In common with so many divers of her generation , Yasmine Thorn ’ s commitment to diving was cemented at a university club . An Open Water Instructor , she is now BSAC ’ s University Coordinator and serves on Council as Vice Chair
BSACDECADES
2010s
In common with so many divers of her generation , Yasmine Thorn ’ s commitment to diving was cemented at a university club . An Open Water Instructor , she is now BSAC ’ s University Coordinator and serves on Council as Vice Chair
What brought you to BSAC ?
I had already trained with another agency in 2012 , and when I went off to study pharmacology at the University of Leeds in 2016 , I fell in with the wonderful people who were running the uni club at the time . My partner , Jake Verduyn , and I both joined , and to this day we remain members of that club .
A lot of my adult life has been built around the diving community . I still live in Leeds , one of the one of the most landlocked parts of the UK ! I probably spend two to three hours driving to the sea most weekends . Most of my closer friendships are built around diving and around that community .
What was your first BSAC training like ?
I remember the stark difference between the previous training and what I experienced at the uni club . There was a much greater emphasis on safety , and on independence . That emphasis on becoming autonomous and being responsible for your own diving and your own planning was important to me , as I ’ m something of a control freak !
Was there someone in the club who went out of their way to help you ?
My mentor was Nick Ranson , one of the club ’ s instructors , who ended up performing pretty much every role on the committee at various different stages . He was Diving Officer of our club for some time . He was the first to qualify as Advanced Diver in the club for well over a decade . Nick supported me and many others who joined around my intake year and the following years . For a couple of years , he was the only Open Water Instructor in the club . Yet in that time we qualified seven Dive Leaders , five of whom are now Open Water Instructors .
How did he make young divers believe in themselves ?
He listens , and quickly understands where people may be struggling . Then he tailors his approach to suit you the best . No two students are the same . It ’ s proven an eye-opener for me in terms of my own progression ; especially when it comes to diving with different buddies . He showed us how one size does not necessarily fit all , and that there is strength in being able to adapt .
What does being a BSAC diver mean to you ?
Having joined BSAC in my first year of university when I was 18 , a lot of my adult life has been built around my membership . It ’ s something I value , particularly in the diving sense , but also in the sense of volunteering as an instructor and as university coach , and now Council . It ’ s a real privilege to be a part of it , and it ’ s an exciting time because we are moving forward , adapting to a changing world . It ’ s also really positive to feel accepted as a young woman whose opinion is valued in the organisation .
For me , being a BSAC diver is not just being a scuba diver , it ’ s being a part of a community . To me , it still feels like one big club , even though we ’ ve got all of our local branches . We all have something in common and we ’ re all a little bit eccentric and put on drysuits and go diving in the dead of winter . But we ’ re all chatty and friendly and approachable . There is a strong sense of belonging .
Best buddies Accelerated Decompression Procedures training
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