SCUBA October 2023 issue 139 | Page 5

What ’ s BSAC all about ?

16 Critter Confidential

Published by :
IN2 PUBLISHING Ltd , PO Box 7492 Kidderminster , DY11 9HB Email : info @ in2publishing . co . uk
Publishing Director : Jon Fellows Editor : Simon Rogerson Sub Editor : Kristina Pedder Design : Paul Hanson Equipment Testing : Neil Hope
Advertising Director : Charlie Wise Email : charlie @ in2publising . co . uk Tel : 01398 310 250 Mob : 07787 565 771
Commercial Manager : Rob Dubery Email : rob @ in2publishing . co . uk Tel : 01398 310 250
Advertising Manager : Michelle Simpson Email : michelle @ in2publishing . co . uk Tel : + 44 ( 0 ) 7434 779164
Print Consultant : Jamie Ringrose © 2023 British Sub-Aqua Club
All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without written permission of the copyright owners . Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication , the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions . In the interest of independence and impartiality , many features in SCUBA have been written on behalf of the publisher by third party experts . It should be noted that any opinions and recommendations expressed therein are the views of the writers themselves and not necessarily those of BSAC . BSAC and publishers ensure that the paper used for printing this publication has been sourced from sustainably managed forests .
If you love diving and want to benefit from great training and an international community of scuba divers and snorkellers , you should get to know BSAC .
What ’ s BSAC all about ?
BSAC stands for British Sub-Aqua Club , and we are the UK National Governing Body of scuba diving and snorkelling . We have clubs , centres , and members worldwide who are all as passionate as we are about the underwater world .
We are Britain ’ s biggest dive club , with hundreds of local clubs run by committed divers and snorkellers on a non-profit basis . With us , you can learn to dive from the age of 10 and snorkel from the age of six .
If you ’ re already a diver , that ’ s great ! All divers are welcome at BSAC . You could further your training or just join us on some great diving . Or both !
As well as developing safety and training standards and supporting our community , we are also focused on the environment and underwater heritage to help protect the waters we love to dive and the earth we live in .
Have a look at this magazine to get a real feel for what we ’ re about — we think you ’ ll love what you read . To get involved , head to bsac . com , email us at hello @ bsac . com or call 0151 350 6201 . We ’ d love to hear from you !
JOIN BSAC TODAY : bsac . com / joinus FIND YOUR LOCAL BSAC CLUB : bsac . com / findaclub or call + 44 ( 0 ) 151 350 6201

CONTENTS

8 SCUBA HUB
All the latest BSAC news
16 Critter Confidential
Paul Naylor gets to grips with the velvet swimming crab
19 Kirsty Andrews
Studying the archaeology of the foreshore
21 Yo-Han Cha
Discover the secrets of our hero ’ s toolbox
23 Becky Hitchin
Taking stock of trash in the sea
24 SCUBA Chat
Your letters , tributes and announcements
26 Club Focus
Kristina Pedder interviews Furness SAC
30 Clidive go to Donegal
A self-sufficient expedition to Ireland in search of wild Atlantic diving
36 The power of the Try Dive
Suzanne McCallum on Derby BSAC ’ s pool sessions , tailored to the needs of autistic youngsters
39 Wrecks of the Unexpected Rick Ayrton tells how a WW2 Landing Craft Tank was discovered in deep water off North Cornwall
44 BSAC Courses
Plan your training progression with regional events
46 Protect our Seas
Sewage Safety for divers + Shark Art + Project diving and BSAC + Ocean warming + dolphin aggression + more orcas v sailboats
52 Travel Special – Puppy Power in La Paz
Simon Rogerson reports from Mexico ’ s Baja peninsula , home to California sea lions .
60 Test Centre
O ’ Three ’ s Shortie Wetsuit + Fourth Element ’ s Scout Mask + O ’ Three Fisheye tee shirt + Lomo Watersports coiled lanyard .
64 Snorkelling
Andy goes for a posh snorkel in Trieste , Italy .
66 Crossword
Another brain-teaser from the desk of Charles Wheeldon
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