Take nothing but time.

Take nothing
but time....
Newsletter Issue 6 - April to June 2009
Issue 6 - G’day!
In this issue:
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our brand new “G’day from Down Under” column begins!!!
information for the upcoming workshops at K2 on pool nights
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Project AWARE Kids is launched at Sussex Scuba - check out
the “KidsZone” page in this newsletter to learn all about it
the club is featured again, in London Diver
London Diving Chamber - who are they?
plastic bags, 1 year on.......
Project AWARE, a bit of info about them......
.... we also look at what we can do to improve our environment
hardboat dates are released - better book quickly!
information regarding the shore dive, bbq and cleanup will be
announced shortly
check out the book review of “Ocean Gladiator - Battles
Beneath the Ocean”
club members tell us about diving with seals!
A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to this newsletter. If there are any specific topics or issues you would like
covered, or personal dive logs you would like included, then please email us at [email protected]
The deadline for articles to be included in the next newsletter, is the 13th June.
"Leave nothing but bubbles”
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
1
Club
Upcoming club workshops
18th of May
Photography practice
Photography practice
1st of June
Advanced buoyancy
13th of July
DSMB
This is just an excuse for Derek to excel at underwater
photography again! The mop heads (with fish attached) will
be out in force for this workshop, as will the large plastic
lobster. A great opportunity to get in a bit of practice
before the holidays start.
DSMB workshop
The 13th of July will be the next
DSMB workshop. This workshop is
open to all qualified divers,
regardless of whether you have
ever used a DSMB before or not!
We will cover the basics of safe
DSMB
deployment.
Please
remember that DSMB skills are
essential for safe UK (and
overseas) diving!
London Diver
The dive club was recently featured in the “Club Section” of
London Diver magazine for our Project AWARE beach
cleanup at Newhaven West Beach.
NOW we are on their website on the Club Night page! Lots
of photos from our End of Season dinner have been
published. Why don’t you check out the photos at
www.londondivermagazine.co.uk/club/sussex.php
Advanced buoyancy
All club members who are PADI Advanced, or equivalent
qualification, may participate in this workshop. Get to
practice your buoyancy and then have it tested in..... “the
buoyancy cube”.... this sounds worse than it actually is!!
Emails will be sent out to remind us of the workshops. There
will be limited spaces available on some, so it’s worthwhile
responding when the email is sent.
Project AWARE Partner
As an Official Partner, Sussex
Scuba have committed to
helping Project AWARE further
its aims to protect and conserve
our
precious
underwater
environments.
London Diver magazine is
available, free of charge,
in the dive shop - don’t
forget to pick up a copy!
The dive club can help by
organising shore and underwater
cleanups and running AWARE
activities. By doing this we will
all contribute a direct benefit to the dive sites we visit.
Hardboats
BDMLR
The hardboat dives
have been announced
to club members. We
have 6 Sunday dives
scheduled
between
May and November.
The dives were really
successful last year,
and they all booked up quickly! Once again we will be
exclusively using Brighton Diver II, which has an enormous
deck, so there is plenty of room for kitting up, and also
room to walk around without the risk of standing on
someone's kit. Best of all the boat has a diver lift which
means getting out of the water is a straightforward task!
The boat's skipper, Paul Dyer, is very experienced in the
waters around the South Coast, and as an experienced
fisherman and diver he has all the knowledge and
experience to get us to the best sites at the right time.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue is an organisation
dedicated to the rescue and well being of marine animals in
distress around the UK. We have a wide range of equipment
strategically placed throughout the country to deal with
strandings of marine animals, oil spills, fishing gear
entanglement and in fact any type of marine animal in
trouble. This includes rescue boats, equipment trailers,
whale and dolphin pontoon sets, a whale disentanglement kit
and each area has a medic kit with essential supplies.
We are hoping to arrange a talk from Alan Knight, who is
the chairman of BDMLR. Keep an eye open for emails about
this in the coming weeks.
