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A guide from the National Governing Body for scuba diving

Inside 4

Contact us

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Welcome

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Ocean Diver Companion An in-depth look at BSAC’s diver grade for beginners

12 The BSAC experience Ocean Divers tell their stories 16 The very best of British Why UK diving has so much to offer 22 A year in the life of a club Discover the joys of BSAC diving 26 Starter scuba kit explained What it does and why you need it 32 Ask the experts Q&A Our panel answers your learn to dive questions 35 The world’s your oyster!

A beginner’s guide to dive travel Published by: TRMG Ltd Winchester Court, 1 Forum Place, Hatfield, Herts AL10 0RN Tel: 01707 273 999 Web: www.trmg.co.uk Publishing Director Jonathan Fellows Operations Director Andrew Stevens Head of Production Charles Dragazis Editor Simon Rogerson Production Editor Malcolm Anderson Design Jonathan Sloane Commercial Manager Jon Williams © 2017 British Sub-Aqua Club All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without written permission of the copyright owners.

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.

In the interest of independence and impartiality, many features in this publication have been written on behalf of the publisher by third party experts. It should be noted that any opinions and recommendations expressed therein are the views of the writers themselves and not necessarily those of BSAC.

42 Next steps...

You’re a qualified diver – what now?

Train and dive with friends, discover great diving and keep in touch with the world of scuba If you have any questions, we are here to help!

Call the BSAC Team on 0151 350 6201 www.bsac.com 4

Welcome

Hello and welcome to your first step into scuba!

Nothing compares to the sensation of exploring the underwater world. So, if you are thinking about taking up scuba diving or have just started your training, we’ve put this special guide together to help you as you begin your aquatic adventure.

To get the most out of your diving, you need the best possible training and that’s where BSAC comes in.

It stands for the ‘British Sub-Aqua Club’ and it’s been around for more than 60 years, training divers to the highest standards. BSAC is the UK Governing Body for scuba diving and it oversees a set of internationallyrecognised courses that take its divers from beginners to competent, confident divers.

The heart and soul of BSAC lies in its members – around 30,000 of them distributed across a network of locally-based and managed clubs. BSAC’s clubs are run on a voluntary basis by their members, a proud tradition that creates friendships that can last a lifetime. This voluntary, ‘not for profit’ nature of BSAC is what makes it unique in the world of diving. There are other training agencies such as PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and SSI (Scuba Schools International) and they both offer respected diver training systems. Similarly, BSAC also has professionally-run dive centres that provide an alternative to in-club training. However, BSAC also offers a club system where you can progress your dive training at your own natural pace in a supportive, friendly environment. And it doesn’t stop there – BSAC clubs offer further training and facilities to support you in your diving as you build up experience.

A large part of this guide has been devoted to BSAC’s entry-level course, Ocean Diver. This is quite simply the most comprehensive beginner’s course available in the UK, providing you with the training and skills you will need to enjoy safe diving in both British and international seas.

I hope the following pages go some way to answering your questions – whether they are about the Ocean Diver course, the kit you will need or simply where you can go diving – and inspire you to join us in the beautiful world of underwater exploration.

Simon Rogerson, Editor simon@scubamagazine.co.uk

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OCEAN DIVER COMPANION

Introduction to OceanDiver training National Instructor Marg Baldwin answers your questions about BSAC’s diver training course for beginners, Ocean Diver

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earning to dive can be a life-changing experience, bringing a whole host of exciting underwater opportunities and friends to enjoy them with.

BSAC’s Ocean Diver course is the first step on this adventure. Over a series of classroom lessons, practical pool training and sheltered water sessions you will be progressively taught the core scuba skills until, before you know it, you’re a fully qualified BSAC diver ready to go out and explore the underwater world!

If you are a new Ocean Diver trainee – or have yet to start – here are some answers to the immediate questions you may have to help you get the most out of this fun and enjoyable course.

1. How long is the Ocean Diver course?

The Ocean Diver course is made up of: classroom lessons; a theory assessment; a basic swimming assessment; shelteredwater lessons (usually carried out in a pool) and open water lessons (also known as going diving!)

Many clubs run Ocean Diver training over consecutive weeks, completing the classroom and the sheltered water (pool) lessons as part of their weekly club meeting and pool night. After a successful theory assessment, the open water lessons start.

Going diving can be in a lake, a flooded quarry or, of course, in the sea. All lessons are performance-based so you progress at your own pace.

Instructors in BSAC clubs are volunteers and may have other commitments. If you need your training delivered more quickly than your club can manage, all or part of your training can be completed through a BSAC centre. The Ocean Diver course and 6

its Qualification Record Book (a record of your training as it is delivered) are designed so that any suitably qualified BSAC instructor can record lessons completed, other instructors can see your achievements to date and continue your training.

2. There is a swimming assessment but I am not a brilliant swimmer. Will I cope?

You do not need to be an Olympic

swimmer but being comfortable in the water is essential for all divers. This is evaluated during the swimming assessment which is a 200 metre – or eight lengths of a 25m pool – freestyle swim (meaning any stroke) in basic swimwear.

You need to complete it comfortably, speed is not important. Should you need time to practice your swimming, this can be accomplished in parallel with your

OCEAN DIVER TRAINING

provides information and advice about equipment, particularly about selecting your mask, which is an important piece of personal kit. But if you can’t wait for the lesson, talk to your instructor and get some advice including how to try a mask for fit.

Mask fit is very important so resist the temptation to buy on the internet and visit a dive shop where you can try on different makes and models until you find one that you are really happy with. As you progress through your training and get to know what equipment your club has available, the next items you need to buy will become apparent. If possible, take every opportunity you can to try different makes and styles of equipment before buying. You will never be short of things to put on a Christmas or birthday list! Remember, size and fit are important. Check out our starter guide to scuba kit on page 26 for more advice.

underwater lessons. The swimming assessment has to be completed before you start open water diving.

3. I don’t have any equipment, is the kit included?

Clubs often have the core scuba equipment that you need – cylinder, regulator and buoyancy compensator (BCD) – during your training. There may be a small fee for using

it. Many clubs also provide basic equipment such as mask, fins and snorkel to help get you started, while some clubs may also be able to provide diving suits. Most dive shops have equipment available to hire.

4. I have been to the local dive shop, and I really want to buy some equipment - where do I start?

One of your early classroom lessons

5. I’ve heard that I have to take my mask off underwater – is that true?

The short answer is yes, BUT as with all of your BSAC training, you build up to doing that in small steps. The starting point is learning how to prepare and fit your mask, followed by getting used to wearing and using your mask underwater. How to deal with small leaks of water into your mask is another step. Then you progress to the point where you are comfortable and confident enough to remove and refit your mask underwater. Your training is performance-based so you can progress at a pace that suits you. g 7

OCEAN DIVER COMPANION

RAbove left to right: Mask removal and replacement in open water is easier than it looks SBelow and right: Breathing from a buddy’s alternate source

6. Why do I have to complete a medical self-declaration form?

Being medically fit is important for both the diver’s safe enjoyment and for the safety of diving as a whole. BSAC requires all members to complete a self-declaration medical form on joining and then annually on re-joining.

If you tick ‘yes’ to any of the questions on the self-declaration form or if a medical condition arises after you complete it, you will need to consult with a local Medical Referee – who is a specialist diving doctor – for further advice. For more information on completing your medical selfdeclaration form go to www.bsac.com/medicalmatters or call the BSAC team on 0151 350 6203.

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7. How does the Ocean Diver Qualification Record Book work?

When you sign up for the Ocean Diver course, you will receive a full training pack, which includes your Student Guide and a Qualification Record Book. Often referred to as the QRB, this is a record of your progress through the Ocean Diver training.

After the successful completion of each module, your instructor signs the relevant section. Once all the sections for Ocean Diver are satisfactorily completed, the Ocean Diver certificate will be signed by your club’s Diving Officer, awarding you the qualification of Ocean Diver.

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8. How can I measure my progress in the Ocean Diver theory lessons?

Your instructor will take you through each theory lesson and make sure that you understand the details. The Student Workbook is arranged so that you can read the same material in your own time before or after the lesson. The quizzes at the end of each lesson are there so you can test your knowledge and understanding of a subject. The answers are in the back of the book. Should there be something that is unclear, do ask your instructor. We encourage the testing of theory knowledge shortly after each theory lesson rather than waiting for a single exam at the end of the course.

