Who am I and what diving do I do?

[Buoyant Babe]

Name
Helen.

Also known as 'H', 'Helbargs Princess of Strop' and part-time Wee Jimmy Krankie impersonator

Location
South Shields.

First Qualified
December 2001.

Club Member
YD, of course! Also, Le Bourg Divers.

Highest Diving Qualification
PADI DM. Crossover to BSAC DL. BSAC Advanced Nitrox

Instructor Yes/No
No.

What other training have you found most rewarding
My PADI RD was the most rewarding course I have done. Currently really enjoying my IANTD Advanced Recreational Trimix.

What’s your standard Kit
Twin 12s with a 7L Ali stage.

Where do you usually Dive
North East Coast/Borders.

Number of Dives
260.

Deepest Dive
55m in Wastwater followed by 44.2m on The Markgraf in Scapa.

Longest Dive
70 minutes at Eyemouth. I don't count the 89 minute one in Ellerton

Favourite Dive
Scapa in general. Los Delfines, Menorca - it all just came together. The Skelly at St Abbs - anemones the size of tea plates

Worst Dive
None have really been that bad. Had a bit of a hairy moment a few months back at Eyemouth.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Scapa again - I'm going back next year.

What ONE other question should I have included?

[onthetrain]

Name

Alan Ewart

Location
Sunny Poole, Dorset
First Qualified
2001 A 40th Birthday pressie to myself

Club Member
Bmth Barracudas BSAC

Highest Diving Qualification
BSAC Dive leader, IANTD Adv Trimix, Iantd Inspiration CCR

Instructor Yes/No
Yes,
BSAC OWI

What other training have you found most rewarding
First Aid, Defib training and o2 admin - you never know when you might need it
What’s your standard Kit
YBOD
Where do you usually Dive
Poole, Swanage, Weymouth but usually manage a few trips abroad each year

Number of Dives
500 ish

Deepest Dive
78M
Longest Dive
110mins

Favourite Dive
Dont really have a favourite, loved the wrecks off Malin head but also loved red sea wrecks and some awesome wrecks nearer to home.
Most memorable was a freak dive last April 2006 on a shallow scollop hunt at lulworth bans where we had a bout 30M vis.

Worst Dive
Had some crap UK dives in awful vis, but would probably nominate any of my quarry dives as my worst. Hate them!
What dive/trip would you most like to do
Trukk, yap & Palau.....Might manage it next year

What ONE other question should I have included?
Who is my nomination for YD's top banana?

[witchieblackcat]

Name
Alistair

Location
Preston

First Qualified
September 2003

Club Member
Slater's Scuba Centre BSAC

Highest Diving Qualification
BSAC DL

Instructor Yes/No
No.

What other training have you found most rewarding
Me getting to do a try dive is versy rewarding.
Any training that stretches me - so that's all of it

What’s your standard Kit
10 or 12l single with ProQD sometimes with a pony

Where do you usually Dive
Capernwray, Eccy, the Lake District and North Wales

Number of Dives
270ish

Deepest Dive
40m in Wast Water

Longest Dive
107 minutes under Trefor Pier

Favourite Dive
I love Hodge Close just for the assault course entry.
SS Thistlegorm is pretty special too.

Worst Dive
the 8 Acre Sludge pit was awful.
Coniston was scary when I lost my buddy (until I found him again)

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Andrea Doria when I'm bigger

What ONE other question should I have included?
Why do you do dive? My answer - because I can.

[Letz]

Worst Dive
Had some crap UK dives in awful vis, but would probably nominate any of my quarry dives as my worst. Hate them!

Not the ones on 16th Feb this year though

[chrisch]

Name
Chris

Location
Luxembourg - Shoreham/Brighton area in September hopefully

First Qualified
1990 - Gildy

Club Member
Chairman, Le Bourg Divers.

Highest Diving Qualification
IANTD Adv Rec Trimix

Instructor Yes/No
BSAC ADI

What other training have you found most rewarding
Puppy training. I haven't shat the carpet in years.

What’s your standard Kit
HOG. twins or single.

Where do you usually Dive
In the shitty lake here.

Number of Dives
1,500+ haven't kept a log for 5 years

Deepest Dive
50m

Longest Dive
3hrs. Cheltenham Lido

Favourite Dive
The Chaouen wreck off Marseille

Worst Dive
The shitty lake here.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
That's hard. Truk probably.

What ONE other question should I have included?
What's the capital of Estonia?

Chris

[Diving Diva]

What ONE other question should I have included?
What is your favourite post dive snack?
And my answer would be ice cream in summer and hot chocolate in winter!

