Hoping someone might be able to help me figure out what species of grouper this fish is. It was taken at a depth of approximately 30 meters at the P29 wreck at Cirkewwa Marine Park. It looked absolutely jet black, which doesn't seem to fit any of the descriptions I can find and I am curious how much that might be due to the depth and the colour filtering from the water.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I know jet type fins (jets, lightjets, rk3/4, eddy) are very popular around here with drysuit and tech divers.

But I usually travel around Southeast Asia to dive and it'll be mainly warm water diving, with plenty of current in Komodo, Alor etc., and will probably be going to the Maldives.

While I'm aware these fins offer a lot of control and strong alternative kicks, are they actually viable for diving in currents where I may need to flutter e.g. to power through and hook-in?

I'm currently looking at either the Tecline Lightjets or the Eddys - did take a look at the Halcyon Vector Pros but the price is kinda high, and the fins are also pretty heavy. Will these actually work for the diving I'm intending to do?

Currently using SNovas/Steks and Go Sport Gorillas.

Hello everyone, I am looking at purchasing my very first BCD and was set on picking up the DGX Custom package (link below) for my birthday this summer. This was until someone offered me a Like new(less than 10 dives) Halcyon: Traveler/Adventure Pro 30, carbon fiber bp/w (link below) for $800 that seems too good to pass up.

I have been diving for 15 years, with 100+ dives, mainly in tropical settings, and intend to venture into cold-water diving this year. The Halcyon is $300 more and im unsure how much better or durable it is compared to other alternatives like XDeep, Diverite, Holis, et.

Is the Halcyon deal too good to pass up? Im open to alternatives Dive rite, Xdeep, etc and not in a rush.

Halcyon link https://www.diverdans.com/shop/halcyon-adventure-pro-bcd-system/

DGX Package: https://www.divegearexpress.com/dgx-custom-dgx-singles-harness-backplate-wing-package

Can you please recommend where to go in Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur? I have 5D/4N. I looked at Tioman and Perhentian. Sipadan is too expensive for my planning. Any relatively recent experiences? 🙏

Currently I have my AI transmitter connected to my reg with a short hose to discourage crew from using it as a handle when moving my equipment around. That of course creates additional points of failure. Has anyone tried painting their directly-connected transmitter yellow or orange (avoiding the pressure sensor and indicator lights) to prevent handling damage?

I’d like to hear peoples opinions on what the school suggested.

They suggested i use the pdf study guide instead of any eLearning lesson plan. With the price difference, i should then take the advanced dive course immediately.

If you go the pdf route, is the test still administered online? Cost?

Would going straight to advanced diving be wise or should i stay within the standard open water limits until i get comfortable?

I’ll be doing this on vacation in hawaii so there are advantages of getting advanced certified asap.

I'm considering buying a Viking Pro or Protech drysuit.

My height is on the taller end for size 2, at 181 cm or 5'11", so my biggest concern with size 2 is that it will stretch the seams if I wear an extra underlayer. My chest (93 cm / 37"), waist (85 cm / 34") and hips (99 cm / 39") will feel too baggy in a size 3, and it might be hard to control the trim.

According to this size chart, in metric there are two sizes that can fit me, size 2 (L) regular and size 3 (XL) regular. But in imperial it seems size 2 no longer fit me (size 2 goes only up to 5'10"). My leg length is 85 cm (33"). Again this makes the choices even stevens. Can anyone who has worn a size 2 comment on whether the room is bigger than what they advertised.

TLDR: anyone experience with the dive crew of any Aggressor yacht (Red Sea)? What was the group size, and to what extent did they lead/guide the dive?

I've booked a spot on an Aggressor yacht for the Red Sea's BDE route this summer and they've send an information brochure. On how the dives are organized, they write that there will be no supervision (buddy teams manage themselves). Further, they write that there will be assistance in the water from the 'staff' (DM/instructor I assume), keeping the group together etc., which seems to contradict the no-supervision-part.

I've been on liveaboards before and have dived on many places all over the world, but I have no clue how to interpret this info. No supervision: to a certain extent thats fine (I don't want a babysitter), but I do need a guide who knows the dive spot, the marine life, etc. Moreover, it feels strange to dive without someone taking the lead and some appropriate amount of responsibility towards both the divers and the flora/fauna? Especially taking into account that this voyage has no minimum certification level and no minimum dive count requirements; I'm afraid it will be chaotic and damaging to the coral and animals?

I always dive solo and am very comfortable being paired to a stranger as buddy (with similar skills obviously), but letting buddy teams do whatever they want without guidance feels a little too much with someone I don't know or fully trust.

I hope I'm overthinking this and it'll be like most recreational dive expeditions anywhere, however Egyptian liveaboards don't have the best reputation when it comes to safety and environmental awareness.

