2018 in numbers
After doing a little number crunching I thought that it would be good to share some facts and figures to show just how much and what sort of diving JBOD was doing in 2018.
In the last calendar year I did 86 dives with depths ranging between 3.0m and 60.0m and an average of 21.8m. These dives were between 16 and 110 minutes long with an average of 47 minutes.
2018's dives used various kit configurations: 49 dives used a rebreather, 27 a single wing and 10 a BCD. I'm considering splitting the BCD into tropical holiday gear and normal UK BCD next year for the stattos out there.
Similarly the water types varied with an even split between fresh and salt water of 43 each which is an improvement on 2017. I've stopped splitting river and fresh water (mainly because they're the same) and have introduced a new category of water body which gives a bit more interest. This new stat shows I did 33 dives in quarries, 15 in the North Sea, 10 in the Sound of Mull, 10 in the Indian Ocean, 8 in the Irish Sea, 7 in lakes, 2 in the River Leven and 1 in the River Duddon.
Variety being the spice of life meant that I had 30 different buddies - I'm counting everyone in the group I dived with rather the actual person I was beside where there were multiple divers together. I'm pleased to say that the top 3 buddies were all JBOD members (John, Hannah, Alan) as well as 5 of the next nine all tied on 4 dives each (Andy, Rhobet, Garry, Scott & Sue).
The variety of buddies reflects the way JBOD integrates with other BSAC clubs and other organisations. Other than JBOD members I dived with tourists and dive guides in Mauritius, the University of Manchester, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield BSAC & BSAC North West Region. Obviously all of the dives were pleasure but 19 were where I was instructing and 67 were bimbling and wreck exploring. Some of the instructing was with the University of Manchester where JBOD are building a relationship with Yo Han their Training Officer. I was also involved in training JBOD's first home grown CCR divers.
I managed to dive 43 different sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Mauritius of which 21 were new places or new locations at familiar places. They range from various location is Mauritius, the Falls of Lora and various deep wrecks out of Eyemouth in the North Sea.
Our demographic remains a mixed group of divers that go diving and our girls still can! We have welcomed a number of new members over the last year as well as retaining most of our existing ones so the future is bright for JBOD.
In all of the diving we've done we have had no reported diving accidents.
Many thanks in no particular order to all of my buddies Holly Hough, Allesandro De Bon, Christelle Besson, Ash Jessop, Jennifer Thomson, Alan Tweddell, Kate Riley, John Power, Duncan Scott, Stephen Oliver, Doris Seidl, Rhobet Williams, Jess, Hannah Short, Adrian Bonehill, Jack Smith, Peter Crompton, Rui Seidl, John Francois, John, Andy Daggers, Ross Allan, Garry Naylor, Scott Pendry, Andy Hall, Arthur Jones, Tom Colbenson, Ellie Pattinson, Alicia Tan and Susan Eames proving that diving is a team game.
I'm now looking forward to another successful diving year where hopefully we can get even better statistics. Hopefully I'll see you down there!
