CLUBFOCUS
newly qualified Ocean Diver with a view to him taking on the role next year.
Continuing the youth theme, 12 scouts enjoyed try dives and snorkel sessions; recently, 24 Fire Cadets did try dive sessions. Two, Luis and Rhys, are now training as Ocean Divers. We have these evenings off to a fine art with our younger members giving the cadets a talk followed by mask / fin fitting. Trainees then help by putting kit together for the session and assisting the pool instructors. We currently have 47 cadets and scouts booked for try dives this year. Our Google review from the Cadet Leader said:“ Mercian Divers instructors were professional, well organised, encouraging and supportive. Full safety briefs with clear instructions throughout the sessions.”
Fantastic, so snorkelling is an important activity for the club?
Yes, last year funding we received from Sports England was used to develop our snorkel section. A past member and Snorkel Instructor, Emma, who wanted to advance
Diving Officer Phil and Boat Officer Glen playing with the new Navitronics system
Julie and Phil Turney( Chair and DO) goofing around on the Plymouth Harbour taxi boat
her instructor skills, agreed to return and help promote and develop snorkelling. She started by giving all existing club members a snorkel lesson; lots of laughs were heard in the pool on those evenings. Parents of trainees were encouraged to join as snorkel members – two went on to qualify as Snorkel Divers and two more as Snorkel Instructors. A plan for 2026 has been put in place for sheltered open water snorkelling at three of our local lakes and trips to the coast. Octopush [ underwater hockey ] training has also begun.
How does the club raise the funds to do this?
By far out biggest financial win last year was to secure two grants, from Sport England and our local council. These enabled us to train two snorkel instructors, four OWIs, purchase storage equipment, assist with pool hire costs, purchase and service BCDs and regulators, and get some promotional flags and bunting.
We received grants based on our core objectives to remove barriers to participation in underwater sports. We keep membership fees as low as possible, covering only operational costs of pool hire, equipment maintenance and the running of the club boat. We loan equipment free of charge, eliminating start-up costs and making diving with us more accessible than many other sports.
The future looks positive
Yes. We continue to promote Mercian Divers on local Facebook groups, offering try dive vouchers, try snorkels and promoting a fun club environment, with plenty of social activities, including bowling nights and karting races, to encourage already qualified divers to come and join us too.
Mercian Divers is deeply committed to supporting health and wellbeing in the local community. By offering regular opportunities for physical activity, the club helps people improve their fitness, coordination, and confidence. Diving and snorkelling are recognised for their positive impact on both physical and mental health, providing a unique sense of freedom and connection with nature. Our club activities also address wider public health outcomes, such as reducing loneliness and isolation by bringing people together in a friendly social setting.
Finally, our dedicated members spend hours of their time with trainees and doing extra training to become instructors. Without them our club could not function, so thank you one and all. �
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Jack, a recently qualified Dive Leader, training with Will
Snorkel Instructors Emma and Emily with the club’ s first qualifying Snorkel Divers, Melissa and Mylo