Scubaducks News

Visit this page regularly for updates and on Scubaducks, we aim to add updates once a week.

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28th April 2010

CLUB NIGHT TALK – THIS THURSDAY 29th APRIL 7.30pm – TIM ECOTT - 'Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World'
Tim Ecott, author of the best-selling book 'Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World' will be talking at our club night on April 29th. Tim wrote the script for the movie version of the BBC's 'Blue Planet' and his diving pieces appear regularly in the national press and in Diver magazine. He is a board member of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and has dived all over the world. He will talk about the early history of diving and on some of the places he has dived recently; Cayman, Tanzania, Mozambique and Maldives. Signed copies of 'Neutral Buoyancy' will be on sale on the night.
Places are limited please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members and non members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)
Talk to take place at Scubaducks Dive Centre.




UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY DEBRIEF – WEDNESDAY 5th MAY 6pm – 7pm – Free of Charge
A number of people have taken the Digital Underwater Photography Course over the last few months this is a session run by Val Mills our resident photography expert, where you can bring in the photos you have taken and get help with working with them on a computer.
Val will be happy to go through any aspect of the photography you require, just bring your laptop and photos or bring some pictures on a USB stick or disc. Val will be looking at what you can do with these pictures in Photoshop.
You don’t have to have done the course to attend, this is open to anyone, just book your place.
We will have available on the night for purchase, copies of Photoshop Elements 7 at the reduced price of £34.95 instead of the RRP of £75, we only have 5 copies so its first come first served!
If you are interested in attending or want a copy of Photoshop Elements please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members and non members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)


Dolphins taken on recent trip to El Gouna!

NOMADIC DIVERS RETURN FROM EL GOUNA!
Out of 14 of us that went to El Gouna 12 of us got stuck there for an additional 6 days!
We were really well looked after by Longwood Holidays and Thompson Airlines, and ended up being put up on an all inclusive basis at no extra charge! This resulted in an extra 5 days diving and turned a 1 week holiday into a fortnight!
A full report from Sue Thomas will follow soon.
Congratulations to Charlotte Pearce and Donna Green who passed their Open Water courses while there!

CALLING EXPERIENCED SEA DIVERS & BOAT HANDLERS – SUNDAY 2nd MAY
The RIB SCUBADUCK is finally finished from its extensive overhaul and it looks stunning, it is going for engine trials today and subject to everything being OK we are taking it out for its first Dive Trip this Sunday.
We are looking for up to 4 divers with experience diving of a boat in UK waters and / or with boat handling experience to join us for this first trip. We are going to the south coast and want to practice handling the boat dropping off and collecting divers, deploying and recovering the shotline, following drift divers, seeing if we can find wrecks using the new GPS etc.
Cost – we share the expenses of running the boat only £25 ish as a guess, places limited so first come first served only.
If any of the above interests you then please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)

DIVING SOUTH FRANCE – 9th – 12th JULY – HURRY BOOKINGS CLOSING!
Our trip to South of France for diving over the weekend of 9th to 12th of July is getting nearer.
If you want to go on this trip you need to book NOW
We are diving with Diamond Divers (www.diamonddiving.net) Price includes transfers, accommodation for 3 nights, diving, the professional services of Alex Diamond for guides and translation on the boat, weights and air all for £265! You only need to add a flight to this at a cost of £140 currently from BA.
You are not restricted to just this weekend if you want to stay longer, you can, (a couple of people have already decided to do this)
More info on the scubaducks website www.scubaducks.co.uk
If you are interested call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members and non members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)



DIVING WEST COAST SCOTLAND – LIVEABOARD – 11th to 18th SEPTEMBER – 2 PLACES LEFT! £420 per person
We are diving with Ed and Mary aboard the MV James Edgar off the west coast of Scotland visiting wrecks around the coast.
We live on board and enjoy the delights of Mary’s home cooking for breakfast and lunch and then put into a different port each night for the Pub and dinner! More info on the scubaducks website www.scubaducks.co.uk
Minimum requirements – PADI Advanced Open Water, 30+ logged open water dives, Deep specification*, Wreck Specification*.
We have two places left on what looks like being a fantastic trip, but we will have to close bookings very soon so don’t delay!
If any of the above interests you then please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)
* We can carry out these courses by doing the pre work before the trip and then carrying out the qualifying dives while on the trip, contact Paddy or Nic for more info on the course prices, what a fantastic place to train!



POOL REFURBISHMENT – COMPLETION DELAYED
The pool refurbishment is well underway and was due for completion this week, we have however now delayed the opening by a further 2 weeks so that we can get the metalwork properly made and sealed then plastic coated to prevent future rust problems, unfortunately this has delayed the opening now until week commencing 17th May, it will be worth it as this will make the pool a fantastic facility for all members.
If you have a course booked for dates effected by this extension we will be in touch, we are trying to secure use of another pool as a temporary solution but will advise you soon.
Please feel free to come in and see the new lining and pool side it looks terrific!
A special thanks goes out to Andy and Kirsty Dean who single headedly emptied the pool of water and all the sludge and to Mark Adamson and family who popped in to see us and ended up decorating the pool walls for the day! Thanks guys we really appreciate all your help!

