Sports Diver

Want to build on your skills after doing an Ocean Diver course?

BSAC Sports Diver training builds on the scuba skills you learned in the Ocean Diver course (or entry level qualification from another agency) and helps develop your confidence, skills and experience in the water to allow you to enjoy a wider range of diving sites and conditions. The course builds a sound foundation of open water diving skills and experience with structured, practical lessons. This is a good way of getting more dives under your belt while learning under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

Qualified BSAC Sports Divers are ready to take part in dives with other Ocean Divers or higher grade divers. Depth can be built progressively to a maximum of 35m after qualifying*. Sports Divers can embark on the first stage of the route of instruction.

Prerequisites

You must have already successfully completed a BSAC Ocean Diver course (or qualifying certification from another recognised training agency).

What you'll learn

You'll hone your scuba skills and experience in various areas including rescue skills, Surface Marker Buoys (SMBs) and Delayed Surface Marker Buoys (DSMBs), navigation, techniques with equipment, and more about breathing gas. In addition, BSAC Sports Divers are taught how to support a Dive Manager by acting as their deputy as the first step in developing this important role in support of safe diving. The BSAC Sports Diver course has both practical and classroom lessons run in an integrated sequence. The course includes a sheltered water lesson and five open water lessons.

The fun bit

You will love the variety in this course. To ensure you experience a range of conditions, your instructor will include five types of dive from the following for you to experience: shore dive, nitrox dive (using a breathing gas >21% Oxygen up to a maximum of 36% (nitrox)), dive using a shot line, low visibility dive, drift dive, small boat dive, large boat dive, wall dive or a dive in protective clothing (wet suit or drysuit).

Qualification and what that means

A BSAC Sports is defined as a diver who is competent to:

Conduct dives to 20m (if you choose to do the post qualification progress dives, the depth is increased in 5m increments to 35m)
Conduct dives with a BSAC Ocean Diver within the restrictions of the conditions already encountered by the Ocean Diver
Conduct dives with another BSAC Sports Diver, within the restrictions of the conditions already encountered during training.
Conduct dives with a Dive Leader or higher grade, to expand experience beyond the conditions encountered during training, under the supervision of a Dive Manager.
Use breathing gas mixes up to Nitrox 36
Plan and conduct dives requiring mandatory decompression stops
Rescue a casualty and provide basic life support
Support the role of Dive Manager by acting as a competent deputy

Learning materials

You will be given a pack as part of your course which includes all the learning materials you need for the BSAC Sports Diver course. The pack includes a Qualification Card application and your student diver notes. (There is also an A5 binder for divers crossing over from another training agency.)

Recommended gear

Although the diving equipment is provided by the club, having your own mask, snorkel and fins, as well as a diving suit, is highly recommended.

Cost

The cost of the Sports Diver Course is £250