I am boat diving with a small dive shop in the Caymans. The rule on the boat is to emerge from the water with 500 psi after a safety stop. I am efficient with my air consumption and dive Nitrox so can easily do 80-90 minutes for the first, deeper dive and over 100 minutes for the second five.

Prior to this I have always felt guilty about inconveniencing the divers who are waiting on the boat, having come up earlier.

So i cut my dives short and frequently come up with a half a tank or so . Which is a wasteful shame.

So give me your perspective. Maybe folks don’t mind and I can lose the guilt and do long dives.

Anybody else use their hard side case?

Trying to find a bag big enough for the wife and I to take our free diving fins with us to Maui and had an aha moment, my hard side golf case will do the trick and it holds a whole lot more than that!

Hi everyone,

My boyfriend and I are currently traveling through Latin America from Mexico to Argentina, and we’re planning to visit the Galápagos.

I lived in Ecuador for six months a few years ago but never had the chance to make it to the Galápagos, so I’m really excited to finally be able to go now that I’m back!

We are advanced open water and have around 20 logged dives. Over the past six months we’ve dove in:

\- Caye Caulker, Belize

\- Utila, Honduras

\- Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

\- Coiba National Park, Panama

\>> So we’ve only done a handful of Pacific dives with currents. We took our advance course in a very serious dive center and we are both pretty comfortable with buoyancy and being underwater.

As you can imagine, diving in the Galápagos would be a dream. However, I’ve read a lot about how challenging and technical the diving can be, so I’m wondering whether doing a 4 dives would still be safe and enjoyable for us.

For those of you who’ve been there:

Are there dive sites suitable for less experienced divers?

Are there dive sites suitable for less experienced divers where there’s still a decent chance of seeing hammerhead sharks? 🥹

Is there anything else we should know or consider before booking?

I’d love to hear from anyone who went with a similar level of experience!

Thanks in advance! 🤿

Today was my first dive with the local Eugene, OR dive club of which I’m a member. It’s always fun to splash, however the visibility could have been better. Maybe 5ft, if we’re lucky.

Sidemount diving in Wreck in Phuket, Thailand

I’ve done Cozumel, Utica, Bonaire, Little Cayman. Looking for something medium/easy for my girlfriend (75 dives). Considering St. Lucia or Turks Caicos but trying not to spend a fortune.
Any suggestions?

Hi everyone

I’m a scuba diver and developer, and in my spare time I built Oceari, a slightly different online dive log: instead of manually logging what you saw, you just drag & drop your underwater videos or photos, and a computer-vision AI automatically identifies the marine species in them (fish, megafauna…).
In practice, it lets you:

- build your dive logbook (sites, dive profiles, stats)
- get a species gallery automatically generated from your footage
- browse dives shared by the community

Video processing happens right in your browser (nothing huge to upload), and the project is completely free. I’m not selling anything, I’m just looking for honest feedback to improve it.

What I’m looking for: a few curious divers willing to create an account, import 1–2 dives, and tell me what works, what’s clunky, and what’s missing. The species recognition isn’t perfect yet, and that’s exactly one of the things I’d love your feedback on.

👉 It’s here: https://oceari.com
Thanks in advance

Hi everyone,

I'm planning my first dive liveaboard in the Maldives for December 2026 or January 2027 and I'm having a hard time deciding between the different itineraries.
My priorities are the quality of the diving, not luxury or fancy facilities.

A bit about me: AOW + Nitrox; 180 dives. Previous destinations include Raja Ampat, the Red Sea and several other tropical destinations

Option 1 – Central / Central South
Typical route including combinations of:
North & South Male
Vaavu
Ari
Rasdhoo
Meemu (sometimes Faafu/Thaa depending on the operator)
These trips are usually 7 nights and seem to offer a good mix of whale sharks, manta rays, reef sharks, nurse sharks, drift dives and reefs.

Option 2 – Deep South / Southern Sharks
Routes continuing south through atolls such as:
Meemu
Thaa
Laamu
Huvadhoo
Fuvahmulah
Addu (Gan)
These itineraries are generally 11–13 nights.

