"Scuba diving is itself a hazardous sport. To do it without any training is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver."
Robert F. Burgess

If you've never dived before the above quote may have just put you off the idea of venturing beneath the waves but fear not. As many people have discovered, as long as one is trained to use the equipment and be aware of the different constraints that the aquatic environment puts upon you, diving can be an extremely safe sport.

As a British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) affiliated club we follow their training and qualification system. This means that any qualification you earn with us will be recognized anywhere in the world. As we are a non-profit making organization, diving for pleasure, learning to dive in a club environment may be cheaper than you think.
As well as the reduced cost we feel that a club environment can provide support, encouragement if needed, and a place to make new friends with people who share a common interest.

If you've no previous experience of diving, the best way to start is with a Try Dive , where in the course of an evening, you'll get an introduction to the equipment used and the chance for a dive in the pool. If you enjoy the experience of a Try Dive and want to progress further, your starting point will be to take the Ocean Diver course.

The Ocean Diver course consists of; A basic swimming assessment. Seven theory lessons. A theory assessment. Five sheltered water lessons carried out in the swimming pool. Five open water dives. These elements will provide you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to prepare for open water diving and on successful completion of this course you will be able to dive under the guidance of a dive leader to a maximum depth of 20 Meters. Although there are some differences, this qualification is similar to the PADI 'Open Water' qualification. While the number of lessons is specified, they are run at a rate that suits a trainee's confidence and progress. The skills that you are learning will be ones that will be keeping you alive in an alien environment and so it's worth your learning them well. Costs - Before commencing the course you will have to join the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and become a member of Bedford Scuba Divers - BSAC and Bedford Scuba Diver membership rates are currently £47 and £88 respectively. These fees are pro-rated over the course of the year. The course will then cost ?75 pounds and will include; All tuition. All course materials and BSAC Dive tables. The use of all the required equipment. This will include a Semi dry wetsuit for the open water sessions, a cylinder to hold your air, a Buoyancy Compensator (BC) to control your buoyancy, and a regulator to breathe through. The 'Equipment' page provides some explanation of things such as buoyancy compensators (BCs) and regulators. What it will not include is; The cost of a mask, fins, wet suit booties and if required wet suit gloves. These have a very personal fit and so you'll find it better to get your own. When you're first supplied with your cylinder it will have been filled. Any subsequent fills will be your responsibility. Most dive shops charge ?2~?4 approx. Travel to the site where you'll do your open water dives. This will probably be at one of the following; The 'Blue Lagoon' near Milton Keynes, 'Guildenburgh Water' near Peterborough or 'Stoney Cove' near Leicester. If it's 'Stoney Cove' or 'Guildenburgh' there is a site entrance fee of about ?15. Next Course Date - By arrangement.

Once you've reached this first stage of qualification you can start building on what you have learnt.
One of the advantages of belonging to a club is that in the weekly pool sessions you can pull on your diving kit and jump in to the water to practice skills such as finding the point of neutral buoyancy - the state where you neither sink nor float. Even if you think that your future diving will be restricted to the warm clear waters of exotic locations this constant re-enforcement of what you've learnt will make your diving a much more enjoyable and safer experience. As a qualified BSAC diver you'll be eligible to enrol on a wide number of BSAC run courses in areas such as; Boat handling , Ice Diving , and Underwater Photography.

The next stage up the qualification ladder from Ocean Diver is Sports Diver
The emphasis in Sports Diver is on building a sound foundation of open water diving skills and experience through a series of structured practical lessons.

The Sports Diver course consists of; Six class room theory lessons. One theory assessment. One dry practical lesson. One sheltered water lesson carried out in the swimming pool. One optional Refresher/Orientation dive. Five open water lessons. Once you have gained this open water experience with a qualified instructor, you are ready to take part in dives with other Sports Divers or those of higher grades. On successful completion of this course you will be able to dive to a maximum depth of 35 Meters and take part in dives that require decompression stops This qualification is similar to PADI 'Rescue Diver' but again there are some differences. Next Course Date - By arrangement Cost - As with the Ocean Diver qualification one has to be a member of both BSAC and Bedford Scuba Divers before commencing this on this course. After that, the fee is ?100 - (towards which we give a ?20 voucher on the successful completion of the Ocean Diver course. This fee covers; All tuition. All course materials. The use of any equipment that is required should you not yet already own it.

Further courses... .. .

Dive Leader
Dive Leader training concentrates on the responsibilities and safety aspects of leading other divers on an open water dive. Practical lessons in rescue management and rescue skills will give you the confidence and ability to deal with those unforeseen emergencies. Leading a dive will develop your enjoyment, confidence and experience as a diver. Details of the syllabus and costs of this course and others to be added soon.