Commercial Diving Weekend ?

[ratcliffe]

At the Dive show on Sunday, I was talking to the guy on the stand for the Professional Diving Academy, which is near Glasgow, over on the west coast (Dunoon), and I was asking whether they did a Commercial Acqauint type of course, as I thought it might be interesting to see how the other half dive...

He was telling me that they do a weekend jobbie, which costs somewhere between 125 and 150 pounds, and for that you get to dive all the commercial gear, hotsuits, helmets etc, and dive from the cages, platforms etc out on their training vessels. It sounds like really good fun, and an experience at the same time.

Would anyone on here be interested if I organised such a trip up there ? I don't know how many people would be needed, but I would imagine it to be about half a dozen or so to make a good number for them.

Anyone up for it ?

[divingniknaks]

I'd love a bash in a KM and a hot suit.

Missed out at York this year, 'cos I opted for the full antique stuff, and good fun that was.

Count me in.

.

[keith_henson]

count me in even though I have done it before


Keith

[aclivity]

put me down as a 'tentative' depending on the date (have to arrange suitable weekend passes from the bosses, and I have 5 of them now).

[Jen]

Sounds like a hoot, I'm in.

DD of course.

EDIT: Spawn One is interested too.

[Bantam]

I'd definitely be up for that (dependent on date).

Mark.

[ratcliffe]

OK, I will get some more information tonight when I get home, and try and post some costs, numbers and possible dates. I fancy it would probably be pay in full before we went though, with it being a professional company, although we normally pay for trips up front anyway

More details to follow, and if anyone else is interested, just say!

[wreckweasel]

I did this last month. Its a hoot, although I'd suggest you limit group size to make sure you all get a reasonable ammount of time (we were 5, which seemed ok, suggest 8 MAX). A round number is better too, since you tend to work in pairs.

I'd suggest driving up too, we flew ryanair and by the time we were done it took as much time as driving (dunoon is about an hour from glasgow).

Accomodation wise, the B&B that PDA recommend is excellent, although its a 30 minute walk into town for a few sherberts.

[ratcliffe]

A bit more information on this, I have had a reply from them, quoted below


---begin quote---

Dear Derek,
Many thanks for the e.mail re Acquaint weekends.
We would need at least 6 divers to come on a weekend, because of the amount of staff we have to bring in.
The cost per person is £180 and includes the following:

Saturday

Tank dive/s using surface supplied equipment
Presentations on Kursk submarine
50m chamber dive
Lunch

Sunday

Spend the day on Dive Vessel ‘Sleat’. (Please bring packed lunch for that day). (The reason we use the tank on Saturday is so that students can familiarise themselves with the Surface Supplied Equipment and so we can assess each Student for Sunday’s diving on the Sleat)
The above is flexible in as much as that there may be other little bits we can add in, or you may have something in particular that you would like included. I should say that on Sunday we are at the mercy of the weather and although we have never been rained off yet, (and that includes the normal everyday running of the Academy), it could happen.

I can recommend a B & B if you like, (previous weekenders have used it before, very reasonsable and a good breakfast by all accounts. Its called the Dunira 01369 70 2273, mention the Diving Academy).
We don’t have set dates as such, we try to work round what you want to do. As long as the students aren’t using the vessel / equipement there shouldn’t be a problem.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Carol L Morrison

Office Manager

---end quote---


So it would be 180 quid for the weekend, plus travel plus B&B, and we need 6 to do it.
I will check, but I think it will be full payment up front.

If people are willing to send their hard earned to me, I'm quite happy to book it. I would suggest dates for a weekend somewhere in May or June next year to try and guarantee fair(ish) weather, but am open to suggestions ?

What do you all think ?

[ratcliffe]

Any thoughts ?