Garmin have announced the Descent Mk2S, its smallest watch-style dive computer – ideal for women and those with smaller wrists – designed for everyday wear and maximum functionality. Packed with innovative dive technology and Garmin’s most sought-after built-in activity sports profiles and wellness features, the Descent Mk2S is a tool …

  Text and Photo by Jill Heinerth I’ve been told that I have a problem intellect, meaning that I am always in pursuit of learning. I think that is quite true. If I am not challenged with novelty and discovery, then I feel a sense of unrest. Change and …

By Author Mike Seares LIGHTS! CAMERA! SUB ACTION! came about from a desire to tell the story of working in an industry where remarkable things can happen, all in a day’s work. ​The aim of the book is to give the reader a sense of what goes on in …

Text by Gregory Thomas   Searching for human remains, weapons and other crime scene evidence in zero visibility is a duty ‘deeply felt’ by the volunteer Alameda County Dive Team A middle-aged woman paused at the end of the pool, between laps, and studied the man in the next lane. …

Eric Vohr takes a private jet to explore Indonesia’s Eden – Wakatobi   Sometimes, you have to travel to the end of the world to find spectacular diving; Wakatobi Dive Resort is one of those places.  The name Wakatobi is a portmanteau of the four main Tukangbesi Islands in …

There’s nothing worse than gearing up a boat dive only to have your tummy lurching within minutes of leaving the dock. Fly & Sea Dive Adventures are there with you… Choose the right destination Don’t choose a destination where you have to hit the open ocean in the middle of monsoon season …

By Jill Heinerth Sadly, the global community lost a stalwart pillar of strength when the B-15 iceberg, known to scientists as “Godzilla” passed away from natural causes. After 18 years adrift in the southern extremes of Antarctica, the final shards were reported as “no longer large enough to be …

By Steve Lewis So, you’re looking at taking the big step into rebreathers, are you? Let’s chat. It’s okay, your secrets are safe with me. I’ll admit it, I have owned a few rebreathers myself. At last count, there have been twelve. But no worries, I am getting better, …

The Maldives Islands lie Southwest of India. Scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the gem-like islands of the Maldives depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. Palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with …

By Michael Menduno   RAID’s co-owner is on a mission to make diving sexy again. He’s passionate, experienced, and brings a fresh point of view. Don’t underestimate Paul Toomer… By creating a new market for diving, PADI co-founder & former CEO John Cronin—reportedly the first person to rack up …

Text and Illustrations By Jill Heinerth I have never figured out why so few North American technical divers wear helmets. Perhaps helmets never reached the Pantheon of hip here? Divers in other parts of the world would never consider exposing their scalps to the ceiling of a cave or wreck …

Text and Photography by Jill Heinerth Originally published in Volume 40, issue 7. Click here to subscribe. Pioneering Scuba diver Marjorie Bank never made it to my age. She died prematurely, the result of a massive heart attack. As a younger diver, I was inspired by her career and charisma. She …

Will reactivate initiatives lead to a SCUBA renaissance? Text by Robert Osborne, photography by Jill Heinerth It was a magical moment that Wendy Truman will never forget: the end of a dive in Belize.  She was hanging on the down line for a safety stop “when I heard a kind …

First annual event scheduled for July 18 to attract more women to scuba diving To build awareness and increase interest in diving among women, PADI has launched a “Women in Diving” initiative, including the inaugural PADI Women’s Dive Day scheduled for 18 July 2015. The international event is geared …

Nanuk 935 $259.99 – with foam For all the scuba gear you own and need to transport and store, there is Nanuk. A Canadian company in biz for more than 20 years, they offer a wide range of cases to protect everything from your expensive regulators to your iPhone, and your video …

The Dive Industry Association of British Columbia (DIABC) announced the online release of a new video promoting scuba diving in Beautiful British Columbia. Funded in partnership by the DIABC and Destination BC, and produced by BC’s own SeaproofTV, the video is an exciting 3 minute look at the Canadian …

Artifacts recovered from a shipwreck off Singapore are currently on display at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. See the next issue of DIVER for the feature by writer Stephen Weir.          

