SUSAC is friendly and social BSAC diving club, committed to providing the best U.K. diving experiences for students within Swansea University welcoming SCUBA divers of all levels and backgrounds. So long as you are a student at Swansea University, alumni, or a lecturer you're welcome to join!
We are a registered branch of the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and a registered club within Swansea Sports Wales and the Swansea Student Union.
SUSAC is run by a committee of Swansea University Students with volunteer instructors.
With SUSAC you will develop your SCUBA training in a safe environment with our Nationally Qualified Instructors. The club dives with an efficient yet relaxed attitude to encourage steady progression through qualifications.
As well as SCUBA diving, there are also opportunities to learn skills in boat handling, VHF radio use, first aid and a whole host of other Skill Development Courses run by BSAC.
*Training*
Our training agenda this year starts with try dives at Wales National Pool to give prospective members a chance to give it a go. Ocean diver training will then start with theory training in house, followed by practical dives at Spring Valley Lakes.
Open Water Diving is scheduled around Swansea bay and the Gower including dive sites such as Oxwich Wreck, the Strombus and shore diving at Bracelet Bay, Mumbles.
Further afield, SUSAC dedicate semi-regular diving trips to Pembrokeshire at a whole range of dive sites including Stackpole Quay, Martin's Haven, Dale, St Brides, Blue Lagoon and many more!
*Our Environment*
SUSAC is open to students from all degree schemes, whilst it’s a hit with Marine Biologists and other environment based students alike we have members from a variety of courses, including Law, Computer Science and Physics. SUSAC is a great club to join if you are interested in learning more about both our Marine and Terrestrial environment and what we can do to help protect our Marine ecosystems. There are many helpful and enthusiastic members to encourage this!
SUSAC aims to take on divers from a variety of backgrounds and all levels of experience, the club offers the opportunity for new divers to get their feet wet as well as taking on experienced divers, we also provide a transfer scheme for PADI divers, as well as other recognised dive organisations. Diving with SUSAC offers an affordable and friendly environment that will encourage all members to reach their potential. Here at SUSAC we recognise SCUBA Diving is not a cheap hobby however we strongly believe everyone should be able to enjoy the wonders of the underwater world, as a club we will always offer advice and support to members to help them achieve their goals and can offer the hire of club kit to help you complete training and enjoy trips! Diving is an extremely enjoyable hobby and it is made better by the people who are enthusiastic. Keen and active members, regardless of diving experience, will be rewarded for investing time in the club with spontaneous weekend/evening dives, the opportunity to learn, and befriend a group of people who all share a passion.
*Socials*
No university club would be complete without a social side! Our dedicated social secretaries will host regular socials throughout the year - you'll find it hard not to see at least a few of us in Sin City on a Thursday night! However, be careful not to turn up to a dive hungover... Because the Dive Officer might have to turn you down!
This year we aim to host at least one social night a month, like all good societies our socials are often themed to encourage members to get creative – previously we’ve seen Pirates, Under the Sea and of course the obligatory White T-Shirt social as a get-to-know-you for our new members to meet current members! However, we also hope to plan some more relaxing events for the weekends and evenings such as, wild swimming and BBQs on the beach.
*Other Activities*
As all our members are interested in our oceans and appreciate the environment, in addition to diving and socials we also try and regularly meet up for beach cleans/litter picks, we also host BBQs in aid of the RNLI and DDRC (Diving Diseases Research Centre). If you’re lucky with the weather you might even get to enjoy some time powerboating on the club’s accomplice Jaffa!
If you’re interested in joining SUSAC please join our facebook group and don’t be afraid to message one of our committee members to find out more!
“I first joined Swansea University sub aqua club as an instructor around one year ago. Since then, I've been involved in both training weekends/days and trips away from Pembrokeshire to Cornwall. When I first started teaching with the club the other instructors and members made me feel welcome, and I was invited on social nights and for annual get togethers. I met lots of new people, and good friends which I have now. Everyone I've spoken to regarding their time at the club, whether they’re new or old divers, have also been made welcome and are still enjoying their time at the club. It's somewhere you will find other people that have the same interests as yourself, and you’ll make some really good friends. I like teaching at the club as it is somewhere you can meet people outside of university and work. I hope many more people will continue to join, and learn to dive with the club.” – Katie Richards
“As one of the youngest members of SUSAC the idea of learning to dive with such an experienced crowd seemed a little daunting, however from the first OD pool session it was clear that these people put their passion for diving to good use. The instructors helped kickstart my training and encouraged me to overcome my fears. Whilst I’m still waiting to complete my OD training I haven’t let this discourage me from regularly getting involved with the club; my lunchtimes, evenings and weekends are often spent helping at the kit room, meeting up with friends I’ve made through the club and exploring Swansea Bay and the Gower with them. There is always someone to talk to and they are always happy to offer advice and support to try and help get keen members active” – Eve Uncles
“I joined SUSAC in my 2nd year of uni having only ever done 2 dives on holiday. Being in the club probably made Swansea what it was for me. Alongside learning to dive, the social atmosphere of the club is like no other and I met friends that I am still in touch with 6 years later. It gave me the chance to grow as a diver all the way from my first UK dive, getting on committee, training as an instructor and eventually become Diving Officer for 2 years. Even after finishing at Uni I couldn't shake the SUSAC bug and continue to dive and instruct with the club to this day.” – Michael François
“I joined SUSAC in my first year with no diving experience and was worried I’d struggle learning from scratch. In reality, everyone was extremely friendly and eager to help me learn, and I made friends within the club very quickly, progressing through my qualifications easily with the help of more experienced members. I’ve also been shown the amazing diving experiences around the UK coast and can’t wait to do more!” – Toby Humby
“SUSAC is a great club with a wonderful atmosphere, they make you feel welcome and at ease pretty quickly. The dive training throughout the year works really well, and the instructors are all fab! At the end of the day it feels like a group of people who hang out and do some diving, rather than diving being the main aim. This is further echoed in the socials and other events, such as octopush and club nights. Joining the club brought unexpected friendships to my year at Swansea University.” – Lexi Hemming
For any queries, do not hesitate to contact us by email at subaqua@swansea-sports.co.uk
Or join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/swanseaunisac/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: How do I find out when events or training is occuring?