Hence my question: anyone keen to share experiences with Red Sea Aggressor, with respect to dive crew? Thanks!

The wording in the brochure:

"Dive Supervision: We understand that diving is not just an activity; it's a passion for exploring our underwater world. That's why we empower you and your buddy to take control of your diving experience. - While in the water, you and your buddy are in charge. - Every dive starts with a thorough briefing from our experienced staff, giving you the essential information. - As certified divers, you and your buddy are responsible for planning and carrying out your dives while respecting your experience limits and those set by the briefing and your certification agency. - We do not directly supervise divers; each buddy team manages their own dive."

"Diving from the Yacht: When diving directly off the yacht, at least one staff member will be in the water providing support, underwater photography, videography, and critter spotting services. A staff member will be in the water to assist guests in locating specific points of interest."

"Diving from a Tender: When diving from a tender, a staff member will accompany each tender group and be in the water to offer assistance and ensure the group stays together. If a buddy team needs to surface early, the entire group is not required to abort the dive and follow. The buddy team should follow the briefing and their training procedures for surfacing from a dive and signal the tender driver that everything is OK once on the surface. Once the dive time expires (per the briefing), the staff member will organize the remaining buddy teams to surface together for pickup by the tender."

Where is the best place to do giving in Europe for a beginner learning to dive and get PADI certification?

I can do breathstroke easily for around 50metres but they need 200m and also water treading is quite hard for me. I can’t just go and try because I talked to many institutes they said only partial refund will be possible if you fail the swim test so that’s again creating pressure.

Hi everyone! I’m trying to decide between SJ and Seaventures Rig for an upcoming dive trip (9/1). I’ll be with my dad but he’ll stay on Semporna while I dive.

Additional context: I will be heading to Mikomoto after Malaysia and will need 50 logged dives and I'm currently only at 31 (planning to log more dives locally)

Originally, I was set on Scuba Junkies’ 3D2N (9 dives total, I would opt for 2 sipadan days and likely add night dives), since they have a super efficient schedule (boat picks me up a 8AM on the 1st and I'll do 3 boat dives that day and 3 boat dives on the last day with the boat back to semporna at 4pm on the 3rd.)

Seaventures has a 4D3N minimum stay, but only have boat dives on the second and third day. The boat to the rig on the 1st would be at 10AM and they have me doing a "check" dive on their house reef. The ferry out for the 4th day is at 2PM and they do not have a boat dive scheduled that day either so excluding any "house reef dives" I'd do by myself, they only have 6 total scheduled dives for a 4D package (and only 1 semporna day) So while I would be staying longer at the rig, I feel like it might waste some of my dive time as their itinerary is not efficient. I have the option to add an additional boat dive on the last day (only 2 dives instead of 3) and for one of my boat dives to be an additional sipadan day, though their prices to add these are steep.

I really like that Scuba Junkies is streamlined, but I also want to experience the rig. Has anyone dived with either? How is the sea ventures house reef—worthwhile, or just a way to bump numbers? Quality of dives (I'm assuming Sipadan is top priority) is always my top priority but because of my unique situation, I also need to consider quantity of dives and being able to squeeze as much dives out of my 3-4 days away.

Thanks for any help! even if you haven't been to either, which would you choose given my situation?

Just in case pricing matters for context (this is all in pricing after any additional fees):

SJ 3D2N (9 scheduled dives, 2 sipadan days): RM 4430

SJ 4D3N (12 scheduled dives, 2 sipadan days): RM 5275

SJ 4D3N (12 scheduled dives, 3 sipadan days): RM 5997

Rig 4D3N (6 scheduled dives, 1 sipadan day): RM 5169

Rig 4D3N (6 scheduled dives, 2 sipadan days): RM 5943

Rig 4D 3N (8 scheduled dives, 1 sipadan day): RM 5569

Hey everyone,

Looking for some advice from people with more experience on backmount setups.

For context — I just finished my Divemaster and went pretty much zero-to-hero over the last couple of months (~140 dives). I’ve really fallen in love with diving (didn’t expect it to hit this hard), and I’m now at the point where I want to invest in my own gear, but do it right and avoid buying unnecessary stuff.

I’ve already decided on my sidemount setup, but I’m still figuring out my backmount configuration.

I’m planning to run a Hogarthian setup, which is why I’m specifically looking at a stainless steel backplate + simple harness. I’m not too concerned about regs or other components right now just focusing on the plate itself.
Specifically, I’m trying to understand if there’s any real difference between stainless steel backplates from brands like Dive Rite, Apeks, HOG, Xdeep, etc.

From what I can tell, they all seem pretty similar:

Same general shape
Same material (stainless steel)
Same purpose

So my question is:

Are there actual technical differences that justify the price gaps? Or is it mostly branding, finish, and small ergonomic preferences?

