WHY?: 

Join us for this workshop to learn the vital safety skills below and have a cheeky fun dive at the same time. 

Search:

In the ocean, "if you miss by an inch, you miss by a mile" (quote from my favourite movie, Fools Gold). Learn how to use your compass and reel to search for lost items using search patterns so that no inch is left uncovered. Let's say you've dropped your dive computer from the boat at the Tweed River entrance. You know it's there somewhere, but what's the most efficient and safe way to find it? That's when knowing search patterns come in handy!

This workshop will take any compass user from novice to advanced. Search patterns are one advanced method of knowing how to use your compass, but there are many more, so we will prepare for a huge array of compass skills.

Recovery

How do you bring up a heavy object, such as an anchor or buried treasure, to the surface? Do you use your BCD to drag it to the surface?.... NO! What happens if you drop it? You would ascend uncontrolled to the surface due to the extra air in your BCD from carrying the anchor. Instead, you should rig it to a lift bag and bring it safely to the surface. 

This workshop will go through how to rig and use a lift bag. 

Delayed Surface Marker Bouy (DSMB)

We all know how to use an SMB (aka safety sausage), but what's a DSMB, and how/why is it used?

Unlike an SMB, a Delayed Surface Marker Bouy (DSMB) can be launched underwater to alert others of your location before you have surfaced. This lets your boat handler/shore support know where you are and protects you from boats passing overhead when you are shallow- particularly useful in busy boat traffic sites such as Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast Seaway! 

WHEN?:

Before the Workshop - Online Theory homework 

Thursday 7/08/2025 @ The Shed - Arriving 5:30 PM - Pool Session 

Please arrive at the shed no later than 6:00 PM to be ready to go into the water at 6:45PM. As soon as you arrive, set up your equipment and bring it to the pool edge where your workshop lead will meet you. 

Thursday 21/08/2025 @ The Shed - Arriving 6:30 PM - Compass Workshop + Pre-dive Brief (gear loans, logistics and carpooling)

Please arrive at the shed by 6:30 PM to discuss any final theory questions and organise our gear for Sunday's dive. We will then walk over to an open grassy area to go through a dry run of all compass skills. 

Sunday 24/08/2025 @ Gold Coast Seaway - Arriving 7:00 AM   - Practical Workshop at 5 metres

High tide is 8:50 AM  so we will arrive at Gold Coast Seaway no later than 7:00 AM. We will enter the water at the far left set of stairs rather than at the middle stairs by the roundabout where Gold Coast Seaway fun dives are generally run. Tweed Heads will be our Plan B dive site.

WHAT TO BRING?

• Mask, Snorkel, Fins and Boots
• BCD, Regulators, 1x Air Cylinder, Weights, and Wetsuit (can be loaned from the club during Thursday's pre-dive brief/ theory workshop)
• Note that a snorkel, SMB, cutting tool and whistle are mandatory for all divers.
• Finger spool + Double-ended clip to turn your SMB into a DMSB—the before-dive homework will recommend DSMB equipment to help you if you need to purchase it. I recommend buying your own from a local dive centre so that you can practice with your personal set-up. If you cannot purchase it before the dive, that's okay; just let me know so I can bring spares. 
• Towel and Warm dry clothes for afterwards
• Water + Snacks

HOW MUCH?

Registering for the event is $60 (including tanks, weights and airfills and not including other loan gear)

Gear hire is extra and must be arranged on the Thursday night before the dive, including how it will be transported to the site. All loan gear, including tanks and weights, must be brought home with you Thursday night as it is not guaranteed that any cars will pass through the shed Saturday morning. If you do not have a vehicle, please ask your carpool group (organised on the night to help); otherwise, let me know, and I can fit them in my car. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

This dive is perfect for any diver willing to learn a new skill or enhance a rusty one. 

To make this as smooth as possible, we will need volunteers 

• experienced divers who are happy to show other divers how they were taught to deploy a DSMB
• drive carpool 
• Help transport cylinders to and from a dive shop for airfills
• shore support

If you are keen for this workshop but the event is full or you are unavailable, please let me know. Knowing the workshop's interest helps me know how soon to run another. The capacity can also be increased if we have enough volunteers to help out. 

Each diver must: 

• Be a current Unidive member, medically fit to dive, who passed the swim test.
• Have an Open water certification or equivalent.
• Have dived in the last 6 months.
• Dive within their certification and capability.
• Ensure that they have all required dive gear (except tanks and weights, which are provided): Please bring your own mask, snorkel and fins, as Unidive does not provide these.
• If you need to hire other equipment such as BCD, reg and wetsuit, arrange these before the trip (typically at the Unidive shed on Thursday night before the trip). Please note, there will be no time to sort out gear hire on the day of the trip.
• You must dive with an SMB / safety sausage, cutting device and whistle. Note: These items are NOT supplied.
• Follow the instructions given by the Dive Supervisor.
• Help out throughout the whole day.
• Notify the Dive Officer and Trip Organiser of any changes to their personal circumstances as declared in the event registration form.
• Attend the trip meeting (usually on the Thursday beforehand at 6:30 pm at the Unidive shed).

MORE QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about the trip, please email training@unidive.org

Hope to see you there!