TRAVEL INSURANCE & HOLIDAY EXTRAS
We now have preferential travel insurance rates for Members, please go to the links page and click on the Essential Travel link under insurance, here you can book single or Multitrip insurance, Airport parking at discounted rates, airport hotels at discounted rates etc
To get the preferential rate you do need to connect to the website by clicking through this link.
Have a look, I just insured my whole family for £145.79 for the year, worldwide inc USA & Canada, for diving down to 50m! Last year it cost me £347!



“DRY” DIVING COURSES WEEKEND – 8th & 9th MAY
As the pool closure has gone on a lot longer than anticipated we are running a weekend of “Dry” courses, these include
Gas Blender Nitrox - £95
Advanced Gas Blender Trimix -£145
EFR - £95
EFR Refresher - £75
O2 Provider - £95
Nitrox - £95
Equipment Specialist - £95
If any of the above interests you then please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want to attend, open to members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)

DIVER MAGAZINE MAY 2010
The May copy of Diver Magazine has some interesting articles, I just thought I would bring them to your attention

• Page 64 Report on the New Poseidon Mk6 Recreational Rebreather – it features Jack Ingle who trained Nic & I up to Instructor level
• Page 82 an article on Flamboyant Cuttlefish – this was taken at Atlantis Dive Resort in the Philippines – a place we are planning a trip to for next year.
  

DIVE TRIPS FOR 2011
We are planning a number of dive trips and holidays for 2011 and want your input regarding your intrest in what we have planned and welcome suggestions for trips and Holidays, so far we are planning -

• Philippines – 2 week 2 centre Atlantis dive resorts – A photographers dream.
• Maldives – 2 week Manta cleaning station and Whale Shark season
• Malta – 1 week wreck diving
• Egypt – 1 week Dahab family diving holiday
• Egypt – 1 week El Gouna Luxury diving holiday
  

DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE

If any of the above interests you then please call the shop or drop us an email or text if you want more information, open to members and non members – 01296 317787, club@scubaducks.co.uk, 07970325664 (Sue)

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7th April 2010

Service Centre
The new service centre was finished over the Easter Weekend and most of the testing equipment is in place, we are just waiting for the electrics and air supply to be put in and it will be fully operational, we will then be able to offer servicing to pretty well everything scuba including regs & cylinder testing.
If anyone wants to see the new centre please ask one of us and we will be proud to show you around.
We would like to thank all those that volunteered their time and help in getting it up and running with special mentions to Steve Field, Paul Ewans and Geoff Weeden, you guys were such an asset to us getting so much done in so little time!
Pictures will be on the website very soon.



Club Night – Thursday 8th April
Tomorrow is club night, the main one of the month (second Thursday of each month) at The Honey Bee in Fairford Leys, Aylesbury
We meet at 7.30 for 8pm they have good food on a 2 for one offer, children welcomed.
This month they are giving us our own area at the back of the pub so please support us by coming down and introducing yourself and meeting some of the other 160 members (yes we are up to that now!)
We have a little presentation to members who have passed courses in the previous month – this month the following will receive their award and they attend they go into the draw to win a £25 voucher to spend in store!
Ian Stainer
Chris Smith
Gemma Smith
Geoff Mountford
Harold Pearce
Caroline Misselbrook
Neil Misselbrook
Paul Quinn
Peter Ward

Pool Closure – 5th April to 1st May
Yesterday we closed down the pool and started to pump it out, ir should be empty by the close of today!
The old platform that made the shallow end is being scrapped as it is falling apart and is being replaced with a steel construction.
The whole pool and the platform will then be fiberglassed in pale blue to create a sealed pool that will not need maintenance for 25 years!
We are adding an underwater video camera so we can screen what is happening downstairs in the shop to enable spectators to see what is going on as well as increasing the safety aspect by having the shop staff able to monitor what is going on.
Then the final finishing touch is the rubberised non slip rubber flooring that is going to laid all around the pool and through the changing rooms.
By the end we should have a crystal clear pool for you to enjoy.
Anticipated opening is to be May 1st

RIB Scubaduck
The RIB has gone through a complete refurbishment over the winter and is now equipped with a large bottle rack and all the required equipment for diving.
We would like to thank those that have helped in getting it ready Neil McIntosh and especially Steve Field who has project managed the changes and got it done in time for the first dive of the season (see below)
To keep the costs down diving will be carried out as a group of friends from the dive club going diving, rather than a commercial official dive trip, this is because the cost of insurance is in excess of £3k and the dive trips would just not be viable, so we dive as a group of friends and contribute to the running costs on a not for profit basis. Just to cover ourselves you will be required to sign a disclaimer.



Diving Brighton – 18th April 2010
Boat: Brighton Diver - has a lift
Leave Time: 0715 from Brighton marina
2 dives: one wreck one drift
Wreck
The Pentrych, depth 22m to the bottom wreck rises up 7-8m.
Pentrych SS, a 3.382 grt 1889 built cargo steamer was torpedoed by a submarine on 18/04/1918. She was carrying coal. Pentrych, Built in 1899 as a Steamer of 3.382 ton. British Merchantman of 3,312grt, defensively-armed, 18 April 1918, 5 miles WNW from Brighton Ligh Vessel, English Channel. Torpedoed without warning and sunk by submarine, 1 life lost by UB-40 a German submarine.
Drift
10-12m drift over reef/ ledge
Cost: £40-£45 depending on numbers
should be a good day Brighton is a really easy marina to use plus good day out for non divers
Organiser – Adam Blunt 07770 783568 adamblunt@live.co.uk

Red Sea Liveaboard - 8th-15Th AUGUST 2010 ON BOARD SNEFRO SPIRIT
Peter Lightowler has been in touch with Peter Collins about laying on a boat to dive the SS Turkia, a newly discovered wreck very similar the the Thistlegorm but shallower  10 to 24 metres .
For more info about Turkia see
http://www.aquatours.com/wrecks/turkia.htm
Below  is  a rough Itinerary copied from an email from Peter.
Date is confirmed as  8th to 15th August and cost will be about £1,000.
So far there is myself and Heather, and 1 other.
We're looking for a minimum of 8 in total, then numbers will be made up from divers Peter knows.

