I FINISHED my diving training in an underwater playground with wrecks, tunnels and dozens of fish.

Having passed my theory test the week before, after a lot of revision and studying dive tables, and completing dives at Swanage Pier and Chesil Beach I had two more sessions to become a British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) ocean diver.

With the conditions off the Dorset coast too rough to dive safely I headed to the inland diving centre at Vobster Quay in Somerset for my final open water dive as part of my beginner’s qualification with Weymouth and Portland Sub Aqua Club.

The quarry has been transformed into an underwater theme park for divers with cars, boats and even an aeroplane waiting on the bottom to be discovered.

There are training platforms at different depths for practising skills and dozens of fish to look at.

Everything has been designed to make diving as easy as possible, with handy benches and tables to put your kit together on and even heated changing rooms.

On our first dive we went down on to a platform to carry out the final skills.

We had to simulate running out of air, a situation I was assured should never happen with safe diving, using our buddy’s spare air source and ascending to the surface.

After carrying out the practice rescues we went to explore one of the many wrecks.

We finned over to the Jacquin II, a long wooden cabin cruiser, 18 metres under the surface, which is the deepest I’ve been to.

It was the first time I’d seen a wreck and I enjoyed circling the boat and peering in through the windows.

After taking a lunch break to warm up, get some food and drink and let enough nitrogen leave our systems we went back in the water for the second dive.

This involved another rescue simulation and towing my instructor Rik Girdler 25 metres along the surface.

I’ve always liked to think I was a strong swimmer but towing someone when you’re both in full diving gear was completely exhausting.

When I had finished I made the mistake of taking my breathing regulator out, swallowing a mouthful of water and almost drowning myself.

Once I’d recovered we went down to explore some more of the underwater attractions.

As we finned along I could hardly believe my eyes when half an aeroplane came into view.

We explored the three sections of the small plane and on our way back came across the remains of a Ford Escort.

When I reached the surface I was a qualified ocean diver, which I celebrated with a mug of hot chocolate.

It’s been an amazing experience learning to scuba dive and I can’t wait for my next adventure under the sea.

  • For more information about Weymouth and Portland Sub Aqua Club call 01305 750338 or visit bsac.com.