BSAC - Somewhat commercial but Still the Best (BSAC in General)

Member Name: petehall

Product:	BSAC in General
Date:	09/04/02 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Safety is a high priority, relatively inexpensive, excellent club network

Disadvantages: Becoming commercialised

In assessing an organization that issues diver qualifications, I believe that diver safety is of the highest priority. The training given by BSAC branches is of the highest standard. They have hundreds of branches throughout the UK and many abroad, all running the same training programme which puts safety first. No novice is allowed to join open water dives until they have completed their basic pool training (some branches do it in sheltered open water) which includes use of buoyancy jackets and rescue. Of the three main diving organizations operating in the UK, I would rate the BSAC as the most professionally run outfit but I am concerned about their steady drift towards commercialisation. They are beginning to put income generation ahead of the members and this is a slippery road. They have already run into problems in the States, operating in direct competition to their own organizations, and were subsequently thrown out of CMAS, the world underwater federation of which they were founder members.

The national body run an excellent programme of Instructor Training Courses and Examinations but I find it hard to agree with their process of giving the title of ?Assistant Instructor? or ?Open Water Instructor? to those who attend the course, without having assessed them. Having been the Training Officer in a large BSAC branch for several years, I have seen many non-divers progress through the training to become safe and able qualified divers without having to pay thousands of pounds for the priviledge. Most clubs operate by charging an annual membership fee, a BSAC registration fee and sometimes a weekly pool fee. Equipment is often available from the clubs at very low cost and the training is usually free. It?s perfectly feasible to become a Club Diver for a couple of hundred pounds. The comradeship of the club atmosphere is an added bonus. What?s more, you don?t have to pay someone to take you diving every time, the club organises the diving, often provide
s the boats, and you just pay for fuel, air and accommodation.

Summary: