SAA Qualifications

SAA clubs teach new members themselves. The SAA lays down a set of guidelines and standards, which the clubs follow in training and certifying their members. Many people who join us from other organisations may have varying styles of tuition but as long as their training is in line with our standards their programme will be accepted by the SAA.

All diving qualifications are at the discretion of the Diving Officer. This means that the Diving Officer has a lot of flexibility when crossing over divers who have received training with other organisations. The Diving Officer may take into account training, experience and ability. Any individual crossing over may be sure of a positive reception and will be provided with all the support they require to make the transition. An additional benefit of joining the SAA is that we offer International recognition for our members, both with SAA qualifications and with CMAS qualifications. We are the only CMAS qualification issuing authority in the UK.

Should an independent club wish to affiliate themselves to the SAA, the process is very simple. The SAA require that the Diving Officer is a minimum of Dive Supervisor standard/qualification, it is then the responsibility of the Diving Officer to cross-over the other members of the club to SAA qualifications. This does not mean that the Diving Officer will be left unaided, as your particular region will have in its resources, the Regional Representative, Regional Instructors and other Instructors who will be able to assist you with any training requirements you may have.

As an organisation, the SAA is a particularly close knit community. As a club and as an individual, the contact you will have with other clubs and divers within your region is significant. The SAA's friendly structure positively encourages this, and ensures you that you get the most out of your sport.

For details of membership costs and benefits, please see the Subscription page. Any other enquiries you may have may be directed to Irene Sartorius, the SAA office administrator, at admin@saa.org.uk . Irene can be telephoned on  0151 287 1001.

Join the SAA today!