Following an idyllic holiday in Antigua June '97, where a 4 day course led to qualification as a PADI open water diver, I decided, with much encouragement and support from the Bishop Auckland branch members to take diving up as more than just a holiday activity.  Even a trip to the cold, black waters of Capernwray in mid November '97 for my first two dry suit dives wasn't enough to put me off. 

In March of 98 with the decision made, the club set ahead and got all of the relevant information on the cross-over course requirements and the training materials necessary for me to become a fully fledged BSAC Sports Diver.  Although the club had all of the equipment to get me started I decided to go and buy my own equipment, and so with expert advice on hand I bought my first set of diving gear and was keen to get started. 

My training began with a lot of the emphasis on safety and rescue techniques as well as safe, considerate diving practices.  Much of this training was unique to the cross-over or just didn’t fit with the lessons and training already underway within the club. However this was not a problem as the excellent instructors in the club did not seem to mind having to give ‘one off’ lessons and pool training on an individual basis, not only making the lessons interesting but also getting the more serious points of diving across.  

After some theory and pool lessons it was time to venture into open water at Ellerton Park in early April.  I was taken for a warm up dive to ascertain my skills level and ‘acclimatise’ me to the rather different waters of a fresh water inland lake to that of the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean.  The next week brought another trip to Capernwray for some decompression exercises.  The club instructors ensured that I completed the theory and pool skills lessons on time as at the end of May there was a week long club trip to Oban which I had signed up to attend, and it was there I completed my training.  This was my first experience of how good UK diving actually could be, my previous experiences were limited to two inland lakes and the Tyne.  The visibility was excellent; the company fantastic, the whole experience was total justification towards not limiting my diving to sunny holidays with ‘rocks ’n fishes’. 

After a couple of days to enjoy the diving, it was time to finish my training.  I found it hard to complete this section of the training as I had to perform rescue skills & scenarios, an area which had not been covered by my initial PADI course.  I felt a little daunted at the thought of having to simulate AV and rescue someone, but despite my reluctance in learning this skill the instructors made it clear how critical this particular skill could be in my diving career.  Again, the support from the club was wonderful, giving up some of their holiday to help me complete my training. 

This was the first cross over course that Bishop had done but everything went perfectly.  I started at the beginning of March in 1998 and two months later, thanks to the support of everyone in the club I was a BSAC sports diver. I have now been diving with the club for 5 years experiencing some wonderful diving and the social aspect afforded from being in a club.