Date: 14th & 15th May 2026

Location: Vobster Quay open water swimming, scuba and freediving sports venue, Somerset

Our BSAC Ocean Diver students of 2026 all completed their ‘Sheltered water’ practical diving lessons earlier this year in the swimming pool at Freshwater. They also completed their theory training sessions and exam under the guidance of our Instructor team at Wight Dolphins SAC.

The next step was to complete the ‘Open Water’ training modules, whereby skills learnt previously are now replicated in open water and at greater depth.

The Vobster Quay training facility is ideally set up for scuba diver training. It has various fixed platforms at various depths, which allows Instructors and students to practice and demonstrate competence of all compulsory skills required for qualification in a safe and convenient manner. The lake also has many deliberately sunken objects across its area, which makes for interesting dives, navigation practice and dive skills practice.

Our group had two days at the lake, with overnight accommodation booked for us all at a local bunkhouse. Basic facilities, but cost effective and conveniently close to the lake; as well as curry house for our Friday evening meal together.

Friday:

• Meeting in East Cowes to sort kit and passengers for each vehicle, before catching the ferry from East Cowes to Southampton.
• Approx 90 minute drive to Vobster.
• Arrived, set-up and prepared all kit. Briefings to students, before first dive in the enclosed shallow training pool to assess weights and get used to the conditions. Debriefs follow each dive.
• Further two dives in the lake itself, building up the skills and depths each time.
• Curry, then back to the bunkhouse for drinks and good banter.

Saturday:

• Hearty breakfast then straight to the lake for an early start.
• Further two dives to enable completion of the four compulsory open water training modules.
• Success! We are able to successfully sign off most of our students who now become qualified BSAC Ocean Divers.
• Pack-up, try not to forget anything (or anyone) and return to the island.

Well done to all our students this year on achieving qualification. Also, particular thanks to our club instructors in putting in the hours to help, support and guide our students through their training programme from ‘Try Dive’ to ‘BSAC diver’.

Now the training is done, we have a whole dive season to enjoy the many dive sites around the island. What will see this year? That’s the beauty of diving…. you never know!

A selection of photographs captured over the weekend: