Sussex Diving Club
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Sussex Diving Club |
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About the Club |
« | Introduction | Branch | Committee | Meetings | Training | Theory | Pool | Advanced Qualifications | Boats | »
Welcome to the Sussex Diving Club. On this page you will find information about the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and about the Sussex branch in particular. We hope that this will be helpful and of interest.
Sussex Diving Club is run by the members, for the members and relies on the membership for its support. Our policy is to actively promote the sport in our area through our various activities and we have an ongoing training program where we teach people how to dive in a safe and enjoyable way.
Our training season starts in September and continues throughout the winter months. Apart from the courses that we offer from within the branch there are many opportunities to pursue specialist interests and attend some of the nationally run courses organised by the BSAC. Diving takes place throughout the year and we try to vary the nature and location of these dives to suit all tastes. e.g. Marine biology, wreck diving, reef diving, underwater photography.
On the social front we arrange regular events, where people can meet and bring their families along. In the summer months we like to coincide the diving activities with a day on the beach and a bar-be-cue in the evening.
All of our activities are entirely non-profit making and all monies raised are ploughed back into the club for the benefit of the members.
We hope that you will join our club and become a keen follower of the sport. You will find us a friendly and easy going bunch and we look forward to welcoming you into the branch.
Our branch (No. 1016) was formed in 1979 and currently boasts a membership of 70 divers. This is a mixture of various diving grades, providing a good blend of diving skills, from Trainees, Club and Sports Divers through to the more advanced grades of Dive Leader, Advanced Diver and First Class Diver.
Many of our more advanced divers are also nationally qualified instructors. A number of our members have attended the external courses run by the BSAC in such topics as Boat Handling, First Aid Treatment, Oxygen Administration Therapy, Marine VHF Radio, Marine Conservation etc.
During the winter months we meet on a Tuesday evening for pool training, theory lessons and a social get-together. During the summer months we have regular dives arranged for Wednesday evenings and at weekends.
The training programme normally commences in the autumn and continues through to spring. This means that by early summer most trainees have reached the club or sports diver grades and are able to progress to their open water training.
For the newcomers there are beach dives and shallow water dives on some of the inshore reefs, where there is much to see. This is quickly followed by dives from the club boats. For the more experienced divers there are exciting wrecks to explore in some of the deeper water offshore. If you enjoy underwater photography, then a dive on one of the natural and/or artificial reefs with their plethora of marine life, will give you plenty to smile about..
Each year we arrange a club family holiday to a location in the UK, which takes place in the early summer, around the Witsun bank holiday weekend. For the more experienced divers there are expeditions to some of the more remote diving locations both in the UK and abroad.
The management of the branch is vested in a committee which comprises the following members:-
| Chairman | Rob Morgan |
| Secretary | Bryan Imbery |
| Treasurer | Hilary Luckett |
| Diving Officer | Roy Wood |
| Equipment Officer | Dave Roberts |
| Training Officer | Huw Watts |
| Assistant Diving Officer | Marie Venables |
| Expeditions Officer | Tim Venables |
| Compressor/Arch Liaison | Ron Luckett |
| Membership Secretary | Hilary Luckett |
The committee meets formally once a month, where the business of running the branch is discussed and planned.
Meetings are held regularly on a TUESDAY evening. This starts at 8:00 pm with the pool training at a local swimming pool. Then from 9:30pm we meet at the "Park Tavern" in Preston Drove for a drink and chat about forthcoming events. This would include news of forthcoming social events, training opportunities that are available and details of any diving activities that are planned.
From Easter through to the end of the summer holidays we meet on a WEDNESDAY evening and go diving instead. Normal arrangements are as follows:-
Check times with Dive Marshall, they may vary to suit tidal conditions on the day. The Katarina is within the Marina complex, on the first roundabout as you enter the marina. (Map 34Kb)
The training program for newcomers usually starts in September each year. At this time we arrange a series of introductory evenings where prospective members are invited to come along and meet the members and learn all about the club.
This introductory course gives you the opportunity to "have a go" with an aqualung cylinder in our training pool. One of our experienced instructors will take you through the selection and fitting of the equipment. They will then take you on an excursion around the training pool.
Then there's a short presentation which provides an overview of the BSAC and of the Sussex branch in particular.
The intention is that by the end of the experience scuba course you will be in a position to determine whether you wish to take up the sport and learn how to dive.
Before you are allowed in the pool, you will be asked to sign an indemnity form stating that you are not aware of any medical condition that is likely to cause a problem during this pool session.
There is a nominal charge of £10 for the introduction course, to cover the hire of the equipment. This fee is deducted from your first years membership, when you join the club.
Once you join the club you will be placed as a trainee on one of our Ocean Diver training courses.
This comprises a set of 7 theory sessions in the classroom where you will learn all about the basic principles of diving.
The lectures are accompanied by a series of pool sessions where you will be taught the practical aspects of diving. You will be placed in a small group with other trainees and assigned a personal instructor who will be responsible for your training.
