After chatting with you lot I decided to add a carbon fibre rod core to the handle down to the base and a hole for a strap. It’s very strong and heavy now, will probably have to look at adding floats. It’s made with 100% infill PETG fully designed by myself. The camera can be move left/right + tilt and the torch clamp can be moved quite a lot using the ball clamps.

Spent the last few months filming underwater encounters along the California coast for a documentary series, and the harbor seal dive off the Channel Islands ended up being the one that changed how I think about buddy-less diving. Curious how many of you dive solo out there vs. always with a buddy — the seals were playful enough that I almost forgot I was alone, which in hindsight is exactly the moment you shouldn't forget that.

I dove in ’t Zuth Lake (Netherlands) yesterday and it was my first dive in my Waterproof W7 7 mm wetsuit.
The lake is about 22 m deep. The surface temperature was around 17°C, and we descended to 20 m. It definitely got colder, but it just felt like passing through a thermocline.
When we surfaced, my buddy said, “I wonder what the temperature was down there.” I guessed it was around 11-12°C.
Later, I checked the dive log on my phone… and was shocked: 6°C! 😳

Honestly, it didn’t feel like 6°C at all.
One thing I did notice at the start of the dive was that I needed to add 2 kg more weight to my weight pockets in order to be able to descend. The new suit clearly traps more air, making it more positively buoyant and that extra trapped air also provides more insulation.
I came away really impressed by the performance of the W7. 👌

I'm writing this because I researched a lot before buying the suit and wished someone has already shared their experience with different suits so I can get a real experience from a real dive, not just theory and comparing the brand names and trademarks!
I dove in Mares before and it was freezing cold at 8°C and I was able to dive with it with 2KG less weight.
I even thought this country does not have a wetsuit season, and enrolled for a drysuit speciality (I'll have my course today) but now I know that it's still possible to dive wet with a proper suit.
I hope it helps.

Not sure if this counts as thalassophobia, but looking out and seeing absolutely nothing in the distance is a pretty strange feeling.

Filmed this while diving in Queensland, Australia. The video doesn’t have a jump scare or anything hiding in the darkness, it’s literally just the abyss.

I made a longer edit from the footage if anyone wants to see it. Proof a bit of sound design and ambience can make anything scary!

https://youtu.be/8xwddiyA0u4?si=jIe8fhBV3CHiO6v3

I recently got this IST Pocket holster because non of the standard Tec-Shorts fit me thanks to my big thighs and I can't recommend them enough to people with the same problem. Because they are made as holsters with adjustable leg and hip span one is able to adjust them to the size on needs - which you aren't able with classical shorts.

The neoprene is also quite thicker than on Shorts (I would guess around 3mm) which makes me hope they will also last longer than a classical Tec-Short which my buddies wear through quite fast. And even if it only lasts as long as a classical Tec-Short I can work with that, as it only cost me 78 Euros instead of well over 100 Euros for classical Tec-Shorts.

The pockets are smaller but I am still able to fit my DSMB + spool, back-up mask, wetnotes, small backup light and backup doppelenders in it so what do I want more.

Only downside I could think of is that you can't use it as you main warmth-protection but as I only use it in combination with my long-sleeve 1.5mm anyway that isn't that big of a problem for me.

So if you have the same problem as me I can absolutely recommend you taking a look at them.

Has anyone had success diving with a water flask? Obviously I wouldn't be drinking water underwater, but it would be for surfacing and/or emergencies. I'm looking at a small silicone flask, and to fill it full to avoid an air pocket.

Edit: Thank you everyone for your replies! For those wondering: yes you absolutely can drink water/juice/mojitos underwater! It sounds like maybe it's an extra thing I don't need, but if I want to be extra, I can bring a little silicone flask/bladder on the dive.

Encounter in Siargao, Philippines.
Depth about 10 meters. July 2026.
Siargao famous for surfing, but scuba diving is actually great!

Went Diving in northern Germany with excellent light conditions. We went down around 7 a.m. and saw those fish close to the exit. Lake is only open for diving and fish a relatively unbothered by divers passing by.

