Learning to Dive

Would you like to learn?

If you would like to learn to dive or join the club, please come along on one of our nights, or contact any of the members, there are telephone numbers for some of the committee members on the first page and quite a few can be contacted by email. You would be most welcome and you can meet some of the members and discuss with them why they love diving.

Why do I enjoy diving? well it's got everything..... the excitement of seeing the most beautiful, incredibly busy and vibrant  world beneath the sea; the thrill of being weightless and just leisurely floating around, exploring the three dimensional space; you simply can't avoid marvelling over the amazing variety of sea life, every colour, pattern, every size and shape conceivable.  Almost every species is different in the way it hunts, hides, moves, eats and reproduces.

If that's not enough, you will meet fascinating, like minded people and travel to some incredible places throughout the world. There are skills to practice and master and theory to learn. What more could anyone ask for. It's an adventure that can last a lifetime.

Many divers learn to dive and then develop further interests, such as diving shipwrecks, underwater photography, drift diving, scenic diving, night diving or the more advanced technical diving (essentially going deeper).     

Introduction to diving course

If you are not too sure whether you would like scuba diving or not,  we can arrange  an "introduction to diving course". This is usually over two evenings (but can be one) and include two "try-dives" in the pool with an overview of the training and the equipment. These are perfectly safe and will give you the opportunity to try out using scuba gear underwater and experience the thrills of scuba diving. An instructor will assist you in kitting up and will show you how to use the equipment. You can then try a couple of breaths underwater at the shallow end of the pool and from there progress to staying underwater longer and going deeper. It is an experience not to be missed.

 

A charge of £20.00 is made to cover the costs of equipment hire, air, pool and transportation for the two evenings (or £15.00 for just 1 evening). This will be refunded if you later join the club.    

Club Commitment

he Club tries to get members through their qualifications as soon as possible but our instructors, who give up their time freely, do have other commitments. Also the Club will, from time to time but especially in the Summer, organise some challenging dives for the more experienced members which would be unsuitable for trainees. To get qualified quickly one should attend every pool and lecture session on the required nights. After the pool sessions and as long as you have all the required equipment we will try to complete the Open Water sessions as soon as possible.

If you find yourself struggling to get an instructor to take you into Open Water please come down to the club and show your enthusiasm. There are several other instructors who may be willing to help!

Once the first part of your training is completed the responsibilty is yours to come down to the club and ask people if they could go diving with you to further your experience. There are usually people willing to dive, they just need to be asked.

Starting training

To start training you must be at least 14 years old, be able to swim 100m freestyle and be medically fit.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about diving

The following are typical questions

1. Do you have to be a good swimmer?
2. Do you have to be physically fit?
3. I have an illness, can I still dive?
4. Is it difficult to learn
5. How long does it take to learn to dive?
6. What will it cost?
7. Where can I buy the equipment?
8. What if I miss some lessons?
9. How do I join up?
10. Is it safe?

Do you have to be a good swimmer?

Not necessarily. This may come as a surprise but confidence in the water is more important than your ability to swim long distances. You will need to be able to comfortably swim 4 lengths of the pool and tread water for a few minutes. You'll find that diving is actually easier than swimming, because there's no need to raise your head out of the water to get each breath.

Do you have to be physically fit?

Fitness will help but is not essential. The club does encourage physical fitness and dedicates some of the pool time to this end.

I have an illness, can I still dive?

This depends on the illness and its severity . As part of your membership process you will be asked to sign a self declaration medical form. This form requests details of any illness or disabilities and is standard practice in the UK. The British Sub Aqua Club has medical referees who can advise on your suitability for diving.  

Is it difficult to learn?

Not for most people, through a well established and relaxed training curriculum, you will steadily develop your diving skills and knowledge. Initially, underwater skills are learnt in the pool and the theory in a classroom. The training is fun, easy, interactive and is geared towards learning by 'doing'.

How long will it take to learn to dive?

It depends, firstly on the commitment that you can give to learning and diving.

Typically it takes about 10-15 weeks to achieve Ocean Diver, this is the basic diver qualification, see Ocean Diver syllabus. This requires attendance at the twice weekly pool and theory lessons and the open water training days. Nowadays few people can attend this frequently and so it takes longer.

Diving is one of those activities where you never stop learning, to achieve the Advanced Diver qualification usually takes a minimum of 2 years.    

Can I wear contact lenses or glasses while diving?

Soft contact lenses should not be a problem. Bring an extra pair or two, in case one washes out.  Most modern masks can be fitted with your prescription lenses.

What will it cost?

Diving is an exciting and challenging sport which requires a certain amount of training and equipment. Initially it is expensive, similarly to skiing or golf, but once the equipment has been purchased it becomes a relatively inexpensive sport. To start follow this sequence:

1. Join the club - You then need to join the club (see membership fees), this includes membership of the British Sub Aqua Club. 
2. Purchase training Pack - A basic training pack is included in your first years membership and contains your BSAC qualification book and training book. If you are a qualified diver transferring from another agency this will cost £20.00.
3. Equipment -  Purchase your own diving equipment. A full set of new equipment may cost in excess of £1000. Fortunately there are a number of options to help you.

• Purchase the equipment in stages, over a period of time, for example, purchase the mask, fins and snorkel first, then the jacket, cylinder and regulators etc.  
• Equipment can be purchased second hand.
• Some shops offer excellent deals and interest free credit.
• Some equipment can be borrowed from other club members.

Please note there are some other smaller costs i.e., pool fees are £2.00 per night and cylinders cost £2.50  per fill (will last 2-4 training sessions or 1 open water dive).

Where can I buy the equipment?

There are a few shops around Stockport and Manchester See local shops. Prices are reducing slowly and vary considerably so shop around, due to competition some great bargains can be found.

What if I miss some lessons?

Nowadays it is very difficult to attend all the training sessions, If you miss any, they will be fitted in wherever possible.

How do I join up?

Simply E-mail or call the membership secretary (see home page) or attend the club and ask for the membership secretary. You will then be advised when the next course is starting and the procedure for joining. 

Is it safe?

Yes, The British Sub Aqua Club have developed their Safe Diving Practices and training programmes from many years of experience. They are designed to slowly build up skills, knowledge and develop safe diving attitudes.

Diving is similar to driving a car, if you drive recklessly, i.e., drive on the wrong side, go through red lights etc.  then you're heading for trouble. However if you stay within the general rules of the road, you'll be safe. The same applies to diving.

To put this into perspective, it is safer than flying or driving and many other everyday sports. Incidents rarely occur and are usually related to ill considered risk taking.

Hazel Grove Sub Aqua Club (HGSAC) place a great emphasis on safe diving practice and has an excellent safety record. See club training for more information.