What Happens After You Qualify?

If you ask 20 divers why they dive, you will probably get 20 different answers.

Some will say they love the peace and quiet of being underwater. Others will talk about the excitement of wreck diving, or the chance to explore sites rich with marine life. For some, diving is as much about the community as it is about the dive itself.

For me, the answer is slightly different. The greatest pleasure I get from diving comes from teaching other people how to dive. That is probably not surprising, given that I spent my entire professional life as a teacher.

So when I took on Wight Dive School, it was the teaching side of diving that interested me most, and it was the area I was most determined to make work.

Since the school opened in 2025 we have faced and overcome a number of challenges. Thanks to the support of so many people within the Island's diving community, Wight Dive School is now firmly established as the only PADI dive school on the Isle of Wight.

It has been a real pleasure to work alongside Kim, Dan, Carly and the rest of the team delivering high-quality PADI courses over the last year. Seeing new divers grow in confidence, develop their skills and take their first steps into the underwater world has been a privilege.

So what happens next?

We have now trained our first Open Water divers. We also have dozens of students who have completed introductory scuba sessions, with many more on the way to their full Open Water qualification. This month sees the start of our first Advanced Open Water courses, so it is no surprise that people have begun asking the obvious question: what happens next?

As a team we have thought about this carefully, and we do not want to move away from our main purpose. Wight Dive School is, and will remain, a dive school. Our focus is high-quality PADI training: Open Water, Advanced Open Water, speciality courses, Rescue Diver and Divemaster.

For that reason we have decided not to run club dives or guided dives. There is a good reason for this: the Isle of Wight already has several successful, well-established dive clubs. Rather than duplicate what they do, we would much rather introduce newly qualified divers to the excellent opportunities that already exist locally.

Most clubs will quite rightly want divers to have the right level of training and experience before joining their dives. An Advanced Open Water qualification is often a sensible next step: it gives you more confidence, a broader range of experience and access to more varied sites. For those joining a BSAC club, PADI qualifications are recognised, and members can advise on the best next steps for your own diving.

It may not surprise you that if you join one of these clubs for an Island dive, you may well see Kim, Dan or me joining in too. Carly, of course, will carry on much of her diving on the mainland with the Maritime Archaeology Trust, where she actually gets paid to dive. Lucky thing.

So for anyone wondering where to go after training with us, here are some of the key local dive clubs, along with Esprit Freedivers if you fancy trying something a little different.

Plassy Radar Sub Aqua Club (PRSAC)

PRSAC is a friendly scuba diving club based at Yaverland Sailing Club. It has its own fully serviced dive RIB and regularly dives around Sandown Bay, as well as further afield towards the West Wight.

The club is affiliated to BSAC and has been diving together for over 40 years. It welcomes new divers who hold a PADI Advanced Open Water qualification or above, and is happy to hear from suitably qualified divers interested in guest diving.

To find out about joining or guest diving, contact the Dive Officer, Adrian Johnson, on 0777 956 1970, or the club secretary, Claire Kemp, on 07990 517 101. Claire also runs Esprit Freedivers, her freediving school (see below).

Wight Dolphins

Wight Dolphins Sub Aqua Club (BSAC 807) is a friendly, active club based on the Isle of Wight. They offer advanced BSAC training, regular shore and boat diving, skill development courses and a welcoming social side for divers of all levels.

Through the season they run regular shore dives and use their own 7-metre RIB to explore the many wrecks and marine features in Island waters. With more than 4,000 shipwrecks around the Isle of Wight, from Victorian steamers and tugs to warships and even U-boats, there is a huge variety of diving to continue with after you qualify.

For forthcoming dives and joining details, see the Wight Dolphins website.

Esprit Freedivers

For anyone who would like to explore the underwater world in a different way, on a single breath, Esprit Freedivers offers freediving training and experience days on the Isle of Wight and beyond.

Esprit Freedivers was founded by Claire Kemp, who is also connected to the Island diving community through PRSAC and is a PADI Open Water scuba instructor. The school offers PADI Freediver training, taster days, pool training and trips for new and experienced freedivers, using breath-hold techniques rather than scuba equipment. Courses include Freediving Yoga experience days, PADI Basic Freediver training, pool training for certified freedivers, and PADI Freediver open water courses at Vobster Quay.

Highlights of their year include marine conservation talks and underwater safaris as part of the IW Biosphere Festival, and a Croatian freediving retreat in August. To enquire, contact Claire Kemp at claire@espritfreedivers.com or visit the Esprit Freedivers website.

Vectis Diving

Vectis Diving is another welcome addition to the Island's diving community. This BSAC school can deliver crossover courses for divers moving more fully into UK diving, one of BSAC's particular strengths, though its main focus is on expedition-focused divers, with training aimed at experienced Sports Diver (BSAC) or Rescue Diver (PADI) level and above. Vectis can also deliver MOD 1 rebreather courses and BSAC Instructor courses.

Its club side is developing, with local Isle of Wight diving and trips further afield, and plans for environmental and wreck-heritage projects alongside expeditions such as the Mull Oyster Expedition in October 2026. There is more at the Vectis Diving website.

Keeping diving local

One of the great strengths of diving on the Isle of Wight is the community around it: experienced divers, active clubs, varied sites, fascinating wrecks, and people who are generous with their time and knowledge.

Our job at Wight Dive School is to help you take your first steps into diving, then support you as you build your skills and confidence. Once you are ready, the wider Island diving community is there to help you carry on. So whether your next step is Advanced Open Water, joining a local club, exploring Island wrecks, trying freediving, or simply getting more time in the water, there is plenty waiting for you.

We look forward to seeing where your diving takes you next.

Ian Vallance, Owner, Wight Dive School