When we were in Cornwall we spend an hour or so watching two groups of children learning to dive and so do other other "sea" activities as well. They had great fun and l have recorded some of it here.

This wonderful viewing window in this persons gate, is the first view of the beach we were walking down too, to watch the divers.

And here is the beach..full of sailing boats, sailboards, tourists and divers. the sand is a beautiful golden sand, some people are walking, some sunbathing, a few using metal detectors and one or two children swimming.

What l enjoyed some much watching these children was the way that they" had" to help each other otherwise they couldn't get in or out of their wetsuits. Also they need help to put on and take off their oxygen tanks for example.

Exercise, fun and learning social skills at the same time..great activity!

Children helping each other..dive buddies.....and doing it quite happily!

This chart shows the names of the children in each group , how far they go down, how long their oxgyen will last for and when to come up. Then how long they have to wait before next dive and the same information about time, depth and oxygen for each group again. Each diver has a dive buddy and their instructors are down with them too.

This appears to be one of the instructors or just an older member of the group, waiting for his turn to dive. love his hair! Seems to be the right sort of hair to have , if you are being called a "Beach Bum". ..which is what a lady sitting near him, called him. Sitting on a bench, at the edge of the beach, were two elderly ladies with Welsh accents and wonderful straw hats on their perfectly permed blue rinse hair. Their conversation went something like this, from what l can remember!

Lady 1.  " I expect they come from one of those iner city schools...been given a holiday."

Lady 2. " Can't see why they should be treated so well..my Frankie never had things like that when he was at school "

Lady 1. " Well he wasn't a trouble was he? he only went to borsal once didn't he..only once?, he was a good boy wasn't he love?"

Lady 2. " Well you only had to look at that man there (pointing to the above diver) he's one of those beach bums isn't here maggie...long hair and properbly be out of work too. doesn't pay to be working does he, beach bum, yes that is what he is."

Then she light a cigarette , coughed and then said "um all the fault of the goverment these beach bums, l blame Blair". Then they both got up and wandered off arm in arm....it was a wonderful sight to see and l giggled about it for ages.

Here are some of the divers just going in for a dive. What an experience for these children. You will also be surprised how much you can see in these clear British waters.

When the children were not diving, they were playing on these boards. They seemed to be having a whale of a time. I think they actually came from a dive school in Plymouth. It may have been a summer school from what l could hear some of the adults that were sitting in and among the group were saying.

One very "put one foot in front of the other" sort of tired looking little boy! The sort of feeling only real exercise leaves you feeling..and from the look on this childs face, his shoulders and the way the teacher had to go and escort him back up the beach....l think he was very shattered!ha