Since my appointment to National Diving Officer I have implemented a number of changes to the SAA training policy. I would like to take this opportunity to explain the reasoning behind these changes:

Junior Divers

External pressures have been the impetus for the new rules, including European guidance on children in water sports, and of course the legal requirements for CRB checks of those with significant contact with the vulnerable

You are probably aware that the pre-requisite requirement of Diver Rescue for Dive Supervisor has been removed, and is now a pre-requisite for Open Water Instructor. This is because the OWI is the diver who is taking inexperienced new divers into open water for the first few times. It is inexperienced new divers who are most likely to need rescuing, similarly it is also true that young divers are also more likely to require rescuing, I think that this is reasonably foreseeable.

I realise that there are logistical and cost implications to the Diver Rescue course. For these reasons I have extended a period of grace until the end of April 2009, in which those who dive with youngsters can continue to do so, whilst waiting to gain a Diver Rescue qualification. It is therefore proposed that there will be 3 Nationally run Diver Rescue courses as a one off, to help those who want to take junior members diving, and those who want to gain OWI. These courses are to be subsidised. Please note that this offer will not be repeated. The candidates will be required to pay for entrance fees to the venue, cost of air/gas and for certification stickers etc. They must also pay for the theory session/exam
Provisional dates for the practical courses are:

29/30th Nov 2008 to be held at the National Diving Centre, Cheltenham
28th Feb/1st Mar 2009 to be held at Dosthill
4/5th April 2009 to be held at Capenwray

It is imperative that those members who wish to attend the course complete a National Course Application Form and send to SAA Head Office at their earliest convenience. The closing date for receipt of forms for Nov course is 1st Nov . Closing dates for the courses to be run in 2009 is 6 weeks prior to the date of the course. After these dates we will send candidates details of the venue and dates for the theory session together with the cost of the course.

I have listened to members’ comments re the revised Junior Policy and took note of concerns that some clubs had over the ruling that under 15’s must dive with a parent/guardian. This has now been amended to read: “Juniors under the age of 15 to dive with parent / guardian. Where this is not possible they must dive with someone nominated “in loco parentis” who must be a CRB checked Dive Leader or above with Diver Rescue qualification”. Acopy of the revised policy has been sent to all club diving officers'.
Please note that there is no charge for CRB checks.


SAA Tables

A decision was made at the recent SAA National Council Meeting that the recently launched SAA DeeP Stop decompression tables will be the sole table used for SAA training purposes after the end of February 2009.

Although the SAA recommends that these tables are used by members for any dives, it is still the case that experienced divers who have been trained with regard to decompression, may elect to use any recognised table for non-training dives as long as they have received appropriate training on the table they elect to use. On all SAA Regional or National skill advancement / development courses the DeeP Stop Tables will be used.

National Diving Officers’ Conference

I look forward to meeting many of you at the next NDO Conference, which will be held at the Barcelo Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire on Saturday 22ns November. Further information re the itinerary will be sent once details have been finalised.

Safe Diving,

Steve Wallis