At 30, Becky Kagan Schott’s already an Emmy winner but the over achieving cinematographer believes the best is yet to come Interview By Michael Menduno – First published Volume 38 Issue 2   Talent plus personality. That’s how clients and colleagues explain 30-year old Becky Kagan Schott’s rapid ascent in the …

  Underwater videographers Becky Kagan Schott and husband David Schott, won a total of 4 Emmy’s at the recent award celebrations in Florida. You should recognise Becky Kagan Schott from the cover of DIVER magazine just over a year ago (Volume 38 issue 2). The young professional’s career in underwater videography filled a very …

Many DIVER readers would have seen small, yellow scuba tank water bottles infiltrate all corners of the globe. What a lot of people aren’t aware of is that they were originally intended to house every sea lovers favourite tipple, rum. Time to rejoice rum lovers – they soon will. Tank Rum is the …

US gear manufacturer Hollis, have announced a partnership with Canada’s Sea the World Adventure Travel, with their first expedition to Truk Lagoon now taking bookings for 2016.  Divers will get the chance to join Hollis Ambassador, Bill Coltart, aboard the luxurious S/Y Truk Siren for a ten day wreck diving expedition. Divers …

Text and Photography by Andy Murch You would think that a large, globally occurring species like the great hammerhead would be a relatively easy shark to encounter but until a couple of years ago that simply wasn’t the case. Shark diving operators in the Bahamas and elsewhere raved about …

The brand new Red Sea Aggressor cruises down the southern Egyptian coast to dive sites remote and iconic, and they do it in style Text by Michele Westmorland When I told friends and family here in the United States I was headed to Egypt to dive the Red Sea, …

Women Underwater – The Comprehensive Guide for Women in Scuba Diving provides detailed suggestions, tips and hints regarding equipment choices, medical issues and the unique social factors challenging women in this male-dominated sport. Drawing on decades of experience as instructors, consultants and expedition leaders, co-authors Jill Heinerth and Reneé …

SeaLife Micro HD 16GB $399.95 Micro HD+ 32GB WiFi $499.95 The newest addition to the SeaLife range of user-friendly cameras is the ultra compact Micro HD. Unlike most cameras this is a sealed unit – no openings, no O-rings, no memory card ports and, therefore, no risk of flooding. SeaLife’s trusted ‘piano key’ design makes …

Hitchin’ a ride on the Red-eye Medusa By Jett and Kathryn Britnell Named for the telltale ‘red eyespots’ ringing the base of its tentacles, the Red-eye medusa (Polyorchis pencillatus) is one of the prettiest jellyfish in British Columbia’s Emerald Sea. These ocelli are actually tiny light-sensitive receptors that help …

Visibility notwithstanding, dive masks are the solution… for human beings By Dr. David Sawatzky The eye is really just a complex, living camera.  The main parts of the eye are the cornea, iris, lens and retina.  The cornea is clear and has no blood supply.  It protects the eye …

Text and Photograph by Andy Murch While hunting for skates on a featureless sea floor around Madrona Point on southern Vancouver Island, B.C., I came across this sunken tree trunk with its cover of  gigantic orange plumose anemones. These anemones are usually white, but under certain environmental conditions (like …

The Franklin ship discovered in early September by the 2014 search team in the Canadian arctic has been identified as HMS Erebus, the flagship of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 two-ship expedition and the vessel directly under his command.  HMS Terror, remains to be found. The confirmation was made by …

Behind the Scenes we talk to the diving duo behind TV’s Descending TO WIN A DVD OR BLU-RAY DESCENDING BOX SET – CLICK HERE!!! DIVER: For those unfamiliar with Descending, tell us a little about the show. DESCENDING: At its simplest, Descending is an underwater travel documentary. The destinations and specific locations …

In the waters off George Town, Grand Cayman, a group of approximately 50 volunteer divers led by local dive operators, and guided by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE), are working tirelessly to repair a coral reef severely damaged by a cruise ship anchor in mid-August. Working in …

A city of grand scale attractions, Dubai is now planning an Atlantis-like sunken city theme park for SCUBA divers and snorkelers in the shallows off its World Islands development. Los Angeles-based Reef Worlds is behind the design for two sites now on the drawing board under the working title …

Former Egyptian special forces soldier, Ahmed Gabr has just completed the world’s deepest scuba dive to a whopping 332.35 meters that’s 1090.3 feet! Verified by the Guinness Book of Records, the dive trumps the former official record of 318.25 meters by Nuno Gomes, or the unofficial record by Pascal Bernabé to …

Advances in gear design & technology over 60 years may not make diving more fun, but it is much easier. And, a picture’s worth a lot of words, we think! Text by Phil Nuytten  Bouyancy Compensators Bouée Fenzy / Aqua Lung Axiom i3 The French Navy’s Bouée Fenzy, left, was …

In Orda of priority it’s No.1 Text by Bogdana Vashchenko / Photography by Victor Lyagushkin  – The Orda cave revolutionized cave diving in Russia. In every respect it’s a ‘dream’ compared to other sumps in the Russian Federation, and it also claims some bragging rights on the world stage. Extending more …

Pelican iM2050GP1 Pelican Storm Case $TBC Tough as a house, watertight, and guaranteed for life. Keep your GoPro and a range of accessories safe and dry with this padded, lightweight hardcase. Optional shoulder strap. www.pelican.com Nauticam Super Macro Converter 1 $480 The first underwater macro conversion lens that is …