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News

New club officers elected at AGM
There has been a change around in officers at the AGM. Gary Arthur retired as Chair and was succeeded by Pete Sidebotham; Gary has become social officer again. Neil Potts moved from Equipment Officer to Dive event coordinator, Pippa Potts moved from social to minute secretary and the mighty Oring King (aka Brian Cooper) became equipment officer...

Exciting list of expeditions for 2007/8
There is a list of exciting RVSAC expeditions for 2007/8... Take a look at http://www.rvsac.org/events... We are going diving!!!

RVSAC AGM at Clitheroe Rugby Club
The RVSAC AGM will take place at Clitheroe Rugby Club, Littlemoore Road, Clitheroe, BB7 1EW on Thursday 11th January at 2000. Everyone welcome...

Cat and John make Ocean Diver
Cat Greenwood and John Mason have made ocean diver... Well done, lets get diving

New members for RVSAC

New members are: Simon Taylor-Watson crossing over from PADI and PSIA as a Dive Leader and our first rebreather diver and PADI instructor crossover, Dave Feeney as Ocean Diver, Dave Ridler as Sports Diver and Hayley McDonald, Jackie Dixon coming in as trainees

Steve Bennett-Squires passes Open Water Instructor

Steve Bennett-Squires passes Open Water Instructor. Well done Steve lets get some more students in now for you to teach!!

Five Wrecks in Five days in Five countries success

Five Wrecks in Five days in Five countries success... This expedition took a week and was in aid of the RNLI.

The stars: Ed Howarth, Roy Curwen, Helen Howarth, Ben Curwen and Neil Potts

See 5x5x5

RVSAC move from SmartGroups to Yahoo Groups

RVSAC move from Smartgroups to Yahoo groups. The new communications tool for RVSAC is now Yahoo Groups. It appears a great deal more reliable and easier to use. The idea came from Chester Sub Aqua Club (thanks chaps)

More successes
Catt proves that curiosity aids exam passes and "do it yourself" John did it all by himself. Huge congratulations go to John and Catt, our latest Ocean Diver hopefuls, who have passed their theory assessment. Eagerly buying every item of dive gear that they lay their eyes on, they hope to start their open water training very shortley. Well done both!

Conratulations to Bruce and Steve
More congratulations are in order for Bruce (Gas Man) Mills and Steve (Bald Eagle) Finch who have passed their Sports Diver theory assessments. In a particularly relaxed atmosphere, each achieved a near perfect mark of 29/30. Their obvious hard work during the course was particularly noted and they fully deserve all our plaudits. Well done, both!

Pippa Passes
Pippa Potts patiently progresses by passing preliminary part of Dive Leader.  Congratulations to our very own alliteration expert. In between giving birth, decorating the house and tending to Neil''s every need, she has succeeded in passing her dive leader theory test with flying colours. Now that''s dedication!

More divers are welcome

GO! Dive with the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) at the local branch - Ribble Valley Sub-Aqua Club (RVSAC).

It doesn’t matter who you have trained with or where you trained, divers who are itching to get back in the water are invited to Go! Dive with Ribble Valley Sub-Aqua Club every Thursday evening in August.

This unique event gives divers the opportunity to find out all about what it’s like to go diving with the Ribble Valley Sub-Aqua Club; the Clitheroe branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club.

Divers are invited to come along to an informal and friendly open evening where they can ask any questions they may have been mulling over...

For information and to register for these fabulous events based in Clitheroe simply call:

simon.campbell@rvsac.org  / 07815 091342

ed.howarth@rvsac.org 07836 217511

steve.finch@rvsac.org / 07966 512107

New qualifications

Sarah Draper has achieved Ocean Diver following the trip to St Abbs on June 19, 2006 and...... our very own equipment officer Neil Potts passed his Dive Leader June..

We are very proud of them as they are GREAT divers and valuable members of the club...

WELL DONE...

Fun Garden Party in aid of RNLI

Not quite a royal garden party, but you don''t get to play silly games at Buck House. In aid of the RNLI, Ed and Helen are running a fun garden party on 1 July at Overdale, Red Lane, Colne. Afternoon teas, drinks, lots of games and...prizes! Bring lots of money. Fun begins at 2.00 pm.

Pippa & Neil have baby boy

RVSAC''s newest member: Pippa (social secretary) and Neil Potts (equipment officer) announce the birth of ELLIS on June 1st

Weighing in at around 6.5 Lbs he was born on Thursday evening (club night as it happens). Pippa is cool and the pictures so far have seen him wearing starfish & octopus pajamas and practicing the use of a cuff dump!!!

WELL DONE TO BOTH OF YOU....

Twin Set lecture success

The 'All you wanted to know about twin sets but were afraid to ask' lecture was attended by 25 members of other clubs from the North West & Yorkshire regions. Hosted at the Lower Buck in Waddington by RVSAC instructors Simon Campbell, Ed Howarth and the legendary O-ring king (aka Brian Cooper) the lecture was judged a great success by all the divers who attended.

New rescue recommendations from BSAC

VERY IMPORTANT: New rescue (Artificial Ventilation / CCR) recommendations from the BSAC National Diving Committee. To download the new stuff click here.

