News

08/05/2025 - ScotSAC Courses and Training in May

Reminder of the following taking place this month:

  • 10/11th May - ScotSAC training weekend - please contact our NDO Sam if you plan to participate
  • CWPS - 20th May.  A course is taking place and there may be spaces available – please contact HQ if you are interested in attending
  • Nitrox - Will run on 24th May in HQ, Stirling.  Please add your name to the course attendees or contact Joe Campbell (nitrox@scotsac.com ) for more information

To book a place log into the membership system, navigate to <Events & Courses>.  You can then book a space on a relevant session (where spaces are still available).  If spaces run out, please add yourself to the waitlist for the next available course.

01/04/2025 - HQ holidays in April

Please be aware that due to staff holidays during April, members may experience some delays in receiving joining packs or a response to emails and phone calls.  If any matters arise that require urgent attention prior to 21st April please raise to NDO@scotsac.com  or chair@scotsac.com  Thank you.

29/03/2025 - ScotSAC Course Updates

The following courses will be running in the next two months

  • Full Open Water Instructor Course – Saturday  5th April.  Course is now full, but another one will be scheduled in the Autumn.
  • CWPS – 20th May.  A course is running at the end of May and there may be spaces available – please contact HQ if you are interested in attending
  • Nitrox - currently in planning and likely to run on the 24th May.  Please add your name to the waitlist or contact Joe Campbell (nitrox@scotsac.com ) for more information
  • Heart Start / O2 – currently in planning, date to be confirmed

To book a place log into the membership system, navigate to <Events & Courses>.  You can then book a space on a relevant session (where spaces are still available).  If spaces run out, please add yourself to the waitlist for the next available course.

28/03/2025 – PVG registration becomes a requirement for ALL ScotSAC instructors from 1st April 2025

  • As of 1st April, PVG becomes a legal requirement in Scotland when carrying out a regulated role with children, protected adults, or both. 
  • For ScotSAC, that applies to all of our instructor roles regardless of whether your branch membership includes young people or has anyone who meets the definition of being a protected adult
  • If an instructor does not have PVG registration, then this can easily be obtained (at no cost) via HQ who will help facilitate the application.
  • There is a three-month grace period for getting PVGs in place.  After 1st July 2025 any instructor who does not have a PVG certificate uploaded onto JustGo will be updated to an ‘inactive’ status.

27/03/2025 Updated guidance/FAQ for diving medicals

A document answering all the frequently asked questions regarding medicals was issued to all BDOs.  It is available to all members by searching for ‘medical’ from the Documents tile in our JustGo membership system.

17/02/2025 ScotSAC Training weekend – 15/16 March 2025

This weekend saw the first ScotSAC training weekend of the year.  An OWI uplift was held at the Arrochar Village Hall on the Saturday morning, followed by some assessment activity (Rescue Refreshers, Examiner open water assessment and OWIA assessments). 

The Sunday saw a number of clubs out enjoying the sunny weather and getting some training in.

Thank you to everyone from the following branches who participated or helped out: Eastwood Divers, Grampian Sub Aqua Club, Stirling Sub Aqua Club, Greenfaulds Sub Aqua, North Ayrshire Divers, Kelvin Divers, Musselburgh Sub Aqua Club, Perth Sub Aqua Club and a big thank-you to our NDO Sam for organising.

13/01/2025 OWI and OWIA uplift courses on 18/19 January

We are starting January with uplift courses for instructors looking to move to the new Open Water Instructor and Open Water Instructor Assessor roles.  These are running on the 18th and 19th January at our new HQ location.

As always, to book a place log into the membership system, navigate to <Events & Courses>.  You can then book a space on a relevant session (where spaces are still available).  If spaces run out, you can add yourself to the waitlist for the next available course (or to be a reserve).

For your information, the Board and NDC will also be running a joint planning meeting on the 18th.

20/12/2024 - Christmas Holidays

Please note that the office will be closed from 20th December for the Christmas/New Year Holidays, reopening on Monday 6th January.  If you have an urgent query during that time, please contact the relevant member of the Board.  Thanks.

