Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
Cherry Rebels to play free concert at View Cafe Bar, Chepstow
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
On Thursday 30th May, we have alternative rock covers band Cherry Rebels playing a FREE concert at Chepstow’s View Cafe Bar.
Cherry Rebels are a four piece Alt Rock cover band based in the Rhondda Valleys. They play a wide variety from rock classics and new smash hits!
Their aim is to please the crowd and get
everyone up singing and dancing by bringing you a versatile
set ranging from ACDC, Rolling Stones, Beatles to
Foo Fighters, the Strokes and Kings of Leon, plus many more.
This is a free event and everyone is welcome.
Some of the bands Cherry Rebels cover:
• Foo Fighters
• Stereophonics
• The Beatles
• Black keys
• Rolling stones
• Kings Of Leon
• Blur
• Pulp
• ACDC
• The Strokes
• Thin Lizzy
• Jet
• T Rex
• Black Sabbath
• Kaiser Chiefs
• Billy Idol
• David Bowie
• Metallica
• Steppenwolfe
Plus many more……..
Watch the Cherry Rebels in action
Location
The View Cafe Bar can be found on the A48, just outside Chepstow at the National Diving & Activity Centre.
Detailed map and directions to View Cafe Bar>
We look forward to seeing you
2013 NDAC Bog Snorkelling championships
Saturday, April 27th, 2013
We are very pleased to announce a new event for this Summer – The 2013 NDAC Bog Snorkelling championships, in Partnership with Black Sheep Sports.
Bog snorkelling is a fun sporting event that involves competitors clad in flippers and a snorkel (and usually a wetsuit) completing two lengths of our boggy water filled trench in the shortest time possible, using just your feet to propel yourself.
We welcome, individuals, teams of four and charities to take part in this new, fun and very different event.
Taking place over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of July at the National Diving & Activity Centre, we have bog snorkelling events for Adults and under 16′s. 
There are warm showers and changing facilities at the NDAC site, as well as the View Cafe Bar where participants and spectators can have a bite to eat whilst enjoying the spectacular views over our quarry.
How to Take Part
Book your place for the Bog Snorkelling Championships online at the Black Sheep Sports Website ›
Prices
Adult Bog Snorkelling Event – £15
Youth Bog Snorkelling Event – £12 (Under 16s)
On the Day
Registration
Registration will be held at the National Diving & Activity Centre. On arrival please follow the signs to car parking and registration.
You will be notified before the event on your start time. Please sign on at least 1hr before your start time.
Racing will start from 9.00am. Individual start / wave times will be on the Black Sheep Sports website in the week prior to the event. You will receive your goody bag, which will include a swim cap and anything else we can get hold of.
Your timing chip will be issued at registration when you sign in. You will also be issued with a swim cap and any last minute information.
The Bog
A short walk away from the registration area you will find the bog! The water will be murky and maybe a bit muddy – a bit like a bog really.
When you get to the bog you will be able to cue up in the holding area. When you are called to the start line you will be give a countdown and you will cross the line, and enter the bog. You will then make your way up the course and around the marker at the far end of the bog. You may propel yourself by your feet only.
A snorkel will be provided but you are welcome to use your own if you have one.
• Adults will snorkel 200m up and down the bog.
• Children will snorkel 120m up and down the bog.
Location
The National Diving and Activity Centre is located on the A48 near to Chepstow
The post code for the site is NP16 7LH
If you are approaching from the Severn Bridge and M48 follow signs for Lydney and Gloucester.
If you are coming from Gloucester, Follow signs for Chepstow
For a detailed map and directions please visit the NDAC Location Page ›
Accomodation
Accomodation is available at the NDAC Wooden Wigwam Village.
Sleeping up to five adults, our Wooden Wigwams are the ultimate eco cabin; double-glazed, secure, cosy and warm whatever the time of year. A low cost alternative to hotels and B&Bs, our Wigwams truly offer all year round camping, and the best bit, no pitching a tent in the rain!
Our Wigwam site is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty and offers a fantastic base to experience the unique and fascinating heritage, spectacular and varied landscapes, warm and friendly hospitality and all the activities Chepstow and the Forrest of Dean has to offer.
After a hard day of bog snorkelling what would be better than toasting marshmallows round your own camp fire, sharing stories of your day and sleeping under the stars in the heart of the countryside.
Results & Prize Giving
These will be available throughout the day and will be updated on the Black Sheep Sports website regularly.
We will have a prize giving ceremony in the View Cafe Bar situated at the NDAC at 3.30pm on Sunday.
If you are visiting the area, why not make a weekend of it at the NDAC Wooden Wigwam Village. There is also the 700m long Wire Zip Slide on site and lots of local tourist attractions including Chepstow Castle, the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean.
