Tigger n Eeyore Raise £120 for RNLI

The latest trip to the Farne islands resulted in two days blown out.

We had to find something to do. On the second day, as luck would have it there was a Beer & Food Festival in Berwick. A few foaming ales and someone suggested it would be a good idea (??) to have our faces painted.

Two of us agreed to do it for charity. We raised £120 for the RNLI and on the way back to Seahouses we raised a few eyebrows from oncoming drivers as Eyore was also one of the Designated Driver's.....

EGM

Please remember that it is the EGM tomorrow, 13th September 2010. Here are the two motions we will be discussing and then asking the club to vote for, or against.

1. Motion - The club supports the Committees recommendations to continue to have a boat; in that we will continue to run Dunstable Diver until such time as there are sufficient funds available to purchase a new (or newer) RHIB.

Dependent on the outcome of the above motion, the second motion that we will be putting to the members is

2. Motion - The club supports the objective of purchasing a boat with the following specification, with the understanding that this is a generic specification which provides a framework to work towards

• approximately 6 metres in length


• a wider boat than we currently have


• single engine with a back-up (donkey) engine


• four stroke engine of 125-150bhp


• expenditure of £15,000 - £19,000

The meeting will start at 19:30.

Please be there to have your say and exercise your vote.

Lots of Bubbles

Val Harrison (Chair DSAC)

Not posted anything for quite some time (slapped wrist - no committment!). We are now fully into the diving season and there is probably quite a lot that I could put in here. However, that would be too much and would use up all the blog space.
I think I should just look at what has just been and a little at what is coming up.
The weekend of August 21/22 saw some of us making a long journey over to Pembrokeshire. We were diving from a RHIB (Big Bertha) and hoping to see loads of flora and fauna in the National Park area there. Unfortunately on the first day, the vis was not good and I think most of the sea life were in hiding. The second day was better and we had a great dive on the wreck 'The Lucy'.
After this dive we had some discussions about the maxim 'Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan'. My buddy and I had agreed that as he was on twin 12s and I was 15/3, we would do 20 mins or 100bar whichever came first. Well 20 mins came first and I was still on 110bar . We had racked up about 7 mins deco time. But I was enjoying the dive, the wreck etc so much, I didn't want to come up. I signalled to my buddy '3 more mins!', with the intention that we could add another 3 mins deco and I would still be ok for air (wish the filling station had had nitrox). He understood and agreed. So we went to 11 mins deco when I had to give in and go - more because it was going to be boring hanging around for so long at 5 metres. I still came out with just under 80bar and the pony. But the lesson here is that although we adjusted the plan, we both agreed the adjustment. Had my buddy been unhappy with that adjustment then, we would have stuck to the plan. We both knew that we could make that adjustment and still keep within safe limits.

Then when we got back onto the boat, we saw DOLPHINS! Loads of them. It was difficult to know how many there were as they were hunting and there were some far out, circling and herding the fish in and then those in the middle that were actually feeding. The Skipper was great and managed to get us right in so that we had them coming up right by the boat. We could see white flashes on the underbelly, which identified them as Common Dolphins.
They were magnificent.
Hopefully we will post some photos and maybe some video soon.

The second wave of divers unfortunately did not get to see the dolphins but they did get to see a Sun Fish. Again, I hope we have more photos of this to put on the gallery.

Things coming up:

• Monday 6th September Diver Leader course participants. Please be at the leisure centre for 19:30. We need to look at what still needs to be done to complete the course. Bring log books and student qualification books to check what you have attended and what dives can be signed off.
• We will also do the Biggest Loser weigh in, on Monday 6th Setember, probably just after 8pm
• 13th September at 19:30 - EGM re the boat and plans going forward. Please ensure you read the motions sent out by Sandy, think about them and if you wish to have your input, ensure you attend the meeting.

I think thats enough for now. Look forward to seeing all of you at the club on the 6th (remember no meeting on the Bank Holiday)

Lots of Bubbles, Val

Charts and More..

