Diving in Sharm El Sheikh The Egyptian resort area of Sharm el Sheikh is blessed with intense natural beauty. Here, the picturesque sandy beaches are lapped by cool, clear water. This area started life as a traditional fishing village and has developed into one of the most popular and enchanting diving destinations in the world.

The water here is particularly transparent and is home to a whole host of colorful coral reefs and marine life. Both novice scuba divers and those who are experienced are sure to be in their element here, as the waters are mild. Boat trips to the numerous daytrips are available all year round from Sharm el Sheik, and trips can be arranged from most of the major resorts and hotels. Visitors who choose to explore the eatery underworld of the Red Sea will have the chance to admire over 1,000 different species of fish.

There are more than 2,000 kilometers of reef to enjoy, and this is one of the world’s most bio-diverse seas. The Red Sea is also one of the saltiest bodies of water, which is due to the rapid evaporation rate of the water here. People who enjoy wreck diving will be in for a real treat. There are a lot of companies that you can go wreck diving with and some of them take you to the SS Thistlegorm. This once lifeless wreck has become a playground for marine animals such as sharks and barracudas, which can be seen in abundance. The Ras Mohammed Natural Park is another great place to explore and can be found at the Sinai Peninsula’s southern tip.

This watery wonderland was established back in 1983 in order to protect the fragile environment and coral reefs of the area. The vibrant colours of the reefs here are matched only by the fish that swim in amongst them. Bright orange and white striped clown fish love to make their homes here, while fish of just about every other colour and shade imaginable can also be found here. People who enjoy messing about in the water will also be able to take part in a wide range of other types of water sports as well. Most companies that offer scuba diving trips also cater for snorkelers, and snorkelling is a great way to catch a quick glimpse of this endlessly enchanting world. Water sports such as kayaking, windsurfing and wakeboarding are also popular here. Visitors that can bear to tear themselves away from the beach and cool waters for a while will soon discover that Sharm el Sheik also offers plenty of other exciting attractions.

People who have a strong sense of adventure are sure to enjoy riding quad bikes through the Sinai desert. This is also a great place to go camel trekking or horse riding. People who want to let off a little steam can head on over to the Fun Town amusement park. This establishment is packed full of entertainment options, including an ice rink and vibrant casino. However, visitors will want to make sure that they return to the coast in the early evening to watch the sun slowly sink behind the horizon.

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If you are looking for a diving opportunity, taking a holiday to Turkey may not automatically spring to mind. However, Turkey is a safe and cheap place to learn and enjoy this amazing sport.The Aegean coast line offers the best diving. The water is warm and clear, there are few tides or currents to concern and there are hardly any sharks! Of course, the prospect of no sharks will delight some and thoroughly dismay others, but there are plenty of other attractions to keep you enthused off the Turkish coast. Here are five of best diving areas Turkey has to offer…

1. Fethiye is a relaxed holiday town with over twenty quality dives, going from shallow, right outside of the harbour, to over 50 metres in depth. The lack of any currents in this area makes it extremely safe and ideal for beginners. Dalyan Bay is the most popular site for beginner and advanced divers alike. It is easily accessible, with abundant fish. The Afkule Wall is a beautiful dive, home to Moray eels hiding in its cracks. It has colourful coral surrounding an impressive open cavern, from whence it has received its notoriety.

2. Marmaris is a long, laid back beach town, with a beautiful mountain backdrop, also visible from many of its local dive spots. Kadirga Rock is the best dive at Marmaris; another site with archaeological past, you may be able to find some ancient ship anchors, along with the obligatory amphora. The Rock has wide ranging marine life for this area, including a friendly resident Grouper.

3. For history buffs, Gallipoli and the Dardanelles are immediately recognisable as the sites of a huge failed military campaign, carried out by the British and the French against the Turks during the First World War. As such, the seas surrounding these areas are littered with scores of wrecks from this era. Most diving trips in this area will go from Cannakkale to the Sulva Bay area. Here lie wrecks such as the Lundi, a British military cargo vessel sunk in 27 metres of sea. You can still access the hold of this ship, which is still largely intact. Many also choose to dive on the unknown troop and provision carrier that was sunk just off of ANZAC Cove. This is probably due to its proximity to the beach, but it is also an atmospheric reminder of the destruction and slaughter that occurred at that place just under a hundred years ago.

