Ariel Sub Aqua Club (ASAC) is more than just a training school; we are a community of divers who look out for one another. The BSAC Dive Leader course is a pivotal qualification that transitions you from being a “managed” diver to a “manager” of diving activities.
If you enjoyed the rescue skills in your Sport Diver course and find yourself naturally wanting to help organize trips and lead less experienced buddies, Dive Leader is your next logical step.
A Dive Leader is a diver who is proficient in rescue skills, dive planning, and management. You become the “person in charge” on the boat or the shore, responsible for the safety and enjoyment of the group. It is a highly respected qualification that proves you have the experience and “sea sense” to handle complex diving scenarios.
The Dive Leader course shifts the focus from your own skills to the oversight of others:
Dive Management: Learn how to plan and manage a day’s diving for a group of divers, including site selection, safety briefings, and coordinating logistics.
Advanced Rescue Skills: Refine your life-saving techniques, including advanced casualty assessment and management of multiple-diver incidents.
Rescue Management: Moving beyond the “buddy rescue,” you will learn how to coordinate a full-scale rescue from the surface, including managing oxygen administration and emergency communications.
Advanced Navigation & Pilotage: Master the use of nautical charts, GPS, and echo sounders to locate dive sites and manage boat positioning.
Expanding Your Depth: Following your training, you can build experience to dive to a maximum of 50 metres.
At ASAC, our Dive Leaders are the backbone of our club’s diving program. By becoming a Dive Leader, you:
Mentor New Divers: You will be qualified to lead Ocean Divers on expeditions, helping them gain confidence in the open water.
Organize Club Trips: You gain the skills to run the “Diving Officer” duties for a weekend away, choosing the best sites and keeping everyone safe.
Progress to Instruction: Dive Leader is the required grade to begin training as an Open Water Instructor.
The course involves several theory modules, a series of practical “Dry” and “Wet” lessons, and a period of dive leadership experience where you lead dives under the supervision of a Dive Marshal.
While much of the Dive Leader training happens organically during our club trips, we have specific slots for core skills:
Boat Handling Practice: Weekend of March 21st (Perfect for Dive Leader pilotage modules).
Rescue Management Scenarios: Integrated into our Stoney Cove training days (June 13th).
Dive Management Experience: Opportunities available during our Scilly Isles (August 1st) and Iceland (August 15th) expeditions.
