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Where divers travel
Which are your favourite dive travel destinations at the moment? Where have divers recently visited, and where are they planning to travel next? Tasked with pinpointing the dive holidays currently in vogue, the recent Dive Show at the NEC was the perfect place to canvas the thoughts of divers. Avoiding the travel stands and busy aisles, John Liddiard worked his way from table to table in the Food Court. At least that way he could keep the busy divers in one place long enough for an interview
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The deepest lake in the World
In the heart of Siberia, concealed by rising mountains, the Earth’s interior has slowly rifted apart, creating the world’s deepest reservoir. It is so big that it contains about 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. In winter the lake is frozen into silence, an icy wind sweeping over its surface. It’s time for Eline Feenstra to go diving. Photography by Rene Lipmann
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Bubbling over - 2011 Holiday Guide
At least one unforgettable diving holiday is lined up for everyone in 2011 – the one you select depends on the sort of diver you are. PIPPA JACKS is both a diver and a travel press specialist, so we asked her for some suggestions.Illustrations by CLIVE HADWEN
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Turning further to the East
Where are we going in 2010, and how are we getting there? Steve Weinman asks the diving specialist tour operators who are hoping to take your bookings
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Perfect 10
A touch of magic - that's what we all want when we go diving. We forced John Bantin to whittle his massive initial 'shortlist' of international dive-sites with the M-factor down to this impressive handful. What would your choice be? more...
Striding out in hard times
With the financial portents for 2009 far from rosy, what are the prospects for the travelling diver? Are great deals going to be two-a-penny in a market bereft of holiday-makers, or has the declining pound sunk any chance of that trip to those dream destinations? David S Dixon looks at the prospects
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Between the scallops
Working divers in the Channel Islands spend much of their time down among the shellfish - John Liddiard boards their boats to experience the rich variety of wreck and reef diving off Guernsey and Sark
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Cape of GOOD HOPE
You know you're off the beaten track when the dive-centre owner says: 'Oh yes, I had some English people here before - about two years ago, I think.' Jacquie Cozens reports from the Cape Verde islands. Pictures by Neal Clayton
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Need a little TCI?
With so many islands from which to choose in the Caribbean and western Atlantic, holiday selection can be tricky. John Bantin offers a solution - he's a recent convert to the attractions of the Turks & Caicos Islands
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Wartime on ice
This holiday isn't for everyone, but for those who take their wreck-diving seriously and don't mind it being a bit nippy, Louise Trewavas reckons a trip to Norway, venturing up within the Arctic Circle, will provide an unforgettable experience
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Cancun revelations
He flew to one of America's favourite tourist resorts without great expectations, but John Liddiard is forced to revise his opinions of Cancun once he gets beyond the Hotel Zone
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Colours of the rainbow
After his report from Fiji in June on what must be the most remarkable shark-feed around, John Bantin turns his attention to these Pacific islands' outstanding "static" life. His quarry might be static, but the water in which it lives is anything but
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NIGHT VISION
Dives after dark - divers either love them or can get by quite happily without them. What do divers get out of it? We asked 14 DIVER contributors to tell us about their most memorable nocturnal adventure... more...Pemba: out of Africa
It’s a bit of a hike to get there, and it can be on the basic side, but for Scott Bennett the Tanzanian island of Pemba was worth the effort more...
Here's looking at you!
It's the gentler side of Mozambique diving that gets John Liddiard in its spell - forget the rugged surf launches and strong currents, but would the famous mantas and whale sharks put in an appearance?
