SUB-AQUA ASSOCIATION

The SAA was formed in 1976 to represent independent clubs outside the BSAC branch structure. Its publicity material suggests that it has no intention of competing with commercial training agencies. Its objectives are to co-operate with and recognise qualifications from other agencies, and train its members in a club environment on a voluntary basis.
     I had difficulty in obtaining any material from the SAA. Only at the last minute did club chairman Colin Bryan send me a pack. He explained that the club is going through a transition period because it now represents the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) and. instead of designing its own material, is looking at adopting that offered by CMAS. This would make financial sense.

OPEN WATER DIVER
Open Water Diver leads on from Elementary Diver and is equivalent to BSAC Club/Ocean Diver, but as I was sent no lesson guides or material it was difficult to evaluate the programme in depth.
     I gleaned that the entry-level course relies on lectures and practical assessments in both sheltered and open water over four dives. The criteria for the practical assessments are very precise for the Elementary Diver part of the course, but lack specifics for Open Water Diver.
     Take "use an alternative air supply". What type of supply? At what depth? In what conditions? With signals? The sort of guidance found in Elementary Diver is needed so that the performance of the trainee can be measured consistently across all the clubs.
     This issue also crops up in written examinations. Each club is allowed to set its own, although the SAA offers a free exam-writing service. Without a stringent quality-assurance process, there can be no guarantee that the assessments in relation to the exams are being performed consistently.
     As with the BSAC, there is an early introduction to first aid and diver rescue in these courses.
     The books I was sent - Diver First Aid and SAA/RYA Boat Handling manuals, Decompression handbook, Oxygen Administration for Divers and a Club Guidance manual - were designed as reference material rather than self-study guides, though Decompression had examples to work through.

NITROX DIVER
This one-day course uses a student notebook. The Club Guidance manual provides an outline and an aim which describes its objectives in one paragraph. It is written in a specific, measurable manner. The syllabus/methodology is not written in a very thorough way and could lead to lack of consistency in delivery.
     The notebook is wordy and lacks diagrams or photographs. There is reference to nitrox handouts in the lesson guidance which I haven't seen. The course is run within the club network on a regional basis and costs £75.

The SAA, like the BSAC, offers a full range of courses up to instructor level. Speciality courses include Marine Life Identification and basic Boat Handling. Clubs can charge whatever subscription fee they deem appropriate to cover expenses and SAA fees, usually £100-£150, including Open Water Diver training.
     The SAA's strength is that in a club environment it can offer the experience of its members.
     It will be interesting to see if it adopts the old club approach to teaching CMAS-recognised courses, with weekly lectures and practical sessions only. If it does, with so many more efficient approaches available nowadays, trainees might go elsewhere for faster training.
     The SAA would be well-advised to look at how organisations such as the Open University are able to use distance-learning to achieve quick results from well-motivated learners.