Suitable for those who have never done SCUBA diving and want to dive in the UK or abroad.
Previous Ocean Diver trip to Pembrokeshire (South Wales)
Current Intake
Ocean Diver is now open until the 19th. Sign up here.
Course Structure
What Is BSAC?
BSAC (The British Sub Aqua Club) is the national governing body for recreational SCUBA diving in the UK, as well as an internationally recognized training agency providing ISO rated courses.
The Course
The course conforms to international standards, and exceeds it where possible. It consists of 3 main parts, outlined below. When possible we try to teach all the Open Water lessons as part of fun 3 day weekend trip to some of the best shore diving sites in the UK. Past trips have been to Pembrokeshire, Cornwall, and Anglesey. Alternatively training can be completed at Stoney Cove, an inland site near campus.
Theory Knowledge
The course consists of 6 theory sessions. This includes using Nitrox, rescue procedures and how compressed gas effects the human body.
Pool Training
Consists of 5 sessions teaching all the fundamental skills, and then one session where you learn how to handle a drysuit.
Open Water
The course consists of 4 required open water dives where you must demonstrate good understanding of the basic skills.
FAQs
Who will teach me?
All BSAC instructors are volunteers, they are not paid but are able to claim compensation for teaching expenses. Those that teach only do it because they are passionate and want to nurture the future generation of divers. More information on who our current instructors are can be found on our about us page. All of our instructors have either passed the BSAC practical and theory instructor exams or are being supervised by someone who has.
Can I still dive if…
If you are affected by one of the conditions outlined here, the club can support you in getting a medical assessment and still being able to dive. If you think you would like to do Ocean Diver and require a medical assessment, you should contact us and we will refer you to a UKDMC medical specialist.
What is the minimum swimming standard?
We (and BSAC) require that you are able to swim a minimum of 200m of any stroke of your choice in under 10 minutes without stopping.
I’ve heard of PADI and other agency courses before, how does Ocean Diver compare?
SCUBA courses from all agencies (BSAC, SSI, PADI, NAUI, ect.) all comply to the same international standards. Ocean Diver is equivalent autonomous diver, which most other agencies refer to as Open Water Diver. All agencies teach the same basic skills, however BSAC also includes Nitrox certification in Ocean Diver, and at Warwick all our trainees are also taught how to safely operate a Drysuit.
Learning to dive in the UK often leads to more comfortable and better disciplined divers compared to those who learn in warmer and clearer waters, and because of our volunteer instructor system BSAC is significantly cheaper than any other agency in the country.
What you can do once Qualified?
As a club we have a very active schedule of diving taking place, with at least one club outing every month, it does get a bit chilly though 🥶. As an Ocean Diver you will be able to attend most of our UK trips and our annual abroad trip.
Have a read of our blog which includes things we’ve been up and what you would be able to join us on:
