Kernow hits 20 , keeps fundraising
THE KERNOW DIVE FEST CELEBRATED its 20th anniversary in style , with around 120 divers enjoying a weekend of some of the best diving Cornwall has to offer .
Held over a sunny weekend in June , 12
BSAC clubs came together for the annual diving festival , held in Penzance . Divers came from as far afield as Vale Royal Sub Aqua Club in Cheshire and Coventry BSAC , as well as from across the Southwest .
With the festival compromised over the past two years due to Covid restrictions , the 2022 festival came back with a bang . As well as two days of diving , there was a barbecue on the Saturday night , which also raised over £ 2,000 for the festival ’ s chosen charity , DDRC Healthcare .
Plans are now afoot for Kernow Dive Fest 2023 . For more information , go to www . kernowdiving . org . uk
Snorkel with
SCUBAHUB
Sophie
BSAC Snorkel lead Sophie Rennie has news about a trial course to create Snorkel Guides
WELCOME BACK SNORKELLERS ! SO , while you have all been busy getting some good snorkelling in , we ’ ve been creating new courses . I managed some excellent snorkel dives in the Maldives in May and then headed off to Scotland to run a trial course called Snorkel Guide .
This course requires student guides to understand everything required in running a snorkel trip ; considerations such as tides , weather , ability of the group , planning , leadership and commitment to the group . We wanted to bring all the information together in order to ensure a safe , successful and fun trip .
I spent five days in Scotland , accompanied by my faithful sausage dogs and a campervan , running the course for the Seawilding group , devoted to community-lead habitat restoration . We covered the syllabus in great detail , went snorkelling in the local loch and kept the wood burner going to keep us all warm .
The course is designed to suit the ability of the customer . If , for instance , the group has a boat qualification such as RYY PB2 ( Royal Yachting Association Power Boat Level 2 ) then there ’ s less requirement to run through chartwork , tides and navigation essentials .
Similarly , if the students have Oxygen Adminstration , First Aid and Defib qualifications , then time can be saved , as the students already have these qualifications .
Basically , your Snorkel Guide encompasses Snorkel Dive Manager , Snorkel Rescue Diver and Advanced Snorkeller . There is limited snorkelling instruction , although it does allow for enough to ensure the student can get snorkelling safely .
Watch this space – the second trial takes place in September and then hopefully the course will go live soon after .
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