My daughter Jenny and I went along to the Royal Russell School in Coombe Lane, Croydon recently to take part in a 'Try Dive' session with Croy-Tech Sub Aqua Club. The club meets at the school's indoor pool every Monday evening to practise diving and plan their excursions into open water when the warmer weather arrives.

Non-members can try out the sport by booking a two-hour visit on a Monday evening. When Jenny and I arrived we were introduced to the members and taken through to the pool to be shown the diving equipment and have the safety procedures explained to us by club chairman, Daniel Golberg. We then put on our swimming costumes and a t-shirt and were helped into our dive kits. The heavy kits comprised our dive jackets that held the breathing aparatus, air guage, pressure vessel containing compressed air and other essential equipment. We then put on our masks and carefully climbed down the steps into the pool before putting the enormous fins on our feet. Jenny and I then fully submerged to practise breathing underwater before venturing off for a swim, closely supervised by the experts of course. To start with I did not know what to do with my arms as I normally bob along doing breast-stroke in the water but Daniel explained that you keep your arms by your side and let your legs propel you through the water. Learning to control the depth of our swim and manoeuvre around the pool was thoroughly enjoyable. We spent a good hour in the pool and afterwards I felt exhilarated and very proud of myself. It was enormous fun and I recommend everyone should give diving a try!

The club has its own boat moored at Brighton Marina which they use at different locations where interesting wrecks and rocky coastlines can be explored.

Membership of Croy-Tech Sub Aqua Club includes all training. To book a Try Dive at the reduced rate of £10 visit www.croytech.co.uk or contact the secretary on 020 8660 0633.