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
2
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
Club Members Log Book
Diving with seals by Michelle Parsons
In August 2008 a small group of us headed to Devon’s north
coast to spend a weekend diving in the waters around Lundy
Island. Lundy Island is England’s only statutory marine
nature reserve which protects the wildlife in and around
the island and is one of the best places in the UK to dive
with seals. We based ourselves in Ilfracoombe staying in a
hotel which resembled Fawlty Towers without the warm
welcome and ambience! Not to be disheartened, as we only
needed a clean bed and hot shower at the end of the day,
we braved the conditions
and set off early on
Saturday morning.
After having just spent a
wet and miserable week
camping in the Isle of Wight
we were not hopeful of good
weather however, although
it was fairly mild, it was still quite windy which meant the
sea was choppy. It took about an hour to travel between the
mainland and the island during which time several people
revisited their breakfasts and all looked a
beautiful emerald shade of green! With relief
we reached the island and were delighted to
see our welcoming committee stretched out
on the rocks before us watching us with what
appeared to be an equal degree of enthusiasm.
I entered the water close to the island in a
group of four and descended to about 12
metres. The water temperature was a comfortable 17 C and
visibility good at approximately 10 metres. We had been
advised to settle into the swaying jungle of kelp and wait to
see what came our way and any movements we made were to
be slow and controlled so as not to scare the seals. It only
took a few minutes before we spotted the first seal. It
appeared from nowhere and was so fast as it manoeuvred
elegantly through the kelp watching us the whole time. It
was clearly very interested in us and came closer and closer
but with being our first encounter we stretched out a hand
too fast and it disappeared out of sight. It wasn’t long
before we were visited again and this time we watched and
moved slower and the inquisitive seal came even closer
seemingly enjoying the contact.
As this seal lost interest and went to find another group we
decided to swim to a different spot and were amazed to
find ourselves pursued by a seal who once again appeared
from nowhere. This one was braver than the last and clearly
wanted to play! It nipped at our fins and let us stroke it
before flitting away into the distance. During the first dive,
which flashed past in 45 minutes, we met about 8 seals and
left the water elated.
Back on the boat everyone was excitedly chattering about
their experiences and comparing notes! We had a surface
interval of about an hour and a half and had some lunch
while the skipper
moved
the
boat
around the coast to
another bay. We
were all keen to get
back in the water
and this time I was
going to use an
underwater camera for the first time. This was going to be
a challenge because although I love photography I had no
experience of taking pictures underwater and the speed at
which the seals darted through the water was going to make
taking perfectly constructed photographs tricky.
This time we dived in buddy pairs which we later concluded
was less threatening to the seals as we were constantly
surrounded, often by 2 or 3 at the same time. Also on this
dive we didn’t stay in one place but moved from spot to spot,
either accompanied or followed by our new found friends!
They were so playful and inquisitive, nibbling our fins, doing
underwater acrobatics or inviting us to tickle their chins
and rub their tummies! My amateur snaps
merely captured their antics either in
extreme close up or from a blurred distance
but are happy reminders of a wonderful dive.
The following day was unbelievably good diving.
Visibility was still good and our encounters
were unforgettable! On the final dive of the
trip we came across what must have been the
“Big Daddy”! He really was HUGE! Probably 8 feet in length
and about 4 feet wide and a little bit scary lying on the
bottom! He was surrounded by his harem and at one point
we found ourselves amongst a group of around 10, which felt
a little intimidating because none of the seals were little.
Sadly time was escaping us and we had to ascend. As we
made our way back to the boat we were escorted by one of
the group bobbing it’s head out of the water as we surfaced.
This one waited briefly alongside us as we began to climb
onto the boat’s hydraulic lift, seemingly not wanting us to
leave just as much as we wanted to stay longer!
Although I am an inexperienced diver and am yet to
encounter rays, turtles and a wide array of exotic fish this
was by far the best dive I have ever had and I feel sure will
remain one of my most memorable and enjoyable dives
regardless of what is yet to come! The club has organised a
trip to the Farne Islands in May and as I cannot recommend
diving
with
seals
enough,
I
would
certainly
encourage
everyone to make the
most of a wonderful
opportunity
to
do
something you’ll never
forget!
