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Scarborough Underwater Club, 2023 Dive Season Information
The Scarborough Underwater Club is looking forward to an exciting year of diving in 2023. This year we will introduce new local dive locations, tropical dives, weekday dives, combining training dives with our dive season and putting forth new initiatives to get members out doing what we love to do. Dive !!!
Registration for any scheduled dive of the 2023 dive season can be done at anytime after the dive has been released on the web site. Simply monitor SUCI2.ca under the Dive Season tab to see what dives are available. Roatan and Mackinac dives are released, so members have the appropriate time to consider signing up for those dives. All remaining dives will be released on January 31/ 2023
Who can sign up for club Dives:
Any SUCI member in good standing with the club, and who meets the RER rating for that dive
A Non SUCI member who would like to join any dive must sign up and pay for a SUCI membership 30 days prior to the start of the dive they want to join. This will allow SUCI and the OUC time to process the application.
RER (Recent Experience Rating) All SUCI members were given the criteria to rate themselves as an A, B, or C diver when they completed their membership application. Divers must meet the rating for the dive they are signing up for based on the rating they established for themselves. Divers should regularly update their rating as the season progresses and their dive experience changes.
The system works as follows: “A” rated divers can only sign up for A dives. “B” rated divers can sign up for A and B dives and C divers for any dive.
In any case it is at the discretion of the Divemaster(s) on any given dive, to refuse to let a diver enter the water. If the diver does not abide by the Divemasters decision, they are no longer insured and will not be allowed on further SUCI dives.
A members RER rating is based on experience in the last 12 months:
- Number of dives last 12 months
- Cold water dives last 12 months
- Maximum Depth last 12 months
How to Sign up and pay for Dive Season events
- Sign up anytime after 00 am Jan 31 2023 on the SUCI2.ca website, Go to Adventures, Dive Season and the dives you would like to sign up for, and “ Sign up for this dive”
Members will be directed to Eventbrite for the signup process. Once you have signed up you will be sent an invoice from the SUCI treasurer. This can be paid by sending an e transfer to the SUCI Treasurer ( treasurer@suci2.ca)
- Invoices must be paid within 5 days of Receipt.
- Divers who do not pay in the allotted time may be removed from the list for that dive
Not a SUCI member?
Due to Insurance requirements, SUCI cannot accept any diver who is not a SUCI member on any SUCI sanctioned dive. Non divers who are not SUCI members may not attend any charter dive.
We are working on creating a new list of who is doing what dives on the SUCI2.CA website. The intent is to have this up and running by April so you will be able to see who you will be diving with on any given Dive Season dive. It will be titled “Who am I diving with.” This will tell you who you will be diving with and how many vacancies there are on that dive .
Refund Policy
Refunds are available to anyone with a health issue and a Medical Certificate to back up the Health issue. If a diver has signed up for a dive and cannot make the dive , it is their responsibility to find a replacement SUCI member capable of diving that location. The replacement Diver will pay the cancelling diver directly. SUCI will assist the cancelling diver by providing names of anyone who has expressed interest or is on a waiting list for that dive. The cancelling diver and the replacement diver must inform the SUCI Vice President by email sucimichael@gmail.com that the change has occurred, so records can be updated. If a dive is cancelled through SUCI because of weather or other circumstances, all divers get a credit for the dive, to be used on future dives. There will be no refunds or credits if you do not show up for the dive.
Dealing with 1 or 2 missed dives on a charter:
If due to weather or time constraints, dives need to be cancelled and the Charter operator has done their due diligence in trying to get the dives in, there will be no refund unless the operator agrees to supply a refund on their own accord.
Shore Dives:
If you are interested in participating in one of our shore dives you should be signed up for it by 5.00 pm, 8 days prior to the first dive of the event you are signing up for. This will give the club the appropriate amount of time to register the dive and its participants for sanctioning with the OUC. The Divemaster managing the Dive will make a Go or NO Go Decision the Thursday evening prior to the dives. These decisions are generally weather/ safety related.
Transportation and accommodations are the divers responsibility. It is strongly recommended that you visit the “who am I diving with” page on the SUCI2.ca web site and contact the people you will be diving with to discuss ride sharing to cut down expenses.
Accommodations for out of town dive sites are generally in local Hotels, Motels or B&B type operations. We also recommend that divers check out camp sites in the area and arrange with the people you are diving with to group up in the local campsites. The Dive Masters may have suggestions in that regard.
Note: Ontario Provincial Park reservations can be made a maximum of 5 months in advance, but they fill up quickly and should be booked at your earliest opportunity inside that 5 month window
All divers are responsible for their own meals unless otherwise noted by the Dive Master. It is common for meals to be planned as a group, so please check with your DM prior to the dives to see if any meals are being planned as the group or if you can work with that Divemaster to plan a group meal.
Shore dives with more than 20 people may require a second Dive Master.
There is a fee of $20.00 for any SUCI shore dive, this money is used in part to maintain our Emergency Assistance equipment. The Divemaster neither Pays or gets paid for the dive. Starting in 2023 all SUCI Divemasters can attend any shore dive for free.
Charter Dives:
Unlike shore dives, charters have a set amount of people that can attend the dive, generally based on the capacity of the boat.
It is important to be at your boat 45 minutes prior to departure as the boats need leave on time.
