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Having been at JSSADC for the last year, the Centre has gone from strength to strength, increasing the
number of courses and incorporating the other Sub Aqua Diving Centres into our routine business to achieve synergy.
The centre in HMS Devonport is supported by 6 Civil Servants, 2 Navy PTIs and 2 RAPTCIs with 3 Incremental Staff to assist them which enables the Centre to achieve all its diving operations and other commitments, without whom the centre would be unable to conduct it’s very busy programme.
The annual Joint Service Sub Aqua Diving staff training and assurance exercise was held in Malta, incorporated all staff from; JSSADC, Cyprus, Kiel and Castlemartin, resulting in, the validation of all competencies in preparation for the coming dive season. Additionally, further instruction to qualify incremental and junior instructors, update currency, refresh all staff on the extent of quali cations and update on current service policy.
Enhancements to the Exercise facilitated a First Class Diver event to qualify a number of
Diving on the wreck
senior instructors to the pinnacle of BSAC diver competency and provide access to the upper echelons of instructor quali cations - a process that is normally completed in a modular format over an extended timeline. This was the rst time an event of this type had been held. Additionally, the provision of technical equipment, to be transported by road (all the way to Malta!) would facilitate the delivery of Technical Diving and further enhance the skill-set and experience of instructors.
The challenges and complexities of moving such loads with compressed gases and hazardous materials by land, sea, Eurotunnel and across borders soon became apparent! However, even over-
zealous border of cials, ferry operators and tollbooth operators and a couple of navigational embarrassments couldn’t put us off schedule – and the four day road move from Plymouth through; France, Switzerland, Italy, Sicily and Malta was completed without incident - much to everyone’s relief!
Arrival in Malta saw the stores unloaded and personnel straight into the diving programme. Malta catered for training; from Sports Diver trainee through to Closed Circuit Rebreather, accelerated decompression, and deep diving in a wide variety of conditions. A huge number of wrecks, some purposely sunk and others, casualties of war provided interest during the training along with some stunning underwater scenery and marine life. Exercise Maltese Falcon was a great success and the PXR has already prompted the planning of next year’s event.
On returning to Plymouth, the staff fully conversant and up to speed went straight into the rst courses of the new season using the centre’s overhauled boats and then on to the annual Dive Safety Conference.
JOINT SERVICES SUB AQUA DIVE CENTRE (JSSADC)
WO2 (QMSI) P MIKOLAJEWSKI & SSGT (SSI) J STAPLETON RAPTC
This is what we do...
and who we are...
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The Trust fosters an esprit de corps
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