This page is a working progress as we find out more details about the club from previous members.
In 1959 Fred Baldisere decide to try and swim the Channel underwater, based at Folkestone supported by a member of the London Bsac Branch.
They recruited local people to support and help with this crossing attempt.
These locals were soon bitten by the bug and decided to form a Bsac branch of their own. They negotiated equipment from Fred and got the use of the old Marine Pool, at the foot of Les at Folkestone.
The Chairman of this new branch (106) was Sam Rocket, a past Channel Swimmer. The kit they obtain included: American Voigt cylinders left over from the underwater chancel crossing attempt, 24 cub ft ex-air Ministry Cylinders with the wire binding removed, the ubiquitous “Tad” and 40 cub ft Siebe Gorman cylinders all working at 120 ats. Demand values were twin hose, and web suits were homemade out of double-skinned sheet neoprene stuck and taped with Evostick.
The Folkestone pool was due for demolition, so the club had to find another location. The Butlins Queen Hotel at Margate came to the club to rescue and pool sessions were run on Sundays during the winter.
During the summer months, the outdoor pool at Ramsgate was used.
The branch was then renamed East Kent which was maintained until a swimming pool was built in Canterbury. The Brach was then split into two clubs Margate 106 and Canterbury 326.
1969
The Canterbury branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club was founded by a group of enthusiastic BSAC members in 1969 to become branch NO:326.
Local BSAC clubs formed the East Kent Federation of Sub Aqua Clubs.
Hugh Singer – One of the founders of the Canterbury Branch.
1972
The EKFED Championships at Canterbury Swimming Pool were held on the 9th of December 1972. This includes Fin Swimming, an underwater obstacle course, Octopush which we won.
1999
Club purchases RIB Valiant.
2001
The Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Jenny Samper, who officially named the club’s new RIB “Canterbury Singer” at Herne Bay on July 6, found time in her extremely busy schedule to come for a run in the RIB. This took place on Saturday, August 5th during the annual Herne Bay Festival.
The RIB is named in honor of Hugh Singer, the founder of the club who was on board with the Lord Mayor.
2002
The club applied for a Lottery Grant to allow the club to grow and purchase critical equipment.
2007
The club adopted the wreck of the UB109 under the NSA ‘adopt a wreck’ scheme and will be undertaking a detailed survey of her over the next few seasons.
2012
The club purchased a RIB from a boatyard in Rye. The boat was an old Environment Agency RIB and was named Fury by the club.
2013
The club was lucky enough to work on three projects for English Heritage alongside commercial archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology.
The club was also invited to help search for Amy Johnson’s Plan 12 miles off the Herne Bay coast.
2016
Canterbury Divers, during a drift dive off Herne Bay on the north Kent coast earlier this month [July 2016] shows an extensive population of the non-native sea squirt Didemnum vexillum (Carpet Sea-squirt), in places covering over 50% of the sea bed. D. vexillum was first found in the UK in 2008 and was first reported on the shore in north Kent in 2011, but an extensive subtidal occurrence on the open sea bed is a worrying further step in the colonization of UK waters by this invasive species.
2019
The news of Covid19 starts to spread around the world in December 2019.
2020
The covid19 Pandemic hits the world and caused chaos around the world. This put most countries on lockdown and limited human interaction, as such diving activities were put on hold.
The club purchased a new RIB called the Joker.
2021
In March 2021 lockdown restrictions start to ease but there were still a number of restrictions in place.
2022
The club launch a new website that is designed to work on smartphones. Allowing the club to keep up with technology and attract more members to the club.
Due to covid19, the club started having to regenerate itself with fresh new faces and a drive to improve the club. There were a number of challenges throughout the year including the Joker (Club RIB) not working and catching fire.
This limited the number of diving trips the club could do, but the club was still able to get lot’s of training done and the annual visit to Plymouth.
2023
The club started the year on a high note with a number of dives booked and more new member joining the club.
