Established in 1953. From a lone branch in London the club has spread to the rest of England, Wales, Northern Island and beyond. New members flock to join its vast ranks. A very successful British/English organisation in many respects which is perhaps why Scotland formed SSAC (Scottish Sub-Aqua Club) in response!

Now it's the biggest Dive Club in the world with over 50,000 members. Rival Organisations often perceive BSAC to be a slightly elitist and stringent organisation with its many protocols, precise training and safety standards taken seriously. However its safety record is considered first rate and the comprehensive and challenging career path ensures that only the best and sharpest divers attain the upper echelons of the leadership pyramid.

Technical diving is encouraged and it is without surprise that divers from other organisations who consider themselves the best are taken aback by the superb planning and dive skill of BSAC trained divers. It is also worthy of note to mention that decompression diving is permitted to its recreational divers(via BSAC 88 tables and with the appropriate training and experience) with depths of up to 51 meters allowable. BSAC Career path is typically 'in-house' club based training with the exception of some of the higher level ranks and Instructor grades. Technical diving is encouraged as members become more experienced.

The BSAC Diver Hierarchy

Club Ranks

Ocean Diver

Club Diver

Sport Diver

Dive Leader

Advanced Diver

First Class Diver

Club Instructor Ranks

Assistant Diving Instructor

Practical / Theory Instructor

Open Water Instructor

Assistant Advanced Instructor

Advanced Instructor

National Instructor

ANDI	BSAC	CMAS

DAN	DSAT

IANTD	NAUI Recreational	NAUI Technical

NOAA	PADI	TDI