Camera: OSMO Action 4 with no extra lighting, color corrected

Depth: 7 Meters

Location: Hemmoor, Germany

Hi everyone! I'm thinking getting weight plates with bungee ties as a replacement for my weight pockets, since I recently lost one pocket and am looking for an alternative that moves about less. Anyone have significant positive or negative experiences using these? I'd appreciate your inputs. Thanks!

Last year in a dive trip on the  fifth day of diving, I came out from one of the dives with very uncomfortable feeling.
Like a big balloon in my stomach.
I wasn’t sure what is going on so when I asked the guide that was with us.
He ask for other symptoms but when I mentioned only this he said that it’s more than likely a bubble that got expended.
He recommended drinking something clod with sugar and it will release.
Last month I did very shallow dive (15-18ft)  and it happened again.

Have you guys ever experienced this kind of feeling?
Im 40 years old and i have been diving for over 15 years.
Im health and in a pretty good shape.

Any good trick to avoid it again in the future?

Hi all,
I got my dive master certification in 2002, took a long break, and got back into diving last summer.
That said, I’ve never done a shore dive without a dive shop.
I’m headed to St Croix and St John next week for a couple weeks and I’d love to hear from others how easy (or not) it is to rent tanks and dive from shore on either island. Any recommendations for where? Thanks in advance!

When encountering sharks on a dive, in particular, more intimidating sharks, what are your tips and tricks for lowering your heart rate and keeping your breathing at a reasonable rate? Thanks in advance

Never leave the structure 😅

I'm planning a vacation to Hawaii next summer. We'll be on the big island and Oahu for a week each.

I'm a certified diver but haven't been diving for a couple years so probably need a refresher course. My 12 year old daughter isn't certified but would like to do a discover scuba course.

Ideally I'd like to find a dive shop where she could do discover scuba and I could participate as a refresher at the same time (she isn't real comfortable with the idea of doing the discover scuba alone).

I'd also love any recommendations for cool dives to do in the area if I can break away from the family for a day or two to do a little diving.

At the end of a short dive, providing one has enough air, is there a healthy advantage to staying underwater all the way back to where I could stand up on my feet as opposed to surfacing and doing a surface swim? I’m thinking that the added time underwater at a low depth may assist with avoiding decompression sickness but I would also be breathing air through the tank longer, so I’m not sure if it has a healthy advantage or disadvantage. Let’s say after the safety stop at 15 to 20 feet, I just continue swimming underwater to shore until about 5 feet. Thinking along the lines of avoidance of divers fatigue, decompression sickness, etc..

Poor safety and experience on liveaboard. Is this typical?

I recently went on a liveaboard with Nautilus Belle Aime to Socorro and was pretry surprised. Are these experiences normal? I'm really wondering so I know what to expect on future liveaboards.

1) they insisted that they analyze our nitrox, and we do not. They would do so after filling, then write the percent and initial on a piece of tape. I analyzed my own a few times after they did, and had a different reading. It was supposed to be 32% all times. One time was 27%. One of the guides apologized and said he filled it with 32% but they changed something they usually dont so when he topped it off it was air. It's not even possible this is the case. I did the math and basically it would hsve to be about 2000 psi air and 1200 psi EAN32 assumimg a 3200 psi fill. So not only did they screw up on this time, they made up some reason as to how it happened. They "caught me" analyzing my tank once and got upset. He insisted he already analyzed it. I told him I just wanted to check it anyway. He wrote 32% on it but it analyzed at 30%. He just said "O" and maked down the correct percentage. Anyway, is it normal for them to insist they analyze the tanks and you dont?

2) several divers had our of air situations. Even when people weren't running out, it wasn't uncommon to for people to surface around 100 psi. They wanted us to let them know at half a tank, 1500 psi, 1000 psi, then we should be doing the safety stop at 700 psi. I spoke with other divers and there were many times the guide would just keep going for a while after even being told they were at 600 ir 500 psi. Of course youbcan just surface and be picked up, so maybe 100 psi isnt the end of your life, but this practice doesnt seem safe. Is it common though?