9. When do I have to do the Ocean Diver theory assessment and what is the pass mark?

The theory assessment can be taken any time after completion of each classroom lesson and ideally you should have successfully completed it before the final open water lesson. If the assessment is taken at one time, there are approximately 30 multiple choice questions. We need to test your diving knowledge and recognise that written assessments don’t suit everyone so it is possible for an oral assessment to be arranged. The pass mark is 80% – and if necessary there is the opportunity to take the assessment more than once.

OCEAN DIVER COMPANION 10. Will I be tested on my underwater skills?

Your instructor will introduce the underwater skills one at a time and allow you the time to become familiar with them to a level where they become second nature. This ongoing skill development and assessment takes place throughout your Ocean Diver underwater training, so there is no formal assessment.

11. What is open water? Where can I complete my open water dives?

Open water is, as the name suggests, a body of water that is open to the elements.

This can be the sea, for your first dives a sheltered cove of a suitable depth may be chosen. Other options include inland dive centres, which are lakes or flooded quarries. As with your pool training, the open water dives are designed to develop your diving skills progressively and build up your experience at your own pace of depth and different diving conditions. Just enjoying being underwater and getting

used to the environment are important parts of your open water dives.

12. Do I have to do all the open water dives to complete my training – can’t I do it any quicker?

It is important as divers that we have the time to develop and consolidate our underwater skills. Remember, your open water lessons are dives, and there is every chance when diving in a lake, quarry or sea you will enjoy some ‘distractions’ such as fish swimming past, maybe a wreck or other underwater feature. Your adventure has already started – enjoy your diving!

13. As a qualified Ocean Diver what diving can I do?

Ocean Divers are strongly advised to dive at all times with a buddy who has more experience and holds a higher diving qualification. Ocean Diver is classified as an autonomous diver by the European Underwater Federation. As such an Ocean Diver may dive with another Ocean Diver g

RAbove: An instructor briefing at a quarry lake UBelow: An open water lesson in progress QLeft: The buddy system is key TBelow left: Teaching drysuit skills

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OCEAN DIVER COMPANION within the conditions and depths they have experienced during training, provided that they have the supervision and the support of a Dive Manager on the surface.

The maximum depth for any Ocean Diver is 20 metres.

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14. I am not sure about the idea of diving in cold water – can I do my open water dives somewhere warm?

It is possible for you to complete all the classroom and pool elements of your training with your local BSAC club and then go to a BSAC club or centre somewhere warm to complete your open water dives. Should you decide to do this and in the future decide you would like to dive in the UK, you will need some further training to acclimatise yourself to the diving conditions. This may include the training needed to use a drysuit.

15. What happens after I have finished my Ocean Diver training?

Go and enjoy diving – you are now a qualified diver who can dive within the limits of the Ocean Diver grade anywhere in the world! Remember you are advised to dive with an experienced diver who holds a higher qualification so can keep building up your own experience. When you are ready, the next step is to start working up the BSAC diving qualification ladder by doing your Sports Diver training which will open up even more diving opportunities.

I am worried by the references to assisting a casualty – is diving that dangerous?

Diving is an adventurous sport with a very good safety record. No matter how safe an activity there will always be some small risk of something going wrong. Your Ocean Diver training equips you to help yourself and your buddy get to the surface should either of you experience a problem under water.

Ocean Diver – the lowdown Anyone aged 12 upwards can learn to dive with BSAC. You need to be reasonably fit and comfortable in the water and once qualified you will be able to dive to a maximum depth of 20m. Here are a few more key facts about BSAC Ocean Diver: LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE Learning within a BSAC club allows you to progress your training at your own pace so you are confident in your skills and abilities at every stage.

THE RIGHT SKILLS AT THE RIGHT TIME BSAC’s Ocean Diver course includes core rescue training skills and dive planning as part of the package.

SAFETY FROM THE START The Ocean Diver course includes training for basic nitrox, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of this safer breathing gas right away.

THE COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN TO DIVE With the BSAC Ocean Diver course, you get all the training and skills you need to be a competent entry-level diver. With the course including a range of additional modules, such as using nitrox gas and rescue skills, you do not need to buy or complete extra courses in order to be confident and ready to safely go diving open water.

For more information: www.bsac.com/oceandiver If you have a question that is not covered here, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor…or call the BSAC team on 0151 350 6203.

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RAbove: Your Ocean Diver qualification is recognised at dive centres all over the world. For more information on Ocean Diver and the BSAC Diver training programme, go to www.bsac.com/divergrade

RAbove: Ocean Diver is your passport to a coral kingdom

OCEAN DIVER

The BSAC experience:

Ocean Diver stories Five different Ocean Divers tell how their training has opened up a new world of possibilities. Interviews by Charlotte Boan “A lifetime of memories” Sound engineer Chris Lane, 22, from St Austell in Cornwall qualified as an Ocean Diver a few months after joining his local BSAC club. A try dive nine years ago on holiday first sparked his interest, however, it wasn’t until last year he took a giant stride.

“I play guitar in a band and the singer told me he was going to learn to dive with Mid Cornwall Divers up the road,” Chris explains. “I’d heard about BSAC before, but I didn’t know a great deal. I was made to feel really welcome when I went with him. Everyone is so friendly.”

Chris says returning to the pool to learn skills over four weekly visits was thorough preparation and a confidence builder for his first dives in open water.

“Training was great, as our instructor, Tony Milne, was really patient,” he says. “I wear glasses, and every time I cleared my mask the lens insert floated out. After doing it a load of times – and thanks to Tony’s patience – it’s not a problem now.”

Based in Cornwall, the club has easy access to sea dives for entry-level training at weekends. Chris completed all his training at Drawna Rock at Porthkerris on the Lizard Peninsula and the Kantoeng Dredger wreck site out of Fowey.

“I was worried it was going to be a bit cold, but it’s a whole other world down there,” he adds. “All the things I’ve seen, I never thought I’d see. I really enjoyed Kernow Dive Festival and the diving there.

We also dived at Hand Deeps [Plymouth].

It was incredible – so many critters, so much life and so colourful. Every time I’ve gone in, I’ve seen something different and I love it all. Diving is infectious.”

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Chris meets with club members every Wednesday and goes diving with them on the weekend. In just a few months he has advanced in his training to work towards his Sports Diver qualification to allow him to explore more sites.

“I definitely want to do more wrecks, particularly because of all their history. Most of them are slightly deeper, so I’ll be able to see them when I finish my Sports Diver training. In the long term, I would love to get to instructor level and get more people involved. Club diving is definitively the way

RChris Lane

forward. It’s a safe and fun way to dive and creates a lifetime of memories.”

“The seals were all around us!”

At 12 years old, Chloe Jowett is the youngest BSAC-qualified Ocean Diver of Abraham Moss SAC in Manchester. BSAC welcomes lots of young snorkelling members throughout the UK, with the minimum age for scuba set at 12 years.

“I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist,” says Chloe. “Jeff Hickman [the club’s Diving Officer] goes to the dentist

RChloe Jowett

where my mum works and when she told him about me, he said I should do a try dive. I loved it and started learning in my summer holidays.”

The second youngest scuba member in her club is 18 years older than Chloe.

However, she has established great friendships and does not view age as a barrier.

“We go to the pool every week,” she explains. “It doesn’t seem that different to having friends at school really. We all get along because we all like diving.”

Chloe’s training has taken her from her local pool in Manchester to Capernwray inland site to diving with seals in the Farne Islands, Northumberland, and Anglesey, North Wales.

“If I felt uncomfortable about anything,

there were so many experienced divers always there to encourage me to keep going,” she explains. “Capernwray was the first place I did my open water dives. I’ve also been to the Farne Islands and to Anglesey. The seals came all around us in the Farne Islands. It was amazing. I love nudibranchs [a small sea slug] too – we’ve seen a few of them now.”

Sharks have always been Chloe’s passion.

She says her fingers are crossed for a club trip to the Red Sea. “Sharks would be excellent,” she says.

“We’re going to the Red Sea soon on a liveaboard for seven days. Hopefully we’ll get to see hammerheads, but I’d be happy to see any shark.”

Having nearly completed her second phase in training to become a qualified Sports Diver, Chloe has also encouraged her dad to join.

“My dad has just started diving,” she says. “He’ll be qualified before we go to Egypt. I’ve just started the Sports Diver course, so I’ll be able to go to 20 metres until I’m old enough to dive deeper.”

