Lectures 2007

Hi all, Well done to all trainees that have turned up for Pool & Lecture training since the schedule was started, you all have been working away at getting it right and getting results.We will have a break for Christmas Holidays and we will resume the Lectures and Pool training on Jan 7th @ 10.00a.m. This Lecture will be on "effects of pressure" & "buoyancy" these can be found on pages 17 & 20 of your course book. We look foward to seeing you all on the night out in "Gerties" as per text.where we can have a laugh and partake of some good old socializing, actually I think they call it" Guinness". see you there.
Thanks Colm & Alan for helping out while I was at the Defib Course. Thanks to all our Instructors and members who help out each week. " Happy Christmas"
June

Committee 2006 - 2007

Chairman - - - - - - - - - - Brian Duffy
Vice Chairman - - - - - Pauric Hynes
Diving Officer - - - - - - - Liam Sherringham
Training Officer - - - - - June Robbins
Treasurer - - - - - - - - - Ger Craven
Secretary - - - - - - - - - Cian Hynes
Equipment Officer - - Aiden Henry
P.R.O. - - - - - - - - - - - - Ollie Fallon
Fundraising Officer- - Seamus Glynn
Snorkelling Officer - - Kieran Kelly
Competitions Officer- Conor Holohan

Clubhouse Caretaker - - Pat Wynne

Delegates - - - Ger Craven and Matt Gleeson

Search and Recovery Unit Diving Officer - - - Ger Craven

Subs Now Due

Hi Folks

Subs are now due. You won't be allowed use scuba in the pool after xmas
unless you are paid in full.
The subs are as follows

Adult Diver 210
Student Diver 135
Senior Snorkeler 95
Junior Snorkeler 65
Associate Membership 25

Family Membership will depend on the second and subsequent membership
types. Ask Ger Craven or Myself for details.

Also this year we have introduced a prepay diving option. If you pay 120
euros then you dive for the rest of the year at no extra cost. If you
do not wish to avail of this option then it is 10 euros per dive. The 120
euros must be paid in full after your sub is fully paid before you can
avail of the prepay option.

Any questions on the above then contact Me on 086 8734935

Cian

AGM

Don't forget the club's AGM is on this coming Sunday 3rd Decemeber at 3pm in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel. This is a big event for the club where a decision on the club becoming a company will take place. Also anyone interested in taking up a position on the committee should make themselves known to any senior member of the club so they're name can be put forward, and if you know of someone that is interested in taking a position then again make their name known to some senior members.

The meeting is open to all.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Remember this is a chance for your voice to be heard.

You have dived the U-260 now try the U-861

Dive Site: U-861
Location: Malin Head, Donegal, Ireland
Description: WWII Deadlight Submarine
Length: 87.4 metres
Depth: 43 metres
Visibility: 15 + metres average
Only 30 of the U861's type were built. It sank during "Operation Deadlight" and broke into three sections at a depth of 43m. Slack water dive only.

Lovely dive in the same location as the Laurentic, well worth a visit in 2007, I took these photos in October.
Rgds,
Ger C.

new gear for trainees

Many thanks to John Malone for giving up his Sunday morning and coming over to the Clubhouse to furnish our new members with the gear they needed to start their training in earnest.The advice from our own members was also on hand and much appreciated, like wise during our pool session, seasoned divers were generous with their encouragement and instruction.The Lectures will be starting on Sunday 26th November at 10.00a.m sharp in the Clubhouse, please bring a note book and pen.Trainees will be able to purchase their Starter Pack this Sunday at the Clubhouse, which will enable them to get their Medical Forms & logbooks signed by their G.P.s. the cut off date for submission of your medical is Dec 3rd 06.
Keep up the Good work !
June..

t.v programmes of interest

Hi new members,
welcome !if I have not had the pleasure to meet you yet. If you get a chance to watch t.v.this will give you a taste of whats to come. As we get our training underway, the season to head off to the coast will quickly be upon us.
b.b.c.1 n. ireland @ 8.00 p.m. "water world" wednesdays, with the exception of this week as they are covering the match.This programme will be of interest to anyone taking up diving/ snorkeling as it covers some dive sites in n.ireland.. The flora & fauna are what you will encounter as you progress to open water, it also features some interesting points on the effects the elements / tides have on diving.
b.b.c. 2.@ 8.00 p.m." coast"thursdays. The u.k. coast line its history and other interests based around our sport features, with Miranda Krestovnikoff.

John Malone (diving gear)is to be at the club house this sunday before pool, 11.00a.m.approx for anyone who needs to purchase basic gear.
Should you require directions give me a call or text. 087 2941838.
Looking foward to seeing you all at the pool on Sunday.

June Robbins.
Deputy Training Officer

Gas Blenders now available in ASAC

Four club members successfully completed the CFT gas blending course last Saturday in Mullingar SAC. It was important to get this done as Nitrox diving had been put on stop due to the lack of gas blenders in the club. Liam Sherringham, Robert West, Aiden Henry and Ger Craven completed the course. The club has all the necessary equipment for blending, a filler whip with digital gauge, O2 analyzer, personal filter and O2 bottles in the clubhouse. Any qualified Nitrox diver with O2 clean bottles are welcome to approach the above to get their bottle filled. We need and welcome the practice.

Well Done

Well done to all who passed there water fitness test on Sunday. Now your training will begin. Make sure you have Fin masks and snorkel for next Sunday. John Malone from Midland Water Sports, will be over in our club house next Sunday at 11 o'clock, so you can purchase the gear from him then if you don't already have it.

