Scuba Diving

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What is LUSAC?

Liverpool University Sub-Aqua Club (LUSAC) is a hybrid student sports club and British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC). We offer both scuba diving and underwater hockey activities for our members. We're a very diverse club due to our student membership.

What is BSAC?

BSAC is a non-profit organisation that regulates scuba diving in the UK. It is not a dive school, but is a governing body of dive clubs. All of the instructors are divers that volunteer due to the love of
the sport. Therefore, learning to dive is cheaper than you think, especially compared to other agencies like PADI and SSI. We follow BSAC teaching guidelines and you can check out their website here.

How do I join LUSAC?

If you wish to find out more, you can use our email or socials found on the homepage to reach out. If you're interested in joining us, the click the Join Our Club button on the homepage and fill our the GoogleForm. We'll be in touch.

I'm a beginner with no kit, what will it cost to go from zero to qualified?

Cost include; teaching material/course/qualification card, insurance, kit purchases, contribution to club kit maintenance, and two day trips to a dive site to sign off your open water skills. See below;

So £362 is a minimal estimate of what it’ll cost to learn to dive from scratch. We understand this can seem like a lot, but we promise we make every effort to keep costs to a minimum to make diving more affordable.

Is learning to dive whilst at uni cost effective?

Yes, it's actually the cheapest way to learn!Although on paper the costs do seem high, rest assured that due to the; subsidies from the university, the work of our volunteer committee, the not-for-profit nature of our club, and the efforts of club divers to share their love of the sport by instructing, it is in fact really cheap.For example, we provide unlimited use of our equipment such as; BCD, regs, cylinders, etc, which is fantastic considering the price these are rented for per day at diving schools. And with unlimited air fills, which commercially cost approx £5 per cylinder, you'll save a lot if you dive frequently.

I’m not a student, can I still join?

As a University of Liverpool club, we prioritise students from any university based in Liverpool, however, yes we also welcome alumni, staff and locals.

Are there any formal restrictions on who can join?

The only solid requirement to join our club is that you are fit to dive, this involves being able to sign a medical self-declaration form, with the ability to confidently swim a short distance.

Can I try diving out before I commit to dive lessons?

Certainly! Our 'Try Dives' take place after freshers and provide an opportunity for people who are interested in joining the club to give it a go.

When and where do you meet?

You'll find most of us at the AJ pub after 22:00 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Please feel free to come along and say hi. We're usually quite recognisable, but maybe drop us a message beforehand so we know to look out for you!Underwater Hockey and Scuba training take place at the Liverpool University Sports Centre, every Tuesday and Friday, 20:30-22:00. If you sign up for diving lessons you will have training during that time once a week on either day. We also hold regular and diverse socials such as picnics (if the weather permits!), bowling, film and pizza nights, go-karting, or heading down to concert square.

How long does it take to learn to dive?

We aim for all our trainees to have completed their BSAC Ocean Diver qualification by the end of the first or second semester, it involves six to eight pool lessons, several theory lessons followed by a theory test, and then two open water days at Capernwray quarry.Don’t worry, we issue all new trainees with a timetable at the start of the year. All that we ask is that you make yourself available and keep the allotted times so that we can get you through training as efficiently as possible.

I trained with another agency (e.g. PADI, SSI), can I still join?

Of course! LUSAC welcomes all divers no matter what qualification you hold. We may require you to do a refresher skills session and a drysuit lesson before you are able to come diving with us, but this is done at the very start of semester 1 so that you can enjoy a whole year of diving with us.You can also continue your training with us if you wish, you won’t lose any current qualifications, nor will it stop you from being able to do further training with other agencies. Please get in touch and we can answer any questions and help sort this out for you!(please note: if you are an already qualified diver from another organisation you do not need to buy a qualification pack, but you do need to buy BSAC membership for us to be insured to teach you to use a drysuit).

I've done some diving before but don't know where to start.

If you’re already BSAC qualified don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and we’ll get you diving as soon as possible. If you hold a qualification that isn’t BSAC, don’t worry, LUSAC warmly accepts divers from other agencies, including; PADI, SAA, SSI, SSAC & others.We recommend that you are drysuit qualified as most of our diving takes place within the UK. We can provide drysuit training if you do not already have it, just get in touch with us. We also welcome those who wish to continue their training with us but are not currently BSAC trained.We have a number of requests every year from those who hold qualifications such as PADI Open Water or equivalent and wish to continue their training with BSAC. If you wish to crossover to BSAC, then we can train you to Sports Diver or above, equivalent to PADI Rescue Diver and above.

• What is my equivalent dive grade in BSAC?

Where can a BSAC qualifation be used?

Worldwide!

How much does it cost to join?

