Our
club was formed in 1960
which means 2010 is our
Golden Jubilee year.
If
any club members have any news items or anything
of general interest; email them to the Web Officer
on: info@llantrisantdivers.com
Current
UK Time
The
Weather Down West
Phil's
Postings
Our
club secretary Phil "the Post" Dewhurst
makes regular "postings" of general
interest which include reports of recent events
and activities within the club.
RESTRICTION
ON FISHING FOR SCALLOPS confirmed 4/12/97
No
person shall fish for or take or otherwise
remove from any part of a fishery within
the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee
District, scallop of the species Pecten
maximus between 1st
July and 31st October, both days
inclusive, in each year.
In other words, the last day for taking
scallops is June 30th. After this date it
is illegal to take them.
This applies to the whole sea area around
south and west Wales, not just the Marine
Nature reserves.
These are South Wales Fisheries regulations
and must be observed by divers as well as
commercial fishermen.
There are heavy penalties in place for non
compliance. A fine of up to £50,000
is mentioned in the bye laws.
Ceri
Jones our marine conservation officer has
been confirmed as the the new South Wales
Representative of the Sub-Aqua Association.
During the 2010 SAA AGM in Harrogate on
April 24th Ceri was welcomed to the National
Council by SAA chairman Mike Burley.
This is the first time a member of our club
has held a position on the National Council
of the SAA.
Ceri will now be responsible for ensuring
that national and regional courses are being
run in our region. He will also liaise with
WASAC and keep the SAA informed of events
in South Wales.
Ceri joined our club back in 1991. Since
then he has been an active member of the
club. He currently holds the Dive Supervisor
qualification and is an Open Water Instructor.
Over the years ceri has occupied various
positions on the club committee including
Training Officer and WASAC rep and is currently
the Marine Conservation Officer.
He has travelled and dived extensively during
his career including club trips to Scotland,
The Red Sea, The Maldives, Thailand and
Costa Rica. He has also visited Australia's
Great Barrier Reef and dived with Great
Whites in South Africa.
He is currently a PADI staff instructor
and has completed part III of his commercial
diver ticket.
In
the next few weeks Ceri will be visiting
all the SAA clubs in our region to assess
their various needs.
We wish him well in his new position.
Red
Sea 2010
This
year the club is running TWO trips to the
Red Sea in the autumn.
Training Officer Richie is running a land
based trip to Sharm el Sheikh based at the
Coral Heights resort. The trip runs from
October 31st to November 7th. Flights will
probably be from Bristol.
Diving Officer Peter is running a liveaboard
trip from Sharm el Sheikh aboard the MV
Freedom 8. This trip will run from November
1st to 8th and will visit dive sites like
the Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas (wrecks), Ras
Mohamed and the Straits of Tiran. Flights
will be from Cardiff.
There are currently spaces available on
both trips so anyoune interested should
contact either Richie or Peter.
Dale
Slipway Restrictions 2010
Proposed
Slipway Restrictions at Dale for 2010.
(No or Limited Vehicle Access).
17th
July - 9am to 5pm
22nd August - 9am to 6pm
28th, 29th & 30th August - 9am to 5pm
26th September - 9am to 2pm
New
Posters for the Cabinet
Richard
Williams has produced a set of stunning
posters for display in the cabinet on Level
3 in the Leisure centre.
The posters represent the different aspects
of our club including Membership, History,
Marine Conservation, Try-A-Dive and Forthcoming
trips abroad. There will even be on displaying
our 50 Years od Scuba Diving logo.
These magnificent posters are bound to have
an impact on anybody visiting the Leisure
Centre who sees them and they are a great
way to publicise the club.
Many thanks to Richard.
To
view the posters
Seen
any Crawfish lately?
Ceri
Jones our Marine Conservation Officer has
asked that we report any sightings of crawfish
(crayfish) to him.
The Skomer Marine Nature Reserve are currently
undertaking a survey of crawfish numbers
in and around the reserve and would like
to be informed of any sightings.
