L-R , RoHo ’ s Chris Waites , Andrew Davis , Philip Allen , Paul Marsden , Trevor Love , Ian Goldthorpe and Robert Hardy with Adrian Collier , BSAC National Instructor
Six merry new crossovers at RoHo
BSAC ’ S CENTRE AND BRANCH partnership scheme has recently added six new BSAC instructors to its ranks following an instructor crossover course at Robin Hood Watersports .
Also known as RoHo , the West Yorkshirebased centre is one of the latest to join the scheme , which aims to support resourcestretched clubs to grow their membership while offering trainees a choice in how they learn to dive .
Six of RoHo ’ s current instructors have now become BSAC Open Water Instructors , meaning the centre is ready to support
Expedition Trophy for Formidable Steve
branches from around Yorkshire with their Ocean Diver trainees .
RoHo ’ s Lead Instructor Kieron McClintock said the crossover course was a great success for all involved , echoed by RoHo instructor , Robert Hardy .
“ The course was very well delivered . I am always keen to learn new and improved ways of teaching and I wasn ’ t disappointed .”
As well as RoHo , the partnership scheme now has six other centres on board – Berkshire-based Divecrew , DM Scuba for the Bristol area , Stoney Cove ’ s The Dive School , Andark in Southampton , Plymouth ’ s Sandford and Down and Scuba Ts in Scotland .
So far , 50 BSAC clubs are being supported by the participating centres , with interest from other clubs growing .
Plans for centre meet-and-greet sessions for any clubs interested in joining the scheme are now in the pipeline and are due to be rolled out in the Autumn .
THE WINNER OF THE 2020 BSAC Expedition Trophy , Steve Mortimer , has been formally presented with his award . BSAC Expeditions Officer , Andy Hunt handed the trophy to Steve at Mountbatten in Plymouth for his project , ‘ HMS Formidable ’. The presentation had been delayed due to Covid restrictions .
A member of BSAC Direct , Steve assembled a team of technical divers to explore and document the wreck site of the pre-dreadnought battleship , HMS Formidable , which lies in 60m of water in Lyme Bay .
The BSAC Expedition Trophy is presented annually to the organiser of the most significant British exploratory diving expedition of the year . For more information on the trophy , go to
bsac . com / awards
Dive with
Jane
Known to many members , Jane Maddocks is the NDC Lead for the Diving Activities / Projects Group
MY ROLE IS TO ENCOURAGE DIVERS to get involved with projects and diving with a purpose . 2021 has been a challenge – but now we need to think about 2022 and all the fun that diving with a purpose can give us .
There are plenty of projects in the pipeline and the website will keep you up to date with what is happening . Many of these projects are aimed at improving the marine environment ; oysters ; sea grass and sunken tyres are just a few of the areas we are looking at .
One thing I love about BSAC is the time and expertise so freely given by members . The Diving Activities Group is a perfect example of members ’ willingness to spend time helping others to have fun . The team consists of biologists and ecologists , seabed experts , electronics experts and those who spend years recording changes in marine life . There are others who take diving and understanding wrecks to a whole new level .
Diving with a purpose uses the skills we have spent time learning , and it is fun . To help everyone get started , Dave Lock and Ben Jaffey are producing an online guide to projects aimed at encouraging any diver who wants to have a go at doing a project with their branch . This will go onto the website as soon as possible .
We also have on the team those whose take their branches on projects all over the UK and overseas . I am lucky enough to work with them .
7