Jane Maddocks highlights three projects that demonstrate what a group can achieve when they dive with a common goal
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ENVIRONMENT
Taking it further
The power of purpose
Jane Maddocks highlights three projects that demonstrate what a group can achieve when they dive with a common goal
Back in the mists of time , it used to be said by other organisations that BSAC only trained divers so that they could train more divers to train divers . Since then , I have noticed that so many dive clubs have realised that happy divers mean more members who renew their membership because diving is such fun .
There are so many ways to reach your best diving life .
One of the greatest pleasures in the world is to take someone you have taught on their first real open water dive , when you can introduce them to fish and marine life . That smile on surfacing is priceless !
Then , as time evolves , you watch that same student go on to dive new sites with new equipment , having such fun because you took the time to train and inspire them . I have watched some of my students go way beyond what I could ever achieve , and it is just so satisfying ( and also a little bit jealous making ).
Teaching and training should have a purpose of letting divers access what makes them happy in the underwater
Members of the Great Fossil Mine expedition team meet the Prince of Wales world . Happy divers set a great example to those in the club who haven ’ t yet discovered where their ‘ dive happy ’ is . It may be training , but what else can your branch do to inspire your divers of all ages to be involved , to love the sport , and to take changes in the marine environment seriously ?
I want to talk briefly about three BSAC branch projects from the past .
The first is Chester Sub Aqua Club . It began as a branch dive weekend and culminated in a project that engaged so many of the branch
“ Happy divers set a great example to those in the club who haven ’ t yet discovered where their ‘ dive happy ’ is ” members and resulted in an hour-long YouTube presentation : A Tale of Two Trawlers . It is a story of how a small project went on to involve many divers and skills . It was a puzzle that revolved around misidentified wrecks . A huge amount of learning went on and the end product was a presentation , well worth viewing at youtube . com / watch ? v = 55DYDztN3aA
The second was a study by Matt Doggett , Martin Openshaw and Sheilah Openshaw looking at black bream breeding behaviour , using remote cameras as well as diver observation before most people realised how easy it is to set up a remote underwater camera .
Breeding habits were evidenced that made a real difference to the understanding of how this shy species behave . Perhaps next time you dive in shallow waters off our beaches , and you see a shimmer of light almost beyond your vision , you could put up a Baited Remote Underwater Video ( BRUV ). Having completed your Underwater Surveyor course , why not see what fishy behaviours your club or centre could discover . You can read more about the Black Bream project by going to the British Sub-Aqua Jubilee Trust Funded Projects page at bsac . com / jubileetrust
Their results , observed and recorded in shallow water , were impressive . A small but inspirational group who went on to give talks about the work they did , encouraging others to follow their example . At least four other groups are now looking at fishy behaviour because of Matt , Martin , and Sheilah .
So , wrecks , marine life , and now the final project : palaeolithic landscapes and a bit of fossil hunting while ‘ Exploring the Great Fossil Mine of the southern North Sea .’
This again was a different project . BSAC members who were also archaeologists / early human specialists spent two weeks looking for evidence of early human occupation off the beaches of Norfolk . This report is heavy duty , but what was found was significant in the Early Human world . Again , you will find this report in the British Sub-Aqua Jubilee Trust Funded xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Projects page . These members decided to have a go at something completely out of the ordinary .
Diving with a purpose gives much greater enjoyment than just ‘ swimming around stuff ’. Doing things while diving is epic and will keep your members enthusiastic , because they ’ re having such a good time with you . They don ’ t have to be dives that result in reports or webinars , just dives that give your members a reason to keep on diving with you .
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