Simon Campbell

A personal perspective of life, the universe and everything…

About

My big mate Rennie Alock convinced me to learn to dive; something I had always wanted to get into since the age of nine but never seemed to get round to. In May 1996 I became a PADI Open Water Diver at Lions Dive, Curacao. Not content to stick with Open Water I immediately went on the Advanced course. The following few years were punctuated with dive trips to the far flung reaches of the warm water world, from Burma (Mayanmar) to Mexico; Red Sea to Mediterranean Sea; absolute hell. Of course I didn’t realise at this stage that I knew nothing about diving until…

Badgered by a load of RAF divers during various diving expeditions I was persuaded to join the British Sub Aqua Club.

Living in Clitheroe at the time I joined Ribble Valley Sub Aqua Club branch and start to dive in British ‘temperate’ waters – that’s bloody cold… This began and obsession and love affair with the sport.

Crossing over from PADI as an Ocean Diver I progressed quickly through the grades achieving First Class Diver in 2005; BSAC highest diving grade. I wrote a regular article in ‘DIVE’ magazine about my experiences in achieving this qualification. In 2007 I surprised myself (and everyone else!) by passing the National Instructor Examination, BSAC’s highest instructor grade.

So, 2100 dives later and following mixed gas, closed and semi closed rebreather qualifications, I will still dive in two metres of water providing there is something to see. I love running expeditions and as a consequence have managed and participated in many challenging expeditions worldwide, recently travelling to the Falkland Islands where the team found a previously un-dived Argentinian supply vessel from the 1982 conflict.

Together with some of my international diving pals Triton Oceanic Corporation was formed in January 2008 with a purpose to seek out and dive a variety of new dive sites worldwide with Nautical Archaeological significance. In addition we plan to teach others how to run safe but challenging expeditions and find, survey and report on all things sub aquatic!! Watch out, we have many nautical things up our sleeve.

Of course diving is of all about boats. I hold commercially endorsed RYA Coastal Skipper & Advanced Powerboat certifications and teach boat handling for BSAC…

I am a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, member of the Nautical Archaeology Society, the Marine Conservation Society, the RYA and the magnificent RNLI

British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC)

I have served in the Ribble Valley Sub Aqua Club as Training Officer and Diving Officer. I am currently Diving Officer of Triton Oceanic Sub Aqua Club plus a member of RAF Kinloss (Scotland) Sub Aqua Club and Pathfinder Divers (Huntingdon). Following our move to the Isle of Man in October 2008, I joined the very exploratory driven Castle Rushen Sub Aqua Club.

I recently undertook the Joint Services Sub Aqua Diving Supervisors (SADS) course that enables me to supervise Divers on British military diving expeditions all over the world.

Within the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), I have worked teaching a selection of Skill Development Courses for the North West and Yorkshire regional teams, as an Instructor Trainer worldwide, Instructor Training Scheme course Boss and more specifically:

North West Region

Assistant Regional Coach (January 2007-March 2008)
First Class Diver Coordinator (January 2007-March 2009)
Member of the regional coaching team (December 2005-2006)

Yorkshire Region

Area Coach (January 2006-2007)
REDS Coordinator (January 2006-2007)

North Scotland Region

Expeditions officer (January 2009-current)

BSAC National Diving Committee

Member of the First Class Diver development steering group (2006)
Assistant to Diver Training Program Chief (June 2007-2008), Diver Training Development Officer (January 2007-2009) responsible for introducing new techniques and skills into core BSAC Diver Training. Part of the team developing ‘Buoyancy workshop’ and maintaining the Diver Training Programme.

BSAC Council (Board of Directors)

Voted in as a Council member (Director) of the company May 17, 2008. Appointed Commercial Director (voluntary & unpaid) by Chair (2008-2009) responsible for the sensitive commercial development of the BSAC and linking closely with BSAC International. Resigned July 2010.