I’ve never been scuba diving before/need a license. Will you teach me?
You need to do a course and get a license to dive. You start with your open water.
The club doesn’t teach members to dive, you need to do a course with one of the local dive shops. Any local dive shop can help such as The Dive Shop/Go Dive Tas/Tas Divers/Eaglehawk dive centre. Best to call round for availability and cost.
You also need your own wetsuit, fins and mask – the club has BCDs/regulators/tanks and weights.
We don’t recommend any shop over the others.
What wetsuit do I need?
We recommend a two-piece 7mm wetsuit (it is cold here) with a hood. A 4mm surfing wetsuit is not enough.
I’m visiting the state at a specific date, can you run a dive for me?
The TUDC doesn’t run charters – Eagle Hawk Neck and Go Dive run charters on a regular basis in Tassie.
The TUDC is a recreational dive club – our boats aren’t in survey so we’re unable to be booked for charters/commercial purposes.
Do you do snorkelling or free diving?
We only scuba dive on our trips. If you have some friends, you could establish a snorkeling/free diving club.
I’m having issues signing up, can I come to the dive shed to become a member?
Becoming a member uses the same method as coming on club trips, as such you need to sign up via the website: https://www.tudc.org.au/membership/
If you have issues, contact us via the contact page: https://www.tudc.org.au/contact/
Do you dive much? You don’t have many dives planned on the website?
We dive lots, we’re just don’t always post them a long time out, we often check the weather on a Monday/Tuesday and pick a spot for the weekend. Join our Facebook group to see a history of the dives we’ve run.
Do I need to rent gear for club trips?
BCD/Reg/Tank and Weights are included in your trip cost.
You will need your own Fins/Mask/Wetsuit/Booties.
You do not need to attend the shed on a Thursday to organise gear for a club event – they will be organised as part of the trip.
Does the club have Fins/Mask/Wetsuit/Booties?
No – we have BCDs/Regs/Tanks/Weights. You need to rent/buy Fins/Mask/Wetsuit/Booties. See below where to get them.
Weekly rental prices here: https://www.tudc.org.au/equipment/
Where can I get Fins/Mask/Wetsuit/Booties?
Sometimes we have some second hand gear at the dive shed, come visit Thursday 6-6.30pm to check them out. You’ll often find things for sale on Facebook marketplace or the local tip shops. You can buy or rent gear from The Dive Shop, Go Dive Tas, Tas Divers or Eaglehawk dive centre.
Can you run a specific trip on a specific date?
Our dives are organised by our Dive Officers and have a lot of things to consider – your option is to come on a few club trips and ask one of our amazing Dive Officers if they can help with a specific trip you might have in mind or you could offer to become a Dive Officer and help run the trip yourself – Dive Officers dive free on dives that they run!
I’m inexperienced, can you help?
The TUDC doesn’t train divers and is not a charter business – we expect you to be a qualified and competent diver on any club trip, however we’re very keen to help you get experience and continue to gain further qualifications. The club has many highly experienced and qualified club members that will happily be buddied up with a less experienced diver if you let us know. Best to do an easy shore dive before signing up for a boat dive.
We periodically run easy dives with experienced divers available to buddy you – we highly recommend coming along to them to gain some confidence before heading out on more serious trips if you haven’t been in the water for a while or are new to cold water diving.
Many of the great dive sites in Tasmania are below 18 meters and we often dive in low visibility – it’s a good idea to get your advanced ticket so you can make all dives.
What is the best way to ask the club a question?
The most reliable way to contact the club is via our contact’s page: https://www.tudc.org.au/contact/
I’m in the north of the state, does the club run from here?
The TUDC is based out of Hobart, we have some members in the north that come down for dives (or meet us at the boat ramp for east coast dives). If you can find some friends we’d love to see another club established in the north. If you have a carload of divers from the North who want to come to a dive, the club may be able to assist with fuel costs – please reach out for further details.
Do I need to be a member to come on club trips?
Yes.
Do you take safety seriously?
Safety is a big part of what we do.
Our experienced members assess conditions at dive sites and are available to give advice and assistance. It’s unfortunate when we change or cancel a dive because of poor weather – but safety comes first.
The boats we use are skippered by experienced boat drivers; however as other members are getting experience there might be a learner at the helm – we encourage everyone to know how to drive the boats. Our boats have safety equipment that meets or exceeds the legal requirements.
We have oxygen available on all boat dives, we carry a defibrillator, and we regularly get the safety gear out at club days.
Our tanks, regulators, BCDs, and compressors are tested at least annually or whenever issues are reported.
We encourage all members to become rescue divers, to learn how to use our oxygen kits, practice with our defib kits and ask questions when you aren’t sure. If you spot something and aren’t confident in reporting it at the time please let us know.