4. Bodrum overlooks a number of small rock islands and reefs that channel water to produce light currents, attracting larger fish to the area. As one of the largest Aegean towns, Bodrum also attracts a healthy number of dive instructors and guide companies. The Amphora fields are an extensive area littered with ancient amphora vessels, used to carry goods via shipping up to 3000 years ago. Over time, the vessels would have been discarded or lost overboard, as they sailed in and out of Bodrum, a major trading post. Most of the amphora is broken but many are still intact and strikingly well preserved.

5. Kas probably comes top of all the Turkish dive sites, due to the range, frequency and quality of the dives. There are plenty of caves, reefs and wrecks in the area, along with abundant marine life such as Moray eel, rays and Hawksbill turtles. The area encompasses Arkeopark, the site of a ship wreck dating from the 14th Century BC, the oldest known. The actual wreck has been raised and taken to the Bodrum Museum for its preservation and further study, but a replica has been laid in its place and the area is now open to divers, following extensive recording and excavation. The wreck of a World War Two Italian aircraft, sometimes called ‘Flying Fish,’ is seen as one of Turkey’s best dives. The preservation is excellent. At 65 metres, however, this is a technical dive for the more experienced.

So while Turkey may not seem immediately synonymous with diving holidays, its coastlines offer more than enough options for enthusiastic divers no matter your level of experience.

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Amsterdam, 16 November 2011- Shocking new video footage captured by a tuna industry whistleblower, was released by Greenpeace today, revealing the routine careless slaughter of marine species, including whale sharks, rays and whales, as purse-seine vessels deploying Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) cut a swathe through the Pacific Ocean (1). The video has emerged less than a month before the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting, where key conservation measures to secure the future of the Pacific region’s tuna, marine life, food security and economic prosperity will be decided. The never-before-seen footage, shot onboard a tuna fishing vessel in the Pacific, reveals the true cost of a can of tuna, and underlines the urgent need for nations to extend a fishing ban in the Pacific Commons(2) and to ban the use of FADs with purse seine nets at December’s meeting. Both are necessary steps for the creation of a healthy tuna industry, and the promise living oceans for the future.

“Consumers have the right to know what is destroyed and discarded in order to fill their cans with tuna,” said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner. “This shocking video is a wake-up call: we as consumers, can demand that retailers give shelf-space only to responsibly-caught tuna. Without significant changes to global fishing practices and more protected marine reserves across the world’s seas, we will literally fish away future tuna supplies, jobs and healthy oceans.”

Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are floating devices used to attract fish to the surface, and are one of the most aggressive fishing operations used by the industry in the face of fish populations that are declining due to overfishing. While they have been banned in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean for three months of the year, this is not enough and Greenpeace is calling for their ban in purse seine fisheries, on a year-round, basis.

Greenpeace is campaigning globally for nations to ban all fishing in the Pacific Commons and to ban the use of FADs with purse seines across the Western and Central Pacific at the Pacific tuna commission meeting. Nearly 60% of the world’s tuna comes from the Pacific (3), where the region’s valuable bigeye and yellowfin tuna are currently being overfished. The increased catch of juvenile tuna with FADs is further putting these species at risk. Greenpeace is also demanding that tuna fishing across the Western and Central Pacific be cut in half.

“The tuna fishing industry is at a crossroads: continuing business as usual is simply handing our children empty oceans, empty nets and empty plates and bellies”, continued Tolvanen.

Several tuna brands, including UK tuna giants Princes and John West, have committed to not source tuna from operations using FADs as well as tuna caught in the Pacific Commons. Greenpeace campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Canada and the United States are putting the pressure on retailers and tuna brands to take steps to rescue the Pacific for the benefit of the region’s food security and economic prosperity.

Greenpeace is campaigning around the world for fishing industry reform and for a global network of marine reserves, areas of ocean off-limits to fishing, covering 40% of the world’s oceans. These are necessary steps to a future of fish and healthy, living oceans.

