Any tip for running a university student diving club?

[L2m]

I was the dive club president for two years in my Alma matter WAY back. First and foremost concern is that you are covered by the university liability insurance that is used to cover other sports clubs in your uni. I wouldn't even say that I have anything to do with a dive club or talk about it or act like it if I didn't ascertain that the club is covered by such insurance (that covers the officers and all other volunteers). Make sure that you are an official club in the university covered by such insurance before you do any activities as a club.

Thanks for reply, this is also our major concern. You can see above for my reply to Angelo about how BSAC might offer an option.

Something I forgot to mention in that reply: none of the founding club members were BSAC; we were also curious if we could find other sources of club-level insurance for freediving people. Does anyone know if freediving communities (eg. AIDA, CMAS, Molchanov or SSI) offered any club insurance package for non-profit student clubs?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The other thing you could do is fly under the redar and just have a loose group of friends that meets somewhere and goes diving. No dues, no fees, no dive club, no one in charge. Dives or get togethers are “rumored” by a completely anonymous source that no one takes responsibility for. Make it untraceable.
No one to go after, no one gets sued.

 

[L2m]

The other thing you could do is fly under the redar and just have a loose group of friends that meets somewhere and goes diving. No dues, no fees, no dive club, no one in charge. Dives or get togethers are “rumored” by a completely anonymous source that no one takes responsibility for. Make it untraceable.
No one to go after, no one gets sued.

Frankly speaking, a good reason for me to found a club is that I cannot find divers within the student community... When back in my old BSc days we have many online forums, real-named or anonymous, to exchange information about whatever you like - be it looking for an extra wizard for tonight's DND session, or finding a buddy for a dive. Now I couldn't find such thing anywhere even after deliberately asking around people who stayed at this university before. When I ask people what the way is to find like-minded students, the only response is "oh find a club in the SU. I'm sure there're an option!".

There are of course clubs who operate outside the campus which I could go and whose rate is within my affordability. Unfortunately it is just that most clubs in my vicinity does not offer the training and diving option I like, and clubs that do are too far away for me to train regularly.