RESIDENTS who have never tried scuba diving before are being invited to take the plunge by a dedicated club.

Sub-C-Divers is holding a Try It event at Howe Bridge Leisure Centre in Atherton from 8pm next Wednesday.

Run by qualified instructors, it is open to all ages and the scuba diving equipment will be provided.

Alf Draper, diving officer for Sub-C-Divers, which is based at the leisure centre on Eckersley Fold Lane, said: “There has never been a better time to start diving.

"Our club is friendly and open to all.

"If you start learning now then by the summer you will be able to dive at some of the breathtaking sites we go to in the UK and around the world.

"The event on February 15 will see rookie divers guided through a full introduction of what the sport has to offer and a safety briefing before getting specialist tuition from a qualified instructor and then having the chance to enjoy their first dive in the sports centre’s swimming pool.

"Anyone who successfully completes a dive will be presented with a certificate as a memento of their achievement."

The club, which was established 35 years ago, takes members to diving sites all over the UK, including Cornwall, Dorset, Farne Islands in Northumberland, Oban in Scotland and Anglesey in Wales, where it keeps a rigid inflatable boat to take members out to sea.

A small team recently sailed from Holyhead in Wales to the Isle of Man to enjoy a week of diving there.

And undertaking underwater archaeological surveys to aid marine agencies at Rathlin Island in Northern Island has earned the club a national British Sub-Aqua Club exhibition award.

Alf added: "The club also has a lot of diving equipment for new members to use during their training, as well as safety, rescue and training equipment.

"And as well as official trips the club also has a strong social side, organising events throughout the year such as a chairman’s ball and prize giving nights, fundraising and novelty activities such as underwater Easter egg hunts."

The Try It event costs £10 per person.

To book a place, or for more information, call Alf on 07768 840466 or visit subcdivers.co.uk.