March 2017 Newsletter

Dive Leader Theory

Congratulations to Adrian and all three Daves for completing the dive leader theory course and passing their exam!

Dive Leader Practical

We are thinking about organising a day where we can carry out the dive leader emergency scenarios. These will hopefully happen in April if we can get as many instructor's and candidates free on the same Sunday. Please liase with Andy!

ASPs

Thanks everyone for being proactive in getting ASPs done. Won't be long before we're back in the sea!

More to follow

Maybe...

February 2017 Newsletter

Lanzarote

This year we're off to Lanzarote in September. The cost will be about £850 for the hotel and £240 for a 10 days dive package. Please speak to Andy if you would like to book a place or leave a comment below if you have any questions!

ASPs

It's the time of year where we renew our diving skills, so book yours in with Andy as soon as you can. 8.30pm at the pool. We always aim to get them complete before the start of the diving season.

Committee Meeting

Will be at Stoodleigh Village Hall on Saturday 18th February. We are combining it with a skittles night. Meet at 7pm. There is no bar, so bring your own drinks, but there will be good food available. The first is £5 per person, please liase with Linda 07818433046

Annual General Meeting

This year will be on 17th of March, 7pm at the Fisherman's Cot, then staying on for drinks and a delicious dinner.

BSAC Stuff

The wreck of the Coronation off Plymouth is not normally accessible to divers, but there is now a website where you can explore it virtually. Check it out at www.thisismast.org/coronation-3d-virtual-trail.html.

And now, the weather.

Bleugh.

January 2017 Newsletter

Sorry for the delay, but better late than never!

Happy new year, how you're all managing to keep warm and dry. Last week the pool was shut due to maintenance, but should be open again this coming Thursday.

It'll be a few months before we get properly up and running with diving, so until the February newsletter, ciao for now.

December 2016 Newsletter

Thursday Pool Sessions

There are no pool sessions this month, but we will reconvene in January.

Ask Linda about the Lottery

You may have won, if not, then you should play harder! It's not expensive, it's a bit of fun and it helps support the club.

Anything Else?

If any member has any other news they'd like to share, please make full use of the comments section below.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

November 2016 Newsletter

A light newsletter this month, because it's already dark and cold enough outside as it is.

- -

Discount Offer from JR Services

Testing & Servicing Discounts until Christmas 2016

It's that time of year again, when we hope to encourage people to bring their kit in to be done NOW, in the Autumn, instead of adding to the nightmare rush and unavoidable delays around Easter
time.

As usual, we offer 10% off testing & servicing labour with the added incentive of 15% off labour for 5 - 9 items and an extra incentive of 20% off labour for 10 or more items.

If you know of someone who might appreciate this discount, please feel free to let them know.

Please note that we do not e mail everyone, so if you're a club member, pass the message on & let other club members know about the offer.

If there are a few of you who all have kit, why not get together and bring it to us in one batch to maybe increase the available discount?

Changes to the Cylinder Test Intervals: There are rumours going round that the cylinder test interval is changing from 2 1/2 year to an annual Vis Insp with a Hydro every 5 years (like in US & Australia).

As yet, we have not been officially told anything. Therefore we are
carrying on testing as per the existing legislation - diving cylinders
passing a test now will be in test for 2 1/2 years.

Lots of love,

J.R.Services

Unit 5 Warren Farm, Kentisbeare, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2BR.
Workshop: 01884 266 400 jrservices@tiscali.co.uk

Autumn Opening Hours 2016: 

Mon - Fri 8 am - 5.30/6 pm 

Sat - variable - usually 7.30 am - 10 am (note closed all day Sat Oct 29th)
Sundays - closed

Please ring first if travelling any distance to get to us.

- -

Now the weather...

Variable.

October 2016 Newsletter

Hello and welcome

Hello, I hope you are all able to see this club newsletter, now on the exciting world wide web. It's also interactive, you can contribute comments at the bottom and we can have discussions about things as well. I will also occasionally post diving logs between newsletter issues, some of which you can already read from a couple of years back.

Wow!

Currently this exciting format is the only option I have for writing newsletters on the account I own quite a cheap little tablet that has limited functionality. There's no need to worry about exclusivity, for those who stumble upon my blog who are not in the club are probably likely to be generally bewildered by it anyway. Conversely, I expect club members to fully comprehend and accept my jibber jabber. 

Also on your phone!

Yes, the future is here! If you can open emails on your phone then you can click on the newsletter link and it should take you to a mobile friendly version of this site. It should have all the same functionality. Please feed back to me any issues you have regarding this, and I'll see if there is anything I can do to fix it.

So, down to business...

Pool

There last pool session will be on 24th November 2016 for all activities. The decision has been taken not to hire the pool through December. Sessions will restart on 5th January 2017.

Diving and other fun

There are a few events planned:

• Skittles and food at Stoodleigh, provisionally planned for 22nd October.
• The weekend of 26/27th November is still open to anyone interested.
• Alan Barnes has found a hall in Taunton we might be able to use for functions, it has a bar and affordable catering.
• Keep an eye out for a planned trip next September (2017) to Lanzarote. Provisional costs is £850 for the hotel and £240 for a 10 dive package.

And now, the weather

Changeable.

Portland

Guest post by David Dooley

Photo: David Dooley

Andy and Sue towed the boat and lead a group for a week end at Portland.

After a night of intense thunderstorms campers and day visitors travelled in improving weather to the Castletown launch site.  The dearth of other divers was noticeable.  Andy drove the rib to a position just SSW of Grove Point.  There we found boulders, crabs, sponges, fan worms, hydroids, top shells and even a few fish in 2 metres visibility.

After a picnic on the beach or bacon sandwiches from the cafe we set out for a real wreck, the Countess of Erne, a paddle steamer downgraded to a barge before she lost an argument with the harbour wall.  However visibility was even worse, dark and  with a very easily stirred fine sediment on all surfaces, wreck, rock or bottom mud.  A few pairs managed to stay together! The last pair chose to look at the harbour wall boulders where at least there was some light.

After another night with some rain and the sound of the surf on Chesil increasing we set out to watch the keenest divers try Chesil Cove.  One look convinced even the keenest. Apart from the surf the water out from the beach was a dirty green-brown colour. 

The group dispersed to investigate Dorset cream teas and sight see around Portland.

The diving can only get better!

Can’t it?