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Horsea Island, Port Solent

Whats it all about
Horsea Island is no longer an island. The Portsmouth Harbour Reclamation Scheme, begun in 1970, included the filling of about 160 acres of mudland which had separated it from the mainland. Initially, there were two islands, Little Horsea Island and Great Horsea Island. The Navy, needing somewhere to test and develop torpedos purchased the islands, and joined them together, finally a strip was excavated down the middle to produce a torpedo range of some 800 yards in length, this was known localy as Hush Hush Island
 
In 1995 Horsea Island became the home of the Defence Diving School (DDS), training divers from both the Royal Navy and the Royal Engineers and was also opened to the public for diver training.

The site is only 7 meters at is deepest so this location is ideal for Open Water divers wanting to try there first taste of sea diving without the issue of a boat, waves or current.

What We Should See
The site is split into 3 zones, and we will be allocated a zone on arrival also we will each be allocated with an ID tag which we must where at all times. As this is a sea inlet there should be a good range of sea life; crab, pipe-fish, gobies, lobster, eels, sea squirts, anemones, molluscs, sponges and mussels there are also harmless but beautiful Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia Aurita). As this is a Naval training area anything found in the water must stay there and should not be removed, this includes crabs, shellfish and souvenirs
 
Dependant on the zone we are allocated there are a number of attractions, these include; a Wessex Helicopter, 3x Land Rover Ambulances, a Naval Cheverton ferry boat, four bridge sections, a recompression chamber, armoured personnel carrier, armoured engineering vehicle an old road roller and a series of concrete pipe sections large enough to swim through.
  Horsea Island, Port Solent  
  

What Do You Need
Your own Scuba gear (or hire it from Phil at Diving Unlimited - 07778 394 446 or Email)
Tanks (2 of these will be supplied for you)
Lunch (or money for lunch there is a snack wagon on site)
Surface Marker Buoy (between a buddy pair and must be visible at all times)
Torch (as you never know)
Qualification Cards (these are required if you want to dive)

When do you need to be there
As we have booked and the site is a fair distance away we will meet in the first car park at 11:00, this is where we will need to check in and obtain ID cards and get parking permits so our cars are not blown up as bomb threats .

Horsea Island, Port Solent   How do you get there
Leave the M27 at Junction 12 following the signs for Fareham and Port Solent. The nearby Marriot Hotel is a clear landmark. At Port Solent, continue past all parking/facilities and bear left when faced with the harbour. Horsea island is sign posted.


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