Dive Leader

This course is perfect for BSAC members who want to take a more active role in their club.

As a Dive Leader you become an essential team member helping to organise activities at your BSAC club.

The training also prepares you to dive to depths of up to 50 metres in a range of challenging conditions, following a series of post-qualification depth progression dives.

To enrol on a Dive Leader course you must have successfully completed a Sport Diver course (or have equivalent certification from another recognised training agency) and be aged 14 years or older.

Sports Divers aged between 12 and 14 can complete the elements of Dive Leader training that do not require diving deeper than 20m.

Core to Dive Leader training is extending your personal diving to depths of up to 50m so you can plan and lead more adventurous dives needing detailed planning for gas and decompression requirements. Other skills introduced include using ‘lift and shift’ techniques to recover underwater objects.

You’ll also gain the expertise to plan dives for groups of divers, manage dives, and manage a rescue situation in an emergency, including carrying out casualty assessment and administering basic life support with oxygen.

The course includes 12 theory modules, seven open-water training dives, two dry practical lessons and 20 experience dives (which may include your training dives) in a range of underwater conditions.

It’s a continually assessed course, so after your classroom and in-water training, and a theory exam, you’ll just need to complete a selection of experience dives before you can complete your depth progression to 50m.

What you’ll qualify to do

Qualified Dive Leaders are equipped to do more exciting exploratory dives in a wide range of conditions.

They can dive with divers of any grade to expand their experience and support Ocean Divers in new conditions and locations, under the supervision of a Dive Manager.

If you are an Assistant Dive Instructor, once you are a Dive Leader you can take your instructing with BSAC to another level.

What diving experiences will this open up for me?

Being competent to dive to 50m opens up the opportunity to take part in more adventurous diving, off the beaten track.

As a Dive Leader you’ll also be able to manage and supervise club dives to locations known to the club.

Leading dives and helping to extend the experience of divers in your club is hugely enjoyable – and of course the more experienced your fellow members are, the more fun you can all have.

You can sign up to do the Dive Leader course by joining a BSAC club. Find a club

Training at your local BSAC club allows you to learn at your own pace, spreading your training sessions over several weeks. You’ll be taught by volunteers who are keen divers, and will attend club training sessions with other BSAC members.

You can get involved in social events at your club, and start building a network of friends to go diving with in future. Many clubs have access to boats, compressors, and diving kit that members can use.

At this stage in your diving you will own much of the equipment you’ll need including open-water dive kit, a dive computer and delayed surface marker buoy. You can view other products to go with the Dive Leader course, such as a Dive Management Boat Slate at the BSAC shop.