Even on hot sunny summer days the sea around the Isle of Man can be choppy.

It’s rare to have a completely calm day on the island, where taking a refreshing dip in the sea can be a bit challenging at times.

This summer I finally went diving at Fenella beach for the first time and although it was a rare warm day, there were still big enough waves to keep me from swimming in blissful relaxation.

I recently wrote a nostalgia piece about the island’s once thriving ports with open docks at Port Skillion, Port Erin, Ramsey and Peel in Douglas.

Little remains of the pools at Port Skillion or Ramsey, and the pool at Port Erin, although still quite noticeable, stands fenced and empty.

This leaves the dilapidated lido in Peel as the only place you can still dive. It can be found at the northern end of the promenade, just above the headland.

My sister Lindsay was over last week so we decided to give the pool a try.

Although we both love swimming in the wilderness and the sea, we are not hardcore and stick to late spring and summer. I have yet to take part in a New Year’s Day dive event.

However, while he was visiting us during the semester break, we decided to sail at the end of October.

I thought this would be the perfect time to try the old outdoor pool as it would be a little more sheltered.

We walked down the stairs to the pool, unsurprisingly, we had it to ourselves.

I thought there would be plenty of water since it was only an hour or two out of low tide, but the water was shallower than the last time I was there.

There is an assumption among some people that the pool is somehow stagnant and full of shopping carts, but this is not the case.

The pool is renewed during each tide, and the water gushes out from a pipe, so it can get shallow quickly.

We temporarily shed our swimming gear and headed towards the pool. I recommend you wear water shoes as it is quite stony at the beginning. Also, anyone who is wary of wading through seaweed first may find it difficult.

But once you get past the initial rocks and seaweed, you’ll find the pool is surprisingly sandy.

The water was hip-deep in most places, but waist-deep in some places.

I’m usually pretty good at getting in pretty quickly but I really struggled. The weather was actually quite mild for this time of year, but the same could not be said for the water.

I was hoping the pool would be a little warmer, shallower and sheltered, but it was freezing. There was also a slight smell of seaweed at times, but the water was clear and clean.

You have to be careful not to get too close to the pipe because there is some shrinkage, although we don’t feel it much.

However, it was very exciting and I was happy to give the pool away sooner. It would be nice to dive there as the sun sets in the summer.

After we got out and dried off, we had a nice cup of coffee from the flask and warmed up.

We noticed that the water level continues to drop and I’m not sure there will be enough water to swim in another hour so you may need to check the tides and time it right.

We then treated ourselves to a special Hop tu Naa black toffee from Davison’s before heading back home, satisfied with our little adventure.