The ASA has incorporated the BSAC Dolphin Snorkeller course into its Aquatic Skills Framework and will be rolling out training that will see swimming teachers around the country qualifying to teach children how to snorkel.
The London-based pilot course is the first of a number of Dolphin Snorkel Instructor training courses to be held over the autumn, creating a network of ASA teachers who can teach snorkelling to hundreds of young people around the UK.
The pilot and subsequent roll out of the Dolphin Snorkel Instructor training is as a result of an exciting new partnership between BSAC and the ASA that will see more children learning to snorkel and enjoying aquatic sports.
ASA pilot
The eight newly qualified Dolphin Snorkel Instructors – who all work for Everyone Active Centres - will now be taking their new skills back to their leisure centres and incorporating it into their swimming and aquatic programmes for children.
Elizabeth Winter, a swimming coach at Harrow Leisure Centre and Ealing Swimming Club, who is also a qualified diver, said she thoroughly enjoyed being part of the pilot and was looking forward to taking what she had learnt into her own career.
“I hope to use my qualification to run courses at my current workplaces and to encourage young swimmers to try snorkelling on holiday – and hopefully open their eyes to a whole new underwater world.”
This is the first time the English national governing body for aquatics and the national governing body for scuba diving and snorkelling in the UK have worked together.
Mary Brown, BSAC Snorkel Instructor Trainer who led on the pilot, said she was delighted by the progress made during the first instructor training session.
“The students were really enthusiastic and made the session a pleasure to teach. All eight are now accredited to deliver the BSAC Dolphin Snorkeller course in their leisure centres, working with children to build on their water confidence while learning new aquatic skills. This is the start of a fantastic joint partnership with the ASA to introduce snorkelling to even more young people around the UK.”
