Sub-Mission becomes a Fourth Element Premier Dealer

As most of you know, the Fourth Element range of products is one of our most popular brands. From the gloves, hoods, socks to the super warm undersuits and super sexy wetsuits we have tried to stock as many of this exciting range as possible.

We are proud to announce that Fourth Element have acknowledged our commitment to their range and have added us a Premier Dealer.

Fourth Element’s premier dealers are stores that carry an extended fourth element range and endeavour to keep good stock levels so that you have as much choice as possible when buying and trying on their products.

We are one of 18 Premier Dealers in the UK and are proud of our success with the products.

The latest addition to the range in the Dive Centre is the Proteus wetsuits in 3mm and 5mm. Rated as the warmest diving wetsuit in its class by Sport Diver Magazine, the Proteus suit eliminates almost all water ingress allowing excellent ease of movement. It looks good and feels good and is perfect for any holiday diving!

Football club head underwater.

Sub-Mission Dive Centre staff had the pleasure of teaching a local junior football club and Dad’s on Sunday evening. The group of 14 came along for a Discover Scuba session as an end of season treat for the boys and several adults, who didn’t need any excuse to get wet.


Although incredibly excited the young footballers were attentive to the brief and perfectly behaved in the pool. Whilst the adults were guided down to the deep end for acrobatics and scuba fun, the boys were involved in ninja moves in the shallow end, handstands, acrobatics and torpedo games.

The staff really enjoyed teaching the group and would like to thank them all for their enthusiasm. Also the group organiser Martin (who wasn’t afraid to get wet either) deserves a mention for his efforts to organise the group. Well done and we hope to see you all again soon.

PADI Master Scuba Diver Success for Colin

We would like to congratulate Colin for achieving the prestigious PADI Master Scuba Diver certification. This demonstrates his knowledge of Specialist areas of diving such as Enriched Air, Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Drysuit diving as well as dive experience by proving that he has completed more than 50 dives. Colin has not only completed the required 5 Specialty Courses but he has also gone on to complete more Specialties such as the PADI Coral Reef Conservation Specialty and PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty.


The PADI Master Scuba Diver rating also shows that Colin has completed his PADI Rescue Diver Course and is competent in diver safety and rescue procedures.

This certification is the highest PADI rating for those who have not embarked on the Divemaster and Instructor route. It also enables Colin to enter the PADI Master Scuba Diver challenge for 2010 enabling him the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes. Well done Colin!

Congratulations PADI Rescue Divers and PADI Open Water Divers

What a great weekend it was to be out diving. The water temperature has reached a balmy 9 degrees and the sun was shining. We had two courses running this weekend and huge congratulations go to the PADI Rescue Divers, Kelly and Rob as well as the PADI Open Water Divers; Stefan, Louise, Joe, Rob and Paul.


Kelly and Rob were raring to go on Saturday morning and after being drilled on tired diver, panicked diver, surfacing an unresponsive diver, unconscious diver at the surface as well as getting an unconscious diver onto the side, they were both worn out but with a great sense of achievement. They simulated rescuing someone who was unconscious and worked brilliantly together to give this victim the best possible chance. We are confident in their rescue ability and would recommend them as a dive buddy to anyone. Well done PADI Rescue Divers.

The PADI Open Water Students were sensational; there were no problems or difficulties with any of the skills. Although they were a little apprehensive on Saturday morning, by the end of the weekend they were looking like confident divers. The Instructors were very impressed by their ability but it shows the hard work that they put in during the pool sessions was worth it. Four of the five also completed the PADI Drysuit Specialty on Sunday and enjoyed the delights of the new plane during their dive. We are hoping these five will enjoy many more dives with the club and get stuck in with the PADI Advanced Open Water Course.

Blue Planet Aquarium Shark Dives

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to dive with the Shark’s at the Blue Planet Aquarium at Ellesmere Port? Are you considering taking the Shark Awareness Specialty Course?
Well hopefully Syd’s account of his day out at the Aquarium will answer many of your questions.
“On Sunday 7th Feb, I spent a day at the Blue Planet Aquarium doing my PADI Shark Awareness Specialty. I was really excited at the prospect of getting up close to the sharks, little did I realise that I was going to have mixed emotions when I left the Blue Planet later that afternoon.

