Congratulations For Completing Emergency First Response

Congratulations are in order to all those that succesfully completed the PADI EFR (Emergency First Reponse) course at the weekend. We can't stress enough how important vital first aid skills can be in making a real difference to someone's life.

As you may be aware, Darren attributes the fast action and knowledge of 2 members of the public, Tom & John, who performed First Aid & CPR on his dad, to his survial and recovery.Without these skills the outcome would surely have been very different.

So well done to Naomi, Rob, Simon, Phil, Keeley, Garry, Colin, Martin & Chris. Let's hope you never need to use you new found skills, but if you do, you know you can make a real difference.

Please contact us for details of the next PADI EFR course.

New NANUK Protective Cases available at Sub-Mission

Nanuk durable, protective cases are designed to protect the most sensitive equipment in the harshest environments. These cases are not only virtually indestructible but also lightweight and watertight. The NANUK cases come loaded with innovative features such as the foam inner for you to customise to fit and fully protect your camera equipment, nitrox analysers, medical kit or whatever you are transporting. Other features include Powerclaw latching system, impact resistant NK-7 resin, integrated bezel system and a lifetime guarantee.

There are 7 different sized cases from the NANUK 905 6 litre capacity to the largest case the NANUK 945 at 54 litre capacity, all acceptable as hand luggage except the two largest. Each size also comes in 4 different colours; silver, black, yellow and red.

So, to protect your most valuable diving possessions come along to the Dive Centre and take a look at these fantastic new cases or check out the website here.

Stoney Cove Price Increase

Stoney Cove will be increasing the entrance fee with affect as of March 1st 2010.

For those members who have a Diverlog Card the entrance fee will increase from £10 to the new price of £11 per day.

For day visitors without a Diverlog Card the entrance fee will increase from £15 per day to £17 per day.

To sign up for Diverlog registration the fee is now £25 for 2 years and a form is available to complete here

Check out this Film Trailor - End of the Line

For more information regarding this eye-opening film visit the website here.

New On-Line Cetacean Species Guide available to download now

I’m sure like me; you’re all interested in getting something free, especially when it has anything to do with the ocean.

The WDCS, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, has launched a new free, on-line guide providing an introduction to 85 currently recognised species of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Did you know that a baby blue whale drinks up to 225 litres of milk a day or that the common dolphin is not the most common? Could you believe that a dolphin embryo looks like a human one?

The guide provides information such as population, habitat including maps showing where each species are found and animal behaviour. Conservation efforts and the threats facing species are also included along with some great photos.

Check out the guide here.

Environmental Tip of the Week - Saving Water

Like other natural resources, water is a precious resource and should not be wasted especially now at a time of increasing population and globally unreliable rainfall. On average every person in the UK uses 150 litres of water each day in their homes which is 70% more water than we used 30 years ago. Some of this water is wasted by inefficient appliances and some of our daily habits.
The higher the demand for water, the more is abstracted from our water sources, and this can impact on river flows and ecology. 1 litre less used is equal to 1 litre more in the environment.

So, by thinking about your use and by making simple changes to your habits, you can all reduce the amount of water you waste and how much has to abstract from the ground and rivers. This could save you money not only on your water bill, but also on your energy bills.

Turning the tap off when you brush your teeth can save up to 18 litres of water a time, that’s more than 13,000 litres per person a year.

But my tip of the week is to think about how much water is flushed down the toilet. If you place a bottle filled with rice or sand into your toilet cistern, you can reduce the volume of water used with each flush. This will act the same as replacing your toilet with a low flush system and means that water use can be reduced by up to 8 litres for every flush.

Congratulations for PADI Enriched Air Specialty and PADI Wreck Specialty

We have been busy of the last few months with various different courses and so a few more congratulations are in order to celebrate the achievements of a few students who have been studying hard.
Firstly, we would like to say well done to those students who attended the PADI Enriched Air Specialty recently. Andy, Lindsey, Mark, Andy, Stephen and Anne all passed the course with great exam success and we hope that the chance to dive on enriched air will now significantly extend their time in the water.
We also wish to congratulate Chris and Shaun who braved the snow and cold weather this weekend to complete their PADI Wreck specialty. The cold water was certainly a shock to the system on the first dive but both of them were determined not to let that put them off. It was smiles all round by the end of the day and we are proud of both of them for their great skills, good buoyancy and fantastic attitude. Well done.