The upfront costs that you will spend in the first month is in the region of £143. This includes BSAC membership at £33 (which provides third-party insurance), AU membership at £60 (which provides personal insurance), and our kit levy at £50 (which goes to the club so that we can maintain communal kit and the boats).

What is the AU?

For more details about the AU membership here

What kit personal kit do you recommend newbies buy?

UK diving becomes a lot easier and more accessible if you have your own; drysuit, undersuit, and weight belt, after which you can then start going on days out shore diving, with only the cost of petrol to pay for.DRYSUITS - The club does not have many drysuits. Drysuits are a personal item as everyone is a different shape and size, and feet need to match body size, etc. It is recommended that for open water sessions students either hire a drysuit (if available) or we strongly suggest looking at second-hand drysuits. There is a UK scuba facebook group that has lots of reselling https://www.facebook.com/groups/526217784137261.
In previous years trainees have found quality suits for around £200.UNDERSUITS - The club also has a couple of undersuits but we also recommend looking at second-hand undersuits in places like; Facebook Marketplace or Ebay.

Do you accept donations of scuba kit?

Yes. We're always happy to give donated kit a new home. This certainly helps us to keep training our students going forward. If you'd like to donate kit, please email [email protected] and a member of our committee will come and pick it up.

Is diving in the UK actually worth it?

Although diving in the UK is undeniably colder and more challenging than in the tropics, we certainly think its worth it! The UK is home to some amazing wrecks, and within these wrecks you are bound to find an abundance of marine life. Being a coastal club, LUSAC has access to some of the best dive sites in the UK, including Anglesey in Wales, a UK renowned dive site. Check out our Instagram @livsubaqua to see some of our trip photos.

How much does a typical UK dive trip cost?

Cornwall
(10 days, 12 dives)
£60 petrol
£350 accommodation/fuel for boat
£? - food and drinks (personal choice)Farne Islands
(2 nights, 4 dives)
£50 accommodation
£120 boat
£? - food and drinks (personal choice)

I'd like to join the committee, how do I go about this?

For those interested in joining the committee, it must be said that LUSAC is not a dive school, nor is it just a student society, it is in fact, due to the safety requirements of the sport, a unique hybrid of both a student society and BSAC club. This means that our committee roles confer experience more akin to that garnered from the wider world.The roles available include;

For more info, or if you’d like to shadow a current committee member out of curiosity, please send us an email and we’d be happy to help.

What's the history of LUSAC?

Founded in 1967, LUSAC is a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, a diver training organisation who award internationally recognised qualifications and are the UK's national governing body for recreational diving.By joining LUSAC you will be joining one of the country's best student diving clubs. Throughout LUSAC history, hundreds of people have gained BSAC qualifications, and several of our oldest active members first learnt with LUSAC.Overtime, LUSAC has developed into a fully fledged BSAC club offering training from beginner onwards. We offer a full calendar of dive trips and events within a friendly and sociable atmosphere, and as one of the best equipped university clubs in the UK, we can offer some of the lowest priced training of any clubs or organisations. We operate two rigid hull inflatable boats which you can learn to drive as well as offering free unlimited air to all members and all necessary equipment is included with your membership fees.Being a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, LUSAC is more than just a diver training organisation; we are a community who partake in other activities such as nights out, meals out, trips away, film nights and many more. With a wide and varied calendar, our events differ from year to year. Through LUSAC you can make friends for life.

Underwater Hockey

What is Underwater Hockey?

Underwater Hockey (also known as Octopush) is a fast-paced underwater game similar to hockey. Originally developed by divers to help keep them fit and engaged in dive clubs during the offseason (before the advent of drysuits), it has since become a sport in its own right. The easiest way to explain it is with a video link (which you should check out!) Check out our Octopush page.

What is the BOA?

The BOA, British Octopush Association, is the governing body of underwater hockey activities in the UK. Check out their site at https://www.gbuwh.co.uk

What's involved?

If you’re interested in giving it a go, we always welcome anyone, no matter the skill level or fitness level. So please do get in touch. You must be able to swim, and be comfortable in the water. We train in the University of Liverpool sports centre pool every Tuesday and Friday between 20:30-22:00. Octopush is thirsty work, so we are always found in the pub after, giving you a chance to get to know us all.Find us on facebook.See you at the bottom of the pool sometime soon!

• Facebook

Meet Our Committee

President: Liam

Vice-President: Lily

Secretary: Amara

Treasurer: Alex

Diving Officer: Sean

Membership Secretary: Cath

Training Officer: Ellie

Event Social Secretary: Caitlin

Social Media Secretary: Nicole

Equipment Officer: VACANT

Expedition Officer: Rosie

Eco/Charity Sec: VACANT

Boat Officer: Andy

Compressor Officer: Russel

Octopush Captain: VACANT

Octopush Vice-Captain: Cameron

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