CONTACT: Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner (in Amsterdam) +31 655 125 480
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications (in Manila) +66 819 298 707
Greenpeace International 24-hour media hotline: +31 20 718 2470
For background footage, Maarten van Rouveroy van Nieuwaal (in Amsterdam), +31 646197322

NOTES:
The video is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JlKwoUtMk4

(1) Large marine animals such as whale sharks and cetaceans are also being routinely used as FADs in purse seine fisheries, resulting in increased deaths of these vulnerable species: http://www.wcpfc.int/doc/wcpfc7-2010-ip-01/summary-information-whale-shark-and-cetacean-interactions-tropical-wcpfc-purse
(2) http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/marine-reserves/pacific-tuna-need-marine-reserves/
(3) Globally, over 80 percent of fish populations are at risk of commercial extinction, due to overfishing. In the Pacific the bigeye and yellowfin tuna populations are now being overfished, both were recently listed as vulnerable and threatened with extinction by the World Conservation Union (IUCN): http://www.iucn.org/?7820/Increased-protection-urgently-needed-for-tunas Last stock assessments for Western and Central Pacific bigeye and yellowfin available here: http://www.wcpfc.int/node/3961

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Limestone mountains rising out of emerald waters, miles and miles of white sandy coastline, paddy fields carved into deep green slopes and dotted with the conical straw hats of farmers, floating flower markets in the waterways of the Nine Dragon river delta…Vietnam’s magical scenery is not to be missed. From beach huts and hostels to holiday resorts and 5-star hotels, there is accommodation to suit all budgets, and with the number of cheap flights available at the moment, there’s really no excuse…

The Mekong Delta in the southwestern tip of the country is a world in itself, with its watery landscape, green fields and sleepy villages, some of which are only accessible by boat. This is Vietnam’s verdant, colourful answer to Venice and has been described as a “biological treasure trove” for the variety of flora and fauna found here. Drift along riverways and canals, through floating fruit and flower markets, find bird sanctuaries and hidden beaches, and enjoy the dream while you can…

Near the Delta but not technically a part of it, PhuQuoc Island offers motorbike adventures through the forests and mountains, as well as a wealth of water sports, including sea-kayaking and scuba diving.  But if you’d rather relax, there are plenty of white, sandy beaches to choose from.

Back on the mainland, and over on the country’s lengthy east coast, you are again spoilt for choice by the number of beautiful beaches. Windsurfers and surfers should head down to the coastal town of Mui Ne where the season runs from August to December, and which, other than a beach with a number of resorts dotted along it, also boasts rolling sand dunes and a ruined temple.

For those seeking out a taste of Vietnamese culture and history, the old imperial capital at Hue is the place to go. The UNESCO World Heritage Site complex is replete with an impressive array of citadels, palaces, temples, mausoleums and pagodas. The town also hosts a biennial arts festival – the next one of these is in April 2012.

Hoi An is another city infused with the flavours of Vietnamese town life. This is a good place to stock up on traditional clothes, or to sign up to one of the cooking courses and try your hand at recreating the delicious local Vietnamese cuisine. Try and time your visit to coincide with a “Hoi An Legendary Night” which takes place every full moon: the city really comes to life, as motorbikes are banished from the Old Town and replaced by silk lanterns, singers, dancers and people playing games in the street.

Maybe the most magical part of any trip to Vietnam is a cruise on a junk in Halong Bay. The enchanting experience of floating between the tall, steep limestone cliff faces that tower up out of the water is unparalleled – you can even arrange to spend a night or two on one of the converted junks.

All this and more make Vietnam an attractive alternative to a winter in the UK – or, for that matter, to any season in the UK!

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Avid divers know what an amazing feeling it is to submerge into a world so different from our own. The underwater paradise is the only real frontier left to explore on the planet and even in frequently visited locations, like the Red Sea or Bunaken, you’ll have the opportunity to experience something unique, see fantastically colored fish and impossibly shaped coral reefs.

However, when you are scuba diving, you rely heavily on your sense of sight to take in all the beauty. This means that if live with a vision defect, such as nearsightedness or astigmatism, you will need prescription goggles or, if your wallet doesn’t stretch that far, a pair of contact lenses. So, there is no reason not to get the best experience every time you’re down in the water.

