SCUBA SEPTEMBER 2024 issue 148 | Page 28

CLUBFOCUS
Roisin and Harry share air
Roisin , Stevie and Jude honing mask clearing skills
Our Chair Brian Dix , working with Alfie on air sharing and signals
Lucy Ross preparing to surface
Tell us about your instructor team .
We have three Open Water Instructors and two Assistant Dive Instructors . It has been difficult at times to keep our training team staffed , as more experienced members and instructors have aged and retired or left the sport for other reasons , but so far we ’ ve managed it .
How do you do this ?
Our club ethos is to encourage members of all ages to follow the path towards instructor training . Having taken help from the club ’ s instructors initially , it is important for members to give back when they can to help us to enthuse future divers to keep the club moving forward . Instructor training with BSAC has been subsidised by the club to help with costs and BSAC has provided good support for would-be instructors .
What would you like to celebrate after such a busy year ?
Our main achievement in the past year has been to increase the number of junior divers in our club . Phoenix NW SAC celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022 . Even after 32 years , as a club we are keen to encourage all ages , genders and abilities to join us , to widen the number of people who enjoy diving and pass that on to a larger section of our local residents .
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What are the club ’ s plans for the future ?
In the next few years , we want to promote different types of diving : we hope to do some diving with a purpose . A weekend for more experienced divers to recover ghost nets has been proposed and is being investigated . While our senior members love passing on their knowledge to young people , they are keen to enjoy a mix of deeper wreck and
Flying the flag on the P29 wreck , Malta
scenic diving for their own experience and enjoyment . Trips to Scapa and the Western Isles are favourites .
We want to retain our members and help them advance their diving skills and enjoyment , as well as recruiting new divers . We are putting up a new banner outside the pool where we ’ re based , leaving flyers in the reception areas and it has been suggested that we get some stickers for our cars and works vans . Watch this space ! �