One of the major problems with any club is making sure that new members joining for the first time are made aware of the benefits of belonging to such an organisation and exactly how it runs. In an ideal world, or indeed a commercial organisation, there would be a host of people who would be paid to keep everyone informed and with the tools of modern communication; there is probably no excuse not to be inundated with information.
A dedicated committee, however, runs the club totally on a voluntary basis and making time to keep the wheels of the club running smoothly sometimes means that communication is not always as good as it should be.
The purpose of this information document is to try and address the problem and answer all the questions you want to ask but are uncertain who to direct them to.
The Clubhouse and Meeting Night
The Club H.Q. is situated adjoining the old La Follie Pub on the harbour. The pumping room where air cylinders are filled is on the ground floor and the lecture room is on the first floor.
Tuesday night is club night. During the winter season we tend to meet at a local pub for a social drink and chat. During the dive season we organise shore dives on a Tuesday evening. These can be just for fun or can be used to further your dive training working with our experienced Open Water Instructors.
Of course, the club also being a social club does mean that there are occasions when informal get togethers are held over a pint or even a meal, the committee elects a social secretary to organise these special events.
Training Syllabus
The club incorporates a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) no.632.
All training within the club is to the BSAC syllabus no more no less, which is regarded as the best for local conditions and one of the most comprehensive training systems in the world. Training within the club will take an absolute beginner up to a stage where diving within certain limits is perfectly safe and also provides the opportunity to go further to Advanced Diver standard. Cost is kept to a minimum as no fees are paid for instructors; yet nationally qualified instructors working on a voluntary basis provide all instruction.
The minimum age for diving members is currently sixteen. All diving members have a diving logbook into which all training and courses undertaken are recorded so that it provides proof of qualifications. This is particularly useful when diving outside of ones own club, particularly when hiring equipment, where a responsible diving organisation will ask for proof of ability to dive safely.
The club has a Training Officer whose job is to organise and administer all aspects of both basic and advanced training. They are usually an advanced grade diver and under their guidance work with the instructors who have taken the relevant courses and exams to qualify them to teach.
Trained with PADI or other organisation?
Although the Jersey Sub-Aqua Club itself trains to the British Sub-Aqua Club Syllabus, divers trained by other organisations such as PADI or NAUI bring the benefit of their experience and enthusiasm into the club and are welcome members. Although there are a number of dive schools locally the club does not set out to compete with these, rather to provide the opportunities for adventure diving at an affordable price with a good social scene as well.
There are always slight differences in the way each organisation teaches diving and the club will ensure that all members are able to dive on an equal basis. It is not necessary for a diver trained by another organisation to re-train but some form of top up training is available at no cost, to make sure that in the event of a diving emergency, all divers have a common approach to the rescue skills necessary to get out of trouble.
Running the Club
The club has its Annual General Meeting each March and members are asked to vote for the committee for the following year and set the subscription charges for that period.
The Committee consists of:
Chairman Honerary Secretary Treasurer Diving Officer Training Officer Boat Officer BSAC Secretary Equipment Officer Membership Secretary Social Secretary
Committee meetings are held once a month and are taken up with subjects related to the running of the club and the various aspects of training. It is a very busy club and there is always a lot to discuss.
The club does not directly benefit from profits made on the diver training courses but derives its income from subscriptions, the sale of air and the profit from the use of the boat. Good housekeeping is always high on the agenda. Keeping the right financial balance is not easy, pitch subs to high to give a comfortable margin and we lose members. Cut income to the bone and there is not enough in the kitty to cover the unexpected such as air compressor failure or a major problem with one or both of the boat engines. Always at the back of the mind of the committee is the fact that equipment will eventually come to the end of it’s useful life and complete replacement, with the high capital cost has to be planned for.
Being a club and not a commercial organisation does have its benefit. We have been fortunate to receive grants made by the Sports, Leisure and Recreation Committee for the replacement of equipment and the club is very grateful to them for this.
Diving and Social Activities
The boat is frequently in use during the season, which allows access to the many interesting wrecks and dive sites around Jersey and the other Channel Islands. Many of our members have years of experience diving these and their knowledge is passed on for the benefit of other members. For wrecks beyond local waters, we charter larger seagoing boats and these are used for more comfort and safety.
General dives to have a look at underwater scenery or give the occasional flat fish a sore head and drift dives (where current provides the motion) are frequently undertaken from the boat. During early and late season, when the nights draw in early, the club boat is used for night dives where high-powered torches are used for vision. Lights are attached to surface marker buoys to enable the boat handler to keep track of his charges.
Shore dives are very popular and it is possible to see some interesting underwater scenery and marine life in relatively shallow depths. May and June see the spider crabs come into shallow waters and large males make tasty crab salad for this limited time. Other types of crab and fish may be taken all year round, provided they are over the minimum legal size.
Lobsters and Ormers are forbidden by sea fisheries law to be taken by diving and scallops can only be taken if the diver is in possession of a permit. SCUBA divers do not use spear guns to catch fish. Only fish that remain static such as plaice, sole and turbot that can be taken with a spike or knife are considered to be fair game for catching if you wish to.
Marine conservation is becoming more popular for those members who wish to see sea life preserved and cared for. We have a strong MC section within the club and dives to study marine life in general, both from the shore and the boat, are regularly undertaken.
At odd times, the club is called upon to dive the unusual. The well in Gorey Castle has been dived to collect coins for charity and a radio controlled miniature submarine that failed to surface in a local reservoir was also recovered.
We are regularly asked to clear fouled props of rope and recover lost lobster pots. This is generally done as a favour or by accepting a donation to club funds. It cannot be done as a commercial venture because of legal problems associated with diving for financial gain.
Several times during the summer, we arrange barbecues on the beach for club members and their families. We make a whole day of it with games, general relaxation and a dive or two.
From the newest trainee to the most experienced member, the hope is that membership of the Jersey Sub-Aqua Club will encourage everyone to work for the continuation and betterment of the club and who knows, from our start in 1953, we will continue well into the 21st century.
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