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Capernwray Dive Centre facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Capernwray Dive Centre is a special place in Lancashire, England, near a village called Over Kellet. It used to be a big limestone quarry, but now it's filled with water. It's a popular spot for scuba diving and learning how to dive.

A Look Back: How Capernwray Began

Capernwray was once a huge limestone quarry. This means people dug out rocks from the ground there. The quarry was about 22 acres big. After they stopped digging, the big hole filled up with water. Then, it was turned into the cool dive centre we know today.

Exploring the Dive Centre

Capernwray Diving Centre (geograph 1843566)
A diving platform at Capernwray Dive Centre.

Capernwray Dive Centre is a fantastic place for divers. The water goes down to about 24 meters (80 feet) deep. This means there are different levels for divers of all skills.

What You'll Find at the Centre

The centre has everything a diver might need. There's a small shop where you can buy diving gear. There's also a special station to fill your air tanks with regular air or nitrox. Nitrox is a special air mix for divers. After your dive, you can grab a bite at the licensed restaurant.

Learning to Dive

If you're new to diving, Capernwray is a great place to learn. There are two training platforms in the water. One platform is about 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep. The other is about 6 meters (20 feet) deep. These platforms are perfect for practicing your diving skills safely. In 2010, about 30,000 people visited the centre.

Amazing Underwater Sights

The water at Capernwray is home to many fish, like trout and perch. You might even spot some large sturgeon swimming around! But the most exciting part is all the cool things hidden underwater for divers to explore.

Here are some of the amazing things you can find:

  • Several boats, including a former minesweeper ship called HMS Podsnap.
  • A large airplane (a Hawker Siddeley HS 748) and a smaller plane (a Cessna 150).
  • Two helicopters.
  • A special diving bell called a vidor.
  • A big metal shipping container.
  • Two plastic horses.
  • A small yellow submarine, just like the one from the TV show Thunderbirds.
  • A statue of a devil.
  • Two plastic pigs.
  • Lots of garden gnomes!
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