Dive Site: Horsea Island
Location: Horsea Island Dive Centre, West Bund Road, Port Solent, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 4TT
Description: Inland sea water training centre
Depth: 7 metres (23 feet)
Visibility: 3 metres (10 feet)
Horsea is a salt water inland site that is filled by the sea. Facilities including a shop, fills, tea, coffee, and toilets. The site is divided into sections according to experience and attractions include land rovers, a helicopter and decompression chambers. The bottom is very silty, and covered in weed but you might still find one of the many tiny stinging jellyfish, a pipe fish or a crab and whatever other life the sea water brings in with it. Horsea is ok if used for training purposes. It opens at 8am on weekends and at 9am during the week; entrance prices are £9.50 if you pre-pay and £12 if you pay on arrival (as of July 2004).
It’s actually an excellent site, which I think is worthy of more than a 2 star rating. The vis when I was there (June 2005) was at least 6-8 metres, and the water temp was 19°C. A very enjoyable couple of days.
Horsea’s a great place to practice your newly acquired skills after completing any course. It can sometimes be a bit cloudy – but that can actually add to the fun. It’s not deep, but this makes it a more comfortable dive as a beginner as you’re never to far from the surface should you get lost or things go wrong. The club here also offers events like summer BBQs, evening dives and visits to the SETT (Submarine Escape Training Tower) in Gosport, where submariners learn how to surface from the bottom of the 30m column of water.
Horsea Island is a great place to dive for beginners but also for divers that simply want to brush up on their skills in a safe environment after they have passed their open water like myself. The site is very well laid out with various zones which include: Land Rover, Helicopter, small wreck and lots more. Oh yes… and a plastic pig (if you can find it)There is a small well stocked shop and snack bar for that early morning bacon buttie but best of all… hot showers. Horsea is worthy of its 3 stars and well worth the visit.
Horsea is a fantastic site, you see so many twin set and rebreather divers who are practising skills. An excellent safe site that you can dive in almost any weather. The underwater attractions make it good clean fun and the facilities are among the best.
Scubster 