Now the dive season is getting underway a few points to remember when planning trips...

1. Any trip using club equipment (including the boat) is a club trip
2. Let the DO know your plans, however vague, as soon as possible
3. Run the possible diving, and divers past the DO (and TOs if any training is occurring) as soon as possible
4. AT LEAST a weeks notice should be given, so that diving plans, marshals etc can be sorted out.
5. Once the basics have been sorted and OK’d then book accommodation, and get people to book kit etc

Don't forget...

Oxygen kit should be taken on all trips, unless you have confirmed the presence with the skipper, or onsite, beforehand.

Kit servicing...

Still seems to be an art rather than a science to some shops - check all bits are in working order after servicing, while the guts of it may all be replaced and groovy, it is a little disconcerting to find your mouthpiece drifting off because the clip wasn’t tight enough - put it together and check it.

Rescue skills refresher...

We're encouraging everyone to do a rescue skills refresher, unless you are doing rescue skills as part of your training soon. If you're going on a trip, please let the Dive Marshal know, so they can give you the chance to practise these skills (and so you don't give them a heart attack when you surface and start doing a tow with AV!!!) It's frightening how quickly these skills get rusty, so please do take the chance to practise :-) If you’re not confident book in a session in the pool beforehand - contact Nicky.

Expenses...

Claims to the club for expenses will only be paid out once all kit hire and diving fees have been collected and passed to the treasurer. Even if you have no personal expenses to claim, remember to collect hire/boat fees from all participants in advance and submit them - it all means funds and good equipment etc for the club!

Jenny completed the London marathon in 3:37:35. An excellent performance. Well done! Wearing Hellfins colours the whole way, Jenny confessed to be "exhausted". Still - she is in the enviable position of being a teeny bit too small to fit into her wedding dress just yet.

Early predictions indicate a female winner for the sweepstake. An official announcement will be made by the adjudicator in due course.

Hellfins has just had a spending spree! The club now has three new Apex regulators and one new Buddy jacket. To hire any kit email Pete with your requirement and the dates you need the kit (stating any preferences, size etc).

See the website for the full trip calendar - however, the latest updates are;

Swanage, July 3 - 4 and August 14 - 15

These trips are both targeted at Ocean/Sports divers trainees and recently qualified Sports divers looking to log dives to greater depths. The numbers of trainees that can be accommodated will be determined by the number of instructors available for those weekends and the size of the RIB. Re accommodation, the static caravans at Swanage is a good choice or local B+Bs or hotels. Please state your preference when replying to Tony, who will then sort out.

If you are interested in coming along please contact Tony (tonym@arcpet.co.uk) by 23rd April advising your individual training needs, kit requirements, whether have your own transport and if you can assist in ferrying others down to Poole. As ever, if you're an instructor, you will be made very, very welcome!

Swanage, June 26 - 27th;

We're all looking forward to Nicky 'n' Tricky's mega-trip to Swanage this year. Last year was massive and this year looks even bigger (rumour has it: nearly forty people are coming along)! Roll on the sun, sea, sand and scuba!

Stoney Cove 20th March

Six divers went for a day of Advanced Diver and Dive Leader training at Stoney Cove, and boy was it cold! This is the first time we’ve had to consider aborting diving due to the waves - at an inland quarry!! Luckily we’d finished our diving before the ‘white horses’ got too abundant, and the spray reduced surface vis too much!

Still, it’s all good experience!!

Importantly, it was worth it to get some training for those more qualified club members who’ve quietly given their time to training others.

Wraysbury 27 March

Three divers headed for Wraysbury when Sid wanted to swat up his skills before his Open Water Instructor Exam, and what better way than taking out a trainee, and having an instructor on hand to offer constructive criticism?!

We spotted an elephant underwater - seems to have escaped from Thorpe Park, judging by it’s ‘Ranger’ badge. Everyone learnt something - the best type of training.

Lee impressed us all by turning up to a dive with all his kit (barring tank) on a motorbike!

Wraysbury (Again!)

Three divers testing out new kit, and getting some cold water / dry suit experience in.

Vobster Quay 12th April

Four of us hit the water at Vobster on bank holiday Monday - with the aims of building experience, trying out new kit and doing Dive Leader drills. Vobster Quay was very, very quiet! "Tagsy" was very helpful with orientation, and pointed out some interesting stuff around the 20m mark - but not too much above that really. The vis is, er, easily kicked up!

