Diving: It can feel as if you're flying

By Nicola Clarke

Attempting scuba diving just days after seeing a film which depicts a couple stranded in the ocean as shark bait, may not be the best idea.

But as someone who loves the sea and spent many happy childhood holidays swiming under water with a mask and snorkel, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

Advertiser reporter Nicola Clarke gives the OK signal as she enters the pool.

And the warm welcome at Rigby Divers, based at the Ken Marriot Leisure Centre in Bruce Williams Way, certainly put any anxieties to rest.

The evening was a taster session for anyone insterested in learning the sub aqua sport and there was plenty of information and advice on hand to whet your appetite.

The group is part of the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), a nationally and internationally recognised dive school, so once you are qualified you havea passport to diving around the globe.

The evening started with a brief introduction by club memeber Pete Robinson, followed by a video and basic demonstration of the aqua-lung equipment. Then it was timefor the fun to begin.

Within the safety of the swimming pool you can learn the basics of deep sea exploration and at three metres deep it gives ample opportunity for beginners to feel like mermaids.

Diving Instructor Mike Singleton gives advice on how to use the breathing equipment.

My instructor Mike Singletonhas been with the club for eight years so I felt in safe hands as he led us to the water.

The most important thing he told us, though, was to breathe through the regulator mouthpiece. He said: "You need to breathe normally all the time. If you hold your breath, the air inside your lungs will expand because of the water pressure, and your lungs will burst."

Scary stuff.

The next obstacle was getting the bouyancy right. Buttons on the stabiliser jacket are used to let air in and out, so once you get the balance right, you become weightless. Mike added: "That's when diving becomes fun. It feels as if you are flying."

instructor Mike Singleton gives a demonstration on how to use the scuba equipment.

The club runs lectures and meeting every Monday evening for members to get their diving qualifications, through a series of practical training, theory and exams.

And if you want to take your training further, you could even take courses in boat handling, chart work, or search or recover techniques.

Swimmers sxplore the depths of the Ken Marriot swiming pool.

The social life of the club is lively too, with annual barbecues, expeditions in the club boat, and regular outings to Stoney Stanton Cove, near Hinckley.

The second taster session will run next Monday, with a free open dive evening, the following week, Monday September 27.

For more details call (01455) 292763 or just turn up at the leisure centre on a Monday evening from 7.30 pm