The 24-hour scubathon organised by James Neal and Neal Breeden is on course to raise a “fantastic” £7,500 for charity.

That is three times more than the figure James said was his target at the start of the month.

All the money will go to Headway, a charity which helps people who have suffered a brain injury and James confirmed: “The early indications are that we’ve raised £7,500 which is a fantastic result.”

Indeed it is and rich reward for two people who have managed to keep on smiling despite everything that has been thrown at them in recent years – James had a brain haemorrhage at the end of 2013 while Neal also survived a brain injury after he suffered a stroke nearly 10 years ago.

Both are enthusiastic members of Cheltenham Sub-Aqua Club and they were supported by 24 of their colleagues at Chepstow Quarry – one of the deepest quarries in the UK – at the weekend.

“The event went like clockwork,” said 47-year-old James. “It was phenomenal. Everybody turned up on time and everybody was in the water on time.

“The event started at midday on Saturday and finished at one minute past midday on Sunday.”

James completed four dives which saw him in the water for six hours, so how did he feel at 12.01pm on Sunday?

“I felt absolutely exhilarated,” he said, “because for the last 15 or 20 minutes all the divers were in the water together.

“We all surfaced together and everyone on the pontoon was cheering and clapping us. It was incredible.”

So how did he feel a couple of hours later?

“The fatigue really did kick in,” he admitted. “I was absolutely drained on Monday. It was the same for Neal. He was in the water for the same amount of time as me and he was in the same sort of state.”

It’s not only James who was delighted with the way the scubathon went, with some of his fellow club members sending letters of congratulations to James since the event.

Graham Weston wrote: “I think everyone was so proud to be part of something so epic, it was truly an amazing 24 hours that brought us all together as a club.

“The months of planning and hard work on your part certainly paid off, it was a great achievement. I also think it was a great opportunity for us to support you as you do us as a club.”

And Jack Guest added: “The 'force' was strong when professional divers and novices came together from around the UK to stand up for a very important charity.

“The event has shown that the team spirit and good-naturedness of the diving community is making a positive difference in the world.

“I think this brilliant event has uncovered the tip of the iceberg in terms of what divers can do for their communities, given a little encouragement and a visionary organiser like James Neal.

“Cheltenham Sub-Aqua Club's 24-hour dive for Headway is a fantastic example that can be replicated in support of any important cause relevant to the diving community. The use of diving for health rehabilitation and the need to preserve ocean ecosystems are two such causes that spring to mind.”

Michael Pipier also added his support, writing: “I am so happy about the weekend. It is not only a great cause but a fantastic event which makes all of us particularly proud of what we achieved together.

“The club I believe will hugely benefit from it. It has been a lot of fun”

As for James, you’d think he would maybe take a few weeks off from diving now, wouldn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong!

“I’m going back to the quarry on Friday,” he laughed. “I’m just going to play and have some fun.”