View the gallery The British Sub Aqua Club
Recognised as the UK's Most Successful Branch!
at The British Sub-Aqua Club's Branch of the Year 2009 Awards
 
Welcome to Mid Herts Divers!

Here you'll find information about the club, what we do and where we meet. You'll also find a repository of interesting and useful scuba-diving information.

We welcome both experienced divers from any affiliation as well as anyone interested in learning.

Training is performed by Nationally Qualified Instructors in a safe and structured manner. Theory lessons are conducted in a classroom environment, followed by pool sessions in our indoor swimming pool. Open water lessons are conducted at both inland lakes, and coastal locations including Arlesey Blue Lagoon, Gildenburgh Water and Stoney Cove.

Throughout the year, we run Ocean Diver, Sports Diver, Dive Leader and, Advanced Diver training courses alongside a packed schedule of Skills Development Courses (SDCs) including First Aid for Divers, Oxygen Administration, Practical Rescue Management (PRM), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Wreck Appreciation and Underwater Digital Photography.

We also pride ourselves in our intensive and very successful in-house Instructor Training Programme. With a perfect pass-rate (so far), we ensure all our branch instructors meet and exceed BS-AC's strict Instructor training standards.

Membership of the branch includes both use of branch-owned scuba kit during training and the indoor swimming pool.

We meet every Wednesday evening at Monks Walk School, Knightsfield, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. AL8 7NL between 7.30pm-9.30pm.

Mid Herts divers (also known as Mid Herts Sub-Aqua Club) are branch #1784 of the British Sub Aqua Club (BS-AC), the world's biggest diving club.
 
Latest events

 Latest articles

 
Pop Quiz
Submitted on 08-Feb-2010 23:00:59 by Daniel Hodkin. Updated on 08-Feb-2010 23:02:49

  
Take up the challenge!! 
20th Feb 2010
7:30 for 8pm start
 
Venue: Hertfordshire Police HQ Social Club, AL8 6XF

We are looking to organise a 'POP TASTIC' quiz hosted by our very own Mr Tony Ford on the mic.  If you think your pointless knowledge of 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's music is up for the challenge then get your £5 to Dan Hodkin 07875463630 to secure your place asap

This really will be a fun night and of course the venue does have a bar to keep those vocal chords greased!!
Teams of 4-6, so bring along the relatives and friends
 
We need at least 20 of us to make this night happen so the sooner you let me know you want to come along the sooner I can get organising the finer details!!



 
Weekend trip to Vobster Quay and NDAC Chepstow
Submitted on 08-Feb-2010 09:37:52 by Daniel Hodkin. Updated on 08-Feb-2010 21:33:22

Weekend Trip to Vobster Quay and NDAC Chepstow

Unfortunately I have had to change my plans of going to Lundy, as after searching, have found out there will be poor Viz and more importantly NO SEALS in April!!

So the new plan is as follows

Saturday 24th April- Vobster Quay Inland Dive Centre

This trip is open to all diver grades

Opening Times-


08:30 - 17:30

Price-


Non-members: £15

Cylinder Fills-


12L -  £3.25
15L -  £3.75

There are many features for all experience levels!! Check out the website for more details.

 

Sunday 25th April- NDAC Chepstow

Open to Ocean Divers and above.

Opening Times-

08:00- 18:00

Prices-

Non-members- £15

Cylinder Fills-

12L- £3.40

15L- £3.50

Again this is a dive not to be missed, so many and I cant emphasis how many features there are in and around the 20m shelf, this includes some great swim through’s ideal for any experience.

Check out the website

http://www.ndac.co.uk/

For Divers attending both days accommodation is recommended as the NDAC is only around an hour away from Vobster Quay.

Accommodation: TBA

If anyone is interested in any of these dives then please get in contact with me!

Email-

hod_brum@hotmail.com

Mobile- 07875463630

Look forward to hearing from you

Dan Hodkin

 

 


 
Sports Relief Mile!! Get Involved!!
Submitted on 02-Feb-2010 20:50:56 by Daniel Hodkin. Updated on 02-Feb-2010 21:07:52 by Adrian Colegate

Hello people!

As I mentioned at the club last Wednesday we are looking at doing the Sports Relief Mile!!

Below is the link for you to join the Sports Relief mile!! I have named the team Mid Herts Divers BSAC 1784.

