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Posted by Submission on April 23, 2012 at 11:17 am
Paul Elliott’s Gone Shark Diving:
If like me you have always been fascinated by sharks, but don’t really know much about them and would like to learn a bit more, I have the opportunity for you. I have organised a day at the Blue Planet Aquarium, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
What’s involved ?
Well, it’s a full day at the aquarium, starting from 09.00. You will spend the morning learning all about sharks, including conservation, biology, behaviour and special techniques for diving with sharks. This is a full PADI Specialty and as such would count towards your Master Scuba Diver rating. There will be some time to tour the aquarium in between the classroom presentation and the shark dive, (I’m trying my best to get a guided tour for this!) and lunch is provided as part of the day. Then later in the day we carry out the shark dive in the 3.8 million litre Caribbean Reef tank. During this you can get up close and personal with different species of sharks such as zebra shark, leopard shark, nurse shark, lemon sharks, guitar sharks, stingrays and last but by no means least the 10 foot sand tiger shark!!!!!
If you want to bring friends and family they can watch from the aquatunnel, one of the largest in the world and take photos of you with the sharks.
The cost for the day is £235.00 and is a full PADI Specialty Certification. Friends and relatives with the group will be entitled to discount entry to the aquarium on the day. Please be aware that spaces are limited to only 12.
If you don’t have your own kit they can provide it for you (included in the price) or you can just take your own however you need to wear a full wet suit. You must be PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent and have dived in the last six months (which they are strict on and you will need to take your log book to prove it), you will have to complete the PADI Medical Form, as with any other course.
I have reserved Sunday the 13th May and need to pay by this Saturday so I will need definite numbers ASAP and the whole amount of money up front too.
Myself and Katy will be co-ordinating numbers and payments so please ask us for more details or to confirm your place. Spaces will go fast so please check your availability and let us know as soon as possible.
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Posted by Submission on February 16, 2012 at 11:31 am
Are your children desperate to do more Scuba Diving? Do you have a nephew or niece who begs you to let them go diving? If they aren’t 10 yet and therefore not old enough for the PADI Open Water Diver Course, then we’ve got just the program for them!
The PADI Seal Team is a course just for 8 and 9 year old’s who aren’t old enough to enroll for the PADI Open Water Course, or for 10 and 11 year old’s who you may not feel are ready for the course. We focus on learning diving through game play, underwater missions and repetition. By the end of the program children will have completed lots of skills towards the full certification such as regulator recovery, mask clearing, alternate air source breathing and much more.
As with all PADI courses there is homework to complete but this comes in the form of word searches, spot the difference and childrens quizzes in their workbook, backed up by a fantastic DVD especially with children in mind.
Myself and the PADI Seal Team members of 5 children’s characters will take them on a journey of adventure and excitement in the pool, also through multimedia materials and enable them to eventually join you on your underwater thrills.
PADI Seal Team will run over Saturday 3rd March and Saturday 10th March.
If you think that this would be ideal for someone you know, contact me at katy@divecourses.co.uk
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Posted by Submission on January 24, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Congratulations On Completing The PADI Self Reliant Diver Specialty
Darren recently conducted Sub-Mission’s first PADI Self Reliant Diver Specialty, which was a big hit for those who took part. Relying on yourself underwater is a rather daunting prospect to most people, especially with that nagging question at the back of your mind… “what if…”. What if I need my buddy? My buddy always navigates, what if I can’t find my way back? What if I run out of air? Of course, these are all relevant points but with a prerequisite of 100 dives, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver for the PADI Self Reliant Specialty and advantageously SMB deployment experience, some divers, not all, would feel that they would be able to over come some of these issues independently even if they had a buddy with them. Incidentally, running out of air should never be a threat to those who are vigilant with their air checks throughout a dive.
Simon, who took the Specialty course kindly wrote a review for the blog:
“Going to be a bit bold here and say that the PADI Self Reliant Diver specialty is the best PADI speciality yet! I was lucky enough to be in the first group undertaking the PADI Self Reliant Diver specialty; now before I go any further this is not about PADI or Sub-Mission suggesting that diving on your own is the way forward. You might find that a bit odd, but lets face it you can carry all the redundant (spare) equipment you need but you can’t carry a redundant brain – the buddy system is here to stay! What the PADI Self Reliant Diver Specialty does is teach you to sort out your own problems by planning and carrying redundant equipment. A crucial part of the PADI Self Reliant Diver Specialty is that you use that equipment and familiarise yourself with what to do and how to do it should an issue arise. This course combines the very best of the PADI Deep, Navigation and the SMB specialties The course makes you think about the most precious resource in diving – time and as we all know gas supply gives you time. The PADI Self Reliant Diver introduces gas management and planning, effectively the last building block of dive preparation, planning and enjoyment. I really can’t recommend this course highly enough; it’s also a great introduction into technical diving concepts – now then, where are the details for that Tech 40 course!”
