British Sub-Aqua Club
| Abbreviation | BSAC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 15 October 1953 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Limited Guarantee Company incorporated in England |
| Purpose | Recreational diving services, training and advocacy National governing body |
| Headquarters | Telford's Quay, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FL |
Region served | International |
| Membership | 23,447 (2023) |
President | The Prince of Wales |
Chair | Edward Haynes |
CEO | Mary Tetley |
Main organ | BSAC Council |
| Affiliations | EUF |
| Staff | 18 (2023) |
| Website | www |
The British Sub-Aqua Club or BSAC has been recognised since 1954 by UK Sport as the national governing body of recreational diving in the United Kingdom.
The club was founded in 1953 and at its peak in the mid-1990s had over 50,000 members declining to over 30,000 in 2009. It is a diver training organization that operates through its associated network of around 1,100 local, independent diving clubs and around 400 diving schools worldwide. The old logo featured the Roman god Neptune (Greek god Poseidon), god of the sea. The new logo, as of 2017, features a diver with the updated BSAC motto "Dive with us".
BSAC is unusual for a diver training agency in that most BSAC instructors are volunteers, giving up their spare time to train others, unlike many other agencies, in which instructors are paid employees, or self-employed.
Given that UK waters are relatively cold and have restricted visibility, BSAC training is regarded by its members as more comprehensive than some. Specifically it places emphasis on rescue training very early in the programme. BSAC also maintains links with other organisations, such as NACSAC.
Science writer and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was a famous member of BSAC.
The current President of BSAC is William, Prince of Wales. His father Charles III, and grandfather Philip also held that position and his brother Harry, Duke of Sussex also trained with BSAC.