If you can not make prize giving we will forward any prizes won.
Prizes
Prizes are available in the following categories
• First 3 Male / Females
• First Male/ Female Vet 40
• First Male/ Female Vet 50
• First Male/ Female Vet 60
• First Male Team – 4 to count
• First Female Team 4 to count
All children will receive a small prize.
Volunteering
For events like this to run smoothly, Black Sheep Sports are always looking for volunteers to help with registration, marshalling, and feed stations. Its a great way to get involved with an event even if you don’t actually want to be an athlete.
You will be feed and watered, expenses, and event tops for all who volunteer. You will even be invited to the popular Black Sheep Sports end of season party where they have their prize giving and a jolly good knees up!
To Volunteer at this event please contact Black Sheep Sports.
Further Information
The latest race information can be found on the Black Sheep Sports website
A Race information sheet (PDF) can be downloaded here ›
If you have any questions please contact Black Sheep Sports or call them 01452 831 771
You can also join us on social media
National Diving & Activity Centre
Black Sheep Sports
• Facebook
Free Presentation – Learn from your mistakes, better still, learn from someone else’s! Sat 4th May 2013
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
Improving Diving Safety Through A Change in Just and Reporting Cultures
Saturday 4th May 2013, Start 19:30 – All Welcome
A FREE Presentation at the View Café Bar, National Diving & Activity Centre, Chepstow
As divers we are very good at telling others about our exploits and how we survived after getting into a dodgy situation. But how could someone else’s incident help prevent you from making a similar mistake or error in the future? How can letting other divers know how you got out of the mess you ended up in can directly contribute to improving diver safety?
Recently there has been much talk in the diving community about developing a safety culture to prevent accidents from occurring. However, solving this problem is not a simple task for a variety of reasons, not least because of the lack of an independent and open reporting system which is free from commercial and legal biases.
Gareth Lock, a military aviator, accomplished underwater photographer, advanced trimix diver and PhD candidate who has been looking into the role of Human Factors in Diving Incidents and has developed a confidential, open reporting system for divers modeled on ‘near miss’ reporting systems present in aviation, the Diving Incident and Safety Management System (DISMS).
Gareth’s presentation at the NDAC’s View Cafe Bar will go through how incidents and accidents occur. Most importantly he will discuss why incidents should be captured, the challenges faced in gathering these reports and some potential solutions. He will review actual case studies showing the value of detailed reporting and how the community can help improve safety by using a truly independent reporting tool.
We can all learn from others’ mistakes, but only if as a community we can talk openly about them. Come along, you will likely learn something which may change your behaviour pre-dive or on the dive to make your diving safer.
You can join the event on Facebook here>
With breathtaking views overlooking our Chepstow quarry, the View Café Bar serves an extensive range of hot & cold meals as well as a wide selection of beers, wines and soft drinks from the licensed bar.
Glamping accomodation is available in our Wigwam Village if you would like to make a weekend of it.
If you would like to host an event at the View Café Bar in Chepstow, please get in touch
Chepstow Walking Festival April 2013
Saturday, March 9th, 2013
Chepstow Walking Weekend
Fri 5th – Sunday 7th April 2013
Join The Chepstow Walkers are Welcome group for their 1st Anniversary as a Walkers are Welcome town and what better way to celebrate than to offer 3 days of walks with a special event for the Saturday evening.
In April 2012 Chepstow and the surrounding area received a feather in its cap by becoming the first Walkers are Welcome town in Monmouthshire. The area was already established as a destination for walkers but now having achieved this status it re-inforces the reputation of the area as a place to come and visit. Gaining this status will also help the town develop plans that will benefit everyone, providing extra facilities for walkers and visitors alike and ensuring that any problems with footpaths are dealt with as quickly as possible.
Walking Weekend
Friday 5th April – Sunday 7th April 2013
Chepstow WAW have designed a programme to provide a taster of what our great town and surrounding area can offer so that you’ll want to come back again and again.
There is Free Parking for all those who take part and transport to and from start/finish points for Offa’s Dyke Path Tintern to Chepstow and St Tewdrics Trail.
Treasure Trails Chepstow Spy Trail available from Chepstow Tourist Information Centre with bespoke competition activity for all the family.
Herbert Lewis of Chepstow are offering ‘buy one coffee get one free in their tearooms plus 10% off anything in store to all walkers on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th April.
Friday Walking Programme > Includes the ‘Walk it & Zip it’ event for the braver amongst you!
It’s not just about the walking though! There are also a wide range of non-walking events on Saturday 6th April 2013
• Performance by The Singing Club of Chepstow at 4.45pm Beaufort Square Chepstow
• Balloon Launch at 5.30pm outside the Beaufort Hotel, Chepstow.
