The CMAS Tribune

8

JUNE EDITION

The CMAS Tribune

REPORT BACK ON THE 2005 ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING

It’s official; the CMAS-ISA has had its first General Assembly in terms of our new Constitution and it was a huge success!
As you are aware, we had to change our Constitution to bring it into line with that of the SAUU. One of the changes we had to make was to change the name of our Annual General Meeting to that of the General Assembly. Furthermore, you are also aware of the fact that the Executive Council has the desire to change the meeting to more than just a meeting, to make an occasion of it, which will ensure that more of our Instructors and Divemasters make an effort to attend the meeting. In order to make the General Assembly more appealing this year, we invited a number of guest speakers who gave presentations upon completion of the business of the meeting.
Well it looks as if the idea has gained general acceptance amongst our Instructors and Divemasters. We had 50 plus people at the meeting, which is more than I can recall that have ever attended an AGM. The great thing about the meeting was that all our Instructors and Divemasters participated in a very constructive manner. They raised their concerns and made valuable contributions towards the addressing of some of the challenges facing CMAS-ISA.
As previously mentioned the guest speakers spoke on relevant topics, which kept everyone present glued to their seats. This was clearly to be seen as virtually nobody left the meeting to go home early.
I would like to use this opportunity to thank Frank and Zerelda for arranging such a great meeting. The venue, the food and the speakers were great! A special word of thanks also needs to go to all our members who went to the trouble to attend the meeting. Without your participation the meeting would definitely not have been such a huge success.
Lastly, I would like to extend an invitation to all our Instructors to come forward if you would like to arrange next year’s General Assembly. As I said at the meeting we would like to have it in a different city next year. Please contact Zerelda at the Office if you are up to the challenge!
Be careful down there!
Kevin Dolphin
Legislation affecting SCUBA divers
Mike Beresford presented a list of legislation affecting SCUBA divers at the AGM which definately raised some eyebrows. The interesting fact is that although there was some new legislation, most of the regulations were existing laws! Below is a list of the regulations and perhaps we can explore a law or regulation in more detail in articles to follow in this newsletter in the next couple of issues of this newsletter.
1. Did you know that you are required to have a compressor's airtested by an approved authority every month and be able to produce the certificate upon request? If you run your compressor infrequently you are only required to test every three months.
2. All users of cylinders must hold a document from the manufacturer certifying that the cylinder was made in accordance with specifications. Without this certificate, it is illegal to use the cylinder
3. Cylinders must be stamped with the year and month of revalidation tests, not year and quarter. Incorrect markings potentially invalidate the cylinder
4. If the pillar valve of a cylinder is damaged in any way, including damage to the handwheel, the cylinder should be scrapped. (Not mandatory, but recommended)
5. If club members hire gear from a club and dive in a protected area, the club must pay a permit fee to the managing authority.
6. Club boats may only be used in a protected area if a fee is paid to the authorities. This fee is in addition to operator and diver fees.
7. All people leading or guiding activities must register and pay fees. The fees are payable by individuals and organisations,including clubs. Fees are payable to both the conservation sections and the tourist guide control sections of DEAT.
8. The MPA permit fees – well known issue Other legislation which is in the pipeline include:
8.1. Coastal Management Bill: Will regulate all coastal activities, on a “user pays” basis.
8.2. Spearfishing regulations: Proposal from MCM that spearfishermen be banned from using masks ( no, we are not joking ! )
8.3. Equipment Servicing: Compulsory to have regulators serviced annually, by an approved service agent. You are represented by the “National Association of Underwater Divers”.
8.4. Equipment certification: All new regulators to be certified, and only used within certification specifications. This would make purchase of a regulator as a single unit, consisting of a first stage and two second stages, compulsory
8.5. Dive control: Dive leaders must be able to lead all aspects of a dive, i.e. photographic / rebreather etc.
8.6. Dive leadership qualifications: Set / being set without any input from CMAS-ISA
A special thank you to Mike Beresford for compiling the list above.
If you would like to know more about the issues raised above, please feel free to contact me. Monty Guest, Chairman, False Bay Underwater Club CMAS-ISA 2* Instructor email :

