News

03/04/2024  Make your voice heard regarding the closure of the NHS Recompression Chamber at Dunstaffnage, near Oban.

The closure of this chamber means that decompression incidents on the West Coast will now need helicopter (or Ambulance) transport to Aberdeen increasing delay and risk to affected divers.  You can express your views directly to your MSP or MP and by signing the online petition https://www.change.org/p/prevent-the-closure-of-the-nhs-recompression-chamber-at-dunstaffnage-near-oban

29/03/2024  Easter Holidays - HQ closed.

Please note that the office is closed from 29Mar - 10Apr for the Easter Holidays.  If you have an urgent query during that time, please contact the relevant member of the Board.  Thanks.

25/03/2024  Upcoming Courses

After the successful delivery of courses in Feb/Mar, plans are being progressed for further courses, but we can already confirm the following:

  • Branch Instructor – 20th April 2024
  • Deep Dive – 11th / 12th May 2024
  • Nitrox – 25th May 2024

Courses are only run where there is sufficient interest so…

Please register your interest on JustGo by adding your name to the Waitlist (in JustGo – Click on Events and Courses>>Click on the relevant course>>Click on Add to Waitlist.  Note: Club Admins can also do this for members of their Branch). 

If you have any questions, please do contact the relevant Course Director and if you have any problems adding yourself to the Waitlist, please contact HQ.  Thanks.

19/03/2024  Keep our Pools Open

Scottish Swimming have a petition in the Scottish Parliament at the moment to keep swimming pools open as they are so vital not just for swimmers but for other sports such as our own who use them for techniques, training and safety.

This petition is being considered in Parliament on Wednesday 20th March and it will be great to get as many signatures on it ahead of this.

The petition link is here. Recognise the value of swimming pools and provide financial relief to help keep pools open - Petitions (parliament.scot)

13/02/2024  Update on upcoming training courses

The significant work to ensure courses are running to meet demand is bearing results with following courses taking place in Feb/Mar:

  • Thursday 15th Feb – CWPS (Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport)
  • Sunday 25th Feb – Club Examiner Course
  • Sunday 10th Mar – First Aid/Heartstart/Oxygen Administration Course
  • Saturday 16th Mar – ScotSAC Nitrox Course
  • Saturday 16th Mar / Sunday 17th Mar – Regional Instructor Course

Thank-you to all those involved in arranging and delivering these courses.

9/01/2024

We hope the Christmas and New Year period was good to you and you are all ready to try out any shiny new kit Santa brought!

Membership Fees:

Please note that the updated membership fees as agreed at our AGM are now in operation and you can refer to them in the table on the Join Now page.

Training Courses:

There is significant activity in progress getting courses scheduled to meet demand.  The current plans are as follows:

  • HeartStart / O2.  Next course is 14th January 2024. Course is now full, but planning is underway for the next course (potentially mid February) – please register your interest on JustGo
  • Deep Diving.  Next course 13th / 14th January 2024.  Course is now full, but planning is underway for the next course – please register your interest on JustGo
  • CWPS course (essential if you instruct in a branch that has juniors).  Next date 15th February 2024 (Virtual). Spaces available – please register your interest on JustGo.   Branch CPOs will be given priority, however future courses will be scheduled to accommodate demand.
  • Nitrox.  Next Course 16th March 2024 in HQ.  Spaces available – please register on JustGo if you want to attend.
  • Regional Instructor. Date TBC but targeting mid/late March 2024.  The course is now full, but please speak to your Regional Coach if you want to take your instructing contribution to this level.
  • Branch Instructor.  Next course TBC but targeting April – Spaces available.  Please speak to your BDO and/or Regional Coach if you want to progress to become an instructor in your branch. You can then register your interest by joining the waitlist.

Note that in JustGo, when the course you wish to attend is full, you still have the option to join the waitlist for the course – that gets you into the queue for the next one or onto the scheduled one should a space become available.  If you have any problems registering onto the waitlist, please contact HQ.

 

8/12/2023

Christmas/New Year: Please note that the ScotSAC office will be closed from 22Dec to 7Jan inclusive.  Urgent items can be addressed to the Chair or to the NDO by email as appropriate.

7/12/2023

Reminder: Please be aware that there is only one postal collection per week from Caledonia House (on a Wednesday), so please allow for that when expecting qualification logbooks for new members of your branch.  Once Kirsty has the logbook packaged up, it can take up to a week for it to actually leave the building.

