Every year, Panaga Divers takes on 6 - 8 trainees and instructs them to dive to the level of BSAC Ocean Diver. If you've been around the Panaga Pool or the Pelangi Room in the last two weeks, you'll have seen us either in the pool learning diving skills, or upstairs hearing about the theory of diving and taking the written test. The first real, open water, sea dive was scheduled for Saturday. The engines had been sorted (last weekend) and the weather prediction was good, despite two waterspouts and a squall on Friday night. As it turned out Saturday was flat calm, with ideal conditions to head off to Chearnley Shoals with the six trainees, Bert, J-P, Elenie, Nariman, Jim and Alison. Always a good omen, Mt. Mulu was clearly seen on the horizon. It was also the first club boat dive of 2005. 

Expressions vary from apprehension to exhilaration as KB recedes at 27 knots, and we make our way to Chearnley Shoals.

On arrival at the site, the visibility was obviously good, since the reef could be clearly seen some 10 metres down, however, on spring tides, the current was pouring towards the north-east at about a knot. No problem; we set a shot-line and anchored the boat to provide adequate lines running downwards for the newcomers. The first step into the water might only be a few inches, but it's a big moment. 

Alison checks the water for sharks!

It gladdens the heart, that whilst standards fall all around us, a BSAC (trainee-) instructor can still drag an errant pupil through his exercises by the ear.

Well done Al, Dale and Doug, who spent most of the weekend doing enough rescue scenarios, CBL's, AV's and CPR's  to catapult them halfway through the Dive Leader course. 

These divers will be your marshalls and instructors later in the year. It's comforting to know that all their rescue skills on Saturday were conducted in less than one metre visibility, courtesy of a west wind and the Baram river outflow.