EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY SUB-AQUA CLUB
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​Meet the Committee

President

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Ella Penny

Email : ellabeatrice.penny@gmail.com
Diver grade: Sports Diver
Instructor Grade: Assistant Diving Instructor
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Diving obsessed since September 2018 where I joined EUSAC and got in the water having never even been snorkeling! After my first dive November where I saw an octopus (in Scotland!), I caught the diving bug. I’m currently training to be a Dive Leader and in my time last year as TO have loved giving my all to the club.

In January I achieved my life long ambition of seeing a cuttlefish (in Mallorca- it pretended to be some sea grass!) so am now dreaming new diving dreams- cave diving anyone? I also have many club diving ambitions and super keen to get as many people involved and in the water, whether you've done a few dives in Thailand or were deep sea wreck diving straight out of the womb. I certainly have a lot to learn and I cant wait to do as much diving as possible!

Drop me a message if you have any questions, suggestions or thoughts.​

Diving Officers

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​Assistant D.O.
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Cara Nicholson

​Email: caralouisenicholson@gmail.com
Diver Grade: Dive Leader / IANTD Normoxic Trimix OC Diver

Instructor Grade: Open Water Instructor 

I joined EUSAC in 2014, having only done a few warm water holiday dives previously. By continuing my training with EUSAC I've gained mad skills and a love of wrecks, not to mention countless friends. This is my sixth (!)  year on the committee, having previously taken on treasurer, training officer, and president. I'm proud to have overseen the growth EUSAC has undergone in those years, and as an instructor I am able to share my passion for diving. 
The Diving Officer is responsible for the safety of all branch diving activities, including training, fun trips, boats and kit. I oversee these aspects of the club and sign-off diving activities. If you want to go diving, let me know! My focus as DO includes instructor development, expanding non-DTP club training, and increasing the expeditionary capabilities and 'diving with a purpose' elements of club diving. Scotland has some of the most spectacular diving in the world, and I want to empower our members to go adventuring.

​Cara is also our Well-being Officer and she is responsible for promoting welfare and inclusiveness within our club. Please contact her with any concerns, worries or questions you may have!

Finn Crossley-Jones
 

Email: finnecj@gmail.com
Diver grade: Dive Leader
Instructor grade: Assistant Open Water Instructor

I fell in love with diving in Mexico during the summer in 2017 and immediately joined EUSAC when I got back to Edinburgh. I joined the committee at the start of 2018 and now EUSAC is my life. I have been equipment officer for two years and I love anything to do with kit and boats. I am now the Assistant Diving Officer helping Cara oversee the clubs diving. I am here to give advice and mentor wherever I'm needed and hopefully we can do lots and lots of diving. If you want to run/go on a trip but don't know where to start, drop me a message. 

 Treasurer

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Sophie Dawson

Email: treasurer.eusac@gmail.com
Diver Grade: Sports Diver

​I have been a member of EUSAC since Sept 2018, and sea urchin enthusiast
ever since. My diving experience extends to Scotland and Malta, though with my snazzy new drysuit the possibilities are endless. Cold water diving has got to be one of the most satisfying things I've ever done, so I'd especially encourage those who have never dived before to take it up.

As treasurer I regularly flex my internet banking prowess, and excitingly EUSAC are currently expanding our resources with two compressors, so that the club may become more gaseous than ever. If you have any questions concerning the monetary aspects of EUSAC, feel free to email.

 Secretary

​                                               Robyn Lindeque

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Email: sub.aqua@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: Ocean Diver

I joined EUSAC in September 2019, so I’m still a baby face fresher! I begun my diving journey as a 13 year old doing my PADI Open Water in Cornwall. I completed my other PADI qualifications in warmer climates and swore never to return to the freezing UK waters! Little did I know that I would leave behind the PADI life and enter the cold lochs of Scotland, when I crossed over to Ocean Diver earlier this year. I’m excited for more amazing dives with EUSAC, getting my Sports Diver and all the squishies I’ll get to see!

As Membership Secretary, I liaise with BSAC and the Sports Union in order to help new members join EUSAC. I’m also responsible for supporting the president, so if you need me I’ll be following Ella around, just being a loyal secretary. If you ever have any questions about membership, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!

Social Secretary

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Alex Philip ​

Email: s1750558@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade:  Sports Diver

I joined EUSAC in September 2017, having never dived before but knew I liked fishies so wanted to get involved. I loved Ocean Diver and (still two years on) am in the process of becoming a Sports Diver with an aim for increasing my experience a lot this year.
As social secretary again this year I'm looking to organise some more fun events including our, famous Burn's night, pub crawls, Halloween socials and lock ins.

Training Officers

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Alex Leaver

Email: s1729203@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: Sports Diver

I joined EUSAC in September 2018 having never dived before, and loved completing my ocean and sports diver with the club. I am waiting for the day that I'll finally experience non-drysuit diving, I found the winter Mallorca trip relatively tropical. This year I want to experience more of the great diving available in Scotland and hopefully go wreck diving up in Scapa and maybe see a cuttlefish or basking shark. 

I can't wait to be involved in next years training and get more people in the water, feel free to message if you have any questions. 
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Sophie Allard

Email: sallard101@gmail.com
Diver Grade: Ocean Diver 

I joined EUSAC in September 2019 having never dived before, but as a keen swimmer I loved the chance to get in the water and get out of Edinburgh. Although I’m very new to the sport, I’m looking forward to expanding my diving this semester during Sports Diver and in the coming years! I’m especially interested in history and wreck diving, so I’m hoping to make it to Scapa once I’m a Sports Diver.
As Training Officer I’m looking forward to meeting you all and helping the next group of trainees fall in love with diving like we all did! If you have any questions just drop me an email or come ask me at the pub on Fridays. 

