padi v bsac

[nigel]

my local club is offering free BSAC crossover from padi the only provision is that you must be padi rescue diver or above is it worth doing the cross over to bsac if so what benifits would it bring for me apart from extended range to 50 mt.

[Driftwood]

You could be a fully paid-up member of the "crowbar brigade"?

You could use the ever-so-friendly BSAC forum?

You'd be in Charlie's club?

You could get a good grounding (or ground down) in politics?

:lol:

[nigel]

how big would my crowbar be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Edited by nigel at 7:59 pm on Nov. 5, 2002)

[Driftwood]

</span>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Quote: from nigel on 7:58 pm on Nov. 5, 2002
how big would my crowbar be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<span =''>Depends entirely on the size of the porthole you wish to use it on - nothing worse than a small crowbar flapping around when used on a big hole..... ;)

[parahandy]

Presumably when you say a FREE course you mean as opposed to paying for a course with PADI.

Understand where youre coming from when you say free, however I would guess that you will be expected to join and pay the Branch Annual fees.

Reading the posts on the other Newsgroups and Forums there seems to quite a lot of crossover to BSAC and SAA.
ADVANTAGES
1.If you join the BSAC Branch i'm led to believe youre covered by their liabilty insurance, presumably providing youre diving within their Guidelines.
2.If the branch has a boat youre likely to have access to this,usually but NOT always cheaper than using a commercial boat.
3.If you dive in UK waters a fair bit you'll find an excellent network of members and information on dive sites and local knowledge
4.A lot of BSAC branches have an excellent social side if you like the Club environment.
5.Courses run at a Regional level, O2 Admin,Chartwork and Navigation etc etc normally cheaper than PADI.

Most of the points above can refer equally to the SAA. &nbsp;

[Dr Stevil]

Free ?
My old club (though I do still lend a hand with training) have never charged anyone for crossing over, you do a checkout dive (no charges involved) just to make sure you do actually have the necessary skills, and as long as the DO is happy, you cross over to the appropriate grade - AND they don't have a minimum qualification for acceptance, nor should this other club in all honesty:
http://www.bsac.org/techserv/salt2.htm  (sorry, don't know how to embed these links like the others do)

Re advantages disadvantages:
1) BSAC membership gives you 3rd party liability insurance up to X million quid (NOT personal injury cover mind).
2) Dive Leaders  and Instructors don't have to pay to maintain their qualification  (other than memberhip fees) which I believe is the case with Padi DMs and Ins (I know I'll be corrected  PDQ if wrong on this)
3) Getting Instructors qualifications is _massively_ cheaper
4) most skill development courses (eg O2 admin, boat handling, chartwork etc) are run at cost + £10 for HQ
5) Boat diving in many clubs is very cheap (~ £5)
6) if you finds a &quot;good&quot; club (very subjective criteria)tha social side can be excellent (that's how my GF &amp; I met)
7) most clubs have kit to borrow or hire for a pittance, eg my old club: apeks TX40 reg, octo and console - 1.50 for the day, tanks free to use and £1 per fill, weight belt 50 pence...

8) Downsides - plenty: any type of club will have barrack room lawyers, some clubs are pseudo-military, some DOs have God complexes, lots of clubs are very cliquey, etc. Basically, the problems of 'human nature' being what it is, sigh....

THe big thing with a BSAC branch/club is they are all different so you have to shop around and try them out before signing up with them - just ask Mattbin about his experiences!
Steve

(Edited by Steve W at 12:43 pm on Nov. 6, 2002)

[John Holmes]

shocked:
Can't believe this club is imposing a minimum grade for cross over - doesn't it welcome other agency newly qualified divers then?? Tameside BSAC let you cross over as OW to Club diver with proviso that you do the rescue/resuscitation drills to their standard (as this is not part of the PADI course)which is fair enough. I was worried after hearing that many BSAC clubs didn't like/accept cross overs but have had no problem at all.

[budgy]

Hi Nigel,
Regards the local branch.
Go out and dive with them a few times, particularly in Winter.
In my experience many branches do not schedule regular opportunties for divers to practice and make rapid progress in formal O/W training. I believe it generally works out easier, cheaper and less stressful to do your formal training with professionals.



(Edited by budgy at 12:48 pm on Nov. 7, 2002)

[Dr Stevil]

</span>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] I believe it generally works out easier, cheaper and less stressful to do your formal training with professionals.

<span =''>

&quot;professionals&quot;? &nbsp;That's a bit of an old chestnut &amp; can be quite provocative, as it tends to assume that people paid to do a job will do it 'better' than those doing the same job unpaid. YD does very well avoinding the usual X versus Y arguments evident elsewhere.
However, you are correct that branches are very variable re training opportunities and you shouldn't sign up with one till you are satisfied you have all the info you need, prefereably as suggested by going out on dive trips