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There are two main major organisations in diving. BSAC and PADI. Both have their own qualifications that allow you to dive to various depths and under safe diving codes.

PADI

PADI is the largest commercial diving training company in the world that offers an escape to explore and experience. You can book diving lessons and courses through the PADI website.

BSAC

BSAC is the largest diving club in the world. It provides training programmes for divers and instructors through a club experience so that Scuba Diving can be enjoyed safely throughout the world. For more information visit their website.

Stafford Sub Aqua Club

Stafford Sub Aqua Club is a Branch of BSAC, for more information on Stafford SAC please scroll to the bottom of the page or click on the link for more details.

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My First Dive

At the beginning of the year, on a whim, I joined Stafford Sub Aqua club (BSAC) with the intention being able to dive with tropical fishes in hot sunny countries around exotic corals, like you see on the television. I couldn't wait. I had images of James bond style adventures in my head where I'd jump in a boat and then swim miles under the water and end up on a tropical island somewhere.

In my pursuit of my James Bond adventure, I began training towards my Ocean Diver qualification, which would allow me to dive under supervision to twenty meters.
I soon found that unfortunately diving in a swimming pool is not quite a James Bond adventure and is defiantly not like diving in the Red Sea. Although occasionally you do come across the odd tropical coloured hair band.

Science

There's much more science to diving than I thought. It's not as simple as jumping in and swimming around like I originally imagined. The lessons are really enjoyable but they really opened my eyes to how much there is to think about diving and the safety around it such as being able to control decent and accent rates under the water is vital so that you do not surface too quickly and risk respiratory injury. Computers and dive tables calculate how long you can safely dive for at different depths so that your body doesn't build up to much nitrogen.

Regardless of all these scare stories more advanced divers kept teasing me with I kept thinking towards finishing my pool training and being able to go on my first open water dive.

In with the Fishes

April came and I had finished my pool training. I awaited my first open water dive which had been organised as a mass club trip to a flooded quarry in north Wales.

听We left Stafford in jam packed cars, full of scuba kit and took over a bunk house in a small welsh village. That night I had mixed feeling of excitement and I admit slight worry, but I still couldn't wait for my James Bond adventure.

As we pulled up to the dive site, I couldn't help notice the immense mountains with large amounts of snow on top. The flooded quarry at the bottom of the mountains (where all the snow melted into!) was the quarry I was going to be diving in . . . . . . .

Surrounded by large slate boulders, standing in my Semi Dry suit (suit which helps prevent you from being too cold whilst under the water). I unpacked the club kit and began putting it together by the quarry side. The water looked black and cold. The instructors had Dry Suits on (suits which prevent you from getting wet at all) I began to wonder if a Semi Dry was going to keep me warm.

There were three waves (waves being groups of people in the quarry at the same time). Each trainee would have an instructor and go in on two of the three waves. I was in the first and third wave.

I stood on the side of the quarry with my instructor as we went through a buddy check (where you check over each others equipment before you dive in). I did not feel as glamorous as it looks in the James Bond films and I was more concerned about how cold the water was than having my James Bond adventure. I had now moved on to the entrance platform. All I could think of was why?! What on earth was I doing jumping into a freezing lake for? How is that fun!

Jumping In

I began to build up the courage to jump in. I inflated my BC (buoyancy compensator) so that I would float when I jumped in. I put on my mask and put my breathing regulator in my mouth. I placed my hand over my mask and regulator holding them in place. I was nervous. I took a deep breath and stepped off the platform.

I splashed under the water and then bobbed back up again. "It's not cold" I shouted, "don't know what the fuss is about". . . . . .听 and then the water ran down my back inside my Semi Dry suit. It was Icy cold! It was then that I became very envious of anyone owning a Dry Suit.

I shivered over to a floating marker in the middle of the lake where my instructor signaled to decent. Using one of my buoyancy control buttons I emptied the air out of my BC and began to sink.

In day to day events, you don't take to much notice of breathing. That first time that I sank and freezing water encapsulated my face I panicked slightly. I became very aware of when I was breathing and how much I could breathe. We kept sinking and I could feel my suit tighten. I pinched my nose and gently blew out to equalise the pressure and stop my ears from hurting as we sank lower. We hit a small square metal platform suspended at six meters where I got used to being in a new environment and then my instructor signaled to swim down further towards the bottom of the quarry.

Although the water was clear and I could see my instructor, everywhere else was dark. As we swam further along the lake to the bottom. Merging out of the darkness was an outline of a small white boat. We swam further towards it. Now I felt like I was having my James Bond adventure.

All Fun and Games

Whilst investigating the quarry bottom It soon became apparent that the quarry was an underwater playground. We swam through a blast house, where workers of the quarry would hide when blowing bits of slate off the mountain side. On top of the blast house lived a gnome garden, which I am told is a common feature of dive sites. At one point we even came across a sunken wheel chair and watched one trainee be pushed along by his instructor. Among other things the favourite toy had to be playing hide and seek with mannequin pieces with the aim of putting the model back together again.

After half an hour of exploring, I was running out of air and signaled to go to the surface. We maintained a gradual accent and finally reached the surface.

The day had come to an end. I had completed my first open water dive. I was now a qualified Ocean Diver.

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Stafford Sub Aqua Club

Stafford Sub Aqua Club (SSAC) is a Branch of BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club).

To qualify as a diver you have to complete a series of lectures and practical pool lessons. Stafford SAC relies heavily on volunteer Dive Leaders, who all have a great passion and experience for diving, to train beginners towards qualifying. instructors will guide you through each lecture and pool session enabling to complete each session at your own pace.

The Club averages around 45 members each year. It's a very friendly, social and active club with organised dives almost every week. They meet regularly on Wednesdays at Stafford's New Leisure Centre at 8.00pm for training and socialising.

Stafford SAC have a mountain of equipment that they lend out to club members for training purposes. So buying equipment is not necessary initially, although having your own mask is a great birthday present.

Recently the club has been awarded a lottery grant, which has helped buy new equipment for training. If diving appeals to you but your not quite sure, try dives can be arranged, please email Stafford Sub Aqua Club at trydive@staffordscuba.co.uk