A new and unique outdoors activity has been launched in Scotland and gives participants the opportunity to take on a military style challenge based on surface fitness training for the Royal Navy’s Clearance Diver course.
The Hold Fast challenge is located at a man-made lake at Foxlake Adventures, Dunbar, in East Lothian. The sessions take place on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the winter.
2 Hold Fast challenge options
The Aptitude: A challenge for people with average to good levels of fitness and who are looking for a fun activity that is very different to any other circuits based course.
The Career: This is a pass or fail style course that calls for determined fitness fans to take on the Diver 1 test, with the aim of being promoted to Leading Diver.
What is clearance diving?
The new Hold Fast challenge is based on fitness training for the RN’s Clearance Diver course.
Clearance Diving takes its name from the operations carried out towards the end and after World War II to clear ports and harbours of the Mediterranean and Northern Europe of unexploded ordnance and booby traps laid by the Germans.
This work was undertaken by Royal Navy Rendering Mines Safe (RMS) and Bomb Disposal Units and later by Port Clearance Parties or ‘P’ Parties.
Members of Royal Navy RMS and Bomb Disposal Units and the later ‘P’ Parties were among the most highly decorated of the war.
Hold Fast challenges: More detail
The Hold Fast challenges make use of the lake and the surrounding area at purpose-built Foxlake Adventures. Participants, who wear buoyant and thermal wetsuits and use fins, are put through a series of continuous exercises in an authentically run, military style course.
The challenge, which is run by former RN Clearance Divers, includes circuits training, jumping into the water from height and using fins.
Exercise examples:
- Surface swims using fins
- Log carries as a team on the surface
- Transporting the log in the water.
- In and outs, multiple entries into the water and climbing out.
- Mud runs
- OPPO carries (An awkward shaped object that is your “friend”).
- Fin leg raises
The Aptitude
This is a fun taster-style challenge. It is a great way to prepare for the Career challenge should you want to do this.
Using buoyant wetsuits and fins, the Aptitude includes many of the exercises on the Career challenge but has a definite sense of humour, so you should be ready for fun and games.
It’s a great activity to do with friends or as a group of colleagues. (Note: There are price discounts for organised groups).
You will experience log carries, circuits, fin swims, mud runs and many other exercises.
The course will test your limits but it will also give you the confidence to try the next level Career challenge.
There is no pass or fail on the Aptitude challenge but any candidate can end their experience by giving four pulls on the Hold Fast Lifeline, Diver left bottom.
The Career
The four-hour physical and mental test is a challenge for those who are determined. The first aim is to be ranked Diver 1.
Using authentic surface exercises that feature in Clearance Diving training, you will be given a chance under military style discipline to prove that you have what it takes.
Wearing buoyant wetsuits and fins, participants are put through a series of continuous exercises. Get ready for circuits (jumping into the water from height and finning), log carries, mud runs, fin swims, OPPO carries and many others.
Your instructor will be a former Clearance Diver and you will be encouraged on the challenge in a direct military way.
There will be 30 candidates on the challenge with five staff. Staff will assess you constantly during your exercises, not just for physical ability but also for attitude.
This is a pass or fail challenge and if you pass you will be eligible for promotion to the next level of challenge, with the aim of The Leading Diver.
Charity partners
Hold Fast has also partnered with two charities, Help for Heroes, and Leuchie House.
The Hold Fast challenge is an official fundraiser for Help for Heroes, which provides lifelong recovery support to service personnel who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty, and to their families.
The challenge activity is also a supporter of Leuchie House, which provides caring respite breaks for people and their families living with long-term conditions.
The founder of Hold Fast
Rob Hinton is a former Royal Navy Mine Clearance and Bomb Disposal Diver. He started his diving career in South Africa in 1999 and then joined the Royal Navy as a direct entry Diver.
After passing his Clearance Diver professional qualifying course (PQC)131, he served in the following units: Fleet Diving Unit 2; HMS Inverness; and Northern Diving Group.
After the Navy he became a Commercial Diver and worked in the oil and gas industry. He is currently employed as an assistant instructor for Military Rebreather diving around the world for an Edinburgh-based company.
Find out more at Hold Fast challenge.
