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Summer Seasearch Diving
Spaces remain for a Seasearch trip to the Sound of Mull on 7-8 June 2008 and an Observer course in St Andrews on 31 May. Contact Callum Duncan for further information or see below.
- Seasearch weekend for flameshells and fan mussels in the Sound of Mull, 7-8 June 2008 - MV Silver Swift for a weekend's diving on the World Ocean's Day weekend to help map the important seabeds of the Sound of Mull. We will be looking to verify sightings of flameshells, horsemussel beds and an alleged fan mussel (!), among other habitats, that can contribute toward the Sound of Mull SSMEI project. Pick-up will be from Oban at around 0900-0930 on the morning of Saturday 7th June and we will stay overnight in Tobermory at the Park Lodge Guest House. This will allow two dives per day, possibly three on the Saturday, depending on tides and times.
- Seasearch Observer Course, St Andrews 31 May 2008 - A course for anybody who is interested in learning about marine life and the Seasearch project. St Andrews on Saturday 31st May 2008, cost £30 which includes course pack.
Seasearch northeast Scotland - The following Seasearch trips have also been arranged by our northeast Scotland Seasearch Co-ordinator Marion Perutz. Please get in touch directly with Marion if you are interested in the Cromarty and South-eastern Moray Firth trips.
- 14th 15th June 2008 - Cromarty Firth - On board the infamous Top Cat, with world-class skipper Bill Ruck, you will survey some of the un-explored reaches of the Moray Firth east of Cromarty within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation. Potential sites include the Three Kings Reef with all its legends (Bill will brief us on these!) and the North and South Sutors. Plus, this is a top class dolphin spotting area so fingers crossed, we may well have above water entertainment. If all this isn’t sufficient attraction, you may also be interested to hear that Bill Ruck now has an onboard ROV, so we will be able to check out sites before we dive them from the boat.
- 5th 6th July 2008 – south-eastern Moray Firth - Again on board the TopCat, this survey will take us to the eastern reaches of the Moray Firth between the Portknockie and Kinnaird Head. We will explore sites such as the archway of the Bowfiddle Rock and the steep cliffs around Trouphead.
Posted 10/05/08
100th Dive - Congratulations
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Big congratulations to Leah Gibson for reaching her 100th dive on Monday 5th May at Dunbar from all at the Forth branch!
Posted 10/05/08
Buddy Breathing Ascent ChangesAs a result of intensive research of diving practices and incidents across a number of UK and worldwide diving organisations, and in response to a number of discussions internal to SSAC, the National Diving Council (NDC) has made a recommendation for a change to the training schedule. The Board has now approved, with immediate effect, to suspend all open water buddy breathing (shared) ascents, at both Sport Diver and Master Diver level until ratification at the next Annual General Meeting in 2009. Furthermore, the carrying of an Alternative Air Source (or equivalent) is to be made mandatory for all Members from the 2009 AGM. In the latest version of the SSAC Qualification Record book, the assessments should now read as follows:
‘From a depth of 15m, conduct assisted ascents using an alternative air source, once as donor and once as recipient. Candidates should perform a suitable safety stop(s) before proceeding to the surface. Care must be taken not to exceed 10m/min on ascent’
‘From a depth of 20m, conduct assisted ascents using an alternative air source, once as donor and once as recipient. Candidates should perform a suitable safety stop(s) before proceeding to the surface. Care must be taken not to exceed 10m/min on ascent. Dive Buddy must be of at least Sport Diver Level.’
