STATESBORO — The Southern Scuba Club at Georgia Southern is looking to expand interest in scuba diving on the Georgia Southern campus.

William Hicks, southern scuba club president, said that access and opportunities to scuba diving was the goal, and that the southern scuba club was like a family to him.

“We provide access to diving equipment, opportunities, training, and guidance outside of courses offered on or off campus,” Hicks said. “This club has helped me grow as a leader and as a diver. I have met some of my best friends through the club, we are all just a big family.”

Hicks said he has been there since the beginning.

“I have been apart of Southern Scuba Divers since the beginning,” Hicks said. “It basically started as just a few friends getting together and diving and now we are 53 members strong!”

Sarah Wright, head of community outreach, said that she could not imagine college without the southern scuba club.

“Anyone who loves the ocean and is interested in learning more about becoming a certified diver should join the Southern Scuba Divers,” Wright said. “The scuba community is unlike anything I have ever experienced before, and I could not imagine my college experience without them.”

The southern scuba club helped in the Tybee Island beach cleanup, picking up around 9,000 pieces of individual trash. They also participate in the soda tab collection drive, which is a charity drive for the Ronald McDonald House that begins in the next few weeks and goes through into the spring 2020 semester. 

Cailey Dupree, a southern scuba club officer, said several trips, including two to Ginnie Springs in Northern Florida, community service endeavours and guest speakers at meetings are part of the southern scuba club’s future plans.

Anyone can join and participate, however, according to Hicks, southern scuba does require you to have a scuba certification to go on most trips, but non-certified members can come on trips if snorkeling is allowed at the trip location.

The southern scuba club can be contacted at southernscubadivers@gmail.com. Updates on future meetings can be found on myinvolvement. 

Nathan Woodruff, The George-Anne Managing News Editor, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu