3.4 Competitions

3.4.1 Annual Diving Awards

The winners of our diver awards are selected by the Diving Officer and Training Officer in consultation with other committee members. The awards are made at the AGM each November.

DIVER OF THE YEAR (John Rycroft memorial shield)

Awarded to Eleanor Partridge for her contribution throughout the year to organising a series of trips, dedication to instructing, and progressing her own skills to become a Diver Cox’n and Compressor Operator and dive managing on an expedition. “2019 was my sixth season with Clidive and the best yet. I was over the moon to finish the year as a Diver Cox’n, Theory Instructor and Diver of the Year, with some good inroads made into the Advanced Diver course. But most importantly, it was a year of great diving with some notable highlights including possibly my best ever and most northerly UK dive on the Handa trip, right after driving Clidive Yellow round Cape Wrath, under very un-wrathful blue skies. It’s been a great year for me and for Clidive, and I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings.”

3.4.2 2019 Photography Competition

TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Jointly awarded to Martin Boxall and Clarissa Horilczenko who, after a try-dive in December 2018 completed Ocean Diver and Sports Diver with us during 2019 as well as Lifesaver, First Aid for Divers and boat handling. They describe their fantastic year on page 19.

ADVANCED TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Awarded to Giovanni Corriga for enthusiastically progressing his own diving qualifications and becoming an OWI with a series of Merits. “When I heard that I had won the award I felt both pride and surprise. On the one hand, I was proud that my training efforts had been recognised by diving peers and friends. On the other I was also surprised since I considered what I did as nothing out of the ordinary given the high standards in diving and diver training upheld by all the members of the club, from its most seasoned First Class Divers to its most recent Ocean Divers. Such recognition has encouraged me to continue my own training, to help others in theirs, and overall to carry

INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR

Awarded to Ian Baker who in his second year as an instructor has been available virtually every Thursday as well as for training trips and regional events. In football parlance his was the first name on the team sheet every week. “When I did my try dive with Clidive in 2014 I had no idea what to expect - but I certainly didn’t imagine getting quite so involved in the sport, the branch and instructing. I really enjoy the challenge of introducing everyone to the unfamiliar underwater environment, ensuring they’re comfortable, and teaching them how to safely enjoy it. It’s especially rewarding when someone is quite uncertain in the pool at the start of OD, but a few months later they’re enthusiastically signing up for SD after getting the bug for UK diving.”

on Clidive’s diving tradition.”

For 2019 we held our Photography Competition at the 50th Anniversary Party and let everybody present vote for a winner on a shortlisted set of photographs in each category. They then chose the overall winner. Entry fees helped raise money for the Shark Trust.

Overall Winner & 50 Years of Sharing the Adventure

Winner Neil Rickards: Clidive Yellow at Longships. See page 36 UK Diving Winner Nick Barter: Under the Persier. See page 1 Overseas Diving Winner Niovi Antoniou: Divers on the Zenobia. See page 35 Videography Winner Mark Kelly: Shaun the Sheep Nudibranch YouTube link to Shaun the Sheep: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=aCp7Vu1cGFU&t=9s