“Do not go gentle into that goodnight Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” – Dylan Thomas For reasons that are obvious to everyone who knows me, I always… Read More ›
dive plan
A ‘Weighty’ Tale – Part Two
In which, I meet up with old friends, lose a ‘new’ one, and learn some valuable lessons about diving, dive planning, dive equipment – and the meaning of life. Some months after the events described in Part One of this… Read More ›
A ‘Weighty’ Tale – Part One
Divers who insist on learning lessons the hard way often pay the ultimate price. I was fortunate. My mistakes and ‘gung-ho’ attitude only cost me the price of a weight-belt. The Tale (Part One) (In which I meet new friends… Read More ›
AUSCDT Three in the Gulf
In January, 1991, AUSCDT Three (Australian Clearance Diving Team Three – last formed in 1967 to serve in Vietnam) was reformed with personnel drawn from across the Clearance Diving branch and despatched to Bahrain to help the U.S. Marines prepare… Read More ›
Things that go “bang” in the night
Accounting for more shipping losses during the Second World War than any other weapon, mines – and the measures developed to neutralise them – have played a pivotal role in the evolution of military diving. It’s a relationship symbolised in… Read More ›
Diving for pearl
A rarity of nature prized for its soft-glowing beauty, the pearl has long been a symbol of the sea’s bounty. Plucked by chance and good fortune from the fleshy folds of the humble oyster the discovery of a perfect, naturally… Read More ›