To complete the depth progression of her Sports Diver, Chloe will have to wait until she is 14.

“Sports Diver is harder, because everything is more complicated, but I’ve progressed a lot. Leading a dive in Anglesey was a challenge as I hadn’t dived there before but I felt really proud of myself. I think it takes a little bit of getting used to.

When I’m older I’d like to be an instructor as well.”

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OCEAN DIVER “It’s never too late to start” Chris Bell, 43, joined Bradford SAC in August last year after completing a few try dives with the club.

“Many moons ago my dad belonged to Keighley BSAC,” says Chris. “He was diving before I was born. I always heard the tales.

He dived with Keith Jessop [famed for retrieving gold from HMS Edinburgh].”

It was Chris’ niece who finally made him try scuba last summer with local club Bradford SAC after she told him just how much she enjoyed her experience there.

“She encouraged me, but I had put it off for so many years,” he says. “Then she called to tell me she had booked me in.

After I did the first try dive, I was grinning from ear to ear. I came back for three or four try dives and did some basic skills, such as mask clearing and changing over regulators. This meant the training wasn’t such a shock.”

Chris completed pool training quickly and was eager to head to open water.

“It was hard at first putting all the heavy kit on for the training dives at Capernwray and getting to the water edge,” he explains.

“But as soon as we were in the water our instructor settled us down straight away. As soon as you’re underwater you feel like you’re flying. It was fantastic. I knew it was definitely for me, but wished I had done it years ago.”

Since completing his Ocean Diver course, Chris has dived at Stoney Cove, Leicester, SChris Bell with daughter Amy

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Oban in Scotland, and Anglesey in Wales.

He’s also qualified as a Sports Diver and embarked on the next step, Dive Leader training.

“Diving takes us all over the country. In a year I’ve done 46 dives. Bradford is a very active club, probably one of the busiest in the region. Oban was fantastic, as I was actually seeing marine life. I am very open to any diving. It has got me hook, line and sinker.”

Chris has made sure his children get in the water at an earlier age than him.

“I dragged my daughter Amy, who is 13, to do a try dive,” he laughs. “She then did some lessons as part of the BSAC This Girl Can Dive scheme. She loves it. My dad was so chuffed when I started, and then when my daughter did too. My next trip I’d like to do with my daughter in the school holidays.

My other, younger daughter is also going to get into snorkelling.

“It’s never too late to start diving, but I wish I had got into it sooner. I’d tell people to just do it – don’t put it off any longer!”

“Training is done at your own pace” Diving was among experiences Victoria Westbury wanted to tick off her bucket list before she turned 40. The 36-year-old mother of two found out about her local club Bradford SAC at the Yorkshire Water Fun Day. As her eldest daughter Jessica, 12, was of age, she signed them both up for training.

SJessica and Victoria Westbury

“It’s been fantastic,” says Victoria. “We started together and have done all our training together. We have spurred each other on and given each other moral support.”

Despite facing some initial challenges on her open water dives at Capernwray, Victoria says she’s really proud of her achievements.

“From the very first day our instructor, Kevin, has been fantastic,” she says. “The first time I went underwater it felt so unnatural. I also felt a bit unsure on my second dive when I looked up and saw how deep I was – even though it was only a few metres. Kevin calmed me straight away. All the training is done at your own pace.

There’s no rush.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really rewarding. You feel like you are achieving something. Diving is such a skill to learn.

I’m really chuffed.”

Her daughter Jessica has completed a few more dives than her mum.

“If she carries on, by the time she’s 18 she’ll be amazing,” says Victoria. “There are other young ones at the club, so Jessica has made new friends. My husband is not interested, but my youngest daughter [aged 10] comes along to the club night every Monday for snorkelling and wants to dive when she’s 12.”

Victoria says learning with her daughter has made her a little cautious at times, but believes it has also motivated her own training.

OCEAN DIVER

RBen Locke with University of Nottingham Sub Aqua Club's 2015/2016 President Andrew Watson

“Jessica is young and had a bit of a wobble when we had a really early start at Capernwray on the first day as she was so tired,” she explains. “Our instructor, Kevin, calmed her down straight away and took her to the two-metre training platform; she was fine after that. She has done so well.

The club is so fantastic. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful – what a lovely community.

“When I was 18, I went for a try dive in Tenerife and I felt it was rushed. I’m so glad I’m with a dive club. The way I’ve been taught is so thorough. I personally feel for safety and knowledge you are better going through a club.”

“You can’t beat the feeling of a wreck coming into view” BSAC has a long held tradition of producing some of its most active divers through the university system. Ben Locke, 20, is studying history and archaeology at Nottingham University SAC. “I first learned about BSAC through my father,” Ben explains. “When my older sister went to university and learned to dive, that’s when I really knew I wanted to do the same.

I signed up as soon as possible during Fresher’s Week in September. I completed the Ocean Diver theory lesson and exam by November. We started training dives in Capernwray in April. Then we went to Vobster Quay in Somerset, where I finished the course and started open water dives for Sports Diver level.”

Student funds are limited, but costs are kept down by university subsidies given to the club, which owns boats and training equipment.

“I thoroughly enjoyed all my training,” says Ben. “Diving does cost, but at the same time we do have a lot of kit available to students. I’ve done a mix of warm water and colder water diving in the last year. I’ve dived in the Philippines. I’m just back from a summer trip to Oban, where I did 12 dives.

I had experience diving from a RIB [rigid inflatable boat], drift diving and dived the wreck of SS Breda. You get a real sense of adventure diving with a club.”

Ben says club diving in the UK makes him feel more of a complete diver.

“You get a fuller experience as you are more involved in the process including planning, working the boat, filling your

cylinder,” he explains. “It adds an extra sense of excitement. You feel like a diver.”

Wreck diving is emerging as a particular passion for Ben – something that also ties in with his degree.

“My degree offers students possibility of underwater archaeology. After diving SS Breda, I can already tell I’ve only scratched the surface on what there is to see. You can’t beat the feeling of a wreck coming into view.”

Like many before him, Ben sees his bond with the club continuing long after graduation.

“There are older members, who may have been at the university as long as ten years ago and they come back as instructors,” he adds. “People do tend to stick around. I’ve even heard about members who met at the club and got married and gone on to have children. I definitely want to be an instructor. A wonderful aspect of BSAC is you get a chance to give back and I think that’s why people stay on. We get to train a new generation. I love the idea of teaching.

I’m going to join the first IFC [Instructor Foundation Course] I can get on.”

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UKDIVING

Beneath British seas What makes so many people go diving in the UK? From shipwrecks to sharks and great walls of coral, there is much to be discovered. Text and photography

by Simon Rogerson

T

he world of marketing tends to present us with an image of scuba diving as an exclusively tropical activity, with divers in skimpy swimsuits swimming over coral gardens. The truth is, as ever, more complicated.

People dive year-round in British waters, and there are amazing things to see: plenty of fish; historic shipwrecks and colourful reefs festooned with soft corals and anemones.

There are obviously differences between diving in Britain and in tropical water. Temperate seas such as ours have water that is more oxygenated and supports more life, including plankton, which affects the clarity of the water.

So, visibility and light levels are generally lower than in tropical destinations – although not in every case. Also, the richness of our seas is fed by strong tidal currents, which become much less powerful as you approach the equator.

Tide-planning plays a key role in British diving, and understanding the nature of tidal seas is all part of becoming a BSAC diver.

So you need the right equipment, and you need the right training. But are there enough things to see underwater to keep you eagerly filling out your diver’s logbook? I hope to convince you with these next few pages, in which I offer a whistle-stop tour of some of the UK’s beginner-friendly dive sites. This list is by no means comprehensive, but intended to give a glimpse of underwater Britain. And I think you will agree – UK diving is more than worth it.

Swanage, Dorset The charming seaside town of Swanage has been at the centre of English diving culture since the very earliest days, when the hardy pioneers of BSAC would explore the shallows around the pier with little more than a rugby top by way of insulation. Times have changed (as, thankfully, has the kit), but divers still flock to Swanage for one of the country’s best shore dives, and more. Swanage Pier offers easy diving in a current-free environment easily accessible from the shore. The wooden struts of the pier provide an ideal environment for fish, crabs, cuttlefish, nudibranchs (colourful sea slugs) and other marine fauna. On the pier, there is a long established dive shop, Divers Down, which has shuttle boats on hand to take you to wrecks such as the Fleur de Lys, the remains of a fishing trawler that sit at 13 metres.

