The underwater diving club shows its dynamism in pool training at Pichery, as well as in sea level passages.
Like other associations, the Underwater Diving Club participated in April in the Sports Discovery days organized by the City. Guy Hirissou, the president, along with a team of six instructors, took turns every hour to introduce children aged eight to thirteen to the basics of diving in the Pichery pool where the club regularly trains.
“One of us equipped the young person, another showed them the four essential signs for diving, and four others took turns accompanying them in the pool. We are not allowed to welcome children under eight years old,” explains Guy Hirissou. The club’s reorganization at the beginning of the year focused on setting up several commissions (technical, equipment, outings, etc.) and arranging a space to install the compressor in an outbuilding.
The essential machine is currently in Sénouillac and will be placed behind the pool. The project to renovate the diving equipment has received support from a bank, but Guy Hirissou and his team plan to rely on partner businesses, in exchange, for example, for diving baptisms offered to their employees. The club is currently in a period of sea outings.
One took place in Cerbère to prepare for a level 2 certification, which allows for autonomous diving to twenty meters. For the Ascension weekend, another outing is planned near Rosas with forty-five participants, followed by another in Cerbère to close the season, where families will be invited, and children could dive – supervised – up to six meters.
In September, a level passage will take place from a solar boat in Port-Vendres. “We have never done this before. The morning and afternoon dives would be separated by a convivial moment around a barbecue.” As part of environmental protection and maintenance, the club is working on a project with the municipalities of Gaillac and Brens to clean the Tarn river. It could take place in September, but prior approval is needed from the local authorities, EDF, and the Tarn Aval union managing the river. The club has already identified locations for this operation, which could involve other user associations of the Tarn.
The diving club has sixty-five members: a stable figure that is difficult to increase as they cannot teach beyond the preparation for level 2. But Guy Hirissou is counting on the arrival of new instructors to have the technical support to surpass this limit. “Things are moving, and we might just make it.” The club will be present at the Festival of Associations to gain visibility and garner new memberships.