Well, I missed a week but back now.

Surprisingly, for this time of the year there are still things going on. Mostly, with the idea of getting ready for the new dive season.

This reminds me that the London International Dive Show will be on at Excel on the 27 and 28 March 2010. Tickets are available pre-book and if you order through Julia, and we manage to do this for 6 or more tickets, they only cost £6.50 (otherwise, £7.50 for less than 6 pre-book or £10.50 on the door). I am going and will be looking for a good deal on some manifolded twin 12's. Maybe a new reel and SMB after the loss of my other set on an extremely different drift dive off the IOW. Those who were there will remember... But its good to go and have a look round anyway.

We started the chart work sessions last Monday (1st February 2010) and it has been most informative. I learnt a lot from this first session and I am sure there will be more to come. The group of us that were there raised and bounced questions around that brought out other things I had not considered before. So, I am looking forward to the next session at 19:30 this Monday(8th February 2010). It will be great to put this into practice when getting Dunstable Diver out again this year.

There is even some diving going on. Brian and Alan asked me to remind you all that if anyone would like to go up to Stoney Cove or Blue Lagoon during the week, they can be free to do this. The water is still cold at the moment - I think Rickey and Dave had 3 or 4 deg last Monday at Stoney, but it is fantastic vis and there are less trainees about to silt it all up.

There is also an open invitation from the Training and Diving Officers that should people wish to go for a night dive, the next one is planned for the 17th February 2010. Please let either of them know if you wish to go. You may want to make a full day of it; the latest news is that you can go up for the day and do not have to pay again for the night dive. We are awaiting confirmation of this because that does make it that bit more cost effective. Again, Brian and Alan may possibly be up for a couple of dips, if you ask.

We are now heading full tilt towards the diving season and we need to get deposits in for up and coming dives. Please ensure that these are paid as soon as possible, so that it does not deplete the club working funds too greatly, when deposits for accommodation and hard boats need to be paid.

So, thats it for this week. I will see many of you at the club tomorrow.

Lots of Bubbles

Val

(Chair, Dunstable SAC)

Unfortunately, the diy got to me first this morning and so I apologise for the lateness of this posting today.

Some of you may have noticed the absence of our dear DO, from the meeting last week. Rumour has it that the 'man flu' has turned into something not so good and the Training Officer is also suffering (if she wasn't before, from his moaning about having man flu). Get well soon, both of you!

Talking of the Training Officer and the DO, there have been some updates in the picture galleries from Karen and Phil. Some from various outings on the club rib, some from the Christmas dinner and some from their recent holiday in the Maldives. I would also say check out the Manta video clip from Karen. It is amazing just how close she was to them. Fantastic!

Earlier this month Alan and Brian had the opportunity due the the freezing weather, to do a proper rope dive under the ice at the Blue Lagoon. I have tried to upload the the video Alan made but unfortunately it seems to only want to upload the opening sequence. The unedited master version, without an intro was available on the disk but at some 800+MB, I don't think it would have left any room for any other video clips in our area. Watch this space though, as we will see if we can get some edited version up there for you to see. It looked blummin cold and how no one fell over fully kitted, I will never know... but well worth a watch.

Now tomorrow 25th Jan, we have the photography tips starting at 19:30 in the meeting room at the leisure centre. Followed by more fitness training in the pool. This is going really well and it is good to see more people coming along to it.

John T and George and James C (and possibly Rickey) are heading out to Sharm from the 18th to the 25th March. Apparently some really good deals to be had. If you really want to go and get some sunshine to warm through your bones, then get the details from John T. But hurry these offers go up in price as they fill up.