Plymouth, Devon More divers visit Plymouth than any other coastal town in Britain; its popularity is the result of great facilities and a great choice of club-friendly dive sites.

The two most famous sites are both wrecks: The James Eagan Layne and the Scylla. The James sits a bit below the Ocean Diver depth limit at 24m, but HMS Scylla has a depth range of 12m to 24m. The Scylla is more intact because it is a modern wreck, sunk on purpose in 2003 in order to help studies on marine life and to create a new place to dive. It has proven a massive success, and is today the most popular wreck dive anywhere in the UK, bristling with fish life, coral and crustaceans. Elsewhere, Plymouth has a classic shore dive at Fort Bovisand and many offshore reefs, including the famous Eddystone reef, with its imposing lighthouse.

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Lundy Island, North Devon England’s first Marine Conservation Zone, Lundy is a walking advert for the benefits of protecting key marine areas, where fishing is restricted or banned outright. The island lies about 12 miles off the coast of north Devon, and is a haven for wildlife both underwater, on land and in the air. Lundy’s extraordinary diversity of marine life is generated by its mixture of habitats, from inshore reefs to pinnacles, kelp, shipwrecks and seaweed forests. Beginner divers can choose their depth and dive safely within their limits. Lundy is also known for its population of grey seals, which sometimes choose to play with divers.

Anglesey, Wales Anglesey has some of the most dramatic coastlines in Wales, and it is possible to dive from the shore at several locations. Rugged granite topography and secluded bays backed by the mountains of Snowdonia make for stunning views. The panorama also extends underwater to produce exciting reefs, pinnacles and drop offs. Anglesey has become a very popular wreck diving location, the whole area has yielded many fascinating sites and most of them are in depths up to 20 metres and just a short boat ride away from launch sites such as Trearddur Bay and Holyhead. Trearddur Bay is noted for the diversity of its marine life, and is a traditional ‘baptism’ spot for new UK divers.

West Cornwall and the Scilly Isles The further west you go in south west England, the clearer the water seems to become as dive sites become exposed to the oceanic water of the Atlantic. Cornwall has plenty of iconic dives, from the Lizard peninsula to the exposed rocks off the end of Penzance. During the summer months you can see harmless basking sharks, the second biggest fish in the sea, as they arrive to filter feed on blooming zooplankton off the south coast. Further west beyond Land’s End, you arrive at the picturesque Isles of Scilly, where the granite rock faces are carpeted with colonies of jewel anemones, and the water is crisp and clear.

This is a sub-tropical paradise, a place that is recognisably English, yet utterly apart.

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UKDIVING Oban and Mull, west Scotland Set against some of Scotland’s most beautiful coastal scenery, the area around Oban and the Isle of Mull is a regular on many a club’s itinerary. Just outside the town of Oban there is the wreck of the Breda, the shallower portions of which can be visited by Ocean Divers. Sitting upright, it is possibly Scotland’s most popular wreck dive, and there is plenty to see at deck level. Otherwise, the area leading up the Sound of Mull is thick with beautiful reefs and some of Scotland’s best wrecks, though many of these are just beyond the 20m maximum limit. It’s a good incentive to go for Sports Diver, the next qualification.

Elsewhere, there is the Rondo, which sits on a sloping reef with its rudder and stern at 6-9m and the bow down below in the darkness, at 52m.

Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands Scapa Flow is a natural harbour between the isles of Orkney, which has long been strategically important to the defence of Britain. At the conclusion of the First World War the German High Seas Fleet was interred there while the Armistice talks were ongoing, but on 21 June 1919 Rear Admiral Ludwig Von Reuter made the decision to scuttle the ships rather than let them fall into British hands. Several were salvaged, but what remains is a unique underwater museum of naval warfare in the early 20th Century. It is arguably the most significant wreck site in the UK, and although the depth range is mostly beyond Ocean Diver level, no list of British diving would be complete without mention of Scapa. With some of the best wrecks in the 20-35m range, it’s another good motivator for your progression to Sports Diver.

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UKDIVING

St Abbs, east Scotland This quiet seaside village is known for its beginner-friendly shore dives, of which Cathedral Rock is the most famous. This is a dive with some exquisite topography, chiefly a natural double arch covered in soft corals and anemones. Other classic shore diving spots nearby include an imposing rock called the Broad Craig, and Big Green Carr, a bit further out. There are also plenty of sites suitable for boat diving. Although it’s geographically not so far away from the Farnes (see below), the nature of the reefs is completely different. There are only a few seals, but the concentration of marine life is extraordinary, with many species of fish, crustaceans and invertebrates to be found by the attentive diver.

The Farne Islands, Northumberland Don’t believe anyone who tells you the North Sea doesn’t have good diving. For my money, the Farne Islands offers some of the best all-round diving in the UK. Located a few miles offshore within the proximity deep water, these exposed islands are a haven for wildlife and feature some wildly colourful reefs. There are also wrecks here, though the exposed nature of these islands breaks them up quite quickly, so you are in effect diving on debris fields covered in anemones and corals. The Farnes are also known for a colony of around 6,000 grey seals, making it possibly the best place to dive with these playful pinnipeds.

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CLUB DIVING

Hooked!

Hayley Whiteman tells the story of how she discovered the joys of BSAC club diving when she signed up with Leicester Underwater Exploration Club RAbove left: Hayley and the club Chairman Kev Briggs relaxing after a dive WAbove right: A lumpsucker fish WTop right: A ballan wrasse

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M

y dive kit is washed and drying in the garden, the bathroom looks like a bomb’s hit it and there’s a crab claw on the side of the bath. I am completely shattered. I ache everywhere. I’m also a bit concerned because when I stand up I get this weird rocking sensation as though I’m on a boat.

It could be Suzanne Lavelle’s fault, as Leicester Underwater Exploration Club (LUEC) Secretary she’s the first one I actually spoke to. If she’d been a bit less friendly, I might never have tried it.

My training started in the pool, with Snorkel Instructors John Richardson and Bruce Moore, I was given goggles and flippers on the way in but they were mask and fins by the time I got out.

This may have been my point of no return.

Next came the theory training. Training Officer Richard Sunter was first – firm but friendly. He was followed by Steve Morgan (Theory Instructor and rebreather man) with his fizzy drink bottle – used to explain Boyle’s Law as I recall. Adam Waters was next (Theory Instructor) who resorted to buying cakes for his trainees – it was a cheap trick but it worked. Then Alison Allan (LUEC’s Diving Officer) with her 120 per cent enthusiasm – all of them, every single one, could have said “it’s not too late to back out” but they never did.

Then the moment arrived…scuba training. I met Jeff Corbett, my instructor, for the first time. It was tough: masses of kit to lug about, gallons of Aylestone pool water to swallow. Jeff made it fun. He was patient (he needed to be), polite when I got it wrong, full of praise when I got it right. And finally he got me to my first milestone – the inland dive site Stoney Cove.

The day came for my first open-water dive.

Conditions were overcast, there was a chill in the air still and it was breezy. Jeff took me to the water’s edge to show me what I was going in to and I very nearly chickened out. I kitted up slowly, I confess to putting my semi-drysuit on inside out twice before I realised the writing should be on the outside, but I blame this on Jackie for not turning it the right way out when she lent it to me. When I was ready, I took the plunge AND IT WAS FREEZING. After my brain cleared, my thoughts went back to Kev’s sales patter right at the start of my journey and his reasons for not doing a diving course in blue, warm, holiday waters…could I EVER forgive him?

But I carried on, week after week, and clocked up 10 or so sheltered water dives. I became acquainted with 5am on Sunday mornings, ate cheesy chips and learned the etiquette of changing in a car park. I scared myself stupid sometimes, but I loved it and finally got to go on the first promised trip to the sea. The time for the club’s St Abbs weekend had arrived.

On day one, I was fine first thing, then as everyone congregated and started talking about the dives to come the nerves kicked in. As they got noisier, I got quieter. Eventually, kit ready I made my way to our boat, Wave Dancer and her trusty skipper Billy Aitchison.

The peanut boat and Pettico Wick Dive one was a bit of a blur. I saw anemones, crabs, dead men’s fingers, lobsters and more. In view of my limited experience, I came out feeling more pleased that I’d achieved my first sea dive than overwhelmed by what I’d seen but also very keen to get back in again.

