UKDIVING training , with everyone in the classroom to deliver the theory lectures . In January , we ran an Instructor Foundation Course for a staff member and a student to become Assistant Instructors . BSAC HQ has been a great source of help with this . With more Assistant Instructors , this should make training easier .
SCUBA : How have the pupils responded to dive instruction ? JH : The students really enjoy the process of learning to dive . They have loads of questions about the kit and how it works , as well as asking about tales from the deep . The hardest part is getting them to slow down underwater and take in their surroundings on a dive , rather than racing off ! The highlight is definitely seeing students you have taught to dive diving safely and confidently in open water , once their training is complete .
SCUBA : What kit does the school own ? JH : We have four sets of BCDs and regulators , eight 12-litre cylinders and a selection of weights and weight belts . We also have a range of shoe fins , masks and snorkels . The membership fee covers the maintenance of this kit . I dream of a club RIB , but I think we will have to settle for
shore diving for the near future . We usually rent our open water kit , because getting kit , particularly suits , to fit students of a wide age range is quite difficult . We are looking to grow our range of kit , as this is one way to keep the cost of trips and training down . We don ’ t have our own compressor , so Divecrew in Crowthorne handles our cylinder fills .
SCUBA : Are there any special considerations for dive instruction in a school setting ? JH : Not in school , as staff are all DBS checked as part of our job . As staff we need to supervise volunteers who we bring in from outside the staff body . The logistics of a school diving trip can sometimes be a bit of a challenge , but the reward is definitely worth the hassle .
SCUBA : Any dive trips planned ? JH : Similar to university clubs , we are constrained by the academic year , which is mostly in the less favourable months for UK diving ! Despite this challenge , this year , we plan to finish our open water training in Vobster Quay in spring ; we have an expedition to Cyprus over Easter , and are also looking to dive in Swanage at the end of summer . �
SCUBA : Tell us about your students and where they are trained JH : Last academic year , three students gained their Ocean Diver qualification , and two students achieved Sports Diver . This year we have 11 Ocean Diver trainees , so are growing in number , which is great !
We run the theory lectures in school , and conduct the sheltered water lessons in the school pool . Our open water training is done in Vobster Quay . John Hudson , our Regional Coach , has been really supportive with our open water training . We also couldn ’ t run the open water training without the amazing support of volunteer instructors from outside our branch .
At the moment all of the students are male , but we are in the process of going fully co-educational as a school . Students are aged between 11 and 18 , but we only accept students from aged 12 ( Year 8 ) to train as Ocean Divers .
Theo finning in the pool
Rufus practises mask clearing
SCUBA : Was it easy to persuade the school to adapt a diving programme ? JH : The school have been very supportive with setting up the club , as it is such a unique offering for our pupils . Having enough instructors is a perennial challenge - because we are a school , we have a higher turnover of members than most branches . In the early days , I split the trainees into two groups and did alternate weeks of pool
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