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
3
G’day from Down Under!
by Vikki Guest
Recently, Vikki, one of our club members, moved to Tasmania in Australia for six months. She has promised to regale
us with her tales of diving in Tassie! We join her as she looks for a new dive club and deals with the very hot and dry
climate in Australia.
16th February
Hello! Have found a local dive club, Ocean
Divers Plus, in nearby Launceston.
They try to dive every couple of weeks or so in (tidal) River
Tamar which we overlook. I have only spoken to Justin, the
President, who seems a nice guy, just hope there are some
other girlies too. Still need to sort out tanks and weights
which I hope to do tomorrow at a local dive shop. Unlikely
to do a dive before the next 'Damp Dive' at the beginning
of March but I'll keep you posted.
Big news here is of course the terrible bush fires in
mainland Victoria, Tassie is also on high alert because of
the current hot weather and previous dry summers and
there have been some small contained fires not far away in
the north east. Bit worrying 'cos although we overlook and
are very close to a wide river we are also on a steep hill
surrounded by trees and scrub. The other big news which
you might have heard about are three shark attacks, two in
Sydney and one off the east coast (off Tassie) near to
where I was going to go diving for (huge) cray fish.................
Maybe not!
keen to hear what was on offer as
England in the Summer.
he is travelling to
This months dive is at a place called Barren Joey, a rocky
outcrop about 40 minutes boat ride from Low Head at the
mouth of the Tamar. The special attraction here is
Tasmania’s largest seal colony, described by a club member
as an “underwater circus”. I enjoyed listening to their tales
of previous dives with these inquisitive, up close and
personal sea creatures, but a little nervy of the occasional
shark sighting and a previous fatal attack on a diver. I’m
guessing they’re just teasing the new girl and I am of
course quite gullible! Actually a friend out here who is a
seasoned fisherman confirmed there had been shark
sightings and there was no way he would go in the water!
Anyway I won’t think too much about that and as I have
never dived with seals before I’m really looking forward to
it.
Well that’s all for now until my next blog when hopefully I
will be full of my seal adventures and some photos too.
15th March
Hope you are all well and have survived the recent hideous
snow (sorry to say it was a sweltering 36deg here, thank
goodness for aircon in the house and car!)
3rd March
In the rain (yes, rain it was tipping it down!) I duly set off
for the Club’s monthly ‘Damp Dive’ meet at a pub come hotel
in Launceston and soon found the motley collection of fellow
divers (how come divers the world over look pretty much
the same, except for us girlies?).
Ocean Divers Plus is quite different to our club being run
by a committee. ODP has a President, Treasurer, Secretary,
Equipment Officers, Dive Officers and more who are
elected into post, it is not closely affiliated to any
particular shop or organisation. First impressions are that
it is a friendly collection of divers who have planned trips
and meets as well as discussion via an internet forum to talk
diving and arrange ad hoc dives as and when the mood takes
anyone.
Attendance was said to be light that evening, about ten guys
and three women, and the gist of it was events over the last
month, equipment issues, upcoming activities, financial and
lots of banter. Anyway I was duly welcomed and said a little
bit about me and of course Sussex Scuba. I also shared my
diving experiences in Cornwall – Scylla, Porthkerris, James
Egan Lane and Fowey - with Geoff the Secretary who was
Saw seals! Unfortunately not whilst diving but from a boat
off the Tasman Peninsular when we went to Port Arthur.
However did do a
shore dive and saw
my first seahorse!
Seal dive has been
rescheduled for a
couple of weeks
time,
fingers
crossed. So already
working on next
blog..................
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
4
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
Book Review & UK Trips
Book Review by Michelle Parsons
“Ocean Gladiator – Battles Beneath
the Ocean”
Ocean Gladiator is a fascinating book detailing Mark Ellyatt’s diving career and
includes a vivid account of his record breaking technical dive to 313 metres.
