4 members visited Gildenburgh to complete some Ocean Diver training. The weather was a little cool and a bit windy but there was only one other person there and he was swimming on the surface for a little while so they had the dive site to themselves for most of the day.

With Covid rules still in place, we had booked a 4 hour slot. We arrived 40 minutes earlier to pay and set our kit up. The ladies changing room now seems to be part of the new inflatable play area section which was behind a locked gate but the gents changing room was open.

After the briefing and buddy checks we entered the water down the steps at the training area.

• Dive 1
• Divers: Simon, Claire
• Max Depth: 10 metres
• Dive Time: 44 minutes
• Water temperature: 11 degrees C
• Viz: 2-3 metres
• Dive Details: We entered the water down the steps onto the first shallow platform, stepping over the missing board and checked mask seals. We moved to the next platform to conduct weight checks, after adding some weight we descended to the 2 metre platform and did some mask clearing exercises. We then met up with Jane and Julie at the 4 metre platform and the 4 of us dropped down to the 6 metre platform, tightened our weight belts and straps then followed the line to the double decker bus. Claire pointed out some crayfish on the rear of the bus while Jane and Julie swam through the top deck. With more exercises to do we returned to the 6 metre platform. After several alternate source exercises we did a vertical ascent, surface swam to the steps and got out.

• Divers: Jane, Julie
• Max Depth: 10.5 metres
• Dive Time: 33 minutes
• Water temperature: 11 degrees C
• Viz: 2-3 metres
• Dive Details: After ensuring both students were weighted correctly, I entered via the steps, and Julie and I buddied up. While Claire was doing her exercises, Julie and I did some neutrally buoyant swimming around the 4m deck, also practicing finning with ‘no arms’! This was largely to keep warm. On our return from the bus (as above), Julie removed and replaced her mask and competently demonstrated frog kick.

• Dive 2
• Divers: Simon, Julie, Jane
• Max Depth: 15.2 metres
• Dive Time: 13 minutes
• Water temperature: 11 degrees C
• Viz: 2-3 metres
• Dive Details: As part of OO4 Julie had to plan and lead the dive which involved gas consumption, timings, turn around point/time, leading practice and checking on her buddy. We all did a stride entry and vertical descent down the 6 metre platform line pausing at 3 metres to do a mid water hover before continuing down to the 6 metre platform. Julie had planned our dive time using the tables as 15 minutes she promptly led us along the line to the bus, we went around the back and down the left side of the bus to the front as Julie also needed to dive to 15-20 metres. When we got to the front Julie entered the bus, swam through the length of it and exited via the back door. We made our way back along the line, passing the various platforms to the 1 metre platform where Julie completed the lesson with a weight jettison and successfully completed her qualification.