A SCUBA diving centre in Basingstoke has spoken of its success and of how it is inspiring women to take up diving as a career.
Ocean Turtle was taken over by Kerrie Eade in 2014, and now does more than 800 Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certifications per year.
Kerrie said she is encouraging hundreds of female divers, many of whom have continued through to the professional level under her guidance, and that she has a focus on bringing through the next generation
READ MORE: Basingstoke town centre needs to 'evolve' in response to changing habits
Ocean Turtle is a PADI Approved Youth Training Centre, and Kerrie’s current team of five have an average age of just 20.
Kerrie said: “I have always been a firm believer in giving young people an opportunity to prove themselves.
"I remember myself being caught in the vicious circle of not having the experience required to get a job, but not being able to get the experience in the first place.”
On the team is dive centre assistant Stephanie Hodnett.
The 20-year-old said: “I love the serenity of diving. That feeling on the descent when your head sinks below the surface and all the noise fades away. The sense of adventure is addictive, and the diving community is chilled out, supportive and fun.
"I’m currently studying Environmental Science with the open university alongside working at the dive centre, so I’d like to integrate diving with a future job, like scientific surveying."
And it's not just young women that Kerrie is proud to support, among the team is Edwin Nodder, aged 23.
He said: “I originally signed up to my open water course with Ocean Turtle as I needed to be a diver for my university degree.
"I realised that I loved it and Ocean Turtle, and I took up Kerrie’s offer to complete my Divemaster Internship in 2017.
"I love the natural underwater world – hanging around inside schools of fish, watching puffers on their daily commute along the reef and spotting the fascinating macro stuff that many divers just shoot past.
"I am also lucky to be involved with the PADI Pro Training at Ocean Turtle, and alongside Kerrie, I get to travel the world, teaching courses and encouraging the next generation of PADI instructors.
READ MORE: Six men arrested after crashing into three cars at Black Dam roundabout
For more go to oceanturtlediving.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here