Mark recalls some extraordinary diving experiences and takes the reader on a
journey from his first dive through to some of the most unbelievably dangerous
exploits.
Enthralling from start to finish it is hard to imagine how he has survived long
enough to write this book! Mark has dived extensively in the UK and all around
the world but recollections of his risk taking and, not unexpected encounter
with decompression sickness, are absorbing.
Sometimes funny, mostly terrifying it has to be read to be believed but
certainly will not disappoint.
Stoney Cove
The club has 3 trips planned this year to the inland dive site of Stoney Cove. These are always great weekends away - no matter
what the weather is like!
During the visits to Stoney Cove there will be various courses running - Adventures in
Diving, Wreck Diver and Deep Diver speciality.
There is a lot to see at Stoney Cove you have the (mighty?) Stanegarth
tug boat – this is where the Wreck
Diver speciality participants will be
found. An excellent little wreck,
which is ideal for training. This
started life in 1910 as a steam
powered tug, and was converted to a
diesel tug in 1957. She eventually
joined Stoney Cove as a wreck on the
6th of June 2000 – it took around 90
minutes for her to sink!
Then there is the Nautilus sitting on a
7m shelf and is visible from Nemo’s Bar (on a clear day!). Next to the
Nautilus you will find the Archways.
The Wessex helicopter sits in 22m of water – this was a “real”
helicopter, which saw only 650 hours of flight before it became a wreck
at Stoney Cove.
There is also a Galleon! This sits on a ledge in 5m of water and was
constructed by the Midland Underwater Archaeological Group.
Sitting in about 7m of water, the viscount aircraft cockpit sits at the
top of the roadway, which leads down some of the deeper parts of
Stoney Cove.
Stoney Cove trips are planned for the weekends of the 2/3 May, 27/28
June and 5/6 Sept – check out the website or call the shop for more
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
5
Conservation Issues
Plastic Bags
Last year Sussex Scuba became a plastic bag free shop and
advertised the harm that plastic bags do to our underwater
environment and wildlife.
Wrap (Waste & Resources Action Programme) said in 2007
that we used over 13 billion plastic bags per year……in
February of this year Wrap reported that plastic bag use
has fallen by 26% in two years. Now we use 9.9 billion
plastics bags per year.
The amount of plastic used has been reduced by 40% over
the past 2 years, this has been achieved by using less new
plastic and using recycled materials instead.
Remember that plastic bags start their life as crude oil,
petroleum is heated to produce ethylene gas, this is
converted into a porridge like substance, which is then cut
into granules, heated and made into plastic bags. Each bag
costs about half a pence to make…. and we use 9.9 billion of
these each year? The plastic bags are generally made in
China, Malaysia and Thailand. They are then printed with
logos in Asia and eventually shipped to us – each bag travels
8000 miles to get to Britain.
A lot has been achieved in the past couple of years but,
there is still a lot (9.9 billion things) to be done.
2008 Plastic Facts:
· only 0.5% of plastic bags are recycled in the UK
· 77 – the number of plastic bags littering every mile of
the UK coast
· 0.6p to make and distribute each bag
· 1 million seabirds are killed each year by plastic
· 34 countries have banned or taxed plastic bags
· 0.2% of the world’s oil is used to make plastic bags
· 216 plastic bags are used by each person in the UK in one
year
· 20 minutes – typically the amount of time each bag is
used before being thrown out
Project AWARE
·Keep storm drains and shorelines free of plastic and other
debris.
Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility
and Education) Foundation is a nonprofit organisation
dedicated to conserving underwater environments through
education, advocacy and action. With headquarters in the
United States and offices in Australia, Japan, Switzerland
and United Kingdom, Project AWARE combats challenges
facing aquatic resources in 175 countries and territories
with direct support from divers and water enthusiasts
worldwide.
·Remove debris you see during every recreational dive or
shoreline visit.
What Can You Do to Keep Waters Debris Free?
·Buy in bulk, re-use as often as possible and always recycle.
