Wight Dive School
Newsletter March 2026
A Great Start to the Season
We finally made it into the pool this Sunday—what a fantastic start to the new diving season! Five divers began their journey, with Kim and I leading the training session. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and commitment from everyone involved.
A huge thank you to Michelle and her team at West Wight Pool, who kindly stepped in at the last minute after the boiler at UKSA decided to take an unexpected break. We are extremely grateful for their support in making the session possible.
Looking ahead, we return to UKSA next month. We’ve been assured the pool will be at a suitable temperature, allowing for a full session from 11:00–13:00 on Sunday 26th April. As always, if you would like to join us, please get in touch and I will ensure you are booked in.
Congratulations to Our Divers
A big well done to all those making fantastic progress:
- Louisa, Ace and Leo – Congratulations on completing your first open water dives—brilliant achievement!
Ace, have an amazing time in Australia—we’ll all be very jealous! - Amelia – Now on dive 3 of her open water programme—great progress!
- Jenny – Congratulations on smashing your Reactivate course. We look forward to welcoming you back to the island once you’ve completed your instructor award—I’m sure you’ll be brilliant.
Events to Look Forward To
A seahorse – in waters around the Isle of Wight? Surely not!
We continue to work closely with Claire at Esprit Divers, and I’m delighted to share that her popular marine conservation talk with tapas event returns this summer at the Seagrove Pavilion, Seaview, on Friday 3rd July.
Last year’s event was a great success, and I would thoroughly recommend it.
Guided by Theo Vickers, local marine biologist and award-winning underwater photographer, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our incredible local marine environment and what you can expect to see when diving the Island’s coast – You will be amazed at how much wildlife is out there…even seahorses
For full details of the event and to secure your tickets follow this link https://www.tickettailor.com/events/espritfreedivers/2129460
Building Our Diving Community
One of the most rewarding things about developing the dive school on the island is discovering just how supportive and connected the diving community is—there is always somebody who knows somebody who can help.
In no particular order, I’m delighted to welcome to my contacts list 😊:
- Stuart at Insignia Maritime – Supporting us with storage and potentially providing boat access for future dives in Osborne Bay.
- Steve Elsmore – A local doctor and keen diver (currently in the Galápagos!). Steve has kindly offered to advise anyone needing help with PADI medical certification for diving. If needed, feel free to contact him and mention my name. elsmore1967@gmail.com
FST (Fire Safety Training), Newport – Providing invaluable support with air refills after our diving sessions
And, of course, a huge thank you to all of our divers, whose encouragement and support continue to play a vital role in our growth
A New Name
Those of you with particularly keen eyes may have noticed a subtle rebranding.
After discovering that the name “Island Dive School” is also used in locations such as Thailand, the Maldives, and the Bahamas, we’ve decided to make a small change.
We are now operating as Wight Dive School—a name that reflects our identity here on the island and, I’m assured, makes us unique (at least on Padi’s books!).
