WHAT'S BUBBLING

The Newsletter of RUGBY SUB-AQUA CLUB

APRIL 1998

No doubt you will have read in the latest Diver that Novice Diver is no more, and has been replaced by a new 'Club Diver' qualification. The new grade was unveiled to the Club at a special meeting at Ryton, attended on the Club's behalf by Bob Kempton.

Club Divers will have received all the old Sports Diver training except decompression planning and rescues involving AV. As before there are a number of required training dives. What is new is the need to have completed five different types of dive from a list of nine, covering a under a variety of conditions. Something some of us have wanted to return to for dome time. Unlike Novice Divers, Club Divers may dive together, but only in controlled circumstances. The new grade may only be taught by Assistant Instructors or above.

Sports Diver

Clearly the advent of Club Diver has a knock on effect on Sports Diver, which will now include theory, sheltered water and open water training in AV, AV rescue and decompression stop diving.

Experience Scuba

This is the new name for the Introduction Course, which is more or less unchanged. It will now formally be the first classroom and pool lesson of the Club Diver award.

Where Does This Leave Us?

Given the changes, we have decided not to hold a May Introduction Course, but instead to concentrate on getting the existing Novice Divers up to Sports Diver. We can then make a clean start on Club Diver in September.

The fact that only Assistant Instructors may teach the new award means that more work may fall on certain members. However this doesn't mean that others cannot play there part. No doubt John Fletcher will have ideas how we can all make this work. Of course, the more people who go on an Instructor Training Course, the better.

You will very shortly be asked to vote on important changes to the Club's constitution. These changes are intended to provide a stable management structure, and importantly, to recognise that some posts require specific skills or qualifications.

Unfortunately only about 5% of the membership usually votes. This time round it is prticularly important that you use your vote and that the outcome isn't decided by a relatively small number of members (pro or anti). It's your Club and your vote. Use it!

There are however Sports Diver classroom sessions up to 20th July.
See Training Diary page 4. for details.

Club News			Page 2

Jottings - The Editor's Bit	Page 3

Trip News			Page 4

Club & Training Diary		Page 5

Mole				Page 6

From Deepest Suffolk		Page 7

Questionnaire results		Page 8