Page 39 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

Ex FISH FINDER was a sub-aqua diving expedition to Lanzarote, Spain. The expe- dition comprised seven Officer Cadets from
across all three companies of CC183 and two military instructors. The expedition was split into two groups, three OCdts looking to achieve BSAC Sports Diver and the other four work- ing towards BSAC Dive Leader. Both groups were extremely successful: all the Sports Divers received their qualification while the Dive Lead- ers completed all the theory and practical les- sons required for their qualification, leaving them with only a few dives left to progress.
The journey out to Lanzarote was seamless and the accommodation was ideally located 200m from the sea, meaning maximum time on the beach during decompression between dives! We used the Military Approved Centre Safari Diving and the staff were incredibly accommo- dating and provided expert local knowledge that helped us experience the best diving Lanzarote has to offer.
The local fauna also did not disappoint and did their best to make every dive memorable. From large grouper, barracuda and eels, to stingrays, octopi and cuttlefish, the diversity and vibrancy of the marine life was amazing.
The dives themselves were a good balance of practical skills and gaining diving experience. Both groups learnt valuable and potentially life- saving rescue skills from the point of injury on the seabed all the way to the surface and on the boat back to shore. There was also a lot of skill
progression and most of the OCdts had their first taste of some more advanced, technically demanding dives such as night dives, wreck div- ing, drift diving and depth progression down to 30m.
These varied and challenging dives were inter- spersed with essential theory lessons that rounded off the whole experience and often pro- vided a welcome change of pace in a packed schedule of diving.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience for eve- ryone involved and the Sandhurst Trust was incredibly important in facilitating the expedi- tion. The generous contribution made the trip a lot more affordable for the OCdts and hope- fully the qualifications they achieved made it a shrewd investment, as they can then build on these skills throughout their careers and inspire the next generation of Army divers.
Exercise FISH FINDER
SANDHURST 37