DATELINE: 12th April 2001

TRIMIX EDUCATION
The British Sub-Aqua Club has embarked on a nationwide series of educational meetings for members to expand on its commitment to mixed-gas (trimix) diving, announced at its annual conference in January. National Coaching Scheme instructors are explaining to local branch representatives how the BSAC plans to assimilate mixed-gas diving into branch activities.
The BSAC is not touching the question of training, instead stipulating that members already qualified in technical-diving skills (BSAC Extended Range Diver) should train on trimix with one of the training agencies TDI, IANTD, ITDA or ANDI. On club outings, qualified divers will be allowed to make trimix dives to a maximum depth of 70m - a notable departure for the BSAC, which has always stipulated a 50m maximum for members.
"Seventy metres was carefully selected as it does not require too much equipping," Jack Ingle, the club's technical diving manager, told Divernet. "At that depth you can manage safely on a twinset of 12 litre cylinders and two 7 litre stage cylinders. Go deeper and you're into far more complex gas requirements and operating logistics.
"We're supporting what you might call conservative, recreational trimix diving."
So far, 55 members have signed onto the BSAC's register of qualified trimix divers, though the club's technical office calculates that some 100 members are qualified. The number of members listed as qualified rebreather-users is 160.

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