3) I rented a HP tank. I checked with them before arriving and they said they fill to the full service pressure of ~3500 psi. I only got one fill at 3500 and it was the last dive of the day so I know their system is capable. All others were 3100-3200. This is because they fill their tanks backward. They were filling about 27 Al80s so they cooled to 3000 psi, then filling the steel HP tanks last. Hot, they only filled to 3100 typically because they already drained their bank. Because they were filled last, right before gearing up, they were a very hot 3100 so around 2900 by the time we hit the water. First, I tried explaining to them why they couldnt give the HP tanks a full fill and suggested switching the order. I was hoping it was an oversight but they would adjust once they realized it. Not the case. After a few more dives, I asked if they would at least fill my steel tank to whatever they were filling ALs to first. Then it could cool by the time all others were filled and be topped off. That went nowhere. Anyway, is it typical for them to fill backwards like this?

Description:

This recall involves Hollis 200LX second stage diving regulators. The regulators are used for Scuba diving and are made of black and red plastic and metal. “200LX” and “Hollis” are engraved on top of the regulator. The product serial number is located under the mouthpiece. The following serial number ranges are included in this recall: 

Remedy:

Consumers should stop using the recalled diving regulators immediately and return their regulator to the nearest authorized Hollis dealer for a free repair. Consumers can visit www.hollis.com/dealer-locator/ to find their nearest authorized Hollis dealer. Consumers can also contact Huish Outdoors for instructions on how to obtain a prepaid shipping label and return the product by mail for a free repair.  

Incidents/Injuries:

Huish Outdoors has received 17 reports of the diving regulator inlet tube breaking. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At:

Diving supply stores nationwide from May 2017 through February 2026 for about $330.

Credit: United States Consumer Product Safety Commission

Hello,

I will be spending a week in Porto, Portugal in August. I would like to do a dive there. Do you have a dive center recommendation ? I have about 30 dives.
Thanks

I usually dive in the UK, so drysuit with boots and Mares Avanti Quattro open heel fins.
But for a trip I’ve got planned to the Maldives next year, I’ve bought a pair of Cressi Pluma open heeled fins. What I failed to notice is that they’re designed for snorkelling not scuba.
So my question is will they be just fine, or am I best slinging them back on eBay and getting scuba specific fins?

Note: I’m off to India for four weeks before the Maldives, so I don’t really want the weight of carrying my Mares (and boots).

Hi everyone! I’m fairly new to diving but have started buying my own gear and diving weekly at my local quarry. During my Nitrox course in Portugal I had a great instructor who follows the DIR philosophy. I’ve been interested in eventually moving toward tech diving, and since that’s the direction I want to go, I think it makes sense to get a DIR compliant BP/W from the start rather than buying something now and having to replace it later.

I’ve never used a wing before, so this would be my first one. I dive mainly in Northern Europe, with a few warm water trips a year, and plan to get a drysuit and cert later this year. I’ve narrowed it down to the X-Deep Zeos Standard, Tecline Donut 17 DIR, Apeks WTX-D30, or OMS Performance Mono with DIR Harness, all steel plate, but haven’t been able to try any in person yet as everyone I currently dive with uses jacket BCDs. I will get to try the X-Deep at Deepspot next month though.

Any thoughts on these, or other brands/models worth considering?

Thanks a lot!

Hey yall! Novice diver here–open water certified with around 10 total dives under my belt. I'm going on a short, dedicated dive trip with my dad later this summer, and I want to know what people think about bringing a GoPro to record dives. The model I have is a Hero 13 Black. I would like to know:

1. Can this camera be brought safely underwater to any depths I would possibly go to? (18 meter open-water limit)
   1.5. If not, are there accessories or other tools I can buy so that it will work at these depths?

2. Assuming it's safe, how do you best recommend to use it? I figured I would just mount it and leave it to record rather than go for manual photography, so would it be best to use the chest harness, put it on my head, or maybe on my wrist? What's the easiest and safest way to go about this

3. We are going to be diving in Cozumel so if there are any region specific regulations regarding GoPros/underwater photography I'd need to know about beforehand, please let me know.

Thanks and have a good day! :D

So im rescue but im probably getting my junior divemaster in the next couple of weeks. I maybe have 80-90 dives logged none verified but 50+ unlogged. Like at what point is it not worth doing?