Remember last year we all enjoyed a day of "fish counting" practice as part of the Seasearch project? Well, they've just published their list of dives for this year:

12-13th June
10-11th July
11-12th September

This year they will be surveying from a boat out of Rye harbor on each of these dates. You will need to have done the "Observer" training, and logged 20 (temperate) sea dives to participate, as well as having a valid medical certificate and third part insurance (both of these are part of being a BSAC member).

If you'd like to go, contact kate.cole@eastsussexcc.gov.uk ASAP - places go quickly!

In addition, Dr Ken Collins is planning to survey the "Accidental Reef"

In October 2001 a barge carrying 15,000 tonnes of granite boulders sunk 2 miles off Eastbourne forming an instant artificial reef 120m long, 40m wide and 6m high, in 20m depth of water. Researchers from the SOC dived the reef 3 times last year accompanied by MCS and Sussex SEASEARCH divers. Notable sights were the massive shoals of pout and on the very top parts of the reef dense mussels being rapidly consumed by starfish (see attached photo). It will be interesting to see if any of the mussels are left this year.

Ken is planning to dive the Eastbourne accidental artificial reef again this year, using a boat out of Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne on neap tides: 11th June, 12th July and 10th August.

Diving on slack neap tide is fairly straightforward but with visibility being about the same as the boulders (2-3m) it is very easy to get confused and lost, so it is really only suitable for more experienced divers We will plan to carry out a single dive only on each of the above dates, in pairs using an SMB. If you wish to help, please contact Ken Collins (kjc@soc.soton.ac.uk) giving details of qualifications and expertise.

If you haven't done the course and would like to get involved in the Seasearch project, they are running courses in May. Let Sid know if you're interested and he’ll forward the information.

Much success has been had in this arena - after months of hard graft, intelligent observation, triangulation of last sightings, and lining up of transits someone has found Nemo! Click here to view the location.

Wow we are getting to be a very clued up crew! Congratulations to the following members who have passed qualifications recently:

Sid Lothian - now a fully fledged Open Water Instructor!

Janos Suto - obtained a double merit in his Theory Instructor exam!

Our very own ‘Q’ has come up with some more crafty wheezes, this time sharing his skills. Fancy making your own flag? Good safety stuff, a number of us have a ‘the time I was left to swim for half an hour or so’ story due to losing boat cover etc. I have myself put in some market research on this. Such flags sell for £15 in dive shops, you can make your own for a fiver!

Also, he has some intelligence on a new dastardly peril for divers, for which he has invented his own stylish protection.(all in good fun of course, in case you are a member of the RNIB!)

Many thanks to Kathy for organizing our Easter bash at Havanna Fiesta! Loads of us turned up to drink, eat and strut our stuff. And congratulations to Jen and Paul on their Stag and Hen do - they successfully survived a day of Selfridges and Vinopolis (for the girls) and, er, Spearmint Rhino (for the boys), although there seems to have been a case of mistaken identity re who got the lapdance (or facedance?) in the latter case. Still, our Chairman, gentleman as ever, stepped into the breach! For those feeling they missed out on a lap-dance, don't fret! diving is just as good.

Lastly, a fond farewell to Nic Oatridge who, after tons of years in the club as an active member is now heading off to a new life in New York. Why goodness alone knows - they don't have Arsenal there - but apparently the diving is good, with lots of wrecks on the New Jersey coast. Oh yes, and something about a fantastic new job which he just couldn't refuse! He remains a country member, so can't get rid of us completely - sounds like a 'Hellfins: New York or Bust!' trip in the offing.....

Welcome to the Club Faye, Tony, Mike, Paul and Andy!

Faye Wimpenny works in the London Aquarium feeding sharks for a living and is crossing over from PADI as a dive leader to train as an instructor. Tony Gandolfi is crossing over from PADI too.

Mike Stradling and Paul Adams have started their training with us this season.

Andy Sillitoe is an Advanced Diver and Member of the Meridian BSAC branch. He's now also a member of Hellfins & looking forward to diving with us too.

We're all looking forward to getting to know all of you. Welcome to the Club!