Blog & News
Discover the best tips, travel guides, marine conservation news and secrets of the underwater world.
Underwater panic: what to do when your buddy loses it
Underwater panic is the most dangerous situation in recreational diving. The victim loses rational control and can injure or drown a rescuer who handles it wrong. The correct response is deeply counterintuitive—it fights every natural instinct. This guide covers the right protocol, the fatal mistakes, and how to prevent panic before it starts.
StoriesThe US Navy Mark V Diving Suit: From Brass to Modern Gear
The Mark V was the US Navy's standard professional diving suit from 1916 to 1980. A 25 kg brass helmet, waterproof canvas suit, and 9 kg lead boots apiece — 86 kg in total. It appears in virtually every vintage naval diving photograph. Its development traces the arc of diving history from Victorian-era pioneers to the modern era of mixed-gas systems.
TravelOrganising a group diving trip: buddies, liveaboards and logistics
Clubs and platforms: Buceo y Viajes, Buceadores.club. Facebook groups. Liveaboards with single-supplement cabins. Verify certification levels and actual experience before committing.
EquipmentDive computer comparison: Suunto, Shearwater, Garmin
Suunto, Shearwater, and Garmin dominate the dive computer market with overlapping specs but very different design philosophies. Choosing between them comes down to your diving style — recreational or technical — your preferred interface, and how much the brand ecosystem matters to you. This comparison covers the relevant models from each manufacturer with honest assessments of real-world strengths and weaknesses.
TravelNorway, Trondheim: orcas and herring in Arctic waters
Norway hosts one of diving's most extraordinary spectacles: each winter (October–February) massive Atlantic herring shoals migrate into northern fjords (Skjervøy, Trondheim, Tromsø). Orcas and humpback whales follow, creating feeding events in accessible waters. Snorkelling and diving at 4–7 °C requires a drysuit. A cold-water destination defined by Arctic megafauna.
TravelScapa Flow, UK: the German fleet scuttled in 1919
Scapa Flow is the sheltered bay in Orkney, Scotland, where on 21 June 1919 the Imperial German Fleet was deliberately scuttled to prevent capture by the Allies. 74 ships went to the bottom; several are still diveable today. It is arguably the most visited historic underwater graveyard in the world, and for wreck divers it is a site of pilgrimage.
CultureThe future of the diving industry: digital transformation and new business models
Business of Diving Institute 2024: 49% of centres expected to increase profits (vs 57% previously). Casual divers displacing the core diver. Spain losing 26 shops/day. E-commerce and franchises eroding the traditional dive shop and school.
Marine LifeCommon octopus (Octopus vulgaris): the intelligence you only see if you slow down
The common octopus is arguably the most photographed animal in the Mediterranean and one of the most underestimated in recreational diving. A cephalopod with a decentralised nervous system and cognitive abilities comparable to a dog, it can solve puzzles and recognise individual human faces. For attentive divers, spending 10–15 minutes with one is among the most rewarding encounters in the water.
Marine LifeGoliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara): on the rebound
The goliath grouper is among the largest bony fish in the Caribbean and one of the few genuine recovery stories in marine conservation. Adults can reach 400 kg, with jaws wide enough to engulf a diver whole. Florida holds the world's densest spawning aggregations each August–September. For serious underwater photographers, it ranks among the defining encounters of the tropical Atlantic.
EquipmentTravel BCDs: what you lose and gain going lightweight
Travel BCDs are built to cut weight and bulk for air travel. They tip the scales at 1.5–2.5 kg versus 3–5 kg for a standard BCD. For divers who fly to remote destinations with their own kit, the investment makes sense — but understanding the trade-offs matters before buying.
TravelSardinia, Capo Caccia: cave dives at 30 m and lobster on the north coast
Capo Caccia is a 200 m limestone cliff on the northwest tip of Sardinia that keeps dropping underwater past 100 m. The wall is riddled with caves — some connected to land grottos, others fully submerged. Among Mediterranean destinations, few organise recreational cave diving as well as this corner of the island.
TravelBrazil, Fernando de Noronha: green turtles and spinner dolphins
Fernando de Noronha is a Brazilian volcanic archipelago 350 km off the northeast coast, in the tropical Atlantic. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and national park with strict visitor quotas, it holds one of the few consistent resident populations of spinner dolphins in the eastern Atlantic. For European divers who have already done the Caribbean, Noronha is the next stop in the South Atlantic.
TravelCroatia's Kornati Islands: Adriatic wall diving without the crowds
The Kornati archipelago — 89 islands in Croatia's Adriatic, protected as a National Park since 1980 — remains one of Europe's least-spoiled dive destinations. Warm, clear water, sheer limestone drop-offs, healthy Mediterranean reef life, and small family-run dive centres that haven't yet traded quality for volume. Against Italy or Spain, it feels like a different era.
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