The British Sub-Aqua Club was founded in 1953 some 3 years after the first compressed air aqualung was marketed. Since then it has grown and now has some 50,000 members in 1,400 branches throughout the world. The BS-AC is the largest single diving club in the world, and is recognised in the UK as the governing body for the sport and is a founder member of the CMAS, the World Underwater Federation. From its earliest days, the BS~AC has consisted of virtually autonomous Branches, absolutely essential in those early days of geographical spread without the high speed communications and computerised administration of today’s world. The Branch system has meant a great number of people have participated in the organisation, running, and development of the BSAC. The diversity of experience this has brought to the Club has undoubtedly been one of its greatest strengths. Indeed it is the secret of British “amateurism”, a most inappropriate term, which really describes how to persuade the largest number of "professionals” to freely provide their services to the many. Taken as a whole, this is a potentially unbeatable system which is totally unfair competition to any commercially run rival. BSAC provides a service for all its members and branches giving advice, providing specialist courses, a national network of Regional Coaches and a standard of training internationally recognised as producing competent and safe divers. It also organises national events and conferences and provides a powerful voice to lobby on behalf of divers.

BSAC Membership

Members join the BS-AC through one of its branches. The benefits are many and include: • A copy of ‘Sport Diving’, the BS-AC’s basic diving manual; the most comprehensive guide and authoritative work on the sport. • Public liability insurance cover up to £10,000,000. • 12 monthly copies of ‘Dive’ magazine, the Journal of the BSAC • Sport diving training in accordance with an internationally renowned and admired system with worldwide recognition. • A Qualification Record Logbook which is internationally recognised and essential in many countries if you wish to hire or use any diving equipment.

BSAC Branches can offer

• Internationally recognised diving qualifications • Nationally qualified instructors, dive leaders and dive organisers • People to dive with • A friendly social environment for training, diving, and recreation • Equipment, boats, scuba kit etc. for training and diving. • Regular Branch meetings, open water dives and diving holidays with friends

Watford Branch 660.

Watford Branch was formed in 1955 remained independent for a period of time and eventually became the 660th branch of the BS-AC. Membership averages at around 90 which makes us a medium to large sized branch. BS-AC has a limited say in how we run ourselves as long as we keep to the basic rules governing training and qualification standards. The Branch has its own Constitution and Rules which may be amended from time to time by a General Meeting of the whole membership or by the annually elected Executive Committee of members. The many jobs that need to be done to keep the Branch running are shared by as many members as possible. Our main base is Watford Central Baths, from 21:00 to 22:00 where we have an equipment store, pool use and classroom for theory lessons and meetings. Our “Dive Boat” an Atlantic 21 RHIB (ridged hulled inflatable boat) was designed on the basis of a RNLI fast rescue boat, is mainly used out of Portland and is now used all year round. Watford Diver, as it is called when out at sea, can carry up to 8 divers with kit along with cox’n and crew. We pride ourselves in drawing our membership from a wide cross-section of people and jobs. The ages of our members spans from school students to those into retirement. Single persons, married couples with or without families are also part of what we feel is a diverse and socially rewarding environment. It may be thought that SCUBA diving is a male oriented sport but we are keen to point out that this is not the case. We have many female members, making up about one quarter of the Club, covering the full range of diving grades and contributing fully to the success of the branch. Being a largish branch means that our membership (almost) spans the full range of diving qualifications. Over a third of our members are qualified to supervise novices, and, at the time where the BS-AC is mandating that each branch should have at least one nationally qualified Instructor in the branch, we have 2 Advanced Instructors, 4 Open Water Instructors and 6 Assistant Instructors, . This means a high standard of training, and helps ensure a wide range of diving from shallow shore dives to dives on deep offshore wrecks. Although most of our diving is carried out from the Dorset / Sussex coast, we often run diving expeditions to other areas such as Oban Scotland, Farne Islands Northumberland, Plymouth Somerset and inland locations such as Stoney Cove in Leicestershire. A diving expedition may last a half-day, a whole day, a weekend, or longer. Essentially we dive where most members want to go. Many dives sites are chosen so that a member’s family will be catered for and have adequate shore facilities. Going farther afield, members have in the past few years also dived in such diverse places as Cornwall, the Inner Hebrides, Malta, Goa, Gozo, the Red Sea, the Maldives, Jamaica, St Lucia, Cayman Islands, Thailand, Ibiza, Greece, Minorca, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Florida, and other popular holiday destinations. Over the years the Branch has built up its equipment, and possesses a rigid hulled inflatable boat; 7 metre boat powered by a 135 HpV6 Mariner engine. It is fully equipped for diving, carrying an echo sounder, VHF radio, and GPS navigator. Our safety record is excellent, which reflects the careful and thorough training we give.