Days Out NI
Diving & snorkelling Bangor

North Down Sub Aqua Club

Learn to dive with a Bangor sub-aqua club, starting in the warm of the pool.

1 photo
Join or try-diveMembership club — contact to arrange
Check pricesVaries by course or trip
BangorDiving & snorkelling
Get directionsOfficial website
Dive clubType
Check pricesCost
Beginners OKExperience
Kelp & crabsYou may see
Check locallyParking

North Down Sub Aqua Club — Learn to dive with a Bangor sub-aqua club, starting in the warm of the pool.

  • What you can do: Pool try-dive, then learn to dive and progress through a training pathway; club sea dives once qualified.
  • Experience needed: Beginner-friendly via a try-dive; you join the club to train rather than book a one-off guided dive.
  • Conditions: Cold water year-round (wetsuit/drysuit needed); sea dives are tide- and weather-dependent; no lifeguard on open-water dives.
  • Kit: Often borrow/hire to start, then buy as you progress — confirm with the club.
  • Booking & access: Contact the club about try-dive nights and membership — not a drop-in commercial centre.
  • Cost: Check current prices and membership fees with the club.
Plan your visit

Start in the pool, then progress to the sea

A sub-aqua club teaches you to dive step by step. You begin in the pool with the fundamentals — breathing on a regulator, mask and buoyancy skills — usually at the Bangor Aurora complex. Many clubs run a pool try-dive so you can see whether diving is for you before committing. From there, members work through a training pathway with the club's instructors and start sea dives around the County Down coast once they are ready. It suits anyone reasonably comfortable in water who wants to train properly; you do not need prior experience to begin, but you do need to join rather than book a single guided dive.

Sub-aqua club Pool try-dives Beginner training pathway Cold water — wetsuit/drysuit Membership, not drop-in Tide-dependent sea dives
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
Sub-aqua club (membership), training around Bangor
What you can do
Pool try-dive, then learn to dive and progress through a training pathway; club sea dives once qualified
Experience needed
Beginner-friendly via a try-dive; you join the club to train rather than book a one-off guided dive
Conditions
Cold water year-round (wetsuit/drysuit needed); sea dives are tide- and weather-dependent; no lifeguard on open-water dives
Booking / access
Contact the club about try-dive nights and membership — not a drop-in commercial centre
Kit
Often borrow/hire to start, then buy as you progress — confirm with the club
Cost
Check current prices and membership fees with the club
What you may see
Possibly kelp, crabs, wrasse, dogfish, or a seal; nothing is guaranteed
Parking
Not confirmed — check locally (Bangor Aurora has parking for pool sessions)
Address / location
Trains around Bangor, County Down, including the Bangor Aurora pool — confirm meeting venue with the club
Questions

Before you go

Do I need experience?
Beginner-friendly via a try-dive; you join the club to train rather than book a one-off guided dive
How much does it cost?
Check current prices and membership fees with the club
Do I need to book?
Contact the club about try-dive nights and membership — not a drop-in commercial centre
What are the conditions like?
Cold water year-round (wetsuit/drysuit needed); sea dives are tide- and weather-dependent; no lifeguard on open-water dives
What kit do I need?
Often borrow/hire to start, then buy as you progress — confirm with the club
Getting there

North Down Sub Aqua Club is at Trains around Bangor, County Down, including the Bangor Aurora pool — confirm meeting venue with the club. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

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

About it

Sub-aqua clubs in Northern Ireland sit under NIFSAC, the Northern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs, the governing body for the sport here. NIFSAC was formed in 1975 at the request of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and represents clubs affiliated to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) and the Irish Underwater Council, so member clubs train to recognised national standards.

We could not independently confirm a separate website for this specific club, so treat the operating details above as the general pattern for a sub-aqua club and confirm the specifics — meeting nights, training pathway, dive sites and fees — with the club directly before you plan a visit.