Do I need to buy my own equipment?
Not to start with, we have equipment you can borrow whilst you’re learning in the pool, however, you will need toby or rent a suit when you go into open water to protect you from the cold.
Do I need to be able to swim?
Yes, but not to Olympic standards! You need to be able to swim 200mts using any style you like with no time restrictions before we take you into open water.
Is it dangerous?
As with all adventure sports there are elements of risk, after all, humans are not built to breath underwater. But the training provided by BSAC and all other agencies is designed to minimise the risks and keep you safe. To put it in perspective, statistically scuba diving is safer than driving, having a baby, running a marathon or playing rugby.
What if I have a medical condition?
It really depends on the condition you have. Before starting your training you will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire. If any of your answers raise concerns, you can go and have a medical examination with a specialist diving doctor who will be able to advise you further. It may be that your condition just imposes some restrictions on what you do, a maximum depth for example. Medical Form
What if I have a disability?
Living with a disability doesn’t automatically preclude you from diving, however, you would need to find a club that have instructors trained in how to assist you best with your condition whilst training. BSAC runs a Diving for All training program aimed at instructors specifically for this eventuality.
How long does it take to qualify?
That really depends on your availability and ability. It is possible to qualify in a week long course at a BSAC centre, but many people prefer to learn through weekly lessons at their club.
What does it cost?
Learning to dive with Seven Sea’s Divers 2026
We are a BSAC club and learning to dive follows the structure set out by BSAC, so requires membership of BSAC and membership of the club. We would always suggest doing a try-dive in a pool before making any final decisions and this can be arranged with the club at a mutually convenient time.
The first level of diving for a BSAC diver is Ocean Diver for which there is a theory and practical element. For the theory element the easiest way to do this is via BSAC Ocean Diver e-learning, the following link will take you to the sign up page on the BSAC website – https://923da3-3b.myshopify.com/products/ocean-diver-elearning-12-month-s-membership
The price is about £155 which includes your first year of BSAC membership and the e-learning package for Ocean Diver. You can complete this in your own time but if there is anything that you don’t understand or would like further information about then members of the club are always available to help and several of the members are theory instructors so can work through the lessons with you – always better to ask especially regarding anything to do with the dive tables or decompression.
For the practical element, there are some pool lessons, followed by some lessons in open water, usually a lake. The club can supply a BCD, regulators, cylinder and weights for
training but you will need fins and a mask for pool training plus a semi-dry wetsuit for open water training. I would suggest fins that you can wear diving boots in as you will also need those for open water diving otherwise your feet will get too cold. Your open water training will be done at a diving lake in the first instance and most of them hire our wetsuits if you would prefer that option to start with. Cylinders have to be refilled after use so either a £10 contribution towards their use will be required or you can get the cylinder refilled yourself.
Club membership is currently £144/year, most members pay a £12 standing order each month but for the first year we would ask for the full membership payment before starting training
