Over the years, the mission of the council has changed to meet the needs of its members. Originally formed to oversee training standards for scuba enthusiasts and to govern inter-club competitions, the Ohio Council has defined its mission in the nineties to include providing a unified voice for Ohio's divers in legislative matters.

With many years of hard work and the enthusiasm and support of our members, we have attained (and continually seek) representation on the Governor's Advisory Committee to the Submerged Lands law affecting Lake Erie's shipwrecks. Divers Against Pollution is another of our activities. We sponsor and participate in underwater clean-ups and keep apprised of water quality issues. We also offer a scholarship for members pursuing a degree in marine-related education. As always, the Ohio Council gives clubs the opportunity to interact. A non-profit organization, the Ohio Council currently comprises 18 clubs across the state.

We hold three meetings every year, each in conjunction with a diving activity. Member clubs have equal opportunity to host a Council event in their area. Our biggest annual event is the "ScubaFest" and Banquet Ball, an awards celebration that includes nationally known speakers, a photo competition, a banquet, and entertainment.

We attempt to keep members up to date through our newsletter, The Faceplate. Published quarterly, the Faceplate offers our member clubs the opportunity to promote themselves. Club News updates are found in every issue. During the active diving months, meeting and club dive schedules are printed all on one handy dive calendar.

The Ohio Council doesn't function like a club; we're not here to take diving events away from clubs. We encourage clubs to hold all the events they can, and help promote the event all over the state. When an event they envision is beyond their current scope, we hope to be able to offer support and information.

You can join The Ohio Council through a member club for $8 annually, or on your own for $12 per year. We also offer corporate and professional memberships.