BSAC London Branch
Encyclopedia
The BSAC London Branch is the original branch No.1 of the British Sub-Aqua Club. The branch continues as an active, member driven club to train and undertake scuba diving within the UK and around the world.
The branch is currently located in the basement of the Seymour Leisure Centre in Marylebone
, central London. The branch meets weekly at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and retires to the Harcourt Arms nearby after training or playing Octopush in the swimming pool.
Divers trained by the London Branch have included Arthur C Clarke, Kenneth More
, Lord Hailsham
, Esther Williams
, Mike Brennan
, Tony Daniels
, Tim Smit
and Rowena Kerr.
The current branch chairman is Jim Moroney and diving officer is Cédric Milcendeau.
as a result of national recognition by the Sports Council of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) in 1954, when the existing committee became the general committee of the national BSAC. By 1955 the No.1 branch had 469 members and became the pre-eminent diver training branch in London in the 1950s and 1960s with many members subsequently going on to form other branches or set up dive centres in Britain and around the world.
dairy and by 1961 there were 784 aqualung dives, 12 oxygen and 14 helmet dives.
See the Timeline of underwater technology
and Scuba set
for more on the development of diving technologies.
The first sea dive the branch organised was to Bognor Regis. By the late 1950s and early 1960s the club was diving regularly in the UK at Arlesey Quarry, Laughing Waters, Stoney Cove, Chesil Beach, Kimmeridge Ledges, Anglesey, Portland Harbour, Newton Ferrers, Stoke, Durdle Door, Weymouth, Salcombe and Plymouth.
The swimming and floating test in 1961 included picking weights up from the bottom of the pool and holding them up in the air. The trainee progressed to intensive snorkel lessons and tests e.g. tow an adult 50 yards, land and give artificial respiration.
To be classified as a third class diver in 1961 the trainees had pool aqualung training, 3 open water dives and a skin diving test, 4 training periods assisting in the equipment room and 1 evening looking after the record book at the pool entrance. The qualification enabled a diver to act as bath marshal to maintain discipline during pool training, to give instruction to third class level and to become a full member of the club.
The second class diver in 1961 had open water aqualung training which included 10 dives (5 in the open sea) deeper than 10m for a minimum of 15 minutes, free ascents from 30ft and 50ft, a 20ft circular search, 4 sessions assisting with the compressor and a written exam set by the branch with a 2/6d entrance fee. A second class diver could act as a dive marshal and could endorse log books.
The first class qualification in 1961 was for divers between the ages of 20 and 50. They had to have 30 dives over and above those required for second class, a bronze life saving medallion and a letter of recommendation from the club committee.
The Club Med led the world in diver training in the early 1960s and was the major destination for dive holidays. Instructor qualifications were started in 1965. Before that divers could only get an "Instructor's Endorsement" between the ages of 25-50.
In 1960 the branch bought a van from the Arts Council
and installed seats and lockers with a carrier underneath for 6 cylinders. The van was painted with advertisements and christened Oscar.
In 2003 members of the branch, Eric Murray, Nigel Summersby and Keith Graham, joined the police team in their attempt to break the record for the circumnavigation
of Britain
by powerboat
. The Team already held the record for circumnavigation which was just under 43 hours.
In 2010 the branch merged with YDive, BSAC branch No.1028, as a result of the loss of their training facilities at the London Central YMCA. YDive had been set up in 1978 as a BSAC Special Branch and was associated with The Aquatic Club between 1982 and 1986. Peter Edmund, the Bond villain in the film Octopussy
was trained by YDive in 1981. The novelist Timothy Mo
and the illustrator Corrine Pearlman both joined the branch in 1982 and eventually taught there for a number of years. The Jonathan Crusher Award, for the annual BSAC Branch Volunteer of the Year, was introduced in memory of Jonathan who trained and became an Advanced Instructor while at YDive before his death in 2008.
The branch is still based in the basement of the Seymour Leisure Centre in Marylebone
, where it has been a tenant of Westminster City Council
since 1954. The branch facilities include an onsite compressor, training rooms, equipment room and a rigid-hulled inflatable boat
(complete with towing vehicle and trailer). The branch currently has 70 active members and meets weekly at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and retires to the Harcourt Arms nearby after training or playing octopush in the swimming pool.
