The Kupla guide
This guide is meant for new members specifically and it introduces you to the club, basics of Kupla trips, vocabulary, and other useful information.
What is Kupla?
Polyteknikkojen Sukelluskerho Kupla was founded in 1979 and it’s active under the student union. The members of the now 40 year-old club do scuba diving, as well as under water rugby and free diving. The club has members from Aalto but also from outside of the university.
How do I start?
Kupla has a weekly pool session in Leppävaara uimahalli that is free to use for Kupla members. You can dive (make sure you have a buddy), freedive, play underwater rugby, and swim! More info: Leppävaara pool. It’s free to come to the pool session, as long as you’re a member of Kupla.
We also do a loot of diving. You should find all dives marked in the Kuplaweb calendar. You can sign up for all events as a member, or you can create an event yourself. You can also ask for diving company in all Kupla chats. Here’s how you create an event in Kuplaweb.
How do I sign-up? Take a look to see if your classification suits the destination. Fill out your dive certification – AD=After Dive, i.e. non-diver. In events other than diving, the classification can be left as AD. Mark the skipper field if you are a skipper of Kupla boats. Information is usually requested for the nakki and comment fields in the description of the event. If not, you can leave them blank The sign-up can be canceled, but not modified. If something needs to be changed, you can cancel your booking and report again or ask for help.
How do boat gigs work? Kupla dives a lot from his boats. If you are not familiar with working at sea and maybe for eco gigs, you can ask for tips from e.g. your Kupla kummi.
Yearly calendar
The internation cable conference, ICC, will take place in February-March. Our Norwegian friends from Dykkergruppa will visit us for a week of everything but diving. During the winter we dive in rivers, some lakes, and mines. The boats will be put into the water during the Spring and the Kupla camps season begins! Here you can fnd information about some of the camps that are organized. At the end of the year all Kupla members get together at Suurjoulut!
UWR – Under Water Rugby
This is a special ballsport played under water (google it or come try it out)! This is an amazing activity to do especially during winter when you can’t dive. Players of all levels are welcome to participate. Please feel free to contact the uwr responsible, (Tommi Lintilä) if you want to start playing in Kupla. Take a look at the contact information on the person in charge page. We also prganize “try-outs” every year where you can come try out uwr!
Kupla courses
Take a look at the courses organized by kupla for scuba diving, UWR, and free diving on Kuplaweb’s course pages. In practice, through Kupla you can train from a beginner to a professional diver. Should I take course XXX? Courses are always useful in improving yourself! If you’re uncertain, contact your Kuplakummi or write a message in some chat, you will definitely get answers.
People from Kupla use a strange language, I don’t understand? You said it. Part of the vocabulary can be found in the Kupla dictionary.
Communication
Kuplakummit
These persons are a link between you and all the information (that is Kupla-related) you want. Shall be found in at least Kuplan Pyksit -telegram chat (asked to be added to it) or via a contact given to you by the board. These angels will tell you anything about diving in Kupla and are easily accesible diving buddies or an answer bank to all your not-stupid questions. They should also give you directions when figuring out Kuplaweb.
The Board and its responsibilites
The Board takes care of day-to-day business. The responsibilities are roughly the following:
- President: Anything and everything
- Treasurer: Payment matters
- Responsible of the member register: Membership matters. Please keep all your contact information up-to-date
- Diving master: Diving trips and camps etc.
Toimihenkilöt – the board’s right hand
These members are responsible for smalle matters in the club. These tasks are up for grabs each year through a forms. Please find the responsible members for each category for this year here.
If you’re interested in being active in the club, you can join one of the committees that work around the “toimihenkilöt”. Just be in contact with one of the responsibles and ask to join the committee you’re interested in! All help is welcome!
Media
Make sure you’re added to the email list kupla-jas@ayy.fi to get official information. We also have several Telegram and Whatsapp chats intended for different things. Make sure you’re added to the boat chat if you’re interested in becoming a skipper and that you’re part of the social media group if you want to create content for Kupla!
Equipment
Rental equipment – There is no need to have your own diving equipment. Kupla has 12 high-quality single sets! They can be rented by every member. Instructions and reservations here.
Basic equipment – Kupla has a large set of masks and fins for scuba diving and UWR.
Lending library – In Kupla, people are very eager to lend stuff to fellow divers. Lend a dry suit, lamp or double tanks (maybe in exchange for a wine bottle or some chocolate). Check out the library here.