1/12/2023

Scottish Sub Aqua Club
Please note that our office at Caledonia House | 1 Redheughs Rigg | South Gyle Edinburgh | EH12 9DQ is open: 

Monday and Thursday on 0131 625 4404

Also available by phone only on Tuesday on 07543 673 616

Email: hq@scotsac.com | Website: www.scotsac.com   | Membership login: scotsac.justgo.com

 

18/7/2022

New Admin and Finance Officer

After much searching we are delighted to welcome Kirsty Carella as our new Admin Officer.  Kirsty comes to us with lengthy experience in administrative roles in various settings.

She started work with us on 18th July 2022.

She will be working 21 hours per week, her working days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Scottish Dive Conference schedule lands, and more speakers announced!

11/11/2014

There are just two more days to buy your tickets online for the Scottish Dive Conference at Stirling University, and the speakers and raffle prizes just keep rolling in!

Andrew Fox from Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions comes all the way from Australia to talk to us about shark diving with a difference!
Steve Millard of Learn2freedive will talk on Freediving. He is Apneists UK Head Coach and an AIDA Instructor Trainer.

You can take a look at the full line up of speakers on our Facebook page here. Not sure who to see? Use our conference speaker schedule below to plan your day.

The atrium area of the University will hold a number of brilliant stands and stalls, more information for which can be found here.

And of course we have our fantastic raffle, with over £1000 worth of goodies to be won:

 

AP Diving are giving the chance to win a New Commando Escape Travel B.C.D.
Forth Element have developed a new top quality, super warm under suit. Be one of the first to own one!
Otter Dry Suits has sent us an accessories collection
Basking Shark Scotland will give their winner a branded BSS hoodie
Safari Diving Lanzarote are going to include a voucher for 2 persons for a week’s accommodation and 6 dive pack each
Scottish Sub Aqua Club will be giving 2 free memberships & log books
BDMLR are giving away a free membership to one lucky winner 
Crest Dive Centre, St Raphael Marina, Limassol, Cyprus offer the winner 2dives on the Zenobia wreck & lunch
A pair of Scubapro Seawing Nova fins are available in 4 sizes and 5 colours, with the winner to collect them from their nearest authorised Scubapro dealer

 

Interested? Not bought your ticket yet? Click here to buy your advance ticket for £20, but be quick - you only have until 6pm on Thursday 13th November to buy your ticket online.

 

After you have spent your day buying new gear and listening to all the interesting talks, why not stay a bit longer and relax along with the helpers and speakers in the Stirling Court Hotel in the University grounds. We have a combined Disco/Ceilidh organised with a traditional stovies supper at half-time to keep you going. Tickets are available here.

Folk can start arriving from 7:30 with the dancing kicking off at 8pm. You may find some folk propping up the bar earlier. We will have a couple of traditional games to keep you on your toes, but the main thing is to relax and enjoy yourself. Dress code is come as you like, but we advise against wearing your dry suit, a kilt would be quite warm enough! 

We have a specially discounted rate for Conference goers that want to stay over in the Stirling Court Hotel, so contact them directly - call 01786 451666 (www.stirlingcourthotel.com) and explain you are there for the Dive Conference. If you are unable to obtain discount contact the SDC mailbox (scottishdiveconference@hotmail.co.uk) and we will try to ensure you get the special rate. Alternatively there are loads of hotels and B&B nearby (for example, have a look at www.destinationstirling.com/book-your-stay/).

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Scottish Dive Conference - 1 week to go!

07/11/2014

With just over a week left until the Scottish Dive Conference at Stirling University, tickets are selling out fast. Sales are limited due to the maximum capacity of the main lecture theatre, so if you still haven't bought your tickets yet make sure you act fast to avoid disappointment. You have until 6pm on Thursday 13th November to make your booking for what is all set to be an amazing event. You can buy your advance tickets from the website here.

The full schedule of the day’s events will be available shortly.  In the meantime, you can keep up to date with all future SDC related announcements through our "Scottish Dive Conference" Facebook page.

As usual we will have a fantastic raffle with great prizes from top brands, including:

to name but a few. So don't miss out! In addition, there will be plenty of trade stands with lots of dive kit for sale at excellent prices, plus each attendee will be given a goody pack containing a schedule, leaflets, pens, and slap strap.

 

On-line Ticket Sales

Tickets can be purchased on-line here.  

Tickets cost or £25 on the door, but pay only £20 when you buy in advance from our website.  