‘From a depth of 30m, conduct assisted ascents using an alternative air source, once as donor and once as recipient. Candidates should perform a suitable safety stop(s) before proceeding to the surface. Care must be taken not to exceed 10m/min on ascent. Dive Buddy must be of at least Sport Diver Level.’ In addition, the following item shall be added to the Diving Rules listed on page 11:
Previous editions of the Qualification Record book may differ to the above. Please confirm with your Branch Diving Officer or Regional Coach that you are using the most recent version. Trainees working towards either Sport or Master Diver Award who have not yet completed the buddy breathing (shared) ascents will not be required to perform these assessments. Branch Diving Officer’s should make a note in the trainee’s Qualification Record book to record the change in training requirement. The NDC and the Board are committed to ensure as far as possible that any training should be carried out as safely as possible and incidents should not happen as a result of training. A risk assessment should take place before any training activity in order to minimise potential risk. A list of Frequently Asked Questions is available, and the above text is available as a PDF. Posted 06/05/08 |
Volunteer Director VacanciesThe Scottish Sub Aqua Club is currently seeking volunteers to fill vacant roles on the Board. The vacant roles are:
These are highly rewarding roles, where you will have the opportunity to make an impact on the future of the SSAC and develop your own skills. Directors of the Board are responsible for strategic direction and decision making as well as day to day operational activities. Full role descriptions are available here. The posts are open to all Members with suitable skills and experience. Interested Members should register their interest by completing the form and returning to headquarters by 30th May 2008. Volunteers will be invited to meet with the Board and may be co-opted to the Board until the next AGM in 2009 where the normal nomination process will be carried out. SSAC is run entirely by volunteers and relies on Members of all levels and experience to contribute to our aims. Our Development Plan 2008-2010 identifies a number of key projects to enhance SSAC, delivering the needs of the Members, Branches and partners. Now is your chance to be part of the team to make a difference. For an informal discussion on any of the above roles, contact Andrew Murray, Chairman at chairman@scotsac.com Posted 06/05/08 |
Membership DatabaseFollowing the upgrade of our membership database at Headquarters, we are verifying the email addresses for all Members. Members for whom we currently hold an email address have recently been sent a verification email asking them to confirm their e-mail address. If you have not received an email from SSAC Headquarters, then we do not currently hold an email address for you. To add your email, please contact hq@scotsac.com with your membership number and Branch. Included in the features of our new database will be electronic membership renewal reminders and newsletters to all Members. Branch Secretaries will receive a full Branch list monthly by email, along with a summary of the Branch information we hold. Posted 05/05/08 |
Heartstart, Oxygen Administration and Diver First Aid CoursesThe following dates are available for the SSAC Oxygen Administration and Heartstart courses.
Both courses cost a total of £35 per candidate with a £17.50 deposit. Members wishing to also include the Diver First Aid Course (4hrs) may do so for an inclusive price of £54. There are no pre-requsites other than current membership of SSAC. Branches may request additional dates for any of the 3 courses subject to minimum of 8 candidates. Please contact the course director, Bert Smith for further information. To book, please download the booking form and return to HQ. Posted 26/04/08 |
Seasearch Observer Courses
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St Andrews 31 May 2008 Cost £30 which includes course pack.
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Kirkwall, Orkney 26th July 2008 Cost to be confirmed
The Seasearch Observer Course is a dry, classroom-based, one-day course and does not require diving. Often, diving is arranged on the Sunday so that participants can get their two dives signed off, but it is not a requirement for the one-day course. The Seasearch Observer course is NOT a marine identification course, although there is a marine identification component to it. It is principally designed to give you the confidence to go out on your dive with a slate and return simple, useful information about the seabed and its associated wildlife. You do not need to know latin names for anything!
About a typical Weekend
Saturday - The course starts at 0900 and is along the lines of the following timetable. You will see that the course consists of some introductory talks on marine life and habitats, followed by simple position-fixing from charts, then practising seabed recording from video-clips culminating with participants completing a (non-assessed) Seasearch form after watching a video dive.
Sunday - Diving on the Sunday is dependent on who is interested and of course weather.
Minimum qualifications: BSAC / SSAC Sports Diver / PADI Advanced Open Water + 20 openwater dives, 10 of which should be in temperate waters.