If you are going to join the club in doing the mile then please make sure you join the Mid Herts Team as it will calculate your personal amount raised which will be added to the teams amount!

Venue: Milton Keynes

Date: Sunday 21st March 2010

Time: 11.00am

There is more information on the Sports Relief website below!!

Its all for a good cause, so get involved!!

Thank you

Dan Hodkin

http://www.mysportrelief.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=45013&LangPref=en-CA

Sport Relief

 


 
Swanage Wreck Diving - May 29th and 30th 2010
Submitted on 02-Feb-2010 21:45:21 by Steve Begg. Updated on 03-Feb-2010 09:51:38

Several people have approached me asking if a RIB or boat dive can be organised during the first Swanage Pier diving weekend at the end of May 2010. So far, 6 people have shown interest, so I am opening the offer to the club and asking if anyone else would be interested in diving one or more of the following wrecks off Swanage ...

S.S. Kyarra    -   22m to 30m

The Betsy Anna   -   20m to 24m

Fleur de Lys   -   13m

Aeolian Sky   -   18m to 32m

Please let me know of any othr wreck sites, not listed above, that may be of interest to you.

This is an ideal venue to finish off Sports Diver qualifying dives. With the Fleur de Lys, and the pier dives (also planned for this weekend), this is an ideal opportunity to finish off Ocean Diver qualifying dives.

Dates:                    Sat 29th and Sun 30th May 2010

Places:                   Depends upon boat places available at the time of booking    

Costs:                     Varies between £16 and £24 per dive

Deposit:                  TBD
                              - will need to book very soon to guarantee places

Minimum Quals:         Ocean Diver (for Fleur de Lys)
                              Sports Diver (for the remainder)
                              - (all dives
will need approval from DO)

Minimum Gear:         Strongly recommend drysuit (sea temperature is around 12 degC in May)
                               - plus extra 2kg or 3kg of weights (as this is a salt water dive)

Contact:                  Steve Begg 

For more information please refer to information pack. Click here.

Steve Begg

 


 
Swanage Pier Diving - May 29th and 30th 2010
Submitted on 21-Jan-2010 21:19:55 by Steve Begg. Updated on 31-Jan-2010 14:25:54

Swanage May 2010

            

I'm organising a weekend's diving beneath and around Swanage Pier on the Sat/Sun just before the Whitsun bank holiday at the end of May. This is an ideal opportunity for trainee and newly qualified Ocean Divers to gain their first sea dive experience in the relative safety of Swanage Bay, and a great venue for you to hone your underwater photography skills.

There may be a chance to do specific training (consult with Pete & Clive first), dependent upon availability of instructors. This is a good opportunity for trainee Sports Divers to gain their first Dive Marshall experience. If there are sufficient Dive Leaders for Ocean Diver trainees, more experienced dive buddies may wish to use the shuttle to dive, for example, the wreck of the S.S. Kyarra (22m-30m) or the Betsy Anna (20m-24m).

Dive Site:

The pier is some 195m long, is in sheltered water and can be dived at any state of the tide. Swanage has a very low tidal range (2m max) and gentle tidal currents (even with spring tides). Diving is shallow, safe and gently slopes to a typical maximum depth of 5m at the end of the pier. Visibility is usually between 3m to 5m.

Marine Life:

In the Summer months, the pier legs are completely covered with invertebrate life and the marine animals are varied and prolific including:- sea squirts, sponges, hydroids, Tom Pot blennies, gobies, wrasse, sea bass, john dories, grey mullet, lobsters, squat lobsters, cuttle fish, squid, shoals of pollack, hundreds of spider and edible crabs, anemones with their tentacles wafting in the current and snails and hermit crabs.

Dates:                    Sat 29th and Sun 30th May 2010

Places:                   No limit

Costs:                     Travel (~300 miles return from mid-Hertfordshire), food & accommodation
                              - plus the Pier Trust charges £2 per day for each diver and £6 for parking

Deposit:                  None required
                              - just need firm commitments by early May (to do the risk assessment)

Minimum Quals:       Trainee Ocean Diver (nearing end of training)
                              - requires a minimum of prior training (needs approval from DO)

Minimum Gear:         Strongly recommend drysuit (sea temperature is around 12 degC in May)
                               - plus extra 2kg or 3kg of weights (as this is a salt water dive)

Contact:                  Steve Begg

For more information please refer to information pack. Click here.

Steve Begg

 


 
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