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Training stories, UK diving advice, conservation notes and course inspiration from the Diving Academy team.

399 Stories, 16 Topics — New Field Notes Every Week

Latest storyCommunityLearning to Dive as a Family: One Summer, New Divers17 Aug 2026 · 7 min read

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GearWetsuit or Drysuit? Choosing Gear for UK Quarry Diving10 Aug 2026 · 7 min readConservationInvasive Species in UK Quarries: What Divers Should Know3 Aug 2026 · 6 min readTraining5 Tips for Your First Open Water Dive29 Jul 2026 · 6 min readDiver TipsMaster Your SMB: The Skill Every Diver Needs This Summer27 Jul 2026 · 6 min read
399Articles & Field Notes
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The Full Archive

CommunityLearning to Dive as a Family: One Summer, New DiversEvery summer, whole families sign up to learn to dive together. Here's what that experience actually involves, and what changes once it's done.17 Aug 2026 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Away From the WaterThinking about returning to diving after a long break? Here's what actually changes, what to expect, and how to rebuild your confidence safely.8 Jun 2026 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityGetting Back in the Water After Years Away From DivingThinking about returning to diving after a long break? Here's what actually changes, what stays the same, and how a proper refresher rebuilds confidence.30 Mar 2026 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityFrom Nervous to Confident: Beating Water Anxiety to DiveA composite story of how nervous beginners build real confidence underwater, one small step at a time, on the way to becoming capable divers.19 Jan 2026 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityGetting Back in the Water: A Diver's Return After Years AwayThinking about diving again after a long break? Here's an honest, reassuring look at what returning to scuba diving actually involves in practice.10 Nov 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Out of the WaterSeptember's fresh-start energy is the perfect trigger to get back into diving. Here's what returning divers can realistically expect this autumn.1 Sept 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Away: A Diver's GuideThinking about diving again after a long break? Here's what actually changes, what doesn't, and how to ease back into the water with confidence.23 Jun 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityLearning to Dive as a Family: One Skill Everyone Can ShareDiving is one of the few sports a whole family can genuinely learn together. Here's what that journey tends to actually look like, step by step.14 Apr 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityLearning to Dive as a Family, One Half-Term at a TimeA composite look at what it's really like when a whole family learns to dive together, one taster session and one school half-term at a time.3 Feb 2025 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityFrom Desk Job to Dive Deck: One Diver's Career ChangeA composite look at what it actually takes to trade an office career for professional diving, from first Open Water course to working instructor.25 Nov 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityFrom Hobby to Career: Making the Leap Into Professional DivingThinking about turning diving into more than a hobby? Here is a realistic look at what a genuine career change into professional diving actually involves.16 Sept 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityDiving as a Family: What Learning Together Is Really LikeWhat actually happens when a family learns to dive together, from first pool nerves to a shared certification. A realistic, honest look inside.8 Jul 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Away: What to ExpectThinking about returning to diving after a long break? Here is what actually happens when you get back in the water, and how best to prepare.29 Apr 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityOne Family, Three Generations: Learning to Dive TogetherFrom grandparents to grandkids, family diving works across ages better than most sports. Here's what a real family course actually looks like, week by week.19 Feb 2024 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityThe Diving Academy Guide to Gifting Diving This ChristmasGift vouchers, course ideas and winter diving tips from Reading's dive academy, plus a look back at a busy, memorable year underwater in 2023.18 Dec 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Away From the WaterThinking about returning to diving after a long break? Here is what actually changes, what stays the same, and how to ease back in safely this winter.11 Dec 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityFrom Office Desk to Dive Deck: One Diver's Career Change StoryA composite story of a career-change diver who swapped a desk job for the water, and what the journey from first breath to instructor really involves.2 Oct 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityOne Family, Four Divers: A Summer of Learning TogetherWhat actually happens when a whole family learns to scuba dive together over a summer, from a nervous first pool session to certified divers.24 Jul 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityBack in the Water: Returning to Diving After Years AwayTrained years ago and never gone back? Here is a practical, honest guide to refreshing your skills and getting back into diving this summer.15 May 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityGetting Back in the Water: A Diver's Return After Years AwayThinking about diving again after years out of the water? Here is what a proper return really involves, from refreshers to servicing old gear.6 Mar 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityLearning to Dive as a Family: A Diving Academy StoryHow families learn to dive together at the academy, from first pool session to a shared open water milestone, and what it teaches beyond diving.26 Dec 2022 · 7 min readRead Article →CommunityUnderwater Pumpkin Carving: Diving Academy's Halloween DiveHalloween season means one thing at Diving Academy: underwater pumpkin carving. Here's what the specialty involves, and how to enjoy autumn UK diving.24 Oct 2022 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityComing Back to Diving After Years Away From the WaterThinking about returning to diving after a long break? Here's what actually changes, what to expect from a refresher, and how to rebuild confidence.17 Oct 2022 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityLearning To Dive Together: A Family's Summer at the QuarryA composite look at how UK families new to diving move together from a first nervous pool session to confident quarry diving over one summer.8 Aug 2022 · 6 min readRead Article →CommunityLearning to Dive as a Family: One Path From Pool to OceanA composite look at what it's really like when a family learns to dive together, from a nervous first pool session to open water certification.30 May 2022 · 6 min readRead Article →