Diving Frequently without Club Commitments

Riamfada · 23-07-2015 12:16pm #1

Hi,

I was hoping to dive more often but with people. I'm not mad on committing to a club situation though and doing the odd PADI dive can become very expensive.

Is there anyway to dive , with other people, in an informal non-club setting.

Meanaspie · 23-07-2015 3:26pm

Riamfada wrote: »

Hi,

I was hoping to dive more often but with people. I'm not mad on committing to a club situation though and doing the odd PADI dive can become very expensive.

Is there anyway to dive , with other people, in an informal non-club setting.

Hi Riamfada,

The honest answer unless you know of people you can call upon I'm not sure there is any. There's a couple of groups on FB

https://www.facebook.com/groups/18916460331/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/364216590303515/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buddyhunter/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/155394051249714/

The buddy hunter one is obviously exactly what you're after but there doesn't tend to be much activity on it, and occasionally in the other groups someone may reach out for a buddy.

Where are you based/looking to dive?

yankinlk · 27-07-2015 6:12pm

Just wondering what you feel is the largest obstacle to joining a Club?

I have a preference for Club Diving, and the promotion of same - but always eager to hear from divers as to the specific reasons they balk at joining up. Without feedback we can never improve or change. Appreciate any and all responses from OP or otherwise.

There are almost 80 diving Clubs around Ireland - and there is never a requirement to join the one down the street if it does'nt suit.

A great place to find info on all the Clubs is here:

http://www.diving.ie/join

locum-motion · 28-07-2015 9:37pm

yankinlk wrote: »

Just wondering what you feel is the largest obstacle to joining a Club?

I have a preference for Club Diving, and the promotion of same - but always eager to hear from divers as to the specific reasons they balk at joining up. Without feedback we can never improve or change. Appreciate any and all responses from OP or otherwise.

There are almost 80 diving Clubs around Ireland - and there is never a requirement to join the one down the street if it does'nt suit.

A great place to find info on all the Clubs is here:

http://www.diving.ie/join

I for one have no desire to spend a couple or a few hundred quid membership fee which would entitle me to all the diving I want for the year, as long as it's when and where someone else decides.

I'd rather just decide where and when I want to go, and then just pay when I get there.

yankinlk · 29-07-2015 12:47am

locum-motion wrote: »

I for one have no desire to spend a couple or a few hundred quid membership fee which would entitle me to all the diving I want for the year, as long as it's when and where someone else decides.

I'd rather just decide where and when I want to go, and then just pay when I get there.

Thanks for the feedback. I am sorry you get the impression that is what Club Diving is about. (Maybe it used to be) Its not like that if you make the effort to meet divers outside of your home club.

Check out my youtube clips of Dive Rallys as one example. Diving Ireland is promoting divers to meet up with other divers to find new buddies and of course to try out new dive sites in other parts of Ireland. It seems to be working as we are adding new rallies every year and the participation is going up too.

In 10 years I have collected a lot of dive buddies through the Club system - and i have yet to "dive out" a site. I have lots more places I want to go for sure... Club Diving has certainly not limited me!

yankinlk · 29-07-2015 1:03am

A lot more videos as a guest of different Clubs. Most are outside my home region ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcr1px2WB7edeeyd1wpO_XlMBuyjBfcdQ

Last Rally I attended in June here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o4I5p7DURI

Next Rally... Dublin in August ... followed by West. (Some years I only dive Dublin 1 weekend a year - at the Rally in Dub Laoghaire)

Riamfada · 29-07-2015 1:42pm

Hi yankinlk,

I have found with some of the clubs that I have tried out that they have been a really close nit social groups, which of course is great in some respects. Some have been more welcoming than others. I went once or twice with trueblue and they were great, friendly and welcoming (its just their weekly pool session times didn't suit me with work) but one or two others I really felt like I was an imposition and got the impression that they did not really want any new people.

I would love to dive frequently but due to other responsibilities I do not think I could commit to weekly sessions as well as being a dedicated member of a small social group. Id have no problem paying a membership fee as long as a club would be okay with some guy blowing in every few weeks for the odd dive and pool session.

So perhaps what I am looking for is unrealistic and I should just man up and be a bit more friendly

Based in Dublin . PADI (eugh) Advanced & Dry Suit. 40+ dives.

Meanaspie · 29-07-2015 2:29pm

Riamfada wrote: »

Hi yankinlk,

I have found with some of the clubs that I have tried out that they have been a really close nit social groups, which of course is great in some respects. Some have been more welcoming than others. I went once or twice with trueblue and they were great, friendly and welcoming (its just their weekly pool session times didn't suit me with work) but one or two others I really felt like I was an imposition and got the impression that they did not really want any new people.

I would love to dive frequently but due to other responsibilities I do not think I could commit to weekly sessions as well as being a dedicated member of a small social group. Id have no problem paying a membership fee as long as a club would be okay with some guy blowing in every few weeks for the odd dive and pool session.

So perhaps what I am looking for is unrealistic and I should just man up and be a bit more friendly

Based in Dublin . PADI (eugh) Advanced & Dry Suit. 40+ dives.

Can I ask what other clubs you've tried? I'm a member of the Curragh and to be honest it sounds like we're exactly what your looking for, the only issue maybe our membership fee, in that we pay a larger fee than most clubs but then all Dublin based diving is free, where as I understand other clubs charge lower membership but then you get charged a fee for every dive you do.

yankinlk · 29-07-2015 11:14pm

Meanaspie wrote: »

Can I ask what other clubs you've tried? I'm a member of the Curragh and to be honest it sounds like we're exactly what your looking for, the only issue maybe our membership fee, in that we pay a larger fee than most clubs but then all Dublin based diving is free, where as I understand other clubs charge lower membership but then you get charged a fee for every dive you do.

I would not want to big up one Club over another, they all have a lot to offer, but as an example of a Club that sometimes goes three different directions on the same weekend - its a very good example of how Club diving does not limit you to one site, one region, one boat!

Finding a good buddy is never all that easy - and often times they come and go every few seasons... try and collect as many as you can. a plain old average dive site can be made all the better with a decent buddy and a great site is unforgettable with the right buddy.

Meanaspie · 30-07-2015 12:05pm

yankinlk wrote: »

I would not want to big up one Club over another, they all have a lot to offer, but as an example of a Club that sometimes goes three different directions on the same weekend - its a very good example of how Club diving does not limit you to one site, one region, one boat!

Finding a good buddy is never all that easy - and often times they come and go every few seasons... try and collect as many as you can. a plain old average dive site can be made all the better with a decent buddy and a great site is unforgettable with the right buddy.

I'm by no means trying to big up my club over others at all, rather pointing out that it maybe what Riamfada is looking for. Given that I was in a position to similar last year before joining a club and had the same apprehensions with being an outsider looking in at a clique, but that hasn't been the case.

yankinlk · 31-07-2015 7:19am

Riamfada wrote: »

So perhaps what I am looking for is unrealistic and I should just man up and be a bit more friendly

Based in Dublin . PADI (eugh) Advanced & Dry Suit. 40+ dives.

You should be welcomed by any club especially with a qualification in hand. You could pop into Head Office in Dun Laoghaire for a look at the Archives (mementos and history going back over 50 years) and while you are there speak to a member of staff.

Their job is to find you a club that suits all your needs...Louse and Sarah could not be more helpful.

Diving Frequently without Club Commitments

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