The
Suunto D4 Deep Stop PDC
The
Suunto D4 is a full-decompression wristop
dive computer incorporates four operating
modes together with dive planning and analysis
functions.
It
calculates the safe dive time and any necessary
deep stops, to make every dive as carefree
as possible.
Programmed
to sample depth three times a second, Suunto
D4 records highly accurate data on the true
depth reached. Surface time and depth alarms
help the diver make responsible decisions
both in and out of the water.
In
both Air and Nitrox mode, the clear, easy-to-read
screen can display the current and maximum
depth; current time, dive time, decompression
time and temperature. Audible and visual
depth and time alarms warn when it's time
to start the ascent.
In
Nitrox mode, the user can increase the time
underwater by adjusting the oxygen content
of gas between 21% and 50% and adjust the
PO2 limit between 0.5 and 1.6 bar.
The
Suunto D4 uses the Suunto RGBM algorithm
for decompression calculations which allows
the diver to choose between taking traditional
safety stops or, with the Deep Stops feature
activated, taking the safety stops at depth.
Before
diving, the no-stop-time planner helps to
prepare for the dive. By entering the planned
maximum depth of the dive, the Suunto D4
will tell how long to dive before needing
a decompression stop.
After
diving all the data in the computer's logbook
can be instantly reviewed.
The Suunto D4 is also compatible with the
optional Suunto Dive manager PC software,
which provides more in-depth analysis and
graphical representation of the dives.
The
Suunto D4 not only serves as a functional
diving watch, but also as a total timepiece.
With dual time, calendar date, daily alarm,
and stopwatch, it doesnt need to be
taken off when the dive is over.
Constructed
from lightweight, composite material, the
design is contemporary and sleek and it
comes with a scratch guard that helps to
protect the display against scratching.
The
New Engine
Back
in November the club successfully applied
for a grant to the Welsh Church Act Fund
to help in the costs of replacing one of
our boat engines.
The engine had suffered severe internal
damage which was most likely caused by water
corrosion and the cost of a full repair
was estimated to be in the region of £6500.
Following a special committee meeting held
to decide the best course of action it was
decided that the best option was to go for
a full replacement engine as the cost of
this was not significantly more than the
cost of repairing the old engine.
It was also decided to explore the possibility
of obtaining grant aid to assist with the
cost of the new engine.
In mid December we received the good news
that we had secured a grant for £5,300
from the WCAF.
The new engine has now been purchased and
fitted to the boat and the boat returned
to the club in working condition.
The new engine, a Mercury OPtimax 150 was
supplied and fitted by Quinquari
Marine in St. David's, Pembrokeshire.
Our
Sad Loss
Phil
Marshall (Phil the Flute), one of our
long standing members, passed away on August
17th 2010 aged 79.
Phil
was a member of the club for over 35 years
and during that time he was very active
within the club. He will be sadly missed
by all the membership.
Phil's funeral was held at the Cwmbran Crematorium
on Thursday 2nd September at 4.00pm. Club
members were invited for refreshments after
the funeral at the Greenmeadow Golf and
Country Club in Cwmbran. The club was well
represented by 15 members and former members
present.
Phil didn't want flowers at his funeral
but requested that a donation be made to
the RNLI instead.
Phil has requested that his ashes be scattered
over St. Bride's Bay in Pembrokeshire by
the club Diving Officer.
Phil also remembered the club in his will
and has left us all his diving gear to be
auctioned off and all proceeds to go to
the club.
Other
interesting videos can be seen on this web
site too.
Our
Club gets "Club of the Year" Award
At
the 2010 Sub-Aqua Association AGM in Harrogate
our club was nominated as "Club of
the Year"
This is a fantastic honour for our club
and reflects all the hard work put in by
all the members during the past year to
make our club one of the most successful
and active diving clubs in the UK.
The award is made by the SAA Executive and
carries the following engraving:
This
is the first time our club has ever won
this award and the first time a club in
Wales has been awarded this prestigious
title.
