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Other Diving Topics

Here come the girls

When DIVER carried out a detailed survey about the sexes and diving this year, more than 1600 of you responded. The results provided some valuable insights, several surprises - and more than a few laughs, writes Louise Trewavas more...

5 ways to better finning

Do you kick your way around under water without giving it too much thought? A lot of divers do, but various finning styles can be employed at different times - and they could save on both effort and possible environmental damage. John Liddiard explains, with the assistance of Steve Murray more...

What Do You Think You're Looking At? Invertebrate Quiz

Are you one of those divers who assumes that most of the fish off our coasts are wrasse, unless they have both eyes on one side, in which case they're called flatties? Or do you impress trainees with your spot-on fish-naming during debriefs - and if so, are you telling porkies? Paul Naylor provides the words and pictures needed to test your marine life know-how. Fill in the answers, and check your score at the end more...

Big Mouth Encounters

You notice a shadow out in the blue. It gets bigger and closer. It's a shark. If it's your first time you'll never forget it, but your thousandth experience could be equally memorable. Gavin Parsons asks divers to describe their favourite encounters more...

Six of the best from Linda

Linda Dunk recently won the title of Diver Photographer of the Year. Here she provides the background to the six pictures that proved so successful against tough competition more...

Meetings under the pier

With the new season getting under way, many southern counties divers will be heading for one of the most popular sites on the Channel coast: Swanage Pier (pictured above). Two fans of Swanage diving have different strategies for beating the crowds there. Kevin Cullimore recommends mid-week rather than weekend visits. Peter Tinsley dives at night more...

Everybody's doing it...

Mark Webster went to the Red Sea to photograph the nuptial dancing of red snappers (right). He hadn't expected shoals of jacks, unicorn surgeonfish and even batfish to get in on the act more...

First find your shark

Top Red Sea photographer Erik Bjurstrom reveals the secrets of his award-winning techniques for capturing sharks on film more...

General Diving

Christmas Gift Showcase 2009

Christmas Gift ideas especially for divers more...

DIVE 2009 SHOWCASE

Come to DIVE 2009 on Saturday 24 or Sunday 25 October at the NEC, Birmingham to meet these companies and many more. For a full list of exhibitors, details of presentations, seminars and other attractions, and ticket information, visit the Dive Shows website more...

Archaeology

Treasure-hunting the psychic way

Crystal skulls, priceless emeralds - a US dive team hit paydirt when they called in psychics to help locate a legendary treasure ship, and the work goes on, as John Christopher Fine discovers more...

Story of the stones

Gavin Parsons joins the Nautical Archaeology Society on a survey dive and discovers how divers can help map the maritime history of the UK more...

Cave Diving

Refreshingly different Dom Rep

Helen Rider takes in the sights at the Taina Caves, up there with the best of the world's cavern- and cave-diving sites The Dominican Republic is not just another Caribbean reef proposition, but an island offering world-class cave-diving for all levels of experience. Martyn Farr even finds time to fit in some wreck sites more...

Beyond Toad Hall

A diver scooters along the wall in sump two Why do they call it Toad Hall? It's a closely guarded secret. Leigh Bishop recalls this year's Australian-British collaborative project to reach the limits of the spectacular Cocklebiddy cave system
more...

Boats

All aboard all year round

There have been subtle shifts in UK diving patterns in recent years, says Colin Mac Andrias, who has been talking to skippers while compiling a guide to UK charter-boats more...

What to look for in a RIB

Many UK divers now opt for the convenience of a charter boat, but there are still plenty of club divers who prefer to bring their own RIB to a dive site. Hugo Montgomery-Swan, Editor of RIB International, looks at what makes a good dive boat more...

Club Diving

How to pick the perfect buddy

Make the wrong choice of liveaboard dive buddy and you could be facing the holiday from hell. If you can't find the ideal companion, you should at least know who to avoid. Mike Ward presents his own handy selection guide more...

My first dive

We all have to start somewhere. An inland quarry in February could be just the place for that initial plunge - and perhaps Mike Ward's account will ring nostalgic bells for some of you more...

Commercial/Military Diving

How scuba helps us in space

Do you know your EVAs from your EMUs, your NEEMOs from your NBLs? Jill Michaels has been granted rare access to four astronauts - three of them are Brits, and they're all scuba-divers. Stand by for lift-off (and lots of space-style abbreviations, too!) more...

Anti-terror squad

The safety of 4 million passengers and crew passing through Miami on almost 3000 luxury cruise liners, oil-tankers and freighters depends on a small team of courageous police divers. They are responsible for guarding murky underwater borders against terrorists, drug-traffickers and smugglers. And sometimes they discover the unexpected, as Ron Laytner reports in a DIVER exclusive more...

Free Diving

You will have fun!

You may not make it to the bottom on the first day NoTanx AIDA 2* Freediver Course more...

Analysing Sara

Sara Campbell, the British woman who took up competitive freediving only last year, amazed everyone by taking three world records within months. Fellow British freediver Mark Harris probes her on the secrets of her success. Pictures by Laura Storm more...

Medical/Health

Medical Q & A April 2009

Diving with lung condition more...

Dead man walking

Steve Kitson After a serious decompression hit, Steve Kitson was supposed to be dead or at least paralysed for life, but nobody told him that. Gavin Parsons reports
more...

Tek Diving

Maximising Nitrox

When nitrox is free, all well and good, but when you have to pay for each fill, you want to make the most of it. John Liddiard offers some tricks you may not learn on an advanced nitrox course. So what is a Scapa Fill?
more...

30 ways in which tech diving can boost your fun!

John Kean is passionate about technical diving, and wants more of us to enjoy its benefits. Trouble is, he says, the Technical Prevention Officers are putting us off more...

Reviews

Polls

Winners take all - DIVER Awards 2009

Winners take all more...

The Big Question 75

Are you, or do you plan to become, a rebreather diver? more...