Bad News for Horsea

[Cath Darton]

Hi Terry & all those concerned (& everyone should be!). I have spoken to Andark today the new stadium isn't the issue, at least not yet. The issue is all about civvies getting access to MOD sites and the security issues associated with it; its about terrorism basically.
Horsea is run by Flagship but they report directly into the MOD, represented by the CO at HMS Excellent. I am waiting for more info will let you know.
Funny how the dockyard is able to be staffed by so many civvies, many of them not as long term residents of the UK as most of the divers I know.
Might be easier if it was run by footballers.
Keep you posted
Cath

[Naomi S]

Well that's it then guys! Closed to civvies as of sunday

[stevechesh]

Originally Posted by Cath Darton

Funny how the dockyard is able to be staffed by so many civvies, many of them not as long term residents of the UK as most of the divers I know.

Cath

They should be vetted by the MOD, which involves a lot of form filling. It can take up to 3 months to get clearance, because it all goes via Whitehall. Can't see that happening for a dive site......Anyway, i've been to Horsea on many occasions when i was in the Navy. It's shite, always has been, always will be. Fill the bloody thing with concrete and get the divers training in the environment they will spend most of there time - the sea......

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by stevechesh

They should be vetted by the MOD, which involves a lot of form filling. It can take up to 3 months to get clearance, because it all goes via Whitehall. Can't see that happening for a dive site......Anyway, i've been to Horsea on many occasions when i was in the Navy. It's shite, always has been, always will be. Fill the bloody thing with concrete and get the divers training in the environment they will spend most of there time - the sea......

It takes more than 3 months - because they somehow keep losing forms. 2 of mine were 'lost'. Nice that. With all that personal information written down and signatures too. These will be the same people to bring in an ID database.

[MattS]

Originally Posted by stevechesh

It's shite, always has been, always will be. Fill the bloody thing with concrete and get the divers training in the environment they will spend most of there time - the sea......

You have dived South Parade pier, Lee on Solent Slip, the Submarine blocks and Haslar Harbour wall then? Not sure how much of a lesson I am going to manage in a 30 min slack window. We get almost 50 minutes on a neap, but I probably won't be teaching on a neap.

[Chardy]

I used Horsea until they opened NDC for training students - I lived 20 minutes from the NDC.

The beauty of Horsea was for the first dives of someone's diving life it was always going to be diveable,for a student something to see - if the viz was'nt too cr@p and too many times we drove to West Wales to see the conditions just unsafe for students and we would have to try again. As a PADI instructor diving through a club, we would use the inland sites to qualify students, build up confidence through the club structure and then put them into the sea, developing their diving skills without putting the fear of god into them.

Any decent site is a sad loss

Regards

Paul

[incapete]

Originally Posted by Naomi S

Well that's it then guys! Closed to civvies as of sunday

Seriously, that's it? I had got it in my head that this was a longer term concern... that's pretty sad

[markosis]

Originally Posted by Steve S

Passed my practical instructor exam there, a real shame if it closes.

Safe diving,
Steve

So did I.

(I also failed my first in spectacular style by doing a sh1t bit of compass teaching).

[Cath Darton]

Pool straight to sea? Yes fine but not very practical on this coast as per Matt's post. Loads of PADI, BSAC and SAA use Horsea to train students - conditions are so predictable. Shite is a bit harsh, sure is useful none the less.