Please see the website for further details www.seasearch.org.uk or email Marion Perutz, seasearch_nescotland@yahoo.co.uk
Posted 25/4/08
Policy consultation for the marine historic environment
Scottish Ministers have launched a consultation on their proposals for policies on the marine historic environment and potential new legislation to protect it. Details of this consultation will feature in the May - June issue of Scottish Diver. The 12-week consultation period invites views, from the public. The responses from the consultation will help form the basis of the policy paper which will be released, by Scottish Ministers, in final form in 2009. A copy of the consultation can be downloaded here . Any Members wishing to respond to the consultation can do so directly or by sending comments to SSAC for compilation. The consultation closes on 30th May. |
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Scotland's seas: towards understanding their state
In summer 2007, the Scottish Government asked Fisheries Research Services (FRS), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to start work on assessing the state of Scotland's seas. Knowledge about Scotland's marine environment is important as a baseline as the Sustainable Seas Task Force (SSTF) develops its work and a consultation paper is prepared for the Scottish Marine Bill. "Scotland's Seas: Towards Understanding their State" was launched at the SSTF plenary meeting on April 9 2008 and paves the way for a full "State of Scotland's Seas" to be published in 2010. This report is also available in pdf format and includes a brief section on the historic environment (p141-143). Additional papers from the work of SSTF are now available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/16440/SSTF |
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Posted 11/04/08
Membership SubscriptionsAt the recent AGM we notified our Members of an planned increase in membership subscriptions of £2.00 per member added to annual subscription rates. This will be applied at a level increase to all membership subscription types. We had no increase in subscriptions during 2007. Copies of updated membership forms are available in the downloads section. The new subscriptions will apply on all memberships processed after 1st May 2008.
Further details are available from our membership section. Members receive a range of membership benefits in return for the membership subscription including third party liability insurance, 6 issues of Scottish Diver, structured training programme, internationally recognised qualifications, subsidised annual diving conference and training events, regional coaching network, child protection guidelines and support, discounts on leisurewear and merchandise, training materials, and access to a network of training and diving Branches throughout the country. Posted 07/04/08 |
Training Day SuccessWell done to all those who attended the Sport Diver training day on 6th April at the Tearooms, Loch Fyne. Depsite a poor forecast and snowy start, the weather turned out bright and sunny. Six Branches were represented with a range of Sport Diver trainees participating in training and assessments. Well done to the Regional Instructor and Branch Instructor candidates who also completed assessments. Thanks to all those involved, and particularly the Regional Instructors and Examiner who travelled to the event. Details of future training days is available here. Please remember to register your interest, otherwise we cannot guarantee availability of Instructors. If you are a RI or Examiner and would like to assist in a future training day, please also register your availability by contacting HQ. Posted 07/04/08 |
New Staff at HeadquartersWe are delighted to welcome Sharon McKenzie to SSAC Headquarters as our new Administrator. Sharon will work alongside Hazel McBride and together will cover the office hours Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.
Andy Murray, Chairman Posted 31/03/08 |
NDC Training Calendar 2008The National Diving Council have announced details of some training events for 2008.
Updated 27/04/08 |
SSAC Suunto Diver Award - Recognising our VolunteersVolunteers are core to our sport and many Members of SSAC would not have gained the diving skills, experience or enthusiasm had it not been for volunteers. Many of us will think of an inspirational individual who enabled our progression and enjoyment of diving. Recognising and rewarding such volunteers is an important step in continuing our work to develop the aims of the SSAC. SSAC has partnered with Suunto Diving UK to launch the Suunto Diver Award 2008; an award to recognise and reward volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the sport. This contribution could be effort that has encouraged new people to become divers, or encouraged existing divers to complete further training, organisation of dive expeditions, or some activity that has raised the profile of diving in a positive way. It may be an Instructor or Branch Diving Officer who has encouraged and developed new divers and delivered training. Nominations are open to Members of SSAC with a closing date of 31st August. A judging panel will identify 6 top volunteers from nominations with the results being announced at our Diving Conference in October. 6 recipients will be recognised by receiving a personalised certificate and profilled in Scottish Diver. We will also reward all 6 award recipients with a Suunto D6 watch size dive computers and embroidered SSAC jacket. Full details and nomination form available here. Posted 16/03/08 |
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AGM Summary
The 55th AGM of SSAC took place on 16th March 2008. The Board of Directors and their term of appointments was confirmed as:
