Ready to join HGSAC? We can’t wait to welcome you! HGSAC membership consists of two components:
- Your BSAC membership levy, paid once a year by Direct Debit to BSAC (£60.50 for Ocean Divers)
- Your HGSAC membership levy, paid monthly by Direct Debit to BSAC (£10 a month for adults, £6 a month for students/juniors)
These fees provide access to club resources, exclusive membership rates on skills development courses, and third party insurance.
During your first year with the club, you will also need to enrol in the BSAC Ocean Diver course if you are not already a qualified diver. Fees for diver courses are paid directly to the club once you are a BSAC member and are in addition to your BSAC and HGSAC membership fees. If you have any queries about which membership is right for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sign up at BSAC.com now! Search for 'Hazel Grove' as the name of the club to join.
BSAC Ocean Diver Qualification
What does the BSAC Ocean Diver qualification involve?
If you’ve always wanted to learn how to dive, this course is for you. This course is for beginners and provides the essential knowledge and skills needed to prepare for open water diving. The BSAC Ocean Diver course prepares for this in the safety of a swimming pool before we move to open water in a controlled, safe manner. Experience and confidence will be gained under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Maximum depth - 20m.
Costs:
Option A: £120 instructor lead theory and pool sessions with HGSAC, including printed materials and pool kit loan (£120 to HGSAC)
Option B: £136.50 online theory with BSAC and instructor led pool sessions with HGSAC, including pool kit loan (£77.50 to HGSAC, £59 to BSAC)
Option C: £146.50 online theory with BSAC and instructor led pool sessions with HGSAC, including printed materials and pool kit loan (£77.50 to HGSAC, £69 to BSAC)
Prerequisites:
To enrol on the BSAC Ocean Diver Course you must be 12 years or older and a member of HGSAC and BSAC.
A basic level of comfort in the water is important and you will have to demonstrate that you can swim 200m in swimwear.
Completion of a diver self-declaration medical fitness form is required. If you answer 'yes' to any of the questions, you will need to have a medical examination. More information on diver medicals can be found on BSAC.com.
What you’ll learn:
The BSAC Ocean Diver course has three main stages:
- Lessons and theory assessment on the basic principles of scuba diving
- Five confined water dives to learn the basics in the water (usually in a swimming pool)
- Five open water dives to further develop your scuba diving skills
Learning to dive is a life changing experience for many people. Breathing underwater for the first time is something you will never forget and the experience of learning with others is great fun. Your instructor is trained to look after you every step of the way.
Qualification and what that means:
A BSAC Ocean Diver is defined as a diver who is competent to conduct dives:
- to a maximum depth of 20m.
- with another BSAC Ocean Diver or with a BSAC Sports Diver, within the restrictions of the conditions already encountered during training.
- with a Dive Leader or higher grade, to expand experience beyond the conditions encountered during training, under the supervision of a Dive Manager.
- not requiring mandatory decompression stops.
- under the on-site supervision of a Dive Manager with respect to site selection, conditions and dive plan.
What's not included:
- Trainees are responsible for storing their club training equipment in a safe and secure manner and bringing it to lessons when required. Trainees are fully responsible for the replacement or repair costs resulting from any losses or damages to the equipment in their care.
- Air-fills. These can be purchased from a number of local SCUBA stores. Costs range from £3 - £5. Trainees are responsible for arranging their own air fills and attending their training with the equipment and air necessary to train with.
- Dry-suit and own equipment for open-water sessions. Costs can range from £500 (second-hand) to £1,500+ (new) for a complete SCUBA kit suitable for diving in the UK with. It is the trainee’s responsibility to ensure the equipment they purchase is fit-for-purpose, meets all regulatory and minimum safety requirements for SCUBA diving, is working properly, and they use the equipment correctly during any diving activities.
- Travel costs getting to/from training venues.
- Entry-fees to open-water training venues (approximately £25-30 for a one-off registration and £12 entry fee per person).
- Any costs associated with obtaining medical approval and certification that the trainee is fit to dive.