Introduction

At the end of the pool and classroom training, the club organises a trip for the new trainees to experience open water diving. We aim to keep the cost as low as possible, so we bring our own boats, compressors and equipment and organise all dives, meals etc ourselves.

As well as a great introduction to real diving after a winter in the pool, the Novice Trip is also one of the most enjoyable trips of the year, and is a really good way to get to know lots of other people in the club.

The novice trip is often in Killary Fjord, however there are many locations which we use depending on the year. Get ready for a great few days packed with spectacular sites, stunning underwater vistas, lovely boat rides, lots of tasty food, and the best of all ridiculous parties in our warm, toasty cottages.

Novice Trip 2016 – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7pv3u7YfOogRGNGSkhhVWV0NVE/preview

Helpful tips for the novice trip

Everyone works really hard to make this trip happen and happen smoothly. We’re all glad to help out and LOVE this trip, but there are a few things you can do to help us help you that will make everyone super happy and increase your chances of winning the coveted Golden Snorkel Award. These things include: 1. COMPRESSING or helping on the compressor. There will be a rota, but there’s no maximum amount of compressing you can do and there are some pretty sweet silent dance moves you can work on at the same time 2. HELPING the dive marshall. Feel free to ask the day’s marshall if they’ve got any tasks for you, there may be some herding or organizing you can help with. Also, they may need sweets or water throughout the day. 3. Being EFFICIENT- this means knowing where your kit it, being ready to go a little early, keeping your kit tidy, and not dilly dallying. 4. Helping out the VAN MAN- packing and unpacking every day. 5. Boat Help- when the boats come in, help your friends get off and get gear off- you’ll see how it’s done. 6. Be EXTRA lovely to the DO, marshalls, Van Man/Woman, and cooks.

Transport

Travel is arranged by the club – people without cars are matched up with drivers. The club rents a van to carry most of the clubs gear.

It’s up to the passengers and driver to arrange when and where to meet. This is best done by e‑mail (please mail the people themselves, not the whole club). If you don’t get a reply from someone, then ask the Membership Officer or DO to see if you can get their mobile number. Please note: you are expected to split petrol costs on the way to and from the trip with your driver and other passengers.

What to Bring

Money:

As much as you need for the long weekend. The accommodation is often located close to a small town which may have an ATM, but bear in mind that it’s not always the case. Also, pubs will mostly deal in cash and it’s easier to settle up with your drivers/passengers if you’ve a bit of spare cash.

Personal Dive Gear:

All gear listed below should be in your possession- don’t plan on sharing as much as possible as it can muck up the schedule and cost YOU diving time! Please bring your weight belt with you in your car. Your drivers should be aware of this. 🙂 Club semi-drys, regs, BCDs, masks, fins, gloves, and hoods will go in the van. You can pick your fave each morning, but please be careful to pick the correct size! You should return your gear ASAP after each dive to keep things running efficiently and keep your clubmates super happy.

If you have your own semi-dry or dry suit, fins, mask, weight belt and weights, booties, gloves, hood, computer, torch, knife, or compass, don’t forget those either! The more personal gear you have, the smoother your transitions will be, so try not to forget!

Clothing:

For wet times: bring at minimum one swimsuit (two is better), two towels (one for showering, one for diving), and a rash guard if you have one. If you can bring a pair or old tights (men too!), they make getting into the semidry a lot easier and can be the difference between 5 minutes changing into your suit and 15 minutes.

For the drier times: ALL THE WARM CLOTHES YOU OWN (it gets chilly!), a warm thinsulate/ fleecy/ woollen hat or two if possible, a warm coat and lots of hooded sweatshirts, gloves, lots of warm socks, a waterproof jacket or two, waterproof trousers if you have them and any nice waterproof boots you own. Don’t forget PJs, undies, or shower shoes. A windbreaker can be your best friend on the boat ride back after a dive, so if you’ve got one you don’t mind getting salty, definitely bring it along.

Misc:

Thermos, mug, snacks (meals are provided but it’s nice to have a bag of jellies or crisps), alcoholic beverages (overestimate your typical consumption rates as drink tends to disappear fast over the weekend), your BSAC qualification book, your log book, fancy dress costumes (WE DO DRESS UP!), and don’t forget any medication you need or might like. You should bring your own shampoo, conditioner, soap, hair driers, straighteners (GHDs), make up, nail polish, razors, shaving cream, tooth paste, and toothbrush if you’d like to have them.

ENTS!:

A typical ents schedule is below, however it’s up to the Ents Officer to organise it each year!

Wednesday: Nothing official is organized for Wednesday night, Its a chance to get to know the place and get yourself organized. We’ll undoubtedly be going to the pub and for anybody interested there will be drinking games later in the evening.

Thursday: Thursday night will be spent in one of the bigger houses where we’ll have a scavenger hunt. The concept of the game is very simple: Throughout the house and surrounding area I will have strategically hidden a number of prizes, you will be divided into teams of 4 and given a set of clues alluding to the location of prizes, once teamed up you will be let lose to track down you prize like a pack of wolves. Following the hunt we will retire to the lounge for an array for party games.

Friday: On Friday we’re heading to the bar where we’ll be having the annual boat race. The Boat race is a drinking race which pits trainee against instructor, the victor team will have their name engraved in DUSAC history on the prestigious boat race trophy.

Saturday: Saturday night is the Novice trip cocktail party. Its a themed costume party and the theme is Movie characters, so get planning your costume (failure to dress up will result in shunning). A large array of poorly made cocktails will be be available and the notorious teapot will be making the rounds as it does every year. UV paint will also be readily available.