Extreme Ironing - Your questions answered

[Scubee]

The previous thread has got long and unweildy. This is a summary of the questions we have had so far. I have asked for the other thread to be locked, with a link to this one.

Full details of the event are available on the NDAC Website - Extreme Underwater Ironing Event at the National Diving & Activity Centre - please visit that for all of the forms etc.

1. Each diver must have their own ironing board, iron, and item to be ironed

Board size: A miniature board is ok (although we prefer to see full sized boards wherever possible). However, it can't be one of those tiny boards. It needs to be at least 1 metre long, 30 centimeters at the widest point and have legs.

Irons: No plastic toys irons, they must be real irons. Travel irons are fine.

Garment: Any garment is suitable, but it must be at least the size of a tea towel. It's hardly impressive to iron a handkerchief.

Numbers:One Iron/Board/Item to be ironed per person

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Please remember that you need to equip yourself with an iron and an ironing board. There are plenty of recycling places that you should be ableto aquire one of each, but if you have trouble, please let me know, or post on this thread. Someone might have spares available.

If you have managed to acquire more than one of each, and are prepared to let someone else have your spares, please let me know, or contact someone who has posted that they haven't got one.

It would be perfectly acceptable for you to make a donation to the RNLI as a 'thank you'

**

2. There must be photographic evidence

We are working on having a group of divers who will be prepared to either photograph or video the ironers. Volunteers should note they will not be required to iron as well, and should amend the 'list' thread.

3.Timing

The record is for the largest number of simultanteous divers ironing. As we will have some freedivers taking part in the event, the ironing will need take place during the fewminutes that they are diving.

The rough outline for the day is as follows (final details TBC once Morag, Darren & GLOC sit down & write a plan of action)


08:00 Gates open (£20 entry member/non-member split 50/50 NDAC/RNLI

Groups of 4 put together/allocated - reason for this to allow 1 smb per group of 4 to mark position of boards
Photographer/videographer allocted to 4 groups (16 people)
Each board will have a number allocated to allow correlation with video/photo evidence
Video/stills camera time/date stamp sync'd & authenticated by ajudicator

09:00 People make their way down to Pontoon.

09:30-10:00 divers enter water as group of 4 (and close to other 12 in photo/video group). Place iron/board on bottom & mark position of 4 boards with SMB. Ascend & get back onto pontoon. This period will also be used to set up freedivers boards

10:50 deep divers descend off deep end to 40-70m with their own photo/videographers.

11:00 everyone jumps in & swim to their markers & descend.

11:03 Freedivers descend

11:04 Record attempt starts



4. Location

The event will take place at National Diving and Activity Centre. Location details, event details and links to accomodation can be found on their website

Welcome to the National Diving & Activity Centre

5. Donations

There will be an entry fee of £20. £10 will be payable when you register, the remaining £10 will be payable on entry to the site. Half the entry fee (i.e £10 per diver) will go to the RNLI

Additionally, sponsorship from outside is welcomed. A sponsorship form is available here

and follow the link for downloads

We will advise you how to get any sponsorship money not available on the day into the coffers.

There is a Yorkshire Divers Just Giving page This can be used for general sponsorship of the event, rather than sponsoring individuals. Individuals can also be sponsored - some I know will have their own JG site.

Anyone who has set up their own page - that is great, but could you PM me the link so that i can pass it on to the RNLI. They monitor all YD donations. If they don't know about it, then the donations go into their general funds, rather than Crew Training, which is where YD donations go to.

Yorkshire Divers Just Giving

MarkC JG Sponsorship page

6. The Raffle

Raffle tickets are available here...

Extreme Ironing Raffle Tickets available here

The JG site also has a list of the prizes, which is always increasing. Anyone who has any links with an organisation who could be persuaded to donate an item - please go right ahead and let me know!

One of the items we have been offered is an O'Three Ri 2/100 off the peg dry suit. This will be done as a sealed bid auction - Details of the auction and how to take part are here..http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/foru...i-2-100-a.html

7. Numbers of Divers

The current record is 72. We need at least 73 divers ironing simultaneously to win the record from the Australians. For safety reasons, we can only have 150 divers on the pontoons. This will include the Freedivers (who will have their Angels with them), and photographers for all the groups. We anticipate that we will have 120 on scuba/rebreathers, of which 10-12 will be photographers/videographers. Regsitration for the event (and the ability totake part) will be on a first come, first served basis. We want as many people as possible to take part. Please don't leave it until the last minute to register.

The definitive list as far as NDAC, Morag and I are concerned is held here. NDAC send the list to Morag and I and I update the list when I get it. At the moment, this update is likely to take place every weekend but as we get closer to the time, I will get NDAC to send it to me more frequently.

8. Identification of Ironers

On entry to NDAC on 10 Jan, Ironers will be asked to sign in as participating in the event. Ironers will be given an identification number which will need to be stuck on toyour ironing board. Photographers will need to ensure that number appears in the photographs/videos

9. Depths

When you register, you will be asked to specify your preferred buddy, and your preferred depth. if you don't have an agreed buddy, we will find someone for you. If you don't have a preferred depth, you will goin the deafult shallow end.

There will be a group going to the deep end (70m), a group going to 45m. All the ladies (as usual, there aren't that many) will be asked if they want the prime location on top of the aircraft at about 25m (for nospecific reason other than it is newsworthy and fun ).

There will be divers in the shallows - 8-12m.

When you select your preferred depth, remember that the deeper you are, the colder it will be and the darker it will be. The darker areaswill be moredifficult to photograph.

