Ariel Sub Aqua Club (ASAC) is a section of the BBC Club and is affiliated to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC), the national governing body of scuba diving and snorkelling in the UK. As a part of BSAC, we train to their qualifications which are internationally recognised as being one of the best training schemes anywhere.
The Ocean Diver qualification is your first step into a lifelong adventure. It is designed for beginners with no prior experience, providing you with the essential knowledge and practical skills to dive safely in both the UK and abroad.
The course is a blend of theory and practical sessions designed to build your confidence step-by-step:
Underwater Skills: You’ll start in the safety of a swimming pool, learning how to breathe through a regulator, control your buoyancy (the “weightless” feeling of diving), and clear your mask.
Safety & Rescue: Even at this entry level, BSAC prioritizes safety. You’ll learn how to monitor your air supply and what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Diving Equipment: We will teach you how to assemble, use, and maintain your scuba kit, from cylinders and regulators to your buoyancy compensator (BC).
Science of Diving: You’ll gain a basic understanding of how diving affects the body, how to plan dives using tables or computers, and how to stay within safe limits.
Once qualified, you will be certified to dive to a maximum depth of 20 metres with another diver of the same grade or higher. This depth is the “sweet spot” for marine life and many historic wrecks. Following the course, our dive season is structured to include fun trips with plenty of support for new divers, ensuring you can put your new skills to use immediately.
Theory training throughout (April and May): a mixture of self study and in person sessions with our instructors
Pool lessons (May): a whole weekend in a nearby pool running through practical excersises and a chance to try all the dive kit in a safe environment
Open water training course (May and June): A weekend away at an inland dive site, a chance to try out all of your training with an instructor in open water
First Boat Dives (June and July): Once qualified you’ll be able to join the dive club on the open Ocean and dive from our boat on the south coast of England
Total cost of the Ocean Diver course is £341. This covers:
Training materials
E-Learning Ocean Diver course access
All pool and classroom training
Full equipment hire for pool training, the inland open water day, and the training weekend.
Please note you will also have to be a paid member of the BBC Club.
