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Safety Group lead Jon Parlour considers the challenges of winter diving
Meet our 12,000th snorkel instructor
THE 12,000TH BSAC SNORKEL Instructor qualification has just been awarded to a marine biology lecturer based in Cornwall .
Rebecca Allen is a lecturer at University Centre Newquay and has been a keen snorkeller for 30 years .
She successfully completed BSAC ’ s twoday Snorkel Instructor Training Course and Assessment ( SITCA ) to become a qualified Snorkel Instructor ( SI ). As a result , Rebecca has now officially become the 12,000th holder of this nationally recognised qualification .
Rebecca says snorkelling also played a key role in her becoming a marine biology lecturer .
“ I ’ ve been snorkelling for 30 years . The first place I snorkelled was on coral reef in the Gili Islands , Indonesia . I was blown away , though , when I snorkelled in the UK , it was just as colourful and fascinating .”
The life-changing experience helped Rebecca decide to do an MSc in marine science so she could learn more about the beautiful British seas .
“ I wanted to become an instructor so I can help out my local group ( Newquay Marine Group ) with guided snorkelling , and also so I can take groups of students out . People learn so much more by experiencing the underwater world for themselves .” Rebecca explained .
“ The SITCA course was very thorough and I feel I can safely and confidently introduce people to this wonderful activity . I ’ m excited about becoming a member of the BSAC community and hopefully introducing more people to it !”
For more information on becoming a BSAC Snorkel Instructor , go to bsac . com / snorkellinginstructor
Rebecca Allen ( fourth from left ) with members of the MCS Newquay Marine Group
AS A DIVE MANAGER , MAKING A realistic risk assessment is essential to ensure everyone continues to enjoy their diving . These days we ’ re lucky because there are a variety of apps that give us immediate access to good quality information on the weather , sea state and tides .
I seem to have been doing more diving in colder water this year , starting off in Scotland over the Easter weekend . Then over to Finland in May diving timber wrecks , where the water temperature was 4ᵒC on the bottom and 6ᵒC in the shallower , sun warmed water , during the decompression stops .
With modern diving suits and equipment , such dives can be carried out in comfort and safety . Heated undersuits have come a long way , and together with dry , and even heated gloves , can ensure that body core temperature is maintained throughout the dive .
Falling body core temperature during a dive has the potential to make us more susceptible to DCI . It is also important to ensure that we don ’ t lose manual dexterity , otherwise we are less likely to be able to operate essential equipment effectively .
As you might expect , those who dive in these temperatures all the time are using drysuits with gloves and hoods built in , and whole body heated undersuits . It reminded me of a saying which is very true in diving , that there is no such thing as bad weather , only the wrong equipment . Plan for the environment you are diving in , train in the use of additional or specialist equipment and keep in practice .
Many branches are getting their winter training programmes together , including safety and rescue SDCs such as oxygen admin , AED , PRM and boat handling . For those who have already received this training , why not set up some refresher training within your branch or region for their BLS , AED and oxygen skills .
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