As your training progresses each week, you will become familiar with the equipment and will develop the skills necessary to undertake the sport in safety. Once you have mastered these lessons you shall undertake a set of 5 open water dives. These are designed to progressively build your open water diving skills and confidence.
We will arrange for your first open water dives to take place from the beach, at an inland site, within the Marina inner harbour or a similar sheltered open water area.
As a Club Diver you will be ready to undertake a wide range of open water dives, to a maximum depth of 20 metres. On all your dives you will be accompanied by an experienced diver.
This is where all the weeks of training become worthwhile and you can start to experience the pleasures of exploring the underwater world.
Theory lessons are held monthly in a classroom at a local venue, arranged by the Training Officer. They are usually on a Saturday or Sunday morning where 2 or 3 theory lessosn would be given with a short break between each. Each lesson lasts for about 1 hour.
To gain the most benefit from the lectures you should read the appropriate section from your student workbook before attending the lecture. That way you can use the lecture to gain an understanding of those areas that were not clear from reading the notes. If there is still something you don't understand, ask the lecturer. If you didn't understand it you'll probably find that other people in the class didn't understand it either.
When attending any of the lectures you should take along the following items:-
We use the Surrenden Road pool which is within the Varndean/Balfour Road schools complex. The pool is available between 8:00pm and 9:30 pm on the Tuesday evening.
Pool time is valuable, so do make sure that you are at the pool side promptly each week with all your kit prepared. This will allow you to make the best use of the available pool time.
It cannot be stressed enough the importance of attending each week. If you miss a week it will disrupt not only your training, but the training of the other novices within your group as well. However should circumstances prevail such that you cannot attend on any particular week, you should telephone your instructor and let him know at the earliest opportunity.
When attending the pool sessions you should take along the following items:-
The BSAC requires that everyone who wishes to participate in diving activities must complete a self certification form pronouncing that they are fit to dive. If there are any areas you are unsure of it may be necessary to arrange a medical with a qualified doctor.
On completion of your club diver qualification you may go on and undertake some of the BSAC's higher diving qualifications.
The BSAC Sport Diver award has four elements: a short series of theory sessions, three sheltered water lessons, a set of four experience building open water dives and a theory assessment.
A Sports Diver will have gained further open water experience, undertaken diver rescue exercises and is considered ready to take part in dives partnered by another diver of similar standing. Sport divers can dive to a maximum depth of 35m.
BSAC's Advanced Diver course is a modular programme. It consists of four mandatory modules or short courses: Dive Leadership, Oxygen Administration, Practical Rescue Management, and Dive Planning and Marshalling. In addition the student must take two modules of their choice from the following list: Practical Diving Techniques, Search and Recovery, Boathandling, Chartwork & Position Fixing, Advanced Nitrox and First Aid for Divers.
To complete the Advanced Diver award a student must also complete a total of 40 dives in addition to those required for the Club and Sport Diver qualifications. These dives will show experience of a variety of depths and conditions.
Advanced Divers may dive up to BSAC's maximum recommended safe limit of 50m.
For further information on the whole range of BSAC diving and instructional qualifications refer to the BSAC web pages.
The club has two boats, both of which are kept permanently moored in Brighton marina.
For club holidays and long weekends we have a couple of road trailers that we use for transporting them to more remote locations.
The full specification is as follows:-
This is a broad-beamed boat, with a Glass Re-enforced Plastic (GRP) hull and inflatable tubes. It has been fitted out with a centre console panel, bottle rack and 'A' frame.
The boat is capable of taking 8 divers, plus cox to an offshore site. For inshore waters it will allow a maximum of 10 divers plus cox.
The full specification is as follows:-
This is a broad-beamed boat, with a Glass Re-enforced Plastic (GRP) hull and inflatable tubes, with rubber reinforcing strakes. It has been fitted out with a centre console panel, bottle rack and 'A' frame. It is equipped with the following items:-
The boat is capable of taking 6 divers, plus cox to an offshore site with ease. For inshore waters it will allow a maximum of 8 divers plus cox.
Sussex Diving Club have their own compressor which is located at the following address:-
The easiest way to locate the arch is to drive along Brighton sea front, from the Palace Pier towards the Marina until you see the huge anchor from the Athena B, which is mounted in the middle of the pavement on the seaward side. The arch is almost opposite the anchor and is the one with the double white doors.
The arch houses the clubs 37 cu ft/min compressor and this is used to refill the diving cylinders belonging to members. The air is double-filtered and we have our own Oxygen cylinders, for people that are qualified to dive on Nitrox. All air for club members is supplied free of charge, though you will be charged for the O2 used in Nitrox fills.
Most members have been trained in the safe operation of the compressor and pump their own cylinders as and when required. If you require training in the use of the compressor, this can be arranged through the Arch Liaison officer.
If you require your own set of keys to the arch, you should request a set from the arch liaison officer. A deposit (currently £5) will be charged and this is refundable when you return the keys.
The compressor may only be operated by trained members and it is the clubs policy to ensure that there are at least two trained members in attendance when pumping is in progress.
Remember that only cylinders that are in test and stamped clearly with the latest date will be pumped. It is your responsibility to ensure that your own cylinders are in test.
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