The Medical Form can be downloaded from the Irish Underwater Council website. Go there by clicking on the link on this page. Then go to the menu on the left hand side and click on "Document Download". Then click on the folder "General Forms" inside here you will find and can download a copy of the Medical Form.
Please take some time to browse the Irish Underwater Council website as you will find a lot of information about Scuba Diving in Ireland.

Defibilator Training Course

The club will be running defibilator's training courses before and after christmas, so any club member who is interested in been trained in using this life saving equipment should ring or txt the club phone and leave you details (086-8216670).................

Try a Dive

Todays Try a dive brought a great turn out. Next for our new members is the acceptance test, this is a simple test on your water fitness. It consists on doing 8 lenghts or 200 metres of the pool on your front, and 2 lenghts or 50 metres of the pool on your back. You can do any type of swim stroke you like. Then within 5 minutes of doing these lengths, you have to hold your breath underwater for 30 seconds. So get practising in the pool during the week and we'll see you there at 12.30 next sunday.......

New Members buying gear

Dont rush out and buy all the gear yet. Wait and see if the sport is for you. Instead just buy the basic equipment. This gear should be bought A.S.A.P in order to start training.

Basic Equipment:

(1) Face Mask (Tempered Glass Only)
(2) Snorkel
(3) Fins (With Strapes)
(4) Booties
(5) Weight Belt (Optional for pool training)

This gear can be bought from: John Malone, Midland Watersports, Mulingar. 087 9180470.

Kilkee Search

The bank holiday weekend was our last dive trip away for this season. Ger and Noel had a night dive on the friday and a dive to Bearaty Mor and another night dive to chimely bay was had on the saturday. Unfortuantly about 8 miles south of Kilkee on Sunday, two Polish men were washed off rocks into the water at a place known as 'Tullaig Point' with the result of one of the men loosing his life. We were approached by the 'Kilkee Search and Rescue Unit' and asked would we carry out a underwater search for the man early on Monday morning, as the weather was due to get bad that afternoon. So at 07.30hrs on Monday, the Athlone R.I.B along with Lough Ree Sub Aqua Clubs and Kilkee Search and Rescue boat left the slip at Kilkee. Liam, Derry and Noel travelled on the rib while our divers travelled by road. This proved to be a good idea as the seas were rough, with 3 to 4 metre swells. It took about 50 minutes to get to the search location, the Shannon based helicopter was also on location when we arrived carrying out an arieal search. We proceded futher south to a place called 'Rosses Bay' and picked up our divers, who by now had arrived by road, and returned to 'Tullaig Pt.' Due to the bad weather and rough seas diving was only permited in one loacation, so in a team effort with the other clubs all divers were put in togeather in a line. The divers from A.S.A.C were Ger Loughnane, Ger Fogerty, Colm O'Reilly and Derry Mc Mahon, The dive lasted for approx 30 minutes. Unfortuantly the body of the man was not recovered and due to the falling light we were all forced to return to Kilkee. This just proves the the Athlone Sub Aqua Club can be at any time called apon to carry out 'Search And Recovery Operations' be it at sea or on the inland waterways. We will be carrying out Search and recovery training this winter for any two star or snorkeller thats interested in taking part..........

GERTIE WALSHE FINSWIM RESULTS

The results of the swim are as follows

1st Damien Mellett
2nd Conor Holohan
3rd Cian Hynes
4th Mervyn Huston
5th Col O Reilly

Thank to all who particpated and to all who helped out. Sponsorship cards are due back so return to Colm or Cian.

Sacppa flow 2007

Any one interested in diving in Scapa Flow June 2007. Anyone interested must be well dived up before going as average dive depths are 35+ meters

Contact Stewart for more info.  3 places available

 

Wednesday nights

Hi Folks

Due to the current financial strain on the club, can we refrain from using the large boats on a wednesday night if there is small numbers. The Zodiac is an ideal boat for small numbers. The clubs fuel bill is rising so we need to start watching how we use our resources.

Thanks

Club Member Performs Heroic Rescue

Club member Alan Heeney was involved in a rescue in Kilkee on Monday last. Alan was down for a weeks diving with the army. He received a call from the Kilkee Rescue Centre for medical assistance as they knew Alan was a medical technician. Alan went with the Kilkee Rescue Team to Georges Head, on the behest of the Coastgaurd who raised the alarm. Luckily Alan had his own trauma bag with him as he was the team medic for the army diving group.

The patient was found approximately 600yards from the car park in Georges Head. The patient was suffering from hyperthermia and was in shock. The patient had suspected spinal injuries. Alan treated all the apparent life threatening injuries and the not so apparent dangers like the potential spinal injuries. The coastgaurd arrived by helicopter and winched the patient by strecher from the scene direct to hospital with Alan's assistance.

Many congratulations to Alan on a job well done, if there is a lesson to be learnt here is that we should all keep our Diver Medic skills up todate and that having Emergency Medical Equipment at hand and in proper order is critical for a successful rescue outcome.

Alan was interviewed by Midlands Radio 3 and he stressed that the good medical training he received from the Athlone SAC and the Army were the primary reasons for the successful outcome.

Van Drivers Wanted

We need extra van drivers to bring the boat to dive sites.

Because of the cost of insurance for people under 28 drivers should be 28+.

Drivers must have an EB licence or above, check the categories on your licence, and have no motoring convictions.

Anyone suitably qualified available and willing should contact Jim (087 2359772)

Filling Bottles

Just to remind club members that only bottles in test can be filled using the club compressor. And only current members may use compressor, non members MUST get a trained user to fill the bottle for them. For any member that wants to know how to use the compressor please come down on wednesday evenings and ask arounds and you'll be shown. It is a simple operation but it does need to be done correctly and safely.