The following Members were elected as Members of the National Diving Council
Also reported at the meeting was the appointment of Marion Brown as Lead Child Protection Officer. Members voted in favour of the proposed change to the Byelaws, resulting in the new minimum age for aqualung training being 14 years. A full report of the AGM will appear in the May/June issue of Scottish Diver. Posted 16/03/08 |
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Annual General MeetingThe 55th Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Sub Aqua Club will take place on 16th March 2008 in Lecture Theatre A3, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA. Doors will be open from 1245hrs. All members are invited to attend. Please note that in accordance with Company Law, only current members of the Company are entitled to participate in the meeting. Current Members are those with up to date subscription, or Honorary Members. Please bring your current certificate of membership with you for verification. The Agenda for the meeting, minutes of the 54th AGM of Scottish Sub Aqua Club and a proposal voting form have been issued to all Members by post. If you have not received these documents, please contact us. Posted 23/02/08 |
Job Vacancy: SSAC Administrator (part time)The Headquarters of Scottish Sub-Aqua Club requires a vibrant, organised, self-motivated individual with first class communication skills to act as Administrator. You will be responsible for a variety of tasks including processing of membership transactions through the membership database, dealing with member communication, event/meeting management. The ideal candidate will be competent in using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Access and Excel), be well organised and be able to manage their time productively. They should also demonstrate good oral and written communication skills. Closing date 12 noon on Wednesday 5th March 2008. Interviews to be held on Wednesday 12th March 2008. Posted 18/02/08 |
Child Protection and Volunteering Research
sportscotland and Children 1st have commissioned the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield University to explore the opinions of club members, parents and volunteers towards child protection legislation and disclosure checking. This research is important as it will allow sportscotland and Children 1st to appropriately support Governing Bodies, clubs and volunteers in the lead up to, and following, the imminent legislative changes in child protection and disclosure checking. The main survey can be accessed electronically here. The questionnaire should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and is aimed at club members, parents of junior members and volunteers. The returns are completely anonymous and cannot be linked to the individual completing them, but we will enter all completed questionnaires into a draw and one club will win £200 of sports equipment as appropriate to them.
Lectures on Ice Diving and Omani Clownfish
Edinburgh University Sub-Aqua Club have announced details of 2 lectures:
- Ice Diving by Dr Ben Panter - Ice Diving Instructor
- Tue 26th February, start 7:30, Lecture Theatre 183, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL.
- The talk will be about his experiences on ice diving in the Alps - 80m vis and about as far from the sea as you can get in Europe! He will give a basic introduction to how it all works and lots of photos to convince you to have a go yourself.
- Finding NEMO: An Underwater Arabian Adventure by Dr Stephen D. Simpson - Tropical Fish Ecologist
- Tue 11th March, start 7:30, Lecture Theatre 1, Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton St, Edinburgh EH8 9LE
- During Christmas 2006, 25 Edinburgh students travelled over 6000 km in 4WDs, completed 200 man-dives, and found coral reefs never dived on before. All for the sake of little orange fish. Hear all about the expedition, discover why the Omani clownfish is so special, and find out how this research will help save reef fish throughout the world.
For both talks: entry fee £2 at the door, no tickets. Llast minute updates at here or email Max Ruffert
Child Protection Policy Update 2008An updated Child Protection Policy is now available, having been adopted by SSAC for implementation across all Branches. Branches are advised to ensure they have the latest copy of the policy and associated forms. Changes of note include:
A new Child Protection page has been created. The full policy document is available here.
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German U-Boat found off Eyemouth
The German WW1 U-boat U12 has been found off Eyemouth on the south east of Scotland. The 60m submarine was hunted and sunk by the British destroys HMS Ariel, Acheron and Attack.
For years the position of WW1 U12 has perplexed local divers. Noted international historian Clive Cussler was thought to have found the wreck in 1984 after only a couple of hours searching. However, previous dives on admiralty positions and the position given by Cussler have proved fruitless in submarines, but bountiful in steamships.
Local divers Jim Macleod and Martin Sinclair with the help of Marine Quest Dive Charters and renowned historian and researcher Kevin Heath formed a team to finally uncover the final resting place of U12. The wreck itself has great historical importance as it was the first submarine to have an aeroplane carried on its deck for deployment at sea, an unusual concept, which proved to be a limited experiment for this boat. An early WW1 design of submarine, U12 had a two stroke engine running on kerosene (paraffin) driving twin stern propellers.
