UTTERING a 29-word promise underwater in one breath is no mean feat but one Calne teenager did just that when he joined the Night Hawks Explorer Scout Unit last month.

Fourteen-year-old Kieran pulled on the scuba diving gear at Wroughton swimming pool after his briefing in mid-May and learnt a variety of skills from adjusting buoyancy to removing bubbles from the inside of their masks before tackling the all-important Scout Explorer promise.

Surrounded in a horseshoe by other explorers and leaders, who all made the traditional scout sign, Kieran promised to do his best, his duty to god and the Queen and to help others and keep the Scout Law.

“Scuba diving’s something I’ve always wanted to do," he said. "So when our leader suggested I could make my Promise underwater I decided that’s what I wanted to do. Everything is much slower underwater though and I didn't think it would be like that! It was great fun though and I really want to do it again."

The group are now hoping to incorporate more dives into their programme in a move that has been backed by explorer scout leader Adrian Full.

He said: “As a Leader it’s always great to see Explorers trying something new and although the diving equipment was a bit cumbersome on the surface, they were all soon at ease using it underwater and mastering the various skills."

For more information about Explorer Scouting or how to join visit www.scouts.org.uk/get-involved.