CLUBFOCUS
Post-dive debrief
Kit officer Kurt Halton with rescue manikin Jonny Depth
32 from the bottom in around 1.5 metres . Then for subsequent scuba training you need to be aged at least 10 . We make use of the Discovery Diver stage in early scuba training and have five Discovery Divers at present .
It ’ s great to see such interest from youngsters …
We ’ re all about giving everyone the opportunity to participate , young and old . Our current Diving Officer , John Chadwick , took over the running of the branch when the previous DO asked him to step in due to his own family circumstances .
John had started diving in 1992 on honeymoon in St Lucia ( with PADI ) and had dipped in and out of BSAC and PADI until he settled with Tameside in October 2016 . To say the journey to becoming DO has been a baptism of fire is an understatement . It might have been worse but for the fantastic support of Joanne Bradshaw ( our Welfare Officer ) and his mentor Robert ( Bob ) Myers .
What happened ?
At the time John became DO , Tameside was a club with mainly younger members . John and Joanne made the best of this situation ; the only alternative was to close the club . Bob is an Open Water Instructor who had been with a club called Xarifa , which has recently closed . We opened a slot at Ashton for Bob and his snorkellers , who then became Tameside members . So Bob helped out , provided a lot of guidance and signed off qualifications .
We knew the club needed more qualified members and we advertised this on the Capernwray Facebook page . A member from Bury BSAC assisted us until he moved away , then Michael Moore , who had belonged to Tameside