We understand that our experiences are very different to your standard day-out. In fact, that is what is so great about them! Understandably, this means you may have a few questions. Have a good read through our FAQs below and our Terms & Conditions document (also below).
If there is anything we have not covered please do not hesitate to get in touch!
If the experience you have booked into falls outside of the general opening times for the Aquarium (as this will change seasonally) then please do not be alarmed. You will be greeted at the front door by a member of the dive team and escorted to the dive area for the start of the experience.
This is to allow participants to be onsite ready for a prompt start. Due to a hectic daily routine there is very little provision for late participants. It is down to the participant to arrive on time as traffic within Skegness can fluctuate drastically. Please see the Terms, Conditions and Privacy Policy Documentation for more details on this.
Spectators can be booked at a discounted price by following the booking link in your confirmation email.
Contrary to what most people think, swimming is not a required skill for either of the educational experiences at Skegness Aquarium. However, what is required is confidence in/around/under the water. The life support equipment will do much of the work for the participant(s), but it cannot physically complete the experience; this part is completely down to the participant. For young people and diving/snorkelling in relation to this matter then please see the youth responsibility section of the digital registration form upon booking.
With the BRAND NEW ocean reef masks we no longer require any training so participants get an amazing 40 minutes in the Coral Ocean Display for this Shark Diving Experience.
The Shark Snorkelling Ranger Experience allows the participants an exhilarating 20 minutes of time in the Lost Lagoon with the baby sharks. As this is an experience aimed at younger participants, there is minimal skills training so this is accounted for in the above 20 minutes.
As of 2020 the Shark Educational Dive has been restructured due to the global Covid-19 pandemic that devastated the world. Participants are required to complete a theory module and quiz via an online learning portal, and the digital registration form prior to arrival. This means that the paperwork is taken care of before arrival and the experience on the day is pure excitement. Once in the building there will be a dive briefing and signals recap for the participants, before wet suits and boots are donned in individual changing rooms. Next our instructors will assist with the scuba equipment which includes a weight belt, scuba unit and BRAND NEW full face mask (fins are not used in the aquarium under any circumstance). Participants will enter the Coral Ocean Display onto the 2m platform where they will perform 2 confidence building skills before diving to 4m. After a breath taking 40 minutes during which they will encounter the sharks and fishes in the main display tank, the participants will exit the water, de-kit, shower and change.
The Shark Snorkelling Ranger experience requires the digital registration form and the online E-Learning process to be completed remotely prior to arrival, more information on this is provided in the confirmation email upon booking. Upon arrival the participants will have a briefing about the Lost Lagoon with one of our instructors who will check participants have understood the safety points. Each participant has the option of their own changing room. As soon as the wet suits and boots have been correctly put on the participants will don the snorkelling equipment which includes weight belt and mask (fins are not used in the aquarium under any circumstance). Participants will be guided into the Lost Lagoon via the entry ladder and reminded to keep their feet planted and holding onto the safety rope. After a breath taking 20 minutes of snorkelling with our sharks, the participants will exit the water, de-kit and get showered and changed.
Simply put, NO! There is more chance of been struck by lightening than killed by a shark. The underpinning reason for these educational experiences is to enlighten participants on the hugely misunderstood perception there is surrounding sharks. The way they are portrayed in the media is the exact reason why they have such a bad reputation, and it needs to stop before it is too late. For more information on this and the dire state the shark population is in there please click here.
The most efficient way to book in a voucher bought from another company is to follow the link provided on the applicable discount website. However, if you have missed this than don’t worry. Please email the dive team on [email protected] stating that you have a voucher and an email template will be sent out directly.
Purchasing an experience from another company can result in a significant discount against inhouse bookings, however there are some points to consider before making the decision.
First of all in house bookings get the luxury of having a slot booking confirmed there and then, dates/times allocated for 3rd party voucher holders could be pending for up to 72 hours of which time a direct booking can secure premium time slots of Dive 11am or 1pm, Snorkelling 11:30am or 1:30pm which are only available for direct bookings, all other time slots can be requested by contacting the dive team. Also, by using the direct booking scheduler clients have the opportunity to be added to a waitlist for a date/time that has allocation that has been taken. With this feature the client is automatically emailed with a notification if spaces become available, this feature is not available to clients with 3rd party vouchers.
As the water temperature varies throughout the year from 22°C to 28°C a suitable swimwear is recommended to be worn underneath the wet suit provided. This swimwear also prevents any irritation potentially caused by the suits.