TURKIA EXPEDITION 8th-15Th AUGUST 2010 ON BOARD SNEFRO SPIRIT
TO INCLUDE;
·        ESCORTED TRIP WITH PETER COLLINGS (details below)
·        FREE NITROX
·        £100.00 OFF DECO PROCEDURES, ADVANCED WRECK, ADVANCED NITROX, ERD COURSES, BOOKED IN ADVANCE.
·        TAYLORED ITINERARY TO SUIT GROUP
·        TRANSFERS, FOOD, SOFT DRINKS TEA, COFFEE, SNACKS ,6 DAYS DIVING,SINGLE 12L CYLINDER
·        FLIGHTS
·        MARINE PARK FEES, SPECIAL PERMISSIONS, CHAMBER FEES
·       HISTORICAL PRESENTATIONS
Each night Peter will give a unique insight into the next days  wreck diving .His archive library of pictures featuring many of the ships as they were before sank give  a vivid idea  of their history. These presentations also form a part of the detailed briefing ensuring the diver is full informed about the wrecks.
·       UNIQUE  ITINERARIES
Many of the itineries feature wrecks which are not included in the usual “tourist” routes. ZIETIEH, BACCHIS,CARINA, ALASKA, TURKIA, TURBO, EL QAHER,EL TOR EL ARISH are but a few of the 40 wrecks available.
·       HIGHLY DETAILED BRIEFINGS
Ships plans, detailed drawings and underwater footage are featured in each highly detailed briefing, ensuring the diver gets the very best of each wreck.
·       GUIDED TOURS
Peter is always on hand to personally guide divers around and indeed through the wrecks, catering for both the first  time visitor and the repeat guest

GULF OF SUEZ-PROPOSED ITINERARY
DAY 1 WARM UP ON  DUNRAVEN & THISTLEGORM,
OVERNIGHT TO ZAFARANA dive TURKIA
DAY 2  ( 3 dives –also search for Loullia,”cement wreck”.)
DAY 3/4/5. This will depend on the results of our May and July expeditions but will include SCALLARIA, BAKR,ABOUDY,
Night dive at SHUKIER-BIRCHOOD 11
And if we have located them; SHILLONG:. DOMIAT ,IVY B, TALITA
DAY 6 ROSALIE MOLLER
SOME OF THE WRECKS IN THE GULF OF SUEZ; M.V. ELLIOT

If you are interested in this trip please contact us at Scubaducks or Peter Lightowler direct on 07961 406622

Boat Diving off the RIB Scubaduck Sunday 25th April
Launch - Hythe Marina
Dive – to be decided nearer the time
Divers – 8 max
Experience – PADI AOW or equivalent with a minimum of 10 UK sea dives
This is the first run out diving from the rib so it will be more about getting used to the boat handling putting out and recovering the shot line etc.
If you are interested please contact the shop and put your name down
Estimated cost - £30 a head for the day.
Organiser – Paddy 07980640101

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15th March 2010

Monthly Club Night
We had our first monthly club night on Thursday and it was well attended with everyone getting a chance to meet each other and make new friends and buddies.
We had a presentation of awards for those that completed courses in January and February and the winners of the £25 voucher drawn for each month were
January – Martyn Dunn
February – Ian Stainer
Pictures of the presentation are going up on the website.
The next club night is on Thursday 8th April – see you there!


PADI PRO NIGHT – Thursday March 25th – Scubaducks Dive Centre
Richard Hawse our regional manager from PADI will be giving a great talk on becoming and remaining a PADI PRO.
This looks at all that you can do within the organisation both home and abroad.
If you are a PADI Pro or are thinking of becoming one then this is the night for you to learn all that you want about being a diving Professional.
After we are going to The Bengal Blue Indian Restaurant for dinner and Nic & Paddy will outline how you can earn money and rewards by working with Scubaducks.
If you haven't already done so please can you call drop us an email to get yourself a place on this night – we are a little limited on the space so first come first served!
PLEASE PLEASE can you LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE ATTENDING as we need to book the restaurant!
We only have 4 people confirmed at the moment! Please call the shop on 01296 317787 to book your place!



Shark Diving Photography Course – June 19th 2010
We went to The Blue Planet Aquarium and dived with sharks – a fantastic experience!
While there they asked us if we would be interested in being the trial run for their new Shark Photography Course

The Shark Photography Course is designed to allow qualified divers to bring cameras and take photographs in the Caribbean Reef Exhibit in the Aquarium. The course is designed to allow divers with photography experience into the aquarium to take once in a lifetime images of Europe’s largest collection of sharks. Divers must be qualified to a minimum of Open Water Diver (PADI), Ocean Diver (BSAC) or equivalent, with proof of a logged dive in the last six months. Divers will be required to complete a PADI medical form and the Blue Planet Disclaimer and Indemnity form prior to commencing the course. The course will start at 14:00 and finish around 19:00- 20:00.

