New to Diving?
Explore the sea and become a Trainee Diver!
The cheapest, most accessible way to experience underwater life - With a caring community behind you!
Become a Trainee Diver! Relax, breath, and swim through the beautiful scenery that the Atlantic and Irish seas provide.
Your Journey to a Diver *
A Trainee Diver is one who has completed the Trainee Diver (Diver *) Training Course.
If you attend training, it'll only take half a year, and it's internationally recognised!
The training course is not only an amazing opportunity for anyone hoping to begin their diving journey, but a necessity!
We'll teach you the ins (and outs) of diving safely. Specifically technical information and practical skills required for scuba diving.
Lectures
Theoretical knowledge about diving is just as important as the practical stuff! Between planning dives, hand signals, decompression and more, it's very important
Snorkel Training
We'll train you to snorkel in pools and open water. Before we let you handle the real thing it's important to make sure you can snorkel first. Think of it as learning to cycle before driving a motorbike.
Scuba Training
Finally, we let you at our equipment as you learn to be a scuba diver. In pools and finally in the ocean, this is the final stage of your journey to a Trainee Diver!
Training & Fitness
Diving is an excellent addition to your fitness journey. With an annual fitness test (it's not difficult, don't worry!) and more swimming than you can imagine, diving is a great way to keep your body healthy!
We'll keep you in good physical condition to fight against the cold Irish water - after all, the better your cardio, the less air you breathe whilst diving!
To become an internationally recognised Trainee Diver, some of the fitness-related aspects we'll make sure you're able to do:
Swim 200m free style without stopping.
Swim on your back for 50m.
Hold your breath underwater for 30 second.
Snorkel Dive and Fin 25m underwater without a mask.
Tow another snorkel diver 50m while giving Expired Air Resuscitation
Fin 25m underwater with all diving equipment without a mask.
Snorkel dive to at least 6 meters.
But don't feel intimidated if you can't do any, it's what training's for!
Benefits of Becoming a Trainee Diver
DCU Sub-aqua Club is affiliated to the Diving Ireland governing body which in turn is affiliated with the global CMAS or World Underwater Federation that is recognized globally.
This means that no matter where you go in the world, you'll be respected and fully qualified to dive, and hold a Diver* (CMAS DIVER*) license!
DIVER* (CMAS DIVER*)
A Diver 1* is one who has completed the Diving Ireland Diver* course and is ready to
gain further experience, log qualifying dives and practice for the Diver 2* assessment.
Diver1* grades must always be accompanied by a diver of a higher grade. The intention
of the course is to provide the diver with the technical information and practical skills
required for scuba diving.
Furthermore, why stop there? There's so many more licenses and qualifications to chase!
With every license, you can dive more depths, begin leading and planning your own dives, breathe Nitrox and captain boats to name a few!
The qualification after your DIVER* is a DIVER**, and so forth!
DIVER** (CMAS DIVER** )
A Diver** is one who, having passed the Diver** Assessment, is proficient in the safe
use of scuba equipment for open water diving with a buddy. S/he is permitted to dive
with buddies of the same grade or higher and may lead such dives to a maximum depth
of 30 metres. S/he may also, with the DO’s permission, lead Diver1* to a maximum
depth of 25M.
Why We Love Diving
The Peace
Enjoy the tranquility and silence of the deep.
Diving underwater is almost a form of meditation. It's serene. You'll hear yourself breathing, fish eating coral, and the occasional noise-maker from your dive buddy trying to get your attention (hopefully to point out something incredible), but not much else.
The best divers are those that adopt and become part of this calm and peaceful environment.
Memorable Trips
All of us here in DCU's Sub Aqua Club are constantly itching to go onto club trips, so you can expect many of them!
Although there's always dives happening in Dublin, nothing beats a trip to some of the most beautiful parts of Ireland (above and below the waves) to dive!
The Community
We pride ourselves on our community. Loving and supporting, we make sure everyone in the club is looked after and no soul's left behind!
Make some memorable friends and explore the world that's hidden beneath the water.
Interested in Joining?
We're not surprised! We were all like you at some point! We're a group with a passion for diving, and we're always looking to expand the community.
If you're feeling really proactive, jump on over to our Sign Up page to see about fees and included membership perks.