I think I have heard of this before, but not in the United States.
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I think I have heard of this before, but not in the United States.
BSAC rocks. They solve the problems of LDS's. You can buy your gear wherever you want, the instructor is a club member, the club probably has a boat for offshore dives, the club dives as much as it's members want, there is always someone around to mentor you, they have air compressors and cylinders, in short, just what folks are asking for on these threads. Their cards are indeed recognized worldwide (except by lots and lots of tank monkeys in backwoods dive shops) (Backwoods is an attitude, not a location) and I love to see BSAC divers on the Spree, because you know their training is top notch. I am pretty well assured of that because of the club approach. The instructors are mentored all the way through the process. They don't stand for instructors that are 100 dive wonders like we seem to like here in the USA. I love the thought of BSAC clubs. CMAS (the french agency) too.
BSAC is having a hard time maintaining their integrety in the face of the 800 lb gorilla that wants to teach the world to dive. Getting a BSAC card means you EARNED it. You trained with your group of students when it was convenient for the instructor, the course probably took 3 months in the winter, a month in the summer. BSAC divers train in cold dank yukky water like Lake Travis, but don't just do 4 dives there before heading to COZ, they actually LEARN TO DIVE there.
There are a few independent clubs in the states not attached to any shop, in Texas there is CHUM which you know, and Bay Area Divers. I believe the Houston Underwater Club still exists. Trouble is, in the states, clubs seem to implode under the weight of the politics going on in them. They get split into factions, the new regime wants to get rid of the old regime, the old regime wants to meddle in the new regime, and, quite frankly, shop sponsored clubs are formed for the shop to sell gear, go on trips, and have a following.
I would love to see a BSAC style club network in the USA. I think it would be grand.
Frank
I bet we don't see their instructors on here either....I suspect many of them don't want to hear about diving once they get off "work".It sure would be nice to hear from some new divers who haven't contacted their instructors or DMs . . . but I suppose most of those people probably don't find SB.
It sure would be nice to hear from some new divers who haven't contacted their instructors or DMs . . . but I suppose most of those people probably don't find SB.
I bet we don't see their instructors on here either....I suspect many of them don't want to hear about diving once they get off "work".
It sure would be nice to hear from some new divers who haven't contacted their instructors or DMs . . . but I suppose most of those people probably don't find SB.