Divers will be required to bring their own camera or may hire one from Scubaducks Dive Centre for £25 (which will include 1 pool session to get you familiar with the camera). The divers can bring their own SCUBA equipment or borrow ours. The course will run with 9 divers maximum and divers will go into the tank 3 at a time and the dive will last between 30-40 minutes. The first 3 hours of the course will teach divers how to use their cameras to maximum effect in the aquarium. They will also learn skills in photography which they can then apply to diving elsewhere.

The normal course price will be £199 per diver and £2 off admission for general spectators. However, I would like to offer it to your divers at £150 per diver with free entry into the aquarium for 10 spectators.

There are only 9 places and 4 have been taken already, you will need to be quick if you want to go on this trip!


Diving in Dahab – June 20th – 27th 2010
We have been given an extension to the closing date for taking the places on this trip!
So far there are 12 of us booked on the trip and it is a 50 / 50 split between advanced open water divers and instructors! So a good mix!
We have 2 twin rooms left, one Mountain View and one Sea View, we have 4 places on the flights as well.
The price is £570 per person and £139 for a 5 day 10 dive package.
If you are interested and want to book please download the Longwood booking forrm from the website www.scubaducks.co.uk/downloads.html
I have attached details of the Hotel.
Dahab is a great place to dive and has some of the most spectacular dive sites it is all shore based diving so makes for shorter days which is handy if you are travelling with non diving family!
It is also probably the best area to dive in the sea for the first time, so come on don’t be shy come and join us on a great diving experience!



Dry Dive Report – By Sue Jones
A dry dive in London Dive Chambers (LDC) hyperbaric chamber is an exciting and interesting way to experience the effects of pressure and
possible nitrogen narcosis (The Bends) in a safe controlled environment.
6 intrepid Club Divers of varying experience made it to Central Londonat the end of Jan to test their ability at depth, minus the water. After
the usual friendly briefing from LDC staff we took a comprehension test at the surface. We then entered the chamber and got compressed to 50m.
I won't give all the experience secrets away but suffice to say it was a fascinating and unique hour with much hilarity. We took the same test
again at 50m staying some 12 minutes before decompressing on pure oxygen. We all felt degrees of narcosis and the tests proved it with one
guy getting significantly better scores (he may have understood the test better the second time!) one staying steadfastly the same (interestingly
the most experienced diver) and the majority of us doing worse. It was a great way to prepare for what could happen under water and all agreed it
would lessen the risk of panic and therefore possible DCI (Decompression Illness).
Computers are allowed and the dive is logged.

Pictures via Paul Quinn on the website
Participants - Christine Dunn, Sue Jones, Ray Dunne, Pete Harris, Paul
Quinn and Ian Stainer
Web link - www.londondivingchamber.co.uk

Paddy has applied for his Recompression Chamber Awarness Distinctive Instructor Rating and we intend to do another Dry Dive in the autumn where you can get another PADI qualification. If you would like to take part in this please register your interest by calling or emailing the shop.


SCOTLAND LIVABOARD – September 11th to 18th
We have 3 places left on this trip, it is going to be a great wrecks tour of the west coast!
Ed the skipper has added two new cabins and is as we speak fitting a shiny new diver lift for easy exits!
Please call now or email if you want more info or to book the last few places.
Only £420 per person!
CLOSING DATE for this trip is 30th MARCH
£70 secures your place!


DIVING CALVERT – 20th March
Diving can now commence at Calvert, we will be running several trips there over the Summer and I will be sending you out a full set of the rules and regulations in the next few days. But the main ones are as follows.

• We are guests of Great Moor Sailing Club at Calvert, Sailing has priority over Diving and we MUST respect that.
• There is NO DIVING on Sundays or on other sailing race days, please contact Scubaducks for more information
• All dives must be paid for through Scubaducks - £7 for Scubaducks members and £17 for non members.
• Only divers who have dived and have their receipt may dive. Routine checks will be carried out by Scubaducks and Great Moor Sailing Club any unpaid for diving will result in the loss of your deposit.
• A deposit for the Key and dive kit of £200 will be required and refunded on return of undamaged equipment.
• The key will allow you access to the site only and not into the changing rooms or club house, we will have access to these facilities when we are running a Scubaducks event there.
• There must be shore cover at all times while diving.
• A divers in water sign must be displayed on the gate and a diving flag displayed on the flag pole (these will be provided as part of a Kit by Scubaducks)
• There must be a minimum of a PADI Rescue Diver  with O2 provider and current EFR certification (or equivalent) at the site (diving or non diving).
• An O2 kit and first aid kit must also be on site (provided in the kit from Scubaducks)
  

We are diving up there on Saturday 20th March – meeting at Scubaducks at 9.30 and aiming to be at Calvert by 10.30.
If you are interested you need to book and pay your entry fee BEFORE going to the dive site – you can do this by telephone if required.
We are taking the van so we can take air down for you just book what you need through the shop.


News from the shop
We now have a comprehensive display and range of Miflex hoses for your regulators – these ultralight hoses can cut down serious weight while travelling as well as being much more flexible and they come in a huge variety of lengths and colours!
We now have a large selection of last season Oceanic Wet Suits, we bought a job lot from Oceanic and have some great deals for you bargain hunters, many of the suits are less than half price – they are all hung upstairs, come by and grab a bargain!