·Bring reusable bags with you when shopping.
·Avoid buying plastic or Styrofoam products whenever
possible.
·Be aware of everything you buy and avoid products with
excessive packaging.
·Demand more and improved recycling facilities for your
area.
·Properly dispose of all pieces of fishing line, net or other
associated litter.
·Keep plastics and other litter off the ground and the ocean
floor.
·Get involved. Participate in local shoreline and underwater
cleanups with Project AWARE.
At least 6 million tons of debris enters the world’s oceans
each year, causing harm to underwater environments and
wildlife. With unique access to the underwater world, scuba
divers can help remove debris underwater, raise awareness
and drive positive change.
Project AWARE Foundation is dedicated to addressing the
devastating impacts of marine debris and coordinates
global beach and underwater cleanups year round.
We, at Sussex Scuba Dive Club like to do our part to support
Project AWARE. Each year on the August bank holiday
Monday we have a shore dive and beach bbq with a Project
AWARE beach and underwater cleanup. The information for
this years cleanup will be published shortly. Last year we
managed to fill 25 bin liners with rubbish collected from
the beach and the pile of driftwood collected was huge!
On top of all of that we raised £100 for Project AWARE.
In the shop you will find informative posters on the damage
plastic bags are having on our environment.
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
6
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
Kids Zone
Kids AWARE Club
AWARE Kids are the superheroes of the underwater world. They love the water and help protect all
creatures great and small. Hundreds of AWARE Kids across the globe are making a difference right now in
their own schools and neighbourhoods.
The underwater world needs heroes. You can be one of them by championing the causes of the world's most fragile and
important aquatic ecosystems. The Fun Part - You can make a difference. Learn about some of the most pressing problems
facing these vulnerable environments and everyday actions you can take to help conserve them. It's informative, interesting
and most importantly, you learn how to make a difference. Ask Derek or Denise about the Kids AWARE course.
Mission 1 - Cleanup Day, you can make a difference!
Mission 2...... Do you recycle?
When you clean up at home, it’s a chore. But International Cleanup Day
is a huge event that attracts thousands of people to lakes, rivers and
oceans of the world every September. Know why? Because cleaning up
the aquatic environment is cool and fun, too! But you don’t have to wait
until September, you can organise a cleanup any day of the week.
Did you know that recycling one ton of newspaper
saves 15 trees? Think how much habitat we can
preserve if we all chip in. Recycling is taking
things like paper, plastic or glass and using them
again or turning them into something else. For
example, notebook paper can be recycled into
newspaper and a plastic container can be made
into a bird feeder. Today, many items can be
recycled - even old cars and broken electronic
equipment like computers. Recycling rocks for
many reasons. Most of all it saves space, energy
and resources.
Mission 3 is all about threatened underwater animals
A few examples of threatened underwater animals are West Indian
manatees, Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, coho salmon,
southern river otters and all seven species of sea turtles. What are
some reasons for their decline? Habitat loss, pollution, overfishing and
disease are a few of the culprits. But don’t say “adios” to these
critters yet! There are ways to protect them. In fact, natural habitats
in the form of reserves and marine protected areas are being set aside
to provide food, shelter and space for underwater animals to grow and
survive. Laws are being passed to control fishing and hunting. And,
scientists are studying ways that we can all help to protect underwater
animals in the future.
Mission 5, this is all about speaking out and telling other people
about what you have learned!
Writing a letter is often a good way to tell people about your concerns
and ideas for protecting the environment. If you tell people (including
your parents and family) about all the things you have learned, then
YOU can make a real difference!
Mission 4, water, water everywhere!
We live in a wild watery world! More than 70
percent of the earth is covered in it! And we love
water, don’t we? It’s cool and refreshing to drink,
fun to swim and play in. Not to mention every
living thing on earth needs water to survive. So if
the earth is covered in water, we have plenty of
it, right? Actually there are many places in the
world where water is in short supply. But another
problem is that not all water is useable. Because
of pollution and other organisms that can grow in
water, a lot of the earth’s water is not fit for
drinking and swimming.