Using Contact Lenses when Diving

It is possible to wear glasses when scuba diving but it’s not the optimal choice when you’re also wearing a diving mask. What we would recommend is to wear contacts while diving. There are a couple of things to consider when you wear lenses underwater.

• If you experience mild discomfort, perhaps feel as if the lenses tighten a bit while you’re down, simply use lubricating eye drops before and after each session. This should relieve some of the irritation.
• Another thing to think about when diving with contact lenses is that you should blink as much as possible. In doing so you’ll prevent bubbles from forming underneath your lenses – these bubbles are in no way harmful to your eyes but they can cause minor discomfort and blur your vision.
• Also, when you clear your mask of water, remember to close your eyes so that you don’t lose your contact lenses!

Which Lenses to Wear

As most contact lens wearers know, there are two types of lenses; hard contacts and soft contacts. When diving, it is recommended to wear soft contacts, due to the fact that soft contacts contain a percentage of salt water which helps prevent them from floating off your eyes if they are open when you flood your mask. Hard contacts (gas-permeable) are more likely to simply disappear off your eye into the water, and it’s next to impossible to find a lost lens under water due to their inherent translucency. This is why you should always wear disposable lenses when doing water activities, since an eventual loss is not that great.

More to Think About

You shouldn’t worry about wearing contact lenses when scuba diving – it is perfectly safe. But, eye care experts suggest the following tips to keep in mind when using lenses

• When using contacts it’s important to ascend slower than normal.
• Wear soft contact lenses.
• Rinse lenses between dives to get the salt water out.
• Bring an extra pair if a problem should occur.
• Let your diving buddy know you’re wearing contacts so that he or she can retrieve your mask if you should lose it.

Other than this there is really nothing special to think about when hitting the water – simply dive right in!

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If you have always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, there are destinations all over the world where you can learn the basics and get you diving with tanks in no time at all. There has never been a better time to get out and dive as there are some fabulous vacations packages available.

Travel to the Blue Hole in Belize which was named one of the top ten diving sites in the world by Jacques Cousteau. Once you learn the ropes you can swim amongst the reef and hammerhead sharks. Another popular site for beginners and advanced divers is Thailand. Head to Phuket, or visit the Surin Islands. Ko Tao is very inexpensive and one of the best places to learn how to dive. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and once you slip on your mask and flippers, you will understand why. Swim with the giant sea turtles and get up close and personal with the largest live coral reef in the world. There are some very affordable diving schools that will have you ready to jump in and enjoy the spectacular deep blue sea. Fernando de Noronha is an extremely popular dive site in South America. Located in Brazil it only allows a few visitors at one time, which means you can enjoy dolphins, turtles and colourful tropical fish without having to share it with everyone else.

If you are looking for travel deals and want to save some money for your scuba lessons consider Honduras. Roatan is one of the most desired scuba diving destinations on the planet. The beautiful white beaches and tropical jungles are one of the best kept secrets in the Caribbean. Even if you are on a tight budget, you can still afford vacation packages in Roatan. Stay in a large resort, or choose a quaint hotel in the village. The beautiful turquoise waters are home to fishing, submarine tours, snorkelling, and of course scuba diving. Get an introductory dive lesson where you will learn the basics. Your instructor will show you how to dive safely so that you can get out and enjoy the reef. After you feel comfortable enough to dive you can go and experience what everyone is talking about. Roatan is the second largest coral reef in the world, and is home to private dive sites where you can explore ship wrecks. Strap on your tanks and descend upon the cargo boar El Aguila. You can swim in and out of the large compartments and marvel at the beautiful tropical fish who call this ship wreck home. Another popular dive takes you through the Prince Albert. This wrecked tanker is 140 feet long and is filled with eel and other fascinating sea creatures.

Wherever you choose to spend your scuba diving vacation, there are plenty of travel deals that will not break the bank. Check out the excellent vacations packages that are available, and get ready for your first dive.