Cathedral Rock This was a shore dive so, after getting in over the rocks with the style and grace you’d expect from a novice and a man well into his 40s, we surface swam towards

the rock and then descended into the first of a series of fantastic kelp lined gullies. As we got nearer, ballan wrasse started to appear as predicted and slowly the arch came into view. It was seriously impressive, completely lined with all manner of anemones and dead men’s fingers. We swam through it, and then up and back through the keyhole to glide down into the kelp with the fish. As we returned through more gullies one of them opened into a large expanse of sandy floor which felt a bit like being on a seaweedlined squash court. We swam vertically out of the opening and continued back.

RAbove: Underway and out to sea

SBelow: Surfacing with the buoys SBottom: Richard and Hayley run through their buddy check

CLUB DIVING

VTop left: A starfish scavenges an octopus RAbove: A wolf fish posing for the camera WAbove right and Far right: Undersea discoveries – hydroids and brittlestars

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The Skellies Day two started early with the essential pot of coffee.

Dive number three coming up, but I’m feeling worn out due the adrenaline, the fresh air, and carrying all my kit and I come close to sitting it out. I’m so glad I didn’t. Referred to as Anemone City, the description of the dive couldn’t have been closer to the truth – it was like something out of a Disney animation. I saw a vast expanse of sponges that looked like cotton puffs in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, all interspersed with dead men’s fingers and starfish. To top it all off, after spending some time trying to coax a lobster from its hiding place, we turned around and found ourselves surrounded by a massive shoal of pollock. It was magical.

I don’t know where

Find your local BSAC club at bsac.com/findaclub or call us on 0151 350 6203.

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For my fourth dive, we were on Topliner with skipper Paul Crowe and I had to do my first backward roll entry which was fun but definitely not graceful. This dive was the only one where the sun shone throughout and it completely changed the scene under the water. I was with Richard and the terrain was rocky and open so we set about looking for marine life. Our key spot was not one but two wolf fish peering out of their holes. We got very close to the first, enough for it to try and bite me before it came completely out of its lair so we got to see its full length before it scuttled back in again. A short while later I experienced my first, albeit only slight, drift dive and it was amazing. We drifted towards what looked like a meadow of swaying grass but which was in fact thousands of brittle

stars mixed with black starfish and we surfaced from a spot in the middle of them.

Sadly, surfacing meant we had reached the end of the weekend. All that was left to do was pack up the gear, grab a cuppa and a piece of cake and head back down the A1 in the rain.

As I said at the beginning, I’m just sitting here trying to work out who is to blame for the bruises, expense, tiredness and the fact that I can no longer use my garage for my car because of all my diving kit. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the fault of everyone in the club for being so welcoming and supportive and I’d like to say thanks because I’ve just come back from a brilliant weekend and I’m hooked on scuba.z

UBelow: Think Hayley’s happy?

DIVE KIT EXPLAINED

Dive kit a guide for first time users

At first glance, diving kit may seem complicated with its array of hoses, metal and rubber. But it all fits together in a way that will set you free underwater. Here is a basic guide to all the different items, with advice on function, choice and when to buy Mask and snorkel What do they do? A mask allows you to see underwater by creating an air space in front of your eyes. The mask consists of a screen of tempered glass in front of the eyes and a silicone ‘skirt’ that forms a seal with the contours of your face, plus an adjustable strap that goes around the back of your head. Unlike swimming goggles, the mask covers the nose as well, allowing you to equalise the airspace inside the mask – and your ears – as you descend. If you are long or shortsighted, you can buy prescription lenses to either clip into the frame or affix to the glass. The snorkel is a simple tube and mouthpiece that allows you to continue breathing at the surface without having to lift your face clear from the water.

How do I choose one? It’s quite a personal item of kit, because we all have different shaped faces. The trick is to try them on in the shop: put the mask on without the strap and breathe in slightly. If you’ve got a good fit, the mask should stay on. Simple snorkels are usually the best.

Benchmark price: mask £35 to £50, snorkel £15

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DIVE KIT EXPLAINED

Fins What do they do? Without fins, you’re going nowhere fast! Fairly obviously, they enable divers to propel themselves underwater, but they also allow a high degree of manoeuvrability. Skilled divers never use their arms to change position or move faster – it all comes from the legs. There are a myriad different designs, but they all consist of a space for your foot, and a ‘blade’ or ‘paddle’, which generates the thrust. Never refer to them as ‘flippers’, unless you want to make the experienced divers in your club go apoplectic.

How do I choose them? It’s really important to have comfortable fins, so this is usually one of the first things a diver buys, along with a good mask and snorkel. UK divers buy ‘open heel’ fins that secure to your ankle with a strap, rather than ‘full foot’ fins, which are more associated with warm water diving (and which are less practical for shore diving, in any case). If you’re diving in a wet or semi-dry suit, you’ll need to buy neoprene boots for use with strap fins. There are many different concepts and designs, but the best way to start is with a standard paddle-style fin of medium length and stiffness.

Benchmark price: £50-£80

Regulator What does it do? The classic regulator set comprises four elements: The first and second stages, the submersible pressure gauge (SPG) and the alternate air source or ‘octopus’. The first stage is connected to your cylinder and reduces the high pressure gas to an intermediate pressure, which is then delivered to the second stage ‘or demand valve’ via a medium pressure hose.

Simply put – you put it in your mouth, breathe through your mouth and it delivers the right amount of gas at the right pressure. This is the ‘aqua-lung’, as invented by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. It provided the foundation of our sport, and with quite a lot of refinements, it’s still serving us better then ever. The alternate source is a back-up demand valve, and the gauges will tell you how much gas you have in the cylinder, and your current depth.

How do I choose one? A good regulator set is an object of desire, and new divers long to buy their first one.

That said, it is a relatively expensive item and most clubs maintain

their own training sets, so the normal thing is to wait until you have logged a few dives before buying your first one. Your choice will be informed by the type of diving you will be doing and your budget. Ask your instructor or a senior member of your club for advice on this one. And always remember that a regulator is life support equipment that must be stored securely and maintained with annual servicing.

Benchmark price: £350

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DIVE KIT EXPLAINED

Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) What does it do? In essence, a BCD is a highly adaptable life jacket that allows you to inflate or deflate the interior bladder in order to achieve neutral, positive, or negative buoyancy. They come in many different versions, but every model has a means of attaching your cylinder, and a direct feed to your regulator for injecting gas. Some models have integrated pockets for incorporating lead weights.

How do I choose one? Most clubs have a selection of BCDs available to trainees, so you don’t need to buy immediately. This will give you time to weigh up your needs – do you need the integrated weights, or would your style of diving benefit from a wing-type system, where the buoyancy bladders are situated on your back? These are all questions your senior colleagues at the club will be able to advise on – but to march into a shop and buy one without thinking would be a mistake.

Benchmark price: £300

Dive computer

Hood and gloves

What does it do? While every qualified diver should have a working knowledge of decompression theory and diving tables, a dive computer will do all of the key calculations for you.

Depth, time elapsed, decompression obligations, water temperature and other essential data is displayed on a handy wrist-mounted screen. Dive computers have gone from being specialist gadgets to an indispensable component of your kit, effectively replacing the traditional diver’s watch.

How do I choose one? Every committed diver has a computer these days, and not many clubs have loaners, so this is something to consider for your first dive trip outside your Ocean Diver course. We recommend starting with a model that has a nitrox capability and will display your decompression obligation.

Benchmark price: £160-180

What do they do? Only the extremely hardy can dive in the UK without covering their head and hands in nice warm neoprene, so you should regard these as essential accessories.

How do I choose them? You’re looking for a balance of a reasonably close fit with ease of donning, so try a selection on before you buy. We recommend buying a hood with small vents so that exhaled air can escape rather than getting caught in the hood and giving you an embarrassing ‘Noddy’ look.

Benchmark price: £25-£30 each

Torch / diving light What does it do? While torches aren’t exactly life-support equipment, a good light is an essential item of kit for anyone diving in British seas. It enhances your pleasure in picking out creatures on a shadowy reef, or peering inside a dark wreck. It can also serve as a useful device for getting a fellow diver’s attention underwater, or attracting a boat in failing light at the surface.

How do I choose one? By all means look for bargains, but make sure you get a proper depth-rated diver’s torch. You could spend more than £1,000 on a high-powered model with a cylinder-mounted battery pack, or £40 for a simple back-up light.

This one is very much down to personal choice.