Ellen MacRae

Email: ellenkmacrae@gmail.com 
Diver Grade: Sports Diver

I started off diving with PADI (gasp) in the summer of 2017 when I was mapping out coral reefs for a month in Malaysia. I have since seen the light (and the cold waters of Scotland) and joined EUSAC in September 2018. This is my second year in the role of Training Officer - I'm still a sucker for a good spreadsheet and I'm looking forward to training up our new Training Officers too! Training doesn't stop when the semester does - we're making sure training can happen all year round!
I love diving to see the squishy things and the beautiful soft corals we get here in Scotland but I am yet to dive with the seals so that is my next goal. 

Expeditions Officer

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Biddy Hyde

Email: s1702680@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: sports diver

I joined the club in 2018, after diving once on holiday and haven't stopped diving since. I did my Ocean diver and sports diver with the club and I'm currently working on my dive leader. I'm super interested in corals and have spent 2 months studying them in the Philippines. My diving goal is to dive St. Kilda to see the cold water corals (fingers crossed for a club trip in 2021!) Known in the club for my impeccable driving skills and beautiful tattoos.   

As expedition officer (for the second year now!), my job is to plan trips to wherever the club wants to go, from day trips in St Abbs, to weekends in the Hebrides, to weeks in Red sea. If you have any trip inspiration ideas email me or message me on Facebook and if you want to go on the trips join the club!


Equipment Officers

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Daniel Donald 

Email: s1704258@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: Sports Diver
Instructor Grade: Assistant Diving Instructor

I'm now continuing into my second year as EUSAC kit officer after a highly successful election campaign video. Having learnt so much from members Finn and Paul, I am going into this year with ideas to help improve the club from a kit perspective.

As a club we have more kit than ever including 19 complete sets of scuba, two dive boats and two air compressors!!! This means a lot of work for Billy and I. This year I want to put a lot of emphasis on safety and organisation which sounds pretty mundane but is essential to the efficient running of a dive club with as much kit as we have. I will be looking to update a lot of our kit as well as reorganising our lock up to with the addition of more effective storage spaces (exciting I know). 

​Other than that keep an eye out for our boats Jura and Talisker which we hope to get plenty of use out of as well as other kit upgrades currently in the pipeworks!
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William Minns

Email: s1835732@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: Sports Diver
Instructor Grade: Assistant Diving Instructor

This is my second year on the committee, last year myself and Alex were joint membership and social secretaries, this year I'm looking forward to getting more hands on with all the club kit and ensuring that it all is well maintained and safe to use.  
Hoping to get boat handling qualified sometime this calendar year so that there are a few more of us that can give the boats the use and love they deserve.  
However, we all know we'll most likely be found sweeping the lock-up or logging hours on the compressors.  
Looking Forward to a good year!

Fundraising, Alumni, Publicity and Sponsorship (FAPS) Officer

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Charis Walton
Email: s1712585@ed.ac.uk
Diver Grade: Sports Diver
Instructor Grade: Assistant Diving Instructor


EUSAC's resident goth and Black Velvet enthusiast.

I joined EUSAC as a PADI Crossover in September 2017, having fairly limited experience diving (and only in warm waters) but have found a group of highly passionate individuals willing to offer time, advice and resources to those who need them. Through the club, I completed my Sports Diver training and O2 Administration course and I am now working towards my Dive Leader and  instructor qualifications.
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I was on the 2018/19 committee as the first (combined) Membership and Social Secretary, and was President for the 2019/20 year, so I'm relatively well-versed in the club and committee goings-on. Have a chat with me if you've got any really exciting plans or need help advertising anything within/outside of the club.

General Committee Members

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Adam Dunajski 

Email: adam.g.dunajski@gmail.com
Diver Grade: Dive Leader (Crossover), starting Advanced Diver
Instructor Grade: Assistant Diving Instructor

Being a baby fresher, known predominantly for being the one madman who refuses to dive in a drysuit, and as the keen bean that will turn up first to any meeting or event, I am a relatively new member of the club. In my short time in Edinburgh so far I have thrown myself into the EUSAC lifestyle, diving whenever I can on day trips and weekends. As a general committee member I am here to help out as much as possible wherever the club needs help. 

Coming from a diving family I did my PADI (eeek… ) Openwater when I was 10, and have been fortunate enough to dive all over the globe working my way to Divemaster in 2019. But EUSAC is where I did my first cold water diving, the idea of jumping in a car and going diving for the afternoon was alien to me, but there is nothing I can imagine wanting to do more on a day off! I just completed the BSAC Instructor Foundation Course so I am looking forward to getting even more involved by helping train new baby scoooobs in the years to come. When Im not diving, I love to exchange diving stories so if you are already a diver like I was then I look forward to helping you see the light and crossover to BSAC, and hearing about any cool sub aqua stories you have!


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  • Diving
    • Diving
    • Expeditions
    • Day Trips
  • Join us
  • Training
    • Training with EUSAC
    • BSAC Diver Grades
    • Already qualified?
    • Instructor Training
    • Skills development
  • Kit Hire
  • Committee
  • Social
  • Gallery
  • History
  • FAQs
    • Covid-19
    • Other FAQs
  • Admin
    • Plan your own day trip