SCUBAHUB
Instructor training events are GO !
BSAC ’ S INSTRUCTOR TRAINING SCHEME ( ITS ) has made a successful return to inperson teaching after nearly a year-long hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic . Following the first ITS event of 2021 back in April , which saw five candidates complete the Open Water Instructor Course at Stoney Cove , all the planned ITS events for the remainder of the year are now up and running .
With the easing of lockdown restrictions meaning BSAC can return to face-to-face teaching , the revitalised ITS has come as a welcome boost for the club .
National Diving Officer Dai Atkins said he was delighted to see the regional teams , clubs and members getting back to their diving and training .
“ The global pandemic gave us an extra layer of uncertainty to contend with , with ever-varying levels of restrictions across the UK and overseas , and we are grateful for our members ’ patience and understanding .
“ It is extremely pleasing to now see our members and volunteer staff pick up where we left off with just as much interest as before and with an ever more wilful determination to resume the sport that is their passion .”
All scheduled face-to-face ITS and regional SDC courses will continue in line with the Covid safety guidelines issued by BSAC ’ s National Diving Committee ( NDC ). A total of 45 ITS events have now been held to date , with more than 220 students taking part .
Southampton University SAC ’ s Diving Officer , James Mudge , was just one of the participants to recently return to the ITS , completing his Advanced Instructor Course in Wales early on in June . He welcomed the chance to finally get back to in-person teaching after the long lockdown layoff .
“ It was brilliant to be back to face-to-face teaching as the learning experience is so much more personal , and it really helps reinforce everything you do . It was also
really nice to be the least qualified in the room and have the opportunity to learn from more experienced divers ,” he added . To find an Instructor Training Course near you , go to
bsac . com / events
To help train its ‘ next generation of instructors ’, BSAC is now looking for more Instructor Trainers to keep the momentum going as the ITS gets back up to full speed .
“ Just as clubs rely upon individual divers advancing through the training programme , the ITS relies upon a continuous throughput of Instructor Trainers to feed back into the BSAC Instructor development machine ,” Dai explained .
“ We are now looking for more Instructor Trainers to join the team and bring on the next generation of BSAC instructors , which is so critical to the ongoing success of both our clubs and BSAC .”
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