In the past year, besides being an active
sub-aqua club our club has three members
on the WASAC committee and one member on
the National Council of the SAA.
Well
done Everyone!
The
2010 SAA Annual General Meeting
The
2010 Sub Aqua Association AGM was held at
the: Barcelo Majestic Hotel, Harrogate on
Saturday 24th April.
Club members Peter Rees (DO), Training Officer
Richie Grice and Marine Conservation Officer
Ceri Jones were present at the meeting.
All three considered their presence at the
meeting to be very fruitful and enjoyable
and attendance at this meeting is a must
for our club in future.
It gives us an excellent opportunity to
meet with, and discuss issues with members
of the National Executive and to find out
what is going on at a national level within
the SAA.
It also puts our club on the map by introducing
the Members of the Executive to our club
members where we can inform them of our
various activities and needs.
During the meeting Ceri was confirmed as
the new South Wales Representative.
2010
Club Fees
2010
Club fees
are now overdue!!
Please
note that anyone who hasn't paid this year's
subscription fees is no longer a valid member
of the club. This means that you will not
be able to use the pool facilities, the
club boats or undertake any diver training
as an instructor or trainee. This includes
attendance at lectures.
The club depends on members' subscriptions
to survive. We have recently incurred massive
expenditure in replacing one of our boat
engines. We are relying on the income received
from members fees to keep the club afloat.
Out of a membership of over 50 members last
season. less than 20 have paid their fees
this year which is very disappointing. If
you haven't already paid your fees for this
year, please do so ASAP.
Thank you for your co-operation.
The
Best in Welsh Diving
The
Welsh Sports Council in conjunction with
WASAC are embarking on a project to make
a film about the best dive sites around
the Welsh coast.
The video film will be approximately 20
minutes long and feature dive sites from
the Gower Peninsula in the South to Anglesey
in the north.
The film will include some of our most scenic
dive sites and also some of the wrecks that
can be found around our coastline.
For
a full report on this project
Maldives
2011 - Whaleshark Safari
Planning
is underway for a club trip to the Maldives
in 2011.
The club has chartered two liveaboards with
Maldives Scuba Tours - MV Sea Queen and
MV Sea Spirit which enables us to take up
to 24 divers.
We
will be going out there for the Autumn Equinox
which is a good time to visit as there will
hopefully be a lot of reef activity with
all the usual reef inhabitants in large
numbers but we are hoping to have encounters
with the big stuff like the Mantas and Whale
Sharks.
The
plan is to visit Baa Atoll to the north
west of Male the capital where they have
had several encounters with these huge creatures
in the past.
Lisa, one of the dive guides aboard Sea
Queen believes that late September in Baa
Atoll is the best time and place for whaleshark
encounters.
Here is a quote from Biffo Bryning the boss
of Maldives Scuba Tours:
"For those of you who seek the unusual,
then you really should book a trip covering
either the autumn or spring equinox. This
is when just about everything in the world's
oceans get together. They are either mating
or feeding en masse on the spawning corals.
We have seen groups of literally hundreds
of mantas with whalesharks feeding with
them".
See
the article on Mantas and Whalesharks
in Baa Atoll on our Marine
Conservation
page.
The
cost of the trip will be around £2500
based on today's prices.
There has already been considerable interest
in this trip so anyone who wants to go should
pay a deposit of £250 to the diving
officer to secure their place.
Visit
our new Maldives News Letter page to read
about the amazing diving in the Maldives:
Brenda's
B&B
Need
Accommodation
down west?
Stay
at
BRENDA'S B&B
THE BEST
IN THE WEST
4
Driftwood Close
Broad Haven
01437 781647
-
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News
Archives
Cardiff
2010 Boat Jumble
This
is being held on the morning of Sunday 7th
March 2010.
Open from 10AM
Venue:
The Car Park
South Glamorgan County Hall,
Atlantic Wharf,
CARDIFF.
Admission £3.00, accompanied children
free.
