Days Out NI
Diving & snorkelling Newry

Newry & Mourne Sub Aqua Club

A try-dive in the pool, then a BSAC pathway to real open-water diving

2 photos
Join or try-diveMembership club — contact to arrange
Check pricesVaries by course or trip
NewryDiving & snorkelling
Get directionsOfficial website
Dive clubType
Check pricesCost
Beginners OKExperience
Kelp & dogfishYou may see
At the Newry Sw…Parking

Newry & Mourne Sub Aqua Club — A try-dive in the pool, then a BSAC pathway to real open-water diving.

  • What you can do: Pool try-dive; join and train through the BSAC Ocean Diver pathway with supervised open-water dives.
  • Experience needed: Beginner-friendly via try-dive then training; not drop-in guided diving.
  • Conditions: Cold water year-round; real open-water dives under instruction; no lifeguard at dive sites.
  • Kit: Club lends learners the gear to start; members typically buy their own later.
  • Booking & access: Contact the club to arrange a try-dive or membership; not a bookable commercial centre.
  • Cost: Initial joining fee plus monthly membership — check current prices with the club.
Plan your visit

Start in the pool, then learn to dive for real

The entry point is a try-dive at Newry Swimming Pool, where a BSAC-qualified instructor takes you through basic equipment and breathing in shallow water. In winter these run by appointment on most Wednesday evenings, around 7.30pm to 9.00pm. If you want to go further, you join and start the BSAC Ocean Diver course, which runs over roughly six weeks of Wednesday-evening lectures and pool sessions before qualifying open-water dives. Qualified Ocean Divers can dive to 20 metres; the club's pathway continues through Sports Diver, Dive Leader and beyond, with technical training available for experienced members. This suits people who want to learn diving properly with a club rather than a quick holiday taster.

BSAC club Pool try-dives Ocean Diver pathway Kit lent to learners Cold water Membership, not drop-in
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
Membership sub-aqua club (BSAC branch)
What you can do
Pool try-dive; join and train through the BSAC Ocean Diver pathway with supervised open-water dives
Experience needed
Beginner-friendly via try-dive then training; not drop-in guided diving
Conditions
Cold water year-round; real open-water dives under instruction; no lifeguard at dive sites
Booking / access
Contact the club to arrange a try-dive or membership; not a bookable commercial centre
Kit
Club lends learners the gear to start; members typically buy their own later
Cost
Initial joining fee plus monthly membership — check current prices with the club
What you may see
Kelp, dogfish and inshore life on local dives — never guaranteed
Parking
At the Newry Swimming Pool / leisure centre site
Address / location
Newry Swimming Pool, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6EH
Questions

Before you go

Do I need experience?
Beginner-friendly via try-dive then training; not drop-in guided diving
How much does it cost?
Initial joining fee plus monthly membership — check current prices with the club
Do I need to book?
Contact the club to arrange a try-dive or membership; not a bookable commercial centre
What are the conditions like?
Cold water year-round; real open-water dives under instruction; no lifeguard at dive sites
What kit do I need?
Club lends learners the gear to start; members typically buy their own later
Getting there

Newry & Mourne Sub Aqua Club is at Newry Swimming Pool, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6EH. At the Newry Swimming Pool / leisure centre site. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around NewrySee what else is close by More diving & snorkelling across NIDive centres, clubs and wild shore sites
The story

About it

Newry & Mourne Sub Aqua Club was pioneered by local enthusiasts from the late 1960s and joined the British Sub-Aqua Club in the early 1970s, giving it more than five decades of training divers in the area. It runs a full pathway from Ocean Diver up to technical training, and its members have supported local emergency services in inshore search and recovery work.

The club introduced technical diving in 2001 and added a Nitrox membrane compressor in 2005, alongside facilities for blending Nitrox and Trimix and club RIBs for boat diving.