Want to learn to dive? Some important information for prospective new divers.
Thinking of signing up for the Ocean Diver course? Firstly there is some important information that you need to consider. Newbury Scuba Diving Club is a ‘dive club’ not a ‘dive school or a ‘dive centre’. This is an important distinction as our club environment is designed around the needs of divers who are passionate about diving and want to dive more than just occasional holiday diving. If you are new to scuba diving and are looking for a quick way to become qualified before going on holiday or off to university, then honestly our club is probably not the right fit for you. There are many excellent BSAC dive schools in the UK and abroad who are better equipped to help you qualify. You can find out more information at BSAC.com. Even if dive centre training is a better fit for you we can still offer you a taster session for Scuba diving through our Try Dive programme, so if you fancy just having a go at experiencing the magic of being weightless underwater then contact NSDC to arrange a Try Dive.
If you are committed to taking up scuba diving as a hobby and are willing to invest the time and money in the training and the kit (which is not cheap) then we would love to talk to you. The training you will receive at Newbury Scuba Diving Club is tailored to diving in UK waters which can be somewhat more demanding than warm water diving abroad. All our training is given by club instructors who are training their future dive buddies, so every step is geared to your needs to ensure that you are comfortable and safely capable to move onto the next skill level.
Newbury Scuba Diving Club can help you at every stage of your diver training. We can take you from your very first underwater experience, all the way through to BSAC Advanced Diver level. So whatever your skill level, we have a programme that is perfect for you. Read on for more information about the courses we can offer you, or contact our membership secretary to find out more.
Unlike many other organisations which are tailored more for diving in crystal clear, warm waters, The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) diver training programme is custom made to meet the requirements for diving around the coast of the UK. All the training in the club is conducted within the BSAC guidelines by our BSAC qualified instructors. If you want to learn to dive with Newbury Scuba Diving Club (or are already qualified from another organisation) you will need to complete a UK Sport Diver Medical Self-declaration before joining.
If you have never dived before
For those who have never dived before, the BSAC entry level qualification is Ocean Diver which will allow you to dive down to a maximum of 20 metres. The Ocean Diver course is a mixture of classroom theory, warm water pool training and open water lessons. This course allows the trainee to get a full understanding of the requirements for safe and pleasurable diving. As our instructors are training their future dive buddies, the course is run at the trainee’s learning speed to ensure that the trainees are competent and confident to progress to the next level.
Newbury Scuba Diving Club has access to the fabulous, recently refurbished heated indoor swimming pool at the Mary Hare School. This 3m deep pool is perfect for learning how to dive in a safe, warm environment and is deep enough to master all the key diving skills that are covered during the Ocean Diver course. The pool is also a great place to try out new kit, refresh old skills, go snorkelling, or simply to go for a swim.
If you are already a qualified diver
If you already hold a recognised dive qualification gained through another diver training agency (such as PADI, SSI, SAA, ScotSAC, NAUI, CMAS etc), then in many cases no further training is necessary.
However if some additional training is required, then cross-over training modules are available to help qualified divers achieve the equivalent BSAC qualification as quickly as possible. If you would like to further your diver training or skills development with a BSAC qualification, your diver grade is recognised so you can progress to the next higher BSAC grade.
Advanced Ocean Diver sits between Ocean Diver and Sports Diver and is open to qualified BSAC Ocean Divers (or an equivalent other agency grade) who would like to progress their maximum diving depth to 30m. You will develop your existing Ocean Diver knowledge to support deeper diving.
BSAC Sports Diver
Probably the most popular diver qualification, the Sports Diver course covers a wider range of skills such as dive managing and diver rescue skills, and enables you to dive to depths of 35 metres.
BSAC Dive Leader
The Dive Leader qualification is for experienced Sports Divers who want to either extend their depth range down to 50m, or take a more active role in their club by organising and managing dive trips.
BSAC Advanced Diver
Advanced Divers are the role models within a club as they are very experienced Dive Leaders who want to start planning and managing challenging diving and expeditions in places they haven’t been to before.
Training days are also a social event and a great way to meet other club members. Here we are enjoying a day out at Vobster Quay Dive Centre (above) and a Cromhall dive Centre (below)
Skill Development
Newbury Scuba Diving Club offers members the opportunity to develop many different skills, not just diving. For example you can learn practical skills such as: Boat Handling, Coastal Navigation, VHF Marine Radio, Compressor Operation, Gas Blending, First Aid and Oxygen Administration. You can also cover management skills such as: Dive Planning, Practical Rescue Management and Presentation skills.
Boat Handling
The club owns ‘Newbury Diver’ a 6 metre RIB (Rigid Inflatable hull Boat) which has been fully equipped for inshore diving. Club members can learn to drive the RIB and become qualified Cox’s through the BSAC Boat handling course.
Coastal Navigation
As part of the boat handling training you can also learn how to use the boats’ GPS, read marine charts and tidal maps to help you navigate safely around our coasts.
Marine Radio
Qualifications in the use of VHF marine radio can be organised for club members as required.
Gas Blending
The club is equipped with an excellent new compressor and gas blending facilities which are capable of pumping air up to 230 BAR and blending Nitrox and Tri-Mix. Club members can be trained in-house for either just the air compressor operation, or for mixed gas blending.
First Aid and Oxygen Administration
A basic understanding of First Aid is a key life skill that everyone should know and Newbury Scuba Diving Club arranges regular courses on the basic first aid that could be needed for a diving incident, combined with a short course on how to administer oxygen to a diving casualty.
…And So Much More
Many of the life skills that can be learnt through the Newbury Scuba Diving Club can also be applied to other areas in our member’s lives, such as how to manage an incident, or simply how to plan and prioritise better.
