CSSC Diving - Deep, Deeper & Deepest

Have you stuck a mask on your face and dipped you head below the sea on holiday only to be amazed at the colours and sounds of this alien world that is only inches below the surface?

Perhaps you've taken it one step further and completed a "discover diving" or "try dive" in the confines of a swimming pool? Or, maybe you are one of the estimated 75,000 UK divers who have qualified in sports diving and experienced the thrill of entering and exploring another medium that covers seven-tenths of our planet.

Whichever group you fall into, the CSSC's own diving club can offer you an opportunity to meet up with like minded divers from all over the UK. Blackcat Dive Club, www.blackcatdiver.co.uk was established in 2004 with the aim of taking a number of trained CSSC members on diving expeditions abroad, generally for good diving, making acquaintances and being a focal point for sport diving within the civil service.

Having completed a number of successful trips, it was decided to form the club into something that could become more representative of the sort of diving that is carried out in the UK weekend in, weekend out and to allow members to meet on a more regular basis.

Having spoken to a number of the sports governing bodies and training agencies, the aim for the club became apparent; (1) to train non-diving members of CSSC who want to get involved in the sport and (2) to be a focal point for CSSC members who have already gained qualifications.

I Want to Learn to Dive - How?

Rather than carry out our own training courses and set up a network of branches up and down the country, with the inherent problems of co-ordination, setting standards and qualifications (not to mention the nightmare of insurance and HSE validation), we have decided to work with the UK's oldest and most respected training organisation, the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC).

For members of the CSSC who may have thought about sport diving or maybe even dabbled on holiday, what the club can do is put you in touch with your local BSAC branch where you will be trained by experienced club instructors who will take you step by step (or fin-stroke by fin-stroke!) through the training needed to become a confident sports diver.

You will learn at your own pace and the beauty of the BSAC system is that virtually all branches have their own training equipment so you won't be expected to run out and spend hundreds of pounds on equipment. Well, not until you get the bug anyway! All you would need to start with is your costume/trunks and a towel - your local branch will do the rest!

You will find that training through a BSAC branch means that you will truly gain your qualification, spending time training in the pool, attending lectures and taking part in assessments. Anyone who has learnt to dive in the UK will tell you that when you have trained to dive here you will be able to dive anywhere in the world.

There's one more major bonus - not only do you get your training through the BSAC, you get this with a reduced joining fee of 50% for being a CSSC member.

I'm Already Qualified - What's in it for me?

So what about those divers who have already received training or gained qualifications? Although the club will work closely with BSAC to provide training and standards for our members, we will also recognise all qualifications gained through other UK HSE approved training agencies and you won't be expected to complete any form of cross-over training to become a member.

Membership of the club is FREE and, in addition, all divers will be entitled to the 50% off BSAC membership fees.

The nature of our work means that we are spread out across the length and breadth of the country and so it is envisaged that the website www.blackcatdiver.co.uk will be the focal point for members and a forum and bulletin board pages are planned to allow members to keep in touch and maybe put their own ideas for trips and events forward.

The club's short to medium term aim is to have a National CSSC Branch that is able to organise a monthly dive from March to October in the UK and maybe one expedition per year. We will try to make the location varied and, as we already have a great deal of expertise within the club, we have some ideas to whet the appetite on even the most seasoned diver!

The Future - Deeper Into Diving

Any club will only ever be as successful as the membership; the more divers that can get involved, the more chance we have of growing the club and our events. While not an exact copy of what the club aims to achieve, we are aware of the expeditions run by Joint Services Sub Aqua Diving and we believe that with an enthusiastic enough membership we would be able to organise similar adventurous diving expeditions.

We already have a head start in that within our team we have a number of divers of national and international repute. They have organised and led a number of cutting edge expeditions from cave diving to historic wrecks lying in 100m+ as well as dives to some of the world's most remote dive locations.

For those who want to improve their skills and take them to the next level, the club will aim to offer technical dive training through a number of instructors both in the UK and abroad. Technical diver training allows you to experience another level of diving and to explore areas seldom - if ever visited. In addition, members will be able to develop skills such as first-aid, dive-leading and boat handling and all other courses endorsed by the RYA and BSAC.

The opportunity to develop as a fully rounded sports diver - or more - is on offer to all CSSC members and all you have to do to jump in is visit www.blackcatdiver.co.uk for further details.

Ron Mahoney