Sunstar Committee

Chris Bond, Chairman

Awaiting words.

David Parkinson, Secretary

A Caribbean holiday in 2002 which included the possibility of some diving prompted me to take the plunge in late 2001 - since when I haven't looked back. I just wish I'd started years ago! I'm slowly working way around the UK and various sites abroad.

The best dive so far? The Chikuzen off Tortola in the BVI. The worst? A featureless muddy bottom off Dorset.

Adrian Barker, Treasurer

I got into diving in 2007 by way of some impromptu shore dives on the South Devon coast. Coming across a friendly cuttlefish in the first 5 minutes of my first dive, I was instantly addicted, sucked down about 200 bar of air and decided to get to the pool and do things the right way.

I completed my OD & SD training within 12 months and am currently most of the way through Dive Leader training. I've had some great diving with the club & elsewhere so far: catching my first lobster on the wreck of the Conway, diving the wreck of HMS Scylla off Plymouth, befriending grey seals at 15m in the Farne Islands all rate very highly but the best dive to date has to be when we were joined by a pod of 9 dolphins in the red sea towards the end of one dive who treated us to an amazing show of curiosity within touching distance! My worst experience to date is having to look at Joe in his amazing technicoloured drysuit before 9am and my first coffee of the day...

Raj Mistry, Diving Officer

My first experience of diving was in 1988 in Jamaica. I paid £25 for a PADI dive experience and boy was it an experience! The briefing was brief - you put this over your eyes, you breath out of this and you use this to go up and down. I knew nothing about equalising pressure and I hadn't even heard of buoyancy control. About ten minutes into my dive I had a mask leak which caused water to go up my nose, that in turn made me cough, which caused me to "spit" my DV out of my mouth and all this action was happening at 10m. The dive guide must have had a fit as she brought me back to the surface sharing air (an octopus was not standard issue on a reg in those days). Fortunately for me I didn't panic. I had just gulped a jug full of seawater before indicating I had lost my mask and DV. Once back on the surface I insisted on getting my £25 worth and went back down. On returning to shore I promised that I would learn to dive properly but it was a few years before I joined this club in 1994 which was then known as the BT Research Sub Aqua club.

I qualified as an Open Water Instructor within 3 years of joining the club and Advanced Diver the year after. I have held the posts of Assistant TO, TO and DO in the club as well being involved with instructing and running SDCs.

My passion is UK wreck diving when I can get out. I have also done some blue water diving in Australia, the Caribbean, Red Sea, Mombassa and more recently South Africa (best place to see sharks). I also dabble in under water video and still photography.

Paul Mann, Training Officer

Worst diving experience; becoming entangled with a rope at Gildenburgh whilst changing to my pony DV and, after being freed by my buddy (Matt), a less than controlled ascent.

Best diving experience; usually my most recent dive, a day diving the Baygitano and a drift dive collecting 50 or so Scallops and 3 crabs at Lyme Regis, followed by a night dive under Swanage pier will take some beating though.

Ross Caton, Boat Officer

Awaiting words.

Jon Southgate, Expeditions Officer

Clive Cartmel, Equipment Officer

Awaiting words.

Toby Hope, Communications Officer

I started diving a couple of years ago. I've always had an (un)healthy fascination with sea-life and spent many happy hours as a child poking about in rockpools on family holidays. Diving was a natural progression from this and something I wish I'd started doing much earlier.

I think Sunstar's a great club and I've had some really cool experiences diving with other members - probably my favourite memories so far are of my first trip to the Red Sea - absolutely breathtaking..

Adrian Barker, Transport Officer

See under Treasurer.

Helen Mann, Social Secretary

Well, what can I say… after 4 years of being a 'dive widow' I figured "if you can't beat 'em…"(I’m sure you know the rest!)

After meeting many of you on various dive club trips and events and having organised and helped with several informal bits and pieces – shopping and cooking for camping BBQs, cooking crabs and lobsters on a camping stove and a poker night – and after a certain amount of cajoling I thought I might as well take it on formally for the coming year.

In keeping with the format of some of the other committee members:

Best dive club experience: probably the open campfire sessions (and collecting 'kindling' - thanks Matt and Neil) at Weybourne.

Worst dive club experience (well at least funniest): it’s gotta be the infamous and unforgettable barbecuing knee deep in water on a lovely 'beach' on the edge of the Deben!!!!!!!!!!!! (thanks Paul). NB: I still think we should have sunk the actual BBQ so that the club could now dive it as a small wreck!! The ‘Oil Drum BBQ’ off Felixstowe – has a nice ring to it!

Andy Smith, New Members Rep

Awaiting words