Maldives: Mantas and More…

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Featured on Scubaverse:The Maldives is an iconic dive destination, thanks to its white sand beaches, coral reef diving in warm waters, and abundance of whale sharks and manta rays. Consisting of 26 atolls dotted across the Indian Ocean, it is picture-perfect and at the top of many divers wish lists.The different Maldives atolls each have their own characteristic dive sites and offer a variety of dive types; from atoll walls and channels to caves, swim-throughs, drift dives and lagoon diving. They each have an impressive array of marine life from large pelagic species through to tiny critters perfect for underwater macro photography. This variety of marine life and dive sites make the Maldives an ideal destination for all diver experience levels and interests.Find out more in Maldives: Mantas and more...

Beginners Guide to Snorkeling

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Snorkeling is very under-appreciated and yet is a great way to introduce people to the ocean, and to spend time with marine life without the hassle and work of scuba diving.There are also some incredible snorkeling opportunities out there. Who wouldn't fancy snorkeling with orcas, whale sharks or great white sharks?Find out more in my latest article, Beginners Guide to Snorkeling.  

Drift Diving Essentials

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Ulong Channel in Palau is not for the faint-hearted. The pace of this dive is tremendous and takes divers into a channel to enjoy one of the world’s best drift dives. The channel entrance is covered in corals and divers drift through the channel to the mouth, where grey reef sharks can be seen hunting fish that exit the channel. Stingrays, snappers, jacks and batfish are also seen at the mouth of the channel. Find out more about this and other top drift diving destinations in my latest article for LiveAboardDrift Diving Essentials.

Wall Diving Essentials

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What is Wall Diving?

Wall diving involves diving alongside the edges of coral reefs, or reef walls, and other vertical underwater terrains. Reef walls can vary in size from just a few meters on part of a reef to walls that drop dramatically down for hundreds of meters and more.

Why Go Wall Diving?

Wall diving is exhilarating and there is nothing quite like hovering at the edge of a wall and watching the vast inky depths of the ocean below. It offers the opportunity to enjoy striking and unique terrains, colourful coral formations, plentiful reef fish and larger pelagic species.Find out more in my latest article, Wall Diving Essentials

Technical Diving Essentials

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Technical diving developed from a form of cave diving and typically involves dives that are beyond 40 meters (131 feet) deep or extend in an enclosed environment beyond 40 meters from the entry point. It involves advanced dive skills, technical diving gear, specialist training, decompression stops and the use of gas mixtures (depending on the type of technical dive).It is gaining in popularity and there are some great technical dive destinations around the world. Find out more about this unique type of diving in my latest article; Technical Diving Essentials.

Top Reef Safe Sunscreens

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Following on from my earlier article about Hawaii banning the sale of sunscreens that damage corals, I have been researching reef-safe/natural sunscreens to try.There are a variety of brands to choose from, some of which contain all-natural ingredients and some which use synthetic alternatives. I highly recommend reading Stream2Sea's sunscreen ingredients to avoid list, as there are a number of chemicals in some sunscreens that can damage the marine environment and your health. It's not just about avoiding oxybenzone and octinoxate.When using zinc-based sunscreens you need to bear in mind that a little goes a long way. Whilst they often cost more, you should only need to use a small amount each time.Here are some top reef-safe/natural sunscreens to check out:

Muck Diving Essentials

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Have you tried muck diving yet? Whilst the name doesn't sound appealing it's a unique type of diving gaining popularity around the globe.

Why go muck diving?

It is a great type of diving for anyone looking to improve their dive observation, patience, and buoyancy skills. All whilst having fun searching for tiny and camouflaged muck critters with their dive buddy.Muck diving provides unique and colourful macro photographic opportunities; imagine dramatic black sand landscapes contrasting against vibrant marine life for the perfect macro photograph.This type of diving really encourages divers to look closely and discover the wealth of marine life in small dive site areas. It is a great way to enrich each dive site experience and fully understand the diversity of life in the ocean.In my latest article for LiveAboard I provide everything you need to know about muck diving, including the best muck diving destinations in the world.Indonesia

How To Celebrate World Environment Day

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Featured on SportDiver:It was World Environment Day on June 5th and the focus this year was on how we can #BeatPlasticPollution.World Environment Day is the United Nations’ most important day of the year for promoting awareness and action to protect the environment. It began in 1974 and is a well-known global platform for positive change that is celebrated in over 100 countries. Divers can do their bit for the ocean environment and get involved in a variety of ways. We all want to enjoy pristine dive sites full of healthy marine life in the future, so here are my top ways to support this special day.https://www.sportdiver.com/how-to-celebrate-world-environment-day-on-june-5-2018