When should you do a refresher?

There’s no hard rule, but most dive professionals suggest a refresher if you haven’t dived in 12 months or more. That said, it’s about more than just time. Ask yourself honestly:

• Do you remember how to clear your mask without panicking?
• Are you confident with your buoyancy?
• Could you talk someone through what to do in an out-of-air situation?

If any of those give you pause, a refresher is worth it, not because you’ve forgotten everything, but because muscle memory fades and a quick session rebuilds confidence fast. A shaky diver is a tired diver, and a tired diver is an unsafe one.

Even experienced divers returning after a long break often find that a short refresh session transforms how they feel underwater. It’s a small investment that pays off every dive for the rest of the trip.

What does a good refresher cover?

A proper scuba refresher isn’t just a “hop in the pool and see how you get on” exercise. It should cover:

• Equipment assembly and checks  remembering your kit, not just recognising it
• Key skills in the water  mask clearing, regulator recovery, controlled ascents
• Buoyancy control — this is usually the first thing to slip
• Emergency procedures what to do if something goes wrong for you or your buddy
• A debrief so you leave with a clear picture of where you are

PADI’s Scuba Review and ReActivate programmes are the standard routes. ReActivate, in particular, is worth knowing about — it includes an optional online knowledge section you can complete at home before your pool session, which means more time in the water doing the good stuff.

What to look for in a London dive centre

London isn’t short of options, but not all refreshers are the same. A few things worth checking:

PADI authorisation. Go with a PADI-authorised centre, and you know the programme is standardised. Your ReActivate record also gets added to your PADI profile, which is useful if a dive operator abroad asks about recent activity.

Small groups or one-to-one. A refresher in a class of eight isn’t much of a refresher. The point is personal attention — an instructor who can actually watch what you’re doing and give you honest feedback.

Real instructors, not just divemasters. For a skills-focused session, you want someone qualified to teach, not just supervise.

Pool access. Sounds obvious, but check the facility. A clean, purpose-friendly pool makes a real difference to how relaxed you’ll feel.

Flexibility. A lot of people need a refresher before a specific trip. You want a centre that can fit around your timeline, not the other way around.

Options in London

There are a handful of dive centres operating in London. Oyster Diving and Dive Wimbledon are both established names. Worth a look if you’re north or east of the river and comparing options.

That said, if you’re in south London or want somewhere that keeps things personal, Big Squid in Clapham is worth a serious look. It’s a PADI-authorised centre with a focus on small-group and individual instruction — the kind of set-up where you’re not just running through a checklist, but actually building your confidence back up properly.

Big Squid runs both PADI Scuba Review and ReActivate sessions, and because it’s a smaller operation, you’re dealing with the same people from booking through to debrief. No being passed between staff, no getting lost in a large group. If you’re the sort of person who wants to feel genuinely ready before you fly somewhere with a dive bag, that consistency matters.

You can find out more at bigsquid.co.uk.

The bottom line

A refresher isn’t an admission that you’ve forgotten how to dive. It’s just smart diving. The best divers are the ones who know when they need one and who find the right place to do it properly.

Big Squid is a PADI-authorised dive centre based in Clapham, South London, offering recreational and professional dive training.