… 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.

Please contact us for more information.

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.

Hopefully then if the weather improves we will have plenty of time to get the open water qualifying snorkels and dives done before easter, ready for the good stuff over the sumer.

We can use a half hour by the pool side from 9 to 9:30 for briefing and equipment assembly, but candidates are to be in the pool by 9:30. Everything has to work like clockwork, if some people have problems with some of the skills, or if after our open night we discover that there are too many crossover candidates to cope with given instructor numbers, then we can arrange another pool session on the 26th.

9:00…. Carry up gear.
Get into wetsuit / togs.
9:15…. Brief (try to find out who the slower swimmers are likely to be and put them in smaller group for later).
9:20 ….. Assemble SCUBA equipment with assigned instructor:

9:30 to 9:40.. ish
6 lengths of pool freestyle
2 lengths of pool backstroke
9:45 … ish 30 second breath hold, 5 mins after end of swim.
Out of pool, kit up (helpers needed), buddy check.
10:00 Step entry.

Descend in 2 .5 meter section (people can stand by to put extra weight in BCD pocket if needed).
Mouthpiece clearing and Retrieve dropped mouthpiece
Buoyancy Adjustment, fin pivot.
Buddy Breathing.
Alternative Air source Breathing

10:15 go to 5 meter section.
DSMB deployment, instructor demos, each crossover does once (snorkelers above to help deflate SMBs).
Maintaining Depth at Stop on the way back up.

Towing and E.A.R (expired air recussitation).
Crossover candidate tows instructor and exits, other crossovers follow.
Instructor repeats with each crossover in his or her group until all out of pool.

11:00 Out of pool, shower, disassemble and carry down gear.

Because everyone will already have a dive qualification the lectures should go fairly quickly.
11:30 Introduction to Course and CMAS * (CSAC instructor who couldn’t do pool).
11:55 Hypothermia * 20 min TBD
12:30 Hand Signals * 20 min Dave
12:55 break for coffee. Bring sandwiches if you want but eat them in the cafeteria.
13:15 Dive Tables * 45 min Dave

2PM aim to finish, we can use an extra few minutes for questions, sign off documents, or if a lecture runs over time etc… but 2:30PM is he latest we will leave.

The CFT/CMAS ** crossover lectures: CPR, and Respiration and Circulation; will be done later in the year.

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.

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.

Rory Snorkel

The fin swim fundraiser is usually held sometime at the end of April / Beginning of May, and it is hoped that most people will be fairly fit and confident from their qualifying snorkels and dives by that stage. One rare sight was that of Rory using a snorkel, we didn’t know that he owned one, but it seems that he must have found it in his attic somewhere.

Mags And Paul

Good to see Mags and Paul back in action, they power ahead despite not using fins, and in the case of Mags, not using a wetsuit. Water temperature is 11 to 13 degrees at this time of year. They were first back to shore despite doing the full distance.

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.

Don Training Jonathan	Celia shows Gemma mask clearing
Gemma Removes Mask	Gemma Clears Mask
Helen practices duck diving	Clare tests drysuit with Gerlyn
Brendan and Lucas practice buddy breathing	Derry practices with rebreather

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.

Pool Sessions in the Nationa Maritime College of Ireland 5m pool: (NMCI)
Fitness Test: 12 lengths (2 on your back); 30 second breath hold within 5 minutes of completing swim.
Scuba and Snorkel training. Try a dive for new members.

Dates:
January 28: 10am to 1pm
February 4: 10am to 1pm
February 11: 10am to 1pm

Directions to the NMCI: From Cork: Take South Link Road. Take Douglas Estuary Link Road exit. Take third exit off this road. Signposted for car ferry. Follow Car Ferry signposts until you reach Ringaskiddy. Past the town the NMCI is the exit on the left after NVD.

Lectures scheduled for Saturday February 3
For all new members (except CFT qualified divers) regardless of experience.

Snapshot of the Lectures and Pool Work that needs to be done:

Trainee Diver Lectures:
Intro to Course and CMAS
Hand Signals
Intro to Dive Physics
Diving Equipment
Decompression
Out of Air
Effects of Pressure
Buoyancy
Dive Tables
CPR

Trainee Diver Pool Snorkel Exercises:
Basic Snorkel Techniques
Surface Dives
Mask & Snorkel Clearing
Ditch and Recovery of Masks & Fins
Entries
Forward & Backward Rolls
Snorkel 25m no Mask
Fin 25m underwater with no mask
Tow 50 plus with EAR

Trainee Diver Pool Scuba Exercises:
Mask and Demand Valve Clearing
Assembly/Disassembly of Dive Equipment
Buddy Breathing and Shared Air
Out of Air
Buoyancy Control
Doffing and Donning of Scuba Underwater
SMB Deployment

PADI Crossover Lectures:
Intro to Course and CMAS
Hand Signals
Dive Tables
Hypothermia
Respiration and Circulation

PADI Crossover Pool Assessment:
You will be assessed by our club instructors on your basic Scuba techniques. You may require more pool sessions depending on this assessment.
Note: Medical needs to be completed (including Chest X-Ray) before any open water training begins. Open Water training will begin in February.

Snorkels begin each Sunday from the 11 February.
Dive training will begin after the five open water snorkels are completed.
Any remaining open water training will be completed at the Easter weekend. Keep this date in your diary. (April, Fri 6th – Mon 9th)

Cheers, Don.