8 Oct 2026 - Yesterday, I attended the fourth annual Defence Diving Symposium at HMS COLLINGWOOD with about 300 other registered delegates. The MCDOA was one of the event’s sponsors along with Project Vernon, the Historical Diving Society and the RNCDA. Among MCDOA members present, I recognised Mick Beale, Stu Harper, David Hunkin, Bill Kerr, MCDOA Chair Martin Mackey, Mike O’Meara, Simon Neil, Darren ‘Cozy’ Powell, MCDOA President Charlie Wheen and Steve White but there were probably many others I failed to identify.
Click on the image below to see a pdf version of the entire programme including a list of DDST staff and presenters with descriptions of their presentations plus the names and descriptions of all nominees for the Forsey Diving Safety Award.
Click on this image for a pdf version of the entire programme
The recipient of the Forsey Diving Safety Award, co-sponsored by KB Associates (Europe) Ltd, was Steve Boyd of Team Fisher, DDS (Defence Diving School). He was presented with a figurine by Cathy Chinery, daughter of Lt Cdr Dave Forsey MBE RN in whose memory the award was established.
There were some fascinating presentations and I think we all learned a lot during the course of the day. Mike O'Meara’s first-hand account of the salvage of the KURSK was especially enlightening.
It was particularly good to see some young CD trainees in attendance as well as too many of the ‘old guard’ to mention by name.
Congratulations to MCDOA Chair Martin Mackey, SODD (Superintendent of Defence Diving) and his Defence Diving Standards Team, especially his Chief of Staff Maj George Gibson MBE RE and Senior Diving Standards Inspector (Training) Rosemary ‘Roz’ Lunn who acted as Mistress of Ceremonies, for organising such a successful event. Sadly, this was the last under Martin’s purview as he is due to leave the Royal Navy next May after five years in post.
