Cheltenham SAC Newsletter ~ Volume 1 ~ Issue 1

C H E LT E N H A M S U B AQUA C LU B

NEWSLETTER

Volume 1 ~ Issue 1 Summer 2017

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CHAIRMAN Daniel Wilkinson DIVING OFFICER Simon Draper TRAINING OFFICER David Pollicott PADI TRAINING OFFICER James Neal SECRETARY Neal Breeden TREASURER Tim Carrington-Stait EQUIPMENT OFFICER Dan Norman MARKETING & PR James Neal

It never ceases to amaze me just how much Cheltenham Sub Aqua Club do... I mean look at it, talk about active. We dive every week, throughout the year, and at a myriad of dive sites and locations around the world.

Most recently returning from a mini expedition to Hodge Close, in the Lake District, to dive the flooded mine there.

The guys (and girls) had a fantastic adventure and one or two of them managed to ‘scratch an itch’ that had been gnawing away for a couple of years. I suspect that we will be returning to Hodge Close again, in the not too distant future...

SOCIAL SECRETARY Elaine Spence

Presently we are organising a 24 hour scuba dive and fund raising for Headway, Gloucestershire. As well as actively striving to raise much needed awareness of the difficulties faced by those who have suffered head injuries, often referred to as ‘invisible disabilities’. These injuries frequently result in the sufferer facing many challenges and prejudices from people who simply fail to understand because they can’t ‘see’ the injury itself.

WEB SITE www.divecsac.org

However, having said that, much like the individuals themselves, this is not something that defines us as a club...

We have such great diversity within our midst and some remarkably talented individuals. Our membership is relatively young and very dynamic. And we are an open and welcoming club that loves training people to dive.

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So if you’re looking to take up the sport or simply seeking a friendly, inclusive club to join then do please get in touch.

I hope to see some more new faces in the club soon.

Dan

Daniel Wilkinson Chairman

THIS ISSUE Chairman’s Introduction 2 24 Hour Scuba Dive 5 Web Site Update 6 Winning Photograph 6 BSAC Ocean Diver 6 Submarine HMS Triumph 6 PADI Elite Instructor 7

7 Home Buyers 7 Getting Hitched 7 New Job & Club Members 8 Newquay 10 Return To Hodge Close 14 Club Gallery 23 Rescue Diver Course

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24 HOUR

SCUBA DIVE

NDAC Midday Saturday to Midday Sunday 16th September ~ 17th September.

The 24 hour sponsored scuba dive is progressing extremely well. We have already more than doubled our original target of £1,000 through club member’s fund raising activities alone. But we have also received some very serious donations from corporate sponsors like Suunto, Apeks and Mares that will raise in excess of another £3,000.00.

and Rob Wallace of Severn Signs have all made very large donations. Thank you all very much!

As things presently stand, it is looking possible that we will raise in excess of £7,000.00 for Headway, Gloucestershire. Which would be an amazing achievement.

Headway will be putting together a presentation for the event and we are hoping to have some sensible press coverage. BSAC HQ have already picked up the story and have just finalised a major press release for the event. FitNet magazine have also picked up the story and are running their own article. More magazines and newspapers are very likely to follow nearer the time.

Suunto have made an incredible donation of 3 top of the range dive computers. Mares have donated a superb travel case and Apeks have put in one of their lovely reels.

More and more donations are coming in each day.

Please keep an eye on the club’s facebook page for updates.

We have also had a major corporate sponsor indicate that they will donate a further £1,000.00 to the final total. Which is amazing news.

Local businesses have also given very generously, John Shaw of ShawTek, Martin & Amy Stanton, & the team, from Vobster Quay Inland Diving Centre

The National Diving & Activity Centre have been amazing in their support of this event and continue to give freely of their time with many members of staff agreeing to work through the night. Many thanks in particular to Ash, Natty & Luke for their support.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEWS & UPDATES

Web Site Update

BSAC Ocean Diver

Simon has been busy working on the club’s new web site. He has also been able to integrate the club’s facebook events into the main web site. Making it easy to see upcoming events on either page.

Congratulations to Guy Fletcher on completing his BSAC Ocean Diver. A great deal of hard work over a period of time. Very well done indeed.