Mmmmm Hot chocolate with Squirty cream on top

Corinne

[jptaylor9]

Name
Jonathan

Location
SE London

First Qualified
June 1982

Club Member
BSAC Direct

Highest Diving Qualification
BSAC Advanced, PSA CCR Explorer Mixed Gas Diver (100m)

Instructor Yes/No
Yes. BSAC OWI

What other training have you found most rewarding
CCR training, takes you back to rank beginner again!

What’s your standard Kit
Inspiration Vision

Where do you usually Dive
Brighton + south coast

Number of Dives
Lots, 200+ CCR dives (over 300 hours)

Deepest Dive
122m - RMS Egypt

Longest Dive
215mins, RMS Egypt

Favourite Dive
Any big wreck in good viz..

Worst Dive
Too many to choose from

What dive/trip would you most like to do
The usual, Brittanic, Victoria...

What ONE other question should I have included?
Nappy or p-valve?

[Dave Crampton]

[quote=wilbo;706581]Name Dave

Location
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

First Qualified
05/03 BSAC OD

Club Member
Bury SAC & Newmarket SAC

Highest Diving Qualification
PSAI mCCR Mod1

Instructor Yes/No
Yes (but assistant) BSAC IFC

What other training have you found most rewarding
The IFC really opened my eyes to BSAC training.

What’s your standard Kit
Jetsam Classic KISS

Where do you usually Dive
South Coast - Brighton, New Haven, Eastbourne, and Stoney.. prior to moving south from Edinburgh, which was Eyemouth, St Abbs, North Berwick and Loch Long

Number of Dives
250 ish

Deepest Dive
53m

Longest Dive
1 hour 30 mins

Favourite Dive
The Hispania very closely follwed by the Frankenwald and Welheim in Norway

Worst Dive
Short nigt dive off Dunbar Harbour, in a high swell. Only afterwards did we see how high the sea was when it came splashing over the 20ft high sea wall, as we dekitted

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Truk or USS Saratoga.

[Noel Johnson]

Name
Noel Johnson

Location
Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire

First Qualified
start of 2001 sometime - PADI OW

Club Member
Team Bunny
Midlands mafiosi

Highest Diving Qualification
PADI DM & IANTD adv nitrox diver

Instructor Yes/No
no

What other training have you found most rewarding


What’s your standard Kit
twin 12s with a ally 7 for deco diving

Where do you usually Dive
Before last year it was South coast and Anglessey. From last year due to personal circumstances the stately holes of England

Number of Dives
260(ish)

Deepest Dive
51m (on air)

Longest Dive
Can't remember, but I think 1 hour and a quarter in the NDC a couple of weeks ago

Favourite Dive
UK: Seals in the Farnes last year
Rest of world: Schooling hammerheads on the back of Jackson

Worst Dive
Worst dive was also my greatest learning dive. Double freeflow in 42 metres after being there for 20 minutes - taught me how to prioritise very quickly and I managed to hold back the rocket ascent instinct. - I never want to be that scared again.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Ever since I started I've always wanted to go to Scapa, I've booked 3 trips so far and all have been cancelled for one reason or another. I'll get there one day.

[Jules]

Name
Julia

Location
Huddersfield

First Qualified
August 2001 with my son then 12 years old, PADI OW in Vivian Quarry

Club Member
BSAC 18 huddersfield
but just as likely to be found diving with mates from SAA clubs, other clubs or YD

Highest Diving Qualification
PADI RD, BSAC DL, TDI Deco Procs

Instructor Yes/No
BSAC Theory instructor, still getting around to doing my OWIC

What other training have you found most rewarding
One to one with Andy Heyhurst doing twinset drills and lots of hard things with no mask on.

What’s your standard Kit
Twin 7s, OMS wing and hood with cat ears, usually carrying a camera

Where do you usually Dive
anywhere that people invite me to

Number of Dives
400 ish

Deepest Dive
50 + m in Norway , a huge wreck Frankenwald ??

Longest Dive
about an hour and a half in tenerife with the cuban gun runner. He got out and got all the kids out and left me pootling in 5 m on my own with my camera for another half an hour. Bliss!

Favourite Dive
Any big wreck in good viz. Orania and Tapti, we did both at the end of April at the Mull music festival weekend and they were both stunning.
Any dive with a great buddy

Worst Dive
Dover in February with a broken heart but i did get a cuddle from the skipper afterwards and team kinky brought chocolate.

What dive/trip would you most like to do
Galapagos ... and we're going in October!!!!!

What ONE other question should I have included?
What is the best post dive chocolate biscuit?
Tunnock's Choclate covered Caramel water