The
2010 AGM took take place on Moday 25th January
2010 at 9.00pm in the Leisure Centre.
For a full report go to the members' section
of this web site.
Community
Chest Grant
Llantrisant
Sub-Aqua Club are set to reap the benefits
of a cash investment. It was announced that
the Sports Council for Wales Community Chest
scheme is ploughing £950 into their
Try-A-Dive scheme.
The
club is running a series of Try-A-Dive nights
where members of the public are invited
to come along and have a go at scuba diving
in the safe confines of a swimming pool.
As many as twenty people at a time can turn
up on the night and this has put a strain
on club equipment particularly the air cylinders.
Phil
Dewhurst club secretary said: this
grant money will be put towards the purchase
of extra cylinders and hopefully give even
more people the opportunity to come along
and sample the delights of swimming and
breathing underwater."
Community
Chest, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary
this year is a National Lottery grant managed
by the Sports Council for Wales and supported
locally by Rhondda Cynon Taff County Council.
It is designed to encourage more people
to become more physically active, more often.
Since
its inception in 1999, communities across
the length and breadth of Wales have been
investing heavily in sports and physical
activity projects.
The
Sports Council for Wales has recently raised
the level of grant available. Organisations
keen to develop sport and physical activity
in Wales can receive up to £1000 for
a qualifying project over a twelve month
period and Llantrisant Sub-Aqua Club is
one of the latest to benefit.
Marine
Coastal Access Bill
In
late 2009 Parliament will enact the Marine
and Coastal Access Bill.
This new law will establish a new network
of marine conservation zones to protect
species and habitats of national importance.
On Wednesday 14th October Vicky Swales will
present a lecture on marine surveys around
the Welsh coast and the likely impact of
the Marine and Coastal Access Bill on Wales.
The the introduction of new Marine Protected
Areas will also be discussed.
A
row over scallop-dredging in Cardigan Bay
has escalated after fisheries regulators
ignored a demand by the Welsh Assemblys
wildlife advisers for an immediate and total
ban in areas protected by European conservation
legislation.
The
call by the Countryside Council for Wales
(CCW) for all scallop-dredging authorisations
to be suspended pending completion of investigations
into threats to wildlife followed a formal
complaint to Brussels by four conservation
groups, who accused the UK and Welsh governments
and fisheries regulators of defying EU law
by failing to stop scalloping-boats disturbing
dolphins and seals and damaging or destroying
their habitats and breeding sites.
The
CCW is now effectively backing that line,
saying that current dredging is breaking
European wildlife-protection legislation.
Written
statement by the
Welsh Assembly Government - Elin Jones,
Minister for Rural Affairs
In February this year, as a result of increased
concerns about scallop dredging in Cardigan
Bay, I made a statement that explained that
I had asked my officials to work with the
Countryside Council for Wales, the Welsh
Federation of Fishermens Associations
and other fisheries managers to review the
current management arrangement for the Scallop
Fishery.
The Groups findings have been presented
to me and officials will now be meeting
stakeholders in July for informal consultation
prior to the issuing of a formal consultation
over the Summer on the package of measures
that I hope to put in place in time for
the coming season as well as consideration
of the longer-term management of the scallop
fishery.
My
aim is that these measures will be the first
stage in securing the sustainable management
of the scallop fishery as part of a healthy
marine ecosystem.
Our
Marine Conservation Officer (MCO) Ceri Jones
is currently in South Africa undertaking
commercial diver training. So there won't
be any monthly blog until he returns later
in the summer.
Every month Ceri will be informing members
about events, news and all things marine
that will be taking place during the diving
season and throughout the rest of the year.
We must now be the only club in the world
with a Blig and a Blog!
Maldives
2009
The
Maldives trip in May was a resounding success.
The trip aboard MV Sea Queen visited the
southern atolls almost as far south as the
equator.
The coral reefs down south were in pristine
condition and were absolutely stunning.
The fish life was prolific too. There were
several encounters with large numbers of
grey reef sharks.