New Team Members and Team Member Upgrades!
This last month has seen the arrival of the following members to the team

• Dean Hedges – IDC Staff Instructor
• Paul Quinn – Open Water Scuba Instructor
• Mark Adamson – Divemaster
  

And has seen the following climb the professional ranks

• Val Mills – Assistant Instructor
• Steve Field – Assistant Instructor
• Paddy Green – IDC Staff Instructor

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8th March 2010

CLUB NIGHT – Thursday 11th March 8pm onwards – Honey Bee Pub
This Thursday is the first of our Monthly Club Nights, we are still going down to the Honey Bee each Thursday but we have one main club night each month now on the 2nd Thursday of the month so that those of you that can only occasionally make it to the night know which one is the best night to attend.

We will be presenting award certificates to all those that have achieved a qualification in the previous month, if you attend to collect your award you will be entered into the monthly draw to win a £25 voucher to spend in store, but you have to be there to win it! You will get your photo taken and go up in the hall of fame!

This month is a bumper month as we are presenting awards for January and February on the same night.

This months Superstars who have awards to collect this Thursday are:-

• Bill Petchell
• Bobby Ellis
• Chris Smith
• Chris Winman
  
• Geoff Mountford
• Ian Stainer
• Jonathan Horn
• Karen Sinden
• Karen Jeffries
• Martyn Dunn
• Pete Harris
• Peter Ward
• Rob Payce
• Steve Sinden
• Tim Buddle
• Val Mills
• Tony Brock
• Jeff Creamer
• Rob Bleasdale
  

Please give these club nights your best support as it is a great way of meeting divers and finding new buddies!

PADI PRO NIGHT – Thursday March 25th – Scubaducks Dive Centre
Richard Hawse our regional manager from PADI will be giving a great talk on becoming and remaining a PADI PRO.
This looks at all that you can do within the organisation both home and abroad.
If you are a PADI Pro or are thinking of becoming one then this is the night for you to learn all that you want about being a diving Professional.

After we are going to The Bengal Blue Indian Restaurant for dinner and Nic & Paddy will outline how you can earn money and rewards by working with Scubaducks.

If you haven't already done so please can you call drop us an email to get yourself a place on this night – we are a little limited on the space so first come first served!

DAHAB – June 20th to 27th
There are still 4 places on the Dahab Diving Trip in June, but these really MUST be taken by the end of the week or they will be lost – call us NOW if you want more info or to book.

SCOTLAND LIVABOARD – September 11th to 18th
We have 3 places left on this trip, it is going to be a great wrecks tour of the west coast!
Ed the skipper has added two new cabins and is as we speak fitting a shiny new diver lift for easy exits!
Please call now or email if you want more info or to book.
£70 secures your place!

STOP PRESS!
SETT – Submarine Escape Training Tank
I have just come off the phone from SETT, I am afraid it is very bad news.
Not only are we going to have to cancel the visit to SETT but I have been told the reason for the delay is that Defence Estates have the whole site under review and that it is very likely that it is going to close down completely!
So guys I am sorry to have to cancel the trip but if the facility does not exist than there is not much we can do about it.
They have promised to keep me informed and if the situation changes we are first on the list!

DIVING CALVERT – 20th March
I should here tomorrow (Wednesday) that diving will commence at Calvert! At long last I here you cry!
So what I am proposing is that now SETT is cancelled we go to Calvert instead and explore our new local dive site!
We will give more details at the club night on Thursday, but in the meantime if you are interested in joining us for this dive please call or email us to register your interest.

SECOND HAND DIVING EQUIPMENT
We have helped a few of you to try and sell your second hand diving equipment but this is not proving very successful as we are gaining more than we sell!
So what we will do from now on is put any Items that you want sold on to Ebay, we will do this without a reserve price (occasional exceptions) and then after ebay and paypal fees we will take a commission of 20% returning the balance to you. You can of course just sell it on ebay yourself.
So if you are looking for a bargain please visit the UK Ebay site and look us up under ScubaducksDC and book mark us then each time we put something up there you will be informed – there is nothing there at the moment but will be by the end of the week!




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16th February 2010

The new British Leisure Showwww.britishleisureshow.com , to be held from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st March 2010, at the Royal Windsor Racecourse on the picturesque banks of the River Thames, is a brand new exhibition and family show, celebrating some of Britain’s most loved outdoor pursuits and hobbies with new products and ideas from a fantastic range of companies in the dedicated leisure zones; Outdoor & Country, Britain & Abroad, Caravan & Camping, Cars & Bikes, Britain&Abroad, Extreme Sports, Motorhomes & Campervans, Boats & Watersports and Holiday Homes.
 
The British Leisure Show is a unique family-friendly event that offers a great day out for fans of the outdoors, with a variety of things to see and skills to learn about. Some of the free activities include Cycling, Canoeing, Diving, Land Yachting, Kite Making & Flying, Mountain Biking, Boat Building, Indo Boarding, Mountain Boarding, Running, Horse Riding, Dinghy Sailing, Geocaching, Running, Fly Fishing, Rowing and Quad Biking, Bungee jumping.   
 
Attractions for children include a Kite Making Workshop, Boat Building workshop, Play Zone and Climb Trials.
 
