SCUBA
- Thread starter easyrider
- Start date
Is it a PADI or BSAC course you are looking at if its BSAC and you have any questions please feel free to drop me a message and I will do my best to answer them as I am a BSAC Open Water Instructor, I originally trained with PADI so may be able to help out a little there as well.
so it's PADI then
that can be useful if you're going on holiday etc.. and want to do it occasionally
if you want to turn it into a regular hobby though then BSAC is perhaps more useful in the UK as there are lots of independently run clubs all over this country running BSAC courses - you will learn from the other club members... they will sometimes also argue that they're better suited to UK waters and that they're better than PADI etc..etc.. but really that's just the usual silly rivalry by some and more to do with some bad experiences seeing people who've say done a PADI course once on holiday overseas from some ropey dive school and are a bit naff as a result
I wouldn’t say learning to scuba dive is relaxing... but doing a couple of long shallow dives in a lovely overseas location is great. I much prefer the shallow dives at 8-12m. Safer, warmer, still plenty to see if your in a good spot. Best dives have been deep but a little hairy.
Fair weather scuba diver, here! Overall it’s not a hobby I’d invest conserable time in but some people seem to make it a lifestyle sport.
Fair weather scuba diver, here! Overall it’s not a hobby I’d invest conserable time in but some people seem to make it a lifestyle sport.
I much prefer diving in the UK, tbh the Red Sea, Malta etc are all nice but after day 2 or 3 I am ready to get back to the UK and do a deep dark wreck
My only night dive was with a modest current through a bio dome. Nightmare fuel tbh. It was like real life ‘Silver Surfer on the NES’ - so much potential death / injury everywhereI much prefer diving in the UK, tbh the Red Sea, Malta etc are all nice but after day 2 or 3 I am ready to get back to the UK and do a deep dark wreck
PADI Advanced Diver here, but also a far weather diver and have never dived in the UK. I’m lucky with my job I get to go to the Caribbean a lot!
In the UK even in the summer I imagine you’ll get fairly cold! But diving has lots of offer depending on what interests you.
In the UK even in the summer I imagine you’ll get fairly cold! But diving has lots of offer depending on what interests you.
I personally wouldn't learn in the winter here, as you're training you spend a lot of time not moving around much while doing skills. With the water temperature it can be bitterly cold and will sap the enjoyment out of it. I find it a great way to relax, up until i started a new job I was diving weekly. Also spent a lot of time working in the dive industry UK and Abroad so safe to say im a bit hooked. I have trained with Padi up to Divemaster and then went to BSAC to do Advanced diver, some instructor stuff and then did my CCR quals with TDI. Both BSAC and Padi have positives and negatives as it all comes down to each individual club and instructor. I had a quick look around your area but i don't know any of the clubs or instructors that way unfortunately.
Ive been out of the water for 6 months though now and it is driving me mad, with luck I'll get some time soon!
Ive been out of the water for 6 months though now and it is driving me mad, with luck I'll get some time soon!
Thanks for all the info,
Where in the UK are clear waters? I don't think I want to go deep or even risk danger tbh....
My current project is building a stealth camper and travelling Europe in it...
I thought if I was had the quals it would just give me an extra boost to my travels...
Where in the UK are clear waters? I don't think I want to go deep or even risk danger tbh....
My current project is building a stealth camper and travelling Europe in it...
I thought if I was had the quals it would just give me an extra boost to my travels...
want to learn this as my bucket list includes swimming w/ mantas and doing a cage dive w/ great whites. how much does kit cost? if you just do it as a holiday thing, i assume it'd be far better just to hire gear, or is it the sort of sport where you need to do a certain amount of dives each your to reamin certified?
Only did it once, no training but when the boss asked if anyone had done any scuba diving i thought how hard can it be.
Oh and the job was repairing a few tiles that had come loose in a newly built swimming pool where i was working as a labourer many moons ago.
Would loved to have done it properly in some warm clear waters somewhere tropical.
Oh and the job was repairing a few tiles that had come loose in a newly built swimming pool where i was working as a labourer many moons ago.
Would loved to have done it properly in some warm clear waters somewhere tropical.
I'd recommend BSAC(British Sub Aqua Club) over Padi(Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
I've done around 30 scuba dives across the world, my late father had finished over 400 and was a scuba instructor. Padi costs a fortune for a "qualification" that is supposed to be recognized world-wide, regardless if you go anywhere and demonstrate you have the ability and knowledge they won't stop you hiring gear and going out for a dive.
I've done around 30 scuba dives across the world, my late father had finished over 400 and was a scuba instructor. Padi costs a fortune for a "qualification" that is supposed to be recognized world-wide, regardless if you go anywhere and demonstrate you have the ability and knowledge they won't stop you hiring gear and going out for a dive.
Capernwray Diving centre is a good start, it is an old quarry filled with all sorts of things to see, plenty of fish etc. and a brilliant burger bar
Blender?
I tried diving when I was younger but struggled with popping my ears, meant I couldn't go down very deep. I also wouldn't describe diving as "relaxing" more of an adventure sport. Afterall, it's a dangerous environment in which humans are not adapted to survive (duh, no oxygen innit). It's a bit like saying jumping out of a plane is "relaxing" In that, you're extremely reliant on your equipment/teacher and if anything goes wrong it could be quite serious indeed!
In that, you're extremely reliant on your equipment/teacher and if anything goes wrong it could be quite serious indeed!