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Meet Our Club: East Midlands Sub Aqua Club

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Want to join a dive club? In this new series, we take a look at grassroots diving and find out what’s happening on the club scene in the UK and around the world…


What is the name of your club?

East Midlands Sub Aqua Club or EMSUB – BSAC 1663.

Where is your club based?

In Long Eaton, between Derby and Nottingham.

Club affiliations (i.e. BSAC, PADI, SAA, etc.)

We are a BSAC Branch but many of our current members started with other training bodies.

Where and when do you meet?

We meet at the Wilsthorpe Tavern in Long Eaton every Tuesday at 8.00 pm, except for the third Tuesday of the month when we meet at Lonsdale pool in Derby.

How do you respond to the challenge of recruiting new members?

We take stalls at local fetes and galas. We have run ‘Dive in a Bucket’ sessions with local scout groups and we also have a regular spot in a local magazine.

Some members have been interviewed on local radio and members put up posters at work and in their local area. We also sell try-dive gift vouchers.

What facilities and resources does the club use / have?

At the pub we have the sole use of a room for meetings and training lectures on a Tuesday. We are lucky also to have a member who lets us use a training room that is part of his business at the weekends.

We have around eight sets of scuba kit in a range of sizes suitable for pool work and open water dives. New trainees use the kit for their training sessions and look after them whilst training, which gives them good instruction on how to care for kit. Some of the kit can also be borrowed for dives if any of the club have their own kit in for testing.

We are also very lucky that one of our members owns a rib and he is always keen for people to go along on trips.

Our best resource are the trainers and members within the club; we all work together to help each other and to offer new trainees the best experience we can.

What sort of diving do you do, and where?

Shore diving, rib diving, hard boats, at sea and in quarries. We do lots of UK diving and have had many trips abroad. We particularly enjoy St Abb and the Farne Islands but also North and South Wales, Plymouth; from the south coast up to the Orkneys!

We’ve also recently completed a dry dive at the Midlands Chamber. It was fascinating to see everyone’s reactions at 50m and also to learn about the other work the Chamber do that is not just diving related.

Do you organise any club trips abroad, and if so, where?

As a club we have been to Spain, Egypt and Malta. Lanzarote has been booked for later this year.

Some of the club have been lucky enough to travel to Cyprus, Gozo, Thailand, Turkey, Mozambique, Cayman Islands, Roatan, Tobago, Grenada and Sudan.

Does your club have any special interests such as conservation, special projects etc?

There are many interests within the club with probably photography, history and conservation being the top three.

Does your club have any claims to fame or any particularly interesting stories… or members

Linda and Caroline organised the first East Midlands ‘This Girl Can Dive’ event in October 2015. This was a try-dive session aimed at getting 100 women to give a try-dive a go, in conjunction with This Girl Can and BSAC. We had 101 women sign up for the day and raised money for Ovarian Cancer and the RNLI. We had a lot of publicity around the Derby and Nottingham area and appeared in the newspapers and on the radio.

We have had BSAC’s youngest Ocean Diver qualify with us, aged only 12. His Dad was a member of the club when it first started 28 years ago – he was very young at the time too. And to keep on with the family theme, we have three generations of the same family in the club. They created quite a stir when the Grandson decided he wanted to learn to dive and Grandad came along with him and signed up for the Ocean Diver course aswell. Grandad learnt to dive aged 71 so he had his own write up in the papers…. the story continued when Dad and another Grandson joined too.

What are the club’s plans for the future?

To carry on diving and enjoying ourselves within the club and to carry on training and supporting our new members. It’s great to see people’s confidence grow as they learn new skills. It is a very supportive club.

Where can people find out more about your club

You can find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/emsub1663/ at our website http://emsub.co.uk/ or best of all, call us on 07591 655512 and come and meet us at the Wilsthorpe Tavern!

Finally… if you could sum up your club in just one sentence, what would it be?

A fab, fun and friendly group of people waiting to meet you and help you on your way to new adventures.

Gear News

Introducing the TR-80, IR-50 and CS-30 Regulators from DYNAMICNORD

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regulator

Whether you are a beginner or a professional diver – with the three new main regulators from DYNAMICNORD, everyone will find their favourite regulator. They all look super stylish.

Excellent performance with the TR-80

Quality and performance are the be-all and end-all for regulators. It is not for nothing that the TR stands for Tec Reg. The innovative design of the TR-80 guarantees absolute reliability – even in ice-cold waters.

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Perfect breathing effort at 0.8 J/l / certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / structural design made of solid brass for best cold protection / membrane-compensated design with dry seal of the first stage / reduced exhalation effort thanks to optimized exhalation membrane and bubble deflector / adjustable Venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort / innovative design of the front cover prevents free-flow in strong currents or when diving with scooters / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 LP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.

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Amazing underwater adventures with the IR-50

The IR-50 is the top regulator for advanced and experienced divers. Natural breathing is the essence of this regulator.

regulator

Ideal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / compensated membrane / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort/ outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.

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The Workhorse – our CS-30

For diving centres and diving beginners – the workhorse stands for strong construction, reliability and robustness. Perfect for your training.

regulator

Optimal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /recommended for diving in waters above 10 degrees / non-compensated piston / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) / outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 1 HP and 3 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.

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Octopus OP-30

The OP-30 is the ideal addition to all DYNAMICNORD regulators. It is identical in construction to the CS-30.

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The TR-80, IR-50, CS-30 (DIN & INT) regulators and the Octopus OP-30 are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers and in the online store.

DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.

www.dynamicnord.com

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Marine Life & Conservation

Paul Watson Released as Denmark Blocks Japan’s Extradition Bid

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paul watson

Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.

The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.

Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.

In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.

Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.

Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.

The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.

Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.

Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.

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