Winning Photograph

Submarine HMS Triumph

Congratulations to James Neal on winning Stoney Cove’s ‘Picture This’ competition with his photograph of Toni Norton from Purple Turtle Diving of London.

We had the honour and the privilege of being invited down to Devonport Docks for a private tour of the nuclear submarine HMS Triumph. Truly an amazing experience.

Thanks also to Julian Harris for his expert instruction.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEWS & UPDATES

PADI Elite Instructor

James & Dimple have all moved away from Upper Dowdeswell to other villages in the region.

Getting Hitched Congratulations to our D.O. Simon Draper on recently getting married. The urge to publish the infamous stag weekend photo was extremely hard to resist... But we went with this flattering beauty instead!

Congratulations and a very big well done to James Neal on achieving his PADI Elite Status. WOW! PADI’s Elite Instructor Award distinguishes PADI professionals by highlighting their experience. During 2016 James taught just short of 150 students a variety of different courses. From Open Water to TEC, EFR to Sidemount and as always he continues to teach as much as he can and is always happy to do so. If you have a particular course that you would like to undertake then please speak directly to him.

Home Buyers We have a couple of club members making the big move onto the housing market, some for the 1st time and others moving up. Well done to Dan, our Chairman, on recently having an offer accepted on his first property purchase and to Jon on recently selling and looking to buy his next place. Also Tom,

Congratulations also to Neal & Steph on their engagement. Plans for the wedding are progressing and we hope to have more news on this over the coming months.

New Job A big shout out to Dan Norman on landing himself a new role with a new employer. Well done. Now all you need is more time to go diving...!

New Club Members A very warm CSAC welcome to our latest club members. Dan Nurse, Adam Zugaj, Gina Cohen and Jason Duckworth.

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N E W QUAY

SS SYRACUSA Incredible visibility of in excess of 20 metres gives rise to some seriously cool diving.

Following on from last year’s sensational trip to Newquay we decided to book another weekend with Atlantic Divers in the hope that lightning might just strike twice. And are we ever glad that we did!

The journey down was broken up by a crafty dive at the Eastern Kings site off Plymouth. A cracking shore dive that drops rapidly down to 50 metres plus and allows more experienced divers to enjoy this cheeky little dive site, but you need to be cautious of the currents here, and you are diving very close to a shipping lane.

Continuing onwards to Newquay we finally arrive and get settled into the superb self-contained accommodation.

Gas fills are available at the accommodation and breakfast is provided. As are sandwiches for lunch.

A local pub, a very short walk down the road, takes care of our evening meals.

We opt to dive the wreck of the SS Syracusa and

steam out of Newquay harbour on a glorious sunny day... the resident seal pays us a visit and we do a spot of fishing on our way out, catching a couple of dozen mackerel. We are also treated to a pod of dolphins surfing our bow... always a joyous thing to experience.

Once at the wreck site we organise our buddy pairs and get kitted-up. I’m diving in a three as I have two less experienced divers and they’re keen to dive with an instructor... I’m happy to do this and put together the dive plan...

The wreck lies at approximately 34 metres... we drop down the shot line and she comes into view at around 14 metres! Yes, we can see the entire wreck from 20 metres above...

Sensational!

The shot is tied into the huge boilers that tower over us, I quickly orientate myself and then take my group forward to explore the bows... the visibility is outstanding. We can see for at least 20 metres in any direction, and she’s covered in life!

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At 34 metres I need to keep an eye on my computer, the NDL is relatively short and my 2 buddies aren’t qualified to go beyond recreational limits and so I navigate our way back to the shot line and meet the rest of the group... remember I mentioned a ‘dive plan’!

We reach the propeller off to one side of the wreck and, once explored, we make our way back to the stern and back along the drive shaft to the boilers.

My original buddy pair join the rest of the group on the shot line and start to make their ascent whilst I join another pair and we make our way aft following the propeller shaft all the way to the stern.

We start our ascent and soon reach our first ‘deep stop’ at 18 metres. Yes, I know... deep stops aren’t necessary anymore I hear some of you shout... well, you go ‘bend and mend’ and I’ll do my deep stop, if you don’t mind.

