A BIG Scuba Day Out 2026
The first May Bank Holiday Weekend saw over a hundred people gather at Mercer’s Lake for Oyster Diving’s Big Scuba Day Out. While the weather forecast had swung from sunny to torrential rain and back again, attendees were delighted to see the sun had come out and was here to stay for the entire day. Making this an idyllic setting for a day to celebrate scuba diving. And there was plenty to do for adults and kids, divers and non-divers alike.
The venue, Mercer’s Lake, is a great place to hold such an event. There is a watersports centre on site, as well as Oyster Diving’s dedicated dive centre. There is a restaurant with a gorgeous deck overlooking the lake. Hot showers and changing facilities are excellent. It is set in stunning countryside and the lake itself is large and has easy access via pontoons for divers and watersports enthusiasts alike.
Mares, Apeks, Aqualung, Suunto, PADI, the Shark Trust and Oyster Diving all had stands for people to visit. There was lots of new scuba equipment to try out. Free goodies to take home, including temporary tattoos! There were people paddleboarding, sailing and windsurfing on the lake. And over 40 people had come to dive, trying new gear, taking part in an underwater photography workshop, courses and fun dives.
The highlight of the day for many was the raffle. Some fabulous prizes had been donated and all the money raise from the ticket sales was donated to the Shark Trust. The top prize was the new Suunto Nautic-S computer and there were dozens of amazing prizes drawn on the day. All of which raised over £1000 for shark conservation! So a huge thank you from the Shark Trust to the companies that donated prizes and to all those that bought tickets on the day.
But the triumph of the event was the overall ambience. Seeing so many happy divers gathered together to celebrate what they love. Talking equipment, training, conservation, underwater photography, travel and more. The Oyster Diving staff made the day run smoothly. Even with so many people diving, borrowing equipment, selling raffle tickets, signing up to dive trips and onto courses, they never (outwardly) seemed stressed and always had a smile on their faces. It made for a great atmosphere on the day. There was a real sense of community, with groups of divers chatting and getting involved. And the weather really helped!
I cannot wait for the Big Scuba Day Out 2027!
