To the Editor,
MOD to Ban Access to Horsea Lake this Sunday
From Sunday (29th June) the Royal Navy will no longer allow civilians to use Horsea Lake for scuba diver training purposes. The decision appears to have been reached very quickly and protests from the local and National diving communities have been ignored.
I am shocked by the decision and the lack of consultation.
This is more than just a sport needing a venue.
Horsea Lake (a part of HMS Excellent) has been used by civilian divers for over 10 years. It is the only salt water lake in the UK and is regarded as about the safest place in the country for divers to prepare, before taking on the far greater challenges of diving at sea in less predictable conditions. The lake is the preferred choice of diver training venue for dive schools, amateur diving clubs, Marine Conservation and Underwater Archaeology groups.
Thousands of divers from across the South East have been introduced to scuba diving at Horsea Lake. There is very little shelter along the coast between Portsmouth and Brighton so many divers continue to use the lake as a safe place to test their equipment is working and to keep their skills practiced.
The closest alternative venues that are remotely suitable are around 100 miles away.
Civilian access to Horsea Lake is vitally important for local divers as the underwater conditions of the Solent are more challenging than most. There is a very real safety issue at stake here. If the MOD have their way some divers will choose not to prepare properly and will make mistakes at sea with dire consequences.
Workable solutions have been found to allow civilians access to Royal Navy establishments, such as the Historic Dockyard. In these days when we are all concerned with reducing carbon footprints and the strain placed on emergency services, it seems ridiculous that the MOD cannot find a compromise which will ensure civilians continue to be able to use this unique and Nationally important diving facility.
If you would like to send a note in support of keeping Horsea open to civilian divers please email
cathATdivesearch.co.uk
Matt Stevens,
Diving Officer, Spinnaker Divers
Cath Darton,
divesearch.co.uk - UK Dive Charter Boat Search - Main Page Spinnaker Divers is Portsmouth’s newest diving club. A branch of the British Sub Aqua Club, we meet at Stamshaw Lake Angling Club and teach local people to scuba dive on a volunteer basis. The divesearch.co.uk - UK Dive Charter Boat Search - Main Page web site aims to promote participation in marine conservation projects to amateur scuba divers.