Quick Quiz - the answers are on page 8
Handy Hints - look at the information on this page and on
page 6 if you need help with the answers!
1. In which month is International Cleanup Day?
2. How many trees are saved if one ton of newspapers are
recycled?
3. Name 4 threatened underwater animals
4. What percentage of the Earth is covered in water?
5. True or False? Writing a letter is a bad way to tell people
about your ideas for protecting the environment.
6. What does the “AWARE” in Project AWARE stand for?
7. True or False? Old computers can be recycled.
8. How many tons of debris enter the worlds oceans each
year?
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
7
Diary
London Diving Chamber in
their own words......
The London Diving Chamber, a Hyperbaric decompression
chamber offering NHS funded recompression to divers with
Decompression Sickness (DCS) together with other
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) treatments.
London Diving Chamber specialises in Diving Medicine and
provides a 24 hour clinic with everything a diver could need
from a medical facility.
The word ‘hyperbaric' literally means ‘high pressure'. The
use of high pressure (i.e. pressures higher than normal
atmospheric pressure) and it's use in medicine is often
viewed today as being somewhat new and controversial.
However, the concept of Hyperbaric Medicine has been in
existence since as early as 1662.
The industrial revolution, when bridge and tunnel builders
were working in compressed air, saw a further great
development in hyperbaric chambers. It was at this time
when Paul Bert reported that nitrogen bubbles were forming
in tissue during rapid decompression (1876) and was
implicated in “The Grecian Bend”.
Since the latter part of the twentieth century hyperbaric
medicine has gained most of its recognition for the
treatment of certain mainstream medical conditions
specifically related to the diving industry, including
decompression sickness and air embolism.
The hyperbaric staff and dive doctors at London Diving
Chamber are some of the most experienced in the country in
treating scuba divers with decompression sickness (an
accumulation of over 50 years).
All staff are regularly trained and attend courses to
understand the latest developments within the hyperbaric
industry. Staff at LDC lives and breathes Diving Medicine,
we pride ourselves on our knowledge and experience levels.
London Diving Chamber is a member of the Undersea and
Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), the most progressive
hyperbaric societies that constantly develops research to
understand more about the ways in which hyperbaric oxygen
therapy can help both scuba divers with decompression
sickness as well as other medical benefits of hyperbaric
treatment.
2009 Calendar (so far....)
6th April
20th April
4th May
18th May
1st June
15th June
29th June
13th July
27th July
10th August
24th August
31st August
7th September
21st September
5th October
19th October
2nd November
16th November
28th November
30th November
14th December
28th December
Dive Club at K2
DSMB Workshop
Dive Club at K2
No Dive Club - Bank Holiday
Dive Club at K2
Photography Practice
Dive Club
Advanced
Dive Club
Dive Club
at K2 no kit available
Buoyancy Workshop
at K2 no kit available
at K2
Dive Club at K2
DSMB Workshop
Dive Club at K2
Dive Club at K2
Photography Practice
Dive Club at K2
Shore dive, bbq etc
Dive Club at K2
OW Buoyancy Workshop
Dive Club at K2
Dive Club at K2
Rescue Tune-up
Dive Club at K2
Dive Club at K2
Advanced Buoyancy Workshop
Dive Club at K2
End of Season Dinner
Dive Club at K2
Dive Club at K2
OW Skills
No Dive Club - Bank Holiday
Answers for the Kids Zone Quiz
1. September
2. 15 trees would be saved
3. Some threatened underwater animals are: West Indian
manatees, Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, coho
salmon, southern river otter and all 7 species of sea turtles
4. 70% of the Earth is covered in water
5. False - writing letters is an excellent way to tell people
about your concerns & ideas for protecting the environment
6. AWARE stands for Aquatic World Awareness,
Responsibility and Education
7. True
8. 6 million tons
"Take nothing but time.... Leave nothing but bubbles”
www.sussexscuba.co.uk
8