any sport which requires them to get wet. Scuba diving is no exception, with all except the very addicted preferring to wait for the mild temperatures which accompany the warmer weather. As such, spring and summer generally provide an onslaught of novice divers, interested in discovering more about Bermuda's reefs and marine life without freezing during the process. And for many, the Bermuda Sub Aqua Club provides the opportunity to learn under the guidance of experienced instructors or to advance to the next level.

"Basically the club itself is there to teach everybody scuba diving and most people join with that intent,'' explained committee member, Peter Haynes. "We run training courses on a frequent basis -- usually on Monday and Wednesday nights, from Clarence Cove at the bottom of the Admiralty House grounds in Pembroke and we usually attract quite a good number of novices -- between 20 and 30 at a time.'' A founding member of the Sub Aqua Club, Mr. Haynes said that it was formed in 1971, at which time meetings were held on White's Island in Hamilton Harbour. As interest grew however, it was decided that a more accessible location was needed and in 1973, the group moved to their present site at Admiralty House. "We have just over 100 members,'' he added. "We meet through the week as a group, at which time we make plans for dives which we do over the weekend. And we have all levels of divers -- novices, trainees, advanced instructors, first class divers, national instructors. We are a branch of the British Sub Aqua Club and we usually have at least one national instructor that comes from there each year to instruct and train our divers for higher qualifications in the club.'' But whether a novice or an expert, Mr. Haynes said diving in Bermuda is an excellent opportunity. "I've been diving here for over 20 years,'' he said. "The beautiful thing is that it's clear, blue water. There's excellent visibility around Bermuda. We're right out in the ocean and the water is nice. On a good day, there's 60-foot visibility under the water which is excellent for diving. Also, there are several wrecks around the Island which create artificial reefs for fish which are really a beautiful sight to see.'' Diving also provides enthusiasts with a great chance to see a great sampling of all that lies under Bermuda's waters.

"You get a lot of marine life and growth,'' he said, "and it's a great tourist attraction for Bermuda. And it will only improve when we finally sink the Xing Da . What we're doing is preparing it to get ready to sink. It's probably one of the largest on the Island that's intact. Most of our wrecks have gone down in hurricanes and storms but this will be intact. It will be sunken off the north west waters of the Islands in water deep enough so that it will be a wreck that people can actually dive through. "It will be an excellent wreck for expert divers and also be great for photographers.'' PHOTO Members of the Bermuda Sub Aqua Club