8

DATUMS OM IN JUNIE TE ONTHOU
5 Junie—Wêreld Omgewings dag
8 Junie—Wêreld Oseane dag
16 Junie—Jeug dag
10 Junie—Wêreld Vlugtelinge dag
26 Junie—Internasionale dag ter ondersteuning van slag-offers
26 Junie—Internasionale dag teen dwelm misbruik en
handel / CMAS WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING NEW
2* INSTRUCTORS AND DIVEMASTERS:
INSTRUCTORS:
Mervyn Trollip Johan Putter Chris Jacka Marike du Preez
Suzette Prins Amilda Boshoff Kerry Sink Johan Nel
JP Swart Clifford Schutte Ferdi de Witt Hennie Coetzee
F R Martin Ron Aylward Louis Boshoff Charl Moller
Shuan McGuone Hennie Veldman J F Calitz Morne Scheepers
Anton Granger Herman Combrinck Hennie Venter
DIVEMASTERS:
Debbie Knezovich Ivan Knezovich Hugo Strydom SA O’Reilly
Franco Branca Natasja Branca Enrico Branca D Pelser
G V Strydom

BITS AND PIECES

CMAS INTERNATIONAL
Full time courses for Scientific diver, Advanced Scientific diver and Scientific diver instructor will soon be developed on a CMAS standards basis. Courses has been organized by CMAS Scientific committee, the course will be held from September 12th to September 17th 2005 in the Centro de Buceo CRISED, in Spain. The courses will be lead by Scientific Diver Instructors.
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The biggest European Championships of Underwater Rugby will take place in June. The 8th EC will be held in Helsinki, Finland from 5 to 11 June.
Finland is according to CMAS International one of the leading underwater rugby nations in the world at this point. In June altogether 16 national teams from ten different countries will be seen in Helsinki.
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The X11 World Championship in Underwater Orienteering will be held from the 20th of August—27th August in Styria in Austria.
To find more information on the events visit www.cmas2000.org / NUNO GOMEZ
Nuno Gomez has been elected at the AGM as the new technical chairperson. He is currently trying to break the Red Sea Record. He is now aiming to go to a depth of about 320 metres in order to secure the cave, sea and overall depth record.
According to Gomez he is not really using fancy gadgets just the best equipment available. Nuno holds the present (2003) World Guinness Record for the deepest Cave Dive to a depth of 282.6 metres (927 feet). This dive was done at an altitude of 1550 metres above sea level and therefore the decompression was for an adjusted depth of 337 metres (1106 feet). One of his first dives was at Wondergat, and he still loves to dive there. He is a civil engineer by profession.
INTERESSANTE WRAKKE REG OOR DIE WERELD
SEELAND:
Mikhail Lermontev— Hierdie 22 000 ton Sowiet passasiers skip het in 1986 gesink. Die eens trotse skip rus nou in die beskutte water van Port Gore in 40 m. Volgens duikers, is daar heelwat om te ontdek.
BRASILIë
Ipiranga—Hierdie Brasiliaanse vloot korvet V17 het binne die marine bewarings gebied van Fernando de Noronha gesink. Dit staan nou regop in ‘n 62 m see bed.
FRANKRYK
Kleber
Die 7730 ton skip het ‘in 1917 gesink. Die wrak lê onderste bo in 45 m. Volgens berigte, is daar baie om te sien by die wrak en sigbaarheid is glo uitstekend.
SPANJE
Sirio
Die Italiaanse passasierskip het in 1906 gesink. Die wrak lê in die streek van Cabo de Palos. Dit lê tussen 50 en 60 m.
VANUATU
Indien u ooit in dié area gaan duik, besoek gerus die wrak van die President Coolidge. Die 22,000 ton passasiersskip is soos vele ander tydens die Tweede Wêreld oorlog gebruik om soldate mee te vervoer. Dit het egter in 1942 gesink. Die boeg is in 20 m en die mas in 65 m.
GRIEKELAND
Britannic
Die skip is in 1914 geloods en het onmiddellik daarna met militêre diens begin as ’n mediese skip. Sy het egter in 1916 gesink in 120 m.
SOEDAN
Toe Italië oorlog teen Brittanje verklaar het in 1940, was die Italiaanse skip Umbria buite Port Soedan in die kaai. Die kaptein het die skip self gesink om te verhoed dat die vrag van millitêre voorrade in Britse hande val. Op die Umbria is daar selfs Fiat limousines te sien!

THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR OCEANS

June 8 is a very important date on the environmental calendar. It is World Oceans Day. This day should be an important date for divers as well. On this day we should change the way we look at oceans, what the sea means to us, and what it can give and provide. We should also take this opportunity to learn more about the oceans. Thirdly, do something positive for the oceans. For example, reduce our impacts on its fragile ecosystems and conserve the oceans.
The world’s oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet’s surface. Great human civilizations, from the Egyptians to the Ploynesians relied on the sea for commerce and transport and now we still rely on fish for a significant portion of our daily protein needs. More than 500 billion dollars of the world’s economy is tied to ocean based industries. Perhaps even more important the oceans help regulate the global climate and ensures that a constant flow of vital nutrients is cycled throughout the biosphere.
But, there are threats to the oceans. Increased pressures from over fishing, habit destruction, pollution and the introduction of invasive species and now also global warming. There can be no doubt that global warming is a serious threat. 1998 was according to reports, the hottest year since accurate records began in the 1840’s, and ten of the hottest years have occurred during the last 15 years. According to scientists, the outlook for marine wildlife looks bleak unless we can turn down the heat by reducing concentrations of carbon dioxide. / One of the problems associated with climate change is sea-level rise. Rising oceans could flood many millions of hectares world-wide. Then there is also ocean circulation. The water in the oceans circulates slowly around the world, driven by a system of currents. Wind and the rotation of the Earth are important in determining the flow of surface currents and local areas of up welling and down welling, but the true driving force of deep water movement is thermohaline circulation. This mechanism is responsible for bringing the oxygen that sustains life in the sea and in moving warmer waters from the tropics towards the poles. Global warming could alter this. The most obvious changes due to global warming have been seen near the poles. The ice-edge is retreating in the Antarctic, and scientists are concerned about irreversible changes. Then in the tropics changes have also been recorded. Marine biologists have noted that 1997 and 1998 saw the worst episode of coral bleaching on record. Reports of bleaching due to high sea temperatures came in from all over the world with more than 30 nations reporting losses in their reefs. Then global warming is also expected to have a serious impact on ocean productivity. Scientists are predicting that global warming may worsen rapidly. That is why it is so important to take note of World Oceans day and to try and preserve a healthy ocean for future generations.
SOURCE: WWF (1999) Global Warming: The Oceans in Peril. WWF and Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI) www.gov.za
BIRTHDAYS
MAY—
1 MAY—KOBUS THERON
1 MAY—ALLANA BARBER
1 MAY—SUSAN WIID
3 MAY—SUE WILSON
5 MAY—PIET BEZUIDENHOUT
6 MAY—DANIE BRITZ
6 MAY—MARIUS VAN JAARSVELD
7 MAY—KEVIN HARRIS
7 MAY—ROBIN CRABB
8 MAY—LOUIS D VAN WYK
11 MAY—BARBRA TOERIEN
16 MAY– LOUIS VAN SCHALKWYK
17 MAY—NICO GREYLING
20 MAY—CHARLES PAGE
24 MAY—GRAHAM COLLINS
24 MAY—NEELS MEYER
24 MAY—DAVE FRANCIS
24 MAY—SZYMON SILKIEZICHS
25 MAY—JOHAN NEL
27 MAY—CHRIS KLOPPER
27 MAY– STEPHEN SWART
30 MAY—KEN WALMSLEY
30 MAY—MICHELLE GLYNN
30 MAY– TYLER MCLUKIE / JUNE
1 JUNE—FANIE ROODT
1 JUNE—GV STRYDOM
2 JUNE— CHRIS HANDLEY
3 JUNE—DEON DAVIS
3 JUNE—D PELSER
4 JUNE—MORNE SCHEEPERS
4 JUNE—ANDRE KLEYNHANS
4 JUNE—PETER SEALY-FISHER
7 JUNE—LIZANNE HEINE
9 JUNE— ARTHUR RANDALL
14 JUNE— SUE WALMSLEY
15 JUNE—LEIGH KAY
16 JUNE—MARK VICTOR
17 JUNE—ROB HODGKISS
17 JUNE—TOM POTGIETER
17 JUNE—JAKES BERGH
18 JUNE—DYRAL FARRE
19 JUNE—LOUIS MANDELSTAM
20 JUNE—DAVID WOOD
22 JUNE—PIET KRUGER
22 JUNE—ANDRE VAN DEN BERGH
23 JUNE—DIDI VAN ROOY
24 JUNE—CHRISTIAAN BOTES
24 JUNE—RONELLE GREYLING
24 JUNE—CHRIS DE WET
26 JUNE—DESMOND WALKER
26 JUNE—CHRIS SERFONTEIN
26 JUNE—CHRISTO LESSING
26 JUNE—CHARL MOLLER
27 JUNE—TONY DUNCAN
27 JUNE—FRANK NOBLE
27 JUNE—SAREL BESTER
27 JUNE—DUKE GOOSEN
28 JUNE—RUSSELL WALSTER
28 JUNE—CELESTE SWART
PO Box 2414
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