Ocean Diver            Sports Diver              Further training

At Bedford Sub-Aqua Club we generally carry out all of our training using the British Sub-Aqua Club's (BSAC’s) training system. Below is a brief overview of the training that takes place for the BSAC Ocean Diver and Sports Diver qualifications. 
For anyone who specifically wishes to train with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), we have links with a local organisation who may be able to provide certain courses.

The Ocean Diver course costs £300; please click here to see what you get for this.

Ocean Diver  up

The aim of the Ocean Diver course is to produce a diver who has gained open water diving experience and may conduct dives with another diver of the same level up to a maximum depth of 20 metres; provided they are properly supervised and have agreed their diving plan in advance with the club’s Diving Officer.
The course is divided into three main elements.

  1. Theory lessons take place in the Robinson Pool on a Tuesday evening at 7:00pm.
    • Diver training
    • Equipment and Signals
    • The body and effects of diving
    • Planning to go diving
    • Going diving
    • What happens if…
    • Enjoying your diving

    A theory assessment takes place at the end of all the theory lessons and when all the trainees are happy with their content.

  2. Sheltered water lessons take place in the pool, after the theory lessons, between 8:30pm and 10:30pm
    (approximately 40 minutes in-water time). They are designed to prepare trainees for the open water environment and contain essential practical skills.
    • Being underwater
    • Basic skills
    • Developing skills
    • Beyond the basics
    • Safety skills

    Skills are practiced until the instructor determines that the student is able to complete them competently and safely. Once the sheltered water lessons and theory lessons and assessment have been successfully completed, the new diver is then ready to progress to open water training.

  3. Open water dives provide the new diver with the opportunity to put into practice both the theory and practical elements learned. During Ocean Diver training, the emphasis is on building a sound foundation of open water skill and experience through a series of five open water experience dives supervised by a BSAC Nationally Qualified Instructor. Again, diving skills are practiced until the instructor determines that the student is able to complete them competently and safely.

Anyone who has already trained with another diving organisation, eg PADI, SAA, NAUI, CMAS, to a level that is comparable to Ocean Diver can complete a BSAC cross-over programme if they wish to do so. Alternatively, they may arrange to join BedSAC and dive using their existing qualification, provided they are properly supervised and have agreed their diving plan in advance with the club’s Diving Officer.

Sports Diver  up

After successful completion of the Ocean Diver course new divers can continue on with the BSAC Sports Diver Course.

This course aims to produce a diver who has gained open water diving and diver rescue experience and may conduct dives with another diver of the same level up to a maximum depth of 35 metres, following supervised depth progression. They must still be properly supervised for any dives that go beyond their previous experience, and must have agreed their diving plan in advance with the club’s Diving Officer.

The course has four main elements.

  1. Six theory lessons including :-
    • Diver rescue
    • Equipment and techniques
    • Deeper diving
    • Dive planning

    The lessons are followed by a theory assessment.

  2. Sheltered water lessons that focus on diver rescue skills.

  3. Five open water dives that focus on:
    • Rescue skills
    • Use of specialist equipment
    • Dive planning and leading
  4. A dry practical lesson dealing with dive management.

Once the Sports Diver qualification has been awarded there are three supervised depth progression dives:  

  • Dive to 25 metres
  • Dive to 30 metres
  • Dive to 35 metres 

Anyone who has already trained with another diving organisation to a level that is comparable to Sport Diver can complete a BSAC cross-over programme if they wish to do so. Alternatively, they may arrange to join BedSAC and dive using their existing qualification, provided they are properly supervised where necessary and have agreed their diving plan in advance with the club’s Diving Officer.

Further Training  up

As the largest diving club in the area, and with an instructor team that includes 11 Nationally Qualified BSAC Instructors, as well as a number of other specialist and assistant instructors, we can offer further training to divers who wish to progress their diving and boat skills. We can teach BSAC's Dive Leader and Advanced Diver courses. We can also run most of BSAC's Skill Development courses in-house, saving members both time and money. For details on any of these courses please contact us.

Costs of Training  up

For those without existing diving qualifications, we charge £300 for the BSAC Ocean Diver course. This includes:-

  • Personal training pack and qualification card
  • BSAC membership, including third party insurance for one year (currently £47).
  • Bedford Sub-Aqua Club Membership (currently £50)
  • Joining fee (currently £50)
  • Costs associated with the instructional aspects of the course.

NOTE: the BSAC membership is reduced by £15 for “Abated” membership (this is for additional members of the same household who wish to become members) and by £28 for Student or Junior (under 18) members. Therefore the overall cost is reduced by this amount.

The further cost for those who have trained with BedSAC as Ocean Divers and wish to go on to take the Sports Diver Course is £125. This includes:-

  • Personal training pack and qualification card
  • Costs associated with the diving and instructional aspects of the course and the depth dives.

Anyone who has trained with BedSAC as a Sport Diver and wishes to go on to take the Dive Leader Course will be charged a further £200. This includes:-

  • Personal training pack and qualification card
  • Costs associated with the diving and instructional aspects of the course and the depth dives.

Costs for previously trained BSAC Club Divers or Sports Divers who are joining the club for the first time and who wish to start training to the next level, would be as follows:-

  • BSAC membership, including third party insurance for one year (currently £47).
  • Bedford Sub-Aqua Club Membership (currently £50)
  • Joining fee (currently £50)
  • Cost of the course concerned (ie £125 for Sports Diver or £200 for Dive Leader).

Costs for Divers with existing qualifications awarded by other training organisations, who are joining the club for the first time and who wish to cross over to BSAC qualifications, would be as follows:-

  • BSAC membership, including third party insurance for one year (currently £47).
  • Bedford Sub-Aqua Club Membership (currently £50)
  • Joining fee (currently £50)
  • Crossover cost of £50 which includes personal training pack and qualification card, and costs associated with the diving and instructional aspects of the crossover.

Costs for skill development courses run in-house are usually negotiated at the time, and are based on:

  • Any registration costs
  • Costs of personal training record cards and other necessary materials
  • Costs associated with the diving and instructional aspects of the course.