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. On request, we also run fit for diving swimming courses via one of our instructors who is an ASA qualified swimming coach and we encourage all members to stay fit and healthy for the dive season.

I have an illness or disability, can i still dive?

This depends on the illness or disability 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. If you are able to be declared medically fit to safely dive, the club will do all it can to support you.

Is it difficult to learn?

Not at all! 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'. The instructors are very dedicated and will progress at a speed you are comfortable with.

How long does it take to learn to dive?

Progression in your training depends mostly on the commitment that you can give to learning and diving.

Typically, it takes about 8-10 weeks to achieve Ocean Diver, the basic diver qualification This requires attendance at the weekly pool and theory lessons and the open water training days. 

What will it cost?

Diving is an exciting and challenging sport which requires a certain amount of training and equipment. Initially it is expensive, similar to skiing or golf, but once the equipment has been purchased it becomes a relatively inexpensive sport.  The club will lend you equipment for your first year as your train and quality, giving you time to purchase equipment as you become familiar with your preferences and what you require.

A full set of new equipment may cost around £1,200. Fortunately there are a number of options to help you.

• Purchase equipment in stages to spread the cost and take advantage of sales.  
• Purchase equipment second hand, often a full set can be bought for £500.
• 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 £3.00 per night and cylinders fills which can range in price from local shops or you can use the club compressor for free.

Is it safe?

Yes, the British Sub Aqua Club have developed their Safe Diving Practices and training programs 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. HGSAC place a great emphasis on safe diving practice and has an excellent safety record. 

I have trained with another agency. Can I still join?

The club welcomes divers from all agencies. Those wishing to dive with the club from another agency can do so and have the option of cross-over training as part of their first year's membership or to continue diving within their own diving qualification limits. Most divers opt to cross-over as this then opens up the Skill Development Course training and higher diver qualifications for most divers. Carrying on with PADI/SAA/NAUI is also supported although we can not deliver this training ourselves.