Pool sessions, New members and attendance levels

First topic message reminder :

Nice to meet Sharkbait last night at the pool hopefully we didn't scare him off and he may be out diving with us soon...

Last night's we discussed attendance levels to pool sessions, planned dive's and the up and coming event at capers this weekend....

Please see the post for this weekends outing at Capers...

As regards to attendance levels at recent dives, we need to seriously look at this .....Diving is about getting out and keeping skills up to date and of course spending time in the water.

On past planned dives, numbers have been so low that trips have been cancelled due to lack of interest...
I know some people are otherwise engaged and times are hard etc etc, however more often than not car sharing is a good option and splitting fuel costs makes a great day out quite cheap.
I know we cant expect everyone on every trip but it would be nice to see some of you.

Pool sessions aren't just for teaching new students its also a social get together to plan trips, catch up, test gear,keep your skills up to date and introduce yourself to new members but more importantly it keeps pool sessions available for training of students. If we don't use the pool's quite simply we loose them.

On the subject of students we need MORE without new members wanting courses we just become a group of people who dive occasionally but for all those members who wish to pursue their career and become Dive Masters and Instructor's we need student's to work with to teach you guys too..
Talk to people tell them how good it is and what we get up to, you'll be surprised how many people say oh I always fancied having a go.....so get em here and in the pool

Its been a quiet season this year and the weather hasn't helped but we can and do dive all year round, so on those dark evenings we can train new members in the pool including dry suit orientation's and get them out both at weekends and mid week

Trips can be arranged by yourselves, but its worth running it by the crew to see if it suitable and lets try to make them more frequent and for everyone.....Some dive site's need to have special considerations due to logistics and conditions especially relating to abilities and qualifications but these can all be overcome with planning...

Ok so lets get this Academy back on track and get diving

Lets take some positive steps forward

Totally agree with everything you have said Mr Kilburn..I totally understand where you are coming from, maybe we need to get all the instructors together, teaching and non teaching to see where we can go to move it all forward in a way that is fair to everybody.

Well I'm a MSDT in teaching status so lets rock
As for HSE they can go boil their heads

I'm being held to ransom that if I take a certain medication they wont sign me off and if I stop taking it they will....So live or die seem's to be the order of the day.. So you tell me if the flaming HSE have any intelligence between them

I am certainly fit enough to teach any where in the world except the UK because some Ponsy government department that don't have a clue coupled with there only being one doctor in the entire country able to sign me off (who seems to be BSAC and not PADI) and has absolutely no evidence that the medication may cause a problem... even though the London Hyperbaric hospital actually has evidence that the medication actually REDUCES the risk of DCI...WTF

So more than happy to get wet anytime....
I will be sending an email to the said doctor this week telling him I am no longer taking said medication so can do said medical so the HSE can stick said medical where the sun doesn't shine.....

So don't worry about the lack of instructors especially when AI can do stuff too.....

Rant over

Have also heard more complaints of not being able to get in touch with Proscuba (and not had replies from you Pappa about friends I have had wanting to dive). If the mobile is off, shouldn't we divert to one that is on?

I am more than happy to continue to post possible trips where I can. If that is OK?

Am happy to take people out diving and show them things that others before have shown me. Sharing experiences with new divers is a pleasure. There will be times when a possible trip I post needs to fit in with other personnal comittments and it may seem like I am clashing with other trips already suggested. So sorry about that.

Pool nights are impossible for me due to family and work comittments if they continue to be Tues/Thurs and no longer Fridays. Would have been nice to have done more pool work and get DSD leader signed off, but whenever I did turn up, I was not given that opportunity, just needed one more student, but hey-ho! So if I could attend I can't help with DSDs.

However it is also nice to do some diving for myself too. So that is why I also dive elsewhere. That way I can get the type of diving that interests me, you can only do so many circuits of Capers before sets in.

I have done the trekking/walking/shooting/moutain biking/laser tag thing before. Now I like diving. So please excuse me if that's what I want to do.

Oh....one last thing....pools have ears!

I will keep my response short,

as always I am available to help !!

Am available to teach, lug stuff, argue, take the p**s and go to pub. Will always make the effort to be at a venue when we have students in open water, will get out diving whenever health and money will allow (you know old man, knackered body syndrome) and location interests me. BUT NOT FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. I will be doing as much diving as I can BUT NOT HERE:D

After all, some of us have been here from the beginning

I am trying to turn up every Tuesday to support but there does seem a lack of students. let me know if i can do anything further.

I agree with killa it is hard going all over the place to pool sessions. It also cost a small fortune in fuel as for some us its a long drive. Im sure we dont mind if there are students when we get there and clear plans of what training we are doing. Im in agreement -we need other people that can be contacted for open water and try dives incase smudge is busy.

Halifax have a pool with a dive pit and BSAC use it on a wednesday.....might be worth a look to see how much and if we can use it.... but then that might be too far for other members.....Mmmm

Its hard to get a balance in this area.....

I'm working in Rotheram tomorrow and have to take Rio to the Vets but if necessary I can pick kit up from Smudge....Let me know as I have to be at the vets at 6:30 so need to pick gear up before then to get to Barnsley for 7:30

Smudge you have my number give me a ring...

I would be interested in Halifax.
There is also John Charles pool in Beston that is used by other diving organisation. Could we share with them? It's only just off m1 and m62 so easy access. Could this be an option to consider?

I dunno what to say... I guess this has to be a overall decision and one made by the management

Smudgee needs to make the call if its a feasible option for all..


As I dont have one of those fangle dangle tinternet phones I'll check the forum in the early hours but will only be contactable about taking kit to the pool by phone during the day and wont be back into Hudds until after 6pm and then the vets at 6:30 so someone needs to make a call on whats going on and who's fetching the kit...

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