Broadcaster and author Mary Ann Ochota explains how she managed her return to diving after taking time away from the sport with a young family
UKDIVING
Breathe Easy a return to diving
Broadcaster and author Mary Ann Ochota explains how she managed her return to diving after taking time away from the sport with a young family
I
learned to dive in Australia and had the privilege of doing my first open water dives on the Great Barrier Reef . The challenge came when I got back to the UK and wasn ’ t sure how to convert initial enthusiasm and expectation – 30m visibility ! Clownfish ! Reef sharks ! - into a hobby back home .
From the outside , UK diving was an intimidating scene populated by men wearing masses of black kit , festooned with cylinders , completing cold , dark , technical objectives . Full power to that arm , I thought , but it ’ s not for me . Was there a way I could go diving to see some nice fish , marvel at the beauty of wrecks and reefs , and come back to the surface without having to complete hours of decompression wearing an adult nappy ?
Eventually I found a crowd of like-minded folk centred around the ( now closed ) Scubazone shop in North London . I worked my way through the PADI certifications and qualified as a Dive Master . Weekends to the south coast were followed by longer trips to Northumberland , the Sound of Mull and Scapa Flow . Along the way , I met a number of BSAC divers who became friends and regular buddies . I travelled too much for work to get into the club mentality , but would hitch onto trips whenever there were spaces that needed filling .
I was delighted when my TV presenting career aligned with my diving , and I was asked to dive the HMS Colossus wreck off the Isles of Scilly for ITV1 ’ s archaeology series , Britain ’ s Secret Treasures . The 74-gun warship sunk in a gale in 1798 , laden with ancient Greek vases .
I buddied with local diver Todd Stevens , who was responsible for relocating a missing part of the wreck , complete with in-situ cannon , huge timbers and a full scatter of archaeological artefacts . Much of my work involves telling stories about the past in a way that makes history accessible and exciting for the general public . This job supercharged that responsibility : A few million viewers would see the magic and adventure of UK diving – and that some of our best-kept historical secrets are the ones in the sea .
Back to pool
A couple of years on and I was pregnant with my first child . Diving took a backseat and dry land work led the way . A couple of years after that and baby number two was on the cards . And before I knew it , eight years had passed since my last dive .
I clung to my BSAC Direct membership , fearing that if I let it lapse , I ’ d be calling time on diving . I needed that thread of connection to a sport I ’ d so enjoyed . But there wasn ’ t time in the schedule , or space in my sleepdeprived brain , to get back into a sport that demands proficiency and clarity in exchange for continued survival .
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