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We are the Southampton Solent Sub-Aqua Club and unsurprisingly do a fair chunk of our diving around the Isle of Wight and Solent. Most of the waters in this area require a certain set of skills and a required "default" position to be able to dive safety.

So what are we aiming at?

Without going technical, we are looking for a 35m rated, drysuit wearing, Nitrox, Rescue and UK skills trained diver. Now that may seem a lot if you've only done one try-dive, but we expect most of our trainees to get to that point within 6 months of joining the club.

There are many agencies that you can choose to get to this position, but some require each of the elements that we want, to be done sepearately and naturally that costs more for. With BSAC being UK based, these elements are inclusive in Sport Diver and so it makes sense to have this as our default position. When you add the fact that most of the worlds dive sites are pitched at 20-30m for safety reasons, this level being an International ticket makes a lot of sense.

SUCS doesnt just stop at diver grades.

Once past Sports Diver, those who like the idea of teaching scuba can enroll on an Instructor Foundation Course. This gives them the title of Assistant Diving Instructor or ADI and is the first rung on the ladder. Over the next year, the club will mentor the candidate in parrallel with the dive training. Having three Instructor Trainers means help is available at the highest level. Once Dive Leader is completed, you can go for the full Instructor exams and the club works hard to prep students to that aim.

But ..................

That lot is through BSAC and SUCS is just as happy if you decide to go the PADI route. The best bit is that by using bits of the BSAC training you can prep yourself for PADI Instructor exams to a much higher standard.

For more details about all the training and how we use the best course regardless of agency, contact the training officer or email dive@bsac1624.co.uk

Entry Level

BSAC Ocean Diver (20m)

BSAC Ocean diver is our entry level course and is chosen over the almost indentical PADI Open Water Diver due to inclusion of more rescue techniques, drysuit and the all important Nitrox.

Second Level

BSAC Sports Diver(35m)

Sports Diver carries on from Ocean Diver and starts to introduce more advanced Rescue techniques along with UK diving skills. After progression the sports diver can dive to 35m and do limited decompression. This course is inclusive of elements which need to eb done as "extras" in other agencies and is preffered over PADI AOW.

PADI Rescue Diver

While Sports Diver has a good grounding in Rescue, this excellent course is very good at expanding those skills and is highly reccomended for those not wishing to go onto Dive Leader.

BSAC Dive Leader (50m)

A serious depth and a serious course to do it. Decompression diving along with planning and management of both dives and rescue. The course also includes O2 administration essential in diving incidents.

For technical courses go here

PADI Divemaster

SUCS doesnt actually run this course on site, because it believes the standard requires the candidate to work in a professional enviroment. It does though faciliate through its numurous contacts to provide internships both here and abroad.

BSAC Advanced Diver

The highest non-Instructor level we can do in the club, this course is run over a much longer period and does need a commitment of some serious diving to acheive.