Otherwise, we are thinking of running a club trip to Nemo 33 in Brussels (see pics in the gallery of when Mr H, Mr I, Mr K, Rickey and myself went there in August 2008). This is a dive research facility that has a deep pit going down to 30 metres. It is filtered spring water and so you cannot take any of your own kit in there other than mask, computer and swims. They provide everything else. There are also areas where they pump air in and so there are airspaces at 12 metres. Seems strange to stand up and take your dv out and your computer is still registering you at 12 metres. We will keep you updated on this.

Now next week, I shall be on a course and so the post won't happen until about this time - er if at all. It may be if I pass the course, that I shall be celebrating with some of my pals. So, don't be surprised if there is nothing posted next week. I apologise now but passing will mean a lot to me and my friends.

Lots of Bubbles to you all

Val

(Chair, Dunstable Sub-Aqua Club)

Circuits and bumps success and more

Sunday morning and a quick update before I start the obligitory diy. The circuits and bumps started last Monday and it was great to see the guys getting into it, doing sit-ups, press-ups and squat thrusts. I joined in a little with a short length or so of tired diver towing and a minutes hands above head treading water. Maybe this week, I might try some of the other stuff. It cannot be denied, it will certainly get you fit for the new dive season.

We had the first committee meeting since the AGM on Thursday night and we will be publishing the minutes soon. The next is set for 22 April 2010.

Some new dates for the diary:

Monday 25 January 2010, Photography tips, start at 19:30 in the meeting room at Dunstable Leisure Centre.

We are running a Peak Bouyancy skills course, starting with a lecture on 12th April 2010 (19:30 in the meeting room) followed by pool work. Further pool work on Monday 19th April and open water work at Stoney Cove over the weekend of 24 & 25 April. Please sign up for it using the list on the club notice board.

Social nights set for Fridays the first 3 will be on 19th February, 19th March and 16th April, at the Crown Carvery (the old Red Lion) on Bidwell Hill, Houghton Regis. Apparently a really good carvery meal can be had for under £5.

Monday 26th April 2010, will be the practical knots and ropework session. Again, this is for all who may use the boat as well as a refresher for boat handlers and diver coxswains.

Talking about social nights etc. it is great to have close connections with other BSAC clubs in the region. So it was lovely to get an invitation to join Luton SAC at their annual dinner dance, on 6th March 2010 at the Old Palace Lodge in Dunstable. So far, there are four of us from the club joining them; myself, Chris, Phil and Karen . They have a couple of live bands playing and it looks like being a great night. The invitation is to all of the club, so if you want a bit of a night out and meeting more local divers, please let me know and I provide Helen at Luton, with the numbers and deposits etc.

So, that is it for now. Please keep your eye on the club schedule for up and coming events and future dive trips.

Lots of Bubbles, Val (Chair, Dunstable SAC)

Getting ready for 2010 dive season

Here it is 2010. And as I chomp away on the last of the chocolates left over from Christmas, I am reminded that Alan and Brian said something about getting fit for the 2010 dive season.
They called it circuits and bumps, or something. Essentially, you swim a length of the pool, then get out and do one press-up and one squat thrust. Then you swim another length and jump out and do two press-ups and two squat thrusts. I think you carry on until you fall over but it does sound like good stuff.
If you wish to join them they are starting this after the meeting on Monday 11th January, in the pool at 9pm.
I might just swim a few lengths and watch until I've got the hang of the complicated logistics...

Also, some things coming up...

• Duncan has agreed to do some more lectures on chart work. So dates for these are 1st and 8th February. All welcome who may be interested.
• Some tips on underwater photography - tentatively set for 25th January but to be confirmed. It will go onto the calendar once confirmed.
• Ropework and knots - for all! This is for anybody who uses the boat, as well as boat handlers and those wishing to get their Diver Coxswain certification. Date(s) TBA
• First Aid and use of defibrilators - Any refreshing of first aid is always useful. We wouldn't use a defib on a boat but you never know, some day... 'be prepared', is not a bad motto. Again dates TBA and will be posted on the calendar.

Val Harrison (Chair etc DSAC)