Cork Sub Aqua Club

Welcome to Cork Sub Aqua Club.  On this page you will find useful information in regard to joining, training and diving.

Every year we start a beginners dive course at the end of January. Please find more information here.

Yes, we take on qualified divers at any stage of the dive season. If you have previously received training with other agencies, such as PADI, BSAC or others, you will be crossed over to your equivalent CFT grade. The ‘basic’ crossover procedure covers 4 mandatory lectures: Introduction to CFT and CMAS, dive tables, hand signals and hypothermia. The cross over process might take a few weeks, but any delays will not prevent you from diving on club outings.

On this form you will fill out your personal details (name, address, email, phone number, etc) and return the form to the club secretary

b) Provide a medical “ fit-to-dive” cert.

CFT requires a medical examination in each of the following cases

1.      On joining CFT as a diving member

2.      On reaching the age of 35

3.      Three yearly from the age of 35

4.      Annually from the age of 55

5.      If a diver’s health status has changed since the last medical examination

The GP that will examine you will have to complete the medical form (document 409, which will be supplied to you when you are joining) and stamp the form and your logbook in the appropriate place, when found fit to dive. The GP will retain your form on file and, if necessary, will contact CFT’s medical commission with relevant queries, subject to your permission. Next you will have to complete, separately, your annual ‘Fit-to-Dive’ form online, which is available in your CFT membership account.  Please note that your medical details are confidential and do not have to be passed on to any club member, other than the confirmation from the GP that you are fit-to-dive.

You will have to undertake the following fitness test:

- Swim 200m freestyle without stopping (no time limit)

- Swim 50m backstroke without stopping (no time limit)

- With head submerged in water, hold breath for 30 seconds within 5 minutes of the swim

The test can be done in the pool or in open water.

Cork Sub Aqua Club is affiliated to “Comhairle Fo Thuinn”(CFT), which is the national federation representing Irish divers and is also known as the “Irish Underwater Council”. CFT is in turn affiliated to CMAS (Confederation Mondiale des Activities Subaquatiques, or World Underwater Federation). CFT’s primary function is to promote and advance scuba diving, snorkelling and related activities, and to formulate, administer and implement the standards, rules and recommendations for safe diving in Ireland.The CFT membership fee primarily covers your insurance costs and the subscription to Subsea magazine.

The club charges an annual membership fee that runs from 1 January till 31 December. This fee covers insurance, maintenance and repair to our 2 RIBs and trailers, the upkeep of our 2 emergency – oxygen kits, and also covers general overheads to run the club. For 2012 this fee is set for €320, with a discount of €30 when you pay in full before the end of February.

You will have to complete 3 snorkels if you haven’t dived for 13 weeks prior to the date of your first club dive. There will be ample opportunity to snorkel as a lot of members prefer to snorkel during the winter months.

Access will be granted once you join the club. The Google group is used as the primary communication tool within the club. Here you will find information about the weekly diving, courses and more.

Cork Sub Aqua Club is a very active dive club and dives all year weather permitting. Oysterhaven would be our usual dive spot. From the start of April till the end of September we have our 6.7 meter rib (Cuan Mhara) moored here. During this period the club organises diving on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays. From Oysterhaven we would go to dive sites, such as the Sovereign Islands, Old Head, the Lings, the Aud and the UC42 to name but a few. On long weekends, however, the club travels further afield to places such as Baltimore, Allihies, Portmagee, Dingle, etc. On those occasions we take both our boats, the Cuam Mhara and the Humber in order to accommodate all our members. And every year, the club holiday takes place in the first week of August. On our weekends away and on club holiday the club usually rents houses, which in turn are sub let to the individual members. Boat diving costs €15 for the first dive of the day and €10 for all subsequent dives in order to cover the cost of petrol and towing. Only certified divers that comply with “What must I do to dive with the club?” are allowed to boat dive with the club.

Yes, Cork Sub Aqua Club provides a highly structured diver training program, which is set out by CFT. As it stands, the program covers 8 foundation courses and 12 skill development courses (see the list below). Most of the courses are run at club level but some of the more advanced courses are run at Regional or National level. The overall diver-training program offers the student a sensible balance of diving theory and in-water practice, with the emphasis always remaining on
safety and the familiarization of key underwater skills. Every course will build progressively on the knowledge acquired by the student, but at a pace that allows the student to develop their confidence in the water and progress at a speed which they are comfortable with.

For more information about the courses please visit www.cft.ie

The club’s dive instructors, who all are first and foremost active divers, underwent comprehensive training to acquire a high level of diving knowledge and a high degree of competency in the skills they are teaching. Most instructors have been diving for a number of years and have a broad range of experience in varied diving conditions. Cork SAC’s pool of instructors can not only teach and examine all foundation diver courses but also 95% of the Skill Development Courses.

Unfortunately, all courses involve an examination. It will be up to the Dive Officer of our club to decide whether you are sufficiently well prepared to go forward for an exam. Colleague instructors from within the region will examine you, as our instructors are not allowed to examine candidates of their own club.

Yes, And if you have children that would like to come along they are also very welcome.