News
BSAC Diving Conference early-bird tickets now on sale
Tickets have gone on sale for BSAC’s event of the year, the annual Diving Conference, which will take place on Saturday 21st October 2017 from 08:30 – 16:45 BST.
Building on the success of last year’s sell-out event, the 2017 conference will have more of what members want – breakout sessions, an impressive external speaker line up and plenty of networking opportunities – all in a great new venue, The Vox. Situated within Resorts World on the NEC complex, Birmingham, The Vox is a short walk to Hall 4 and Dive 2017.
BSAC’s National Diving Officer Sophie Heptonstall who is overseeing the event said: “It’s really encouraging that the conference has grown over the last couple of years. The new venue is fantastic and just what we need to support the event’s ongoing growth and success.”
As previous years, the conference will be open to all members but is most relevant for Diving Officers, Training Officers, Instructors and Branch Officers (or those aspiring to be one or more of those things!).
A few things you can expect from this year’s conference…
Team members from the upcoming BBC Blue Planet II series, Rachel Butler and John Ruthven will share their adventures and experiences as part of arguably the world’s finest underwater production team. World-renowned diving medicine expert Dr Peter Wilmshurst will take to the BSAC stage to talk on the topical subject of immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO). Peter will also be running a breakout session to answer member questions on this topic.
On UK diving the Receiver of Wreck Alison Kentuck will talk on wreck salvage and Head of Biodiversity at MCS (Marine Conservation Society) Dr Peter Richardson will update on safeguarding British marine life including the latest on marine Protected Areas around the UK.
Also at the event:
- Hear from your National Diving Officer, Sophie Heptonstall
- Choose from 12 breakout session options from the popular Diving Officer workshop through to new developments in Technical.
- 2017 Incident Report
- Post-event beers (or something else) for all, thanks to blue o two
- Conference dinner at Hilton Metropole – all invited!
New for this year the event will be encouraging more Sports Divers to attend with dedicated Dive Leader lectures to support members in achieving this milestone grade.
Conference tickets will give members access to the Dive 2017 Dive Show all weekend. Early-Bird conference tickets are available until 16 July at the special rates of £22.50, or £55 for the conference and dinner package. Early-Bird ticket holders will be entered into a prize draw to win a Suunto Eon Steel computer worth £795. Plus they will get free onsite parking worth £12.
Click here for more info on the BSAC Diving Conference and tickets
Source: www.bsac.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
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Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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