Why I learnt to dive with Saints Divers

Post date: Oct 8, 2010 11:17:36 AM

My wife and I had booked a holiday to Egypt and had heard how good the diving was there. We thought it would be a good idea to learn how to dive before we went so that we could just enjoy our holiday and do a bit of diving whilst out there.

As we live in Northampton we contacted Saints Divers. They are a branch of the British Sub Aqua Club which is the largest diving club in the world. It is a non commercial organisation and all instructors volunteer their time so that costs are kept to a minimum.

The first course is called “Ocean Diver” which allows diving to 20m which is plenty deep enough to enjoy the marine life and reefs in places like the Red Sea. It involves theory lectures and pool lessons over several weeks and some open water lessons at the end of the course.

Despite being an active swimmer when she was at school, my wife was very nervous of the sea and did not even like putting her face in the water. She was given her own instructor who literally held her hand throughout the whole process. She is now a very confident and competent diver.

I have only been diving for two years but through Saints Divers completed my Ocean Diver course, Sports Diver course and have almost completed my Dive Manager Course. I have learnt first aid and basic life support.

Saints Divers, despite being about as far from the sea as you can be in the UK, dive on a regular basis. We have just returned from a week in the Orkneys diving in Scapa Flow and members have been on numerous trips to various UK locations in the past twelve months.

Learning to dive with a club means I have the opportunity to gain experience from lots of experienced divers. It has given me the confidence to dive in new and challenging environments both in the UK and abroad. I know how to check hire equipment when diving on holiday and ensure that both myself and my buddy adhere to safe practices.

Despite what many people think the diving in the UK is some of the best in the world. We wear dry suits so the cold is not an issue but the marine life and numerous ship wrecks make diving off the UK coast exciting and memorable. When I started diving it was to enjoy a holiday in Egypt. Now I dive regularly in the UK and consider it the best diving I have done.

If you are interested in learning to dive please feel free to contact us. We can discuss the course structure with you and any concerns you might have.

We meet every Monday from 8pm at Wootton Working Mens’ Club, High Street, Wootton.