SCUBA pursuits

It’s very rare that you see extremely specialised shops outside of city centres these days thanks to the influence of the internet driving most of these stores out of business, unless they see a high volume of customers. Hence my surprise when I first saw a dedicated scuba shop on the Stratford road in Shirley, Solihull, but on closer inspection, there’s no real surprise that Scuba + Outdoor Pursuit Centre has weathered the internet storm with such ease, as it’s an absolutely fantastic shop. It has literally everything you could possibly need for a scuba trip, regardless if you’re a novice looking for all the basics or a seasoned pro just trying to upgrade a piece of equipment. I’d imagine that the reason a scuba shop is able to survive whilst other businesses haven’t is partly due to those looking to get into diving wanting professional advice from real life experts and not just people over the internet, and the shop doesn’t disappoint in that department, with all the staff helpful, friendly, and clearly passionate about diving. An excellent choice for scuba enthusiasts everywhere.

In the land-​locked West Midlands, you’d hardly think there would be a demand for a scuba diving and snorkeling shop. We’re pretty far from any vast bodies of water and the wildlife in the seas around England isn’t exactly exotic. But sure enough here is Scuba Pursuits who sell shallow-​water and deep-​water diving gear and who run recreational, professional and technical diving courses.
I’m not after a diving course, but I need a new snorkel mask. I’m a bit weird in that I feel more confident when swimming in open water in a snorkel mask, and after swimming in the river Lug a few weeks ago I noticed that my mask had become a bit tired looking. I’m taken through the various masks that they have in stock. ‘Did you want a purge valve on it?’, asks the man. This is new to me. He explains that if water gets into the mask that the purge valve means you can breathe the water out of the mask by an exhalation through you nose. (He puts it a bit more graphically that that!) Water can seep in sometimes and its often a panicky and claustrophobic moment, so I’m taken with this device.
So, I’m £22 quid lighter, and I’ve got a mask, a new snorkel tube and a handy bag.
I’ve got no need for a diving course, but if you do then Scuba Pursuits training courses are held in swimming pools in Birmingham and Staffordshire.