How do I get qualified?

The club’s nationally certified instructors are able to deliver the complete British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Diver Training Programme from Ocean Diver to Advanced Diver, as well as many Skills Development Courses (SDCs), e.g. first aid, rescue management, photography etc.

Each course is a mix of theory and practical sessions where skills are first taught in the swimming pool and then practiced again in open water.

For the entry-level Ocean Diver course, which qualifies you to dive to 20 metres, an average of five hours in the pool will have you ready for your open water training, but you will not be rushed though the pool training and so the duration will depend on your progress and attendance at training sessions.

The course is a mixture of:

Classroom (theory) lessons, which can be done face-to-face on alternate Thursday evenings from 8pm to 10pm at the Griff and Coton Sports Club, or as e-learning if you prefer to study at other times
Sheltered water training in the swimming pool at Pingles Leisure Centre on alternate Thursday evenings from 8pm to 10pm, and
Open water training at Stoney Cove inland dives site during two full days either at the weekend or during the week to suit you.

A typical training schedule is shown below:

ID	Title	Type	Location
OT1	Adapting to the underwater world	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OS1	Being underwater	Sheltered water	Pingles
OT2	The effects of diving on the body	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OS2	Basic skills	Sheltered water	Pingles
OT3	Going diving	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OS3	Developing skills	Sheltered water	Pingles
OT4	Dive planning	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OS5	Beyond the basics	Sheltered water	Pingles
OT5	What happens if	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OS6	Safety skills	Sheltered water	Pingles
OT6	Enjoying your diving	Classroom	Griff & Coton
	Theory test	Classroom	Griff & Coton
OO1	Introduction to open water	Open water	Stoney Cove
OO2	Developing open-water skills	Open water	Stoney Cove
OO3	Open-water rescue skills	Open water	Stoney Cove
OO4	Buddy-diving skills	Open water	Stoney Cove

How much does it cost?

During your training the club provides almost all of the scuba equipment you need so there is no need to buy kit yourself. The cost to get you started on the Ocean Diver course after you join the club is:

Ocean Diver training fee £179 (includes equipment loan and two days open water instruction)
Course pack fee (varies depending on format)

Once you move to the open water part of the course there are additional costs that are charged per day and are not included in the above fee. We suggest you budget for two days of open water training:

Your entry into Stoney Cove (per day) £27
Hire of thermal suit and boots from Stoney Cove (per day) £18 (correct as of January 2023)

How old do I need to be to start?

Marlin Sub-Aqua Club is currently able to offer training to new members (who are medically fit to dive) from 18 years of age.

Children between the age of 14–17 are able to undertake training providing that a parent/guardian is a member of the club (subject to assessment by the Diving Officer). The parent/guardian must take full responsibility for the supervision of the child at all times.

Do I need to be fit to dive?

Diving is a physical activity but you don’t need to be super fit to dive. In order to start diver training you need to be able to answer No to the questions on the BSAC Medical Form. If you have answered Yes to any questions that doesn’t mean you cannot dive, but that you will need to get a certificate from a specialist diving doctor.

The most cost effective way of obtaining a fit to dive certificate is to book a telephone consultation with DDRC Healthcare, who are a charity that run the hyperbaric chamber in Plymouth. They may sign you off over the phone, but if you require a face to face consultation the nearest facility is at the Midland Dive Chamber in Rugby.

Please contact us for further guidance before joining the club.

How do I book?

We will start Ocean Diver training courses through-out the year in response to people joining the club and needing to learn.