With FREE parking, FREE activities, FREE show guides, Free Child Safe Zone scheme, onsite camping and dedicated boat trips to Windsor town, it’s definitely a show worth visiting.
The nearest trains stations Windsor and Eton Central, Windsor, Eton Riverside and Slough.
Venue Address:  Royal Windsor Racecourse, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 5JJ

To take advantage of the special ticket offer, simply visit www.britishleisureshow.com  and enter the code ‘scubaducks’ when making your ticket purchase. Daily adult tickets are £10, family £20 and OAPs £5.

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15th February 2010

STOP PRESS! - Change to Club night talks!
This Thursdays Club Night Talk has changed, it was meant to be the PADI pro talk but due to unforeseen circumstances this has been postponed to March 25th!
Instead Paddy Green will be giving his presentation on diving in the Philippines this Thursday 18th Feb we know it is short notice but please come along and support this event it starts at 7.30 at Scubaducks Dive Centre.

The PADI Pro Night on the 25th March
This is a great presentation Richard Hawse PADI area manager will come and give a presentation (its really very good!) to all potential and all existing PADI Pros. We are then booking a table at Bengal Blue Indian Restaurant for after where Nic & Paddy will give you an overview on the future development of Scubaducks and how you can be involved and how you can earn money as a PADI Pro working with Scubaducks.
We strongly urge ALL existing PADI pros that are associated with Scubaducks and ALL of you that are thinking of becoming a PADI Pro to book a place on this as it is quite inspiring – places are limited so please book your place on this with Sue or Paddy – u2us@scubaducks.co.uk or call 01296 317787.

STOP PRESS! - Discounted space on Nemo 33 trip 26th to 28th Feb
Due to Paddy having to pull out (forgot he was on holiday! Doh!) Steve Field stepped in and took his place, Steve has now been signed off from diving due to a knee injury!
This leaves a fully paid for trip to Nemo 33 – its a use it or loose it opportunity and both Paddy and Steve have said that they would rather it was used as it is paid for – but if someone wants the place and wants to contribute something towards their costs it would be appreciated.
The trip includes Eurostar return, diving at Nemo 33 in Brussels and 2 nights accommodation, depart Friday 26th evening return Sunday 28th afternoon.
You don’t need to take your kit with you.
If you are interested please contact us immediately as the deadline for changing the Eurostar ticket is this Friday 19th February
Email – paddy.green@scubaducks.co.uk or call Paddy on 07980640101.

PADI 2010 Forum – Thursday 11th March 2010 – 19.00 at Northampton
As a PADI Pro (Divemaster or above) it is strongly urged by PADI that you attend a PADI Forum at least once every 2 years (annual is preferable).
This years local one is on 11th March at The Holiday Inn Northampton West, M1 Junction 16, High Street, Flore, NN7 4LP.
This year there are some major changes in the PADI system and a major overhaul and revision of the Instructor manual, so it is strongly recommended that you attend this year.
Paddy will be going and can offer a lift to other interested PADI Pros, if you would like to attend please contact Paddy on 07980640101 or email paddy.green@scubaducks and he will put you on the list.
The Forum is free of charge.

Shark Diving – Blue Planet Aquarium Ellesmere Port
This weekend sees a group of us going to Blue Planet Aquarium to dive with the sharks! This trip sold out in a couple of hours with many of you being disappointed, so we are organising another trip, it is a maximum of 14 people and we already have 5 people on the waiting list!
If you would like to go on this (it will be in the Autumn) please register your interest as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, when we have the numbers we will book a date that is acceptable to everyone.
It costs £125 per diver – you have to take all your own equipment (Scubaducks can hire out anything you are short of)  and you need to be PADI OW (or equivalent) and is open to any qualified diver (under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent or Guardian).
Remember the places on this will go VERY quickly, so don’t hesitate register your interest now by emailing – u2us@scubaducks.co.uk or calling Paddy on 07980650101.

Scubaducks receives an award!
Paddy Nic & Sue recently attended the Oceanic Dealer Conference which was a 2 day event looking at treds in the diving industry as well as new products coming out!
One of the most exciting things is the new side mount technology where cylinders are not mounted on your back but on your sides! Sounds weird but it is actually very exciting, watch this space for more info and the opportunity to attend a club night talk on the subject including the opportunity to try it out in the pool!
But the highlight of the conference was Gala Dinner (a black tie affair) where presentations were handed out and we were delighted and amazed that we won the Most Promising Newcomer award, which considering we have only been with oceanic since the Summer is quite an achievement, we would like to thank all of you for your part in achieving this.
The award is on display in the shop please stop by to see it.

Diving Liveaboard – Scotland 11th to 18th September 2010
OK guys its make your mind up time, we have to pay the deposit on this by the end of February to secure this trip, so far we have 3 people confirmed and the minimum is 8 – If you are interested in going on this trip you need to act NOW!
It is open to anyone who is Advanced Open Water and above with at least 10 UK sea dives under their belt, we do however recommend Deep Specification and Wreck Specification as we will mainly be diving wrecks. These can be carried out during the week as there are Instructors going.
We will be diving the West Coast of Scotland living on board the boat and putting into a different port each night.
The cost for the week is £420.00 including breakfast and lunch! Air and nitrox are extra and you will need to put aside money to get there and back as well as your evening meal and beer vouchers!
This will be a fabulous weeks diving if we can get enough people, so its up to you guys get your £70 deposit in by the end of February or we will have to cancel the trip.