The branch has strong links with the RNLI Tower Bridge lifeboat station, with two current members active as volunteer crew.
In 2011 the branch trained 10 divers and members dived Cuba
, the Summer Isles in Scotland
, Weymouth
, Plymouth
, Swanage
, Maldives
, Madagascar
, Gran Canaria
, Mozambique
, Croatia
, the Bay Islands
and the Red Sea
.
In 1959 the branch published the first magazine to cater for scuba-divers interested in the latest technology, dives and musings of the day. It was called London Diver. The branch also registered the magazine name Diver which resulted for many years in the BSAC national magazine being called Triton. The national magazine was changed in March 1978 to Diver to make it commercially viable. Magazine staff of the London Diver have also spun out to set up the commercial magazines Dive and Diver International.
In 1978 branch members Bill Butland and Jon Siedlecki compiled the first Wreck Register for the UK, which provided a detailed account of wrecks and how to dive them. This was maintained and updated every year for many years until it was superseded by the availability of GPS data on wrecks from the Admiralty
and in particular the creation of Wreck Site.
The branch was active once again at the London Boatshow in 1970 demonstrating underwater salvage techniques for the BBC, ITV and the national newspapers.
Branch members have won a number of awards:
The branch is currently located in the basement of the Seymour Leisure Centre in Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, central London. The branch meets weekly at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and retires to the Harcourt Arms nearby after training or playing Octopush in the swimming pool.
Divers trained by the London Branch have included Arthur C Clarke, Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
, Lord Hailsham
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone
For the businessman and philanthropist, see Quintin Hogg Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, KG, CH, PC, QC, FRS , formerly 2nd Viscount Hailsham , was a British politician who was known for the longevity of his career, the vigour with which he campaigned for the Conservative...
, Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
, Mike Brennan
Michael Brennan (actor)
Michael Brennan was an English film and television actor.Born in London, Brennan was married to actress Mary Hignett. He appeared in such films as Nicholas Nickleby, Thunderball, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Tom Jones, and The 39 Steps...
, Tony Daniels
Anthony Daniels
Anthony Daniels is an English actor. He is best known for his role as the droid C-3PO in the Star Wars series of films made between 1977 and 2005.-Early life:...
, Tim Smit
Tim Smit
Tim Smit KBE is a Dutch-born British businessman, famous for his work on the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, both in Cornwall, Britain.-Biography:...
and Rowena Kerr.
The current branch chairman is Jim Moroney and diving officer is Cédric Milcendeau.
History
The BSAC London Branch was the first branch created by Oscar GugenOscar Gugen
Oscar Gugen was a founder of the British Sub-Aqua Club.He was born in 1910 of an Austrian father and French mother. He started as a hotel kitchen hand in Austria, peeling carrots. By the age of 21 he was a hotel director in the south of France....
as a result of national recognition by the Sports Council of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) in 1954, when the existing committee became the general committee of the national BSAC. By 1955 the No.1 branch had 469 members and became the pre-eminent diver training branch in London in the 1950s and 1960s with many members subsequently going on to form other branches or set up dive centres in Britain and around the world.
The early years
In 1959 there were 503 aqualung dives, 251 snorkel, 57 oxygen and 25 helmet dives. In 1960 the branch used an air compressor at St John's WoodSt John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
dairy and by 1961 there were 784 aqualung dives, 12 oxygen and 14 helmet dives.
See the Timeline of underwater technology
Timeline of underwater technology
This is a timeline of underwater technology.The entries marked ## are about decompression tables.-Pre-industrial:* Several centuries BC: This is a timeline of underwater technology.The entries marked ## are about decompression tables.-Pre-industrial:* Several centuries BC: This is a timeline of...
and Scuba set
Scuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
for more on the development of diving technologies.
The first sea dive the branch organised was to Bognor Regis. By the late 1950s and early 1960s the club was diving regularly in the UK at Arlesey Quarry, Laughing Waters, Stoney Cove, Chesil Beach, Kimmeridge Ledges, Anglesey, Portland Harbour, Newton Ferrers, Stoke, Durdle Door, Weymouth, Salcombe and Plymouth.