• Buffet at The Beaufort Hotel 6.15pm. A get together to swap stories about your walk.
• Showing of Arthurs Dyke film 7.15 pm. Spot where and who you recognise. Free showing.
Walk it and Zip it!
On the Friday there will be a walk running from the Central Kaff Chepstow to the National Diving & Activity Centre via country lanes, Offa’s Dyke Path and Gloucestershire Way. The walk is three miles and should take from 1-2 hours. However that is the easy part!
Once you arrive at the National Diving & Activity Centre there will be the opportunity for the braver amongst you to ride The Wire Zip Slide!
The Wire is one of the UK’s longest, tallest and fastest zip slides, running the 700 metre length of the NDAC Quarry, around 2100ft!
Participants will launch themselves from the 70m high cliff edge and speed along the length of our 80m deep flooded quarry.
Reaching speeds up to 40 miles per hour this exhilarating ride will take your breath away!
The Wire Zip Slide is suitable for all ages.
What to bring
Packed lunch and a drink, there is also The View Cafe Bar at the National Diving & Activity Centre.
How to Book
To book on any of the walks and for full details please visit the Chepstow Walkers are Welcome website
Accommodation
Accommodation is available at the National Diving & Activity Centre in our Wooden Wigwam Village
The Easter GUE Experience Day 2013
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Interested or curious about GUE but never had the opportunity to see what the fuss is about or ask questions from people that will give you straight answers?
Have an annoying issue with buoyancy or confidence in the water?
A little rusty after the winter?
Then this day is for you.
For only £25 you will receive guidance on your diving skills, video feedback and tips on how to improve your diving skills, and an insight into the GUE style of diving, without having to make a heavy investment in time or money. We’ll show you how to make your fin kicking more effective, how to take the stress out of ascents, and even how to swim backwards. You can attend a talk on avoiding diving incidents and even take part in an underwater easter egg hunt. You can bring any equipment, dive any gas.
This day is aimed at recreational and technical divers looking into GUE for the first time. You don’t need any specific gas, any specific equipment. As long as you have an open water qualification then you can just turn up and take part. You can take what you want from the day and leave the rest.
We will create an environment where people feel free to ask whatever questions like they like, and to watch demonstrations of the skills we teach, and even get some video feedback and advice on their own skills.
Location and Date
This event is being held from 0830 on Saturday the 30th March 2013 at the National Diving & Activity Centre in Chepstow as part of our Easter weekend of events (Location Map).
We will be covering the following
• Discussion – The origins and goals of GUE
• Discussion – The strengths and techniques of buoyancy control
• Dive 1 – Demonstration of trim and buoyancy control
• Dive 1 – Practice and video of trim and buoyancy control with in water feedback
• Dive 1 – Ascent with stops practice
• Discussion and hands-on – Kit configuration
• Discussion – Why team diving?
• Dive 2 – SMB demonstration
• Dive 2 – Valve drill demonstration
• Dive 2 – Ascent with stops practice
• Video Feedback for all divers
• Q&A
Evening – Talk on avoiding incidents in the View Cafe Bar at NDAC.
Pricing
Organising several of these events throughout the year costs a significant amount of time and money. Nonetheless, I feel it important that these events continue to be run as non-profit. So the small registration fee is there to encourage those who sign up to turn up, and also to cover some of the direct costs of organising the event. Other than these direct costs, all proceeds from the event will go to the RNLI. The last event we ran ended up with over £150 donated to the RNLI.
Registration
These events have become so popular that I have had to limit the registration to keep the numbers small. This enables us to answer everyone’s questions, and also to have time to look at everyone in the water. So, registration for this event is limited to 10 people.
Registration is now open. If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to contact Gareth (Garf) Burrows. Please note that this is a non-profit event. all proceeds beyond direct costs go to the RNLI.
To attend this event, all you need to do is register at DiveDIR.
Logistics
If you need accomodation there are Wooden wigwams on site at The National Diving & Activity Centre.
Food and drink is available at the View Cafe Bar
These events are always a great laugh, and people seem to get a lot out of them. Here’s what they have said in the past…
I just could not believe the skill level of these divers. It’s one thing to
know you are below the bar, it’s quite another to realise the bar can
be set far higher than you thought possible.
presumed the GUE instructors would be boot-camp military types,
but they were just very relaxed and laid back divers – albeit divers
with incredible knowledge and skill, and the ability to pass on that
knowledge. In all honesty I went to prove a point, but after an
hour realised I had a lot to learn.
A day’s education from two GUE instructors for £25?
whether you were interested in GUE or not a lot of people
must be kicking themselves for missing this
I realised two things in the first hour. Firstly, the bar set
by GUE standards is like nothing I have experienced before.