Please respect your boat captain and their crew. Always ask before boarding and deboarding a boat. Stay seated and still when the boat is docking so the captain can see. Captains will give a briefing on the features / safety features of the boat, listen carefully to these instructions. Always ensure your gear is properly stowed and secure from moving around and be considerate of the other divers when it comes to space. Tipping is at the discretion of the dive group, but a tip is always appreciated when the boat Captain has done a good job.
Transportation, Accommodations and Meals are the responsibility of the individual diver. It is strongly recommended that you visit the “who am I diving with” app on the SUCI2.ca web site and contact the people you will be diving with to share driving and cut down expenses accordingly. It is recommended that individual divers discuss meal options with their Divemasters and take the lead on coordinating 1 or 2 meals.
Accommodations for out of town dive sites are generally in local Hotels, Motels or B&B type operations. We also recommend that divers check out camp sites in the area and arrange with the people you are diving with to group up in the local camping grounds. The Dive Masters may have suggestions in that regard.
Note: Ontario Provincial Park reservations can be made a maximum of 5 months in advance, but they fill up quickly and should be booked at your earliest opportunity inside that 5 month window.
Divemasters get a $100.00 discount for the charter dive
Renting Equipment
Many of our Dive sites are affiliated with local Scuba shops that can provide you with Tanks, Weights, Nitrox and other dive gear. It is important to know what you will need prior to the dives, and call ahead to see if they have these items, and if they will hold them for you.
Divemasters:
Every OUC sanctioned dive requires a Divemaster to meet our Insurance obligations and OUC rules. If there is no Dive Master there will be no dive.
Divemasters responsibility’s
-Arrange for the AED, O2 kit and first aide kit to be on site, ensure they are in working condition, and understand how to use them. ( If the charter Boat has this equipment, we will not bring ours).
-Ensure that all attending members are properly informed of the overall plan for the dives, and that everyone is aware how to get to the dive site.
-Ensure a thorough briefing is done prior to any dive. Ensure all divers are aware of their surroundings (both above and below the water) this includes not only the precautions but also the points of interest
-Record or appoint a recorder to log all dives on the provided Divemaster sheets and at your earliest convenience hand those sheets back to the SUCI dive Season coordinator, in this case Mike McCabe .
-Ensure a roll call is done before the boat departs as well as before and after every dive.
-Randomly check your divers for any signs of illness including hypothermia, sea sickness and DCS, render 1st aid if necessary.
– Take control in an emergency situation including contacting EMS if necessary.
-Implement general planning for the group, but not planning for individual dives of the attending members
Divers Responsibility’s
-Respect your Divemaster, they are trained to manage these events, they have your best interest in mind and do a considerable amount of planning to make the dives pleasurable.
-Make all arrangements for and bring all necessary equipment required for the dive.
-Ensure their equipment has been properly maintained and serviced.
-Make all necessary arrangements for travel, accommodations and food for the duration of the event
General Rules:
- Alcohol: Alcohol is strictly forbidden on any dive site. There is to be no drinking of alcoholic beverages prior to any dive. Drinking Alcohol after all diving activities are completed for the day is permitted but not encouraged as alcohol after diving increases the risk of DCS
- Buddy teams: You can buddy up as you see fit, however, if the Divemaster sees buddy teams need to be revised for logistical or safety reasons, you may be asked to switch buddies. Please accommodate the Dive Master in this regard.
- Buddy teams of 3; Buddy teams of 3 are discouraged. However, when there is an odd number of divers on a particular dive it may become necessary to buddy up as a team of 3. If all other options have been exhausted and a buddy team of 3 is the only option, the following procedure must be put in place.
- Each member of the buddy team of 3 will have one of the other buddies to monitor throughout the dive.
- In turn, each member of the buddy team will be monitored by one of the other buddies.
Example: Buddy A will monitor Buddy B, Buddy B will monitor Buddy C and Buddy C will Monitor Buddy A
- Monitoring another Buddy means treating that buddy as you learned in your Scuba training and as you would if that person was your buddy on a regular dive.
- In all cases, the 3 buddies must stay together. If when 1 of the 3 buddies needs to ascent for what ever reason, including an ascent to the surface, both the other divers must stay with that diver and ascend.
- Ending air pressures: On all dives, local, abroad, deep or shallow the minimum ending air pressure a diver must have in their tank is 500 PSI (35 BAR)
- Please remember we are a volunteer club that strives to keep a good image. It is always appreciated when you help wherever you can. This includes:
- Helping/mentoring less experienced divers.
- Helping your Divemaster and the boat Captain where it is appropriate to do so.
- Help with the loading and unloading of equipment
- Not leaving tanks standing, or gear lying around
- Leaving a good image for the club by being thoughtful and courteous
- Never litter or leave garbage behind and never throw anything over the side of the boat
- Computers are mandatory on all SUCI dives
Stay Healthy Protocells:
The Scarborough Underwater club takes Covid and other communicable diseases very seriously, please implement the following at all times during any SUCI Social or Diving event
Always be aware of the potential of contacting or spreading communicable diseases and implement the following
- Follow all current local guidelines as they pertain to Covid
- Maintain distance between yourself and other divers as laid out in the current guidelines, if this is not possible, wear a mask and follow protocols
- Wash your hands frequently, carry sanitizing solutions with you.
- Avoid physical contact with other divers
- Be courteous and respectful of divers who may be taking extra precautions pertaining to Communicable diseases.
Sharing alternate air sources; Should be done only in emergency situations where one diver needs the air of another. Do not test other divers alternate air source as part of your buddy check. Each diver must check their own primary and alternate air source as part of each pre dive buddy check.