Tickets for the evening are £15, and can be bought on the door to the conference.

 

Finding the Conference

From the East, South or West take the M9 to Junction 11. At the junction there is a roundabout which marks the end of the M9. From here you should take the exit for Bridge of Allan, follow the road through the town itself, and after about 200 metres you will find the University entrance on the left.

From the North take the A9 to the same roundabout and follow the same route through Bridge of Allan as above.

By Bus - see here  and click on the Bus tab.               

By Train - Regular services run from Edinburgh and Glasgow, which are both key interchanges for the rest of the UK national rail network. Those travelling from the North can get to Stirling via Scotrail services from Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth

 

Photo Competition

There are two categories for the photo competition "Above the water" and "Below the water".

To enter just print out your pictures and bring them along with you on the day.  Voting will be made by those attending the conference, and winners will be announced that afternoon.

Scottish Dive Conference 2014 - Line Up Announced!

03/10/2014

Details of this year's Scottish Dive Conference have been released! The event will start at 9am prompt on Saturday 15th November 2014, once again being held at the popular and centrally located Stirling University.

We have a fantastic line up of speakers to enthral all day long, so you can pick and choose which ones to see and hear, including:

Doug Allan - World famous photographer and cameraman who films underwater and topside
Shane Wasik - Basking Shark Scotland

Rod Macdonald - Truk Lagoon
Doc Wilmot - ScotSAC Medical Advisor

John McCarthy - Wessex Archaeology-Project SAMPHIRE

Police Divers - Recovery & Equipment Used
Gareth Lock - Safety & Incident Reporting
Dave Ashton - Clyde Outboard Services (Boat/Engines)
Declan Burke - V-planner/Dive Computers
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Seasearch
Louis pounder - Deep Sea World, in tank shark diving

Watch this space as more speakers come on board! You can keep up to date with all future SDC related announcements through our Facebook page. As usual we will have a fantastic raffle with great prizes - so don't miss out! We will also have our customary photography competition so please bring your above and below water shots which will be judged on the day. In addition, there will be plenty of trade stands with lots of dive kit for sale at excellent prices.

Ticket prices remain the same as last year, at £20 in advance, and £25 on the door. This includes a welcome tea/coffee plus a hot lunch. Tickets are available to buy through the website here, and can be paid for via PayPal, or using a credit or debit card.

After the conference we have a themed party organised in the University Hotel which is a great way to let your hair down, and why not stay overnight as we have good rates for the Hotel. Ticket costs are £15 which includes hot food. Tickets are also available to buy through the website here.

To buy more than one ticket, select Add to Cart, then update the number required on the next web page. Please remember to include names of all those attending in the Order Comments box at the bottom of the checkout. Alternatively, you can send a cheque in to HQ along with the names of those attending.

So folks come along and join in what promises to be a great conference again as it's organised for all!

ESAC Summer Solstice Dive - 23 June

21/03/2014

At Eastwood Sub Aqua Club this year we've decided that our annual summer solstice weekend will be held a bit closer to home, at Pilmuir Quarry in Newton Mearns, which is our own local training site. We'd like to invite members of other clubs along for an open-day on the 23rd June with a barbeque and some diving. For further information see our poster here.
 
If you require any further information, we'd be happy to discuss our plans in further detail - 07891 028 918

ScotSAC Suunto Award 2013

11/10/2013

We are delighted to announce that once again, Suunto UK are sponsoring the ScotSAC Annual Award for Volunteering, and have generously donated a top of the range DX Dive Computer.  

These awards are designed to reward an individual's exceptional contribution to our sport.  This contribution could be effort that has encouraged new people to become divers, encouraged existing divers to complete further development training, the organisation of dive expeditions, or some other activity that has raised the profile of diving in a positive way.  It may also be an Instructor who has encouraged and developed new divers and delivered training.  If you know of any individual within ScotSAC who has made a significant contribution to the sport, in any way, now is your chance to nominate them for recognition.

There will be 1 prize of a Suunto DX - the world's first watch-sized CCR dive computer, worth a whopping £995!  Judging will be by a panel consisting of the Chairman, National Diving Officer and General Manager of Suunto Diving UK.

All Nominees must hold current membership of the Scottish Sub Aqua Club and may not be current members of the Board or National Diving Council.  The closing date for nominations is 1st November 2013 with the lucky winner being announced and prize presented at the ScotSAC Dive Conference in Stirling on 9th November.

Download Nomination forms from here.

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