100% pass with 100% oxygen.

The club now has five newly qualified oxygen administrators. During a sometimes chilly day on Sunday 12 March, Pippa and Neil Potts, Matt, Steve Finch and Sharon successfully passed the BSAC Oxygen Administration course. Helen and Chris Clarke sat through the day as a refresher and never complained when asked to sit the assessments, which they, fortunately, passed.

Congratulations go to everyone, but instructors Simon and Ed were particularly impressed with a certain newly qualified Ocean Diver who was the only one to gain 100% in her written assessment. Well done Sharon!

Chris Morrissey dives!

Yes, it's true. We thought he would never get out of the warm waters of the pool, but Chris finally donned his drysuit and proved to all that the icy waters of Capernwray hold no fears for him. Chris and instructor Matt hardly shivered at all during the two dives at Capernwray during one of the coldest and snowiest days since records were kept.

Meanwhile Steve Finch, the self styled "bald eagle," successfully ticked off some more boxes in his continuing sports diver refresher program. Next stop: less regs!

Fred passes his theory test
Fearless Fred passed his Ocean Diver theory test on Thursday night. Well done mate, the cold waters of Capernwray beckon........

Car boot sale

When: Sunday, 5th March, 2006. 1100 till 1500 then off to the pub!

Where: 21 Deanfield Court, Clitheroe BB7 1QS (unit on industrial estate - see map)

Whats is all about: It’s a car boot sale where individuals or clubs and bring and sell anything they want. We suspect that it will mainly feature dive gear.

Who can come: Any member of the BSAC.

Who is going to be there?

• BSAC branches from the North West and Yorkshire regions
• The ‘O-Ring King’ - qualified Scuba technician for advice and queries
• A BSAC area coach and some members of the regional coaching team

How much to have a stand or come along? £3.00 admission per person - all donated to the R.N.L.I.

How do I get further details and book our places in advance?

Call Matt Taylor: Mobile 07989 393356 - Email matt.taylor@rvsac.org OR Simon Campbell: Mobile 07815 091342 – Email simon.campbell@rvsac.org

Sarah and Lawrence pass theory test
Sarah and Lawrence passed their Ocean Diver theory tests on Thursday night. Well done guys! The cold waters of Capernwray beckon........

Pete Sidebotham
Pete Sidebotham has been elected communications officer of RVSAC. Following the AGM of the club Pete begged for the position and was duly elected.

Fred taken by nasty viral infection
Fred's residing in Bradford hospital with his feet up whilst he's recovering from a bad throat infection. Get well soon, mate.

Web training
RVSAC go web mad and learn to use the Xplode content management system. Members of the club decided to learn how to update content onto the RVSAC website... Expect loads of new content over the coming weeks!!!

Tony Hargan award
Former Diving Officer, Tony Hargan received annually presented 'quaich' for biggest contribution to RVSAC at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club. The 'quaich' was presented to the club by Fiona Hood who is a member of RVSAC but is now sailing around the world!!

New officers
Following the RVSAC annual general meeting Simon Campbell was elected diving officer and Ed Howarth training officer.

New trips and expeditions for 2006
There are piles of new expeditions and trips listed on the smartgroups forum for 2006. Take a look by clicking here.

Combined nitrox course passed in bulk by RVSAC divers
25% of the Ribble Valley Sub Aqua Club membership were recently certified as advanced nitrox divers in one sitting!!! Ed Howarth, open water instructor & member of the regional coaching team, organised the combined nitrox course which attracted divers from all over the region.

This two day course combines the basic nitrox with more advanced use of the mix for accelerated decompression. Taking part were: Tony Hargan, Brian 'O-ring' Cooper, Matt Taylor, Pete Sidebotham, Neil Potts and Steve Finch. Gary Arthur, Chair of the RVSAC, scored an unbeatable 100% in the theory examination. Well done Gary and to all the team!!

Scottish DCI Helpline number
VERY IMPORTANT - The telephone number of the Scottish Diver DCI Helpline has changed to 0845 408 6008. The previous number will soon be no longer in use..

Simon Campbell passes FCD
Simon Campbell has passed his Fist Class Diver Assessment. He is now 872 in the register of First Class Divers in the BSAC. To see the column he wrote for Dive magazine about the experience, click here.

Yorkshire Conference

Training Officer Simon Campbell is speaking at the Yorkshire Region Conference . The conference is taking place at Askham Bryan College, York (see http://www.bsac-yorkshire.co.uk/ for more details).

The subject will be on the Regional Expedition Scheme. For a download of the presentation or further details of the Regional Expedition Scheme click here.

Pippa Pregnant
Pippa Potts our social secretary is pregnant. This is fantastic news and we wish Social Secretary Pippa and Equipment Officer Neil all the very best..

Pembrokeshire locking bollard
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority will be erecting a lockable bollard on the track down to St Brides beach to control vehicular access. A key will be provided to any responsible dive club, free of charge, on production of a launch and recovery risk assessment for public beaches and third party insurance for the activity. 2 South Wales Clubs have already been authorised following local consultation. If you wish to obtain a key then please contact: Philip Lees, Senior Ranger West, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, 07968 343951, bryntirion@hotmail.com

Matt completes OWI course

Matt Taylor, club treasurer, passed the final stage of his BSAC Open Water Instructor examination. He received a merit for his theory paper - GURU or what.. Well done Matt...

