Reasons to train in a branch
There is less time pressure in a branch
- Because you are not buying an instructors time you can take longer to complete lessons, so if you are not happy with an exercise you can repeat it without fear that you will not complete the course in the allotted time.
Instructor ratios tend to be better
- In the club most training is done with one instructor to two or three trainees, this compares favourably with most schools.
Once qualified there is a natural progression to diving
- Once you have completed your training you will want to dive, within the club we regularly arrange dives suitable for newly qualified divers (level one dives in the diving programs). On these you will be paired with an experienced buddy to help you.
- As you gain more experience you can gradually carry out more challenging dives, all the time gaining from the experience of other divers within the club. Remember dives within a club are statistically safer than those outside (See BSAC NDC Diving Incidents Report for more details).
- When you feel the time has come to progress with your training, either with the next level of qualification or a Skill Development Course you will already be in the best place to get this training.
The social side
- The club provides more than diving, it is the centre of a thriving social scene which by training in the club you can join.
The down side
- It will probably take longer, this is because the training is voluntary; we can not guarantee we will always have instructors available.
- You will not have the convenience of some one else looking after all the kit for you as you would in a school. But then you won’t once your qualified anyway so its good practice to have to look after it when you have an instructor around to help you.
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