The swimming and floating test in 1961 included picking weights up from the bottom of the pool and holding them up in the air. The trainee progressed to intensive snorkel lessons and tests e.g. tow an adult 50 yards, land and give artificial respiration.
To be classified as a third class diver in 1961 the trainees had pool aqualung training, 3 open water dives and a skin diving test, 4 training periods assisting in the equipment room and 1 evening looking after the record book at the pool entrance. The qualification enabled a diver to act as bath marshal to maintain discipline during pool training, to give instruction to third class level and to become a full member of the club.
The second class diver in 1961 had open water aqualung training which included 10 dives (5 in the open sea) deeper than 10m for a minimum of 15 minutes, free ascents from 30ft and 50ft, a 20ft circular search, 4 sessions assisting with the compressor and a written exam set by the branch with a 2/6d entrance fee. A second class diver could act as a dive marshal and could endorse log books.
The first class qualification in 1961 was for divers between the ages of 20 and 50. They had to have 30 dives over and above those required for second class, a bronze life saving medallion and a letter of recommendation from the club committee.
The Club Med led the world in diver training in the early 1960s and was the major destination for dive holidays. Instructor qualifications were started in 1965. Before that divers could only get an "Instructor's Endorsement" between the ages of 25-50.
In 1960 the branch bought a van from the Arts Council
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
and installed seats and lockers with a carrier underneath for 6 cylinders. The van was painted with advertisements and christened Oscar.
More recent times
In 1997 the branch obtained a National Lottery grant to upgrade its boats and facilities to ensure safe diving was maintained. The boat was designed specifically for the branch, (by David Marks and Nigel Summersby) and is capable of long range trips to the Channel Islands.In 2003 members of the branch, Eric Murray, Nigel Summersby and Keith Graham, joined the police team in their attempt to break the record for the circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
of Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
by powerboat
Powerboat
A powerboat is another name for a motorboat. Powerboat may also refer to:* Powerboating* F1 Powerboat World Championship* Offshore powerboat racing...
. The Team already held the record for circumnavigation which was just under 43 hours.
In 2010 the branch merged with YDive, BSAC branch No.1028, as a result of the loss of their training facilities at the London Central YMCA. YDive had been set up in 1978 as a BSAC Special Branch and was associated with The Aquatic Club between 1982 and 1986. Peter Edmund, the Bond villain in the film Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
was trained by YDive in 1981. The novelist Timothy Mo
Timothy Mo
Timothy Peter Mo is an Anglo-Chinese novelist. Born to a Welsh-Yorkshire mother and a Hong Kong Chinese father, Mo lived in Hong Kong until the age of 10 before he moved to Britain, studying at St John's College, Oxford.He self-publishes his books under the label "Paddleless Press".- Novels :*The...
and the illustrator Corrine Pearlman both joined the branch in 1982 and eventually taught there for a number of years. The Jonathan Crusher Award, for the annual BSAC Branch Volunteer of the Year, was introduced in memory of Jonathan who trained and became an Advanced Instructor while at YDive before his death in 2008.
Current organisation
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Jim Moroney |
| Treasurer | Andrew Ward |
| Secretary | Roberta Lenart |
| Diving Officer | Cédric Milcendeau |
| Training Officer | Leigh Cresswell |
The branch is still based in the basement of the Seymour Leisure Centre in Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, where it has been a tenant of Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
since 1954. The branch facilities include an onsite compressor, training rooms, equipment room and a rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
A rigid-hulled inflatable boat, or rigid-inflatable boat is a light-weight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale. The design is stable and seaworthy...
(complete with towing vehicle and trailer). The branch currently has 70 active members and meets weekly at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and retires to the Harcourt Arms nearby after training or playing octopush in the swimming pool.
The branch has strong links with the RNLI Tower Bridge lifeboat station, with two current members active as volunteer crew.
In 2011 the branch trained 10 divers and members dived Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Summer Isles in Scotland
Summer Isles
The Summer Isles are an archipelago lying in the mouth of Loch Broom, in the Highland region of Scotland.-Geography:The only inhabited isle, Tanera Mòr, is also the largest. It is home to an Atlantic salmon fish farm, some rental holiday homes, a café and a post office, which has operated its own...
