Experiencing the wonder of diving through caves and the play of light on the water leaves them mesmerised. What’ s not to love about diving? �
Mold carnival mannequin
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Sports Diver training: Harriet Way, Scott Keating and Caroline Parry