Sometimes it’s not what’s on our CVs or our academic qualifications that gives us that certain X Factor which propels us to success. Often it’s simply the ability to adapt, grow and have the confidence to challenge ourselves to step outside our comfort zones.
Tyndall’s goal is to attract and nurture people with diverse talents and excellent skills, enabling all to reach their full potential.
In celebration of the many talents that make up Tyndall, we are showcasing Ré Ó Cinnéide, Operations Manager for the Micro Nano Systems Centre. His special hidden talent lies in a passion for deep sea scuba diving.
What is your hidden talent?
During the summer months when the seas are calm, I love to go out in our club boat with my scuba gear and go underwater.
It’s so peaceful, nothing to hear except bubbles from the regulator, the occasional chatter of dolphins and boats passing overhead. I really enjoy being able to travel in three dimensions, swimming through gullies and small caves, and the feeling of weightlessness – all the heavy equipment becomes weightless in the water as you add air to a buoyancy control device (BCD).
Irish waters are often not very clear, but there are lots of beautiful colours and life to be seen using a good torch – shoals of fish, lobster, shrimp and conger eels abound. Myriad anemones cover the rocks in astounding colour, and there are thousands of shipwrecks all around our coast – locally including UC42 and U260 - submarines from World War 1 & 2, ‘Kowloon Bridge’ - the world’s largest diveable shipwreck, the ‘Aud’ - with its intact ammunition boxes from 1916, and all sorts of other wrecks. There’s a real sense of exploration, following a rope down from the surface to a wreck or scenic dive site that few people will ever see.
A diving trip takes many hours, for maybe 45 minutes of diving time, so most of the time is spent hanging out on the shore and on the boat chatting with other club members, so it’s a very sociable pastime, with a team of people all working together. Being out at sea when the sun is shining, the seas are calm and dolphins are jumping alongside the boat is a wonderful experience.
In the winter, when the seas are rough, making underwater visibility bad, we run training courses and dive in pools, lakes and flooded quarries.
What sparked your interest?
I grew up swimming in the sea in West Cork, and as a teenager my uncle lent me his mask and fins, and I went snorkelling for my first glimpse of the amazing life and colours underwater. When I left UCC and got a job in California I could finally afford scuba equipment, so I signed up for a class, and dived regularly around Monterey bay and in exotic locations with warm clear water while on holiday.
When I moved back to Cork I joined a local club here, and met a great group of people, who travelled all around Ireland at weekends diving. Given Ireland’s climate, it’s great to have an outdoor pastime where rain makes little difference.
What is your current role?
I am the Micro-Nano Systems operations manager, making operations more efficient so researchers can focus on research excellence, with the minimum amount of time spent on administration.
How has your hidden talent complemented your role?
“Time and tide wait for no man” and due to the strong currents that run in many areas, timing is very important for scuba diving. Getting into the water at the wrong time means you may spend your time underwater battling against strong currents, breathing heavily and quickly using up your air supplies. To ensure a nice relaxed dive, we plan to be in the water when no currents are running, based on charts and tide tables. We then work back from this, allowing time to meet up, load the boat, travel to the dive site and complete safety checks. Dive leader training involves learning a wide range of organisation skills to get divers safely in and out of the water. This focus on planning and organization, and a ‘customer focus’ to keep it all fun, is useful for work. I’ve learned a lot over the years that I put into practice in my job.
Diving also invigorates me and is an opportunity to relax, breathe in the fresh sea air, get in touch with nature, and focus on something completely different, so I come back to work refreshed.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to try your hidden talent?
Start by getting used to being in the sea and comfortable in the water – buy a mask, snorkel and fins and go swimming and snorkelling. Irish water is always fairly cold, and takes getting used to. A good wet suit or dry suit helps.
Scuba diving has the potential for serious accidents, so it’s important to get good training, stay ‘dived up’, and dive within your experience limits, gradually undertaking more challenging dives.
The quickest and easiest way to learn SCUBA is to take a PADI course while on holiday. This is a good approach for people who are already comfortable in and under water, but it’s expensive.
UCC Subaqua Club are affiliated with ‘Diving Ireland’. We offer excellent beginner training for UCC staff and students, commencing on October 4 2022. Training takes six months. This is much more in depth than a PADI course, is more challenging, and is better preparation for diving in Irish waters. For details contact subaqua@uccclubs.ie.