Written by Bernard Prince, who working at travel agency VarVacation.com. You can also reach him on Facebook and Twitter

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Cave diving is one of the most challenging and potentially dangerous kinds of diving, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. It offers an opportunity to explore underwater landscapes that are otherwise entirely inaccessible and can lead to truly unforgettable experiences. Descending into the depths of a cave can be like entering an entirely new secret world: alien and unfamiliar, but often breathtakingly beautiful. Repeated diving allows you to get to grips with the strange and sometimes disorientating atmosphere of caves, so liveaboard diving holidays are ideal for exploring them thoroughly. Here are some suggestions of the best places to go cave diving:

The Great Blue Hole, Belize

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RUa3sMeqtc/RgWX6VEZ1pI/AAAAAAAAAIs/BPZ3NhglLDI/s400/BlueHole_DD_n.jpg

Perfectly circular, 300 metres across and 124 metres deep, the Great Blue Hole at Belize’s Lighthouse Reef is a popular spot among divers looking to get their PADI Deep Diver certificate. Jacques-Yves Cousteau declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world. The caves here are home to a number of species of shark, as well as elaborate stalactite and breathtaking coral formations.

St John’s Caves, Egypt

The southern Red Sea is home to a number of spectacular reefs and caves, and St John’s is one of the most impressive. Home to an amazing variety of marine life, as well as a kind of serenity hard to match, St John’s is the perfect focal point for Red Sea liveaboards.

Blue Abyss, Mexico

Home to a series of intense and fragile cave decorations, as well as some of the most vivid blue you’re likely to see, Mexico’s Blue Abyss is a rare treat for serious divers – and one that few manage to experience.

Cuzan Nah Loop, Mexico

This stretch of the world’s longest cave system, the Sac Aktun in Mexico, is filled with enormous, beautiful cave decorations. It’s perfect for less experienced divers, with easy access, but that makes it no less interesting for even the most hardened and serious of you.

Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

‘Spiritual’ and ‘addictive’ are words that are often used to describe the experience of diving at Chinhoyi. While Zimbabwe might not be everyone’s ideal holiday location, these caves are some of the most special on the planet, offering divers a chance to experience incomparable serenity in caves linked to eons of folklore and myth.

Alghero Caves, Sardinia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmap/3346265927/

Home to the Nereo cave, the largest in the Mediterranean, this complex is home to more than 300 caves, making it the most important diving site in Europe. Combined with the local wine and the warm Sardinian waters, cave diving here is perfect for a relaxing break.

Blue Holes, Bahamas

Frequent blackouts, ancient animals, and labyrinthine passages: Bahama’s Blue Holes are not for the faint of heart, or the novice. Providing serious diving for serious divers, these caves seem to disappear into an inescapable abyss, but if you make it through, you’ll never forget it.

Devil’s Eye, Florida

One of the most dived cave networks in the world, with over 30,000 feet of mapped passageways, it’s possible to dedicate your life to diving here and still not see all of it. As part of a resort complex, your trip here will be comfortable and full of amenities that other places might not provide, such as warm showers before the dive.

Komati Springs, South Africa

A flooded asbestos mine, this is now a world-renowned technical training venue. With a maximum depth of 55 metres and varying levels of visibility, it is perfect for advanced training.

El Cenote, Cuba

Centuries of tropical rainstorms in this formerly dry cave have led to some of the most unique stalactite formations you’ll ever see in these caves, which are also home to a species of fish not found anywhere else on the planet.

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LAKE BAIKAL FACT FILE

LOCATION – Buryat A.S.S.R. and Irkutsk, Russia

• 51:29-55:46N, 103:40-109:55E; 456 m above sea level.
• Surface area [km2] 31,500
• Volume [km3] 23,000
• Maximum depth [m] 1,741
• Mean depth [m] 740
• Length of shoreline [km] 2,000

One of Russian folk songs about Lake Baikal is called The Holly Sea – Sacred Baikal, and this is not by chance that the lake is called a sea. It actually possesses some of the sea qualities. Firstly, its dimensions and volume; secondly, its tectonic origin; thirdly, the in-lake water circulation is similar to that of a sea, namely, it is in constant movement – the lower water layers come to the surface and the surface waters go to the bottom, this process leads to the water being well saturated with oxygen, which, in its turn, results in dense biological diversity from bottom to surface. However, you will not be smashed species variety when going underwater. How come? Well, this is all because it is micro world that plays the first fiddle in the Baikal fauna. The best way to get a stunning view of the lake creatures is to look at them through the microscope in the Baikal Museum (located right on the shore in the settlement of Listvyanka). And this is the essence of Russia in general – appearances are deceptive. What looks dull turns out to be full of fun. Indeed, right was Winston Churchill when saying, “Russia is a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside enigma”.