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Jambo! Greetings from Zanzibar
The island's name is redolent of fragrant spices and romance, but never mind all that - Zac Macaulay was in search of photo-prey at sites like Cave 20 and the Blue Wall
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Bystander at the Sardine Run
You've seen the footage - dolphins, sharks and dive-bombing gannets attacking terrified baitballs of sardines. But what's it like to be under water at the time? This radical holiday idea is brought to you by Trevor Day
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Ticking off Africas big seven
Combining land and sea in a search for the big beasts of southern Africa, Gavin Parsons finds himself thoroughly spoiled for wildlife
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Winter wonderland
Just above the Arctic Circle on the rugged shore of the White Sea is a small Russian settlement called Nilmaguba. Bizarre creatures ranging from sea angels and Gorgon’s heads to white whales can be found where an icy roof creates another world, says first-timer Eline Feenstra. Photography by René Lipmann
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Towards the South Pole
Antarctica - craved by the many, dived by the few. Eline Feenstra recently became one of the lucky ones who have sampled raw diving at World's End, where whales breach in the distance, leopard seals chase penguins, and the water is dark, icy and full of the unknown. Photography by Rene Lipmannmore...
A dip into the white continent
How best to spend the kids' inheritance? Fork out to go diving in Antarctica, of course! prominent marine biologist Keith Hiscock was quick to sign up
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Northern delights
Beneath the Northern Lights lies Kaafjord, as historically important as any Norwegian fjord could be. Leigh Bishop and fellow-photographer Linn Røkenes explain more
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Seduced by Russia's White Sea
For award-winning underwater photographer Andrey Nekrasov, the dream ticket lay in the far north of Russia, where white whales play among the Gorgon's heads and lancetfish
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In Cork & Kinsale with the Addicts
The weather looks grim as JOHN LIDDIARD makes his way to southern Ireland for a week exploring WW1 wrecks he hasn’t dived before, but he is in for some pleasant surprises
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Quick on the trigger
JOHN BANTIN visits the mid-Atlantic Azores to see what it has to offer beyond the blue sharks of Pico on which DIVER reported in February – and faces a challenge from a tantalising quarry
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Tapas diving in Gran Canaria
On a four-centre tour of Gran Canaria, John Liddiard gets a real flavour of the tasty mix of diving on offer at this year-round destination
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Lone wolf & sole lemon
Don't knock the rock - the volcanic Atlantic island of Madeira boats an assortment of interesting underwater celebrities, says Steve Weinman
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Falklands life in the Jasons
Marine biologist Claire Goodwin heads south to the unexplored Jason Islands in the Falklands, for thrills, chills, undiscovered marine life - and an awful lot of mutton
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Wall to wall sharks at Fish Rock
Located off Australia's east coast is a small rocky outcrop called Fish Rock. Nigel Marsh knows it well, but for 20 years it was a source of frustration for him. Then things changed...
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S is for south Australia
Shipwrecks, sinkholes, seals, sharks, sea dragons and "sneaky sex" - superb! Marie Davis goes on tour in South Australia
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Join the jetty set
It's the longest wooden pier in the southern hemisphere and marine life adores it. Jane Wilkinson explores the enchanted underwater world of Australia's Busselton Jetty
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Rare glimpse of a vanishing world
PAUL WALDEN joins JUSTIN GILLIGAN and a man with an enormous film camera to document one of the last remaining bastions of true wilderness - Raine Island and the Great Detached Reefs of Northern Australia
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The great white debait
OK, we've watched Celebrity Shark Bait on TV and, gasps of amazement, the celebs didn't get eaten and want to do it again! But is cage-diving responsible for an increase in deaths among other water-users, as some allege, or is that metal box the best friend a great white shark could have? Monty Halls has his own views. Photos by Jeff Rotman
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The colour of happy
The British Virgin Islands are a tropical playground of the super-rich and offer some fabulous wreck dives. And you shouldn’t have to perform any Kate Winslet-style heroics to enjoy them, says LOUISE TREWAVAS. Main photography by LEONARDO OLMI
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Tropical Tibbetts
Sunk 15 years ago, the former Russian warship Keith Tibbetts has deservedly established itself as a major diving attraction in the Cayman Islands. Somehow Stuart Philpott wangled a day on the wreck all to himself – but would his body take the pressure?
