FAQ
How do I contact the club and relevant club officers?
Please refer to the Contact Page of the club’s website for the relevant contact information.
Who can join The UQ Underwater Club?
Anyone can apply for membership. You don’t need to study or work at UQ. See
Where does The UQ Underwater Club meet?
The club meets every Thursday night at the Club Shed from 6pm. The gear shed is located behind the UQ Aquatic Centre on Sir William McGregor Drive.
What type of dives does the club’s volunteers run?
Our club members organise and participate in three types of dive trips:
· Shore Dives: 1 dive at our approved shore dive sites (e.g. Tweed Heads, Gold Coast Seaway, Mooloolaba River). These dives are a fun way to get more experience and are often used for workshops and training events. These dives can be day or night dives, although divers' experience and requirements might vary.
· Boat Dives: 2 dives on the club’s boat Downunder. Downunder is a 6.5 metre swift rigid inflatable boat (RHIB) that takes up to 9 people. We often run trips to our approved dive sites (e.g. Gold Coast, Moreton and Stradbroke Island, and Mooloolaba). Depending on the specific site, the certification level and experience requirements vary.
· Commercial Dives: 2 dives on a commercial dive boat at a variety of different dive sites (e.g. ex-HMAS Brisbane, Mooloolaba Reef, Gold Coast reefs and wrecks, etc.). The club hires out the commercial operator boat for a club trip.
NOTE: Most of these dives (except some commercial dives) are not guided dives. All participants must be certified divers and are responsible for diving within the limits of their training, experience, and personal capabilities. Divers must be familiar with the equipment they are using and ensure they are competent to undertake the dive safely.
What sites does the club go to?
You can find the full list of approved dive sites HERE.
How do I get my login details?
Once your membership is approved, you will receive an email with login details.
If you think you should have received your login details but haven’t, check your email account spam folder. Contact the membership officer for further assistance.
How do I sign up for the swim test?
The swim test can be completed at one of the club’s free pool nights (see the events page for dates) or in your own time at the UQ Aquatic Centre. It can be completed at most times the UQ Aquatic Centre is open free of charge but we recommend calling beforehand to confirm a time. Please contact our training officer if you need further help.
How can I check that you have received and processed my swim test certificate?
Log in to your account. Under “My Groups” it should say “Has Swim Cert”. If you’re a certified diver, it should also say “Has Swim + Dive cert”. You won’t be able to register for some club events without being in the right group(s). Contact the membership officer if you need assistance.
What happens if I fail the swim test?
Being able to swim relatively well is necessary to be a safe diver. It's also a condition of membership that you agree to follow UQ Sport's rules, which require you to have a valid swim certificate to participate in any water-based club activities, including pool nights.
If you fail your swim test, we recommend that you take swim lessons before attempting the test again. You can contact the training officer for advice.
If you are unable to pass the swim test, please contact the club treasurer for a refund of your membership fee.
Gear Hire
The gear hire page should answer all gear hire related questions. If not, please contact the club loans officer.
Upcoming Training and Events
All planned upcoming training, workshops and dive events can be found in the Events tab of the club website.
Club members receive emails when a new event is published. A monthly upcoming events post is also made on the club’s social media.
For enquires about upcoming training, including expressions of interest, please email the club training officer. For enquires about dive events, please email the club dive officer.
Why can't I sign up to this trip?
There are a variety of reasons:
· The trip registration isn’t open yet
We put planned trips on the calendar, but don't open registration straight away. If registration isn’t open yet, it should say when it will open.
· The trip registration has closed
· The trip is full
· You either haven't passed the swim test, or you haven't been added to the correct group(s) yet. Check your profile (see above). If you need to be added to a group, email your certificate to the membership officer If you don't have a certificate yet, you'll need to do the swim test - see above.
If you think there is another issue, please contact the club dive officer.
Does the Club do freediving?
The club does not do freediving.
I lost my certification card, can you look up my certification?
The club is not affiliated with a training agency. As such, we recommend contacting your training agency for help with retrieving information such as certification cards. If you need more help, you can contact the club training officer.
Which certification agencies do you recognise?
The club recognises most internationally recognised training agencies (including PADI, SSI, CMAS, BSAC, NAUI, SDI, etc). If you are unsure, please contact the club training officer.
Payments
The club takes payments via cash, EFTPOS at the shed or online. EFTPOS and online payments come with an extra processing fee. Membership and event registration fees can be paid online but gear hire must be paid for in person at the shed. All payments should go through the club. Please contact the club treasurer for more information.
I'm not a native English speaker and worry that I'm not entirely understanding the safety briefs.
The club wants everyone to enjoy diving safely. If you are concerned about a language barrier, please raise your concerns as soon as possible by contacting the trip organiser or the dive officer. We will make sure we provide the information in a format that you feel confident with. We are also a multicultural club, and there are plenty of people around who can speak multiple languages and might be able to help, too! Please contact our diving officer for more information.
I can’t get on a dive? What do I do?
The club cannot guarantee that you will get on a dive you want to register for. This is the nature of having a large club with limited spaces. Our best recommendation is to make sure you register for the event when registration opens as most events fill very quickly. We also recommend trying to sign up for multiple events, not just one. If there is a site you really want to go to, we recommend considering organising your own club trip which can be done with support from the club. Please contact the club dive officer for more information on how to organise a trip.
Can my partner/friend/children come on club trips with me?
You must be a club member to go on club trips and to hire gear. Therefore, anyone you wish to bring on a trip must be a club member before registering. This also means they will need a swim certificate and dive certification. Some social events welcome non-members but the event description will usually outline this. Non-members are welcome at the club shed during our Thursday night meetings.
Can a teenager join and dive with the club?
Any person 12 years old or older can join our club. To dive with the club, regardless of age, members must meet the club’s requirements for the trip (dive certification, swimming test, etc). Please note that all divers must be certified (hold an open water certification, not just the Bubblemaker or other children's programs). Minors can join and dive within the club. However, it is required that an adult responsible for them attend the events and buddy up with them for the dives. The primary caregiver (guardian or parent) needs to confirm with the trip organiser who that person is going to be, and that person also needs to confirm that they have agreed to take on the responsibility. The agreement should be recorded by writing (by sending an email).