HORIZON NEWS

September 2008 - The newsletter of FIVE STAR IDC CENTRE New Horizons Dive Centre
Printable Version

Dive Socials – calling all speakers!!!
Have you been lucky enough to have escaped somewhere exotic or interesting over the summer months? As you know we have regular dive socials at Macclesfield Rugby Club on the first Monday of each month. The social gives people a chance to catch up with old friends/buddies and meet new divers over a few drinks. Why not come along and give a short presentation on your trip and share your experience. Just give the shop a call and have a chat about arranging it.

Did you learn to dive abroad?
Are you interested in diving in the UK and/or continuing your dive education? You can do both at New Horizons. All our courses are taught in dry suits for your comfort (and ours!!) and we offer the Dry Suit Diver specialty on a regular basis, check out the website. You can also take the opportunity to continue your dive education by completing the Advanced Open Water course where you can complete your Dry Suit Diver specialty at the same time. Our next Advanced Open Water course is 15th-16th November at Stoney Cove.

Upcoming Courses

Wreck Specialty - Sunday 21st September, Stoney Cove
If you are an Advanced Open Water Diver having completed the wreck dive this is a great way to achieve your full specialty in one day. You will learn how to dive wrecks safely, getting the most from your wreck dives and even practice making wreck penetrations.

SMB Diver Specialty - Sunday 21st September, Stoney Cove
The correct deployment and use of Surface Marker Buoys is crucial to diving safely in the sea. Like most equipment used correctly they are key to your safe diving but misused real problems can occur. This day offers vital practical experience in their use.

DPV Pool Session - Wednesday 24th September, Sandbach 19:30
This session will introduce you to the excitement and fun of using DPVs. It covers the basic operation and safety aspects of their use. This is an introduction only and does not result in certification. For the specialty certification come to Stoney Cove on Saturday 16th November and use them on a couple of dives putting into practice all aspects of their use.

Rescue Diver Course – starts Saturday 27th September
The Rescue Diver course is the minimum level we recommend all divers should attain. You will learn self rescue skills; techniques to help and rescue others; how to prevent and if necessary manage emergency situations along with improving your core skills and self confidence. In the classroom and pool you will learn and practice your skills before putting them together in the open water in a series of scenarios. Despite the serious nature of the course, it is always enjoyable and great fun.

Oxygen First Aid Course - 28th September, NHDC 17:00
This course will teach you the techniques of administrating oxygen in diving emergencies. We all know that oxygen plays a vital role in diving first aid but do you know when and how to use it? This is an excellent course which fills the gap in much needed knowledge, not covered in the standard Rescue course first aid component.

Underwater Navigation - 4th October, Capernwray
This course helps you find your way round on dives and gives you confidence that you will be able to find the boat/exit point at the end of the dive. This course teaches you both compass and natural navigation and helps you relax in the water feeling more able to control your dives.

National Geographic - 4th October, Capernwray
This course will help you increase your knowledge of the underwater world including the marine life, wrecks and geology by using the highly acclaimed National Geographic Diver Almanac and DVD. Then you will explore the underwater world during a day’s diving where you will fine tune your buoyancy skills, practice your underwater navigation then complete an exploration project with an underwater digital camera to record your dive.

Equipment Specialty - Sunday 19th October 09:00 -17:00
This course provides an insight into the care/maintenance of equipment; detailed knowledge on how it works and an opportunity to find out about all the latest gadgets. It is a classroom based course but includes a number of practical activities.

Divemaster Course - starts 26th October, NHDC 09:00
This is your first rung on the professional ladder of diving. It is a fantastic course that gets you involved in assisting on courses of all levels as well as guiding pleasure divers. Anyone who does this course says that it is the most rewarding course they have done. It’s not surprising really when you consider that you are helping people learn to do something that you love doing. The Divemaster qualification can also open up new opportunities for you from a working and/or traveling point of view.

IANTD Advanced Nitrox – starts 16th November
This is a great course for the experienced diver who is looking for ways to extend bottom time on dives. You will find this especially useful when diving on wrecks and reefs between 25 and 42m. The course covers the use of twin sets and decompression using stage cylinders. The course consists of a day in the classroom at NHDC and an evening session in the pool, 16th November, followed by 2 days at Chepstow, 22nd and 23rd November, to complete the course.

Foreign Trips Update

Red Sea Liveaboard (Northern) 16th-23rd January 2009
We have a few places left on this popular trip. During this week we will be exploring the amazing wrecks and reefs of the Northern Red Sea. Flights out of Manchester direct to Hurghada where we board our floating home for the week. We will be using the M/Y Superior which is a very comfortable boat and great to dive from. This is the best way to spend a week in the middle of January.

Red Sea Liveaboard (South and St Johns) 14th-21st August 2009
Using MV Infinity liveaboard we will explore some of the best reefs and see amazing marine life in the southern Red Sea on the St John’s and Fury Shoals Reefs. St John’s offers some of the most remote and rewarding diving in the Red Sea, truly world class diving from a fantastic boat – a must for any keen diver.

Trip Reports

Extract from the log of Millcombe House, Lundy Island, by Ian Brooks
"29th August - 2nd Sept 2008 New Horizons Dive Trip, Macclesfield, alias 'The Pikeys'

We are the second group of divers from Macclesfield to explore this beautiful island, except the first lot didn't seem capable of writing in this journal. Ha... too narked I suspect!

This is supposed to be the last night but we know the wind is a-blowin' mid channel and we could all be stuck and just have to go diving again. So that'll be another chance for PD to try and find his MFD and failing that should ensure his DFS is for at least 3 minutes.

On this trip we have discovered suitcases float; Neeraj walks on water; seals can't bite your fins if you don't wear any; lunch is THE most important piece of equipment on a dive boat; weezles can be hung from the windows but it does make the house look like gypsies have moved in; leaving windows open is recommended when one of the group locks the door and bu**ers off to the pub; and divers eat chocolate biscuits... not fruit.

P.S. I've never seen people so happy when the viz got up to 4 metres!"

… And that was only the half of it!

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For details on these or any other events or for advice on gear sales, diving insurance or unaccompanied dive travel, please contact:

New Horizons Snorkel & Dive Centre, 51 - 53, Park Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6TX

Tel: 01625 611108
Fax: 01625 611969
info@new-horizon.co.uk
www.new-horizon.co.uk