Cork Sub Aqua Club

At the club´s AGM, on 7 November last, Jessie Castle was rewarded with the “Club Diver of the Year Award”, the infamous bell! Jessie started training with Cork Sub Aqua in January, together with Marc McGrath. At the end of the series of pool sessions, both demonstrated a high level of competence in performing the scuba and snorkel skills and passed the theory exam with flying colours.  Jessie continued eagerly, got more dive experience during the summer, engaged in a few challenging dives and took every opportunity to practice the practical skills for the club diver exam (CMAS ** diver). And to top it all off, she enrolled in the “ Nitrox Diver course”, one day of theory and one qualifying dive, that was completed on 10 December in Lough Hyne, Baltimore.

… so, let´s listen to Jessie’s side of the story.

What inspired you to take up diving?

It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time, as I have loved swimming, snorkeling and messing around in the water since I was a kid. I did a couple of trial dives in Crete last year and was determined to learn to dive after I got home.

Why did you join Cork Sub Aqua?

I wanted to learn to dive and was more interested in joining a club than doing a one-off course as I intended to keep diving during the year rather than to just get a qualification I could use on holiday. I also liked the idea of being in a club so that I would have the opportunity to dive with others more experienced than me. The social side of it is also good.

Is learning to dive hard?

I don’t think it’s hard to get the basics, and after that it’s all practice. I think you learn something on every dive.

What is the most difficult part of the scuba skills?

Your buoyancy on the first few dives in the open water can be tricky, especially if there is a surge. Learning to dive in a dry-suit also made the buoyancy a bit harder for me initially, but I don’t regret that decision at all!

Did you ever have a scary moment?

Not so far, although I did experience some claustrophobia on a dive where the visibility was poor, and that wasn’t much fun.

How was your first boat dive?

My first boat dive was in Lough Hyne and I loved it. I didn’t find it daunting at all, although getting back on to the boat was another story.

What was your most memorable dive to date?

It was definitely the dive at the Ling Rocks in September. The conditions were perfect and we could see the surface from 30m. The dives on the south side of Puffin Island during the August bank holiday week away were spectacular also.

How easy was it to buy/ find all your dive gear?

It was easy enough to find new gear, although there is a lot less second-hand gear available for women (i.e. in a small size). I bought some of my gear in the UK as there is a bigger choice and it worked out a lot cheaper.  And the instructors in the club are more than happy to give advice on what and what not to buy.

Do you think that diving is for everyone?

I think that probably anyone could learn to dive.  It doesn’t involve any skills that you would need to have in advance, as long as you are comfortable enough in the water. Not everyone might want to stick at it long term, but it’s worth finding out!

What are your diving plans for next year?

I’m hoping to get out regularly to dive with the club, and maybe to get some diving abroad if I can.

Again, congratulations …. And happy polishing!

(JVM Dec 11)

Now that the weather limits open water diving, Cork SAC divers are taken the opportunity to up skill with a nitrox course. Nitrox is air enriched with pure oxygen, also know as enriched air nitrox. Compressed air has been the most common dive gas since scuba diving became mainstream. Air is a gas mixture of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. The nitrogen part might become a cause of concern for the scuba diver. When the diver ascent too fast, the dissolved nitrogen can cause bubbles and this might develop into the decompression sickness, better know as the “bends”.  Furthermore, on deeper dives the increased levels of nitrogen have a narcotic effect on the brain, the severity of the effect depends on the susceptibilty of the individual and the depth (absolute pressure), the individual is diving at.

So it is not supprisingly that navy’s, scientists and the like started to experiment with breathing gas mixes to counteract the disadvantages of conventional air mix as a diving gas. During the seventies, the American scientific agency – NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) researched extensively the effects of increased levels of oxygen and reduced fraction of nitrogen in breathing gases for scuba divers. And in the early eighties a new diving gas was promoted, called nitrox. This gas is also know as “Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN)” or “Safe Air” or “ The Devils Gas “ by the skeptics at the time. The higher percentage of oxygen in the mix will limit the diver to a maximum dive depth. The benefits of nitrox, compared to air, are a direct result from the lower percentage of nitrogen in the mix. The main advantages are the reduced risk of decompression sickness, less apres-dive fatigue, and longer dive times.

On Saturday 12 November, Cork SAC instructor Helen Buckley organised the nitrox diver course for region South, on behalf of the Irish Underwater Council. Three different dive clubs, namely NMCI, Blackwater Fermoy and Cork Sub Aqua, did put forward a total of 5 candidates.  The theoretical part covers topics such as dive physics and physiology. Furthermore the future nitrox divers were thought how to analyse gas mixes and calculate CNS% – uptake. After a full day of lectures, Cork SAC candidates Vanessa Casey and Jessie Castle passed the theory exam with flying colours. What remains for both candidates is the qualifying dive on 10 December,next. Once both diver are certified, they will be able to dive nitrox mixes up to 40%, with a ppO2 limit of 1.4bar.