Have a very Happy Christmas and New Year!

11/12/2024 - New office phone number

Our new office phone number is in place and working - you will find it at the bottom of the page and on our Contact page.

4/12/24 – Office Move

We have now moved the contents of our office to what will be our official HQ address from 1 January 2025.  Any mail sent to the old office will be redirected to our new address which is:

The Scottish Sub-Aqua Club
Office 52, Stirling Business Centre
Wellgreen Pl
Stirling FK8 2DZ

Please bear with us while we complete the new office setup, unpacking etc.  Email will be answered as usual but we will soon have a new desk phone number for HQ, so please avoid phoning the old number.  We will publish the new phone number on our website once it is up and running.  Thanks.

30/11/24 – BDO and Instructors Conference, The 3 Villages Hall, Arrochar

Thanks to our NDO Sam for arranging our 2024 Conference for BDOs and Instructors.  It was well attended with over 50 folk taking part and providing lots of positive interaction on the key topics covered which included:

  • Objectives for and changes implemented over the 2023/2024 period (from both Board and NDC)
  • Upcoming changes to Instructor grades
  • NDC focus for 2024/2025 and beyond
  • Opportunity to ask questions direct to NDO, NC and members of the Board/NDC

Thank you to all the presenters, the BDOs, and Instructors who attended and helped make it a successful conference.

23/11/24  Nitrox Course – Successfully run

Well done to the candidates from 4 different branches that attended the Nitrox Course on 23Nov in spite of the snow and travelling from as far afield as Cumbria!   The next course will be in the spring and run from our new office location in Stirling.

05/11/24  Rollup, Rollup - Calling all those interested in gaining Nitrox Certification - rescheduled course now planned for 23 November

We are trying to get enough confirmed candidates to run the rescheduled Nitrox Course on 23Nov.  If you are interested in attending, please book or add yourself to the waitlist in JustGo (Click on Events and Courses>>Click on the Nitrox course>>Add your booking or add yourself to the waitlist if you can't make the 23Nov but still want to attend the course)

25/10/2024  Reminder: AGM next Wed 30th October 19:30

Reminder: the ScotSAC AGM is next Wed 30Oct at 7:30pm. If you are planning to attend the online meeting, remember that you need to register by lunchtime on Monday 28Oct through the Events & Courses section in the JustGo membership system to ensure that you receive the on-line meeting details in time.

All current ScotSAC members received an email from HQ on 8th October containing the link for voting, and information on where to find all the AGM documents in JustGo.

The AGM will be an online meeting.  Due to the impending closure of Caledonia House, the risk to adequate facilities remaining available to hold a successful hybrid meeting was too high.

27/09/2024 Nitrox Course Postponed

Due to too few candidates confirming availability for the 5th October we have had to postpone and will reschedule for a date (targetting November) that allows sufficient candidates to attend.

08/08/2024 Nitrox Course

The next Nitrox Course will take place in the HQ Office on Saturday 5th October.  Please register on JustGo if you wish to attend

11/07/2024 Seasearch Course

The next Seaseach Course will run online on Saturday 24th August, followed by a diving day in Loch Fyne on Sunday 25th August.  To sign up or for more information, contact Owen Paisley at seasearch.west@btinternet.com

21/06/2024  Advance notice of HQ closure for Summer Holidays

Please note that the office will be closed from 15Jul – 29Jul for Summer Holidays.  If you have an urgent query during that time, please contact the relevant member of the Board.  Thanks.

The office will also be closed on Mon 1Jul.

13/06/2024 Nautical Archeology - update

The ScotSAC Underwater Archeology Endorsement has been updated to reflect changes in the NAS courses.  Some of you may already have completed the modules that allow you to claim the ScotSAC endorsement (counts toward the ScotSAC First Class Diver Award), so if you have done both of the NAS modules you can get your endorsement signed up retrospectively.

04/06/2024  Eyemouth Harbour - replacement pay to park system.