A gallery of underwater photographs from
the trip has now been uploaded on to this
site.
To
see a full report of all the dives we did
on this trip click
here
There
was an incident involving one of our club
boats and the Little Haven inshore lifeboat
on Sunday 5th July.
The boat skippered by Captain Sensible and
his crew of Dai Flipflop, Crabhook John
& Gareth the Novice ran into trouble
when Captain Sensible was unable to start
the engine.
After
having launched the boat through ten foot
surf the boat was left bobbing up and down
helplessly beyond the waves on Broad Haven
beach.
Parrot Fish Pete and Phil the Post Dewhurst
were left on the beach cursing and wondering
what the hell was going on.
Meanwhile
Captain Sensible put down the anchor (because
that was a sensible thing to do) while he
tried unsuccessfully to start the engine.
Eventually the Little Haven lifeboat came
to their rescue and towed them to safety.
This
is to remind members that with the start
of the new 2009 diving season, a new club
rule comes into effect:
Rule 1.12: All divers must now carry
some form of Surface Location Aid (SLA)
such as an S.M.B., a delayed S.M.B., a Marker
Flag, an Inflatable Sausage, etc. The suitability
of any SLA will be determined by the Dive
Marshall on the day. The use of safety strobes
is to be encouraged but is not mandatory
at this time.
Failure to comply
with this rule could invalidate the diver's
third party liability insurance.
The use of strobes is encouraged but is
not mandatory at this time.
Chairman
buys a round!
Last
Monday (20th April), the club chairman Gatch,
actually bought a round of drinks.
Stunned onlookers could hardly believe their
eyes as Gatch bought Billy Whizz and Dai
FlipFlop a drink from the bar in the Leisure
Centre.
Dai FlipFlop said he normally buys the first
couple of drinks because he gets a lift
down to the club meeting.
Billy said that on Monday they decided to
have an extra drink rather than their normal
couple.
"You don't want another one?"
he was heard to ask, but the others did
and so he made his way muttering to the
bar.
The lady serving behind the bar said it
only goes to show that "wonders will
never cease".
London
Dive Show 2009
LIDS
2009 was held on the 28th & 29th March
2009 at the Excel Exhibition Centre, London.
It was an excellent event and well worth
attending even it is a long way to travel.
Seasearch
Course
Note: A larger version of this notice
can be
found on our Marine
Conservation page.
.
Safety
at Sea
There
will be a talk and video presentation on "Safety
at Sea" by Mr. Max Jones the Lifeboat
Sea Safety Officer for the Angle Lifeboat
on Monday 9th March at approx 9:20pm at our
normal venue in the Llantrisant Leisure Centre.
This should be a very interesting and useful
session and all members are encouraged to
attend.
The
2009 Club AGM
This
was held on Monday January 18th at the Llantrisant
Leisure Centre.
The minutes of the meeting have now been posted
on the Members section.
Cardiff
Underwater Club(SAA no. 120)
present
A
visit from Llantrisant SAA Club
including
A Photographic
Presentation
by Peter Rees
On
their trip to Cocos Island
Thursday 19th Feb at 8pm
at
Llandaff Rowing Club
food
will be provided
Please
make every effort to attend
Las
Vegas Night
VIVA
LAS VEGAS! an evening
of
superb entertainment
On
Friday Night 16th of January 2009 the club
held another Las Vegas Style social event.
The night was a total success and raised
£480 for the club funds.
The
2009 AGM will be held on Monday January
19th at 9:20pm.
Any
nominations for committee positions must
be made in writing by a proposer and seconder
to the club secretary at least 48 hours
prior to the meeting.
Similarly,
any proposed changes to the constitution
must be made in writing by a proposer and
seconder to the club secretary at least
48 hours prior to the meeting.
Note:
in order to facilitate a change to the constitution
a majority of a least 75% of members pesent
and voting is required.
