Despite being the only landlocked region, the West Midlands Coaching Team provides support for 60 or so active clubs!
The West Midlands region is completely landlocked, so local diving generally takes place in quarries, which can be both exciting and challenging as they tend to be darker and colder than coastal diving. The quarries are suitable for new divers as well as experienced divers and we run a lot of SDC’s locally, so there are always opportunities to add a new SDC to your portfolio of skills.
Notwithstanding the fact we have to travel to get to the sea, the West Midlands has a thriving and committed diving community who regularly travel to dive sites all around the UK and foreign waters.
As we are centrally located we are in an ideal situation to draw on the support and expertise of other regional teams to offer an extensive range of training right here from the West Midlands, this can include anything from snorkelling to technical and CCR courses.
We have a strong regional team of highly qualified and experienced volunteer instructors who are keep to develop members’ diving and instructional skills, and we welcome any interest from instructors who are interested in joining the West Midlands Regional Team.
We have an active course calendar, and aim to continue to offer a program of courses and workshops that will enable our local branches to thrive, develop the types of diving they do and attract new members.
We are always happy to provide information and guidance to branches and individual divers. To ensure you get the most from your region and to be kept up to date with events, please follow us on Facebook.
View upcoming West Midlands Region events
Your Regional Coach
About Debbie Roberts, West Midlands Region Coach
During my diving lifetime, I have been fortunate to have had the pleasure of diving and training with a diverse range of divers, not only from BSAC but also from other agencies both in the UK and abroad, actively seeking new adventures both in the UK waters and in warmer waters.
Being an active diver and club and regional team instructor, I have supported and delivered a wide variety of skill development courses (SDC’S). I have been an instructor for almost 4 years and worked closely with the West Midlands Regional Team for over 3 years, which has further developed my instructional skills.
I am passionate and dedicated to developing other divers to succeed in achieving their goals and ambitions. I am a firm believer in sharing experiences and also learning from others.
Diving opens up a whole new world of experiences and gives us the opportunity to see things we wouldn’t normally see; it is a privilege to share the wonders of the underwater world.
How we help and support divers and clubs in the West Midlands Region
We have a dedicated team of instructors who all teach a wide variety of courses from snorkelling to twinsets and ADP and much more. It is amazing what is on offer and it is all available to support and assist individuals and clubs with their training requirements.
I would like to strengthen our region further by engaging clubs to support each other, perhaps when clubs may be short on instructors or in a particular area and potentially sharing resources; building a stronger, more robust, supportive region.
The region also provides the opportunity for its members to progressively develop their instructional skills in a fun and structured manner. This typically would include branch instructors who are suitably qualified to assist our highly qualified and experienced instructor team on local events. Our approach provides a mechanism for branch instructors, as well as those already on the team, to grow and progress their skills and the range of courses they can teach - which may be difficult to obtain within their own branch if the resources are not available.
I have been fortunate enough to inherit an excellent dedicated team and we all look forward to meeting branch members on the up-and-coming events.
Remember, the regional team is here to support you – we would love to hear from you so don’t be afraid to get in touch! We are always on the lookout for new instructors to join the team.
Training and events in the West Midlands Region
The regional team offers a wide variety of SDC’s and events each year which are driven by the demand from our branches. Specific courses can be requested and the team will do its best to deliver them for divers who want to develop their skills.
Some of the courses offered are: Twinset Diver Course, Advanced Decompression Procedures, Buoyancy and Trim, First Aid for Divers, Search and Recovery, Compressor Operator, Practical Rescue Management, to name a few, as well as offering Diver and Snorkeller Training Days.
View all West Midlands Regional events
Want to join the regional coaching team?
If you are a qualified instructor and looking for personal development opportunities, or if you just want to help develop the skills and knowledge of other divers, then please contact me or anyone on the West Midlands Regional Coaching Team.
Are you an active diver looking to take on the next challenge; why not come and assist the regional team and start your instructing journey. It is a privilege to give something back and help others develop and grow.
To join the team email me.