Eyemouth Harbour Trust have let us know that their new pay to park system will be in place from 17th June. This includes the shore dive parking areas. The previous pay to park 'Just Park' app was not cost effective.

Full details are available here - this includes a map showing where Free parking is still available

27/05/2024  Nautical Archeology

Are you considering the Nautical Archaeology Module for your First Class Diver award?

Divers who have completed their eLearning with NAS (Nautical Archaeology Society) can attend and get their module signed off with ScotSAC.

There is now a planned Scottish Foreshore Skills of 2-days (27th - 28th July) at North Berwick. Anyone wishing to attend can sign up via the NAS website (under Education/Whats On/) or use the link above.   Please contact HQ if you want to ensure your attendance is coordinated with our contact in NAS.

30/04/2024 Nitrox Course postponed
Unfortunately, due to insufficient candidates coming forward, the Nitrox course that was scheduled to be held on 25th May will be postponed to later in the year.  A revised date will be communicated once confirmed.  If you are interested in attending, please add yourself to the waitlist in JustGo (Click on Events and Courses>>Click on the relevant course>>Click on Add to Waitlist).

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.

PDF icon Eyemouth Harbour Parking

AGM 2020

21/01/2020

 

The Adam Curtis Memorial Conference Conference will not go ahead this year and is being planned for October 2021 instead

 

Website and Outlook - Distruption

04/09/2019

As you may know the website was down at the beginning of the week but this has now been resolved and the site is available again.  Unfortunately outlook is only receiving emails at the moment.

If you have sent an email and not yet received a reply, please be patient as you should hopefully get a response later today.  If your enquiry is urgent please contact HQ on 0131 625 4404

regards

HQ

AGM

27/08/2019

The date for the ScotSAC AGM has been set for Wednesday the 30th October 2019.  To be held at ScotSAC headquarters, Caledonia House.

Please be there for 7pm for a 7.30pm start.  Light refreshments will be available.

Illegal scallop dredging in Marine Protected Areas

19/12/2018

 

You may have seen David Ainsley on TV talking about having recently seen a boat apparently scallop dredging in the Marine Protected area around the Garvellachs.

Many ScotSAC divers will be familiar with this area and be aware of the recovery the seabed has undergone over the years when the area has been protected from scallop dredging.

Following a meeting in Oban which included many interested parties such as scallop divers, sports divers , creel fishers and Coastal Community groups a statement has been prepared and sent to Rosanna Cunningham and Fergus Ewing and other appropriate politicians.

There are existing laws to protect these areas and they are not being enforced. 

David believes there have been nearly 100 reports of suspected illegal dredging in MPAs between August 2015 and May 2018, but there have been very few prosecutions and only very small fines.  Marine Scotland seem to be very reluctant to pursue these illegal activities.

ScotSAC has added it’s support to the statement but if anyone wants to lobby MSPs individually please feel free.

"NEWS FLASH" - CYLINDER TESTING

19/12/2018

 

The new  BS EN ISO 18119:2018 Gas Cylinders-Seamless steel and seamless aluminium-alloy cylinders and tubes – Periodic inspection and testing has been issued which supersedes BS EN 1968:2002 and BS EN 1802:2002

The standard recommends:

‘Local regulations will specify the interval of periodic inspection and test. In the absence of any local regulation as a guide, an internal examination every year with a periodic inspection test as 5 yearly intervals should be carried out. However, if on completion of a risk assessment and the specific use of a cylinder indicates that there is a low risk of internal degradation then the interval for carrying out an internal examination can be increased to a maximum of 2.5 years.’

The last sentence was inserted at the last minute by the concerted efforts of the UK Recreational diving community, who have also prepared the attached Risk Assessment, which will mean that for the majority of ScotSAC members the current 2.5 year cycle will remain provided the good practice noted in the Risk Assessment is followed.

Members should be aware that these regulations will require cylinders to be tested annually unless compliance with best practice outlined in the risk assessment can be demonstrated.

Risk Based Assessment of Cylinder Internal Examination Periodicity

Pages