Down to the Sea Again!

The time had eventually come and I decided that Billie should get her first experience of UK diving. So on Saturday last we set of to spend the night in Southampton before getting on the road again at 6am to head straight off to Swanage pier. Getting a twelve year old up at that time in the morning is always going to be a challenge but such is the lure of diving Billie managed this without a single whimper. Though it has to be said she was soon asleep in the car.



We managed to get to Swanage at just after 7am allowing us to secure a spot on the pier to park the car. At which point I awoke Billie for the second time so that we could go and get a very welcome bacon sarnie and nice hot cup of tea. Conditions didn't look great and there was a fair bit of mist in the air so I set about briefing Billie and making it very clear that this was going to be different to diving in the Red Sea.

This was to be only the second time that I had dived the Pier and I was hopeful that like the last time we would get lucky and see Cuttlefish.

Once the dive shop on the pier opened we went to investigate if they hired suits as the one I had borrowed for Billie was not quite a perfect fit. I was delighted to find Pat in the shop both very helpful and reassuring for Billie who had become a combination of excitement and nerves.

As high tide arrived we made our way into the water, Billie now very snug in a 7mm suit. Making our way under the Pier we were greeted by a plethora of life with fish darting everywhere. I also discovered that Billie had decided to clamp onto my arm like a limpet. She had realised very quickly that this was not the Red Sea and despite being snug, it was colder and darker, though actually not too much less lively or colourful. As we made our way to the end of the Pier we saw a lobster, an edible crab and an array of fish including a large shoal of Pollack. The various girders under the Pier were also covered in anemones and other sea weeds gently swaying in the swell. This is a truly pretty dive.

Once under the main Pier structure an engine started above us and sounded like severe thunder causing Billie to want to go up. Through signalling I quickly calmed her down and we carried on diving with the limpet like grip holding fast.

Back on dry land Billie told me how much she had enjoyed it whilst admitting that it was a bit different. She was eager to go again and I decided that we would go back under the Pier after lunch rather than go on a drift dive with Divers Down. I also pointed out that buddy diving did not mean holding on to me constantly.

After a pasty and Billie catching up on sleep in the car we got ready to go in again. This time Billie showed her true colours and dived like any hardened UK diver would in three metres visibility. Both of us spent a good hour under the Pier looking in all the crooks and crannies and finding an abundance of life including shrimp and a host of velvet swimming crabs.

Then just as we were making our way back I spotted a splendid Cuttlefish. We both stopped for a good five minutes watching as this beautiful creature moved effortlessly through the water waving its tentacles and paying us very little heed.

This time Billie fairly bounded out of the water; she had loved it!

To celebrate her first UK dives I decided to get a memento from Diver Down. I thought a beanie hat or something would suffice. In the shop Pat didn't have anything but after a moments thought rummaged in the back of the shop and came out with a Divers Down at Swanage Pier t-shirt that she presented to Billie. She was thrilled and has hardly taken it off since.

We had a great day and Billie will doubtless remember this for years to come. Pat and the team at Divers Down were superb and I am very impressed with their customer service. They can be assured that they will be seeing Billie and I again.