Sports Diver

Who is Sports diver for?

If you already have some diving experience with an entry-level qualification and want to take your underwater adventures to the next level, Sports Diver is your next step in BSAC’s Diver Training Programme.

There are two routes to becoming a Sports Diver – either fromAdvanced Ocean Diver, or directly fromOcean Diver.

You will broaden your experience in a variety of challenging open-water conditions and learn essential techniques to prepare you for diving to a maximum of 35 metres.

To become a Sports Diver, you must have successfully completed an Ocean Diver or Advanced Ocean Diver course (or have equivalent certification from another recognised training agency) and be aged 12 or older, but you need to be 14 or older to progress to depths greater than 20m post qualification.

What will you learn?

Skills that make Sports Divers stand out from the crowd include doing longer deeper dives, with decompression stops if needed.

You’ll learn how to spot if something is wrong and what to do in an emergency including self-rescue,recovery of unresponsive divers, and basic life support – these are among the most valuable skills any diver can learn.

It’s a continually assessed qualification, so after your classroom and in-water training and a short theory exam, you’ll be competent to complete a series of depth progression dives – at increments of 5m – enabling you to dive down to a maximum of 35m.

How do you get there?

Ocean Diver to Sports Diver

Six theory modules
Two dry practical sessions
Sheltered water rescue skills session
Six open water dives

Advanced Ocean Diver to Sports Diver

Four theory modules
Two dry practical sessions
Sheltered water rescue skills session
Three open water dives

What you'll be able to do?

Qualified Sports Divers can dive buddied with another Sports Diver, in familiar locations and conditions, allowing you more freedom to explore. You can also support a Dive Manager as a competent assistant, the first step on the road to helping to organise diving within your club.

You can extend your experience by diving with someone qualified as a Dive Leader or above, under the supervision of a Dive Manager. You can also dive with an Ocean Diver or Advanced Ocean Diver, so long as you stay within conditions they have already encountered.

Your qualification will be recognised worldwide and you will be certified to use breathing gas mixtures of up to 36 per cent nitrox to increase your dive times.

Should you wish, you will also be qualified to complete dives that require in-water decompression which will permit greater bottom time on deeper dives

What diving experiences will this open up for me?

Being competent to dive to 35m allows most divers to do all the diving they want in the UK and abroad. At these depths you can access the majority of UK wreck diving, and with Sport Diver skills you can extend your dive times safely and relax to take in your surroundings and any wildlife you encounter.

Qualifying as a Sports Diver will also enable you to take part in a wider variety of BSAC Skill Development Courses to increase your diving skills.