Roy Curwen Dive Leader
Roy Curwen our planning officer makes Dive Leader. Instructor Ed Howarth finished his training in the warm waters of Caperwray on 28 June 2005.. Congratulations Roy... Advanced diver next!!

New dates on the RVSAC calendar
NEW FACILITY - GROUP CALENDAR - New training / expeditions on the RVSAC calendar. Go to ''calendar'' on the left menu then view ''by month''. Everone with a RVSAC email address will be able to post comments, pictures, documents and new dates into the calendar.

Holyhead Port Control - Information for divers May 2005

• Holyhead Port Control is on VHF Ch 14.
• The Ferries give their movements on Ch 14. and most port users, including the Coast Guard, monitor it.
  Dive boats must inform Port Control if they enter the fairways.
• Contact the Coast Guard before and after you dive; Holyhead Port Control is on VHF Ch 14.
• Do not drift dive in or near the approaches to Holyhead. The currents are strong and may carry you into the fairways.
• Fast ferries operate in the area, The largest does 40 knots and pumps out 100 tonnes of water a second through her water jets. They may create breaking waves in the shallower water.
• Busiest ferry times are: 0830 – 0930, 1130 – 1500, 1800 – 1930 (There may be ferries or other ships outside these times)
• The wreck “Oria” is directly on the Fast Ferry approach track.
• The “Kirkmichael” is close to the breakwater where large waves may break.
• The flood tide commences 1 hour 40 mins before LW Holyhead. It runs NE across the harbour entrance. A local ebb tide starts about 1 hour 30 mins before HW, close to the breakwater.

For more information on tides and diving conditions, contact Anglesey Divers: http://www.diveanglesey.co.uk+tel/. 01407 764 545

Neil and Pippa wedding
Neil and Pippa wedding photos available online. Click here

The self styled 'O' ring king (Brian Cooper) and Steve Finch join RVSAC

The self styled 'O' ring king (Brian Cooper) and Steve (I like to crawl around underground) Finch join RVSAC. 'O' ring (or 'O' to his mates) is an approved sub-aqua equipment service engineer and is also is a member of the SAA. He comes with great experience crossing over as an Advanced Diver & Open Water Instructor. A very useful man to have on diving expeditions.

Steve, who is a leading light in the 'Cave Rescue Organisation' / Mountain Rescue, has started diving again after a twelve year 'rest'..

New BSAC National Diving Comittee (NDC) recommendation for rate of Artificial Ventilations (AV)

URGENT - New BSAC National Diving Comittee (NDC) recommendation for rate of Artificial Ventilations (AV) see the BSAC technical section

Ed Howarth joins the club

Ed Howarth, former training officer with the Macclesfield BSAC branch has joined RVSAC. Ed is an Open Water Instructor and also a member of the North West regional coaching team. Ed is going for his Advanced Instructor in the autumn. He joins Simon, Neil and Matt on the instructor team.. Welcome Ed. Hopefully his delightful wife Helen will join the club soon...

Oban trip now on
For details click here

New Club Calendar
For details click here

Pete Sidebotham's report on the Loch Fyne trip

Our new star author, Pete Sidebotham writes account of the Lock Fyne trip.

New costs for launching boats in Anglesey

A registration scheme for PWCs (jet skis) and all powered craft of 10hp and above is to be run throughout Anglesey for the forthcoming season, summer 2005, starting in April. Click here for full details

Simon Campbell takes first step to First Class Diver

Simon Campbell takes first step to First Class Diver by Passing the theory section of the four part examination. His next task is to write the expedition plan and then complete the two practical examinations in September 2005. These are being held in the Cumbrae area of South West Scotland.

Pippa & Neil make sports diver

Pippa and Neil Potts make Sport Diver. This recently married couple completed their training in Loch Fyne on March 26th, 2005. To find out more on Pippa and Neil, click their individual names or click here.

In deep conference 2005

The BSAC North West Regional Conference 'IN DEEP' is on Sunday the 16th October, 2005 at the Leyland Hotel just off junction 28 of the M6. Further details will follow..

If you have any ideas or offers of assistance, please contact the organiser Steve Pearson of the Chorley branch.

4m deep pool available for training

Four metre deep Oldham Diving pool is available Wednesday nights 8.00pm to 9.00pm. It is ideal for training purposes e.g. first dry suit lesson. If any club is interested in using our facility on an occasional basis with a small contribution towards the hire of the pool could they either e-mail jennifer.bromley@amrtextiles.co.uk or telephone Cliff Worthington on 0161 661 1590.

Pete Sidebotham an Advanced Diver

Pete Sidebotham completes his Advanced Diver qualification after starting in in 1997!!!

To find out more about Pete click here.

Fiona Hood makes Sports Diver

Fiona Hood makes Sport Diver and is now racing on to her Dive Leader before she goes on her round the world trip with her yachtmaster partner David and daughter Natasha.