Teaching in the UK (Scotland)

[Griff..]

Hello guys,

Not been around here for awhile, bit about me, I'm an Instructor and Tec Diver that has had about a year out from diving completely, during which I have moved to Aberdeen in Scotland.

My friend has recently asked me to teach him to dive, which I have agreed to do. I will be teaching him as locally as possible, using the local dive centre for pool sessions etc, only issue is, I have not done the most diving off the coast of the UK (little bits here and there over the years) and everytime it has been fairly challenging (tidal movement, currents etc)

I am wondering if anyone can chip in and just confirm that boat diving off and around the coast of Scotland can be suitable for OW students, certainly the dives I've been on have not been, but did I just get bad luck or go to particularly bad sites.

Any input greatly appreciated.


EDIT: Anyone know of any good quarries around Scotland?
Jim

 

[rivers]

you may have better luck posting this over on the dive forum (The Dive Forum). It's more uk-centric

 

[Hickdive]

Boddam Quarry is on your doorstep;

Boddam quarry

For OW training there are lots of shore dives;

Dive map

There are also lots of boat charters that would be suitable for OW divers.

 

[Redshift]

I've enjoyed a dip in the Loch Ness

 

[String]

Maybe a bit late but if its PADI you're teaching and even if you're doing it for free the HSE ACoP still applies. Which means you need the full insurance, HSE medical, full letters of appointment and written risk assessments, CE stamped kit, proper project logs, an in-water support diver and surface support.
Yes, even for 1 non paying student.

You're looking at a bill of about £400ukp to be in a position where you can teach. And thats without paying the support diver and surface cover who are required legally.

 

[shoredivr]

Talk about too much govt intervention!

 

[Hickdive]

The problem is that the Diving at Work Regulations were created in response to the horrendous casualty rates for commercial divers in the early days of North Sea oil. The legislation is intended to protect the diver at work. They were never intended for instructors teaching recreational diving for money but to change them would mean primary legislation through Parliament. The regulations are certainly not there to protect the student.

Instead the HSE has watered them down as far as they can and created the ACoP. They are still horrendously over bureaucratic and make teaching diving professionally in the UK worth effectively nothing. The only people who make any money are those who are teaching technical courses in a limited market where people will pay a realistic price instead of the lowest price possible for a basic OW course. For a lot of those technical instructors it is actually more profitable to take themselves and their students abroad and out of HSE jurisdiction for courses.