Benchmark prices: £60-£100 28

DIVE KIT EXPLAINED

Wetsuit / semi-dry What does it do? Even when water is relatively warm, it will sap the heat from your body much faster than air. As its name suggests, a wetsuit works by trapping a very thin layer of water around your body. They are made of flexible neoprene rubber, which offers a degree of thermal protection, but this is compromised by the amount of water that flushes through the system (a fairly snug fit is important). A semi-dry suit reduces this flushing further by reducing the amount of water coming in at the wrist, ankle and neck openings.

Wetsuits come in a variety of thicknesses: Very broadly, a thickness of 1-3mm is for tropical water with a temperature range of 26-30°C, while 5mm wetsuits are for 23-26°C and a 7mm semi-dry suit should cover the 17-22°C range comfortably.

How do I choose one? Semi-dry suits are usually provided for trainees in UK water, but on qualification you will likely want to buy your own suit, as it is quite a personal item. The dilemma you will face is whether to invest in a semi-dry or splash out on a full drysuit (see next item) Benchmark price: £150-300

Drysuit What does it do? If you’ve decided you want to do a lot of UK diving, a drysuit will be the best friend you ever had. Again, the name tells the story – these suits keep you warm(ish) by offering thermal protection and also keeping you dry. The neck and wrist seals are tight enough to (hopefully) eliminate all water ingress, as is the main zip, mounted either on the shoulders or across the front. The suit keeps you dry, but you also need a thermal undersuit to keep your body warm. The downside to all this thermal protection is that it is fairly buoyant, so you need more lead on your weightbelt (see next page). Drysuits are primarily for diving in water with a temperature range of 0-22°C. How do I choose one? Admittedly, the choice can seem be a tad bewildering. The principle choice is between the different types of suit material – which is best is the subject of long discussions, but the basic choice is between neoprene, crushed neoprene or some sort of trilaminate. Each has its merits, so again we think this is something you should discuss with your Training Officer or another senior instructor.

Benchmark price: drysuit £500-£950 undersuit £80-£200

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DIVE KIT EXPLAINED

Weightbelt What does it do? All your lovely layers of neoprene and insulation come at a price – they add inconvenient buoyancy. In order to descend, you need to add weight in the form of lead worn around the waist in a weightbelt. Depending on the type of suit you wear and the cylinder(s) you use, you will need to wear 8-15k of lead.

How do I choose one? The standard weightbelt is a very simple length of webbing into which lead weights can be incorporated, but once you’ve been diving for a while you’ll want to get your own. Options vary from pocket models that incorporate blocks of lead, to belts that contain lead shot. Take your time with this one and check out your fellow divers’ weighting solutions before making your decision Benchmark prices: £35 for the belt; £40 for the lead.

Kit bag What does it do? While amassing all your kit, you will at some point need a proper bag to keep it in one place. And the humble dive bag will become an essential item if you plan to dive abroad. Kit bags used to be great wheeled behemoths, but with strict rules on airplane hold luggage allowances these days, the trick is to have a tough, lightweight bag that can accommodate all your treasured kit. Sometimes, if you’re buying a lot of kit, a dive shop may be persuaded to throw in a simple bag as a sweetener.

How do I choose one? Look at your own needs – if you’re diving exclusively in the UK you won’t need a huge bag, but if you have to cram it with all the essentials for a week in Egypt, you need something capacious. Broadly, you’ll need something with a capacity of around 100 litres, and which is large enough to accommodate your fins.

Benchmark price: £60-70

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Delayed Surface Marker Buoy and reel What does it do? An essential item of safety kit, this is an inflatable buoy that can be deployed from depth by introducing gas from your alternate source regulator until it becomes positively buoyant and rises to the surface, gaining momentum as the gas expands.

DSMBs are self-sealing, so they remain inflated at the surface and mark your position to your support vessel and other shipping. The buoy is attached to a line on a reel activated by the diver, who then reels it in as he or she ascends.

How do I choose one? You should be ready and able to deploy a dSMB when you first start diving in the sea.

Your Instructor should advise on suitable models according to your needs; there are some very expensive options, but it’s best to start with a basic reel and buoy.

Benchmark price: £40 for the buoy; £50 for the reel

Cylinder What does it do? Your cylinder contains your breathing gas, compressed to a pressure of 230 bar, so that it is noticeably heavier when filled. Cylinders can be made of aluminium or steel, and are available in a range or sizes according to purpose. Cylinders are subject to mandatory safety inspections and must have a valid, in-date testing stamp in order to be filled.

How do I choose one? Most BSAC divers will train with a 10 or 12-litre cylinder and your club will retain and maintain its own set of cylinders for members’ use. At some point your diving needs may become such that you feel the need to buy your own cylinders, but this would normally be some time after qualifying as an Ocean Diver.

Benchmark price: £190-£200 for a 12-litre cylinder

QUESTIONTIME

Askthe experts Our panel of highly experienced divers answer some of the questions asked by those thinking of taking the plunge

Do I need all the dive kit from the very start? How expensive is it to get all the kit I need? Should I buy second hand gear?

Most BSAC clubs offer ‘try dives’ in a pool or sheltered water and will provide all the equipment.

All you need to bring is your bathing suit and perhaps a t-shirt to wear over it. Once you start your training, it’s a good idea to purchase your own basic gear – a mask, fins and snorkel. When you progress to open water and especially in the UK you will require a wetsuit or drysuit. These can be hired from clubs and dive shops, but you may want to purchase your own to ensure a good fit and familiarisation. It is often only when you are qualified that divers obtain their own full set of gear, although some prefer to hire it, especially when travelling overseas.

As with most specialist gear, there can be a huge range in prices, but budget on £100 upwards for a pair of fins, mask and snorkel. Wetsuits for UK diving start from around £150 and drysuits from £500, going up to over £1,000 for a top-end drysuit. To fully equip a diver, expect to pay around £1,500 although if your kit is well-maintained this will be a long-term investment. Buying used gear is an option, but do remember your life may depend on it. Always make sure you know the history of the equipment you are purchasing and budget for servicing which is essential whether buying brand new or second hand regulators and buoyancy compensators (BCDs).

Charles Hood, First Class Diver

How does a drysuit actually keep you dry?

The materials used to make a drysuit vary from neoprene to laminated layers, each designed to add comfort and flexibility.

However, all materials have one thing in common, they are designed to be waterproof. This could be as simple as a rubber layer or a coating of polyurethane.

The majority of the suit is therefore a waterproof membrane. Unfortunately for suit designers, divers must have their faces and hands outside of the protective layers of the suit and so a solution is needed to make sure the suit does not fill up with water. Therefore, the wrists and neck are accommodated by seals made of a flexible material such as latex or thin neoprene to snugly fit over bumps and curves to prevent water ingress.

The diver also prefers to be able to get in and out of the suit with ease and so a heavy duty waterproof zip is fitted across the back or from the shoulder to the opposite hip. In theory these features make for a dry diver, but water can find its way in through small holes in the fabric, if seals do not sit properly against the skin or if the zip is compromised such as by a damaged or missing tooth.

Paul Beal, National Instructor

I hear it can be cold diving in Britain – how do I keep warm?

The key to staying warm while diving is not to let your core temperature drop. Getting your diving suit to fit properly is really key to this – using a worn out, baggy wetsuit with holes in it will allow cold water to flush through instead of staying where it is and warming up. If using a drysuit, a decent base layer with a good insulating layer will keep you toasty down to chillier temperatures. It has to fit properly, of course, and keep you dry – for some drysuits, especially bargain ones off the Internet, ‘dry suit’ is an aspiration rather than a description! Between dives, a suit that is still damp on the outside will evaporate water and get even colder.

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Getting out of the weather really helps, as does a warm hat and gloves.

Chucking an old oversized ski jacket over your suit to keep the chill out works well for me, as does warming up with a half time flask of something warm.

It’s also taken me 25 years to work out that getting into your undersuit in the accommodation before driving to the cold dive site keeps the heat in before you even start diving so you stay warmer for longer.

Finally remember that we are doing this for fun. If you’re too cold, then there’s nothing wrong with coming back another time when you’re warm and happy.

Alex ‘Woz’ Warzynski, BSAC Chair

QUESTIONTIME How long will it take me to train and when do I actually get to go into the sea?

The answer to this question is that it depends…

To be an Ocean Diver you need to complete seven classroom lessons, five sheltered water (pool) lessons and five open water lessons (plus some other bits, like theory and swimming tests).