Cocos
Island 2008 - Update
The
charter is now full with all 18 places filled
which means we will get the maximum discount
on the charter price. The final payment
is due at the beginning of August.
There will be a meeting held very soon to
go over any final points that need covering
e.g. baggage allowance, what travel vaccinations
are reqiured, money issues, etc.
We will also need to discuss getting up
to Heathrow Airport and back. A minibus
has been arranged so we will need numbers
to be able to work out costs. Not everyone
is travelling back from Costa Rica on the
same dates so some may not require a seat
on the bus on the way up to Heathrow. We
also need to determine pick up points.
For
up to date information and photographs CLICK HERE
Boat
Handling Course
The
recent boat handling course was a success
with three more boat handlers being added
to the club list.
Also, Gareth Jones our club chairman qualified
as a boat handling instructor. This is a big
boost for the club as we will be able to run
our own courses in future.
Part one of the course involving all the theory
was held on Saturday 26th July at the Tynant
Inn, Morganstown.
Part two involving all the practical boat
handling techniques was held in Dale, Pembrokeshire
on Saturday 2nd August.
A
Lucky Escape!
As
you can see from the above photograph, the
Panorama Explorer sank on her maiden charter
to the southern Red Sea. This happened last
October about two weeks after travelled
there aboard the Sea Flower.
We were supposed to be aboard the Panorama
Explorer but she was not quite finished
in time for our charter so we went aboard
Sea Flower instead. At the time we were
disappointed at not having the brand new
boat but it turned out to be a lucky escape.
The Sea Flower may not have been a brand
new boat but at least she stayed afloat.
Oonasdivers have discontinued their agency
with the owners of both the Panorama Explorer
and the Sea Flower and have now become the
agents for the popular Blue Planer Fleet.
This year we hope to charter one of the
Blue Planer fleet for a charter to Zabargad
and Rocky island.
Other
News Items
Marine
Conservation & Underwater Photography A new page covering these topics has recently
been added to the site. This page will soon
be full of lots of information on these important
topics. To visit the page click
here.
A letter from Vicky Swales, former
marine conservation officer with the club
can now be found on our "marine conservation"
page.
British
Marine Life - A new gallery page has been
added showing some of the marine life found
around the Pembrokeshire Coast. To access
it - click here.
Martin's
Photos - Martin Sanders (AKA Captain Sensible)
has emailed me some underwater photos that
he took recently. To see them click
here.
Las
Vegas Night
The
recent Las Vegas night at Taffs Well Rugby
Club was a resounding success. Everyone
who attended said that they'd had a fantastic
evening.
The
club raised over £300 to boost our
funds. So its a big thank you to Emma and
Andrew for organising such a fantasic event.
Coral
Princess Sinks
Egyptian
liveaboard, Coral Princess, capsized and
sank in open water near Jackson Reef in
late November 2009, with the loss of two
diving guests from Spain.
The two Spanish tourists are still missing
in the Red Sea after their dive boat sank
off Egypt's Sinai coast.
The
married couple were the only two not to
make it off the boat when it sank. It is
believed that their bodies are still in
the boat, which now lies hundreds of metres
below the surface.
The
fourteen other Spanish tourists and seven
Egyptian crew were all rescued.
According to survivor reports, the sad reality
for Coral Princess was that the captain
was the first to abandon ship.
In 2003 our club went on a week's diving
safari aboard the Coral Princess. A report
of this trip can be found in the expedition
pages on this site.
This
incident was followed in mid-December with
the loss of Emperor Fraser, one of the Emperor
Divers fleet, on Dunraven Reef, near Sharm
El Sheikh.
Tribute
to a Pioneer
Guido
Cherif, former owner of Egypts famed
Coral Queen liveaboard, has died after a
long illness.
Abd El Megeed El Cherif, popularly known
as Guido, was one of the true pioneers of
Red Sea diving and one of the industry's
most beloved faces.
A
true character who brought joy to every
situation he encountered, Guido sold his
successful textile business in Alexandria
to pursue a belatedly found love for diving
and the Red Sea.
