Who hasn’t dreamt of diving in the likes of the turquoise Caribbean Sea alongside dolphins, rays and turtles? The world is two-thirds ocean and most of us never get the chance to explore beneath it.

 

But did you know you can get part way there by learning to dive locally?

 

Amelia Clark, a 17 year old from Twickenham, has an open water PADI qualification.

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) open water certification is the first scuba certification level. 

 

I asked Amelia how and where she learned. 

 

“I did the theory online and then five practice dives in a pool. To complete the course I did four qualifying dives in Wraysbury Lake.”

 

But surely it is difficult?  “Anyone can learn to dive, the theory is quite long and it does take time, but diving can actually be made very accessible and the instructors are very helpful. Anyone can complete the course and learn to dive with time and practice”.

 

Where did you get to do the open-water dive? “I dived in Portland in Dorset in 3 different sites: we did two wreck dives, one on the Dredger, and one on the Countess of Earn which were sunken ships. I also did a drift dive in Balaclava Bay, which is a style of diving in which we travel with the current rather than against it”.

 

What was it like? “It was amazing, the visibility was much better than I expected and I saw different types of fish and anemones. It was quite cold though!”

 

It doesn’t need to be expensive to learn. Joining a BSAC club (the national governing body of diving in the UK) is the most cost-effective route and typically costs between £175 and £300 to join depending on what diving qualification you wish to achieve. There are many clubs open locally to London, one being at the public swimming pool Pools On The Park in Richmond Thames. Learning to scuba dive could be an important stepping stone towards that dream holiday.