A TEENAGE scuba diver who is autistic and has ADHD told Prince William about his passion for the sport during his visit to Seacombe.

Frankie Wycherley, 13 and from Wallasey, was one of a select few from the Merseyside branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) who met the Duke of Cambridge when he came to Guinea Gap baths on Thursday.

He took over the BSAC Presidency in 2014, following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather to become the third generation of the Royal Family to take the helm of the UK's governing body for scuba diving and snorkelling.

Frankie is close to finishing his Ocean Diver BSAC training and chatted to The Duke poolside at the Guinea Gap Leisure Centre in Wallasey where Mersey Divers train every Thursday.

Speaking after meeting The Duke, Frankie said: "The Duke asked me how my diving was going and I talked to him about my ADHD and how I don’t let it get in my way.

"He asked if I had done any open water diving yet, and I told him about my training dives in a quarry.

"It's been an amazing day - he was a very kind person and really easy to talk to."

Frankie, who was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism, when he was four, explained why scuba diving is so important to him.

He said: "I really enjoy scuba diving because when you are underwater, I feel sheltered from the outside world and everything which is going on around me.

"It's peaceful, calm and I feel like nothing can go wrong.

"When you are there, it feels like you are on another planet, in a different world."

His mum Sarah, who brought him up on her own since he was a tiny tot, had noticed different behaviour patterns but Frankie's sweet-natured and kind personality meant he was well-liked and got on in the world very well.

It wasn't until he was able to verbalise more competently himself to his mum and nursery carers, that he felt anxious and unhappy in a school environment, that his more complex learning and developmental disabilities were specifically identified.

ADHD is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

The symptoms tend to be noticed at an early age and often become more noticeable when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school.

Asperger syndrome is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.

People with Asperger syndrome are often of above average intelligence.

They do not usually have the learning disabilities that many autistic people have, but they may have specific learning difficulties often linked to understanding and processing language.

When he was six, Sarah made the decision to home school him.

She said: "I did worry about how this would affect him and his ability to make friends and forge relationships but we were at a point where he wasn’t learning and couldn’t even spell his own name so I knew we had to try something different.”

Since then, Frankie has thrived and it was his love of water from an early age which prompted mum and son to look into the local scuba club which they both joined a year ago.

Sarah, 36, a health care assistant and respite foster carer, said: 

“He absolutely loves the scuba diving and the social side of the club. Everyone has been brilliant with him and made him feel so welcome which is important for Frankie.

“He can talk quite obsessively about subjects that interest him and this can be quite off putting, particularly for adults who will often be quite dismissive. But everyone at the club has been brilliant and they listen to him and give him their time.

“They have also worked out how best to work with Frankie to ensure he is understanding the training.

"He has taken to the lectures really well which I did have some concerns about because of his ADHD but I think they have just been so encouraging and it is a subject he is so fascinated with, that nothing has held him back."

The Duke also met Frankie’s fellow young scuba divers and snorkellers - Hannah Williams, 16, Ellis Campbell, 11, and Jodie Purcell, 15.

Earlier he called in at the clubhouse of Mersey Divers, which is next door to the leisure centre, where members had put on an exhibition of interesting items found during historical dives.

These included a cannon raised from the 1883 wreck of the SS City of Brussels which set a record for the fastest Atlantic crossing in its heyday and sank in January 1883 after being struck by another vessel near the end of its voyage from New York to Liverpool, resulting in the tragic death of 10 of the 167 people on board.

Carefully planned historical expeditions are carried out regularly by scuba divers at BSAC which is made up of 120 dive centres and 900 plus family friendly and sociable clubs, run by volunteers, up and down the country and abroad.

It represents more than 28,000 scuba divers and snorkellers and welcomes new members from complete beginners upwards including those who have trained with other agencies.

BSAC Chief Executive Officer Mary Tetley said: "It has been a great pleasure to welcome The Duke of Cambridge to our Merseyside branch and I know the members have enjoyed sharing the history of the club and its varied stories and achievements with him.

"It's been inspiring for young people like Frankie, who are the next generation of BSAC's scuba divers, to talk with him.

"It's been an important day for everyone concerned and will form another very special milestone in BSAC's and Mersey Divers' rich history."

Alan Jones, chairman of Mersey Divers, said: "It's been an honour to welcome The Duke to our Merseyside club and show him the diverse range of underwater achievements from the club’s history.

"Our members get involved in so much from underwater photography to historical expeditions and it was fantastic to share this with him.

"His visit has sent a wave of excitement through the club and I am sure it will be talked about for a long time to come."

During The Duke’s visit to the Wirral Council owned Guinea Gap Leisure Centre he met with other BSAC members and representatives from the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) and Swim England.

There he watched a variety of scuba, snorkeling and swimming activities along with a water polo match.

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