Secondly these guys do not preach – but they are incredibly
well trained to teach
As a single tank diver, I expected to feel like an alien,
but was welcomed to the crowd. Forget about the fact
it was a GUE day. It was just a bunch of divers enjoying
the sunshine.
We hope to see you there. If anyone has any questions, please contact garf at gue.com
Easter events at the NDAC. Good Friday – Easter Monday 2013
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Easter 2013 at the National Diving & Activity Centre
Starting on Good Friday and continuing through to Easter Monday we will have lots happening over the Easter Weekend at the National Diving & Activity Centre. It’s the perfect excuse to book a wooden wigwam and make a long weekend of glamping and diving.
All divers visiting the site will receive a small Easter egg when then arrive at NDAC.
On each day of the Easter weekend, from Friday to Monday, we will have a raffle with a giant Easter egg as a top prize.
On Saturday 30th, Sunday 31st and Easter Monday we will hold a BBQ.
For the divers, freedivers and snorkellers there will be eggs hidden underwater throughout the weekend for you to find.
On Saturday 30th we will have a GUE Experience Day.
In the evening there will be a talk at the View Cafe Bar on avoiding incidents.
Free GUE Presentation – Tips and tricks for divers 30th March 2013
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Getting out of the Sh*t
Tips and tricks for surviving diving’s little dramas
Saturday 30th March 2013 A FREE presentation in the View Cafe Bar at the
National Diving & Activity Centre, Chepstow
Starts at 7pm – all welcome
A multi media journey around the world discussing diving incidents and how they were survived.
In a free presentation, Instructor Gareth Burrows explains how divers get themselves into trouble and, more importantly, how they get themselves out of it.
We are also hosting a GUE Experience Day as part of our various Easter weekend of events.
Trapped inside a WreckA horrifying tale of what happens when overconfidence question “how could this have been avoided”. |
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Entangled in the shallowsImagine how terrifying it must be to be totally |
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Sucking the Reg dry.It’s everyone’s nightmare, but it’s still the |
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With breathtaking views overlooking our Chepstow quarry, the View Café Bar serves an extensive range of hot & cold meals as well as a wide selection of beers, wines and soft drinks from the licensed bar.
If you would like to host an event at the View Cafe Bar in Chepstow, please get in touch
Atomic Aquatics at Demonstration Weekend 27-28 April 2013
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
Atomic Aquatics will be attending a demonstration weekend being held at the National Diving & Activity Centre over the weekend of 27th and 28th April.
Atomic Aquatics will bring along demonstration products from the following ranges
• Atomic Aquatics
• BARE
• Finn Sub
• Zeagle
• Stahlsac
Food from our View Cafe Bar and accommodation at the Wooden Wigwam village is available for visitors so why not make a weekend of it.
We look forward to seeing you.
Fourth Element at Demonstration Weekend 27-28 April 2013
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
Fourth Element will be attending a demonstration weekend being held at the National Diving & Activity Centre over the weekend of 27th and 28th April.
Fourth Element will be showcasing their undersuits, including the Halo 3D, Arctic, Xerotherm and the CORE bodywarmer for you to try during your dive.
For a few lucky divers there may also be the opportunity to take the new Argonaut drysuit for a spin!
Free Air Fill
As part of our Demonstration Weekend, Fourth Element will be giving every person that tries a piece of Fourth Element gear a free air fill
We will also have a mini pop up shop with full range of undersuits and some lifestyle gear, as well as the new Argonaut Drysuit, which we are pleased to announce that we are now a dealer for.
Staff from Fourth Element will be available over the demonstration weekend to answer all your questions and size you up – so why not pop in and try one on for size and get yourself a free air fill!
Food from our View Cafe Bar and accommodation at the Wooden Wigwam village is available for visitors so why not make a weekend of it.
We look forward to seeing you.
Inspiration CCR Try Dive at NDAC
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
We have some Inspiration CCR Try Dives coming up at the National Diving & Activity Centre with Mark Powell. Mark is the resident Technical Instructor at Dive-Tech and author of Deco for Divers: Decompression Theory and Physiology.
Dates
• 9th March – Inspiration CCR Try dive with Mark Powell
• 10th March – Inspiration CCR Try dive With Mark Powell
The Inspiration is the world’s first production Closed Circuit Rebreather.
With 3 litre cylinders, easy maintenance and simple preparation – the Inspiration brings the benefits of optimal gas consumption and gas mix at all depths to the forefront of diving.
The Inspiration CCR is the choice of expedition divers, film makers and sports divers alike, ranging from beach diving to RIB diving, right up to 100m expedition dives.
The cost of an Inspiration CCR Try Dive is £150 although this can be credited to the cost of a Dive Tech Course.
To book a try dive please contact Mark Powell via email: mark@dive-tech.co.uk