Next Enriched Air Diver Course - Saturday 6th March - 10am

Are you looking to maximize your bottom time to get more from your diving and spend extra time on your favourite reef or wreck? Then why not try enriched air diving and find out what everyone is raving about. The PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty course is the most popular PADI specialty scuba diving course, and it’s easy to see why. Scuba diving with enriched air nitrox can give you more no decompression dive time, which means more time underwater - especially on repetitive dives.
The course is available as a non-diving specialty, making it an ideal way of keeping your hand in over the cooler winter months. For those hardy divers, you can elect to complete 2 open water dives using enriched air nitrox. Whichever route you choose, they both count towards the coveted PADI Master Scuba Diver rating.
Our next scheduled PADI Enriched Air Nitrox course is Saturday 6th March 2010, starting at 10am at the dive centre. The course also offers great value for money at £85 (without dives) and includes all required training materials and certification fee.
If this sounds like fun, give us a call at 01782 207474 or email katy@divecourses.co.uk to get started on your PADI Enriched Air Diver course.

Congratulations to Mark and Jackie - PADI Open Water Divers!

We would like to offer massive congratulations to both Mark and Jackie who gained their PADI Open Water Diver Qualification at the weekend. Even the cold water and winter weather wasn’t enough to stop these two students. It must be said that Jackie is not the typical, water loving Open Water student! In fact, she was more than a little nervous the day she came along for a snorkelling lesson. However, she has amazed us all with her determination to learn to dive and her ability to master the skills so well. Mark has been the perfect buddy for Jackie and his perfect buoyancy control has been complimented by many of the Dive Centre Instructors. We wish them both many happy dives in the future! Well done! We'll see you on the PADI Advanced Open Water!

PADI Divemaster Course – 8th March

If you’re a Rescue Diver and you’re looking for your next challenge why not consider the PADI Divemaster Course! This is not just a course for those looking to progress to Instructor level. The PADI Divemaster course perfectly meets the needs of those looking to gain additional diving skills, learn more about diving theory from physiology to decompression theory as well as improve your proficiency as a leader in all aspects of diving.
If you are considering progressing onto PADI professional level courses then this is a great opportunity to get involved with students and Instructors in preparation for your next step.
The next PADI Divemaster Course with Sub-Mission Dive Centre begins on the 8th March. Why not come along on the night and use this session as an opportunity to find out what’s involved? We will be able to answer any questions that you may have and there’s no obligation to sign up for the course!
If you’re looking for excitement, achievement and an opportunity to change your life contact Katy today on 01782 207474!

St Abbs Diving Weekend - May 14th - 16th 2010 - NOW FULL

Due to the popularity of the scheduled St Abbs trip in May, we needed to organise a 2nd boat to meet the huge demand.

We are pleased to say that this 2nd boat and additional accomodation have been organised. The spaces on this 2nd boat have quickly been snapped up. Apologies to those that have missed out, but if you are still interested we can put your name on a reserve list in case we get any cancellations.

We do have another trip to St Abbs scheduled in October 2010 (8th-10th), which currently has spaces available.
Other trips will be organised during the year, including trips to Oban and Plymouth, so keep in touch with the dive centre for the latest news!!!

Environmental Tip Of The Week

Improve the efficiency of your radiators.

Saving energy, especially in your home will have two positive impacts. The first, saving money and lowering your energy bills, is probably the bigger incentive for most people. However, the second positive is that lower or greener energy will also result in lower carbon emissions, which will help to slow the current rate of climate change.

One easy way to reduce your domestic energy consumption is to make your radiators more efficient by placing reflective panels or sheets of aluminium foil behind them. This will bounce the heat back into the room. The cost of fitting reflective panels will pay for itself within a year. Great idea! I bet everyone’s still got some aluminium foil left over from Christmas Dinner!!

Congratulations On Your Massive Achievement!!

Congratulations Ant & Ant!!


Darren and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ant and Ant for the successful completion of their PADI Divemaster Course with Sub-Mission Dive Centre yesterday! Both of them have worked extremely hard over the past 4 months to complete each portion of the PADI Divemaster Course. They have approached each new task with a willingness to learn and determination to succeed!

Training was delayed slightly due to the bad winter weather, but success was finally achieved at Capernwray at the weekend. Although it was an extremely cold day, nothing could dampen their enthusiasm with the finish line in sight.

We are looking forward to them progressing further along the PADI Instructional system, with PADI Assistant Instructor the next step. Both candidates will make brilliant PADI Divemasters and we can’t wait for them to get involved in Sub-Mission Dive Centre’s activities.

Congratulations from all the team at Sub-Mission Dive Centre.

Assistant Instructor Course 23rd Feb 2010!

