Established in 1953. From a lone branch in London the scuba club has spread to the rest of England, Wales, Northern Island and beyond. New members flock to join its vast ranks.
Now its the biggest Dive Club in the world with over 50,000 members. Rival Organisations often percieve 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 suprise 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.
A very successful British/English organisation in many respects which is perhaps why Scotland formed SSAC (Scottish Sub-Aqua Club) in response!
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Source: Diving Lore
