OPS Challenge

On Thursday 29th April, Year 7 set out for Day One of their OPS Challenge expedition.  The day comprised of two parts: scuba diving at DiveLine in Ipswich and kayaking and raft building at Alton Water.  Arriving at DiveLine, the excited (and in some cases, apprehensive) children were met by knowledgeable and experienced dive instructors who led the session.  After an important safety briefing, the real fun began!  With expert tuition in the water, the children were guided through how to use their scuba equipment and how to dive safely.  By the end of the session, all were confident putting their heads underwater and the majority had graduated to the deep end of the pool, including diving through weighted hoops at a depth of three metres and playing catch with a weighted ball underwater!  Beaming smiles met us as the children emerged from the water – a wonderful first experience of scuba diving for all the children.

Kayaking and raft building took up the rest of the day, with the children taking to the water with enthusiasm in their kayaks exploring the shoreline of the reservoir and playing games on board.  Teamwork and communication skills were put to the test with raft building, with some excellent collaboration and leadership shown.  Not all rafts quite maintained their structural integrity when launched, but good fun was had by all nonetheless!

A night’s camping in the Orwell Park woods followed, with the children quickly and expertly assembling their own bivvies before a good night’s sleep under the stars.

Friday brought the challenge of a long hike: 15km for the majority.  Despite some tired legs, every child persevered and pushed through to reach the end. 

Over the two days, the children experienced new activities, honed existing skills, practised their teamwork, communication and leadership skills and, above all, had lots of fun!