WELCOME

Thank you for your enquiry about coming to dive with Dive Ability. We are a charity focused on sharing our love of scuba diving with those with a disability or other disadvantage. We meet the 1st Saturday of each month at The Lord Wandsworth College, Long Sutton, Hook, Hampshire. Use Sat nav postcode RG29 1TA.

Our sessions start promptly at 12.30 for 3 hours. We have all the equipment needed, including a hoist should that be needed. Lord Wandsworth College is a private school that has some strict rules. Drive up to the front barrier and it will open. From this point there is no smoking or vapes. Please, park only in the main car park and make your way towards the school buildings. You will see the pool in front of you. The door to this is key coded so it’s best to be there, say, 12.15 the first time and particularly so if you need wheelchair access. If you are a Blue Badge holder, the school will allow you to park right by the pool -you will need to speak to us as to how you should access this facility. When you arrive, please ask for our Dive Officer.

You are very welcome to come along first time just to see what we do, but if you want to get involved then we are here to ensure you have a great experience and want to return. However, please note that we can only deal with the diving aspect and should you need assistance in changing/showering then you should arrange to bring someone with you to help. We provide all necessary equipment. You just need to bring a costume and towel.

Our beneficiaries can have a huge range of disabilities, Quadriplegic, Paraplegic, Autism, Blind, MS, Amputees, Down syndrome and Cerebral Palsy to name but a few. Whatever issues you face we will do all possible to get you diving whether as an “experience” or leading up to a dive qualification you can take around the world. When you first arrive, assuming you are not already a qualified diver, we will start with a try dive. If you wish to continue then the next stage will be the Discover Scuba Diving programme (DSD) which introduces you to scuba diving and teaches you a few of the vital key aspects of diving. We will also provide you with an e-learning link so that you can read a little bit about the DSD before you come along.

To give you some reassurance and comfort, Dive Ability is the sole UK training facility (for those with a disability or disadvantage) of the HSA, so providing a world recognised certification. We also run an HSA Buddy course. This gives the candidate masses of information about the various disabilities and how to deal with each in the water. It may be that you have a friend who would be interested in diving with you and may benefit from this course.

All of our instructors/helpers have had Enhanced DBS checks. So you are always in good hands.

If you do want to come along to one of our sessions you will need to prebook as we need to know in order to ensure that there are adequate instructors and equipment available. Please contact us by e-mail (info@diveability.org) to arrange. Unfortunately, in this day and age, we cannot avoid paperwork; this form is divided into sections:

Section A: Basic details about the beneficiary (required information)
Section B: General consents (we need to know your preferences for information sharing)
Section C: Medical information (optional unless you will be attending alone)
Section D: Confirmation (required from all applicants)

Please complete this form and press the submit button to send it to Dive Ability.

After each pool session we move to a local pub, the Anchor Inn, Lower Froyle, GU34 4NA so the social side of diving can be enjoyed. The pub is fully accessible.

Kind regards
The Dive Ability Team

Welcome Pack 1a

Name

Email (Required for sending information about events)

Phone number (Required for sending information about last minute cancellations or changes)

Address

Date of birth

Name of parent (if beneficiary is a minor), guardian (if beneficiary is incapacitated) or EMERGENCY CONTACT

Email of parent or guardian

Phone number of parent or guardian

Section B: General consents

We take the security of your personal information very seriously. We store this information digitally and comply with all UK data protection legislation. Do we have your permission to store your information in this way?

Yes

We recognise that you may have disabilities or impairments that may give you additional challenges when learning to scuba dive. Many of these issues can be overcome if we are informed and have the opportunity to discuss with you adaptations that may be possible. This will mean that our staff need to be informed of your circumstances. All of our staff are aware of the need for confidentiality. Do we have your permission to share your information in this way?

Yes

Many of our beneficiaries, their families and friends enjoy seeing photos or videos of their scuba diving experiences. We regularly post on our website and social media. These are taken by a member of the Dive Ability Team and are screened before posting to ensure that they are appropriate and not demeaning. Do we have your permission to post these memories?

Yes

Section C: Medical information

Unfortunately not everyone is medically safe to participate in scuba diving. It is a legal requirement that participants must be medically screened for suitability prior to any in-water activity.
Therefore, we must ask you to complete the medical declaration form available on the website. If you have any questions with positive responses we must ask you to obtain a doctor’s opinion on your safety to scuba dive. Dive Ability can provide a list of qualified diving doctors in the UK if your GP does not perform sports diving medical assessments.
Whilst scuba diving has a low risk of accidents and Dive Ability is very safety conscious, it is possible that participants may become unwell during the session.
Where beneficiaries attend sessions on their own it would be useful to have a summary of your medical conditions and medications to pass to the emergency services if needed.

Medical conditions:

Medications:

Allergies:

GP Address:

Section D: Confirmation

I confirm my answers to the above questions.

Name and date of signing

Capacity

Beneficiary

Parent

Guardian

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Further Information available on our website:

1) Medical declaration form
2) Neurodivergent enquiry form (if applicable)
3) Physical impairments enquiry form (if applicable)
4) Media consent policy
5) Statement of risks and liability
6) Safeguarding policy
7) Privacy policy
8) Joining Dive Ability (optional but not required to participate in activities)