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Try Dive
You may have been thinking about learning how to scuba dive, but you’re not quite sure if it is for you. Then why not do a try-dive for just £25 and discover just how amazing this sport is?
Sheffield Sub-Aqua Club has been introducing people to scuba diving for over 50 years.
Try dives are open to anyone from the age of 10.
You’ll just need to demonstrate that you can comfortably swim 200m in a pool, and the only kit you’ll need is a swimsuit and towel.
What will you learn?
A typical Try Dive involves poolside tuition on diving techniques and equipment, followed by a scuba dive in a swimming pool with a BSAC-qualified instructor to make sure you get maximum enjoyment from your first scuba dive.
A Try Dive can help you save time and money by finding out in advance if you like diving.
Before your Try Dive you will be asked to read and complete a medical form, please download now to take a look at the Try Dive medical and responsibility declaration.
Ocean Diver
The BSAC Ocean Diver course is open to anyone from the age of 12.
You’ll just need to demonstrate that you can comfortably swim 200m in a pool, and the only kit you’ll need is a swimsuit and towel.
What will you learn?
Your instructor will start by getting you comfortable breathing underwater in a pool or sheltered water and then develop your skills so that you are competent to dive safely in open water. After that you’ll head out for a series of at least four dives to develop your skills and confidence in open water.
On your open water diving course, you’ll:
Learn how to use basic dive gear, including your mask and snorkel.
Control your buoyancy and underwater movements
Understand your basic scuba diving safety skills – you’ll find out the importance of time, depth and gas
Discover how to plan and manage your diving.
The ocean diver course includes six theory modules, at least five sessions in a pool or sheltered water, and at least four open-water dives.
What you'll be able to do?
As a qualified Ocean Diver, you can dive buddied with another Ocean Diver, under the supervision of a Dive Manager – so long as you stick to familiar locations and conditions you have encountered during your training.
If you want to expand your experience by exploring different locations and conditions, you can easily do this accompanied by a Dive Leader or higher-grade diver.
Your open water diver certification will be recognised worldwide. That means you will be qualified to use breathing gas mixtures of up to 36 per cent Nitrox to increase your safety on dives (you’ll learn all about Nitrox on the course). Many ‘learn to dive’ courses don’t teach Nitrox or rescue skills, but at BSAC we believe they are important skills to start learning from the start of your scuba journey.
What diving experiences will this open up for me?
At depths of down to 20m, Ocean Divers have plenty of chances to encounter a fascinating variety of wildlife and shipwrecks in seas, rivers, quarries, lochs and lakes.
Imagine finning over a rocky reef teeming with fish and covered in sessile life such as seasquirts, sponges and brightly coloured anemones, spending precious moments watching grey seals at play, or exploring a historic wreck.
Sports Diver
If you already have some diving experience with an entry-level qualification and want to take your underwater adventures to the next level, Sports Diver is your next step in BSAC’s Diver Training Programme.
You will broaden your experience in a variety of challenging open-water conditions and learn essential techniques to prepare you for diving to a maximum of 35 metres.
To become a Sports Diver, you must have successfully completed an Ocean Diver or Advanced Ocean Diver course (or have equivalent certification from another recognised training agency) and be aged 12 or older, but you need to be 14 or older to progress to depths greater than 20m post qualification.
What will you learn?
Skills that make Sports Divers stand out from the crowd include doing longer deeper dives, with decompression stops if needed.
You’ll learn how to spot if something is wrong and what to do in an emergency including self-rescue,recovery of unresponsive divers, and basic life support – these are among the most valuable skills any diver can learn.
It’s a continually assessed qualification, so after your classroom and in-water training and a short theory exam, you’ll be competent to complete a series of depth progression dives – at increments of 5m – enabling you to dive down to a maximum of 35m.
How do you get there?
Ocean Diver to Sports Diver
Six theory modules
Two dry practical sessions
Sheltered water rescue skills session
Six open water dives
Advanced Ocean Diver to Sports Diver
Four theory modules
Two dry practical sessions
Sheltered water rescue skills session
Three open water dives
What you'll be able to do?
Qualified Sports Divers can dive buddied with another Sports Diver, in familiar locations and conditions, allowing you more freedom to explore. You can also support a Dive Manager as a competent assistant, the first step on the road to helping to organise diving within your club.
You can extend your experience by diving with someone qualified as a Dive Leader or above, under the supervision of a Dive Manager. You can also dive with an Ocean Diver or Advanced Ocean Diver, so long as you stay within conditions they have already encountered.
Your qualification will be recognised worldwide and you will be certified to use breathing gas mixtures of up to 36 per cent nitrox to increase your dive times.
Should you wish, you will also be qualified to complete dives that require in-water decompression which will permit greater bottom time on deeper dives
What diving experiences will this open up for me?
Being competent to dive to 35m allows most divers to do all the diving they want in the UK and abroad. At these depths you can access the majority of UK wreck diving, and with Sport Diver skills you can extend your dive times safely and relax to take in your surroundings and any wildlife you encounter.
Qualifying as a Sports Diver will also enable you to take part in a wider variety of BSAC Skill Development Courses to increase your diving skills.