• Core to Dive Leader training is extending your personal diving to depths of up to 50m so you can plan and lead more adventurous dives needing detailed planning for gas and decompression requirements. Other skills introduced include using ‘lift and shift’ techniques to recover underwater objects.

    You’ll also gain the expertise to plan dives for groups of divers, manage dives, and manage a rescue situation in an emergency, including carrying out casualty assessment and administering basic life support with oxygen.

    The course includes 12 theory modules, seven open-water training dives, two dry practical lessons and 20 experience dives (which may include your training dives) in a range of underwater conditions.

    It’s a continually assessed course, so after your classroom and in-water training, and a theory exam, you’ll just need to complete a selection of experience dives before you can complete your depth progression to 50m

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    What you’ll qualify to do 

    Qualified Dive Leaders are equipped to do more exciting exploratory dives in a wide range of conditions.

    They can dive with divers of any grade to expand their experience and support Ocean Divers in new conditions and locations, under the supervision of a Dive Manager.

    If you are an Assistant Dive Instructor, once you are a Dive Leader you can take your instructing with BSAC to another level.

    What diving experiences will this open up for me?

    Being competent to dive to 50m opens up the opportunity to take part in more adventurous diving, off the beaten track.

    As a Dive Leader you’ll also be able to manage and supervise club dives to locations known to the club.

    Leading dives and helping to extend the experience of divers in your club is hugely enjoyable – and of course the more experienced your fellow members are, the more fun you can all have.

    Your next steps – developing your skills 

    After qualifying as a Dive Leader, your diving and instructing choices significantly expand.

    • You could learn the skills needed to organise dive trips to unknown sites by doing the Advanced Diver course, the final grade in BSAC’s Diver Training Programme to be awarded at club level.
    • You could continue to develop specific skills to expand your diving interests further. There are more than 30 BSAC Skill Development Courses (SDCs) including Closed Circuit Rebreather Diver courses and Sports Mixed Gas Diver trimix training.
    • You could start on the road to instructing by signing up for BSAC’s Instructor Foundation Course to become an Assistant Diving Instructor.