Atherton Sub Aqua Club

Atherton Sub Aqua Club is a group of friends who enjoy diving around the UK and in other parts of the world. If you have seen the BBC programmes "Britain's Secret Seas" or "Coast", you will have seen the incredible variety of wrecks and reefs off UK shores. Come and explore them with us.

Atherton Sub Aqua Club (ASAC) was founded in 1974 and is affiliated to the Sub-Aqua Association (SAA). For many years ASAC met at Atherton Swimming Baths but, since their closure in 2005, has been meeting at Hindley Swimming Baths for pool training and exercise. The club meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 7:30 pm at the baths and then afterwards at the "Dray King" for theory training in all aspects of SCUBA diving, dive planning and relaxation.

The club has its own boat which was bought in 2005 with the aid of a grant from the Coalfield Regeneration Trust and which is used to dive at weekends, usually off the North Wales or South Yorkshire coasts. The club also organises dive trips at Easter, August Bank Holiday and at other times, with a trip to warmer climes taking place in the late autumn.

ASAC serves Atherton, Leigh, Tyldesley, Hindley and surrounding towns.

NEWS

On Saturday 3 September, Atherton Sub Aqua Club responded to a MAYDAY call off Staples Island in the Farnes. A group of 3 kyaks had got into difficulties resulting in 2 of them overturning. The ASAC rib and the "Golden Gate", a local passenger vessel, were at the scene within a few minutes picking up the three kyaks and pulling two people out of the water. Both vessels then made for the landing satage on Longstone where they were met by the inshore lifeboat. The Air-Sea rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer also attended and assessed the medical condition of the two casualties. Eventually, all 3 kyakers and their kyaks were returned to Seahouses by the all weather lifeboat (pictured at the scene).

The official Seahouses Lifeboat Station news release is available here.