On the weekend of 5 and 6 November, three Cork SAC members attended the advanced nitrox course in the Clubhouse of Blackwater SAC in Fermoy. The lectures, on Saturday, focussed on compulsary decompression, i.e extra required dive equipment, dive techniques and emergency and contingency plans. The practical part took place in Portroe quarry in Co.Tpperary. As this is a technical diving course the expected level of the skills is very high. All participants practiced drills such as mask swapping, swapping stage cylinders, reel work with blacked-out masks and deployment of the suface marker buoy underwater. Next the candidates need a minimum score of 80% to pass the theory exam, before completing the qualifying 40 meter dive with up to 10 minutes of mandatory decompression. Cork SAC candidates for the Advanced Nitrox course were Donncha Cronin and Stephen McDevitt. And Joost Vanmuysen attended the weekend as part of his Advanced Nitrox Instructor course.

For prospective members with no previous diving experience, there will be an opportunity to try out SCUBA equipment in a shallow heated pool under supervision by our instructors. This will take place in the Leisureworld pool on the 26th January at 7pm.

Please contact us for more information.

If the posts on this blog have tempted you to take up diving and you live near Cork then:

Cork Sub aqua club is looking to recruit about fourteen beginners with no prior diving experience to begin instruction and pool training in November 2008. The training will be towards CFT and CMAS one star and two star certification. Training is free of charge except for pool costs (should be about 100 euro); but you will have to join CFT and Cork SAC. Training nights will be Mondays 7PM ( a little bit earlier on pool nights to allow time to get changed), with theory classes and pool work on alternate weeks. The training will be in Ringaskiddy near Carrigaline about 15KM from Cork.

A medical will be required, you should also be able to swim 200 meters in a pool (any style and not timed).

You will eventually be expected to get your own equipment but for initial training we can borrow from existing members. If you had a wetsuit or semi-dry to begin with that would be good.

The one star course is planned to run until mid December 2008.
This qualifies you to dive to 25 meters (obviously after some qualifying work in the sea, and becoming dived up to that depth) with a two star diver, or thirty meters under certain limited conditions.

The CMAS certification is recognized world wide.

Two star course will run in February.

We will also take people with prior qualifications but as part of a separate crossover course to run in January 2009.

Contact 086 1089435 if you are interested.

Two Star Tests Oysterhaven 27 July 2008

Originally uploaded by riordan_david.

James Branich, Michiel De Rooij, and Stephen Barry along with Candidates from Blackwater SAC and NMCI SAC at their Club Diver tests. All the Candidates passed, Congratulations ! Stephane Portrait, and Finbarr Murphy from Blackwater were Mon 2 testers, along with Declan O’Grady Lucie Kirby and Don MCCarthy form Cork, Fiona Duggan participated as a Mon 1. Olin O’Farrell Dave Riordan and Gerry Horan helped out.

The NMCI candidates John Ryan and Will Jagoe are the first ever to complete the certification from that club which as only been in existence for a few years.

Just a quick note on the blog to let people know that I have booked the NMCI pool and a training room there.
Crossover pool training will begin (and hopefully finish) on January 19th 9:00Am to 10:30Am, crossover lectures 11AM to 2PM the same day. This session will be for people with existing qualifications from a different certification agency only, there will be no beginners at this session.
Any people who contacted us in 2007, expressing an interest in joining Cork Sub Aqua Club will have been sent an invite to a Club Open Night Thursday, January 10th.8pm. Soho Bar, Grand Parade, Cork. They will also have been sent the details of the required medical test. We will have a better idea of numbers and grades after the Open Night.
Read the rest of this entry →

Paul and Donal hard at work at the serious business of extended range training.

Entering the water from a pier fully kitted with a twin set and stage bottle is not easy and may require the assistance of a buddy.

Donal lends his boot.

Practice makes perfect, so the next time that Donal comes across a serious pier blockage, he knows exactly what to do.

Group photo

It was a foggy day, so we had planned on doing just half the distance for safety reasons, but then the fog lifted and most people did the full swim. About a nautical mile. There was a barbeque to finish.

Read the rest of this entry →

Don leads Jonathan to shallow end

I hope everybody enjoyed the pool training. Beginners, crossovers, existing club divers, and extended range divers all used the pool sessions to practice their skills and to try out new equipment before the start of the dive season. Thanks to everyone who helped out and loaned equipment.
Thanks to Donal O’Connell for the photos.
Read the rest of this entry →

Hi There,

This is a message for new members who may wish to join Cork SAC. I’m just going to detail our pool and lecture plan so that you know our schedule. New divers will need to be available for all three pool sessions. Divers with some experience will need to make one Pool session.
Read the rest of this entry →