The deeper ironers are likely to have their irons pre-placed on shots so that time isn't wasted (or issues with flex entanglements are removed ) carry said irons down. The CCR boys might have to do some untangling at the bottom though. This will be briefed on the day so the deeper divers need to get there early as we will need your boards earlier than those in the shallows

10. The item to be ironed

I have managed to get 100 RNLI tea towels. These will be available to the first 100 ironers who tell me they want one. They will be £5 each, and you will be able to (naturally) keep it afterwards. The tea towel is probably themost relevant item to iron - the main purpose of the event is raising money for the RNLI after all. it would look excellent if all the photos drew attention to that aim as well.

Information on these, how and when to pay, can be found here;

http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/foru...ng-thread.html


11. Accomodation

There is plenty of accomodation nearby. The NDAC website has a few places listed here

NDAC Dive Links and Information


13. Social Bits

I have had several calls, emails and PM's about what (if anything) will be happening away from NDAC over the weekend. In all reality, I hadn't given this much thought until the other day.

All I can say is this. Buoyant Babe and myself are staying at Parkfield. Across the street is a good pub. We will be in there on Friday night in preparation, and as we are staying down there on Saturday as well, we will be toasting the event's success in there on Saturday as well. We would love to see anyone who happens to stop by on either or both nights.

this is the pub

I've also had some questions posed which may (or may not) have been asked elsewhere...

2. I don't know a huge amout of other YD'ers, certainly none to buddy with me at this depth, although I would be quite happy going solo - will groups be arranged?
I will put you with a group, depending on what depth you want to go to. No-one will be solo per se, because the photographers will need to have everyone in groups to ensure everyone is captured.

Quote:
3. Is there a minimum amount to arrange for sponsorship?
Nope. The registration fee and entry fee (total £20) is being spilt 50-50. We will be encouraging people to pay a fiver to iron an RNLI tea towel, there is the raffle, but if you want people to sponsor you or the whole effort, then obviously any donations are gratefully recieved. There are various links in my sig to help.

4. Any idea of a decent place to stay on the Saturday?

There are plenty of links in the NDAC website. If you follow the 'links' tab on the left hand side of the home page, there are several suggestions. I am staying at Parkfield, i have stayed at the Huntsman before, and there is a travelodge at the services up the road.

5. Are folks meeting for beer the night before?

Helen (Buoyant Babe) and I will probably be in the pub across the road from Parkfield. Anyone is welcome to join us


14. Recording the dive

I know that lots of you will want a record of the dive on your logbooks.

One of YD's sponsors - Dive-Logs - has very kindly donated a special stamp...



Thanks Mike

There is now a news item on the NDAC news page http://www.ndac.co.uk/news/2009/01jan/02_news.htm asking people to note that normal diving will have to fit in around the Extreme Ironing Event. Please pass this link on to anyone you know might be thinking of coming to NDAC for some training on Saturday morning.

Thanks

[MCFastybloke]

What about a audible signal to synchronise the atempt like a hooter or bang on a metal drum or such like,in the same principal as a starters pistol?

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by MCFastybloke

What about a audible signal to synchronise the atempt like a hooter or bang on a metal drum or such like,in the same principal as a starters pistol?

Yep... I can't remember what device was suggested, but i'm sure GLOC will remind us. We need to make sure that whatever is used can be heard from all areas of the water.

[GLOC]

Darren was going to try some thunderflashes in the water, far enough way not to hurt someone, and will probably have a shallow bang and a deep one too.

Old thread locked and linked to here.

[GLOC]

In the next day or so the banners for NDAC will be updated and links provided to all the posters and forms that you need.

One thing to note is that as Morag said in her post, it is first come, first served (even if you have put your name down on the list on YD and you are number 10! - whoever that is!) so when the forms come up, please download them and send them to the NDAC.

If you don't want to do the online thing, you can visit NDAC and fill in the forms there and NDAC will update the database there and then.
Regards

[Bobco]

Just one question and sorry if its been raised before but who will be the official to certify the record attempt, the GBOR can be hard to tie down for dates and things

just a thought

[GLOC]

We are trying to source some officials from the local council or maybe the Mayor, Darren is running with that one.

Regards

[Air Guzzler]

Gareth i think a thunder flash may be alittle extreme as they are extremly load and there is a H&S issue which i am sure Darren will not want i would think that the banging on a drum / barrell at the pontoon should do the trick or using a hammer on the pontoon the sound should travel if hit hard enough

[GLOC]

Originally Posted by Air Guzzler

Gareth i think a thunder flash may be alittle extreme as they are extremly load and there is a H&S issue which i am sure Darren will not want i would think that the banging on a drum / barrell at the pontoon should do the trick or using a hammer on the pontoon the sound should travel if hit hard enough

Mmmm, maybe John but I doubt it will be heard at 75m. This is why Darren is going to test it out.

[Janos]

Sadly I can't make the event. However, having tried to organise groups of divers before, I'd never underestimate the ability of diver to faff.

You may want to think about having a bit more time between the 'set up' when you stage your ironing boards and the 'push' dive when you do the ironing. An hour seems like a long time, but given that one group will almost certainly overrun, there's surface swimming, dekitting, rekitting, buddy checks, and someone's bound to break a finstrap etc etc. It might be tight.

Second thing is I'd perhaps have a signal for the divers to descend - ie swim out then a toot on the horn and everyone goes down.

On the otherhand it could run like clockwork, but it never hurts to be prepared!

Janos