History

Colchester Diving Club, until recently known as North East Essex Sub Aqua Club, BSAC 54, was formed in 1958, based in Harwich. It continued until about 1964 when it went into a form of temporary hibernation! It re-emerged in 1966 and shortly afterwards, relocated to Colchester, where most of the membership were coming from, and has been based there ever since.

Clubhouse

Our clubhouse is a building shared with the Boxted Cricket and Football Clubs, (click here for a map). We meet there every monday evening from 8 p.m. for training lectures, getting our air tanks filled, discussion about past and future dives and general socialising! This is where we store our boats and compressor.

Pool Facilities

We use the fitness pool at Colchester Leisure World (click here for a map), for training purposes, on friday evenings between 8:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. The deep end is 3.5m and this is excellent for training and try-dives. If you are interested in trying out the scuba experience, please visit the try-dive page. Friends and family are welcome to come along and swim or snorkel between these times. We normally visit the bar afterwards! Costs for using the pool are divers £3, adult swimmers £3, child swimmers £1.

Dive Equipment

The club has dive equipment, masks, fins, air tanks, Buoyancy Control Devices (BCDs), weights, regulators available for the use of club members and for try-dives.

Compressor

The club has a compressor and members can get their tanks filled with air on monday evenings.

Boats

The club has two boats that are available for hire by any member who has attained the BSAC boat handling certificate.

Our main dive boat is a Humber Sport 5 metre Rib with a Yamaha 55 hp outboard motor on a road trailer, suitable for going offshore up to ten miles. This Rib has GPS navigation, ship to shore radio, fish finder for depth readings and bottom contour shape. This rib is ideal for four divers and one coxswain (driver).

Our smaller boat is an Avon 4 metre inflatable with a Mariner 25 hp outboard motor. It has its own road trailer. This boat is suitable for lakes and estuaries. The Avon is ideal for two divers and one coxswain.

The boats are booked out by members filling in a boat booking form which is then given to the boat officer who then confirms the booking. 

The Humber Sport 5m Rib

The Avon 4m Inflatable

The cost of boat hire:

The Rib

£20-00 per day

The Avon

£10-00 per day

The boats must be booked and a refundable deposit (£100) paid before taking the boats out.

Dives

We arrange regular diving for club members for training and for pure enjoyment! Click here to see what's planned.

Social Events

We hold an annual club dinner for members past and present in January of each year. In 2009 this will be at Birch Grove Golf Club. Throughout the year we have quiz nights, a firework party, BBQs and whatever anyone decides to arrange! Keep coming along on monday nights and watching the website for details.