What should you get right away? – Check out Kuplero’s purchasing guide for step-by-step purchases.
Kammio
How do I get a key to Kammio – Kupla’s clubhouse?
You need to collect hours by participating in Kammiotalkoot etc. Check out the instructions on how to mark hours in Kuplaweb and what there is to do in order to collect them here.
Storage at Kammio
There’s lockers for which the application is open in the beginning of each year. There are also a few lockers for new members that can be used if you mark your stuff with your name.
There’s also a yearly application for tank storage nowaday. Pay a fee, mark your tanks, and store them at Kammio. Make sure you’ve registered your tank properly in Kupla’s register. Be in contact with the board for more info.
Filling tanks and using the filling station
You’re only allowed to use the filling station if you have Kupla’s official training. Otherwise, ask for help in Kupla chats. We organize trainings for new members often, so be on the lookout!
Kupla diving trips
Kupla has dive trips almost every weekend through the summer as well as evening dives.
To keep it cheap, most trips are tent sleeping and grill or cook your food. The islands are usually remote with the boats docked against rocks.
Kupla rental gear and borrowed stuff has you covered for diving stuff, but you also need camping gear on the trips. Good camping guides can be found online, but a good tent that can survive strong winds is a good starting point. The sea wind can be strong and cold!
Then a mattress against the ground and a sleeping bag will have you set.
For food Kupla has simple charcoal grills for cooking your own food, and lots of people have their own camping stoves. Dry food people usually bring in boxes and bags and some things that need cold can survive in a cooler – on shorter trips at least. Bring enough to last you the whole trip. Plates knives forks you need your own but Kupla has washing supllies for everyone, these you dont need.
Kupla members are also great sources to borrow camping stuff! Tents, cooking stuff, anything. Just send a message in one of the group chats or the email group kupla-jas
It’s a good idea to try and join food groups – cooking only for one person is not very efficient. Groups of 2-4 people usually have shared meals and the others can fill tanks etc while one person cooks.
Other tips could be earplugs, headache medicine, a hat, a good drinking bottle, sunscreen and swimsuit/towel/sauna gear
How do I get on the trips?
The first step is to sign up in kuplaweb and join the planning. If you need nore info before joining, you can send a message to the organiser.
The boats are usually left at a harbour close to the camp site.
The day before the trip there is usually a packing session to get everything needed from Kammio. Lots of people have cars, so a ride can be planned easily in advance. It’s usually good to put “I need a ride” in the comment field when signing up in Kuplaweb
What about dive certs?
Kupla uses the CMAS standard for certs:
P1 is open water diver or beginner course, 20m max depth
P2 is advanced oped water or advanced course, 30m maximum
P3 is dive master, but also needs experience in being the dive leader in Finland
TMX and CCR are technical stuff – not related to rec diving in 0-30m depths.
If you are new to drysuit diving – forget your other certs. Dive according to your drysuit experience. Most weeked trips are suitable for everyone. The needed cert is usually posted in the event.
Starting drysuit diving
Do I need a drysuit?
The sea in Finland is pretty cold year round. A dry suit is not required but it will make things easier and safer. If the summer is warm, you can dive in a wetsuit just fine maybe in July. If the boat trip to the dive site is long, have a change of clothes in the boat so you can change out of the wetsuit for the ride back and not get cold in the wind.
Starting out with a drysuit
First and most difficult step is getting a drysuit. Use the kupla international chat to ask for help. Best bet would be used suits on facebook, tori.fi, or asking Kupla members. Kupla people might also have drysuits to borrow, at least for evening trips. Check out the borrowing library https://kupla.org/int/kalusto/lainauskirjasto/ (in Finnish..) if someone has a suit your size to borrow.
Undersuits for drysuits are the next step, but these are a bit easier to find and often sold together.
If you have previous drysuit experience, going to lakes or Kupla pool sessions or other easy sites might be a good start point. With a little bit of experience, go to the boat dives. Kupla people will be happy to help you the first few times, just ask!
If no drysuit experience, the Kupla drysuit workshop might be good, but I am not sure when it will be held in english next time. Hopefully soon! Will post more info when the courses are decided.
It’s a good idea to practice using the drysuit and other gear and seeing that everything fits and doesn’t leak before going on longer trips to avoid missing out on dives because of gear problems