Community and shakedown - Holborough Lakes, 22nd March 2014

Steve V, Nikolas, Brett, Chris, Victor, Jane and Joe gathered at Holborough Lakes on Saturday 22nd March for shakedown and Ocean Diver training dives. Kim was also present with 2 Sports Diver students from Brunel University. Ken and son also popped by to say hello. Joe impressed all with his Celia Johnson impersonation.

This trip highlighted the importance of shakedown dives and kit testing. Many minor kit issues were successfully resolved that day, and - before anyone even got in the water - we discovered a burst zip lube bottle, realised a set of regs had been left at home, and experienced drysuit zip failure. All these were much easier to deal with (and were much less disappointing) in the car park of Holborough Lakes than they would have been on the Brighton boat the following day, had that trip gone ahead.

Kim's busted zip meant he couldn't dive that day, leaving his students without an instructor. So stepped forward Chris, gallantly helping out in the hour of need. Such is the BSAC way, it seems - clubs co-operate, instructors assist as and when they are needed and can do so, and there's an understanding that getting more and more divers through their training is beneficial to all of us. Pats on the back to Chris for helping out.