OCEAN DIVER
Ben Locke with University of Nottingham Sub Aqua
“ Jessica is young and had a bit of a wobble when we had a really early start at Capernwray on the first day as she was so tired,” she explains.“ Our instructor, Kevin, calmed her down straight away and took her to the two-metre training platform; she was fine after that. She has done so well. The club is so fantastic. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful – what a lovely community.“ When I was 18, I went for a try dive in Tenerife and I felt it was rushed. I’ m so glad I’ m with a dive club. The way I’ ve been taught is so thorough. I personally feel for safety and knowledge you are better going through a club.”
“ You can’ t beat the feeling of a wreck coming into view”
BSAC has a long held tradition of producing some of its most active divers through the university system. Ben Locke, 20, is studying history and archaeology at Nottingham University SAC.“ I first learned about BSAC through my father,” Ben explains.“ When my older sister went to university and learned to dive, that’ s when I really knew I wanted to do the same.
I signed up as soon as possible during Fresher’ s Week in September. I completed the Ocean Diver theory lesson and exam by November. We started training dives in Capernwray in April. Then we went to Vobster Quay in Somerset, where I finished the course and started open water dives for Sports Diver level.” Student funds are limited, but costs are kept down by university subsidies given to the club, which owns boats and training equipment.“ I thoroughly enjoyed all my training,” says Ben.“ Diving does cost, but at the same time we do have a lot of kit available to students. I’ ve done a mix of warm water and colder water diving in the last year. I’ ve dived in the Philippines. I’ m just back from a summer trip to Oban, where I did 12 dives. I had experience diving from a RIB [ rigid inflatable boat ], drift diving and dived the wreck of SS Breda. You get a real sense of adventure diving with a club.” Ben says club diving in the UK makes him feel more of a complete diver.“ You get a fuller experience as you are more involved in the process including planning, working the boat, filling your cylinder,” he explains.“ It adds an extra sense of excitement. You feel like a diver.” Wreck diving is emerging as a particular passion for Ben – something that also ties in with his degree.“ My degree offers students possibility of underwater archaeology. After diving SS Breda, I can already tell I’ ve only scratched the surface on what there is to see. You can’ t beat the feeling of a wreck coming into view.” Like many before him, Ben sees his bond with the club continuing long after graduation.“ There are older members, who may have been at the university as long as ten years ago and they come back as instructors,” he adds.“ People do tend to stick around. I’ ve even heard about members who met at the club and got married and gone on to have children. I definitely want to be an instructor. A wonderful aspect of BSAC is you get a chance to give back and I think that’ s why people stay on. We get to train a new generation. I love the idea of teaching. I’ m going to join the first IFC [ Instructor Foundation Course ] I can get on.” �
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