Thurrock Aqualung Club Committee
Chair Person – Colin Couchman
I originally learnt to dive in 1985 and have been a TAC member for 25 years. One of the brilliant things about the club is that it has always helped and encouraged me to develop my diving career to the extent that I am now a BSAC Advanced Diver, Advanced Instructor, as well as being trimix and rebreather qualified.
Diving Officer – Darren Gibbs
I have been diving for approximately 15 years and have come over from (PADI). my favorite diving being out of Dover.
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Training Officers – Maria Steer
My role is to organise all the training from Ocean Diver upwards, liaise with other club instructors and trainees for theory, pool, lake and sea sessions. We also arrange many dives and club holidays both in the UK and abroad. The club is very family orientated, we have 4 children and this has not stopped us jumping in the water!
I challenged myself to learn to dive before I was 40, so I could dive with Darren in Egypt, I soon caught the diving bug. Since qualifying as an ocean diver in 2014, I have progressed through to Dive Leader and Assistant Instructor. From the warm clear waters of Egypt, I have progressed to technical diving in dry suits with twin sets swimming through shipwrecks in the depths up to 50 m.
Club Secretary – Kim Shimmon
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Club Membership/Treasurer – Dave Barber
I joined the club in 1971 and have dived regularly ever since. Many things have changed over the years but not the enjoyment I get from the underwater world and camaraderie of the branch. During my time at the club I have held most of the committee positions. DO, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership secretary. I’ve served the committee for over 40 of these years. I organised two Lottery Grant projects which raised £30k resulting in acquisition of the two club RIBs. Nowadays I am less involved with organising others, but still enjoy an active dive schedule,with recent expeditions to the Philippines, and South China Sea, as well as more conventional trips to Scapa Flow in Scotland and Ireland. However my main love is UK diving both wreck and reef. I am still clocking up 40 dives per season. I have been privileged to discover the names of half a dozen unknown wrecks. I am a qualified BSAC Advanced Diver. , RYA PB2, VHF, SAA DS.
Welfare Officer – Mark Glock
Hi everyone, I joined TAC in 2017 and was a complete beginner. I hadn’t even taken much notice of the BSAC method of training before, a friend introduced me to BSAC and arranged for a try dive after that first step, I was hooked. The feeling of actually breathing underwater was so alien and so different to anything I had done before, I realised I needed to get serious and get trained. Three years later I am just completing my Dive Leader qualification and have been privileged to have enjoyed the wonder of scuba diving in some amazing locations ranging from the chilly waters of Scapa Flow diving WW1 battleships to the Japanese ghost fleet of Chuuk Lagoon, and a wide variety of diving in the coastal waters of the UK. TAC is not just about the diving, we also enjoy a good social life and I have made some good friends at the club. I was recently elected to the role of Welfare Officer and its a roll I look forward to fulfilling and giving something back to the club that has given me a lot of pleasure. We at TAC look forward to welcoming new members both young and old and introducing you to the amazing underwater world. Lets go diving.
BSAC Membership/Equipment Officer – Terry O’Leary
My son and i joined TAC in 1997 after my late wife Patricia saw a notice at our local swimming pool. i came late to diving being 48 years old, my son 14. we started training at the club, but did not have time to complete our Ocean Diver Qualifications before we went on holiday to Israel. We wanted to dive there, so booked a PADI training course which we both passed and had a great time. When we returned, continued training with TAC and over the coming years both of us progressed to reach Sports Diver Qualification. This has given us the opportunity to dive in Malta, Gozo, Sharm el Sheik, Turkey and the UK.
The Club has a great social side, having Quiz nights, Summer BBQ’s, Christmas Dance and much more.
Social Secretary – Robert Mayes
I am the Social Secretary for Thurrock Aqua lung club and had the position since 2016. The club is very family friendly club and we welcome members and friends from all walks of life. We are a self funded club and I am in charge of planning social fundraising events that are held throughout the year such as quiz nights, summer BBQ, Christmas party games nights, raffles to name a few. The money is used to fund the maintenance of the boats and all equipment.
Club ICT (cybergeek) – Kevin Hebbard
Hi, I started diving on my 50th birthday while on holiday in Egypt and certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. 18 months later acquired PADI Advanced Open Water Diver again on Holiday this time in Lanzarote. The instructor advised me to look and join a diving club once I returned home. I looked and found the BSAC website which showed the clubs in my area. I arranged a visit to TAC where I was made very welcome and shown around. That was in 2014, since then I have become a BSAC Sports Diver, Assistant Diving Instructor and have progressed to obtain my Dive Leader certification. I am now working towards Instructor certification. My role is to setup and look after the website (any comments let me know).