CLUB DIVING
Hooked !
Hayley Whiteman tells the story of how she discovered the joys of BSAC club diving when she signed up with Leicester Underwater Exploration Club
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Above left : Hayley and the club Chairman Kev Briggs relaxing after a dive
Above right : A lumpsucker fish
Top right : A ballan wrasse
My dive kit is washed and drying in the garden , the bathroom looks like a bomb ’ s hit it and there ’ s a crab claw on the side of the bath . I am completely shattered . I ache everywhere . I ’ m also a bit concerned because when I stand up I get this weird rocking sensation as though I ’ m on a boat .
It could be Suzanne Lavelle ’ s fault , as Leicester Underwater Exploration Club ( LUEC ) Secretary she ’ s the first one I actually spoke to . If she ’ d been a bit less friendly , I might never have tried it .
My training started in the pool , with Snorkel Instructors John Richardson and Bruce Moore , I was given goggles and flippers on the way in but they were mask and fins by the time I got out . This may have been my point of no return . Next came the theory training . Training Officer Richard Sunter was first – firm but friendly . He was followed by Steve Morgan ( Theory Instructor and rebreather man ) with his fizzy drink bottle – used to explain Boyle ’ s Law as I recall . Adam Waters was next ( Theory Instructor ) who resorted to buying cakes for his trainees – it was a cheap trick but it worked . Then Alison Allan ( LUEC ’ s
Diving Officer ) with her 120 per cent enthusiasm – all of them , every single one , could have said “ it ’ s not too late to back out ” but they never did .
Then the moment arrived … scuba training . I met Jeff Corbett , my instructor , for the first time . It was tough : masses of kit to lug about , gallons of Aylestone pool water to swallow . Jeff made it fun . He was patient ( he needed to be ), polite when I got it wrong , full of praise when I got it right . And finally he got me to my first milestone – the inland dive site Stoney Cove .
The day came for my first open-water dive . Conditions were overcast , there was a chill in the air still and it was breezy . Jeff took me to the water ’ s edge to show me what I was going in to and I very nearly chickened out . I kitted up slowly , I confess to putting my semi-drysuit on inside out twice before I realised the writing should be on the outside , but I blame this on Jackie for not turning it the right way out when she lent it to me . When I was ready , I took the plunge AND IT WAS FREEZING . After my brain cleared , my thoughts went back to Kev ’ s sales patter right at the start of my journey and his reasons for not doing a diving course in blue , warm , holiday waters … could I EVER forgive him ?
But I carried on , week after week , and clocked up 10 or so sheltered water dives . I became acquainted with 5am on Sunday mornings , ate cheesy chips and learned the etiquette of changing in a car park . I scared myself stupid sometimes , but I loved it and finally got to go on the first promised trip to the sea . The time for the club ’ s St Abbs weekend had arrived .