Hi, I am not yet qualified to any level in Scuba, this is mainly because of the cost of the courses. I am wondering if any one knows of or has past experience of a company that offers sort of a volunteer course. About 2 weeks ago i was offered a volunteer position in Greece to stay there for two months and work with them instead of money they gave me my OW and AOW. Unfortunately due to the costs of living there i could not afford to stay. I am looking for a place in the UK specific in Merseyside or Manchester Areas that may offer some kind of the same program. I would be available all the time during the summer and then at weekends during term time. Any help would be great help Thanks
I think you will be lucky to get such an offer in the UK, but I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted as to your progress
If your a student, check to see if your Uni/SU/College has a Dive Club, they almost certainly will offer very low cost training.
As Pete says I think your chances of finding anything in the UK are slim. Also even once qualified diving isn't a cheap hobby and TBH if you can't afford the price of an OW course I am sure you will struggle to fund the sport once qualified as Elvis says probably your best bet is a college/uni club where training will be subsidised. Failing that if you have the time I believe that BSAC is generally less expensive as you are reliying on the goodwill of club members rather than paid professionals (and that is NOT to say that in any way the instruction from BSAC instructors will be sub-standard).
Cheers for your answers guys, the problem lies with me wanting to get diving like now, instead of waiting until i can afford it. Iwill be doing an I.T apprenticeship starting in September and i will be able to get diving and support the hobby from the money i get from that. Its just hard waiting, especially when i did a try dive and absolutely loved it. Luckily a guy from a dive shop in Bolton like the idea of it and i am going to see him next week. I hope something comes of it
Ryan, There are few people teaching in the areas you asked about who would give that sort of commitment to a fresh OW student. Best of luck though
Here you go if you want a chance for a scholarship http://www.scubapursuits.com/training/scholarship-2011
In that case if you are certain of the income my suggestion would be to apply for an interest free credit card and pay for your training on that (just don't go on a mad spending spree!). Paying off £50/£100 per month should have the balance down to zero by the time the interest free period comes to an end The advantage of learning now is that the water temps start to fall around November time, so you should be able to get trained up and qualified before it gets too cold. Alternatively put diving on hold for a few months and start your training mid-late Spring, leaving you all next summer to dive yourself silly.
I have applied for the Scholarship, so wish me luck ... Whilst waiting for that i am going to get my mum to pay for my open water for my birthday , hopefully she will give in. Im 19 in october, and looking for a good dive shop in the North West in order to take the course. Thanks for the replies guys
Good luck mate, keep us posted! You should take a look at the cost of funding the sport too so you know what to expect. I have been qualified for about 2 months now and I have managed to spend £700, some of it on my AOW and the rest on gear... fairly basic (good for beginners) kind of gear. I'm sure that this kind of spend is tame compared to most I'm now saving for more training for next year!
Ive looked alot into it, and the cost scares me.. But im not going to let it stop me.. BEG, STEAL AND BORROW i say
You could join Merseyside BSAC branch - training through BSAC is free, with only the club and branch membership fee to pay, which would be around £200. http://www.merseydivers.com/index.php#
Thats what i done. Me and my daughter joined a club. Experiance and knowledge, use of gear for £150 a year each = PRICELESS. Will give me a chance to save the rest and buy when i need it !!!
BSAC is definitely the cheaper option mate....will take you around 6 months to get qualified usually, but save you a fortune. The club will loan gear which really helps out on the costs of diving and their trips are usually reasonable too as they are booking in large numbers and pass on savings. I completely understand where you are coming from I did my first dive on holiday in the Dominican Republic and was dying to get certified so I could dive again...took me 8 years before I could afford it and only recently completed my first qualifications (Feb this year). It was worth the wait, but I hadn't been as resourceful as you....so I wish you all the best with it mate, keep us posted!
Take a look at this from one of our competitors: http://www.bestdivejob.com/blue_season_bali.php They do this every year, and it's very popular, send in an application- what do you have to lose??