It is not by chance that I started my narration about ice diving in the Baikal with general information about the lake. You see, the process of the Baikal ice formation depends on special features of the lake. To start with, the Baikal is not completely covered with ice until last decade of January – beginning of February, i.e. well in the middle of winter. This is due to a number of reasons: on the one hand, the water accumulates warmth during summer time (even though in Listvyanka coastline the water temperature rarely goes higher than +10 Celsius (+50 F) and the warmest water in the bays is often around +18 Celsuis (+64,4 F)), so it takes quite a long time for the water to get cold enough to form ice crust. By the by, the best time to visit lake Baikal is early September – a real feast for a tired soul: woods full of autumn gold, the air is thick with herbal fragrances, the sky is as clear as a bell and the sun is still kindly warm as compared to the aggressive heat of the summertime. On the other hand – strong late autumn winds cause storms on the lake. The waves can get as high as 4 meters (13 ft). The ice starts forming in the north of the lake in late November – early December and gradually covers its surface, reaching the southern parts in early February. The best time to launch an ice-diving expedition is March – April. The sun is already warm enough for you to feel comfortable in the day-time (we usually make these funny pictures of us standing in our swimming suits with tons of snow and ice in the background); at the same time the ice is still thick enough (1-1.5 meters (3.3-5 ft)) to hold our deeps. So off we go!

The best place for ice diving in Lake Baikal is near the Olkhon island. It takes about 5 hours of traveling by car from Ikrutsk to get there. Cape Khoboy, Shamanka, Bolshiye Olkhonskiye Vorota (Olkhon Wide Gates) and Maliye Olkhonskiye Vorota (Olkhon Narrow Gates) are our destination points. Why? To start with, there is absolutely no snow on the ice in this area, because of the mountains of the coastal line – the snow falls in the mountains, never reaching the big island in the lake (this also explains the fact why there are very few rainfalls in the Olkhon during summertime). So the ice is crystal-clear and transparent here. Besides, thanks to the autumn winds, the ice is often broken in the early stages of its formation, which results in its unusual underwater surface – not just a plain flat ceiling, but a cave-like stalactite roof.

We usually combine diving with banya (Russian sauna). Say, a morning dive around 12 o’clock, then lunch, and several hours after lunch – banya (we have a banya house that travels on sleigh, so it can be pulled on ice) and refreshing jumping into the Baikal welcoming cold! Better try it once than read about it, as it feels as if you are born anew.

What else can be added? I sometimes feel lost for words when describing lake Baikal diving. It offers all sorts of challenges not only to freshmen in diving, but also to experienced techno and cave divers. To sum it up, I am not ready to put a dot at this point, saying – to be continued…

Article contributed by:

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Buying your own scuba diving gear, especially when you are just starting out, can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right information to help you make informed choices. You want to get the best value and the best fit for your diving needs and you want to be comfortable with your selection for years to come. Our scuba experts can help, with a few pointers and suggestions for things to consider when making the important investment in dive gear.

Dive gear is an investment

First,  let’s start off by emphasising that last point. Dive gear is an investment. Yes, it can be expensive. But it also lasts virtually forever. Consider this: many dive professionals, who have logged thousands of dives, have done so on the same equipment year after year. With the right servicing and care, dive gear will last you years. In fact, unless your diving needs change, such as diving in new conditions, you may actually use the gear you start with for 10 or 20 years, if not more.  When considering the cost of your scuba equipment, plan to amortize it over the span of your diving career. And where possible, try to spend as much as you can afford on key pieces like regulators and BCDs, as you will truly feel the difference on your dives.

