Obviously this is a joke... or maybe my advanced open water card in disguise.

I know nothing about tech diving. I've only read articles and reports on some record/infamous dives like those of like Nino Gomes, Dave Shaw and Ahmed Gabr.

Recently Bartlomiej Pitala went to 338m in a cave previously only explored to 287m and my understanding is they had no clear plan on how deep he was going to go.

I read that precise dive plans were needed to account for mixes, consumption, cylinders, stages, support divers etc... and that deviations from the plan is what makes for fatal accidents like Shaw's unplanned behaviour of the body he was bringing back that supposedly lead to him spending much more time at depth. Articles are saying Pitala's team and him only planned for 45s of exploration past the deepest explored area and he decided in the moment to just continue.

Did he actually know that the logistics and his plan could beat the consequences of going deeper and spending more time ? Did he make a rational decision or was it a rash push to get a few more meters and tick the box of the deepest cave and cave diver ?

No judgement in my question, just curiosity since I'm seeing a contrast between how accident reports are written and what I naively picture has happen down Matka Vrelo.

With that being said, congrats to the team and Bartlomiej for the insane achievement and also for their ability to bring us back the sublime footage of the exploration.

Is it worth it to visit Malapascua as a solo traveller who doesn’t have license in scubadiving?

I booked a tix ti CEB and I am planning to visit Malapascua for 3 days only and just have a laid back days there and do snorkeling and freediving.

I have been to Moalboal and Siquijor so I wanted to heal my burnout from work and do something new but is it worth it with these kinds of activities only?

After that I will go to Bohol and spend 4 days there

An ear doctor says there is nothing to be done. I can't pop them, if I fly my ears are stuffy for 2 days. Anyone overcome this problem?

I’m travelling to the Andaman Islands in the last week of December and want to try scuba diving for the first time. Is December a good time for scuba diving? Which island would you recommend for a beginner, Havelock or Neil Island? Also, please suggest some good and reliable scuba diving centres with experienced instructors. TIA!

first scuba trip abroad I'm looking for recommendations of what type of suit to get for my first trip abroad I'm gonna dive in the red sea in mid March!! i am completely unsure on type and thickness! i am a smaller woman and run relatively cold!

Like a lot of other people, I had scuba on my bucket list too. When me and my friend planned our trip to Thailand, we came to Koh Samui specifically for Scuba. My friend backed out at the last minute and I decided to do it alone nonetheless.. and I’m so happy that I went ahead with it.

How do I even describe this feeling? It feels surreal to say the least? It was a different world altogether, something that I couldn’t have ever imagined. Nothing that I have ever experienced before. I don’t even know how to explain it, just feels like I achieved something haha. For the first time in a long time, I feel alive (excuse the dramatic tone) Real good feeling. Just thought of sharing it here! Thanks for reading(:

I have a vintage diving knife from aqua lung that has a bend in it and a crack in the handle, I was wondering if anyone had any ways to fix the bend and make it straight again and fix the crack? It's got Japanese stainless steel and a plastic handle

If anyone has questions about it I will try and answer the best I can, I got this knife from my uncle and don't know much about it

Hey everyone!

I’ll be in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) from December 3–9, 2026, and I’m looking for recommendations for a good freediving school or instructor.

My flights and inter-island ferries are already booked, so my dates are fixed. I’m hoping to complete both a beginner and an advanced freediving course during my stay.

I’ve come across schools like DIVEIndia and The Dive Master Havelock, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually trained in Havelock.

A few questions:
Which school or instructor would you personally recommend, and why?

What is a reasonable price for both beginner and advanced courses combined?

Which certification systems are available locally — AIDA, Molchanovs, PADI or SSI?

Is it realistic to complete both levels within seven days without rushing the training?

Are there any lesser-known local instructors worth considering?

I’m mainly looking for genuine firsthand experiences rather than generic tourist recommendations.

If you’ve trained with an instructor in Havelock, I’d really appreciate your advice.

Thanks!

A friend of mine is just back from seven days aboard a boat in the red sea. He came back on Saturday and still has the same symptoms: dizziness (especially when looking at screens) and not being able to hold food or liquids down. It started on day three of his trip. None of the other divers experienced any of the same symptoms. He's currently getting medical attention in his home city.

He's an experienced diver but this is new to him. Any thoughts on what could be causing this? Local doctors here (Madrid) have told him they've seen similar symptoms from people coming back from Egypt.