However please be aware that wet suits and boots are made from neoprene so for any allergy advice please consult a doctor and/or email the dive team in advance. Certified divers are welcome to use their own wetsuits however they must be soaked in an animal friendly disinfectant prior to entering any of the Skegness Aquarium exhibits.
Due to the nature of the diving/snorkelling masks and how they work underwater then glasses cannot be worn underneath. Due to their design the ocean reef masks can enlarge what you can see by up to 25% under water; for those that are short sighted, this will make quite a difference.
Contact lenses can be worn without any issue. For any conditions whereby contact lenses cannot be worn then please consult a doctor and/or email the dive team in advance.
With the self-declaration system either the participant, or a parent/guardian for under 16 participants, should carefully read all elements of the medical statement (including the linking attachments) and, if no issues are present, can then click ‘accept’ to complete the medical statement. If ‘accept’ cannot be selected due to an existing medical condition, by either the participant or parent/guardian, then the ‘DIVER MEDICAL DECLARATION’ form will need to be completed by a medical consultant.
For participants looking to view this form ahead of time then please click here. Failure to obtain a completed medical declaration will result in the dive and/or snorkel being terminated; please be aware when booking it may take time to make an appointment and get the certificate signed by a doctor. For any issues related to this matter, please email the dive team.
As per the updated terms and conditions, an experience may be rescheduled as long as 14 days or more, notice is given. Then there is a rebooking fee of £20.00 for the Shark Educational Dive and £10.00 for the Shark Snorkelling Ranger Experience. The only way an experience can be rescheduled with less than 14 days of the booking, is on either medical or compassionate grounds, Evidence needs to be submitted to the dive team who will then rebook the experience which will incur the rebooking fee stating above. To view the Terms/Conditions/Privacy Policy in advance then please click here.
Both the Shark Educational Dive and the Shark Snorkelling Ranger experience have a maximum number of spaces per session, 4 per session for Dive and 6 per session for Snorkelling. Larger groups can be catered for booking across multiple slots. For group booking enquiries then please email the dive team so we can further advise.
Yes, the minimum age for the Shark Educational Dive is 10.
If in doubts as to the physical and/or emotional readiness of the participant then please consider booking the ever popular Shark Snorkelling Ranger Experience as a less stressful alternative. This provides youngsters with the opportunity to get to grips with the basic elements before committing to the Shark Educational Dive. For young people and diving/snorkelling in relation to this matter then please see the youth responsibility section of the digital registration form upon booking.
Sharks are attracted to fish blood and not human blood; it is an old wives tale that they are attracted to menstrual blood! Please make sure the participant(s) comes prepared with the necessary protection for any in-water activity.
The Shark Snorkelling Ranger Experiences is aimed at participants aged between 6 – 11 albeit in special circumstances this can be changed. For more information on this then please email the dive team with the details and requirements of the participant.
There are issues related to booking the educational experiences as part of a surprise gift. Firstly, is the legal consent for the participant to complete the relevant experience. Secondly, both the Knowledge Development elements and the Digital Registration Form need to be completed prior to arriving, obviously these need to be complete BY the participant.
Finally, over the years that the experiences have been in operation there have been cases of participants becoming completely overwhelmed when finding out about the surprise on the day, for some this has resulted in a negative experience. For the reasons above we recommend keeping the surprise a secret up until 2 weeks prior to arrival, this will provide ample time for all preparation work to be completed and excitement levels to rise.
Due to an increased workload on the dive team for experience days (Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday), and a reduction in staff to account for social distancing procedures, then there is no provision for administration on theses days. For best results then please email on Monday/Wednesday/Friday of every week or make the most of the website and book through here. Please be patient; we will get back to you as soon as we can!
If contact details have been inputted into the booking system correctly then all participants will receive numerous prompts to complete the knowledge development via the online portal. If this has not been completed, and prior notice to the dive team has not been made to make us aware of the situation then the participant will forfeit the experience with no option to reschedule or refund. This is as per the terms/conditions/privacy policy with can be viewed by clicking here.
Scuba Diving whilst pregnant, at any stage, is strictly prohibited due to the lack of scientific knowledge on the matter. There are complex issues such as gas absorption/release, thermal reactions, water pressure, etc that can affect the pregnancy. So for this reason participants who are pregnant cannot participate in the Shark Educational Dive. For more information on this please click here:
https://www.bsac.com/safety/safe-diving-guide/medical/#article-229