DDRC Healthcare

11/12/2025

🎄 Christmas Jumper Day at DDRC! 🎅

Our annual group photo tradition is back — but this year we’ve added a little extra sparkle with a collage of fun moments from around the centre. Even Santa came out to play!

Thank you to everyone who joined in with the silliness, sparkles, lights, and wonderfully outrageous jumpers. We hope these photos bring a smile to your day as much as they did to ours. 💙✨

11/12/2025

We’re delighted to be part of this year’s Scuba Santas — a brilliant, joy-filled festive dive that brings the community together while raising funds for DDRC Healthcare and Headway Gloucestershire. 🎅🤿💙

A huge thank you to all the generous companies who have donated raffle prizes this year:

Narked at 90, Nammu-tec, Nautilus, Fourth Element, O’Three, Kubi Dry Gloves, Gordano Support, and Andark. Your support helps make this event such a success for both charities — we’re incredibly grateful.

Whether you’re taking the plunge, lending a hand, or just soaking up the festive atmosphere, everyone is welcome. Come along, enjoy the fun, and don’t forget: There are free mince pies and bacon sarnies!

If you can’t make it on the day, you can still support the event (and be in with a chance of winning these amazing raffle prizes!) by buying raffle tickets online.

Link for raffle tickets https://www.indepth.club/category/scuba-santas?fbclid=IwY2xjawOnd71leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQTzYHUCroL4iP9V8cNoPJwFU5Y0Q2Lggfqlkvnl7LALqBk0mPX00nobL2R4_aem_TISt7mh_CTeKj2eOu7FFBw

To register for this year's Scuba Santas please visit:
https://www.indepth.club/event-details/scuba-santas-2025

You will also need to book your diving as normal on the Lake website:
https://thelakeuk.com/product/dive-session/

Wishing all the Scuba Santas a safe dive and a fantastic day — thank you for supporting two very worthy causes. 💙✨

Scuba Santas is all about having a bit of fun, getting into the Christmas spirit, sharing some laughter and just letting go. Let's not forget that it's a time to feel joy, generosity, goodwill, and kindness towards others, expressed through traditions like giving, decorating, and spending time with loved ones, often rooted in focusing on family, friends and community, in our case, the Dive Community. It's about seeing the world with more empathy, putting others first, and finding happiness in giving, not just receiving.

It's not a competition, it's not about who's biggest, best or first. It's a time to do something daft, utterly bonkers, it's a time to be childlike again and just enjoy. And if we can do some good, whilst having some fun, raising a few bob for charity then we've all done a good thing too, that's the spirit of Christmas, it's a time to give and to receive, good will to all men and women. It's time to slide into Christmas and chill for a few days. The World and its many issues can be forgotten about as you relax with friends and family.

So do please come along on Saturday and enjoy yourself, have some fun, take part in the dive if you want or just come along and soak it all up, lend a hand perhaps, have a bacon sarnie, some chocolates and mince pies. Come along and have some fun.

Everyone is welcome.

09/12/2025

🌊 A huge thank you to the Kernow Dive Festival team! 💙

On Saturday 6th December, we were delighted to welcome members of the Kernow Dive Festival committee and divers to DDRC Healthcare for their cheque presentation from this year’s fundraising.

We are incredibly grateful for their continued support. The funds raised each year make a real difference to the work we do in diving and hyperbaric medicine, and it means so much to our whole team to see the community come together in this way.

It was a pleasure to host the group for a 40m chamber dive, a tour of our facilities, and some basic life support and O₂ administration training — thank you to everyone who took part with such enthusiasm!

Once again, thank you to the organisers, volunteers, divers, and the many industry partners who contributed to another successful year. Your dedication helps make diving safer for everyone, and we’re proud to be part of this community. 💙

03/12/2025

🌊✨ Need a Fitness to Dive before 2026? ✨🌊

We have telephone appointments now available on 9th & 11th December!