A
dedicated diving enthusiast, Guido designed
and built the 24m-long Coral Queen.
In 1996 after she was built in El Tor, Llantrisant
Sub-Aqua club went out on Coral Queen on
her first charter. She quickly became very
popular with British divers until her demise
at Shaab Sataya in 2005.
The
boat was a real landmark in Red Sea liveaboard
diving with a unique atmosphere. The relatively
small and unassuming boat twice won an award
for "Best Liveaboard in the World",
for the services in diving and hospitality
provided by Cherif and his crews.
A
close friend of Llantrisant Sub-Aqua Club
Guido Cherif was a true Red Sea diving pioneer
who will be missed by all those who knew
him.
Diving
for Crabs & Lobsters
New
pages have been added to this web site with
reference to the byelaws governing the landing
of fish and shellfish by divers.
During a recent committee meeting the subject
was discussed at length and it was decided
that it would be helpful if the regulations
were published on the site for the benefit
of the membership.
The regulations are enforced and penalties
for breaching the regulations can be severe
and include large fines and/or confiscation
of boats.
For
the second year running Llantrisant Sub-Aqua
took the opportunity to promote both the
sport and the club at the Big Bite Event
held in Ynysangharad Park Pontypridd over
the weekend July 31st to August 2nd. We
took a stand in the Well Being Zone and
used materials provided by the Sub Aqua
Association and club members to create an
eye catching display.
Over
the three days the show attracted 15000
visitors. Our stand was kept busy with enquires
from both experienced divers to people with
a dream of just wanting to have a go. Its
surprising how many people dive on a regular
basis but dont know theres a
dive club in the area. We had lots of divers
who said they may come along one Monday
night just to see how we operate.
However, its the non divers who have
all the questions, but have they the bottle
to ask? They pause by the stand to watch
the dive videos that we had running on two
machines throughout the day and maybe pick
up a leaflet or two. Its at this point
that our club members make contact and boy,
did they do a good job.
Gareth Henderson who joined the club as
a result of visiting our stand at last years
show was keen to engage people in conversation.
He told visitors of his experiences ands
though hes only started open water
diving this season his enthusiasm for the
sport came over in his explanations. Gareth
was first on the stand on Saturday morning
and last to leave that evening. Richie Grice,
Jeff Canning, Emma and Andrew Reece, Martin
Sanders, Mark Jones, Alan and Owain Jenkins,
Mike Rees and Richard Sheldon, many thanks
for giving up your time and promoting our
sport so well.
We have a list of almost 100 names, people
who fancy having a go at a try-a-dive. Richie
Grice has marked three dates on the calendar
for try-a-dive nights and these are:
14th
September
12th
October
9th
November
Well
be looking for plenty of help on these nights
so I hope as many of you as possible will
be available to assist. Information will
go out in the press, posters will be put
up within the leisure centre and hopefully
Richie can pull some strings to have an
announcement put out on local radio.
These try-a-dive nights are really good
recruiting events but beyond that the look
on peoples faces when theyve
had a go and the buzz of excitement in the
bar afterwards is reward enough in itself.
Dale
Slipway Access 2009
At
the request of the National Park Authority
and the Community of Dale the Yacht Club
has taken back the lease of the Dale Slipway.
This
means that the Yacht Club in consultation
with the local community can ensure the
slipway is maintained and managed in the
most beneficial and effective way for the
benefit of all users.
The
Club has to give full consideration to the
maintenance, insurance and management of
this facility. It has already had to increase
its insurance cover to include the slipway.
Therre
are currently no public funds to help with
this task so the club may have to give consideration
to how the costs will be met in the future.
As part of the management of the facility
we must consider the safe use of the slipway
by all users. With this in mind, there will
be a few days in the in the year when events
are taking place, when we will need to restrict
slipway access.
Any
restriction will be posted on the clubs
web site and we will be happy to post the
information on other web sites if requested.
