But we can’t have a new boat without a new name!!! So here is your chance to leave your stamp on the boat.

COMPETITION:

Come up with a name for the new boat and be in to win one days free diving! What an awesome chance to get out on the water for free. All you need to do is email your idea for the new name to boat@akunidive.com before Friday 10th July 2009.

Some direction on what we are looking for:

The old boat’s name was “Sea Degree”. We obviously don’t want to reuse the same name because that would be boring (and because of the horrible memories the name conjures up in some members!). So perhaps some sort of play on words that is humorous and incorporates the fact that we are a University club. All ideas welcome. The shit ones will just be laughed at – at your expense!

Entries close Friday 10th July 2009.

Give it a go, and get on the water for free!!!

• Full Gear (2 x tanks, BCD, regs, wetsuit, bag, fins and booties if needed) $30 – excludes weights (still working on this)
• Tank Hire (must bring tank back full of air) $5
• BCD $10
• Regs $15
• Wetsuit $10
• Booties $2
• Fins $2

We are able to hire out 3 – 4 full sets of gear at a time, and have plenty of wetsuits and fins to go around.

All gear hire arrangements can be made by emailing Mike at gear@akunidive.com

Want a wetsuit of your own?
We are pleased to announce a special deal for our members – 1 piece 7mm merino lined wetsuits for $50 – $150. These wetsuits are ex-hire gear from Dive HQ Greenlane, some are more tatty than others but they are still a great deal. They have a built in hood and are semi-dry wetsuits to keep you uber warm!!! We have pretty much every size available.

If you are interested contact Mike at gear@akunidive.com.

So what is your excuse to not get out diving now??? Cheap gear, crazy dive buddies and a soon to arrive club boat!!!

At our last club meeting we had Tony Hafoka (a past AUUC President) come and present this exciting new sport to us. Slightly to my surprise we had 10 AUUC members jump at the opportunity, and we attended our first game last night. All I can say is that it is heaps of fun and quite hard work!!! You just have to come along and give it a try.

Here is a little bit of info about the game:

The game: Underwater Rugby is an unusual sport in that both the ball and the players move in 3-dimensions. It is being played in the dive well at Henderson which is 5m deep. The ball is slightly negatively buoyant so it sinks if you let it go (it is filled with heavily salted water). There are 6 players in the water in each team (with subs waiting on the side of the pool – you can sub at any time).

DO NOT:
* Grab masks / snorkels / fins / togs
* Get rough – hit people etc!
* Hold someone after they have let go of the ball (although it is a legitimate tactic to hold someone under UNTIL they let go of the ball)
* Grab someone who doesn’t have the ball
* Lift the ball above the surface of the water

If someone is swimming with the ball you can grab them and/or the ball but you cannot grab masks, snorkels, fins, togs. If you have the ball you CAN fend someone off. You can also push/lift someone off the goal.
How do you score?: Place the ball completely inside the goal – there is one at each end of the pool. The goal is a bin about twice the size of an office rubbish-bin (with weight-belts in it to keep it on the bottom).
Is it rough?: It is physical rather than rough. It is a contact sport but you are swimming rather than running so it is not a high-impact sport. It is being played in mixed teams which usually seem to have a couple of women on each team. There are also a few secondary school kids playing and some old codgers in their 50s so it suits a wide range of people – as long as they are comfortable in fins, mask and snorkel.

The details:

Where: West Wave, Alderman Drive, Henderson.

When: 7:45pm Sunday nights. The dive well is booked 8-9pm (but NOT Sunday 21st June).

Cost: First night free, $10 per night after that.

Who to contact: Mike at uwrugby@akunidive.com, or Tony Hafoka mobile: 021 638 331 or Shalimar Axford mobile: 0275 487 246.

What do you wear?: togs, mask, snorkel, fins, water polo cap (blue or white for teams). Caps will be sorted out for people coming along to try the sport. It is best if you can use full foot fins. The club has a few sets of these, and some of the other players may be able to organise some if you advise us in advance.

Get into it!

If you have not got one, and you are already a member please contact me.

Also if you have not received any emails from the 2008 mailing list; once again, please contact me.