Are you a PADI Divemaster and are looking for the next challenge? Do you want to get more involved in teaching courses? Do you crave more responsibility? Do you want to become a PADI Instructor but can't dedicate the 7 days required? If your answers are yes, then the PADI Assistant Instructor Course is your next adventure!

At Sub-Mission Dive Centre we have two full time PADI IDC Staff Instructors, enabling us to run flexible course schedules without the need of being tied down to dates due to the requirement of a PADI Course Director. We can schedule these courses to meet your shift patterns, work commitments and at competitive prices! We also offer our students a discounted rate on PADI Instructor level course materials.  


The PADI Assistant Instructor certification is the prerequisite for the highly esteemed PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor. To enrol on an Instructor Development Course (IDC) to become an PADI Instructor from PADI Divemaster level you must complete a 7 day IDC. By joining us on this PADI Assistant Instructor course, which will run in the evenings over a 4 week program you can opt out of the first 3 days of the PADI IDC. This is a great chance to reduce your workload on the IDC and also benefit from not having to take 7 days leave from work.

During the course you will build upon your abilities to organize and supervise scuba diving activities, while concentrating on developing teaching skills.

You'll learn:
Knowledge development through self-study, quizzes, lectures and presentations
Confined water skill review and assessment, workshops and presentations
Open water workshops, rescue assessment and candidate presentations

This is a fun and exciting course with plenty of opportunity for further career development. To enrol, call Katy now on 01782 207474!!

Liveaboard MV Typhoon destroyed in Fire!

Our very first liveaboard holiday was onboard the MV Typhoon and what a great trip we had! It was with regret that we heard this week that the liveaboard, which is part of Tornado Marine fleet and commissioned by Tony Backhurst, has been completely damaged by a fire that broke out whilst in dry dock.

Typhoon was in dry dock for some routine maintenance and unfortunately when the fire broke out strong winds and sandstorms in the regions perpetuated the blaze which ravaged several liveaboards. MY Sweet Dream, Hyatt, VIP1 and MY Juliet were also damaged to varying degrees.

As we have booked all the spaces on Whirlwind in August, there will be no changes to our trip and itinerary. So club members have no need to worry!

2010 changes to the Divemaster and Instructor materials.

There are several important changes in 2010 to the Divemaster and Instructor materials and courses. I’ve tried to set out below the implementation of these changes as well as the implication to you as potential candidates. It’s a little confusing to say the least so call in to the Dive Centre if you would like anything clarifying.

The biggest change for 2010 is the radical overhaul of the PADI Instructor Manual. Over the years this manual has amassed a whopping 2000+ pages and so the new version is intended to be streamlined, concise and easy to navigate. The new manual actually comes in two sections; section 1 is the Instructor manual Standards which includes all of the key points, standards, ratio’s, maximum depths etc for each program. Section 2 is the Guide to Teaching so includes over views of the best way for an Instructor to teach a course, this is more of a teaching aid but includes in the back the Instructor Candidate Workbook.

So, how does this affect the Divemaster Course? The Divemaster Crewpack now comes with the Instructor manual Standards section as a mandatory material for all Divemaster candidates. This manual includes a decal which has to be attached to the Divemaster application once all of the Divemaster course requirements have been met. If this is not present, the Divemaster application will not be processed. Obviously there is a period of grace, where Divemaster candidates who have bought the old crewpacks can still apply for their certification without the decal.

In terms of the Instructor Development Course, as of July 1st 2010 all IDC candidates will need to have the 2010 IDC crewpack, including the new Instructor manual. However, due to the fact that the Divemaster Crewpack now comes with the Instructor manual Standards section, this is NOT included in the IDC crewpack and must be purchased separately. The good news is that by the end of February there should be a downloadable version of the Standards section available on the PADI Website Pro’s section and is available to all certified Divemasters and above.

Confused? I was!!
Please don't hesitate to call if you need any more info!

Next Rescue Course....Sun 21st February!

Quoted by many as the most challenging and rewarding PADI course available, the PADI Rescue Diver program introduces the necessary skills required in the unlikely event of a diving incident.

The PADI Rescue Diver program will massively build your confidence as a diver, give you valuable experience in emergency management and prevention and heighten your awareness of the surrounding environment.

Candidates learn the techniques needed to deal with tired, panicked, unresponsive and unconscious divers. This is developed through to worst case scenarios and in water resuscitation techniques.

So if you're looking for the next challenge in diving then sign up to the Rescue Diver Course, starting Sunday 21st Feb and join in with some serious fun!