Making the grade in today’s diving world is becoming increasingly more difficult. It’s no longer sufficient to rely on that tatty old neoprene wet suit held together by faith and patches, or wistful tales of, “When I were down an… Read More ›
PADI
Knot knowing: the basics
The ability to properly handle a rope or line is – or should be – an important aspect of diving, one that begins by having a fundamental knowledge of certain elementary knots and the purpose for which they’re used. Generally… Read More ›
Vanuatu – volcanoes, mermaids and wrecks
A 700-kilometre chain of 80-plus islands ringed with coral fringing reefs, the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu boasts active volcanoes, lush rain forests and a fascinating array of marine life that includes dugongs, the legendary ‘mermaids’ of folklore. Espiritu… Read More ›
Fish and ships … and divers
Originally intended as ‘stiffeners’ for the flimsy paper packets that, during the late 19th century, ready-made cigarettes were then sold in, ‘cigarette cards’ became one of the first collectibles available to the masses. At first nothing more than plain pieces… Read More ›
Practical search techniques
The seabed search to locate a specific object is one of the most challenging tasks in diving – and certainly one of the most common in that it has equal application to military, commercial and recreational divers alike. It may… Read More ›
Writing a wrong
Bending the truth a little is an important part of diving culture. As far as I can see there’s very little point in doing a dive if, at the end of it, the only entry in the logbook is, “Got… Read More ›