Dive gear is individual

Second, your dive gear will be yours and yours alone. It will be there with you on every single dive you make, and it will become an extension of you. It will be your life support system and it will be what makes or breaks each and every dive. In short, in scuba diving, your equipment is important and extremely personal, and it is critical you get exactly the right fit for your body and your diving needs.

This means that you should try on everything you buy, and try on many makes and models to see what works for you. We strongly suggest that all core components (exposure suit, fins, mask, boots, BCDs, regulators, etc) be purchased in person after careful consideration.

Plus, picking out dive gear in person is lots of fun. And the experience of asking questions and discussing gear often leads to discussions on technique and style, and can in fact be a great learning experience.

Not all dive gear was created equal

There are lots and lots of great scuba diving brands on the market, and chances are you’ve seen most of them around. Mares, Bare, Henderson, Scubapro, Zeagle, Aqualung, Hollis, OMS, Halcyon, DUI and Oceanic are some of the leading dive companies that come to mind, and they all make a lot of great gear. But, and this is a big BUT, most of them are better at some aspects of dive gear than others. Each of them has some specialities at which they excel. That might be a wetsuit, a fin, a regulator, a dive computer or a mask. Or they might excel at making gear for a specific type of diving, such as technical or cave diving, or for a specific body type.

But it doesn’t mean that everything they make will be the best fit for you. Which is why if you look at some of the more experienced divers around, you’ll rarely see them buying all of their dive gear from one company.

So beware of “complete packages” from one dive manufacturer as they typically only benefit the company themselves. Instead, expect to assess each critical piece of equipment individually, on its own merits. Don’t be afraid of buying a different brand for each component of your core diving kit. A good dive centre should be independent of any particular equipment manufacturers, should offer a variety of leading brands to choose from and should even be willing to special order something for you if that’s what you need.

Selective renting is a good thing

Still not sure what your needs are or what you like? You could try renting different kinds of equipment to see what works best for you. For example, at Action Scuba we rent both weight integrated and non-weight integrated BCDs, and if customers are not sure which they prefer, we encourage them to try both to see how they suit their diving style. If you are interested in a piece of equipment but aren’t convinced, why not ask your dive expert if you can test it out?

In addition, consider the different pieces of equipment you are renting, and determine which you would prefer to personalise the most, and make that your first purchase. For example, you may find that you can never get a rental wetsuit to fit you well, so you want to invest there first, while tanks are so standard that you might want to put those at the bottom of your wishlist.  Or you may care most about owning your own dive computer in order to track your dives, while you might want to rent a different wetsuit for every environment you dive in. The choice is really yours.

By selectively replacing rental gear with your own personalised choices, you can spend a little more to get the perfect fit on each piece, while taking the time to select each one, while still diving on more standard items until you have a better idea of what you want to fine tune there as well.

Buyer beware: used equipment

You may be tempted when starting out to seek out used gear and buy someone’s hand me downs off the internet. If you do, keep in mind the lessons learned above. Their gear was selected especially for them. Will it suit your needs? Don’t let a low price win out over fit and your own diving requirements.  And can you be sure it will work?  Don’t forget that your life depends quite literally on your dive equipment.

If you do decide to buy used gear, we suggest buying from a reputable dive centre. You can often get great deals on used rental gear, which despite potentially high use, is typically well maintained and in good working condition. Plus if you buy from a dive shop you can always go back to them if you have any issues, unlike a private sale over the web.

Warranties are essential

An often overlooked aspect of purchasing dive gear is that of the warranty, even though it is essential. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again; your dive equipment is your life support system. Therefore, it is important to keep it well maintained and in excellent working order. The best way to do this is by ensuring that whatever equipment you buy come with a warranty from the manufacturer themselves, and that the warranty covers the country in which you live and where you will be taking your gear for service.

Ever wondered how some online retailers can charge much less for the same regulator or BCD than your local dive shop? It usually has to do with the manufacturer warranty – there normally isn’t one. Or if there is, it’s for another continent, such as Asia, and won’t apply to your servicing. This is also usually the case with purchases made on vacation at foreign shops.  In the long run, this will end up costing you much more than your initial savings, because with each annual service, you will be required to pay for expensive parts that would otherwise have been covered by a local manufacturer warranty. Plus if something goes really wrong, you’ll have no recourse and will end up having to buy a brand new regulator or other pricy item.

