Days Out NI
Diving & snorkelling Belfast

Castlereagh Sub-Aqua Club

Try scuba in a Belfast pool with a BSAC instructor, then train to dive NI's waters

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Join or try-diveMembership club — contact to arrange
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BelfastDiving & snorkelling
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Dive clubType
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Beginners OKExperience
Kelp life & wrasseYou may see
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Castlereagh Sub-Aqua Club — Try scuba in a Belfast pool with a BSAC instructor, then train to dive NI's waters.

  • What you can do: Free pool try-dive for beginners; join and train through BSAC grades to Ocean Diver and beyond; members dive NI's coast.
  • Experience needed: None for the pool try-dive; sea diving is for trained, qualified divers only.
  • Conditions: Pool training Oct-March; NI sea water is cold year-round and sea diving is qualified, supervised only.
  • Kit: All scuba equipment provided for the try-dive; club has full training kit, RIBs and a compressor.
  • Booking & access: Book the free try-dive through the club; ongoing involvement is via membership.
  • Cost: Try-dive is free; check current membership and training costs with the club.
Plan your visit

Start with a free pool try-dive

The try-dive is the beginner's way in and it is free. It runs about an hour: you start poolside learning how the breathing kit works and the basic skills, then go for a supervised scuba dive in the pool with a BSAC-qualified instructor. All the scuba equipment is included, so you just bring swimwear and a towel. Pool sessions are held at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre on Wednesday nights, 8:00-9:30pm, from October to March, so it is a seasonal, book-ahead thing rather than a drop-in. It suits anyone curious about whether diving is for them before committing to a course.

BSAC club Free try-dives Pool sessions Ocean Diver training Membership, not drop-in Cold-water sea diving
Good to know before you go:

Conditions here change with the weather and the tide, and visibility changes with them — clear and calm one day, murky and rough the next. Check a forecast and a tide table before you set off. Try-dives, courses and trips run on set days and tides, so book ahead rather than turning up.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 📱A bookingCentres and clubs run try-dives and trips on set days and tides — arrange it before you travel.
  • ☕Warm layers and a hot drinkThe water is cold all year. Dry clothes and something hot afterwards make the whole day.
  • 🏖️A towelAnd somewhere to put wet kit for the drive home.
  • 🤿An honest look at your experienceMatch the site to the training you actually have. Plenty of people start with a try-dive instead.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
BSAC sub-aqua club (membership, not a drop-in dive centre)
What you can do
Free pool try-dive for beginners; join and train through BSAC grades to Ocean Diver and beyond; members dive NI's coast
Experience needed
None for the pool try-dive; sea diving is for trained, qualified divers only
Conditions
Pool training Oct-March; NI sea water is cold year-round and sea diving is qualified, supervised only
Booking / access
Book the free try-dive through the club; ongoing involvement is via membership
Kit
All scuba equipment provided for the try-dive; club has full training kit, RIBs and a compressor
Cost
Try-dive is free; check current membership and training costs with the club
What you may see
On sea dives, possibly kelp life, wrasse, dogfish or seals — never guaranteed
Parking
On-site parking at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre
Address / location
Pool sessions at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Montgomery Road, Castlereagh, Belfast BT6 9HS
Questions

Before you go

Do I need experience?
None for the pool try-dive; sea diving is for trained, qualified divers only
How much does it cost?
Try-dive is free; check current membership and training costs with the club
Do I need to book?
Book the free try-dive through the club; ongoing involvement is via membership
What are the conditions like?
Pool training Oct-March; NI sea water is cold year-round and sea diving is qualified, supervised only
What kit do I need?
All scuba equipment provided for the try-dive; club has full training kit, RIBs and a compressor
Getting there

Castlereagh Sub-Aqua Club is at Pool sessions at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Montgomery Road, Castlereagh, Belfast BT6 9HS. On-site parking at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

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The story

About it

Castlereagh Sub-Aqua Club was formed in 1975 and is affiliated to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC). It runs pool sessions at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in east Belfast and is known as one of the better-equipped clubs in Northern Ireland, with two O'Prey RIBs, an Alkin compressor offering Nitrox and Trimix gas-mixing, and ten full sets of training equipment for new members.