Who should sign up for Sports Diver?
To sign up to Sports Diver you must be (or plan to be) a club member who already holds an entry level SCUBA qualification, either with BSAC or another agency (PADI/SSI/SDI). A full list of qualifications that are equivalent to Ocean Diver can be found here. Open Water and Advanced Open Water qualifications from any agency are both suitable pre-requisites to do Sports Diver. Don’t worry if you haven’t dived much or for a while, the course will include a refresher if needed.
You must be able to swim 200 metres without stopping (8 lengths of a standard pool) and be able to pass a diving medical.
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. Being previously qualified does not make you exempt unless you have proof of a valid, in-date medical assessment. If you think you would like to do Sports Diver and require a medical assessment, you should contact us sooner rather than later and we will be happy to help.
When can I sign-up?
There will be an intro to the club talk on Thursday of welcome week (2nd Oct) where you can meet the exec and find out all you need to know about Sports Diver. Following this, the sign-up form will be released on our WhatsApp and Instagram. An expression of interest form can be found at the bottom of this page, all who complete this will be sent an email reminder when sign-ups open.
There are limited places in our cohort. If we are overbooked (which is unlikely for Sports Diver) places in our Term 1 cohort will be allocated based on who signed up first. Everyone who is not successful will automatically be placed in our Term 2 cohort, and will be asked to pay a small deposit if they wish to guarantee a space so nobody misses out. We really would like to train everybody, but we have to limit cohort size due to instructor availability and for everyone’s safety.
When is training?
Our theory training will be scheduled at a time that works for the whole cohort, dependant on instructor availability. There will be one theory lesson a week starting in week 2 up until the training trips. The pool session (or sessions dependant on if you are drysuit qualified and how long it’s been since you dived) will also be organised during that period.
Term 1 will have 2 training trips, one leaving the evening of the 13th Nov and returning on the 16th, and the other leaving the evening of the 27th Nov and returning on the 30th. The Sports Diver sign-up form will ask you which trip(s) you are available for, being available for both may increase your chance of being able to train in term 1.
Where is training?
Our pool and theory training will take place on campus, in classrooms and at the Sports and Wellness Hub. Our term 1 training trips are to Pembrokeshire (South Wales), where we will shore dive some famous UK sites (weather permitting). The backup site is Stoney Cove, the UK’s national dive centre, which is located just a few miles from campus.
What does the cost include?
Firstly, you need to be a member of the club. This costs £6 + Students’ Union Sports Federation Fee (£24) and On-campus Warwick Sport Club Pass (£82). These fees are set by our Students Union but must only be paid once per academic year and allow you to join any sports club.
The cost of doing Sports Diver with WUSAC in 25/26 is £350. We know this is a lot of money, but due to BSAC’s volunteer instructor system this cost is at least half what would you pay with another agency. Sports Diver qualifies you internationally, for life.
This money is used to cover the cost of kit repairs, air fills, accommodation, vehicle hire, fuel, a year of BSAC membership and the qualification pack itself. Any profit is invested straight back into the club to buy and service equipment.
Express Interest in Sports Diver here