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Clearly blue
Divers visiting the Bahamas often follow well-trodden paths, but the outer islands to the south offer pristine conditions, sharks, reefs and limpid seas. JOHN BANTIN takes in three of these islands
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Gardening leave
You may have heard that Cuba’s exclusive Jardines de la Reina is good, but as Stuart Philpott realised as he rolled into the water to join a saltwater croc, for adrenalin junkies there is simply nowhere in the Caribbean to match it!
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Critter capital of the Caribbean
They almost had to force MIRANDA KRESTOVNIKOFF onto the plane when time came to leave St Vincent – the diving off this quiet island had been a joyous revelation. Underwater photos by Kay Wilson
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Shoal on a roll in Moalboal
It’s a cast of thousands that makes the tiny island of Pescador a must-visit Philippines dive site, but the whole of the nearby Moalboal peninsula is packed with diver treats, says Steve Weinman
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Indonesia raw
Just as this year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan was happening, JOHN BANTIN was diving in what had been the epicentre of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, Banda Aceh. Here the scars are healing, and diving is back on the agenda
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Go with the flow in the Raja Ampat
It’s an expensive trip either way, but there are two Raja Ampats, says John Bantin – the tranquil one that gets macro photographers all worked up, and the exciting one that tests your staying power
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Return to Lembeh
Lembeh Strait in Indonesia was always the hottest destination for critter-lovers, says underwater film-maker John Boyle – but under today’s pressures, would a return visit disappoint?
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To liberty from secrecy
Bali’s north coast offers a succession of treats, says Steve Weinman
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Around the world Christmas
If you're one of those divers who never strays far from home and family during the festive season, do you ever wonder how your buddies might be spending theirs? Colin Mac Andrias finds out.
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Get yourself some takeaway buddies
Wish you always had the same buddy, someone who cares about you and shares your interests? Wish your partner didn't complain whenever you wanted to go diving? Sign up your family, says JOHN BANTIN
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Fidget Bones' diary
Long-haul flying can be stressful for divers, as Anne Butler finds, but it's all in a good cause
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Fly-dive for pennies
Kicking off our holiday special issue, chavs do it, families do it, even people with two homes do it, let's do it, let's fly low-cost! Gavin Parsons find out where budget airlines can take a diver
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Packing for travel
By way of introduction to this month's selection of 2007 holiday ideas, and with swingeing restrictions on airline baggage allowances ever in mind, John Liddiard shows us how to pack for a dive trip while staying within a 20kg limit reports
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No shoes, no news!
Nigel Wade kicks back on Ari Atoll and notes the impressive resurgence Maldivian marine life continues to make
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That’s ‘a moray’ - Mauritius
Wrapping yourself in moray eel is not usually recommended, and interacting with titan triggerfish is asking for trouble. But the boss of one dive centre in Mauritius has a way with animals, and patience is the key, says JOHN LIDDIARD
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Fishing-boat recycling programme
Who would do a 10,000-mile round trip to dive a couple of old fishing-boats? What about the carbon footprint? Well, the plane was flying anyway, and JOHN BANTIN had a few days to spare, so he hopped aboard more...
Understanding the Atolls
No diving holiday guide would be complete without the Maldives, but visiting divers need to understand this watery nation before deciding exactly where and when to go, reckons John Bantin
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Honeymoon heaven
Leaving Hollyoaks and Strictly in their wake, they headed towards the hottest atoll in the Maldives - if only all fledgling dives could be like this! But how did Kevin Sacre-Dallerup get away with it? Steve Weinman wants to know. Underwater images by Thomas Badstuebner more...
ALTITUDE WITH ATTITUDE
Just what the world needs - another freediving record! But this is one with a difference, as world champion freediver Carlos Coste invites scuba diver Dan Burton to help him conquer one of the deepest - and highest - lagoons in the Andes Mountains
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Hydro-massage in SAN BENEDICTO
The waters lapping the island of San Benedicto are the kingdom of the great oceanic manta rays. It is here that these creatures approach divers and do their utmost to initiate some gentle interaction with them.
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Aquarium of the world
Mexico's Sea of Cortez is a popular destination during the European winter but, as Tim Ecott discovers, summertime diving can be combined with a camping safari on the island of Espiritu Santo
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Manta in the Mist
Exploring the nutrient-rich waters of Baja California, John Bantin goes in search of the spectacular giant pacific manta and the many other marine creatures that enjoy eating Mexican.
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Life with the 'Lions'
Never mind cuddly seals - sea-lions, with which they are sometimes confused, are big, territorial and you don't want to mess about with them. John Bantin witnesses a dramatic sea-lion encounter while diving in Mexico - and feels a little exposed
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A day in the life...
…of Red Sea safari dive guide MICHAEL ONKERS, who has been observing the behaviour of his guests in their waking hours
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Liveaboard turnrounds
Liveaboard trips don't always get off to the best of starts. Sometimes the participants don't even feel like going. But all that changes when the great diving kicks in, as a selection of our correspondents can confirm more...
What makes a liveaboard a world-beater?
Insist on the correct combination of factors and your floating holiday will be a pleasure - get it wrong and it could be a pain. John bantin looks at winning dive-boats, and what to look out for when booking. more...
The world-beating liveaboards.
John bantin looks at winning dive-boats
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Something special
Every business worth its salt has a Unique Selling Proposition. Colin Mac Andrias has been looking for liveaboards with a USP, and finding that you often have to pay to stand out
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Something for the weekend
Fancy some diving but don’t have time for a full-blown holiday? How about a long-weekend break? GAVIN PARSONS looks at the options in the Med
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Turkey shoot
The tempting WW2 bomber may have been out of bounds, but the Turkish resort of Kas presented Stuart Philpott with a range of wrecks and pottery to explore
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Diving Dubrovnik
Base yourself in Croatia’s historic coastal city and you could be in for a treat if you like caves and wrecks, says John Liddiard – not to mention the mobile attractions more...
Our man on the Riviera
You can go for a holiday or even a long weekend – all it takes is a budget flight and a diamond geezer to get you organised. JOHN LIDDIARD reports from the South of France
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Over the blue horizon
Most Mediterranean diving is done within 12-mile limits, but Gavin Parsons was recently the photographer aboard the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior as it surveyed reefs way offshore more...
Tales of the Arabian Sites - Oman
Beth & Shaun Tierney had a clear mental image of topside Oman in their minds – but would the diving reflect all that Middle Eastern promise?
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Fujairah on the brighter side
If you had heard that the United Arab Emirates weren't much cop for diving, don't decide until you have tried the little-known east-facing one, says Steve Weinman. May the vis be with you...
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A Visit to the Stubborn Islands
Islands of this sort shouldn't be there, the country is not known for its diving opportunities, yet as Erik Bjurstrom discovers, five cays off Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf are home to a teeming, breeding marine life
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Back in Beirut
It doesn't leap to mind when you think holiday, but things have changed since Terry Waite and John McCarthy experienced extended stays here, says Paula Fancini. If you fancy a change, some challenging wreck-diving and valet-parking at the dive centre, put Lebanon's capital on your hit-list
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Ships of the Desert
The quality of leisure diving in the UAE has received mixed reports. But with plenty of wrecks in prospect, John Liddiard went to Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah to check the state of these states, then on to the Musandam in neighbouring Oman
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Scarface rising
Early spring brings a sea full of icebergs; summer finds thousands of whales migrating along the Newfoundland coast. ELINE FEENSTRA and photographer RENE LIPMANN are on what is billed as ‘the ultimate adventure quest’ – snorkelling with humpbacks and diving on some of the world’s best wrecks
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Ding dong bell
Here’s a holiday idea from MIKE WARD that every coldwater wreck enthusiast should consider – Bell Island in Newfoundland. These shipwrecks are a bit special
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In a land of giants
Sue Daly travelled to British Columbia dreaming of encountering marine creatures big beyond her wildest dreams - but found some smaller pleasures along the way more...
