When you did your BSAC training there was no specified standard for buoyancy, each instructor made their own interpretation, as yours did.My BSAC instructor would not pass any student if they had not mastered buoyancy and horizontal trim. I've seen instructors pass students what still bicycle kick and are near 60 degrees from OW. It's just poor standards from agencies that have instructors passing students. They ask the student how was your instructor? How would they know until they get trained with another instructor on all the things they were not taught. PADI has a peak performance course? Why? Because padi courses and instructors do not teach people properly to be correctly weighted, weight balanced and know about trim.
In 2009 BSAC launched the Buoyancy & Trim Workshop to improve the level of buoyancy control in UK divers. Since then, the standards have been incorporated into core training:
For a:
• BSAC Ocean Diver it’s +/- 2m (Bronze);
• BSAC Sports Diver it’s +/- 1m (Silver);
• BSAC Dive Leader it’s +/- 0.5m (Gold);
• BSAC students on technical courses it’s +/- 0.3m (Black).
The BSAC Workshop buoyancy standard to be demonstrated is 6m then 12m for 2 minutes on the descent, and 12m, 9m, 6m, 5m, 4m, 3m and 2m for 2 minutes at each depth, with a final stop at 1m for 30 seconds for the assent. There is also a 15 minute (minimum) dive where students are to remain 1.5 – 2m off the bottom whilst preforming drills.