After a five-year hole the BSAC Diving Convention returned on Saturday 19th October, attended by lots of of enthusiastic members.
Final held earlier than the Covid pandemic in 2019, the Convention was BSAC’s largest occasion of the 2024 calendar and introduced collectively members from the size and breadth of the UK. The venue was the Vox at Birmingham’s NEC, which featured a primary stage auditorium with separate rooms for breakout classes, and a sponsor space to satisfy representatives from the dive trade.
Foremost corridor
Ex-Para, stuntman and BSAC snorkeller Andy Torbet was primary stage compere for the day. He didn’t parachute into the venue within the model of the Olympic opening ceremony, however managed the subsequent neatest thing – a video of himself skydiving off the highest of a balloon to kick off the proceedings. This full of life intro set the tone for the morning, with first order of enterprise a diving and coaching replace from the 2 Sophies. Sophie Rennie took to the stage for the primary time since her appointment as Nationwide Diving Officer, partnered with Sophie Heptonstall in her first Convention look as Head of Diving and Coaching.
Sophie Rennie and Sophie Heptonstall
A core focus for BSAC is the way forward for the snorkelling programme. As a snorkeller because the age of 12 who by no means travels with out his snorkel, as properly writing a Scuba Journal column devoted to snorkelling, Andy Torbet shared the platform with Sophie H to debate how snorkelling may appeal to new members and convey younger individuals into the BSAC household.
L-to-R: Sarah Kingston, Jim Burke and Rebecca Martin
Many attendees had been eager to get inspiration on the Convention and the ‘Thriving golf equipment share secrets and techniques of their success’ supplied it, due to audio system from Aberdeen Sub-Aqua Membership (Heinke Trophy 2023 winners), Bedford and Dublin College.
Dr Celia Marlowe of Challenge Seagrass
This was adopted by an replace from Dr Celia Marlowe of Challenge Seagrass on volunteering alternatives for our divers and snorkellers, earlier than Swedish diver Tiffany Norberg took the viewers on a deep shipwreck journey to the underside of the Baltic Sea.
Security professional and ex-DAN president Dan Orr took to the principle stage together with his discuss ‘Errors divers make’, which introduced recent views on the vital subject of diver security.
Appropriately, Clare Peddie took to the principle stage subsequent to ship the newest Incident Report findings from 2023 – at all times one of the crucial standard briefings. She was joined by Jon Parlour to current the security awards with a retelling of the talent and excellence of these receiving them.
Later within the afternoon Dr Michelle Haywood gave an interesting discuss on exploring the Mona’s Queen, the wreck of a WW2-era steamship concerned within the evacuation at Dunkirk.
Dan Orr (L) and Gaia Vince (R)
The ground then opened as much as all for the open discussion board Q&A, earlier than environmentalist and writer Gaia Vince painted an image of the long run the place people reside with hotter oceans.
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