EVERYDAYEXPEDITIONS
The Selsey Solution
Pippa Hardisty thought that repeatedly diving the same site would be dull , until she and members of Southsea Sub-Aqua Club starting looking more closely at their local shore dive
Southsea Sub-Aqua Club was founded in 1954 ; it is still very much a healthy and thriving club . Unfortunately , with the economic and personal impact of the Covid pandemic , we currently face a decline in club members . Throughout the first lockdown we ran club quizzes online to help bring everyone together and maintain some collegiality . These Zoom meetings were frequented by many club members , but by the end of the first round of lockdown restrictions , we were relieved to resume our diving .
Shore diving is basically a free dive ! Our local site is shallow , and if you stay within the guidelines it ’ s relatively safe . It enabled our members to try out kit , offered the chance of a shakedown dive , navigation practice , and helped other novice members gain confidence in their abilities . It also offered the opportunity for improving our photography skills , and seeing animals in their natural habitat both day and night ! As a local site , it is quick and easy to get to , and there is nothing more gleeful after a day of hard work than squeezing in a cheeky dive .
Site for sore eyes
Last year was difficult for everyone . As a teacher , I found myself teaching online lessons and developing new resources , which took up much of my time . I realised during lockdown that at some point in the past nine years diving had ceased being a hobby and had become an addiction . I read about it , dreamt about it , watched films related to it , and looked at photos of people on Facebook diving in their bathtubs and paddling pools . In short , I couldn ’ t wait to feel the calmness , excitement , and distraction of the underwater world .
As soon as lockdown eased , and BSAC gave permission ; my buddy and I decided to explore some local shore diving sites . We have been diving together for some time , and he offers a wonderful sense of direction to my navigationally challenged abilities , and reins in my overzealous ambitions !
In the new normal , with masks donned we kitted-up separately for our first attempt at diving Selsey Lifeboat Station , Covid regulations adding a whole new meaning to independence . In the past , divers would explore the old Lifeboat Station pier , but it was demolished in 2018 , opening a much larger dive area then just the old pier . As neither of us had ventured underwater here , we felt the utter excitement and wonder that a new site draws , allied to the pleasure of entering the water for the first time in months .
The sea was murky , and full of green trails of plankton , but even in poor visibility I could see the potential of the site . I was utterly amazed and surprised at the massive spider crabs , snakelocks anemones , and sheer variety of life , just a few meters from the shoreline . I had never imagined life would be so abundant at such shallow reaches in the UK .
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