Wings over Windermere
TWO NORTH WEST BSAC CLUBS recently looked to the skies on a boating assignment with a difference.
Kendal BSAC and Burnley BSAC provided safety cover for this year’ s Wings over Windermere event, which saw a replica of the first successful British seaplane, the Waterbird, fly over the iconic lake. The original Waterbird took its first flight across Windermere back in 1911 and its replica is still the only one of its kind.
Joined by a modern-day seaplane, the Aviat Husky, the Waterbird performed a flying display over two days for crowds gathering on the lake shore. It was coordinated by the Lakes Flying Company( a registered charity) to raise awareness of the seaplane’ s history.
The charity invited the two dive clubs to support the event with their RIBs and act as water marshals to keep the lake clear and safe for the aircrafts’ flyover. Ian Gee, from the Lakes Flying Company, said it was the first time a BSAC dive club has been part of the spectacle.
“ In order for the replica to carry out a flying display from Windermere we needed to obtain permission from the Lake District National Park Authority. And without the vital help of the boats and marshals we would not have been able to proceed.”
Jim Henshaw from Kendal BSAC said the clubs jumped at the chance to be part of an alternative boating weekend.“ It was a very different use of our boating skills. Instead of concentrating on dive plans and underwater conditions, we were watching the lake, keeping a constant lookout for what was happening around us – and above us.”
The Kendal BSAC RIB was crewed by Julia Salisbury, Andy Higham, Piot Kasavar, Rick Fry, Paul Fry, James Henshaw and Eloise Henshaw, with Paul Fry as skipper.
Burnley BSAC provided a second RIB, with James Dennett as helm, together with Leon Nesbitt-Hancock. The two club RIBs formed part of a nine-strong marshal boat flotilla.
“ There was something quite special about sitting in a BSAC RIB on Windermere and watching Waterbird take to the air,” Jim added.“ Not quite our usual BSAC weekend!”
Twin-set Diver SDC gets an upgrade
BSAC HAS RELEASED ITS REVISED Twin-Set Diver Skill Development Course( SDC), making it more flexible in how students choose to learn.
One of BSAC ' s most popular SDCs, Twin- Set Diver now includes a new eLearning module to give students more flexibility in how and when they study. The addition of eLearning means the student has an alternative online option to the classroom training and enables them to complete the theory in their own time.
The Twin-set Diver course forms part of the suite of complementary courses to introduce divers to the world of technical diving: Twinset, Sidemount, Accelerated Decompression Procedures( ADP), Deeper Diving and the soon to be launched Propulsion.
The revised course consists of four theory lessons plus a supplementary lesson, two dry practicals, one sheltered water and two open water lessons. Upon completion, divers will be able to conduct dives within BSAC Safe Diving guidelines and the limits of their training and experience. They will also be able to plan and conduct dives using a twin-set configuration, using appropriate equipment and gases within their certification.
The two versions of the Twin-Set Diver training pack are now available to buy from the BSAC Shop. The digital pack costs £ 45 while the eLearning pack, which includes access to BSAC’ s eLearning platform, costs £ 65.
To be eligible for the Twin-set Diver SDC, you must be a current BSAC member and hold a minimum grade of Sports Diver( or equivalent), and hold either Gold or Black standard buoyancy, registered on your MyBSAC record.
For more information, find a training course and to buy the Twin-set Diver training pack, go to bsac. com / twinset
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