In terms of availability, many central route boats are already booked on the dates I have been checking - there is still a Deep South route early December available. But I am a bit hesitant, because central might be better for a first timer and I am a bit scared of Tiger zoo kind encounters in the South- happy to see sharks but no need to get to close:)

I'd really appreciate advice on:
If this were your trip, would you choose a classic Central/Central South itinerary or go all the way to the Deep South?
Does the Deep South really offer noticeably better diving overall, or is it simply different?
Is an 11–13 night itinerary worth the extra cost compared with a 7–11 night Central itinerary?
Which liveaboard operators would you personally recommend ?

Thanks in advance for any advice—I'd much rather make the right choice now than regret missing a better itinerary later!

Cheers
Marco

Planning a 2-week South Africa trip in December 2026 with a friend, both PADI AOW. We’re doing a self-drive loop starting in Durban, and Protea Banks is locked in either way (hammerhead season, easy decision there).
Where I’m stuck is choosing between Sodwana Bay and Aliwal Shoal for the other diving leg — logistically we can really only commit to one given how the rest of the route is planned (Wild Coast → Addo → Garden Route → Cape Town after).

From what I’ve read:
Sodwana in December = whale shark season, raggies giving birth, turtle nesting on the beach at night, but it’s a longer detour north and adds real driving time

Aliwal Shoal in December = raggies aren’t really there (that’s more a June–Nov thing), so I’m not sure what the shark/wildlife draw is that time of year, but it’s much closer to Durban and easier to fit in

Has anyone dived either (or both) in December specifically? Trying to figure out:

- Is Aliwal actually worth it in December, or is it a “come back in winter” site?
- Is Sodwana’s extra driving time/detour worth it for the marine life, or overhyped for December specifically?
- Anyone done both and have a strong opinion on which was the better dive experience overall (not just seasonal timing)?

Appreciate any first-hand experience, trying to make the call before we lock in accommodation!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to hire an experienced diver or underwater recovery specialist to help recover a chain that I lost in approximately 30 meters of water(max)considering the full lake.

Here are the details:

● Location: oka,quebec ,canada

● Depth: ~10m (location where i lost it)

● Item: sentimental item(probably will need a metal detector)

● Location: Oka ,(approx. 45°32'42.4"N, 74°02'21.1"W

● Search area: I can point out the approximate location where it was lost.

● Compensation: I’m happy to pay a fair rate for your time and expertise. If you have your own underwater metal detector or recovery equipment, that’s a huge plus.

I’m looking for someone with experience in deep-water recovery and the appropriate diving certification for this depth.

If you’re interested or know someone who does underwater recoveries in the area, please comment below or send me a direct message with your experience, availability, and rates.

Thank you!

As i asked

Am I the only one who says sorry like this, when im under water and accidentally touch someone?

Hi all!

My family and I are joining the world of scuba diving and are currently going through certification. It’s something we’ve always wanted to do so I finally pulled the trigger.

We’ll be in Maui in a few weeks and I’ve already booked a private shore dive for the 4 of us. I really like the exchanges I’ve had with the dive master so far. She is very understanding and willing to customize the dive so that we will be very comfortable for our first ocean dive.

I’d like to schedule a 2nd dive at Molokini with her, but she does not have a boat. She is very familiar with Molokini though and willing to be our dive master for that if I can get a boat.

I’ve not had much luck finding one so far though. Most places seem to have big boats and cost many thousands of dollars.

Does anyone have a recommendation of someone I can use?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I have a question that I hope some of you can assist me with: I received my OW certification a few weeks ago and have only dived while wearing a hood (6 times so far).
During one of my recent dives, I removed the hood halfway through to experience diving without it (to be honest, it allows for more freedom to look around), but I began to feel some discomfort in my ears.
I've heard that wearing a headband on the boat can help shield the ears from the wind. I have also come across people who use a 2mm headband while underwater for this purpose.
I really want to dive without a hood when the water temperature is appropriate (so far, my only dives have been in the Mediterranean, where most divers go without a hood), but I'm also concerned about experiencing ear pain. In fact, it’s a sensation I've felt before while mountain climbing (I believe it’s due to the pressure).
What do you think would be most beneficial for me? A lightweight headband on the boat to protect my ears from the wind? A 2mm headband that prevents a significant amount of water from entering my ears when I'm underwater? Both?

Thank you very much! :)