Membership
This is the last newsletter that will go out to all members, after this it will only go to those that are paid up.
If you have joined, thank you, your membership pack is at the store awaiting your collection if you haven't already done so.
If you havent already joined then please do so via the web at www.scubaducks.co.uk.
If you no longer want to be a member and wish to be taken off the mailing list then please reply to this email stating that and you will be removed.

Club Night
We have revised the Club Night to make it easier for more of us to meet.
From now on we will have one main Club Night per month while continuing with our informal get together on a Thursday after the shop shuts at 7.30.
This will also be our presentation night, we will be handing out certificats to those that qualified in the previous month, so if you have carried out some training you definatly want to be here to be recognised for your achievement!
So here are the Club Night Dates for 2010 (basically the second Thursday in the Month)
All Club Nights are at the Honey Bee in Fairford Leys starting at 7.30pm
11th March
8th April
13th May
10th June
8th July
12th August
9th September
14th October
11th November
9th December
The 11th March Club Night will be a biggie as all those that completed courses with us in January and February will get their awards so if you have completed some training with us make sure you are there.
For those that attend the Club Night to receive their reward you will be entered into a free prize draw to win a £25 voucher to spend in store – one entry per course completed, and is only available to those that attend the night!

POOL CLOSURE
We are giving you advanced notice of the pool closure.
We are having the pool refurbished, this will involve draining it for a period of about 3 weeks while we have a new platform fitted and then the whole of the inside will be fibreglassed – this will stop the contaminant problem we have from the rust causing the water to go green, we will then be back to Blue Water Diving! It will be carried out over the Easter period and be closed for 2 / 3 weeks.


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1st February 2010

MEMBERSHIP
Thank you to all those that have completed your membership forms and
returned them, if you don’t already have your card you can collect it from
the shop or email us to post it to you!
Those of you that have not renewed your membership yet can do one of the
following
1. Download a form from the web, fill it in and return it by post hand or
scanned, or renew by filling in the application form on line.
2. If you no longer want membership please just reply to this email and we
will delete you from the database.
This will be the last email that goes out to unrenewed members, you will get
the quarterly newsletter, but it will be sent to the members 2 or 3 weeks
earlier so that they can have first option on the club dive trips and
holidays.

DIVING HOLIDAY DAHAB - JUNE
This has proved popular and we now have 11 out of the 16 places taken, the
remaining places are only available until the end of this week then we have
to release them back to the holiday company, so if you want to go please
book now by downloading the Longwood Holidays form from the downloads page
and return it to us asap, first come first served, so don’t delay.

MV JAMES EDGAR SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER
This is now filling up – we have 5 spaces left but three of those are
provisionally taken – its first to return your form that gets the space so
again don’t delay!

SHARK DIVING ELLESMERE PORT
The trip at the end of February sold out in 2 hours! This was really popular
so will be organising another on later in the year – if you want to do this
then please contact us by email to register your interest and when I have
the numbers I will get some dates.

PADI SEAL TEAM
This is about to start on Saturdays 09.30 – 12.30 It is a total of 15
sessions or Aquamissions for potential young divers aged 8 to 12 and
encourages good diving skills, practice and above all fun!
There are a couple of places left - £295 for all 15 missions (payable as one
or 3 x £100 in advance per 5 missions).

PADI COURSES
We are now scheduling in many of the range of PADI speciality courses so
please contact the store with your requirements, we are offerin discounts on
packages of courses booked together, several of you have booked the Master
Scuba Diver Challenge where we sort out a package to get you from Open Water
or Advanced Open Water diver through to Master Scuba Diver, this also
entitles you to enter the PADI MSD of the year competition!
Three of the specialities we will be focusing on this year will be Digital
Underwater Photography, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Nitrox as these three
combine to be able to give you a high degree of skills for great underwater
photography with the ability to stay down for longer times.

PADI PRO NIGHT
The Club Night Talk on Thursday 25th February will be from PADI – this is a
night where anyone that is already a PADI Pro or who wants to or is thinking
of becoming a Divemaster or above then this is the night for you. Spaces are
limited so please contact Sue or Nic to book your place!


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8th January 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We wish you all a Happy New year and happy diving in 2010

TRAINING
Please visit the training page as we have updated the training that is going on this month, if you would like to join any of these courses please download and complete a course booking form and send it in or call in and book yourself on!

PADI SEAL TEAM
Starting January 16th we are running a PADI Seal Team for kids from 8 to 12 years old.
This is a fantastic way to get into diving by completing 15 individual Aquamissions that teach the scuba skills in a fun way through underwater missions that include building things underwater and fish id.
We are running 15 sessions plus 3 make up sessions at the end for anyone who missed a session.
The Aquamissions take place on a Saturday Morning 9.30 - 12.30
Price is £295 for all 15 missions (payable as one payment or £100 per 5 missions as you go)
To book please call us now on 01296 317787

MEMBERSHIP
Thank you to all those that have returned their membership forms, your cards and pin badges are now ready to collect from the shop, or if you prefer we can mail them out just let us know and we will post them to you!
For those of you who have not filled out a form yet a reminder of the membership benefits are listed below

Membership benefits -

• Calvert Membership (our local dive site) (entry £7 instead of the normal £17)
• £5 discount on Servicing
• Special Member Only Promotion days and discounts.
• 10% Discount at Bengal Blue Indian Resturant (others to be added)
• Discounts on Training Packages
• Priority notification and priority booking for Dive Trips and Holidays
• Discount Voucher on your Birthday
• Many more to come - keep your eye on the web site.

