Ready to dive
How about openwater training?
For the same reasons, we have difficulty moving trainees to open water, very much limiting their opportunities. This is a vicious circle as we can see that it discourages interest from potential new members and makes progression through training pathways frustratingly slow.
And early dives?
Because so few of our experienced divers are diving regularly, our newly qualified divers aren’ t benefitting from all that experience. Anecdotes in the pub are welcome, but not as useful as live demos, and YouTube is not a substitute either. BSAC’ s move from traditional, clubbased classroom teaching to online theory training has had an unintended consequence: it’ s now much easier for new divers to complete their theory modules without benefiting from our instructors’ experience, guidance and support; the very things that help keep knowledge and good practice alive within the club.
Where do you train?
We meet at Biddulph baths for pool sessions every Monday night and have done for the past 51 years. The staff there are very tolerant of our trolleys and bulky equipment. We try to show respect by arriving and leaving on time and showing gratitude. We have a container in the car park to store equipment and a boat shed nearby with more equipment, the RIB and our compressor.
After the pool, we meet at the Staffordshire Knot, a local pub, where we are looked after by the lovely Donna, with post-dive sandwiches and sometimes chips.
Where do you dive?
Mostly Capernwray, Ecclestone Delph or Stoney Cove. In recent years there have been club dive holidays to the Philippines, the Galapagos and Chuuk.
Where have you been lately?
On our anniversary holiday to Abercastle in Pembrokeshire in August 2026, we had two days of boat dives with Skipper Dave from Pembrokeshire Dive Charters. Three newly-qualified Ocean Divers had their first taste of sea diving and loved it. The highlight for all of us was to dive the looming hulk of the Dakotian in Dale Roads, a 122-metre long steamship sunk by a magnetic mine dropped by a Heinkel in 1940.
Our marine life enthusiasts were also well-catered for with sightings of lobster, sea hare, spiny starfish and a beautiful turquoise sea urchin. Something else to celebrate was a first sea snorkel for one of our junior divers, who was delighted
Training Officer Steve and his son Enzo
OWI Steve Bennett-Squires( left) with trainee
Jim on a Portland trip
Equipment and Welfare Officers
Jim and Kev 33