The Ennis Sub-Aqua Club was formed and affiliated to the Irish Underwater Council in 1980, when local members of the Limerick SAC saw a need for a sub aqua club in their own town. It its first year it had a membership of ten. The committee, headed by the chairman, Sean O'Loughlin, had John Casey, Larry Casey, Tony Chapman, John Cosgrove and Gerry Molloy as officers. In those days the only qualifications within the club were two club divers.

Having established a diving club, it was obvious that no diving could be undertaken without having a compressor to fill the diving cylinders with air to a pressure of 200bar (3000 pounds per square inch). With this aim, the committee, spearheaded by John Casey, set about raising funds to purchase their first piece of equipment. With the help of a sympathetic bank manager, they bought a Bauer Compressor at a cost of £1,500. A Chinhook inflatable was to follow later that year. The Evinrude outboard engine on that craft was replaced with a Mariner in 1983.

Unfortunately, this first boat was damaged during a search following the drowning tragedy in Doolin, on August 1st, 1983. The club tried to mend it, without much success, despite spending £700 on repairs.

A second-hand Gordon with a Yamaha engine was added to the fleet in 1984. The damaged Chinhook was replaced in the summer of 1986 by a Humber with a Suzuki 40h.p. oil injection outboard. Then, in 1987, the Gordon was in turn replaced by another Chinhook. Then Humber and Chinhook were sold. In 1995 we purchased an Osprey (RIB) with 100H.P. engine. This fully equipped boat is excellent for diving and is very safe for Irish waters.

In late 2005 following intensive fund raising the club purchased a new boat to cater for the increased size of the active diver community within the club. Manufactured in Cork, the Excalibur RIB is equiped with a diesel inboard engine, and is envisaged that this boat will carry the club for many years to come. The Osprey RIB was sold in early 2006 to provide funding for a club jeep with which to tow the new boat.

We have a number of sets of scuba equipment that we offer to new diving members to give them an introduction to diving without having to purchase such gear themselves.