An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 31 Pool snorkelling gave the student the basic skills for scuba diving, including an introduction to basic equipment, finning techniques, mask and snorkel clearing, and methods of water entry. Practical scuba training fol- lowed, consisting of a number of practical skills, drills and exercises, including assembly/disassembly of equipment, buoyancy control, buddy breathing techniques, lost mouthpiece retrieval, and an out- of-air exercise. The students then moved to Bere Island, where the DFDG were on their annual camp, to complete part two of the course, spending the next eight days conducting open-water training. All the skills learned in the pool were put to the test, building the students' confi- dence while they faced progres- sively harder and deeper snorkels and scuba dives. Over the period they logged a minimum of 10 open-water scuba dives to a maxi- mum depth of 10m. Successful students received a trainee diver certificate and also have a chance to do further courses, like Diver First Responder or Diver Coxswain. One-to-one tuition from very experienced instructors put the students at ease and created an informal and friendly learning en- vironment. The instructors donated a lot of their free time to running a seamless, successful course. The DFDG has been active for over 40 years and their annual camp gives begin- ners and trainee divers the opportunity to complete trainee, club, and continua- tion diver courses, as well as conducting crossover training for divers from other diving organisations. The DFDG is one of the few groups accredited by the National Powerboat School of Ireland for coxswain training. The group conducts numerous boat insertions and extractions for DF cours- es and exercises every year, as well as providing surface support on a number of searches. Being a member of the group calls for and enhances skills that are valued throughout the Defence Forces: planning, preperation, teamwork, leadership, mentoring and instructing. If you have any of these traits and would like to join the group or get more information you can find out more on our IKON page. PtE KEViN O'NEiLL, 1 iNf BN (stUDENt) "I already do kayaking and surfing, so I had a natural interest in scuba div- ing. I heard about the course through a friend who is an instructor in the DFDG. I found the course physically very tough. It pushed me to my limits but gave me a real, satisfying feeling." Lt sHANE fLOOD, 3 iNf BN (stUDENt) "I first got an interest in scuba diving while on holidays where I did my first dive. Then I learned that the DF had a diving group and applied for this course. It was very well run and the diving group are a great bunch of lads that really work well together. I'd rec- ommend this course to anyone." CPL BEN BRENNAN, 401 sqN, 4 sP wiNg (stUDENt) "I completed PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses abroad on holidays and joined the DFDG so I could do more diving. There is a big difference diving in Ireland compared to where I dived before; the water here is much colder and the visibility is much less. This makes it a lot more challenging. This course is very thor- ough compared to courses I've done outside the DF. The standards are excellent, the instructors are highly skilled, and the student's benefit from one-on-one tuition you won't receive outside." gNR PAtRiCK J HURLEY, 1 BDE ARtY REgt (iNstRUCtOR) "I have been diving for over 20 years and have been instructing on DFDG courses for the last 5 years. We have a good mix of students on the course. They are fast learners and seem to be switched on, which makes it more enjoyable for them. Bere Island is the perfect location for diving and I look after camp admin here for 1 Bde Arty Regt." Vox Pops

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