Training
Training with Brisbane BSAC
BSAC is an international training agency. It offers highly regarded scuba certifications that are are recognised worldwide. 
BSAC trains divers to its own training program and standards. It does not train to a schedule. In the club environment divers can learn and progress at their own pace. Training is provided by qualified club members on a voluntary basis. The club also encourages divers to maintain their skills by offering regular skill development and refresher courses.
Certified divers
Certified divers are welcome in our branch. Non-BSAC divers will receive a crossover briefing. Members have plenty of opportunities to develop and practise their diving skills with the assistance of Club instructors and more experienced divers. The branch offers regular skill-development sessions in, for example, rescue techniques, first aid, and buoyancy and trim control.
Learning to dive
Diving skills are taught progressively so that each new experience is built upon step by step. Following basic training in the safety of a swimming pool or protected area, students soon complete their first open water dives to achieve Ocean Diver certification. This progression continues to Sports Diver and beyond, where open water skills and techniques are further developed and experience is gained.
Trainng is provided by our qualified volunteer instructors over a series of weekly evening or weekend sessions and weekend open water training, with the opportunity for regular diving to hone your skills. Once qualified you will also have the opportunity of participating in skill development courses which cover areas such as rescue, wrecks, technical, buoyancy and trim and accelerated decompression procedures.
Club instructors will also advise and mentor you where ever they can. You can go diving with instructors and buddies and further enhance your skills within our club environment
Before you consider training with Brisbane BSAC ...You should not join our branch just to get training. You should first and foremost want to be an active branch member, become involved in our events and activities and enjoy the company of other members. If you only want to obtain a dive certification, that is perfectly OK: A dive shop will provide this as a commercial service much faster and more efficiently than our club will. One of the reasons that BSAC training is well regarded is the ongoing reinforcement and development of course skills that comes by diving regularly with the club outside formal courses. You will not get the full benefit of BSAC training if you just do formal courses and don't also become an active branch member who dives regularly with us. |
How is BSAC training different?
BSAC is club diving, not shop diving. Most BSAC clubs in the UK have one or more club boats, compressors and other equipment for independent diving in UK waters. For this reason many skills are built in to BSAC divers that are not in modern commercial courses because there is no paid Dive Master to lead dives, check gear and come to the rescue. BSAC aims to teach every trainee to be a thinking diver. BSAC trainees gain an appropriate understanding of risk assessment and controls, dive planning and management, rescue skills and team diving as well as an appreciation of their impact on the environment and responsibility to it.
A vital element of BSAC training is the ongoing reinforcement and development of skills that you receive when diving regularly with your branch. Your fellow members know and look out for you. Through the club you are in contact with many highly experienced divers who share their knowledge and love of diving at no cost and without trying to sell you anything.
BSAC Diver Grades
There are six internationally recognised BSAC diver grades, from the entry level Ocean Diver through to BSAC's highest grade, First Class Diver. At the Brisbane branch we can train up to Dive Leader level.
Ocean Diver
This is the entry level course provided by BSAC. The BSAC Ocean Diver course prepares for this in the safety of a swimming pool or sheltered water and an introduction to open water in a controlled, safe manner. Experience and confidence will be gained under the guidance of a qualified instructor. The maximum depth you are allowed to dive to as an Ocean Diver is 20m.
Advanced Ocean Diver
Advanced Ocean Diver qualifies Ocean Divers to undertake deeper diving to 30m with associated safe-diving skills. It is comprised of the relevant lessons from the Sports Diver course and, when completed, counts towards the Sports Diver qualification.
Sports Diver
The BSAC Sports Diver training builds on the scuba skills in the Ocean Diver course (or entry level qualification from another agency). This course helps develop your confidence, skills and experience in the water to allow you to enjoy a wider range of diving sites and conditions. You'll hone your scuba skills and experience in various areas including rescue skills, Surface Marker Buoys and Delayed Surface Marker Buoys, navigation, techniques with equipment, and more about breathing gas.
Dive Leader
As a BSAC Dive Leader you are are becoming an expert in your field of dive leadership. You will also be competent in planning dives for groups of divers and managing diving on the day. This might include, if necessary, managing rescue situations if things go wrong.
Advanced Diver
The Advanced Diver course will teach you to further expand your skills in organising and supervising diving groups at different sites and under different circumstances. You will learn dive planning and managment skills in a range of environments and conditions.
First Class Diver
First Class Diver is the pinnacle of BSAC diver training.