PROPOSED
SLIPWAY RESTRICTIONS 2009
(No Vehicle Access)
July
25th 9 am to 5 pm.
Paul Satori and Village Fun Day.
August
16th 9 am to 6 pm.
Dale Dinghy Regatta
August
29th-
3lst 9 am to 5 pm.
Cruiser Dinghy and longboat weekend.
Sept
29th The slipway will not be accessible
from 9 am to 2 pm due to road closure
for the Dale Half Marathon.
Dale
Yacht Club 01646 636362
http://www.daleyc.freeuk.com/
---
WASAC
AGM
The
WASAC AGM
was held on Sunday 26th April
At the New Inn,
Newbridge-on-Wye, Powys.
Many
topics were discussed during the meeting
including access from the slip at Dale and
diving in the Haven. There wll be follow
up to these topics throughout the season
as the situation becomes clearer.
One
outcome of particular interest to our club
is that we now have two representatives
on the WASAC committee:
Martin (sensible) Sanders has been voted
in as Vice Charman and Phil (the post) Dewhurst
has been voted in as the new Secretary.
The
2009 SAA Annual General Meeting
The
2009 Sub Aqua Association AGM was held at
the Palace Hotel, Buxton on 14th March 2009
with the annual dinner and dance taking place
in the evening.
Sunday
22nd February 2009
Faraday Building,
Swansea University Campus
On
Sunday 22nd February the 2009 WASAC conference
will be held in Swansea. This is the first
WASAC conference to be held after a long
period of inactivity.
The event promises to be an excellent day
out and all club members are encouraged
to attend.
See below for details:
The
Programme:
Chairperson
(Morning Session) - Andrea Dickens
9.30
Opening Address/Introduction - WASAC Chairman.
9.40 Historical Perspective - John Stubbs
10.15 'A Confusion of Shipwrecks' - Chris
Holden
14.15
Technical Diving - Dennis Wigg
14.50 A Deep Water Experience - Mike Rowley
15.35
Prize Draw
15.45 WASAC Initiatives - Andre Dickens,
Leigh Batchelor
16.00 Open Forum
16.30 Closing Address - WASAC Chairman
Supporting
Attractions:
RNLI, Police Underwater SAR Unit
Marine Conservation Society, Bristol Channel
Divers
Celtic Diving Fishguard, BSAC, SAA
Try
a Dive
Following
the Ponty Big Bite the try a dive night held
on the 18th August was a great success with
a lot of interest shown in the club.
The next try a dive night was held on 22nd
September. Again this was another success
with many more potential club members coming
along.
The
Ponty Big Bite 2008
The
Club was recently invited by Rhondda Cynon
Taff, to take part in The Ponty Big
Bite, a three day event held annually
in Ynysangharad Park.
This Welsh Food and Agricultural extravaganza
attracted over 20,000 people and was an
ideal showcase for our sport, our association
and our club. We had a stand within the
well being marquee which housed,
amongst other activities, the RCT Leisure
Team.
Prior
to the event I contacted Irene at SAA headquarters
and was more than pleased when she offered
to not only loan us some very professional
looking stands but also supplied us with
lots of colourful display material, information
leaflets and lots of pens, bookmarks and
bottle-openers to give away. We borrowed
a mannequin which we equipped with a bcd,
regs and a mask, and we ran a film showing
scenes from a club trip to the Maldives.
Although I say it myself, our stand looked
very attractive. Over the three days we
had lots of enquires and as a result club
training nights have since been crowded
with new faces. At the event we advertised
two try-a-dive nights and interest in these
has been very encouraging.
Apart
from the efforts put in by members, the
cost to the club of taking part in this
event was very little. The rewards however
in terms of exposure and potential new membership
were (are) huge. We will certainly take
part again next year.
Phil Dewhurst.
Club Secretary
Oxy
Admin Course
On
Sunday July 6th a number of club members
attended an Oxygen Administration Course.
The course was well presented and resulted
in all those who attended gaining the qualification.
For a full write up on the day go to