        The day started with meeting the staff at the entrance at 09.30. Once signed in we got a tour of the Aquarium by our Instructor, Julie. Tour complete we headed for the classroom for a coffee followed by informative presentations. The PADI Shark Awareness Specialty teaches a wide array of theory on Sharks from breeding, habitats, shark anatomy, feeding habits, movement and much more. We broke for lunch at 1.00pm and our meals were included in the price of the day.

         After lunch it was back to the classroom for more presentations, followed by a short DVD on how the illegal shark fin trade is having a negative impact on the population of sharks. The DVD showed fishermen (more like butchers) catch the sharks, cut off their fins and then just kick them back into the water to die. It was sickening to watch and made me wonder if we took one of the fishermen, cut his arms or legs off then cast him into the water, would the public outcry be the same?

        After the DVD we made our way to kit up for the dive, excited but saddened by what we had just seen. The dive itself was awesome; we spent 30 minutes in close proximity to sand tiger sharks, lemon, guitar and nurse sharks along with other fish and moray eels swimming freely around us. Storm, the 3m Sand Tiger Shark was certainly not shy and we watched in wonder as it swam past us, keeping a watchful eye on our progress. It’s an experience I would recommend to anyone and the whole day made me more aware of just how precious these amazing creatures are and how we should do our best to protect them. If you’re thinking about having a go, stop thinking about it and do it!”

Another Successful Weekend! PADI SMB Specialty & PADI Wreck Specialty

Congratulations to Dave, Matt and Simon who successfully completed their PADI SMB Specialty Course this weekend. Thank goodness that Dave and Matt were warm enough as they braved the cold water in wetsuits. After an intense and action packed pool session, the students then took the plunge into Capernwray to complete the required 2 dives. Not only did they successfully launch their SMB’s twice to meet the PADI SMB Specialty Course requirements but they also managed plenty of practice of different reels and a variety of deployment methods. Excellent deployments gents!

Also a well done must go to Duncan and Kerry who took part in the PADI Wreck Specialty. Duncan was hugely excited by the new addition to Capernwray and extremely pleased with himself after successful line laying techniques inside the wreck. Although the visibility was poorer than normal, Kerry and Duncan were great students and Katy thoroughly enjoyed her dives with them.

May's 'Gone Diving' - Monday 10th May - 6.45pm

Syd's 'Gone Skiing' - Monday 10th May

May’s Gone Diving activity is a visit to the slopes to enjoy a skiing lesson or if you’re a seasoned skier to come and show off in front of us all. Syd has organised for the Dive Club to get together at 6.45pm on Monday 10th May at the North Staffs Ski Club at Bathpool Park, Kidsgrove. He’s even managed to negotiate a discount for the group and the whole evening will cost just £10! The evening session will consist of a 90 minute skiing lesson for those who’ve never tried or 90 minutes on the slope if you’re a proficient skier. All equipment is provided regardless of experience level, with the exception of snowboards. These are not available to hire.

Participants must bring a pair of gloves and wear a long sleeved top. You are also recommended to wear waterproof trousers or tracksuit bottoms but jeans are acceptable.

So, if you want to see Syd strutting his skis or Darren and Katy falling over, come along and Go skiing! Please contact Katy on katy@divecourses.co.uk to book your space.

June 'Gone Diving' Day - Ant's 'Gone Ape'!

Ant's gone Ape day! Sunday June 20th

Think you can handle 3 hours of tree top adventure?

Are you wild enough to climb 30ft up a rope ladder, tarzan swing onto a giant rope net then zip wire 260 metres through trees, crawl through tunnels and tackle high wire rope bridges?

If the answer is yes then Go Ape with Ant!

Time – 9AM (TBA) Car share possible, can arrange when know what numbers we have going. Activity time is approx 3-4 hours based on a group of 10 people

Location – Cannock Forest, Birches Valley Forest Centre, Lady Hill, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2UQ

Can I Go Ape?

• Age 10 or older (Bring family/friends but under 18s (Baboons) must be supervised by a participating adult. An adult can supervise either 2 children (Where one or both of them is under 16) or up to 5 16-17 year olds
• Over 1.4m/4ft 7 inches tall
• Under 130Kg/20.5 stones
• Reasonably fit (Ability to climb a ladder, it is not a race!)

