Advanced Ocean Diver to Sports Diver

As an Advanced Ocean Diver, you've already progressed to 30m and opened up a wealth of exciting underwater adventures. Moving to Sports Diver will broaden your experience in a variety of challenging open-water conditions and learn essential techniques to prepare you for diving to a maximum of 40m.

To complete Advanced Ocean Diver to Sports Diver training, you must be a BSAC member and have successfully completed the Advanced Ocean Diver course. You will also need to confirm you are medically fit to dive by following the current BSAC medical requirements.

Skills that make Sports Divers stand out from the crowd include doing longer deeper dives, with decompression stops if needed.

You’ll learn how to spot if something is wrong and what to do in an emergency including self-rescue, recovery of unresponsive divers, and basic life support – these are among the most valuable skills any diver can learn.

It’s a continually assessed qualification, so after your classroom and in-water training and a short theory exam, you’ll be competent to complete a series of depth progression dives – at increments of 5m – enabling you to dive down to a maximum of 40m.

How do you get there?

• Four classroom modules
• Theory assessment
• Two dry practical modules
• One sheltered-water module
• One optional refresher/orientation dive
• Three open-water modules
• Experience of three different conditions

Sports divers can: 

• Dive to depths of up to 40m, with a suitable buddy
• Plan and execute dives requiring mandatory decompression
• Use Nitrox mixtures containing up to 36% oxygen to extend their dive times
• Rescue other divers, should it be required
• Assist in the management of branch dives
• Attend many more Skill Development Courses

What diving experiences will this open up for me?

Being competent to dive to 40m allows most divers to do all the diving they want in the UK and abroad. At these depths you can access the majority of UK wreck diving, and with Sports Diver skills you can extend your dive times safely and relax to take in your surroundings and any wildlife you encounter.

Qualifying as a Sports Diver will also enable you to take part in a wider variety of BSAC Skill Development Courses to increase your diving skills.

You can sign up to become a Sports Diver by joining a BSAC club. Find a club
Alternatively, if you'd like to learn in a few days you could train with a BSAC Training Centre

Training with a club

Training at a local BSAC club allows you to learn at your own pace, spreading your training sessions over several weeks. You’ll be taught by highly trained volunteer instructors 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.

What equipment do I need?

You don’t need any special kit to become a Sports Diver – a swimsuit and towel should be enough, although you may soon want to buy your own mask and snorkel.

You’ll receive the necessary training pack when you sign up, which contains all the learning materials you’ll need. We recommend you also buy a Dive Profile Red Logbook and BSAC Nitrox Decompression Tables, available from the BSAC shop.

Alternatively, you can sign up for eLearning and begin your training today…

I'm a BSAC member and would like to sign upI'm not yet a BSAC member but would like to sign up