Come join us!
So you’ve read all about us on our About Page and you want to find out more about joining us? Great!
As mentioned on our Training page, you don’t have to be an existing BSAC member to join our Club. We accept divers from other agencies as well such as PADI, and quite a few of our members have qualifications in both of these agencies. If you’ve not dived before and fancy giving it a go, take a look at our Try Diving! page as a first step first.
So in order to be a member of the Club you will need to pay two fees, one to BSAC and one to the Club.
Benefits of joining BSAC
When you become a member of BSAC, you get the following benefits:
- Access to internationally-recognised Diver Training Programme
- Qualifications that are internationally recognised and respected
- Monthly magazine ‘SCUBA’ delivered to your door (annually worth approx £45)
- Save money on your diving holidays through BSAC Travel Partners
- Worldwide Third-Party Liability insurance
- 10% or more off BSAC items, and access to members own area of bsac.com
- Diver’s events, including shows and conferences
- Have your say – as a member of the UK’s Governing Body for diving
- + more!
Benefits of joining Cotswold BSAC
When you join Cotswold BSAC we can offer you the following:
- Training from fully qualified BSAC instructors within the club
- Swimming pool available for training, testing out diving equipment, practising diving, swimming and snorkelling
- Diving from the Club’s 6 metre (approx 20 feet) RIB
- Choice of Club diving trips around the UK and abroad with a busy schedule of dives organised
- Social events such as the Annual Dinner, quizzes, ten pin bowling, meals out and BBQ’s etc
- The use of diving equipment whilst training, and the ability to hire equipment at little cost
- The sharing of ideas, stories, experiences (good and bad!) through our weekly Club nights
- Free advice and recommendations from our members, including different kit configurations
- Being part of an active, friendly club that covers a variety of ages and diverse backgrounds
So what does all this cost?
That is indeed the question, and it’s less than what you might think! There are two parts to joining any BSAC club, plus any training costs.
1# BSAC HQ fee
Current BSAC HQ rates are £45-£65.50 annually (depending on age/circumstances). For the full lowdown and latest rates, you can find these on the BSAC website membership rates » page.
2# Cotswold 332 fee
Cotswold rates are currently £75 annually.
3# Training costs
Ocean Diver training – £200, which includes equipment use whilst under training, and contribution to instructor costs. In addition to this you will need to purchase a training pack from BSAC (currently £65 for the first qualification, Ocean Diver), pay pool and open water entry fees, and air fills for your cylinder.
Sports Diver training – £50 as contribution to Branch instructor costs, payable to the Branch, plus the Sports Diver training pack from BSAC. If you are crossing over from another agency add £30 to this fee which pays for the additional costs of the training pack and standard decompression tables.
Dive Leader training – £50 as a contribution to Branch instructor costs payable to the Branch, plus the Diver Leader training pack from BSAC.
For Sports Diver training and above you are expected to have your own equipment, but depending on availability and Ocean Diver trainees, we may be able lend you equipment to use in the pool while you get started.
Are there any other costs?
There is also a small charge for diving members to use the Club pool, this is currently £5 per session. We also run Skill Development Courses throughout the year, which are charged individually depending on the course content.
Are there any restrictions?
To join Cotswold BSAC you need to be aged 14 years or over and medically fit. Parental approval is needed for anyone who is 14 to 18 years of age and will need to present during all activities.
The Club will consider applications from persons aged 10 to 14 years of age, provided either their parent or guardian is also qualified as a minimum BSAC Ocean Diver (or equivalent) and is a club member, and will be involved in all lessons (theory and practical) alongside the junior member.
Social members
We also offer a social membership to those who won’t be diving, but who wish to remain a part of the Club and still interact socially. The current cost to be a social member is £15, payable annually. The benefits of being a social member are:
- Attend any social event that’s arranged by diving or social members
- Use of the Club pool for swimming at a reduced fee (£4)
- Entry into the Club’s quarterly prize draw (one winner will receive £25)
Full paying diving members are already social members are therefore not required to pay an additional payment.
Non-members and guests
Visitors who are neither diving members or social members can use the pool for swimming or snorkelling for £10 per session. Children under 16 years of age can use the pool for swimming or snorkelling for £4 per session.
It is important to note that it’s the responsibility of an adult to ensure the safety of their child whilst using the pool, and on no account must a child be left unsupervised by their parent(s).