Nick’s review of the course:
“I really enjoyed completing the self reliant specialty! Even in the challenging conditions you made sure the course was fun and enjoyable from start to finish. From no mask swims to mind boggling formulas, this course has it all!”
Simon practicing DSMB deployment during PADI Self Reliant Specialty
Katy’s review of the course:
“I decided it would be good for me to take some training in being a little more self reliant, especially being a photographers buddy underwater, I tend to find myself hanging around behind Darren whilst he lingers over one photogenic fish or another. I could be indulging myself in nudibranch hunting whilst Darren is spending time taking photos. So Sunday morning I found myself at Stoney Cove, enrolled onto the PADI Self Reliant Specialty preparing my equipment, making sure I’d got a spare timer, spare signalling device, redundant air supply, spare mask and heaving myself into the water with all of the grace of a baby hippo.
During the first dive we were instructed to swim with full kit on the surface, hover underwater for one minute, calculate our air consumption rates with a five minute swim at 10 metres, respond to a free flow by switching to our redundant air supplies and then deply our SMB’s. The water temperature was 7 degrees and the visibility was better than usual but due to the wind it was slightly choppy and it felt like we could have been in the sea!
We did another 5 minute swim on the second dive to calculate our air consumption, we conducted compass navigation swims, natural navigation swims (sound familiar PADI Advanced Open Water Students?) as well as the terrifying idea of having to take our masks off in the water, swim 18 metres and keep the mask off for 2 minutes. This was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, just very cold on the eyes, although my face felt lovely and warm when I put the mask back on.
The last dive concentrated on navigating away from the entry point, checking air, time and sticking rigidly to the dive plan. We were tasked with turning around at a set point and being back at the exit point at the exact time agreed before hand. All went swimmingly and we were proud of ourselves for executing our rigid plan. Just one last thing to do and that was to simulate an out of air situation, switch to our redundant air source and then deploy our SMB’s.
I enjoyed the three dives required for the PADI Self Reliant Specialty immensely and I always like to learn new skills, to test myself and to push my experiences further. I’m not going to go diving on my own, I am a far too social underwater diver for that! I love to be able to grab Darren and show him something interesting (and watch his eyes glaze over at the sight of yet another tiny critter) however, improving my ability to be a little more dependant on myself will not hurt whilst Darren is taking some pretty amazing photos. Look out Nudibranchs, here I come!”
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Posted by Submission on January 5, 2012 at 12:01 pm
If you’re not planning on doing any scuba diving over the winter months then the Emergency First Response Program could be a great way to prepare for the upcoming dive season. Many of you are planning to complete the PADI Rescue Diver program in 2012 and one of the requirements for this is to hold a current first aid certificate that includes CPR. If you don’t have this qualification then why not consider taking the Emergency First Response course in the next few months so that you’ve got a head start on the PADI Rescue Diver Course.
There is nothing more important than being able to offer medical assistance to someone who requires it yet it can be daunting to learn these skills as well. We ensure that you’ll be at ease during the programme but feel confident in rendering first aid to a patient, as several of our previous students have done since completing their training.
The Emergency First Response Course teaches students to deal with a variety of emergency situations, some life critical and some more first aid based. Skills include CPR, dealing with a choking patient, Serious Bleeding and Spinal Injuries as well as an assessment of illnesses and injuries. It’s not all serious, we throw in some fun to really help you relax and remember the critical points.
If you have completed the Emergency First Response course 2 years ago or longer then make sure you book in to refresh your first aid and CPR skills. You can join in on a scheduled EFR course to update. There have been some significant changes over the past few months so this is a necessity for all Emergency First Responders.
Contact Katy@divecourses.co.uk for more information.
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Posted by Submission on January 5, 2012 at 12:49 am
Taking on the challenge of the PADI Divemaster Course is not everyone’s cup of tea but for those that accomplish the first PADI Professional accreditation the hard work is more than worthwhile. To share in the infectious joy of a student completing a PADI course or to help someone overcome the skill that has become their nemesis is an awesome feeling that cannot be explained.
PADI Divemasters are the support structure of any PADI Dive Centre. They assist PADI Instructors by supervising students, sorting out equipment logistics and helping to demonstrate skills as well as independently running PADI programs. They are also masters of fun, excitement and enthusiasm, reassuring and encouraging students through the most nerve wracking diving skills and experiences. It is these skills that make a great PADI Divemaster. During the PADI Divemaster Course you will overcome your weaknesses and improve your own areas of expertise.
Do you think you’re up for the challenge of learning new skills, increasing your understanding of dive theory and becoming an all round great dive leader? It takes guts, determination and a thirst for learning more about Scuba.
