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Parwich artist Esther Tyson is working on a project to immortalise the seahorses of Dorset in art – but first of all, she has to learn to swim underwater! Esther’s project diary continues below…

Day Seven.

I couldn’t repeat the last session – my face is burning from all the failed attempts at holding my breath. I settle into the more comfortable rhythm of breathing out through my nose underwater and in through my mouth above water.

Did I say more comfortable? When did that happen? I swim half a mile!

Day Eight.

Talking to Matt this evening, I feel reasonably… confident. Famous last words! It looks like Thursday night will be my first scuba session – and as I don’t have a wetsuit, it will be swimsuit with T-shirt.

I wasn’t too concerned, until he mentioned I may have to do the mask clearing at depth: 18 metres.  Another day; thank goodness the pool isn’t that deep!

Day Nine.

I’m sat in the corridor at the baths and was OK until a moment ago; never mind flooding my mask, my mind is flooded with madness. Surrounded by all these guys, scuba gear, noise, the reality of the situation suddenly dawns: I’m going to have to do this.

The guys have a prep talk, one of the girls talks of her recent instructor training and I’m sat with my mind racing.  All I have to do is clear my mask, and all I want to do is leave!

8.30. I am sat dangling my feet over the edge of the pool.  The water is still and I’m calm-ish. A couple of the guys split the pool into two sections with a rope.  The room is full of activity, but I’m now in prep myself.

Matt picks out a mask and I put it against my face.
“I want you to sniff and see if any air comes into your mask.”
It forms a vacuum on my face, with no air leaking in! This is a good thing; no water will get in either!

Next, we pick out a pair of fins (I doubt I will get chance to put them on this time) and walk over to the pool side.

There are three packs.  Matt tries me with the kids’ diving harness first and it fits.  It’s cumbersome, but at this point I’m only trying it on for size.  I remove it and lay it by the shallow end. I’m going to start with the basics, no tank.

Into the water and its flippin’ cold! We stand facing each other and I listen to instructions.  “Put the mask on, hold your breath and put your face horizontally in the water.” I do.  I’m out and I’m OK.

I hold my breath and this time enter the water vertically.
Out and OK.  No water gets in, so I’m much calmer.

Over and again…

I now have a weight belt on, to help keep me under. Sounds bad, but I keep bobbing up.  Does the extra weight help?!

This time I use the regulator, breathing in and out above water.   I put my face horizontally in the water and continue breathing in and out. The bubbles are around my ears and I really don’t like the sensation.

“There’s a quick solve for that one – put your pack on and get strapped in”.

Now for entering the water vertically.  It takes me a moment to get my head round it, or rather under it.  I’m hovering,  but I take the plunge… and I’m breathing underwater, watching Matt opposite me, who is making sure I’m OK.

I am. I surface.  And again…

Now for mask clearing…

I’m comfortable using a regulator, so the idea is to get used to breathing underwater without a mask; to prove to myself that I won’t drown if water gets into the mask.

I place the regulator in my mouth.
Above water, I breathe in, breathe out, in, out.
Under water, I breathe in through my nose… and I stand up spluttering and frantically clearing my face!

I try again, this time breathing in through the regulator and out through my nose.  It starts off well, then I get confused and breathe in through my nose… I surface spluttering, my sinuses burning.

Once more and I’ve got it; I stay under for a good few breaths, then out.

“Next, I want your mask on.  Slip your finger under the seal and allow a little water in, then blow air out of your nose whilst pressing the top of the mask against your forehead. OK?”

I go under.  Simple?  Yet I’m already out, emptying my mask of the last drop of water, having just inhaled the rest!  The second time, I sneak up on myself and lift the seal ever so slightly, and blow out of my nose ever so heavily!

We have a break.  I’m to lie on my belly at the bottom of the pool and relax.
I watch Matt fill his mask with water, clear it and sign that all is well.
Then he signs, as though he is writing in a notebook.

Ahh, yes – the whole reason I’m doing this is to draw/paint seahorses in the sea. I copy him and my arms feel slightly restricted.  I let a little water into my mask somehow and blow out of my nose quick… how the heck am I going to draw underwater with all this gear on?

We surface and move slightly deeper.  The rush of water seems to panic me each time I break the seal.  To get beyond this takes practice and a number of attempts.

We are 55 minutes into the training.  I pull my mask away from my face, put it back, and blow air out of my nose with the mask pressed against my forehead.  I open my eyes: no water, I blow out of my nose again and remove the last drop of water.

Wow, I can see AND I cleared my mask!!!