Ipswich Sub Aqua Club — now known as iDive — is celebrating 70 years as one of Suffolk’s most active and enduring BSAC branches.
Founded in 1956 by Ray Marshall and four fellow enthusiasts, the club began at a time when recreational diving in Britain was still taking shape. Their aim was straightforward but ambitious: to create a safe, structured and sociable environment where local divers could train, share skills and explore the underwater world together.
From those early days, the club developed a reputation for strong training standards and a welcoming atmosphere. Members built their own equipment, experimented with early techniques and learned from every dive. The ethos established in the 1950s — safety, teamwork and continuous learning — has remained at the heart of the branch ever since.
In 1976, the club entered a new phase when it became the Post Office Research Sub Aqua Club (PORSAC), based at the Post Office Research Centre in Martlesham. This move brought new facilities, new members and a growing sense of identity. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the club expanded steadily, eventually reaching over 100 members in the early 2000s. During this period, PORSAC became known for producing well trained divers who were confident in UK waters and enthusiastic about exploring sites further afield.
The club’s commitment to high standards was formally recognised in 2006, when it became one of the first diving clubs in the country to achieve Clubmark accreditation. Awarded by Sport England, Clubmark confirmed that the branch met national benchmarks for governance, coaching and safeguarding — a significant achievement that reflected decades of careful stewardship. In 2009, the club received further recognition for 15 years of continuous BSAC membership, underscoring its long standing contribution to the wider diving community.
iDive today
Today, the club operates under the name iDive and remains a thriving, friendly and inclusive branch with over 60 active members. The club runs a full programme of UK and overseas diving, from local shore dives to more challenging trips for experienced members. Training continues to be a central focus, with regular sessions for new divers and structured progression for those looking to develop their skills. The club also offers “come and try it” sessions for anyone curious about taking their first steps underwater.
iDive is proud to support BSAC’s Marine Champions initiative, helping to introduce young people to marine conservation and the importance of protecting the underwater environment. This commitment to education and community engagement reflects the club’s long standing belief that diving is not just a sport, but a way of connecting people with the natural world.
As part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, iDive hosted a special children’s come and try it session at Crown Pools in Ipswich in August. The event aimed to inspire the next generation of divers and give young people the chance to experience the excitement of breathing underwater for the first time.
The club is now based at Fore Street Baths, a venue that has become central to its identity and training programme. It was here, in 2015, that founder Ray Marshall celebrated his 90th birthday — a reminder of how far the club has come since those early days in the 1950s.
Seven decades on, iDive continues to uphold the values on which it was founded: safe diving, strong training, and a welcoming community. With an active membership, a busy diving calendar and a commitment to developing new divers, the club looks forward to the next chapter in its long and proud history.
Congratulations to iDive and all its members, past and present, on 70 years of success!
For the club’s latest news and activities, visit the iDive website.