You can book a Fitness to Dive telephone consultation with one of our specialist diving doctors. During your call, the doctor will review your medical history and self-declaration form, and advise whether you can be signed off remotely (£40 form fee) or if a face-to-face medical is needed.

This service isn’t NHS funded – but as a charity, we subsidise the cost to just £20.
We’re here to help keep you safe, healthy and ready to enjoy your dives. 🌊🐠

👉 Find out more and book via our website

https://www.ddrc.org/recreational-sports-diving-medical/

26/11/2025

A big welcome to Bristol Underwater Club, who visited DDRC today for a Chamber Dive and a full tour of our hyperbaric facilities.

The group took part in a 40m dive inside Krug and got to see hyperbaric medicine in action — And yes, the balloons made another appearance! 🎈 They’re a simple way to show how pressure affects air-filled objects at depth.

Thanks for spending the day with us — always brilliant to host fellow divers! 🙌

20/11/2025

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of James Murgatroyd. James visited our decompression chamber in Plymouth with his diving friends and spent an unforgettable few hours with us, experiencing a 40-metre chamber dive.

His family have shared how much he loved diving, how committed he was to helping others enjoy the sport safely, and how highly he valued the work carried out here at DDRC.

In his memory, James’s family have kindly chosen DDRC as the charity to support, and we are incredibly touched and grateful for the donations already being made.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and the wider Cornish diving community. James’s passion for the ocean and his kindness will not be forgotten.

💙 Thinking of you all at this very difficult time.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-murgatroyd

20/11/2025

Do you know that you can attend a DMT Refresher Course up to 3 months ahead of your certificate expiry date?

Book now at - https://www.ddrc.org/training/courses/2-imca-diver-medic-technician-dmt-refresher-plymouth-uk/region-UK/

18/11/2025

Do you work in, or are you thinking about a career in hyperbaric medicine?

Boost your knowledge and take your skills to the next level, with our Basic Hyperbaric Medicine Course – the essential foundation for anyone working (or planning to work) in hyperbarics.

✅ Expert-led training
✅ Practical insights
✅ Recognised certification

📅 Secure your spot today: https://www.ddrc.org/training/courses/7-basic-hyperbaric-medicine/region-UK/

16/11/2025

🎁 DDRC is pleased to be a collection point for The Homeless Shoebox Appeal Plymouth 2025! 🎁

This wonderful group helps bring a little comfort and kindness to those in need across Plymouth this Christmas. Every donated shoebox is carefully delivered to local charities during the festive season.

You can drop off donations to DDRC, or items can be purchased through the Homeless Shoebox Appeal Amazon Wishlist https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1WFRRZF4DPDBH?ref_=wl_share

Last year, the Appeal created over 600 shoeboxes — Let’s come together to help spread Christmas cheer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/959597877446702/

14/11/2025

Great to welcome Poole Diving to DDRC today! 👋

They joined us for a Chamber Dive and a look behind the scenes of hyperbaric medicine. Always fantastic to share what we do with divers, healthcare teams, and anyone curious about how our chambers work.

Here they are inside Krug, our largest multi-place hyperbaric chamber, taking part in a 40-metre chamber dive.

The dive profile included 9 minutes at depth, followed by a 5-minute stop at 6m breathing air, and a 15-minute stop at 3m on oxygen — a total dive time of 36 minutes.

🎈If you have spotted the balloons - these demonstrate a visual representation of what happens to gas filled spaces under pressure.

Thanks for joining us! 🙌

13/11/2025

⏰ Is your HSE Diving Medical due soon?

We’ve had a few last-minute spaces open for Thursday 20th November!

Call 01752 209999 to book — these appointments aren’t available on our online booking system.

👉 Free parking available
👉 Expert team of diving doctors

12/11/2025

Get your Santa suits (and drysuits) ready, because the most festive dive of the year is back! Scuba Santas returns to The Lake on Saturday, 13th December.