Wrecks of the Florida Keys
It's a fly-drive-dive holiday, and the kingsize wrecks at your stopovers were all put there deliberately. John Bantin hits 'the highway that goes to sea' - Highway 1
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Where icebergs go to die
...you can go tomorrow! There's something unnerving about diving under a ship-killer, as Gavin Parsons discovers in Newfoundland. This really is a holiday with a difference
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I may be shallow but I'm happy
It's easy for divers to get fixated by depth, but Jonas Andersson is kicking back and enjoying the rich life found in the shallower seas of the UK and continental Europe
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In Belgium, but no waffle
When you're based in Belgium, diving a German warship off the French coast on a British boat, you want to mind how you go! says John Liddiard more...
Beyond Narvik
A liveaboard operating within the Arctic Circle offers the possibility of killer whales to spice a tasty winter wreck trip. John Liddiard wraps up warm
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DAMPEST DAIRY Lyngstøylvatnet, Norway
By Rikard Godlund
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, in May 1908, a big avalanche started on the Keipen mountain, in a little valley west of Geirangerfjord. It dammed the river, forming a small lake that is now called Lyngstøylvatnet.
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Headfirst into the maelstrom
These are the most powerful waters in the world, and not to be taken lightly. Lars Kirkegaard samples current diving beyond the Arctic Circle, and reckons Saltstraumen is hard to beat for sheer exuberance
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Whales don’t know the rules!
Our wild-card holiday selection is for divers who want a close-up whale experience and some interesting diving to boot – SHANE WASIK samples the pleasures of Tonga for us
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Just passing through in Tahiti
You have flown to the other side of the world, but on an island-hopping press trip you know you’ll be lucky to get in more than a handful of dives. ZAC MACAULAY was determined to make every one count
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Go with the flow in the Raja Ampat
It’s an expensive trip either way, but there are two Raja Ampats, says John Bantin – the tranquil one that gets macro photographers all worked up, and the exciting one that tests your staying power
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Cocos alive!
It’s one of the greatest dive sites on Earth, and it will stay that way – unless climate change and illegal fishing has its way. Martin Strmiska undertakes the challenging voyage to Cocos Island while the going is good more...
Bullied back into diving
Richard Campbell quit diving after 20 years, following a series of panic attacks, but could one of the world's great shark dives tempt him back? Photography by LILI HAUGEN and ROBIN NAGY
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Long weekend at the Savoy
You can’t spare a full week but you could squeeze in a long weekend, and make up for the short stay by living it up a little. But is the Red Sea a practical proposition? BRENDAN O’BRIEN tries it – you decide
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What’s the rush?
When does the boat leave? Well, when can you be here? Gassous Bay near Safaga is a place to kick back and chill out (except when trekking to the Lighthouse), says John Liddiard
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Get a bit tekkie Egyptian style
Want to drive your diving onward and upward on your next trip? Werner Lau Sharm could be just the ticket, says JOHN BANTIN
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Ras magic
Where is the spiritual home of British divers? Egypt of course! If you want to argue about it, contact JOHN BANTIN, who has just done his 100th Ras Mohammed dive
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Shore to satisfy
Boat-diving isn’t for everyone, but where best to savour the possibilities of shore-diving in the Red Sea? JAMES DAWSON provides a heads-up. Main photography by JOHN BANTIN
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Breakwater Fort by kayak
Kayaks are ideal for exploring those places between shore and boat-diving distance that divers neglect - extended-range shore diving, if you will. John Liddiard paddles out from Fort Bovisand
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Portland with a cutting edge
A forecast of fine summer weather is like a beckoning hand, calling John Liddiard to spend a week diving the wrecks of Dorset
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The crack of life
All life - well, a whole bunch of colourful British marine life - can be found on one shore dive in Cornwall. John Liddiard turns his attention to a very popular crevice
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The Bill
Based in the South-east, don't want the hassle of organising a big UK dive trip, or simply don't have the time? Gavin Parsons believes he has the solution
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Man trap
It has some great wrecks, and scenic diving good enough to seduce even John Liddiard away from the metal, at least for a while. And there's always the possibility of a basking shark encounter for those who feel like sampling the Manx experience
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