, Weymouth
Weymouth
Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, England, situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast. The town is south of Dorchester and north of the Isle of Portland. The town's population is 52,950 ....
, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the Bay Islands
Bay Islands
Bay Islands may refer to:* Bay Islands Department, Honduras* Southern Moreton Bay Islands, Queensland, Australia-See also:* Bay of Islands* Bay of Isles* Island Bay, Wellington* Little Bay Islands...
and the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
.
Publications
In 1958 the Diving Manual was published by the British Sub-Aqua Club with significant contribution from branch members Jack Atkins (who was the BSAC national training officer at the time), Ron Goodwin and Pat Craddock.In 1959 the branch published the first magazine to cater for scuba-divers interested in the latest technology, dives and musings of the day. It was called London Diver. The branch also registered the magazine name Diver which resulted for many years in the BSAC national magazine being called Triton. The national magazine was changed in March 1978 to Diver to make it commercially viable. Magazine staff of the London Diver have also spun out to set up the commercial magazines Dive and Diver International.
In 1978 branch members Bill Butland and Jon Siedlecki compiled the first Wreck Register for the UK, which provided a detailed account of wrecks and how to dive them. This was maintained and updated every year for many years until it was superseded by the availability of GPS data on wrecks from the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and in particular the creation of Wreck Site.
Television and Film
Branch members have been involved in a number of television shows and films:- Rowena Kerr and Jim Phoenix demonstrated underwater propulsion for British Pathe in 1958. Rowena Kerr went on to star in the film Horizons Below.
- In 1960 the branch attempted to be the first to swim the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
underwater. Members then supported the Hollywood socialite Jane Baldasare in a number of failed attempts to swim the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
underwater. - In 1962 the branch demonstrated rescue techniques in and out of water at a conference to address death due to asphyxia and drowning, organised by the British Safety CouncilBritish Safety CouncilThe British Safety Council is a global health and safety charity. Founded in 1957, the charity helps businesses with their health, safety and environmental management; campaigns and influences; and is a champion of young workers' safety. Its vision is that no-one should be killed, injured or made...
and the BSAC. - In 1964 the branch gave a demonstration of diving at the televised opening ceremony of the Crystal Palace Sports Centre.
- Mike BrennanMichael Brennan (actor)Michael Brennan was an English film and television actor.Born in London, Brennan was married to actress Mary Hignett. He appeared in such films as Nicholas Nickleby, Thunderball, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Tom Jones, and The 39 Steps...
and Egil Woxholt were part of the 1965 James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film ThunderballThunderball (film)Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
. - Gill Yates featured on both BBC and ITV demonstrating diving at the London Boatshow in 1965.
- Ed Goldwyn produced a number of underwater documentaries for London Weekend TelevisionLondon Weekend TelevisionLondon Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
during 1968.
The branch was active once again at the London Boatshow in 1970 demonstrating underwater salvage techniques for the BBC, ITV and the national newspapers.
Awards
The branch has been awarded the Heinke Trophy for doing the most to further the interests of its members and the BSAC on three separate occasions: 1959, 1966 and 1978.Branch members have won a number of awards:
- Ronald Burniston won the National Open SpearfishingSpearfishingSpearfishing is an ancient method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks....
Championships in Bournemouth in 1961 for catching the biggest edible fish without the aid of an aqualung. - Dr John Betts won the Sir Robert AtkinsRobert Atkins (politician)Sir Robert James Atkins is a British Conservative politician. Educated at Highgate School, he served as a councillor for the London Borough of Haringey from 1968 to 1977. He was the Member of Parliament for Preston North and South Ribble from 1979 to 1997 and became a Member of the European...
Prize from the Institute of Sports Medicine (now the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine) in 1993 for his medical research into thermal protection by neoprene, hazards of diving during pregnancy and cold induced pulmonary oedema. Dr John Betts was also the first BSAC Medical Officer in the 1960s and set the standards for safe diving from a medical perspective. - Lionel Blandford won the Jacques-Yves CousteauJacques-Yves CousteauJacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
Award in 1994 for his work with children. He founded the National Snorkellers Club in 1974 and through his efforts ensured 50,000 children were given the opportunity to explore life underwater.