The downside to becoming a PADI Divemaster is the amount of time that you need to spend in the Dive Centre with Katy, Darren and your Instructor but no pain, no gain. We understand that this could be hard so we assure you we’ll make your training as fun as possible!
Being a PADI Divemaster also opens doors to working abroad as a Dive Guide, enabling you to swap your office for the beach. Where would you rather work?
So if you want a new challenge in 2012 consider becoming a PADI Professional and contact Katy to discuss schedules and course details. What are you waiting for…
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Posted by Submission on December 22, 2011 at 12:01 pm
2012’s schedule is now online for you if you want to start planning next year’s dates, courses or how you’ll manage to get onto the Master Scuba Diver Roll of Honour Board.
Check out our online schedule by following this link. All of the usual courses are there, with a few extra exciting programs we’ve added for 2012. The PADI Rescue Diver Dates are filling up quickly already, so get your name down early for that. Also, check out the Project AWARE specialty dates, so if you enjoyed the PADI Coral Reef Conservation Specialty, you’ll love this program.
One of the more exciting new courses is the PADI Self Reliant Diver, which you’ll see now has dates that you can sign up for. The first PADI Self Reliant Diver course starts on the 18th January; it’s looking really popular so don’t miss out.
The schedule also includes PADI Multilevel Specialty dates, PADI Equipment Specialty and PADI Night Diver Specialty dates.
Take a look and contact Katy if you need any further information regarding any of the dates or courses. Or take a look at the Shop online and you can book your course now.
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Posted by Submission on November 15, 2011 at 8:58 pm
I would like to congratulate the PADI Advanced Open Water students who completed their training this weekend at Stoney Cove. We had great weather and the unseasonal surface temperatures meant that we were able to keep warm between the dives, which kept us all smiling.
Ian, Rob, Dan and Steve completed Adventures Dives in Drysuit diving, Deep, Wreck, Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Digital Photography. The first dive of the weekend certainly showed up the area’s that we needed to work on with each student in terms of buoyancy but by the end of the weekend we had ironed most of th
ese issues out. They managed to improve weighting, positioning and trim as well as ascent and descent techniques which improved the student’s efficiency in the water as well as their air consumption. Sunday was the favourite day for all four of the candidates with the exploration of the Stanegarth an exciting and thrilling dive for all.
Well done all of you, you were great fun and we loved your enthusiasm for the dives.
Whilst we were enjoying ourselves taking photo’s under the water, Andy and Sam were getting their fix of deep diving by completing the PADI Deep Diver Specialty. They were braving the dark, exhilarating depths of Stoney Cov
e to practice and master several skills such as navigation, descent and ascents, completing timed tasks to check for nitrogen narcosis and more. They were also assigned the problem of having to deal with a simulated omitted no decompression limit, make an extended safety stop and breathe from a redundant air source. They both loved the extra excitement that the deeper dives brought but Andy was absolutely buzzing from the increase in confidence as much as the fact that he had dived deeper. Well done to the two of you, happy and safe deep diving in the future.
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Posted by Submission on October 31, 2011 at 5:22 pm
The weather has certainly taken a turn for the worse and with winter approaching, we were keen to take advantage of the still warm water this weekend with lots of fantastic students.
PADI Open Water Course
Zoe, Victoria, Brian, Rob and Ian have been working towards their PADI Open Water Diver certification over the last few weeks and this weekend was their first opportunity to take the plunge into open water. The pool work has been plain sailing with these students and they have excelled all of the way through their skills and drills, consistently making everything look easy.
They turned up at Capernwray on Saturday morning, full of anxiety and excitement; ready for their next challenge. It was an absolute pleasure for Jo and I to teach them as they really got to grips with the buoyancy very quickly. The drysuit experience may have been a bit surreal but they soon forgot about the awkwardness and nailed each and every skill that they were asked to do.
I would like to congratulate them all for their hard work, enthusiasm and positivity throughout the course, what a team!
Well done also to Brian, Ian and Rob who accompanied me on a dive to complete their PADI Drysuit Specialty Course. It was certainly more of a pleasure dive than a training dive with a really gentle cruise around the sites of Capernwray. We didn’t spot the Sturgeon this time but maybe next time. Great dive guys, thanks for sharing it with me!
Wreck Specialty
Whilst I was busy with the PADI Open Water Divers, a group of wreck fanatics were busy getting to grips with the PADI Wreck Specialty Course. Ian, Malcolm, Sue, Matt and Andy were having a great time learning techniques to keep them safe inside and around wrecks. They were first tasked with evaluating the state of the wreck and then mapping the layout. These maps caused much amusement amongst the team and the staff with some distinct works of underwater art and some very nice stick drawings! However, the final maps that have been seen have been excellent. The group were also introduced to line laying techniques and managed not to get tangled up during their dives. They certainly had a very enjoyable weekend and performed brilliantly even if underwater drawing was not their forte!
Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty
Jack and Sophie joined Tim for some buoyancy practice on the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty yesterday. They both enjoyed the opportunity to spend time getting to grips with different weighting as well as positioning of weights. The second dive that they completed, both of them had fantastic trim and their own positioning in the water was brilliant. Tim also worked on finning techniques, breathing patterns and air consumption issues. Sophie and Jack had two fantastic dives and enjoyed the being able to do a bit of sightseeing underwater as well as completing lots of skills. Great job both of you!
PADI Rescue Divers
It was a very long and tiring weekend for the Rescue Diver students too. However, Gary, Jason, Paul and Jamie kept on smiling through all of the challenges that we threw at them. They had been practicing hard in the pool over the past few weeks getting ready for assessment at Capernwray. Distressed diver underwater, panicked diver on the surface and unconscious diver are just a few of the scenarios that they have been learning. Each of the students was also assessed on their ability to respond to other problems such as missing diver, getting an unresponsive diver out of the water and providing oxygen to a diver. They all nailed the skills and although it was long dives and a long session it was great to see them work so well together. Well done everyone!
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Posted by Submission on October 16, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Wow! What a weekend!
It is with great pleasure that I congratulate all of the divers who completed the PADI Open Water Diver Course this weekend. We split the students into three groups throughout the course to give each student maximum instructor attention and so this weekend The ‘A’ Team, The Totally Radicals and Team Taffy joined us at Capernwray for some underwater fun.
During the past 6 weeks we have had a lot of fun with the students; Matt, Jilaine, Alex W, Sophie, Tim, Alex M, Debbie, Cal, Alex B, James, Wes, Paul and Duncan and we were so excited for them to take the plunge and experience why we love diving so much.
There have been a few ups and downs along the way and for some of the group it hasn’t been all plain sailing. We have overcome mask issues, buoyancy problems; drysuit drama’s and come through as a team to excel in the Open Water environment. The continuous practice, practice and even more practice certainly worked wonders and everyone rocked the skills required on each dive.
Also, congratulations to Matt, Jilaine, Tim, Debbie, Alex B, Cal, James, Wes, Paul and Duncan for completing the PADI Drysuit Specialty Dive. The dive was a fantastic way to end a great weekend and we all felt like it was more of a pleasure dive than training. It was great to spend the last few minutes of our weekend enjoying the fantastic fish underwater.
I would also like to thank the students for being so hard working and determined during the course. All of the staff have really enjoyed teaching you and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way! We can’t wait for you to join us for your next diving adventure. Thanks to the entire Sub-Mission Team who made it a very enjoyable, exciting, fun and rewarding course for all of the students. We’re proud of the excellent team we have and their ability to share their passion for the hobby we all love.
We would also like to congratulate Karen, who completed the PADI Peak Performance Specialty Course. She wanted to improve on her bouyancy so that inbetween holidays her skills are kept fresh and up to date so we started off with assessing her trim, control and weighting. As well as managing to reduce the amount of weight she was wearing, Karen was also able to complete the various buoyancy skills and games in order to achieve the Specialty rating. She did a fantastic job and was smiling all day long, stating it wasn’t like training, more like holiday diving! We hope that she learnt some valuable hints and tips and will continue to join us for future dives to put her new skills to the test.
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Posted by Submission on October 6, 2011 at 2:20 pm
If you’ve completed your PADI Advanced Open Water Course and are wondering what to do next, why not consider the PADI Rescue Diver Course?
Ask any seasoned diver which course they enjoyed the most and the majority will quote that the PADI Rescue Diver Course is the most challenging & rewarding PADI course they took. The PADI Rescue Diver program introduces the necessary skills required in the unlikely event of a diving incident.
The PADI Rescue Diver program will build your confidence as a diver, give you valuable experience in emergency management and prevention and heighten your awareness of the surrounding environment.
You will learn the techniques needed to deal with tired, panicked, unresponsive and unconscious divers. This is developed through to worst case scenarios and in water resuscitation techniques.
Let’s face it, with those skills who wouldn’t want to buddy up with you on a dive trip or holiday!
The Next PADI Rescue Course schedule is as follows:
Wednesday 19th October 6.30pm Dive Centre followed by pool session
Wednesday 26th October 6.30pm Dive Centre followed by pool session
Saturday 29th October Open Water
The course f
ee is £249 for the Rescue Diver Course and £324 if you need to do the Emergency First Response Course.
Please contact Katy in the Dive Centre to book your space on this course. Spaces are limited so don’t leave it too late!
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