Your training might be organised in different ways, for example doing all the theory sessions in one weekend, or doing one a week for seven weeks. Obviously, doing it in one sitting means you can be qualified quicker!

So, you could be finished very quickly, or it might take you a little while. Your club will want to make sure that you are safe and happy underwater, which means they’ll be looking after you through your training, so that you can be a safe diver while doing lots of exciting diving.

In terms of getting into the sea, you need to be confident and competent in sheltered water first.

Many clubs start their open water training in quarries, which provide predictable conditions and are often well set up for new divers. Having said that, Ocean Diver training in the sea is definitely possible (we did some recently, from our club boat).

The best thing to do is have a chat to someone in your club (the Diving Officer or Training Officer are good bets) to see what they are planning.

Gordon Procter, First Class Diver

How safe is scuba diving, really?

Scuba diving has a really good safety record and this is mainly due to the training we do before participating in our adventurous sport.

All diving agencies provide training by qualified instructors in sheltered water (pool or safe shallow site) before moving their students to deeper and more exposed dive sites. All key skills are practised several times until the student becomes confident and competent with the skill. The skills are then moved to water a little deeper and practised more to ensure the students have progressive training.

We also have equipment that is fit for purpose that should be serviced in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations, this provides another safety factor.

Before any dive we carry out a Risk Assessment – you will come to know this as a SEEDS briefing. The ‘S’ stands for Safety and this means for you, your buddy and the rest of the diving party. Overall there will be another risk assessment by the Dive Manager for the day, ensuring that the weather conditions and site are safe for the diving party.

So, scuba diving has a good safety record that is justified by good training, sound equipment and safe practices. One thing we should all do is practice the skills regularly, especially rescue skills, to ensure we are capable of being effective if called to help ourselves or our buddy.

Dave Lock, National Instructor 33

QUESTIONTIME I believe UK visibility can be low, how do I find my way around?

UK visibility can be low, but it can also be fantastic and you’re unlikely to get lost. You might not know exactly where you are, but as long as you keep with your buddy you can still have a fantastic dive.

So most importantly whatever the visibility stay close to your buddy and keep in communication with them. That means that you’ll be able to show each other all the exciting things that you see on your dive and you’ll be able to chat about them over a cup of tea on the boat and make all the other divers jealous.

If you do want to stay on a particular site and see particular things, then make sure you listen to the dive manager’s brief and follow their instructions. If they say keep the wall to your left, or drift with the current, then do that. Or if you’re on a wreck look at things as

you swim and try to remember landmarks on the seabed.

Ultimately, most of the time you can’t get lost in a way that matters; once you need to come up, send up a delayed surface marker buoy (dSMB) and ascend slowly to the surface. Once you’re there signal to the boat,

or work out which way you need to swim towards shore. If you’ve surfaced any distance away from where you should have done you might have to put up with some stick from other divers, but that’s all part of the fun!

Louise Whitehouse, National Instructor

Is there anything worth seeing in UK waters?

You’ll be pleased to hear that my answer is an emphatic yes. If you go to any BSAC club, you’re bound to find a member who will tell you that in their opinion, British diving is the best in the world. To be honest, it’s a very subjective call… but there’s something about the sheer variety of experiences to be had in British water that makes its advocates especially proud of their home waters.

In the first instance there are shipwrecks; not ancient galleons (wood rots away in salt water, so ancient shipwrecks are hard to find) but there are plenty of metal-hulled vessels from the two World Wars. Some of the wrecks are still surprisingly intact, but many more have become debris trails, where the innards of the ship have been laid bare by time and tide.

The one thing we’re lacking is shipwrecks from the modern era, because GPS technology and the rescue services are so good at preventing

shipwrecks that they are a rare occurrence these days.

What about marine life? You may be surprised to learn that our coast has reefs dominated by corals, anemones and sponges.

We have cold water corals, not the reef-forming stony coral of the tropics but individual ‘trees’ of soft coral that appear in shades from a stark white to the deepest red. You will find fish on every reef, from the rock-dwelling tompot blenny to sleek pollock and seabass that hunt in open water. We even have sharks, from the immense basking shark to the super-cute smallspotted catshark – they are all quite harmless.

Finally, we have the friendliest animal in the sea, the grey seal, at sites all over the UK. Believe me, there is an incredible world to discover.

Simon Rogerson, Editor, SCUBA magazine

Do you have a question about scuba? Contact the BSAC Team on 0151 350 6201 or email info@bsac.com

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Water World: Completing your Ocean Diver course opens a world of undersea exploration and adventure. SCUBA Editor Simon Rogerson picks the destinations best suited to newly qualified divers

M

uch as BSAC divers love visiting sites around their home waters, everyone likes going on holiday and some destinations have become established as firm favourites among clubs and individual divers. With your newly acquired skills you are licensed to dive not just in British waters, but all over the world. Your qualification is recognised in European law and accepted globally as proof of diving to a standard similar to that of PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water. So – the world is your oyster… but where do you start? You want a destination that is economically realistic, and which has good diving within your depth restrictions. You want a place where you can enjoy yourself and build up experience in nice warm, clear water.

Ah yes… the luxury of warm water. If you’ve trained in the UK, you will be more then adequately prepared for building up a bit of experience in the tropics. With a thinner wetsuit and less weight to wear, you’ll be able to concentrate on fine-tuning your buoyancy and filling up that logbook with wonderful dives.

Being in a BSAC club is a great way to go on holiday; most clubs plan holidays and group bookings yield discounted rates from dive centres and tour operators, though sadly not from airlines. It’s a great way to get to know your fellow members, and you will be with a group that is aware of your experience level and will be sympathetic to your needs. Always

remember – all the divers helping you were in the same position once and were encouraged along by their friends and instructors; they are helping you as they themselves were helped.

If a big club trip isn’t available – or it’s already booked-up – another solution is to organise something with a smaller group or even just you and your dive buddy. After all, you are now Ocean Divers, qualified to dive independently all over the world.

Don’t worry about being expected to do dives beyond your experience – just speak to the managers of your chosen dive centre.

Here’s what you should expect from your host centre: they should check your qualification record and your logbook, and they should take you for a checkout or ‘shake-down’ dive to assess your abilities and work out how much lead you need If you need to hire kit, you should have an unrushed session trying on the various items to ensure they all fit and will be comfortable in the water. If someone tries to squeeze this in five minutes before the boat leaves, something is wrong with the system – you need a good 15-20 minutes to be sure you are comfortable with your kit.

Here, then, is a selection of destinations ideal for someone embarking on their first diving holiday. Have a look and see what appeals to you. Above all, remember to dive within your limits and build up your experience gradually.

RAbove: Green turtle encounters are a regular thing for visitors to South East Asia

OVERMATTER

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TRAVELSPECIAL otherwise very rare – the angel shark. Each of the islands has its own attraction – El Hierro has amazing rocky formations and ultra-clear water; Gran Canaria has marine parks and wrecked container ships; Lanzarote now has its own underwater sculpture park and Tenerife has a bit of everything. What they all have in common is easy-access diving, with many dives taking place from the shoreline rather then going out on boats.

The price: It fluctuates throughout the year, with the lowest prices during school term time. The Canaries are generally not offered by specialist diving tour operators, so it’s often best to book direct with the dive centres and ask them to help you get a good deal on accommodation. The cheapest flights are usually with charter companies such as Monarch.

Egyptian Red Sea

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RAbove: A whitespotted octopus in the Canaries SBelow: Diving next to a school of grunts in Gran Canaria

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The Canary Islands Destination lowdown: Being a mainstream tourist destination means that flights to the Canary Islands are affordable, though prices fluctuate by season.

There are many islands, but the key ones for divers are Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and the smaller island of El Hierro. This is a subtropical environment, so you get water that is noticeably warmer then the UK and a mixture of fish species from both climates.

The Diving: Expect a temperature range of 1824°C, blue water and visibility of 15-25m. The Canaries offers a mixture of wrecks, sand flats and rocky reefs bristling with life. There is coral, but it is the branching variety rather then the spectacular reef building corals of the tropics. In the cooler months of winter, you are likely to see a predator that is

Destination lowdown: Simply the best value coral reef diving a UK-based diver is ever going to find.

Egypt has an infrastructure set up to deal with large numbers of divers, and its Red Sea coast has something to please every diver. The principal areas are Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula; Hurghada in the middle and Marsa Alam in the recently expanded south. Egypt’s dominance over the European dive market has waned recently amid downed aircraft and continuing fears over airport security, but we are including it on our list because flights are still going out to Hurghada and Marsa Alam.

