The club was founded in 1953 and at its peak in the mid-1990s had over 50,000 members declining to over 30,000 in 2009. It is adiver training organization that operates through its associated network of around 1,100 local, independent diving clubs and around 400 diving schools worldwide. The old logo featured the Roman godNeptune (Greek godPoseidon), god of thesea. The new logo, as of 2017, features a diver with the updated BSAC motto "Dive with us".
BSAC is unusual for a diver training agency in that most BSAC instructors are volunteers, giving up their spare time to train others, unlike many other agencies, in which instructors are paid employees, or self-employed.
Given that UK waters are relatively cold and have restricted visibility, BSAC training is regarded by its members as more comprehensive than some. Specifically it places emphasis on rescue training very early in the programme. BSAC also maintains links with other organisations, such asNACSAC.
While forms of sub-aqua, many competitive forms of sub-aqua are not governed by BSAC, as BSAC is not a member of theConfédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) who is the global governing body for competitive sub-aqua.
Underwater hockey in Great Britain was governed directly by BSAC with the sport being invented by one of its branches in 1954. BSAC remain the NGB until 1977 when they recognised theBritish Octopush Association (BOA), who formed a year prior, as the new NGB. BSAC remained a governing body for a limited number clubs who didn't switch to BOA governance. In 2013 the BOA affiliated itself to BSAC to legitimaise its safeguarding procedure. The BOA is recognised by CMAS as the NGB for underwater hockey in Great Britain.[18][19]
BSAC was the first body to governunderwater rugby in the United Kingdom, though only two clubs are affiliated to the body.[20] The British Underwater Rugby Association (BURA) is the UK's governing body affiliated with CMAS.[21]
Advanced Ocean Diver: Further Basic skills training, navigation, nitrox (up to Nitrox 36%), non-decompression diving (depth limit increased to 30 m with a series of 5 m progression dives).[25][b]
Sports Diver: Rescue, navigation, nitrox and decompression diving (depth limit increased to 40 m with a series of 5 m progression dives).[27]
Dive Leader: Dive leading, dive planning and management, and rescue management (depth limit increased to 50 m by completing a selection of experience dives).[28]
Advanced Diver: Fully trained diver capable of leading a group of divers in normal club activities.[29]
First Class Diver: Trained to lead a group of divers carrying out a project. This is nationally examined with a two-day practical test.[30]
The following grades which are no longer awarded may still be encountered:
Novice I: A diver who has completed the extensive sheltered-water (i.e. pool) training of the BSAC syllabus of the time, but has not yet dived in open water.
Novice II: A Novice I diver who has completed two open-water assessment dives.
The distinction between Novice I and Novice II was mostly for practical reasons to do with the difference between hiring a pool and travelling to the coast. A Novice I diver would normally complete the two open-water dives as soon as possible, but if this were not possible straight away (perhaps over winter) they would at least have a specific grade within the club. The lengthy and club-oriented Novice syllabus was replaced with the Club Diver and Ocean Diver syllabuses in the late 1990s. (However, some argue the Novice description was usefully accurate and aided diver safety because nobody with such a qualification would attempt dives beyond their capabilities).
Club Diver: This is more or less the same as Ocean Diver; originally the two were operated in parallel with Ocean Diver awarded at schools and Club Diver at clubs.
Club Instructor: An instructor grade junior to Open Water Instructor, but allowing the holder to instruct practical and theory lessons without supervision.
Third Class Diver: This was the entry-level grade prior to the splitting of its syllabus during the mid-1980s to create the Novice and Sports Diver grades. Divers who held this grade at the time were awarded the Sports Diver grade.[32]
Second Class Diver: This was the immediate grade prior to the splitting of its syllabus during the mid-1980s to create the Dive Leader and Advanced Diver grades. Divers who held this grade at the time were awarded the Advanced Diver grade.[33]
BSAC obtainedCEN certification from theEUF certification body in 2007 and re-certified in 2012 and 2019 for the following recreational diver grades:[36][37][38]
Discovery Diver – ISO 24801-1
Ocean Diver – EN 14153-2/ISO 24801-2 – 'Autonomous Diver'
Dive Leader – EN 14153-3/ISO 24801-3 – 'Dive Leader'
Open Water Instructor – EN 14413-2/ISO 24802-2 – 'Instructor Level 2'
Sports Diver – ISO 11107 – 'Nitrox diving'
Nitrox Gas Blender – ISO 13293 – 'Level 1 Gas Blender'
Mixed Gas Blender – ISO 13293 – 'Level 2 Gas Blender'
Snorkelling Guide – ISO 13970 – 'Snorkelling Guide'
Snorkel Instructor: club instructing, qualified to teach Snorkel Diver and Advanced Snorkeler (provided these qualifications are held by the instructor)
Advanced Snorkel Instructor: qualified to teach Snorkel Diver Manager and Snorkel Guide
Snorkel Instructor Trainer: qualified to train instructors.
BSAC scuba instructors can also teach all or parts of the Snorkeller Training Programme subject to meeting pre-requisites including additional training.
BSAC offer range of specialist diving courses known as Skill Development Courses (SDCs). While mainly for scuba divers, a number of courses can be taken as snorkeller, and some without any dive qualifications:[41]
Courses in brackets () indicate pre-requisites for the SDC
^Discovery Diver is an intermediary course designed to ease people into diving at a slower pace. There is no requirement to have Discovery Diver before undertaking Ocean Diver.
^Advanced Ocean Diver is an intermediary course designed to held bridge the skill gap between Ocean Diver and Sports Diver. There is no requirement to have Advanced Ocean Diver before undertaking Sports Diver, though theAdvanced Ocean Diver to Sports Diver[26] course exists for those who have taken Advanced Ocean Diver to qualify them as Sports Divers without repeating skills covered in Advanced Ocean Diver not present in Ocean Diver but required for Sports Diver.
^The Dolphin Snorkeller course is an intermediary course designed for children. It contains the practical elements of Snorkel Diver without any of the classroom theory.
^abBasic Life Support is not a diving course and can be obtained outside of driving. Sufficient Basic Life Support skills are acquired via BSAC's Sports Diver courses or higher.