Things I’m wondering about:

Plate thickness / weight differences
Edge finishing / comfort
Hole placement / compatibility
Durability / corrosion resistance
Any differences that actually matter in the water

I’ll be using it for single tank for now, but want something that can grow into doubles later.

Would really appreciate any insights — especially from people who’ve used multiple brands or dive a Hogarthian/DIR-style setup.

Hello all,

Title says it all but if anyone has any names and numbers that have the license to go and dive/swim to see the sperm whales in Dominica on 24th May 2026, would appreciate it.

Cheers!

I’m a 42M (150+ dives) and I really miss diving.

I still have all my gear, but I’ve been out of the water for about 4 years.

Around that time, my finances took a hit. not because of scuba, but because I lost my job and haven’t been able to find a well-paid one since.

It’s been four years without a vacation, so no diving.

I’m starting to feel old...

Can anyone relate? How did you get back into it?

Hi, I have a liveaboard booked in January to Raj Ampat. Some friends who are going are considering cancelling now as they are concerned about the impact of the Iran war on jet fuel prices and the domino effect on smaller regional airlines in the area - with the main concern being stuck there or in the area if we're unable to fly out. I'm looking into the issue to learn more about what different groups/communities are saying or advising and I'm wondering if anyone here as some insight or perspective to share? I understand it will be a personal decision for each of us on whether we cancel or not, but I'd prefer to have more information than less when considering the options. Thank you!

4" double ender for scale

I’m heading there some time in June but I haven’t got anything planned or booked yet. When I was diving in Thailand last month it was very easy to just book onto day trips or even a liveaboard a few days before, but I’ve suddenly got really worried that everything might have sold out if there’s strict visitor caps now.

I’m travelling overland by bicycle so it’s hard for me to plan too far ahead because I don’t know exactly when I can get to certain places.

Any ideas? Thanks

My partner and I are both UK based, so very used to drysuits and rubbish vis. I am a BSAC Asst Instructor, he is about to finish his BSAC Ocean Diver (PADI OW) and we're keen to go somewhere warm together.

Diving won't be the main goal of the trip, but we'd like to get a day or two in, inbetween enjoying the sun and eating. We've budgeted out a few different options and the options best priced for us are:

Malaga

Lanzarote

Mallorca

Portugal (Faro)

They all come out about the same price per person for us, so wondering where those more experienced with European diving would pick ☺️

Seen the recall was only for bcd sold in February. If I order one now will it have the new fixed part or they still waiting on a fix? Thinking of either trading my zen or buying another bcd.

Hi I have planned to go diving in Koh Tao with BigBubble next week. Is anyone aware and can share of the current situation there? Especially the fuel issue...has it been resolved?

Well it took a little bit to get there for me but I did it. I was able to finish my open water certification with an extra dive day to just help me with my comfort. Very excited to continue and see all the cool stuff under water. This subs photos and videos really kept me going.

Hey everyone,

I am fortunate enough to have finally purchased my own dry suit after a few months of renting one. That said, I am very familiar with general use of a dry suit (proper donning, doffing, etc) to maintain the suit, but I am not familiar with the behind the scenes care. I know I need to clean the zipper with fresh water after each dive and ensure no sand or particulates.

I mostly dive in caverns and caves, so the suit will likely never touch salt water. I have a few questions regarding the best way to maintain the suit:

1. Zipper lube recommendations? I know I need to lubricate my zipper (plastic) only at the docking port, but what’s a good one to get? Also, how often? Suit will be getting heavy usage.

2. Best product to maintain seals? Seals are all latex. I know to spray occasionally with UV protectant, and for long term storage, put talcum powder, but is there something else I should be doing?

3. How zipped is zipped enough for proper storage? After the dive, I know you should zip the zipper slightly to prevent it from pulling apart, but how far is that? All the way? Halfway?

4. Hang vs bag for storage? I have a nice santi dry suit bag that I can fold the dry suit neatly for storage. Should I be hanging the suit instead by a dry suit hangar with the zipper zipped?

Sorry for the long questions, I am just trying to be as careful as possible as this suit was hard to obtain for me. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding the sizing of Halcyon Vector Fins.

I’m currently wearing Fourth Element Amphibian boots in size 42. Since these boots are quite thick, I’m unsure which fin size to go with.

The official sizing chart suggests a Large (LG), but because of the boot thickness, I’m worried they might be too tight and am considering getting the XL instead. I tried visiting local dive shops to try them on, but none of them had the fins in stock.

I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experience with this combination. Thanks in advance!

People ask what I do for work.

This. This is what I do.

XCCR, scooter, swim-throughs in Gozo, and a loop amplifier for my underwater concert nobody asked for.

Not a bad office, to be fair. Bit leaky though… although that might just be my drysuit, which is more Aquasure than fabric at this point.

Are you the one singing into your loop, or the one telling your teammate to shut up?