The Diving: The Egyptian Red Sea represents the cooler side of coral reef diving, with water temperatures as low as 23°C in the winter, rising to 29°C at the height of summer. No rivers run into the Red Sea, so there is very little run-off and the visibility is reliably excellent – anything less then 20m is a g

disappointment and it can be as much as 40m. Red Sea diving is typified by colourful reefs of stony coral, and billowing schools of orange anthias basslets.

Many of the wrecks are below Ocean Diver depth limits, but there’s so much to see on the reef that you won’t worry too much about the other attractions.

There’s a lot to see and some visitors use a liveaboard dive vessel to cover the ground and experience a lot of different sites. This can work for newly qualified Ocean Divers, but we recommend caution on your first trip: go land based, and see how you get on.

The Price: Expect to pay between £600 and £700 for a week at a decent hotel (b&b) with flights and a diving package. For liveaboards, the price range will be more like £750 to £1,200 depending on the itinerary and demand.

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RAbove: A gorgonian fan coral in the Egyptian Red Sea PRight: A speckled hawkfish on fire corals

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Malta and Gozo Destination lowdown: Located between the southern tip of Sicily and the north coast of Africa, the Maltese archipelago has long been a favourite short-haul destination for UK divers. Affordable, accessible and with some of the best diving in the Med, Malta and Gozo are known primarily for their shore diving, although some boat diving is available.

The Diving: The most obvious attraction is the warm water – reaching 26°C in August – and the volume of wrecks and scenic sites just a three-hour flight from the UK. The water is too cool for reefforming corals, so you get seagrass meadows and rocky reefs with a few sponges and soft corals. There are silver fish such as amberjacks and barracuda in the water column, but really Malta and Gozo are all about the underwater topography, seen through the wonderfully clear, cobalt-blue water. In Gozo, for instance, there is the spectacular Blue Hole, a flooded sink-hole that provides a world class playground for divers. It’s also a great place for a gentle entry to wreck diving, with wrecks such as the historical Maori at Marsamxett Harbour well within Ocean Diver depth limits.

The Price: Malta is priced just below Egypt on the ladder of affordable diving destinations, though with the Euro as its currency the price of your holiday will be influenced to by post-Brexit currency fluctuations.

Nevertheless, flights and accommodation packages are available from £250, so a full diving holiday is achievable for around £500 to £600 all-in.

Longhaul options The Caribbean: The crescent of Caribbean islands have very easy diving conditions on their leeward sides, facing the Caribbean Sea, which makes them ideal as first time destinations. The principle diving islands for Brits are St Lucia with its gentle drift dives; Grenada with its array of shipwrecks and Tobago with its abundant marine life. Cuba also has excellent diving, though its most renowned site, the protected Jardines de la Reina, is perhaps a bit too shark and crocodile-rich for some tastes. With its currencies linked to the Dollar, the Caribbean can be an expensive destination, but its romance is undeniable.

Price range: from around £1,300 for a week with flights.

South East Asia: East of Thailand and west of Papua New Guinea, there is incredible scope for diving. This part of the world has the greatest marine bio-diversity in the world, accounting for a variety of coral and fish species many times greater than

RTop: Malta is known for its blue waters and shipwrecks RBottom: Swimming through a tunnel in Gozo Both photos by Elaine White

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RAbove: A hawksbill turtle drifts over a reef in Dominica SBelow: Colourful sponges on a St. Lucian reef

anywhere else. Many of its destinations – the central Philippines; Bali; Indonesia’s Lembeh Straits – tend to be oriented towards ‘critter diving’ – looking for enigmatic creatures that live on the seabed. Overall, it’s all about diving on really diverse coral reefs.

The Price: From around £1,200 for a week with flights; though to get real value a two-week holiday is best.

The Maldives: This chain of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean is very popular with divers, not least because the Maldives is home to large population of giant manta rays. The tourism industry centres around self-contained island resorts that give visitors the archetypal white sand beach holiday with very few distractions other than the sun, the sea and the horizon. The diving is defined by currents that move around the atolls (volcanically formed chains of islets and reefs), and while some of the atoll passes require experience diving in high current, there are plenty of protected sites inside the atolls that are ideal for new Ocean Divers Price range: From around £1,300 for a week with flights – try to go all-inclusive, as there will be no independent bars or restaurants to mitigate costs.

Australia: Everyone wants to say they’ve dived on the Great Barrier Reef… and if you’re backpacking through Australia it’s a great thing to do. But to want

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TRAVELSPECIAL to go there simply because it’s the largest reef system in the world doesn’t really make sense. You fly over much better and less expensive diving in Indonesia and New Guinea in order to get to Australia. The truth is that while the Great Barrier Reef is an astonishing part of the natural world, it is also in crisis, with a large percentage of its reefs bleached and dying. We recommend the temperate seas of south Australia instead, if you’re passing through.

Price range: You’re looking at £3,000+, with air fare, accommodation and diving fees.

SBelow: A leopard moray eel on a Maldivian reef SBottom: A magnificent sea anemone with its symbiotic friends, the anemonefish

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AFTER OCEAN DIVER

The next step…

Qualifying as a diver opens up a whole world of possibilities. So with your Ocean Diver qualification under your (weight)belt, what can you do next?

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he first and best thing to do is go diving, join a few club trips and get a bit of experience. The more you dive, the more you’ll enjoy it.

If you are looking to progress your training, the natural next step for Ocean Divers is to move to the BSAC Sports Diver grade. This course builds on the scuba skills you learnt as an Ocean Diver and develops your confidence, skills and experience so that you can enjoy a wider range of diving sites and conditions. It also allows you to progress your depth to a maximum of 35m, opening up even more diving opportunities!

As you start getting out and about, almost immediately you’ll see how a lot of divers are fascinated by shipwrecks. The sense of history and the opportunities for research make it a rewarding focus for underwater exploration. BSAC divers have always been at the centre of wreck research – it was a group from BSAC club Southsea SAC that first located the wreck of the famous Mary Rose!

Or you may find you prefer to pursue natural history or scenic diving, which focuses more on reefs. Lots of divers become involved in sea surveys or environmental voluntary work and marine life identification is the first step to truly understanding the undersea world.

Ultimately, many divers enjoy both wreck and reef dives as wrecks become artificial reefs and sustain their own ecosystems.

As you begin to learn more about the fragile nature of the sea, it makes sense to support groups such as the Marine Conservation Society or record species with survey systems like Seasearch.

Once your buoyancy is perfected and you are confident in your overall diving ability, you might choose to take a camera – suitable for underwater – with you.

Underwater photography can add so much to your diving and is a great way to capture some fantastic memories.

Photography can also help with marine life surveys and wreck identification, so there are plenty of links between photography and other specialities.

As you progress through BSAC’s diver training grades, you may wish to explore technical diving, which involves advanced techniques and equipment. This can be done in various ways, such as with BSAC’s Skill Development Courses in the use of twin cylinders and methods of safely speeding up decompression stops. The next step could then be to qualify in the use of trimix gas to venture to depths beyond 50 metres, or to train in the use of a rebreather, which offers a completely different system to scuba. BSAC has a strong contingent of technical divers and a set of courses to meet all requirements.

The volunteer ethos lies at the core of BSAC life. Since 1953, our divers have been helping each other and training new

generations. Becoming an instructor is a lot less complicated than you may imagine, and many of our most experienced divers say that introducing new people to scuba is the most satisfying aspect of their own diving. You need to be a Sports Diver before you can start training to become a BSAC Instructor but it is certainly something to aim for. To teach someone to dive is an empowering experience and many BSAC instructors have gone on to have careers as professional scuba guides, charter boat skippers and commercial dive school instructors.

Turning diving into a career is a tantalising option and there are opportunities out there. Dive instruction should not be confused with commercial diving, which is completely removed from the recreational diving world. For this, you need a commercial qualification administered by the Health and Safety Executive and it is an exacting lifestyle, far removed from the innocent pleasures of going diving for the fun of it.

Whatever choices you make as a recreational diver, BSAC’s training system is there to support you. With the exception of commercial diving, BSAC covers all the areas in this article in its Skill Development Courses (SDCs) or in its diver grades.

All training courses and opportunites can be explored at bsac.com/sdc

For further information on learning to dive with BSAC please call the BSAC team on 0151 350 6201

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