Ontario Underwater Council

Ontario Underwater Council's Online Newsletter    Below the Surface ~ Issues:  December 2025 ... A new shipwreck discovered this summer off Toronto!                                 .... October 2025 ... Membership renewal, "E&O" insurance opportunity for Non-Training Club instructors and divemasters, AED available for loan, Inner Space Seminars.  ... September 2025 ... Group discount for lifejackets, Fall student insurance coverage, Technical diving summit.   ... Welcome 2025 ...  Stay engaged with OUC's Below the Surface   Safety announcements, group purchases, recalls & service updates, Risk management, Liability insurance, Community events such [...]

Ontario Underwater Council    Renew by Dec. 31    Please read the full article of the OUC Insurance Reminder including the table. The key takeaway is this: To ensure uninterrupted coverage and protection:  Do not allow a lapse in your OUC Club Membership or in the OUC memberships of your dive professionals. Renew club memberships, club executives, and dive professionals (instructors and divemasters) in December to ensure you are fully covered for the upcoming year. This also protects dive professionals against future claims related to past incidents.   Attention: Member clubs and dive professional members are required to maintain their [...]

Ontario Underwater Club    E&O for Non-Training Clubs    If you are an active or former scuba professional (Divemaster or higher) with an OUC Non-Training Club, you may now be eligible for Errors & Omissions (E&O) liability insurance through the Ontario Underwater Council (OUC). This coverage applies when you are acting within your professional capacity while conducting OUC-sanctioned training or non-training activities with OUC members, and you do not already carry your own professional liability insurance. This program is especially beneficial for professionals who have chosen not to maintain active membership with their training agency due to the high cost of insurance, but who continue to [...]

Ontario Underwater Council    AED    The Ontario Underwater Council has an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) that OUC scuba clubs can borrow for events such as dives, training sessions and community activities. These vital, life-saving devices are important to have on hand — especially at group gatherings such as scuba diving events. Recognizing this need, OUC has purchased an AED that clubs can borrow, free of charge, for dive trips or community activities. ...  Contact:    If your club would like to borrow the AED for an upcoming event, please contact: elaine@underwatercouncil.com AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator which is [...]

Ontario Underwater Council    Events Calendar    View Events of interest to OUC members  View the Events Calendar   Submit your Event    Fill in the Events Input Form    Criteria  Your event must be approved and submitted by the executive committee of an OUC club, Open to members of other OUC clubs and / or the general public. . Once reviewed and approved by the OUC Communications Team, your event will appear on the OUC calendar. . Questions about the process?  Contact membership@underwatercouncil.com    

Ontario Underwater Council    Invite a Guest Diver!      Read the brochure to understand the Guest Diver Program (GDP) and get the GDP Form. Fill out the Guest Diver form and send the form to membership@underwatercouncil.com Send OUC payment by eTransfer to payment@underwatercouncil.com Host club must satisfy themselves that the guest is a capable, certified diver. Guest Divers must adhere to the Terms and Conditions of the OUC Liability Insurance Policy and generally accepted safe recreational scuba diving practices.    

Ontario Underwater Council    Bulk Sanctioning    If your club has a large number of known activities to sanction for a specific year, you may use the OUC Bulk Sanction Request Form  https://underwatercouncil.com/club-activity-notification-by-file/       .

Ontario Underwater Council    An Important Line of Defence    Please review and sign the OUC Release as part of OUC's Three Levels of Protection. A properly executed OUC Release may discourage lawsuits and serve as an important line of defence if you are sued.  Adults  • Review and sign the OUC Release when you join your OUC Club each year, or at least 24 hours before participating in your first Club activity of the year. • Use your full legal name in both “name” fields.  • Use the same unique email address that you used when joining your OUC [...]