Diving News | Clydebanksac

Diving News & Reports

Diving News & Awards

Many Clydebank Sub Aqua Club members are working to gain more skills and experience as divers. Their achievements will be posted here. Congratulations and Safe diving!!

Congratulations to Branch Diving Officer James Huke on gaining his BSAC Advanced Instructor Award

November 2025

Congratulations again, to Lee Christopher Page, who recently attended a BSAC Instructor Foundation Course and successfully became a BSAC Assistant Diving Instructor. Well Done and good luck on the next stage of becoming a full Open Water Diving Instructor.

More Congratulations, this time to Lee Marsden, on gaining his BSAC Sports Diver Award in early September.

September 2025

Congratulations to Cailean MacLennan and Helena Fox on completion of their BSAC Ocean Diver Award.

It's been a long winter of training and work, so now they get their reward in the middle of a Scottish Summer!! Well done to both of them! Onwards and upwards!!

Photos by David Richford

(July 2025)

To finish off their BSAC Ocean Diver Awards, they actually went in to Bowling Basin to conduct a "Stride entry in to water" and then the "Backwards Roll". Double Congratulations!!

Please Note: Written Permission is required from the Forth & Clyde Canal Authority before any diving in the Canal.

Congratulations to Lee Christopher Page on recently completing his BSAC Sports Diver award.

Lee completed the award during the recent trip to Seal Island, Loch Fyne with the Club boat. That's Lee relaxing at the front of the boat!!

29/06/25

It was a busy time for the group of divers who went to Loch Sunart. over the weekend of 20th - 22nd June. Not only were they diving but they were also completing a Boat Handling Course.

Andrew Sinclair writes: "Congratulations to our 3 newly qualified boat handlers, Jemma Anderson, Gordon Kirkcaldy, Cameron Kirkcaldy and our newly qualified Diver Coxswain Peter Gunn who took part in training over Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Loch Sunart."

Stern to Bow: Andrew Sinclair, Cameron Kirkcaldy, Peter Gunn, Jemma Anderson, Gordon Kirkcaldy, David Richford.

Congratulations to Cameron Kirkcaldy on completing his 100th Dive during the recent Club Diving Weekend in the Loch Sunart area. Cameron is one of the younger members of Clydebanksac, so, onwards and upwards!!

20th-22nd June 2025

John Morgan Steps Down as Branch Diving Officer

In late Autumn last year, John Morgan, indicated that at the next AGM in April 2025, he wished to stand down as Branch Diving Officer (BDO). Everyone was quite surprised, as John had been doing the job since ……………… ?? Well, nobody was quite sure, but it was probably since about 2010. And that was really the point. The job of BDO is central in a diving club, and carries considerable responsibilities and after several years it can be quite exhausting. John had to organise all the theory training, pool training and open water training activities for new members. All these activities require a considerable amount of time away from private family and work matters. Not only that, but the BDO is ultimately responsible for the safety of all Open Water Club Diving activities, whether or not he is present. John has shouldered this responsibility for all of that time.

Many new members have joined Clydebank Sub Aqua Club over the years. Most have completed their training and are now very experienced divers. Some have dropped out for various reasons but the BDO, John, has offered the same comprehensive and dedicated training to all, no matter what the final individual outcome. I’m sure he was disappointed when members dropped out but pleased and elated when most members completed their training and became Open Water Divers.

Of course, he has not done it alone. There is a team of experienced Instructors working under John, including his wife Michelle, not only an Instructor, but our Treasurer. However, there have been a number of occasions, usually, strangely, during the winter months, when no Instructors have been available for Open Water Training activities. John and Michelle have given up their own private family time to take trainee divers to the chilly waters of Loch Long or Loch Fyne, to complete an aspect of diver training. Believe me, that takes dedication!!!!

April 2022 saw Clydebank Sub Aqua Club move affiliation to the British Sub Aqua Club. This move presented a considerable change in training methods. John has embraced the challenge of these changes and has created a smoothly running training programme representative of the BSAC diving standards.

Clydebank Sub Aqua Club members and the Committee say a very BIG THANK YOU to John and we hope that you will continue to enjoy your diving with Clydebank Sub Aqua Club.

Clydebank Sub Aqua Club Receives Equipment Grant

Clydebank Sub Aqua Club (CSAC) is delighted to announce that it has received a Grant from the National Lottery Awards For All Scotland. The Club has used the Grant to buy new diving equipment for the benefit of all members, but in particular, the new members who do not yet own their own equipment. We have also bought a Defibrillator to complement our other safety equipment. Well maintained, modern scuba diving and safety equipment is essential to ensure that new members can learn the techniques of scuba diving in a safe and enjoyable environment.

The Grant Application was prepared by Club Secretary and experienced diver Gordon Anderson. He explained to the National Lottery Awards For All Scotland Committee members the importance of providing safe and comprehensive diver training and that the opportunity to scuba dive should be available to anyone who is interested, regardless of their personal circumstances.

As well as preparing the Grant Application, Gordon was also interviewed by the National Lottery Awards For All Scotland Committee about CSAC and its training and diving activities and how it would use a Grant. Congratulations to Gordon and a very big thank you from the Clydebank Sub Aqua Club membership for his efforts and work to obtain the Grant.

The diving equipment has been supplied by Scuba Diving Scotland (SDS) so thanks to Chris McKendry at SDS in Glasgow.

SDS

Finally, an enormous thank you to

"National Lottery Awards For All Scotland"

for their generous Grant.

Gordon Anderson, John Kerr & Chris McKendry of Scuba Diving Scotland