So you are interested in coming underground. The best way to do this is by joining a caving or underground exploration group such as ourselves, Plymouth Caving Group.
Membership 2025
The British Caving Association (BCA) have increased their insurance from £20 in 2024 to £24 for 2025. We have therefore decided to put our own part of the membership up by a whole £1.00p ! This makes total membership a nice round £40 per year.
However, for NEW members only, BCA insurance reduces by £6 every quarter, so will be £18 from April, £12 from July and £6 from October. This makes it better value for people joining during the year. There are no current plans to reduce the PCG part of the membership during the year, except perhaps the last quarter. As it has always been, if you join us and already have BCA insurance with another club or directly from BCA, then you will just pay us the PCG part of the membership of £16.
Incidentally, BCA insurance is FREE for anyone under the age of 18 on the 1st of January 2025. So their membership is just £12 – same as student insured elsewhere and same as temporary member (So if this is you, you might just as well sign up for full.) However, until they turn 18, they have to be accompanied by a designated adult member of PCG when they go underground.
Membership runs from January to December each year, though we ask you to renew at the beginning of December so we can pay BCA for the insurance in plenty of time for the new year.
Benefits
- Access places that are either totally unknown or completely barred to most people.
- Be with people who know the pitfalls (literally) of a particular mine or cave, or when exploring somewhere fresh, will know how to explore safely. Several members also belong to the Devon Cave Rescue Organisation.
- Gain access to a library of underground locations to research and plan trips and to know what to expect and where best to find the kinds of things that most draw you underground.
- Training – Learn caving and exploration techniques, especially using wire ladders and Single Rope Techniques (SRT) for getting down and back up vertical drops.
- Insurance against 3rd party risks, i.e. to land owners, fellow cavers etc up to a maximum of ten million pounds.
Above all, you will get to explore and marvel at the wonders of the subterranean world in excellent enthusiastic company.
Temporary Membership
If you are visiting from elsewhere, or you want to try a couple of trips to see if you like it, we have temporary membership for just £12 (an utter bargain compared to going underground commercially!) This covers you for 2 “easy” trips within a couple of months. You need to find some overalls or rough clothes you don’t mind getting soaked and filthy and you will need your own wellies. We can lend you a helmet with a lamp, included in the £12. What’s more, your £12 can go towards your full membership if you decide to join us properly within 2 months of your first trip. Get in touch on the form below and tell us you want to become a temporary member and what trips you were intending in coming on. Please be aware though that we are currently restricted by our insurance for only two temporary members to go underground with us at any one time and so booking for trips is first come, first served.
Alternatively, if you already know you want to go underground fairly often and have the full benefits of the group straight away, then get in touch on the form below and let us know.
How much is membership?
For 2025
- Individual full membership or renewal £16 plus BCA insurance of £24 equals £40
- Individual full membership from April 2025 £16 plus BCA insurance of £18 equals £34
- Individual with BCA insurance from elsewhere £16
- Full time student with card from April 2025 £19.50
- Student with BCA insurance elsewhere £12
- Student or Individual under 18 on 1st January 2025, with free BCA insurance £12
- Temorary membership for 2 trips within 2 months £12. This can go towards full membership within 2 months of the first trip.
Fill in the form below
And let us know whether you want to try a couple of trips as a temporary member or want to join straight away. It is useful if you can let us know what experience you have had. Though remember, we are open to complete novices. Everyone has to start somewhere!