Trying UK Diving

[Conor]

Currently I'm a warm water Rescue Diver, with 40ish dives (in the Med and Redsea), but I have been promising myself that I would try UK diving. I have most of my own gear (wetsuit not drysuit, not tank or weights).

Summer is here so if I'm ever going to try it it is going to be around now, so I'm looking for your advice.

How do I get started in the UK ?

I have had a look at the local clubs and don't want to do the BSAC cross over and am not sure about joining the PADI club?

Go away for a weekend and do a 'discover local diving' session ?

Enrol on a drysuit course ?

Find a local buddy and just try a dive ?

Any opinions, experiences or advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Conor

 

[nickjb]

BSAC crossover is not that bad. As a PADI rescue diver you will crosover as a 'Sport Diver' straight away. This will allow you to go any club dives open to Sport Divers. The club should be happy to arrange drysuit training for you (probably one pool session and one open water dive most likely in a quarry). One advantage of a BSAC club is that you sould be able to get extra training required/useful for UK diving (SMB, dSMB, Nitrox, etc) at minimal cost.

BSAC clubs are all different, they are organised by the members to do the sort of diving and training that they want to do. This means you might need to try a few out to find one you like.

There are lots of non affiliated clubs to try out too. You might want to have a look at DiveFun, not sure of the URL.

You could do a course to get familar and then just join in on charter trips. This will mean you get a random buddy though.

Best to find a good, regular buddy and this is usually easiest through a club.

Finally, you are more than welcome to have a splash around in Wraysbury lake with me if you want to have a go (PM me).

Nick

 

[Adrian Kelland]

Conor

If you wish to develop your diving skills, you could crossover to BSAC or whatever. If you wish to remain PADI, then I suppose you will have to involve dive shops or go on training holidays.

As for diving in the UK, you could join a local (BSAC or other) club, without having to crossover. Your should be accepted whatever the training organisation. Most clubs will still test you out however.

You could try the Yorkshire Divers forum. They are a bunch of like minded divers from all over the UK who organise their own trips. They are from all training organisations, with experience from PADI OW to TDI Trimix and re-breathers. Some belong to their own BSAC/SCOTSAC/SAA clubs, some don't. You could not get a more eclectic bunch.

See you there maybe,

Adrian

 

[Phoenix]

Well you shouldnt have to do any cross overs to dive here, clubs are usually affiliated one way or the other, but its not always important, we are a PADI rec facility but we are primarily a club, a social one at that, we go to stoney about twice a month, and often have other trips planned for other times in the month, we dive weekly at crystal palace dive pit

I would probably recommend a dry suit course, or atleast get a semi-dry
the water was clocking 14 at stoney this weekend, but it still got pretty chilly at 24m, and somehow i still managed to get sun burnt with a dry suit on most the weekend!

we have some people in the club from cambridge, one drives all the way from oxford, and some further afield that come on trips but dont really come along every week

give me a PM if you want some info or a bit more friendly advice

 

[Conor]

Thanks for all the advice.

The only things really holding me back from joining a BSAC club are the BSAC/PADI rows, which I have heard and have left me with the impression that you wouldn't be seen as well trained, just because I didn't train their way (I'm sure PADI clubs are just as bad in reverse). Also the fact that I would like to do a DM course and I quite like the PADI way so would really rather stay with PADI.

The other problem I have which is a bit of a problem whichever route I take, is a lack of transport (can't fit all my dive gear on me motorbike).

If it wasn't for this lack of transport I would be taking you all up on the options of some diving. Having said that you have inspired me and I am currently looking at car sites to see what I can
afford.

Having said all that if anyone either knows a Cambridge diver or passes through Cambridge on their way to a site and doesn't mind helping out a Coldwater Newby then please shout.

Conor

 

[sarahboo]

I live in Dagenham (essex/london) and would love to dive in the uk. Im padi aow.
anyone know of any dive clubs near here?
Thanks
Sarah

 

[nickjb]

sarahboo once bubbled...
I live in Dagenham (essex/london) and would love to dive in the uk. Im padi aow.
anyone know of any dive clubs near here?
Thanks
Sarah

You could start here:
http://www.bsac.com/about/branches.htm

Visit a few and see how you like them

Nick

 

[sarahboo]

any one know where i can get a padi club list?

 

[nickjb]

sarahboo once bubbled...
any one know where i can get a padi club list?

I don't think there is an official list.

A lot of mixed clubs are listed here:
http://www.subaqua.co.uk/club/england.html

By the way, you don't need to be BSAC trained to join and dive with a BSAC club. You just need to be a qualified diver (PADI, CMAS, SSI, etc) and you can go diving straight away.

 

[clootie]

Conor

I'm in the same "only done warm water dives" boat (warmest my dive computer registered was 32 C, lovely), and like you am thinking of putting my tootsies into the colder waters round here. But it's just so warm on the boat.....

I'm in London too - probably not that far from Phoenix I think. I found the nearest dive shop to me, when looking for gear for a warm water trip naturally, and they seem to have a thriving PADI club. As they're nice guys and bought me a can of coke while I couldn't decide which torch to buy, I think I'm going to sign up to do my rescue course with them - they assure me a semi-dry will be ok for that in August (I predict heat stroke, given the course is a lot on the surface).

Good luck finding somewhere, and let us know how the crossover to diving in brrrr :cold: cold water is, and if it's worth it! I'll let you know how it goes here.

Incidentally, I have the same transport problems. But I'm hoping for some trips I could find car space for my gear, and then go on my bike, as there seem to be a couple of bikers in the club.

ps - Sarahboo, have you tried looking for your nearest dive shops in the yellow pages? I found this place by doing that, then checking out the various websites for info on gear, courses and clubs. Sorry if you've tried this already - but from a search for Divers in Dagenham on yell.com looks like there may be some PADI club options in Chelmsford, Basildon & Rochford.