Beware the commissioned salesman VS the expert consultant

When shopping for dive gear, you’ll know you’ve found a good dive centre if they ask you lots of questions. If someone proposes a dive equipment package without knowing your needs, chances are they selling what they want to sell, not necessarily what you need.

Some questions to prepare for:

• Where do I plan on doing most of my scuba diving? Cold water requirements are very different from warm water needs and you need to carefully select gear for the most demanding environment you will dive in.
• Do I plan on travelling with my dive gear? Weight, size, material and compactness will be important.
• How often will I be diving? Get durable, high quality equipment that will stand the test of time.
• What kind of diving will I be doing? Am I planning on continuing my diving education? Determine what experience you might want to gain over the next few years and select gear that will support you as you get there.
• What kind of diver am I? Are you a gear junkie, or do you like things streamlined? Do you want the latest and greatest or are you content with the basics? Does appearance matter or do you care only about function? Be honest with yourself so you can be happy with your investment.
• Your local dive expert will have many more questions to discuss with you.

Turn to the experts

There are lots of sources of information on selecting your dive gear. Dive magazines usually have equipment reviews, which can be really useful but you should bear in mind that in some cases they have paid to be there. You can also look at the diving experts around you, or those whose style you like, and see what they use. This may give you some ideas, particularly if they dive under the same conditions as you intend to. Plus, a good dive centre should be staffed experienced divers who can help guide you to the right selection of equipment for you. You can even ask your instructor what they suggest.

Happy diving

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when buying your own scuba diving gear. Always remember that ultimately you are the one who will be diving with it, and that this will be your life support system. Take the time you need to make the right choice. And then once you have found the perfect gear, enjoy it!

The team of scuba diving experts at Action Scuba are on a mission to make scuba diving safer and more enjoyable one diver at a time. www.actionscuba.com



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Diving in the Mediterranean is renowned world over. Balearic Island Majorca is set beautifully in the Mediterranean Ocean and water approaching from the North coast of Africa, France and Italy have developed a diverse marine life under water. Wildlife includes the CarettaCarreta (Loggerhead Turtles), ScorpaeanaMaderiensis (Madeira Rockfish) and the Loligo Vulgaris (Long finned Squid). It is a great destination for a cost effective Balearic diving holiday.

Take advantage of the Mediterranean diving by booking cheap Majorca holidays. Diving in Majorca is an experience suited for both beginners and the advanced diver. Majorca is a busy tourist resort, maintaining a thriving diving business with a number of dive schools and diving centres. To enjoy the best diving it is recommended to travel from May until October where the water temperature is at its highest, in August the water temperature reaches an average of 26 degrees Celsius.

Majorca is an excellent location for the adventure diver, with a number of coves, lagunas and coastal lines that are unspoilt and unexplored. Due to the nature of the terrain, dive sites offer their own landscape and inhabitants, making each dive site unique. The enticing crystal clear water is contravened with a number of natural obstacles that create a sense of intrigue and wonder before starting your dive.

Once you are in the warm water there is a metropolis of underwater life in Majorca. The Mediterranean Sea offers pelagic fish in abundance, in particular the Majorcan water are full of Wrasse. As their names would suggest the Ornate and Rainbow wrasse are distinctive in colour and naturally attractive in the clear Mediterranean waters. For those who wish to dive a little deeper. Crustaceans found include four species of Lobster and a variety of crab, deeper waters include the Grouper, Flounder and Red scorpion fish. Octopus and Squid are also common at lower depths, detailing just how diverse and vibrant a dive can be in Majorca.

Once the diving is done, Majorca can be the perfect location to relax or alternatively a great location to party.  Majorca Holidays are great for a cost effective diving holiday, if this is with a partner, group of friends or family the Island can cater for all. If you are looking for some bright lights look no further than party capital Majorca. Alternatively if you are looking for a quieter resort visit Puerto Pollensa, this idyllic harbour town works as a great base to work round the northern region of the Island and is home to some of the best dive sites.

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