History

SUB was founded on March 15, 1962, and had 24 paying members in its first year. That first year, the club established its statutes, safety regulations, and guidelines for recreational diver training in SUB. Agreements for medical examinations and insurance for SUB members were also put in place. The name SUB was chosen because it sounded international, which made it easier to be taken seriously when dealing with suppliers abroad—since that’s where the equipment came from. At the time, the logo on the letterhead read “SUB-Marin.

Even in its first year, the club engaged in a wide range of activities, including scientific diving work for the Aquarium, the “Norwegian Institute for Seaweed and Kelp,” the “Bergen Maritime Museum,” the Institute of Marine Research, and the Biological Station, as well as contributing to some thesis-related work.

In 1962, 12 candidates passed the theory exam and 4 were certified as recreational divers. That first year has served as a model for SUB’s activity in the years that followed.

Membership quickly grew to 70–80 members during the 1960s and rose to over 110 between 1975 and 1978. During those years, the club logged up to 600 dives annually (1978: 653 dives).

In 1963, SUB joined the Norwegian Diving Federation (NDF) when it was founded. The NDF became affiliated with the Norwegian Sports Federation in 1970, and SUB followed through the Hordaland Diving District. The Diving Council at the University of Bergen (UiB) was established in 1973 and is responsible for all diving at UiB. The council aims to safeguard the interests of divers, and SUB has played an important role in it.

Sentralbadet used to be a gathering place for SUB members. In 1964, the average attendance at Sentralbadet was 32, with a maximum of 58. It was likely nice to have the entire pool available in those cases. Notable athletic achievements include gold in the 4x100m relay and individual bronze in the 1500m at the Norwegian Championships in finswimming held in Bergen in 1979, as well as strong results from the club’s underwater photographers in both Norwegian and world championships.