The River Thames is one of the most important waterways in the UK. We usually picture it gliding gracefully through the centre of the nation’s capital, but it travels across the South of England before reaching London. Much of that journey is through the Royal County of Berkshire. Boats and barges, rowing and sailing, have been common sights here for hundreds of years, but nowadays it’s also a location for a subaquatic adventure. For a landlocked county, boasts an impressive array of opportunities and, being so easily accessible from London, there is a well developed infrastructure of diving schools, clubs, and organised overseas trips.

The word scuba stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, which refers to the air tank and breathing equipment which allow you to leave the surface behind and explore the underwater world independently. A scuba immersion is the closest that you can get to swimming like a fish, a dolphin, or even a mermaid, and with water covering over 70% of the surface of the planet, there’s so much to discover beneath the waves. Berkshire might not have the reefs, wrecks and other underwater treasures that attract so many people to the sport, but it’s a fantastic place for starting your subaquatic journey, or refreshing your knowledge, before travelling further afield to spectacular dive spots around the world.

Where are the best places to go scuba diving in Berkshire?

• Confined water: taking the plunge and navigating the dynamic, three dimensional world below the water's surface is exciting, but it can also be a bit disorienting. That’s why one of the best places for an initial scuba experience is an indoor pool. With a lot of light, heated water and no obstacles, pools let you focus on the sensation of moving underwater and the scuba equipment. There are pools in Old Windsor, Maidenhead, Crowthorne, Reading and Newbury where you can take your first immersion in a controlled environment, enrol on a training course, or choose a refresher session if you haven’t dived for a while. There are even Scuba Parties for kids on offer in some pools so that your son or daughter can have an aquatic adventure with their friends.

• Lakes: if indoor pools aren’t what you have in mind when you think of scuba diving, don’t worry - Berkshire’s got you covered. There are two lakes in the Thames valley which are suitable for this activity. Wraysbury Lake has a purpose built diving facility that caters to novice, intermediate and experienced divers. You can explore the hidden secrets in the depths of the lake, including a bus, an aircraft fuselage and a number of sunken ships. You can also dive at Bray Lake outside Windsor, a beauty spot above and below the surface. And it’s possible to dive in the Thames too. Due to the currents and visibility it’s not suitable for first timers or training but some clubs run trips on this historic waterway.

• Abroad: while this is a great place for an immersion, you can only get a small taste of what scuba diving can be in this inland English county. This sport can take you far and wide to see some of the most spectacular wildlife and environments in the world and clubs and specialist excursion companies organise trips to all corners of the globe. But we recommend that you do some dives here before going on the holiday of a lifetime so that you can start enjoying the water as soon as you arrive.

What kind of scuba lessons and courses are available?

- Wherever you are in Berkshire you can be baptised into the scuba lifestyle. Most indoor diving venues, and the centre at Wraysbury Lake, welcome absolute beginners to take their first breaths underwater in an initiation session. These are usually called Try Dives, Discover Dives or Dive Experiences and in the space of 1 or 2 hours they introduce you to the equipment and techniques, before you get wet and start your underwater adventure. Another way for youngsters to have their first experience is at a Scuba Party.

- Once you’ve taken the plunge, you’re ready to become a competent diver. Training courses in Berkshire are run by the organisational bodies of the sport, BSAC and PADI, and give you the knowledge, skill and, crucially, certification, to be able to dive without an instructor in any part of the world. The best option to get to this stage is an Open Water Course, which lasts between 4 and 7 days and includes multiple dives as well as some theory, usually completed online nowadays.

- When it comes to scuba, you can never stop learning. After gaining your first certificate, you’ll find out that there are so many different methods, skills and practices that you can develop, and types of equipment that you can learn how to use to improve your experiences. This is a great place to continue your journey as a scuba diver, with a multitude of advanced courses available around the county.

Requirements to do this activity

Most of us learn to swim at a young age. It’s an intuitive ability that comes from our survival instincts to stay above the water where we can breathe. Diving, on the other hand, involves going against our instincts and leaving behind the safety of the world above water, to enter the submerged environment of pools, lakes and oceans. This is a more complicated activity requiring specialist equipment as well as coordination and quick thinking, which means that the youngest children will have to wait a few years before trying it out. But in Berkshire they only have to wait until they’re 8 years old to take part in the lowest risk diving experiences - Scuba Party in a heated indoor pool with their friends and plenty of supervision. Trial dives are usually offered to anyone over the age of 10, as they involve a bit more technical instruction, whilst training courses are available to anyone over the age of 14.

“Water” you waiting for? Take the plunge by booking an experience today!