And then I do another one at 12 metres. It only takes a minute each and I feel the argument for them outweighs the arguments against.

The propeller has been ripped off the ship and lies on the seabed several metres away. It is thought that she sank stern first and that the propeller hit the seabed whilst still rotating and was torn off by the impact.

We go in search of it across the seabed... the area is literally crawling with life and is a veritable feast for the eye. I’m grinning like a Cheshire Cat and my camera strobes are working overtime. I capture dozens of images, the vibrance of which are simply incredible.

By the time we get back to the shot line we’re looking at approximately 40 minutes of decompression.

Given the fact that we’re open ocean, my computer is set to 6 metres for the shallowest stop, and so we settle down for the final 36 minutes of off-gassing. Once done, a nice steady ascent to the surface and we’re picked up and back on board in next to no time. A hot brew in hand and enormous grins all round... what a sensational dive!

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R E T U R N TO HODGE CLOSE

The time had come to return to Hodge Close... and to scratch an itch that was... ‘Chamber 3’.

It’s remarkable how quickly time seems to pass by...

We last dived Hodge Close in 2015, and with the passage of 2 years it seemed appropriate to return and ‘scratch an itch’ that was the desire to push on further and visit Chambers 2 and 3. Not to mention that elusive photograph next to the skull and crossbones!

As with any diving trip, it’s a bit like ‘herding cats’ when it comes to organising anything, but add into that equation a trip that is erring on the side of expedition diving, that involves a lot of equipment and logistics... and is very much about overhead environment... and you take yourself into a whole new realm of ‘headache’!

Let’s be honest, mine diving isn’t for everyone.

And as they say, ‘you have to be a special kind of nutter to be a cave diver’! Well, we’ve got a couple of ‘special’ people in the club and they love this sort of thing and they know how to look after themselves on a dive.

And so the lure to return became so great that it just had to be done. And done it was!

The trip was essentially divided into two. With the first half being Hodge Close and the second being Capernwray. This gave divers the choice of not only dive sites, but also type of diving.

As a club we take great pride in the fact that we are very ‘inclusive’ in everything that we do. So when it comes to organising club’ trips we make sure that they are open to all club members. So how is it possible to open this sort of trip up to everyone? Especially given the fact that specialist training is required.

This is the part that involves a ‘cunning plan’... in the guise of ‘tasks’ and a second dive site.

Those that wanted to do overhead environment could do so and those that didn’t could still dive the Hodge Close Quarry or opt to dive Capernwray instead.

The accommodation was booked at Lakeland Lodges, just 10 minutes from Capernwray. This not only gave easy access to that site, but also to those essential air fills.

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We travelled up on the Thursday evening, with full cylinders, and headed out to Hodge Close early on the Friday morning. Everyone on the trip opted to go to Hodge Close for the first day.

Just getting to the mine is, in itself, something of a feat. It involves a little off-roading just to get close. You then have to make your way through a flooded tunnel, with limited headroom, and then lower kit down the side of the quarry face. Special diving requires some special effort... and this is exhausting work!

It would be fair to say that you can’t really dive Hodge Close without some sensible planning. We learnt a great deal from our first trip, and took those lessons with us on this one... but we still learnt more!

Laying line is something of a dark art, the line itself can become ‘insidious’ in the water, and contrive to ensnare the unwary diver in its grasp!

The importance of specialist training can not be emphasised enough!

Once at the waterside our first group got kitted up and where tasked with the job of finding the mine entrance, at 26 metres. A shot line was put into place and a hangtank was attached at 18 metres containing 50% O2.

Having put our own shot in place this reduced the amount of time needed ‘faffing about’ trying to find the entrance, which isn’t easy to find. And in so doing, maximised the bottom time and minimised the decompression obligations of the mine divers.

We had previously arranged and undertaken an IANTD Ltd Mine Diver Course with Ian France and a couple of members completed this the previous month, whilst others had completed it back in 2012.

Suitably trained with essential skills and experience we split our overhead environment group into 2 teams and planned our operations around having only one team in the mine at any one time. The first team opting to push for chamber 3 on their first dive.

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The second team opting to go for Chamber 1 and take photographs and then push for chambers 2 and 3 the following day.

