Choosing the right SCUBA Diving Club

Choosing the right SCUBA Club for YOU!

Many new comers to SCUBA diving find themselves stranded, left alone after their initial SCUBA course. This is not a nice place to be and you may find yourselves angry and disappointed. There might be some silly reasons for this, silly but valid reasons which can be easily rectified.

Instructors continuously work with new SCUBA students and usually give a lot of attention to them. Newly qualified SCUBA divers still look for guidance from their SCUBA Instructors, assisting Dive Masters or Assistant Instructors.  New SCUBA divers may not be able to always be on a SCUBA course or have access to a remote Dive Shop or its Instructors.  They may also have found that they have done their SCUBA diving course with other new divers that simply are much younger or older than they are, or that they simply don't like the personalities of the other SCUBA divers.

If you're not on a SCUBA course, part of a SCUBA club or have a couple of SCUBA diving friends you may feel a little bit left out after your open water course. This should not stop you from following your dreams or ending the reason why you decided to do the SCUBA course in the first place. Many people never take this life enriching step to experience something new in life.  Do not go and simply pick another adventure activity because of how you feel.  Do not simply stop diving because you have no dive buddy or feel you don't fit into the crowd.

Consider joining a SCUBA dive club or a more appropriate one than you currently belong too.  Joining a SCUBA diving club is a great way to meet other people with similar interests, age or personalities. A dive club gives you many reasons to keep diving, stay up to date with what's happening in the SCUBA industry and learn from other SCUBA divers. Doing a few dives with a couple of other divers will soon show you that you may have mutual interests and open the doors for some great new friendships.  

Your SCUBA club may have specific interests too such as 4x4 trips, wreck dives or the documenting and counting of fish species at particular dive sites. The club may combine a few different adventures to create a real fun trip such as a camping, diving and night game drive weekend.  Make sure your SCUBA Instructor recommends a club too you that may suit your requirements, personality or other criteria. 

You can also search the internet for local clubs or visit a SCUBA portal and dive directory such as DiveDeals Southern Africa at http://www.divedeals.co.za
that comprehensively lists all the SCUBA diving schools, shops, clubs and charters by region in Southern Africa.

Here's what to consider when deciding on a club to join:

• What are the club benefits?
• Does it seem that the SCUBA club can provide you with an unbiased recommendation regarding SCUBA gear, training and trips?
• Can they service your SCUBA gear or send the gear for service to appropriate SCUBA gear agencies?
• Do they offer SCUBA training or arrange for training at a dive school?
• Do they plan frequent dive trips?
• Do they have frequent social non-diving activities to ensure club members stays in contact with each other?  This is especially of value when the club is far away from dive sites and dive trips are infrequent.
• The dive club may also offer SCUBA gear sales or invite SCUBA gear agencies to come and introduce and demonstrate new SCUBA equipment.
• The SCUBA club may invite guest speakers to talk or do presentations on relevant marine topics or on subjects such as technical SCUBA diving or other SCUBA specialities.
• The club can arrange non diving trips to institutions like the local aquarium or Sharks Board (South Africa).
• Most of all the SCUBA club should help you find your perfect dive buddy, someone that not only shares your passion and interest in SCUBA diving, but also have similar SCUBA training and dive travel interests.
• The SCUBA dive club should be your facilitator, enabling you to reach your goals, live the life you have always dreamed about and help you make it happen.
• Be open-hearted with your SCUBA dive club, ensure they know and understand your needs and shop around for other clubs if you feel they are not able to satisfy your needs.

Most importantly, find a club where you belong, where people appreciate you, even if they don't offer any of the above.  The club should be proud to have you as a member, care about you and you about them.

If you can't find this, start your own SCUBA Dive Club.

Happy diving...