SDC Programme of Events

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Important Notes

1 - Equipment

The column headed "Kit" in the table above refers to a brief summary only of the equipment that students are required to bring along to the course. The meanings of the various letters are:

•  A - Full Open Water Dive Kit
•  B - Drysuit or Wetsuit and buoyancy aid or lifejacket
•  C - Pool Dive Kit
•  D - RIB Boat

Students are advised to read SDC Student Requirements (PDF 111K) which contains detailed requirements for each course.

2 - Courses requiring Boats

As the BSAC does not own boats, courses that require boats are marked above. Students are required to bring boats to these courses. If boats are not available the course may be cancelled.

Conditions of use:

•  Boats must be in a seaworthy condition
•  Boats must carry the essential equipment detailed in the CDA Guidelines.
•  All boat costs must be met by the students using that boat and are not included in the course cost.
•  All students must wear appropriate clothing and a buoyancy device or lifejacket

3 - Hardboats

There is an additional charge for Chartwork and Position Fixing courses for the use of a hardboat for courses. There are many skills that can be taught in this environment, compared to a RIB, and we plan to use a hardboat for these courses whenever possible.

4 - Nitrox Courses

Advanced Nitrox and Combined Nitrox course costs do not cover the hire of the required Nitrox cylinders. If you cannot borrow or hire cylinders you will need to notify the SDCO so that other arrangements can be made.

How to apply for an event

Applications for an event should be made in good time prior to the course start date so that facilities and instructors can be booked. Details are finalised two weeks before, and we cannot add places after that date.

To apply for an event, follow the steps below:

1. Against the relevant course in the table above, click the link titled "Book It".
2. Complete the form; the fields with a red asterisk (*) are required.
3. Print the form using the "Print Form" button
4. Submit the form using the "Submit Form" button
5. Send the printed form, with the required attachments to the address shown
6. A confirmation email will be sent to you informing you of your booking details, the paperwork to be sent, and any specific equipment that will be required for the course.
7. You can check your bookings using the link at the top of this page and entering your email address.

Payment can be made by PayPal, or by sending a cheque with the required paperwork. Cheques will not be cashed until two weeks prior to the event. After this time, refunds are not possible for cancellations, but suitably qualified replacement candidates may be sent providing the SDCO is advised first.

Please see our Terms and Conditions.

 

How to apply for permission to run a branch event

BSAC Branches may offer Skill Development Courses (SDC) to their members, and may work jointly with other Branches to organise an SDC. The BSAC Regional Coaching Scheme may be able to provide experienced leaders for Branch run courses. However, if a Branch wishes to have official BSAC approval and thus BSAC SDC Certification, the course must be approved and registered in advance by BSAC HQ in accordance with the SDC Registration Scheme, which involves the payment of a Registration Fee by each and every student.

However, some courses cannot be run within branches, and others have specific instructor requirements. Branch organisers should refer both to the SDC Summary Chart for Branches and to the requirements in the Syllabus for the course. If you are short of the necessary Approved Instructors, then please contact us, and we will arrange for the necessary instructors to be made available to you, although you will have to pay any expenses they incur.

Alternatively, if you have a reasonable number of students who wish to undertake a particular course, probably between six and twelve, then we can arrange to run a Regional Course at your Branch premises. Contact us for more details.

If you want your branch to run its own SDC then you should complete this Registration Form (PDF 30K) and return it directly to BSAC HQ with a cheque to cover the course packs at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Alternatively you can book and pay online at Online Registration.

We have some Guidance notes for SDC Bosses, although these are primarily aimed at Regional Courses.

The following links may also be useful:

• BSAC SDC Section

This page was last updated on : 01 Jun 2011