All equipment is removed from the site that day and then carried back again the following morning after a brief trip to Capernwray for air fills.

Simon and Juls got kitted-up and entered the water.

A brief surface swim had them at the shot and they slipped beneath the surface and dropped down to the entrance of the mine.

This time Team 2 goes first, minus one diver.

Neal having strained his hand on his crutches was reluctantly forced to rest.

Primary tie-off completed on the outside and attached to the main shot, a secondary tie-off was added approximately 15 metres into the first passage. They then began their swim to chamber 1.

The first chamber opens out into a fairly vast black void that simply engulfs you in its darkness, the powerful beams of light from their torches cut through the blackness and probe for the next passage. They are met with an ominous sign that bears a skull and crossbones and simply reads:

“This passage is not an exit.

GO BACK!!!.”

They push forward, taking a cheeky snap as they pass.

James and Andy took the shot with them and attached it to the entrance of the mine. A primary and secondary tie-off was again put in place and they pushed for chamber 1 again. A few more photographs and then they commenced down the very long passage for chambers 2 and 3. At chamber 2 it was again decided to turn the dive due to the cold and decompression obligations. and so they made their way back out of the mine and signalled top side that they were clear.

Juls opted for a slightly brisker pace in an attempt to keep warm, and so they too pushed into the 1st passage again and then made their way once more to chamber 2. This time they reeled out into the chamber and circumnavigated their way around its perimetre.

Determined to reach chamber 3, just a short 20 metre swim from chamber 2, they pushed on... just minutes later the passage opened up into another wide black void. This time, however, it wasn’t empty...

Chamber 2 is at right angles to the main passage and is essentially an empty cavern. The water temperature at this point is a bitter 6 degrees, the team opt to turn at this point and exit as decompression obligations are compulsory and the water temperature is starting to bite.

On exiting the passage they deploy an orange dsmb to let the 2nd team know that they are out and all is fine. The 2nd team can then commence their dive, whilst the first team complete their deco under the watchful eye of the 1st group that put the shot in place.

Team 2, comprising of James, Andy and Neal, enter the passage to chamber 1 and reach the skull and crossbones signs. James sets up the shots and manages to capture some cracking images.

Reeling out into the 3rd chamber to explore they were greeted by the obligatory ‘gnome garden’ that had the addition of one or two ‘special gnomes’!

We can’t put into print exactly what it was that we found, but it was certainly very funny. And it has given us an idea for our next trip to Hodge Close and we plan to take one or two of our own very special gnomes to add to the collection.

We plan to return in 2019 and essentially do everything exactly as we did this time... Except, perhaps, for one additional piece of equipment...

Heated vests!

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DIVER

TRAINING RESCUE DIVER O2 Admin & Diver First Aid It goes without saying that the ability to take care of yourself and ‘self-rescue’ is a fundamental skill for any scuba diver. But what do you do if your buddy gets into trouble? Are you suitably trained to rescue them if you had to?

Once again we will be running the PADI ‘Rescue Diver’ course for any club member that wishes to participate. You are required to hold both a current Emergency Oxygen Provider (O2 Admin) and an Emergency First Responder (Diver First Aid) qualifications in order to participate.

These courses will also be run for any club member that needs to complete either or wishes to renew.

There is then a brief period in which you can practice your skills. The final part of the course is them conducted over a weekend and it is very much a full-on course. Expect to be exhausted afterwards!

“The PADI Rescue Diver course will provide you with training to help you recognise, manage and prevent diving accidents. This course is one of the most popular with certified divers. It is challenging and rewarding giving you all the skills to handle diver problems both below and on the surface.”

If you would like to take part in this course then please contact James to arrange any learning materials needed.

The Rescue Diver course will be run over approximately 14 weeks and it does require members to commit to turning up EVERY WEEK whilst the skills are being taught.

You will also be required to read the the manual, complete the knowledge reviews and pass the exam.

As with all of our training courses, the only costs involved for club members are those of the materials themselves and the certification fee.

The Rescue Diver Manual is currently £28.32 and the PIC Credit (certification fee) is £20.50. There is small element of VAT and shipping.

So allow say £60 as a rough guide. Instructor expenses are shared equally amongst participants.

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