DOWNLOADS PAGE
This is a new page where you can download diving related forms and information, if you can think of anything you want added here please just let us know!

DAHAB HOLIDAY - JUNE 20th - 27th 2010
The dive holiday to Dahab in June is filling quickly - there are now only 6 places left, so be quick if you want to go!



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20th December 2009

SALE NOW ON
The winter sale is now on come on over and grab yourself a bargain - some items have 75% off!

DIVE TRIP UPDATE
The dive trips are selling out quickly
Dry Dive - London Dive Chamber - FULL
Shark Dive - Ellesmere Port - FULL
Nemo 33 - Belgium - FULL
Dahab - Egypt - Only 9 places left
Scotland - Live aboard - Only 5 places left

CHANGE TO CLUB NIGHT TALK
Paddy forgot he was away diving in the Red Sea on the 25th February! He will give the Dive the Philippines talk on the 25th of March. We should still have a talk on the 25th Jan and Nic is seeing who he can get. Watch this space.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR DIVES
The hardy amongst us are going to do 2 dives over the festive period
Sunday 27th December - Stoney Cove
Sunday 3rd January - Vobster Quay
If you are interested please let us know at the shop or txt Paddy on 07980640101 so we can plan if it is worth taking the van and tent up!


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13th December 2009

Web site updated with Dive Trips and Training dates
Just a quick update to let you all know that all the Dive Trips and Holidays have been put on to the calendar on the dive trips page and that all the Training Dates are on the calendar on the training page.


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8th December 2009

This is just a quick update prior to sending out the bumper newsletter at
the end of this week!

NEMO 33 - 26th to 28th FEBRUARY
We have been offered the opportunity to be able to go to Nemo 33 in
Brussels, Belgium. Departing Friday evening with diving on the Saturday, pub
on Saturday night returning Sunday. The cost is around the £150 per person
with the diving extra at €20 each.
I apprciate this is short notice but it has to be booked in advance and if
you want to go you have to book by this Friday the 11th December.
To secure a place a deposit of £50 needs to be paid by Friday, just call or
visit the shop 01296 317787.

CLUB NIGHT VENUE CHANGE
Just a reminder that we have changed the club night venue, we no longer meet
at the Hop Pole but have now moved to the Newly Opened Honey Bee Pub on
Trenchard Street Fairford Leys Aylesbury (just down the road from the dive
shop).
I went in there last night and it is a big welcoming pub and they serve food
through till 10pm and there is no quiz night to compete with.
So it doesnt matter if you are a regular to club night or a newby everyone
is welcome, come on down and introduce yourself and meet new buddys to dive
with.
Adults and children are welcome at this venue.

CHRISTMAS PARTY
I know its short notice but we have booked a table for 20 for our Christmas
Party at The Honey Bee for Thursday 17th December, there are only 20 places
and its first come first served - 6 places have already gone, so to book
yours please call the Shop on 01296 317787 or email club@scubaducks.co.uk.

CHRISTMAS OPENING & WINTER SALE
We will be opening for 2 extra days (Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd December) prior to Christmas to help with the Christmas shopping and will also be starting our Winter Sale on December
19th - with items up to 75% off! The sale will run through until Jan 17th
but this is on marked stock items only, so when they are gone they are gone,
get in there quick.

CHRISTMAS 2009 Opening Times

Sat 19th December - 10 - 6pm

Sun 20th December - 11 - 4pm

Mon 21st December - 10 -  6pm

Tue 22nd December - 10 - 6pm

Wed 23rd December - 10 - 6pm

Thur 24th December - 10 - 3pm

Fri 25th December CLOSED

Sat 26th December CLOSED

Sun 27th December CLOSED

Mon 28th December CLOSED

Tue  29th December CLOSED

Wed 30th December 10 - 6pm

Thur 31st December 10 - 3pm

Friday 1st January - CLOSED

Saturday 2nd January 2009 - return to normal trading hours

WEIRD FISH
We are now a Weird Fish retailer and have managed to get in 5 different
winter 09/10 t-shirts (£20) and the famous Macaroni Jumpers in Ecru (£50)
sizes from medium to XL but again limited numbers and when they are gone
they are gone we cant re-order.

NEWSLETTER & DIVING CALENDAR
The newsletter is nearly finished so if anyone has anything they want to add
please get it in quick!
This will be a bumper issue with next years calendar of events (Diving SETT,
Shark Diving Liverpool, River drift diving, Holiday in Dahab, Live aboard
Scotland, Dry Diving in the London Diving chamber etc etc and will include
all the training weekends and boat diving weekends - so watch this space and
be prepared to book your places quickly as they will fill up and sell out
very quickly!

MEMBERSHIP
With the newsletter a membership form for 2010 will be sent out - this will
need to be filled out and returned with your payment details so you continue
to recieve the newsletters as they are published.
The cost is £25 per year (or £20 if paid on continuous payment) and gets you
your membership card and pin badge for 2010. The card will also get you
discounted entry to our new local diving site at Calvert (£7 per day instead
of £17 per day!) and will also get you discounts in store and at other local
resturants, watch this space for more info.
If you dont want to be a member but still want the diving newsletter please
contact us and we will keep you on the mailing list - you will however need
to be a member to join any of the dive trips and holidays.