It’s perfectly safe with fully trained instructors and proper equipment. This is one of the UKs top recommended days out so we need to book as soon as possible to ensure we get in as 1 group.

• Highest point: Rope Passage (site 3) 14m
• Longest Zip Wire: Site 3 Zip Wire 260m
• Longest crossing: Rail Track (site 5) 16m

• Total length of all crossings: 1,465m

• Number of crossings: 38

• Number of sections: 5

Price
Adults (Gorillas) £30
Children/young adults (Baboons) £20
Parking £3 for 1 car all day

The site is well equipped with toilets, food/drink service etc. The surroundings are fantastic with mountain bike trails (UK MTB team train here!) and nature walks so why not bring the family too??

What are you waiting for, get it booked, you will love it!! Please book your space with Katy as soon as possible as places will be limited.

Time for a PADI Scuba Review?

Are you counting down the days until your holiday? Are you diving abroad this year? Are your dreams filled with fish, coral or wrecks in preparation for an exciting club trip away? If so, make sure you take into account how long you’ve been out of the water. If it’s been 6 months or longer, you really need to consider enrolling on a PADI Scuba Review. Completing the PADI Scuba Review here will also enable you to start diving as soon as you get to your holiday destination, rather than having to spend a day at a Dive Centre first.


The PADI Scuba Review will not only refresh your knowledge of dive theory but also your diving skills. A member of Sub-Mission staff will meet you at the Dive Centre to review your diving theory. Don’t worry, this is merely to help you remember any forgotten information or to clarify information you never fully understood. You will then go to the swimming pool where your staff member will help you to gear up and go through buddy checks as well as practicing those vital skills with you under water. Should there be anything in particular you would like time to practice your allocated staff member will be more than happy to spend time with you.

The PADI Scuba Review will cost £35 if you still have your Open Water manual and an extra £10 if you do not. The session can be arranged on either a Wednesday or Sunday evening, so contact Katy to arrange your PADI Scuba Review today.

Congratulations five new PADI Assistant Instructors!

Well Done On Your Open Water Presentations At Capernwray
Originally uploaded by Sub-Mission Dive Centre

A massive congratulation must be attributed to the 5 candidates who have been working extremely hard over the past month to achieve PADI Assistant Instructor status. Lyndon, Joanne, Paul, Ant and Chris have proven their teaching ability in a classroom setting, swimming pool and Open Water environment. Each candidate learnt the techniques required to teach scuba as well as understanding the various PADI programs standards and content. They were tasked with presenting new skills to students during role playing exercises to test not only their demonstrations but also their ability to control a group. Their hard work has certainly not been in vain as we are looking forward to utilising their new skills as PADI Assistant Instructors in the Dive Centre. We are also excited that their progression through to PADI Instructor has begun so well and can’t wait for them to join us on the next PADI IDC! Well done.

Well Done PADI Drysuit Specialty Divers!

We would like to congratulate John and Sarah for braving the elements at Eccleston Delph last weekend to complete the PADI Drysuit specialty. They both learnt to dive abroad and have been diving here in the UK in Semi-dry’s. However, to make the most of the Dive Season, they both decided to learn the techniques and skills needed for drysuit diving. After a pool and classroom session, they completed 2 dives at the Delph in order to achieve the PADI Drysuit Specialty rating. They made Katy’s job easy with almost perfect buoyancy, confidence and control in the water. We hope that they will be able to spend longer in the water now and enjoy their surface intervals more as dry divers! Congratulations.

Congratulations PADI Advanced Open Water and PADI Deep Diver Specialty Success!

Well done to Steve, Mark and Jackie who successfully completed their PADI Advanced Open Water at Stoney Cove. Under the Instruction of Dawn, the students completed the Underwater Navigation, Deep, Wreck, Multilevel, Drysuit and Peak Performance Buoyancy Dives to gain the PADI Advanced Open Water Certification. They performed well although the visibility was on the poor side at Stoney Cove and each learnt invaluable skills to help them with their future dives.


Martin, Bill and Neil also deserve a pat on the back for completing the PADI Deep Diver Specialty. Each student was equipped with an extra cylinder as a redundant air supply and managed this additional to their kit well. They weren’t distracted by the cold or the poor visibility, although there was evidence of nitrogen narcosis affecting several of the students, especially when it came to counting underwater. The staff and students had a great weekend so congratulations.