Cambridge University Underwater Exploration Group is the Cambridge University branch of the British Sub-Aqua club. We are a scuba diving club whose members mainly consist of students or are otherwise associated with Cambridge University (although we do make exceptions on a case-by-case basis, particularly for instructors). We undertake diving activities all year around, in the UK and abroad, for leisure, training and research purposes. If you've always wanted to discover the varied marine life around the British Isles, come and join us.

A Short History of the Branch

 

With the rapid turnover of membership typical of a university branch, little connection had been maintained with our history, and the farthest back any current members could remember dated only to the late 1990’s, when legend has it that some unfortunate member accidentally left all of the clubs records on a platform at King’s Cross! Our recent history has simply concentrated on training students year by year, and organising recreational dive trips, in complete ignorance of our colourful and intrepid past.

All that changed in 2007, with a ‘tip-off’ that October that year was the 50th Anniversary of the club, accompanied by some persistent rumours that CUUEG members had achieved some significant pioneering feats in their early expeditions: heliox, Duke of Edinburgh’s prizes, and the raising of the Mary Rose, were all mentioned, along with the fact that Britain’s most successful astronaut, Michael Foale, cut his ‘hostile environment’ teeth in CUUEG. Fortunately, we were able to access archives in the Cambridge University Library, which gave us names of past members, possible leads on how to contact them via College alumni records, and a taste of the expeditions that our forefathers ran, via a collection of Expedition Reports and Scientific Publications. After six months of trawling, we were in a position to host our 50th Anniversary Ball events, which took place that October. We also came away with a much fuller impression of our club’s history.

CUUEG was founded in October 1957 by Dr Nic Flemming (currently a Trustee of the BSAC Jubilee Trust) along with Bill Hemmings and David Fagan with the aim to ‘practice diving both as an enjoyable sport, and as a way of doing research or exploring the wildest boundaries of the seas and lakes’. CUUEG was the first university branch of the BSAC, and is the only group to have won the BSAC Duke of Edinburgh’s Prize for underwater achievement three times (including the first ever award in 1965).


Compressor Fund

Current status:

 

TOTAL RAISED:

£2121.50

The “Compressor Fund” is a medium to long term fundraising effort to raise capital to invest in protecting the future of the Club. Although annual cash flow through membership fees and grants comfortably covers the maintenance requirements of the club and the purchase of additional items of moderate cost, it does not allow for the purchase of large capital items. Since it is now many years since we last received a large grant for such a capital item or participated in large scale fundraising, when better than the 50th Anniversary to launch a new appeal? – The “Compressor Fund”!

Currently, CUUEG does not own a compressor, and filling cylinders weekly for pool sessions, expeditions, and open water training involves a considerable amount of driving, manhandling, and time! Fills are charged at full cost to us regardless of how much air is actually added! Owning our own compressor will mitigate these problems, and in due course we may even allow be able to recover some of the running costs by filling cylinders and supplying nitrox to other divers and diving clubs in Cambridge.

The 2007 BSAC syllabus acts to combine the entry level nitrox qualification with the new OD/SD course. Nitrox is very relevant to the dive profiles we undertake, and makes diving a safer activity. As a consequence, the use of nitrox in the Club has already expanded and undoubtedly will do so even more in the near future. CUUEG may therefore wish to consider a compressor that would allow us to fill nitrox, rather than just air; a number of systems are being considered, including a compressor with a nitrox membrane system. This would be very useful for the Club, although, inevitably, more expensive that a simple compressor for air fills.

If you are interested in making a donation to the CUUEG compressor fund please contact our diving officer.

 

A fundraising appeal of this magnitude is (as far as we know) unprecedented in recent Club history, and hence the level of response and the fund timescale are completely unknown. It is possible therefore that in the course of a lengthy fundraising timescale, the club’s financial situation, requirements, or aims could change owing to other circumstances. The final decision to purchase a compressor will require the approval of the Club's Committee. Whilst our intention is to purchase a compressor, it is prudent to consider other situations in advance. As such, unless a donor agrees otherwise with the Committee at the time of donation, in the event that: (i) the Committee determines that it is not appropriate to purchase a compressor; or (ii) the total funds received exceed the sum needed to purchase a compressor (including ancillary items and providing for initial running costs), all donations received may: (i) be used to fund the purchase of alternative capital items that would (in the Committee's opinion) benefit the Club; or (ii) be donated to one or more diving-related charities.