A: Check out the SUSAC facebook page or contact one of our committee members.
Q: How do I contact a member of the committee for SUSAC?
A: For the quickest response, we encourage you to use the Facebook page or message one of our committee members on Facebook, alternatively use the society email address (subaqua@swansea-sports.co.uk). When emailing, please include a subject title e.g. training enquiry, price enquiry, membership enquiry. This helps us to work out which member of the committee the email would be most relevant to.
Q: What time does training occur?
A: Training occurs at various different times and venues. Most organisation is through Facebook or email. As a rule of thumb, training during the week will occur after 6pm on Monday nights, and on weekends.
Q: Where is the Wales National Pool/SUSAC Kit room?
A: Starting from the entrance to Fulton House, the best route to take is straight to the mini round-about located close to Halls of Residence. Turn left here and follow the main road passing Singleton Hospital on your right. Cross Sketty Lane at the main junction and you have arrived at the pool (approx. 5 mins walk). For the SUSAC kit room, walk slightly past the pool (to the right of the main entrance) and down a short, steep hill.
Q: What are the costs of joining, training and fun diving with SUSAC?
A: Please see 'Purchase Information' above.
Q: Are there any additional costs which are not stated above in Purchase Information?
A: Yes, only a few. All diving trips (whether for training or simply for recreational purposes) will require a small petrol fee to put towards transport to the dive site, usually between £5-10 per person. There are also petrol costs associated with diving from our club boat which typically work out at around £10 per dive. Some dive sites, such as National Diving and Activity Centre, Chepstow require a fee to dive there - NDAC entry is £18 per day, for example.
Q: Why do I have to purchase SUSAC membership and BSAC membership?
A: BSAC (the British Sub Aqua Club) is the UK governing body for diving and is SUSAC's affiliated training agency - SUSAC is a branch of the BSAC. BSAC membership provides you with third party liability insurance (specifically for diving) and is a requirement for all SUSAC members to be allowed to dive. Both SUSAC and BSAC membership must be purchased to dive with the club. BSAC membership is not required for members exclusively playing Octopush.
Q: What trips does SUSAC run? Can we go diving any other time?
A: SUSAC will run regular in-land trips to Chepstow NDAC. SUSAC will also organise shore diving trips to Pembrokeshire, Gower and further afield. Keep a watch on the SUSAC facebook group for regular posts about up and coming trips. If you wish to attend a trip please let whoever is organising the trip know so that they can reserve a space for you. Please note: You do not have to rely on SUSAC organising a trip to go diving!! Once you have paid your Kit Hire cost of £25 (see above) you are welcome to use SUSAC's kit to go diving whenever you wish, with whoever you wish, so long as you are with a buddy and diving within your experience and depth limits. Please note that you will need to tell SUSAC's Diving Officer and Equipment Officer if you wish to borrow kit and plan a diving trip. We have also assisted the university with research diving in the past to Cornwall seagrass beds, and are hoping to continue with t
Q: Can I still join SUSAC as a trainee even though training has already begun?
A: Yes! You can join SUSAC anytime of the year. However, if you are undertaking training with SUSAC you must be aware that training is organised voluntarily by the club. Therefore, if you have missed training sessions you will need to try to arrange a time which is convenient with us to teach you. All of SUSAC's instructors are volunteers and have their own schedule to keep - with this in mind, there may not always be a chance for you to complete your training if you have missed some of the sessions. SUSAC will attempt to organise repeat sessions for those that have missed them. However, these are not guaranteed and therefore you must bare in mind that you may not finish your training until the next academic year when sessions will be repeated.
SUSAC will offer plenty of sessions throughout the year for you to complete your training. It is your responsibility to turn up to these sessions.
Q: Can I join SUSAC from another agency (e.g. PADI, CMAS, SSI, SAA etc) ?
A: Yes, of course. Simply because you have dived with a different organisation in the past doesn't mean you cannot dive with SUSAC. Your diving will be restricted to your qualification limits. SUSAC is unable to offer any training through any other syllabus than BSAC.
Q: Can I dive anywhere in the world with a BSAC qualification?
A: Yes! BSAC is an internationally recognised diving organisation and thus it's certifications allow you to dive to the specified depth anywhere in the world. It is recommended that you take your qualification and diving log book along with your certification card to any diving organisation outside of SUSAC that you wish to dive with.
SUSAC Refund Policy:
Please refer to this document for our general refund policy for the academic year. If you have any questions about it please email us!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1itMF9HuSVM825RIF-7KzIytDBtFfL0PoPjgvpANFJao/edit?usp=sharing