Bad News for Horsea

[MattS]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Stadium is obvious, but look at the north side. That strip is
the new proposed bulidings.

...
TBH though that's prime land in a sought after location, so the powers
that be will be seeing £££'s.

Jeez I've introduced a couple hundred people to UK diving in that strip of water over 10 or so years. I guess you must have done several times that number Terry.

Wonder whether it is worth putting up a fight? Letters to MP's that sort of thing. The Pompey politicians are likely to be behind the stadium, but if you take the view it is an important National resource there is room for everyone to be outraged Think of the increased pressure on our stretched coastal rescue services with all those people forced into the sea for their first lessons. Then there is the carbon footprint created by thousands of Divers traveling the extra distance to Vobster. The local economy could collapse. Is there really no other option but to close it completely? Surely the public could be granted access to a reduced strip of water...after all diving is all a part of Pompey's proud maritime heritage. This is just another example of this Labour government undermining the freedom and liberty of law abiding citizens I tell you

Have the agencies been involved yet?

[Naomi S]

Hmm first thought was who wants to go to scummy horsea anyway bit bored of it now tbh but it was my first open water dive and it seemed really deep, dark and scarey at the time (it was bad vis in my defence) where are newbies going to go now? What's the shallowest platform at vobster?

[Gareth Burrows]

Originally Posted by Naomi S

Hmm first thought was who wants to go to scummy horsea anyway bit bored of it now tbh but it was my first open water dive and it seemed really deep, dark and scarey at the time (it was bad vis in my defence) where are newbies going to go now? What's the shallowest platform at vobster?

plenty of shallow platforms at vobster.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by MattS

Jeez I've introduced a couple hundred people to UK diving in that strip of water over 10 or so years. I guess you must have done several times that number Terry.

Wonder whether it is worth putting up a fight? Letters to MP's that sort of thing. The Pompey politicians are likely to be behind the stadium, but if you take the view it is an important National resource there is room for everyone to be outraged Think of the increased pressure on our stretched coastal rescue services with all those people forced into the sea for their first lessons. Then there is the carbon footprint created by thousands of Divers traveling the extra distance to Vobster. The local economy could collapse. Is there really no other option but to close it completely? Surely the public could be granted access to a reduced strip of water...after all diving is all a part of Pompey's proud maritime heritage. This is just another example of this Labour government undermining the freedom and liberty of law abiding citizens I tell you

Have the agencies been involved yet?

Cant see anything making much difference here. The project is rumoured
to be ITRO 600 million, so a few divers wont cut it. About the best we can
hope for I think, is that as a historic landmark they wouldnt be able to fill
it in, so there maybe scope for diving in the future.

Just depends how long it will be till we get to that stage. I'm thinking years.
So it looks like Vobster will get more trade and yes although there is the
odd 6m platform, This wont be enough for the amount of newbies we
get at Horsea. If I was Vobster i'd be looking hard at putting a much larger
6m area to the right of the far platform. Looks like they'll need it.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Garf

plenty of shallow platforms at vobster.

Not even close.

On just one weekend at Horsea we had SUCS, SUSAC and UPSAC.
Those three alone had over 60 students. Add all the pro schools all with
upwards of a dozen each and you've got well over 100 newbies looking
for a platform.

[Happy]

It will be a great shame to see Horsea go, I and like a few others have used this site for training etc, I can remember diving there on one of my first training dives.
If the SBS use it, where will they train? can't we use their new place?!!

Russ (Happy)

[Naomi S]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Not even close.

On just one weekend at Horsea we had SUCS, SUSAC and UPSAC.
Those three alone had over 60 students. Add all the pro schools all with
upwards of a dozen each and you've got well over 100 newbies looking
for a platform.

imagine the morning queues at vobster now - what time will we have to get up to bag our spot now?

[MattS]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Cant see anything making much difference here. The project is rumoured
to be ITRO 600 million, so a few divers wont cut it.

Money is not everything in politics, far, far from it. Anyhow no one is asking for the project to be scrapped, the request is for a few divers to be accommodated within it.

About the best we can hope for I think, is that as a historic landmark they wouldnt be able to fill it in, so there maybe scope for diving in the future. Just depends how long it will be till we get to that stage. I'm thinking years.

Well yes if we roll over and do nothing that is the best we can hope for. Possibly a remote hope at that. At the moment we have access and I would think losing it and regaining it is more difficult than hanging onto it.

So it looks like Vobster will get more trade and yes although there is the odd 6m platform, This wont be enough for the amount of newbies we
get at Horsea. If I was Vobster i'd be looking hard at putting a much larger
6m area to the right of the far platform. Looks like they'll need it.

I might have to reacquaint my self with South Parade Pier, Selsey Lifeboat Station and Lee on Solent - all tidal though

[Sparky]

It's a shame they're going to close Horsea, I've qualified many a student down there.

Originally Posted by TerryH

Stadium is obvious, but look at the north side. That strip is
the new proposed bulidings.

New Stadium to be built at the Eastern end, which in itself doesnt seem
to bad as that would be direct access from the motorway, but they are
also building condos and the navy diving is meant to remain.

Logic says any building will be on the north side, so they can take
advantage of that big lump of land, So bad news would be the Stadium get's built and Horsea becomes a water feature for expensive flats and the navy leg it.

I for one wouldn't really like to live in those apartments on the north side, Are there restrictions about building houses on a landfill site as they have to be able to vent the methane properly?

[Happy]

Now this may not belong in this thread but...........

Why don't we as a forum, club together and get funding somehow(this is open for discussion) to find some land around the Surrey area and build our own lake etc.

There must be plenty of divers out there willing to donate money all above board mind.

now I'm either barking mad and missing the point here or it's a bloody good idea that needs a little bit of coaxing???!!!
Russ (Happy)