Biographies

The Inspiration has thrown up some main characters, whose names you will hear many times. I've attempted to give a little more information about them. Of course I had to include myself

Dave Thompson. Inspiration Designer
Martin Parker. The man who makes them
Bob Howell. Chief tinkerer and Delrin guru
Diver Mole. Me
Anne Marie. Natural Selection in action

Dave Thompson

Designer of the Inspiration and all round nice guy

Here's some picture of the prototypes in the pool

Looks like Mk1 may have been a dustbin!!!!

Started in 1972 with Watford underwater club, then went into the wilderness for years, rejoined BSAC with Willesden. Did his AI in 1985 started tech diving in 1990 (only just introduced by Rob Palmer) been teaching professionally since 1986 done about 5-6000 dives

Martin Parker

Bob Howell

Delrin God!!!!

Diver Mole (Stephen Hawkins)

Learnt to dive aged 11 with Merton Youth Sub Aqua Club (SAA). Did my initial dives in the Thames at Hampton Court (all dives are good ones after that). Was instructing by aged 12

Note the controversial use of ABLJ's and the portholes for masks (15/4/80), I was aged 15 then!!!!

Joined the BSAC at 14 and rapidly progressed up the instructor ladder

Easter 82 at Bovisand. My first dive on a single hose. NB Hand made 5mm wetsuit (trousers not long john's) and the 40Cuft tank. State of the art!. I was Training Officer at Chelsea College BSAC (SB123) (Later Kings, Queen Mary's, Chelsea). I did my Basic Air Diver Training (HSE part 1) here a couple of years later (Wished I was that slim again!!!!)

My main diving was at University, where I become Diving Officer of Chelsea College, and stayed there for 12 years. During that time I clocked up some 2000 or so dives (I know 8 dives in Stoney in a day hardly counts)

One of the advantages of being a university club is that you can scrounge virtually any gas you like from the chemistry department. So a select band of us started using Nitrox, Trimix, Heliox and Oxygen decompression in the early 80's. (mainly using copies of Comex tables). I own and did a few O2 rebreather dives in this time (about 5). The unit was a very knackered Royal Navy one (1950 vintage) and leaked like a sieve. Bad idea.

Left the BSAC for a while in the 90's as they had become a commercial organisation, had strange ideas about mixed gas and their standards were getting lower. Carried on doing my own thing, mainly cave diving as Caving had become my main hobby.

Rejoined the BSAC in 2000 as a member of Manta Divers (Tooting), and finally went the whole hog and got inspiration trained by Dave Thompson in June 2002.

Years diving: 27,
Total dives: 2738 approx
Max Depth reached: 143m (Air/Trimix/Heliox in a cave, and I'm NOT doing it ever again!!!!)
Inspiration Hours: 50 (far too few, but am working on it)

Anne Marie

Nominated for 7 Darwin awards

Atypical user, Created quite a stir when she started using the unit to dive deep before receiving training. "Ammers" has managed to wind up many owners and gain many followers with her style of poking a sharp stick at the established way of doing things

What not to do when you buy a yellow box!!! 8-)

Youngest female Inspiration diver in UK and most suicidal.  Spent 25th hour on the unit at 100m

Ammers guide to simple CC Mix gas diving
a) Fill diluent with 10/50
b) Go diving to 100m
c) If still alive, use surface supplied beer to decompress
d) Read manual to work out what the beeping noise was