SUI membership and sign-up

SUI membership is open to anyone with an interest in caving in Ireland or Northern Ireland, who subscribes to the aims and programmes of the SUI.

Go to the SUI members’ site to sign-up or renew your membership.

Join the SUI

Contact the SUI Membership & Insurance Secretary with any membership-related questions.

There are 4 types of membership:

Your membership money goes towards funding conservation, education, access, training workshops, anchor installation, the Irish Caving Library (a library, archive and key resource), publications on matters that affect caving, international expeditions, plus numerous other activities which benefit cavers nationally.

Pricing

OptionTotal FeeBreakdown of Total Fee
SUI FeeBCA Fee (on Jan 1st)FFS Fee
StandardNo FFS€33.50€10.00€23.50–
FFS (over 26)€122.00€88.50
FFS (under 26)€79.00€45.50
StudentNo FFS€14.00€5.00€9.00–
FFS (over 26)€102.50€88.50
FFS (under 26)€59.50€45.50
Over 60No FFS€28.50€5.00€23.50–
FFS€117.00€88.50
Under 18No FFS€5.00€5.00€0.00–
FFS€50.50€45.50
ProfessionalNo FFS€14.00€5.00€23.50–
FFS (over 26)€117.00€88.50
FFS (under 26)€74.00€45.50

Adjustments

BCA Quarterly Reductions

BCA membership is discounted by a cumulative 25% per quarter:

Adjustment from Listed Price
Non-StudentStudent
From April 1st-€5.88-€2.25
From July 1st-€11.76-€4.50
From October 1st-€17.64-€6.75

FFS Cohabit

Cavers living at the same address, signing up for FFS cover at the same time, are each entitled to a €16.50 discount, applied in retrospect.

BCA AN/DIM

For cavers who have already arranged BCA membership by another source, the BCA fee will automatically be waived.

Affiliated Club

Caving clubs can also become affiliated with the SUI. Please see our Club Affiliation page for more information.

If an affiliated club is purchasing memberships via a bulk order, then the SUI portion of each membership fee will be reduced to €1.

If you are purchasing your SUI membership independent of the affiliated club, then you will pay full price at time of sign-up. Once your affiliated club membership has been verified, the SUI portion of your membership fee will be retroactively discounted to €5.

SUI Membership

Go to the SUI members’ site to sign-up or renew. Membership includes:

  • Free subscription to UNDERGROUND, newsletter of SUI and ICRO
  • British Caving Association (BCA) 3rd party liability insurance for caving in Ireland and the UK
  • Access to training and access to expedition grants

SUI applies a discount for those over 60.
BCA also applies a quarterly discount which applies to New members and those returning after a break in membership.

 

SUI Membership + FFS Cover

Go to the SUI members’ site to sign-up or renew. Membership includes:

SUI applies a discount for those over 60.
FFS insurance costs are determined by several factors, there is a reduction for those under 26 years old at the beginning of the membership year, a reduction if multiple cavers live at the same address (MUST BE BUYING MEMBERSHIP AT THE SAME TIME, and does not apply to those with the under 26 discount)


BCA discounts also apply to full membership.

Note: Those who hold active Cave Leader 1 or Cave Leader 2 qualifications must have Personal injury insurance, either through FFS via Full membership or through an external provider.

Student Membership

This is open to full-time 3rd level students in Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland only. 

Go to the SUI members’ site to sign-up or renew. Membership includes:

  • Free subscription to UNDERGROUND, newsletter of SUI and ICRO
  • British Caving Association (BCA) 3rd party liability insurance for caving in Ireland and the UK
  • Access to training and access to expedition grants.

SUI applies a discount for students.
FFS and BCA discounts will also be applied where applicable, please see details above for more info.

Professional Outdoors Instructor Membership

This is open to full-time professional instructors at outdoor education centres only. Proof of professional status will be required to complete your membership.

Go to the SUI members’ site to sign-up or renew. Membership includes:

  • Free subscription to UNDERGROUND, newsletter of SUI and ICRO
  • British Caving Association (BCA) 3rd party liability insurance for caving in Ireland and the UK
  • Access to training and access to expedition grants.

BCA quarterly reductions may also apply if applicable (for more info see price breakdown in Basic Membership section)

Notes

  • A retrospective upgrade facility is provided. If you purchase basic membership and later decide that you need full membership this can be carried out on the membership site.
  • If you are already a BCA or FFS member and wish to join the SUI, please contact the membership secretary (membership@caving.ie) directly to arrange this, proof of BCA/FFS membership will be required.
  • In the case of both insurance schemes, the member will be expected to meet hospital and other emergency costs at the time of the incident and must then submit a claim through SUI for reimbursement.
  • It is therefore vital that SUI members carry sufficient funds and/or credit card to meet such costs and are prepared for a delay of some months before the claim is considered.

FAQs

  1. I don’t reside on the island of Ireland. Can I still be an SUI member?
    Yes, you are eligible for SUI membership.
  2. I already possess BCA membership by another source. Do I have to pay doubly?
    No. If you’ve independently obtained BCA membership by another source, then advise whilst purchasing your membership and a discount will be applied at checkout.
  3. I’m signing up late in the year. Do I have to pay full-price for my membership?
    The SUI and, where applicable, FFS portions of your membership fee remain the same year-round. However, BCA membership is discounted by a cumulative 25% per quarter, and FFS membership purchased in the final quarter is automatically carried over to the subsequent year.
  4. I don’t want to use JustGo, or have unusual circumstances. Do the SUI accept any alternative method of payment?
    If you contact the SUI membership and insurance secretary at membership@caving.ie, then we will write up an invoice for payment of your membership fees.
  5. When purchasing membership through the SUI, how soon can I expect the insurance coverage to kick in?
    Your BCA cover will be active from time of purchase. If you’ve additionally requested FFS cover, then please allow up to 3 weeks for this to be processed. If you require your FFS cover to become active before this processing period has passed, then please contact the SUI membership and insurance secretary at membership@caving.ie.

BCA have their own FAQ for membership and insurance: BCA Insurance and Membership FAQ
FFS Documentation is available here: FFS Documentation

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