BSAC offers five levels of diver training course, starting with Ocean Diver .
The Ocean Diver course is the entry level for beginners and first time divers. The course includes a number of sessions in the swimming pool, some classroom theory lessons and finally a series of "open water" assessments. This course is suitable for anyone who is in good health and has a reasonable level of fitness.
All training is undertaken by fully qualified BSAC instructors, who are also members of the Sub C Divers club, usually on a one-to-one basis. There are a number of skills that must be perfected in the swimming pool before moving on to the open water stage, and these will be taught over a number of weekly sessions. The number of sessions required varies from person to person and there is no time limit; what is important is that each trainee is entirely competant and comfortable with each skill before moving on to the next.
In order to undertake Ocean Diver training, you must first join BSAC. There is then a nominal charge of £37 to cover the cost of the training materials, which include lecture notes to accompany the classroom theory lessons, a full colour Diving Manual and your qualification record book, which you will need to present when you go diving in the future.
The BSAC Ocean Diver certificate allows you to dive with another person of the same or higher qualification than yourself, under the supervision of a Dive Marshal, to a maximum depth of 20m.
Once the Ocean Diver certificate has been obtained, further levels of training can be undertaken. These are:
- Sport Diver
- Dive Leader
- Advanced Diver
- First Class Diver
A number of Skill Development Courses are also available including first aid, navigation and boat handling.
For more information about learning to dive with BSAC, visit www.bsac.com/comediving/howtolearn.html, contact Sub C Divers or see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