The wreck of the submarine lies in just under 50m depth lying bolt upright on a seabed of fine sand which bounces the light making for year round visibility in the region of 15m. It is believed that this site has not been previously visited by divers. Key identifying features include the two forward and two aft firing torpedo tubes, six conning tower portholes, apparent damage to the port side of the submarine due to the ramming of the boat by HMS Ariel during U12s final engagement.
The wreck is a war grave, nineteen German sailors died, there was no disturbance of the site nor the removal of any artefact. Hans Kratzch commanded U12 and went down with his boat. After the engagement U12s conning tower hatch could only partially open, dooming most of the crew from leaving the sinking submarine. There were ten survivours from the other two hatches, these men were picked up by the heavily damaged HMS Ariel, recovering two men despite having considerable bow damage, the other survivors were saved by the rest of the search flotilla. The dive was conducted from the Eyemouth registered North Star dive boat. An Offshore 105 fitted with a tail lift to help heavily equipped divers from the water. The boat is operated by father and son team, Jim and Iain Easingwood, from their dive centre based at the Harbourside in Eyemouth. Kevin Heath is an Orkney based researcher and historian. His work has been instrumental in the noted location and identification of U-102 and U-92 in 2007. The German Authorities are being made aware of the actual position of U-12. . This submarine should not be confused with the WWII U-12 which lies in the English Channel. This submarine was given Controlled Site Status under Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2616. (this effectively bans all diving) The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2006
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Posted 05/12/07
Scottish Sub Aqua Club Development Plan 2008-2010The Board is pleased to launch our latest development plan, which sets out the aims of the Company for the next 3 years. Thank you to all those who were involved in the consultation exercises during the formation of the plan, including all those who completed the member survey in 2006. Some highlights for 2008 include:
We are grateful to Sportscotland for their continued support and investment in our developlemt. Our plan has already been submitted and our funding for 2008 agreed. A copy of the plan can be found here. Posted 04/01/08 |
AGM 2008 DateThe date of the 2008 Annual General Meeting has now been set for Sunday 16th March at Stirling University. Further information will be issued by post to all Members in February. Posted 04/01/08 |
Job DescriptionsDuring our modernisation process in 2006, a number of job descriptions for key posts were developed in conjunction with our HR advisor. Job Descriptions have now been developed for many other posts including
A copy of all SSAC Job Descriptions can be found here. Posted 4/1/08 |
Branch Instructor Training Course DatePlaces are available on next Branch Instructor courses which will take place on Saturday 26th January 2008. The course cost is £35. All members must hold the required pre-requisites shown below prior to securing their place on the course. Pre-requisites:
Members who have crossed over from another organisation and have alternative Instructor qualifications are invited to contact the BI Course Director for the requirements. In order to book your place on the course, complete a course booking form, and BDO recommendation form and send to HQ along with 50% deposit. All candidates must complete an Enhanced Disclosure, forms will be issued upon course attendance. A copy of the Branch Instructor Job Description can be found here. Further information on the award is available here. Andy Murray, Course Director Posted 4/1/08 |
Walt and Jean Deas Photographic CompetitionWe are delighted to announce the return of the Walt and Jean Deas Trophy, a photographic competition and with the growth in affordable digital cameras and housings we are sure this will be popular. There will be two sections; Scotland pictures must be taken in Scottish waters and Abroad anywhere except Scotland. There will also be two categories in each section; Macro/close-up and Wide-angle/diver. You may enter up to 3 pictures in each category with an entry fee of £3.00 per category. The prizes are : 1st £30, 2nd £20 and 3rd £10 in each category as well as points and the entrant with the highest points will be awarded the Walt and Jean Deas Trophy. The competition will be judged by Walt and Jean Deas. Full rules are available on the Entry Form. The closing date for entries is 30th January 2008 with the winners being announced and prizes presented at the AGM on 16th March 2008 Posted 05/12/07 |
Last updated: Sunday, 11-May-2008->->
