If you’ve ever considered learning to Scuba Dive then this is a great way to start. We usually recommend an Experience Dive first, that way you can see if it is something you enjoy and like to start learning.
Or if you have tried it before and would like to have another go, that’s fine too.
Come along and find out what it’s all about.
An Experience Dive costs £20 (covers the costs of the pool, the equipment and air fills), this amount gets deducted on joining our club to learn how to dive. Contact us to let us know your interest and we can take it from there.
Due to high demand, all Experience Dives need to be pre-booked!
Our Experience Dives are being held at Wigan Life Centre pool on Friday evening between 19:30 and 21:00. You will get a short introduction / safety brief, then we will move to the pool where the experience can begin.
Please bring swimwear, a towel and an old t-shirt.
Contact us on Facebook to buy an Experience Dive gift voucher
Come and learn to dive with us!
Our club is branch 2657 of the British Sub-Aqua Club who are UK diving’s National Governing Body and whose training and qualifications are internationally recognised.
Once you become a member we can start your training.
We all learn at different paces and we at Wigan Scuba Divers match your pace of learning, never the other way around.
• Discovery Diver: Aimed at the younger divers.
As a qualified Discovery Diver, you can dive in open-water in controlled conditions to 12m under the direct supervision of a Dive Leader or higher-grade diver.
Course syllabus:
3 Theory lessons and an assessment
3 Sheltered water lessons
2 Open Water lessons / dives
• Ocean Diver:
As a qualified Ocean Diver, you can dive in open water, in controlled conditions, to 20m under the supervision of an on-site Dive Manager. You will also be able to use breathing gas mixes of up to 36% Nitrox to increase your safety on dives.
Course syllabus:
6 Theory lessons and an assessment
5 Sheltered water lessons
4 Open Water lessons / dives
Not been diving in a while? Refresh your scuba diving skills with a BSAC Scuba Refresher session and let the adventure continue…
A Scuba Refresher Dive costs £20 (covers the costs of pool use, the equipment and air fills), this amount gets deducted on joining our club to learn how to dive. Contact us to let us know your interest and we can take it from there.
Due to high demand, all Refresher Dives need to be pre-booked!
BSAC:
If you are a BSAC qualified diver but have not been diving for some time or haven’t dived in UK waters before, it is easy for qualified divers to join us and resume your diving.
Other agencies:
Are you a qualified diver with PADI, SSI, RAID, GUE or another agency?
It doesn’t matter what agency you have trained with, you are welcome to join Wigan Scuba Divers. Your existing qualifications will be recognised by BSAC. You can request an equivalency card for £20.
If you would like to further your training with a more advanced scuba certification, you can progress to the next higher BSAC grade (no need to retrain, you can simply progress).
Please refer to the BSAC equivalency chart below to see what BSAC level your current qualification will give you as an entry point.
• Advanced Ocean Diver:
As a qualified Advanced Ocean Diver, you can dive in open water, in controlled conditions, to 20m, under the direct supervision of a Safety Diver and of an on-site Dive Manager.
Depth can be extended to 30m (no-decompression dives), under the supervision of a Qualified Instructor and of an on-site Dive Manager.
Course syllabus:
4 Theory lessons and an assessment
Optional skills refresher lesson
2 Open Water lessons / 2 Depth Progression dives / Compass lesson
• Sports Diver:
As a qualified Sports Diver, you can dive in open water, to 20m, under the supervision of an on-site Dive Manager. Your dives can now include mandatory decompression stops. Depth can be extended to 40m, under the supervision of a Qualified Instructor and an on-site Dive Manager.
Course syllabus:
6 Theory lessons and an assessment
1 Sheltered water lesson
5 Open water lessons/dives
2 Dry practical lessons
After completing the Sports Diver course, if you wish to, you can enrol on the Instructor Foundation Course, this is the first step in your instructor-training journey.
• Dive Leader:
As a qualified Dive Leader, you can lead divers to extend their experience and practice skills, support trainee divers to practice skills they have previously been taught by an instructor, act as a Dive Manager at sites known to the branch, extend rescue and diving skills & diving experience in different conditions.
Course syllabus:
5 Theory lessons and an assessment
5 Open water lessons/dives
3 Practical lessons
After completing the Dive Leader Course, if you wish to, you can develop your open-water instructing skills by signing up to an Open Water Instructor course.
Advanced Diver:
As a qualified Advanced Diver, you can manage and supervise all aspects of a wide range of challenging, adventurous club diving activities such as leading expeditions to unfamiliar locations.
Syllabus:
4 Theory lessons and an assessment
5 Open water lessons/dives
2 Dry practical lessons
• First Class Diver:
As a qualified First Class Diver, you have developed advanced practical diving skills and knowledge, enabling you to lead significant diving expeditions to accomplish specific goals or objectives.
Syllabus:
There is no set training programme for First Class Diver, instead there is a support network to help candidates to prepare. The First Class Diver Exam consists of three separate modules, assessed nationally, that can be taken in any order:
Theory Knowledge Exam
Produce an advanced Expedition Plan
Two-day Practical Diving Assessment
Skill Development Courses (SDC’s):
• Entry level – Any BSAC member(no diving qualification is necessary)
Marine Life Appreciation(there is an optional underwater session for qualified divers)
Boat Handling
Outboard Engine and Boat Maintenance
Chartwork and Position Fixing
• Entry level – Ocean Diver:
Nitrox workshop (other agency divers with no Nitrox qualification – Ocean Diver level)
Buoyancy and Trim Workshop
Tables Workshop (Ocean Diver level)
Drysuit Workshop
Wreck Appreciation
Dive UK
Oxygen Administration
First Aid for Divers
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Entry level – Sports Diver:
Nitrox Workshop (Sports Diver level)
Practical Rescue Management (PRM)
Search and Recovery
Accelerated Decompression Procedures (ADP)
Dive Planning and Management
Twin set
Wreck Diving / Advanced Wreck Diving
Underwater photography
Ice Diving
If you are regularly diving in the UK at the moment, you can start diving with us straight away. We dive every weekend and run several trips a month, both weekend and midweek.
Check out our calendar for upcoming events in 2025.