What Happens When You Back Initiative
We don't take work experience students often. Running a small outdoor adventure business is full-on, and hosting someone well takes time, thought, and energy that isn't always easy to find.But when Penny's request came in, we knew we had to give it careful consideration.
Penny is 15, lives in England, and has family in East Lothian. She knew she didn't want to spend a week doing what most of her classmates were doing. She wanted adventure. She reached out to us directly, made clear she was willing to travel to Scotland, organise her own accommodation and transport, and give us a full week. Her application was thoughtful, enthusiastic, and — above all — showed real initiative.
We said yes. And we're very glad we did. What followed was a brilliant week for Penny, and a good reminder for us: initiative deserves to be rewarded. Here's Penny's account of it, in her own words.
Arriving in East Lothian
Excitement means different things to different people. For some it's watching their team win a match, for others it's the joy of performing onstage — but for me this week, it was my work experience at Ocean Vertical.
I arrived in Scotland on Saturday and spent a relaxed Sunday being a typical tourist, taking the boat to the Bass Rock and scoping out the Seabird Centre before my first day.
Into the Water
On Monday I took my first plunge into the chilly waters off Dunbar during a coasteering session. Alongside the exhilarating jumps, I found myself learning more and more about the surrounding area: the vibrant blue of the beaded anemones, trying sea spaghetti for the first time, the stunning variety of wildlife all around us. The landscape was equally striking, with the ruins of Dunbar Castle presiding over the coastline.
Once the session was over, it was back to the stables to warm up with a hot shower — and then time for the behind-the-scenes side of things. I had the job of dunking the salty wetsuits and flipping the drying ones before hanging them back up. It may not sound glamorous, but it was a steep learning curve. I went from wrestling with neoprene in a losing battle to flipping them like a pro in no time.
That evening, I went with Jacob and Susie to a local school to shadow them during the final week of a first aid course, helping to set up for the students' test before they were presented with their certificates. Every single one of them looked overjoyed. For them that evening, excitement meant watching their hard work pay off.
A week of learning — on the water, on the rock, and behind the scenes.
No Two Days the Same
Tuesday's plan was a morning's climbing, but the wet weather overnight meant the rock would have been slick and unpleasant. We met up with the client and suggested coasteering instead — she was up for an adventure and enthusiastically agreed. Back to the same site as Monday, but with a phenomenally low tide it was a completely different experience. The oarweed was close to the surface making navigation trickier, and the exposed lower water revealed wildlife we hadn't seen the day before: a soft coral called Alcyonium digitatum, or dead man's fingers. That afternoon, I cleaned and packed away the winter boots, ready to welcome in the summer season.
Wednesday had no clients booked, but that didn't stop it being an exciting day. I headed down to the range with Stevie and tried my hand at archery and axe throwing with varying levels of success — I managed to get several axes to stick and even landed one in the centre, which I was very pleased about after it took me a long while just to get one to stick at all. That afternoon, Stevie walked me through the booking and scheduling software, which taught me a great deal about time management in a small business with this much variety, in both activity and location. I also got to listen in on a conversation about corporate adventure: the side of the industry that focuses on teamwork and shared experience.
"Before this placement, I loved adventure but had no idea what went on behind the scenes to make these experiences possible."
Careers, Coastlines and Paddleboards
Archery at the range, a Wednesday highlight.
Thursday opened my eyes to the sheer variety of career pathways in the outdoor industry. Stevie talked me through everything from SUP qualifications with Paddle UK to companies looking for dinghy instructors to teach over the summer in Greece. It was genuinely eye-opening to see how many forms a career in this world can take, and the range of skills each path requires. After lunch, a quick trip into Dunbar for supplies was followed by a tour of the surrounding area.
Friday began by putting the stables furniture back in place after insulation work had finished, before Stevie headed out coasteering with two clients. I spent the afternoon stand-up paddleboarding on a small loch, sheltered from the wind by surrounding trees. I learnt several new techniques on the board, including a pivot turn used in SUP racing. I came very close to falling in on more than one occasion — but managed to keep my balance with some extremely inelegant stumbling.
Coasteering off the Dunbar coastline — a different experience every day depending on the tide.
Stand-up paddleboarding — balance maintained, just about.
The Team
During the week I got to meet several brilliant members of the Ocean Vertical team. Jacob, the Operations Manager, led the coasteering on the first day and answered every question I threw at him over lunch about how he got into this career. Susie, the Project Development Coordinator, told me about Ocean Vertical's work not just with clients but within the community and for the environment too, as well as how her varied career path brought her here. And Stevie, who helped organise the placement in the first place and then showed me the processes, the thinking, and the organisation that goes into running these adventures.
I also had the very important pleasure of meeting Sennen — the most adorable dog, being looked after by Susie for the week — who decided I was a new friend after I gave her belly rubs at lunch. Clearly the best part of the job.
What I'll Take Away
I chose Ocean Vertical because I didn't want to spend a week behind a desk. I wanted to experience exciting things and learn valuable skills at the same time — whether that was scheduling activities, handling customer enquiries, or the more practical, task-oriented parts of the job. I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that those skills will stay with me.
Before this placement, I loved adventure but had no idea what went on behind the scenes to make these experiences possible. Now I've seen not only the effort that goes into the adventures themselves, but the effort Ocean Vertical puts into the world around them: the knowledge of local ecosystems, the environmental commitment, the community projects. It gives a whole new perspective on what makes these experiences so special — and the fact that none of it comes at the expense of the community or the environment.
I've had an amazing week and would do it all again without hesitation. Excitement means different things to different people — and Ocean Vertical delivered mine.
— Penny
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