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Dive Deeper

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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Mermaid Academy: Reading's Fin-tastic New Way to Dive29 Jun 2026 · 6 min readDiscover Mermaid: Try Mermaiding at Diving Academy22 Jun 2026 · 6 min readDiscover Freediving in Reading: Your First Breath-Hold20 Apr 2026 · 7 min readEFR Instructor: Teach Life-Saving Skills, Grow Your Career13 Apr 2026 · 6 min readEaster Holidays: The Perfect Time to Kick Off Your Season6 Apr 2026 · 6 min read

The Full Archive

Diver TipsMaster Your SMB: The Skill Every Diver Needs This SummerDeploying a surface marker buoy looks simple until it isn't. Here's how to actually get it right, the common mistakes, and how to practise safely.27 Jul 2026 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsHow to Deploy an SMB Properly: A Diver's Skills GuideMaster surface marker buoy deployment with our practical guide to common mistakes, safe technique, and what instructors actually look for.18 May 2026 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsSMB Deployment: The Skill Every Diver Should MasterMaster SMB deployment with this practical guide covering why it matters, common mistakes, how to practise properly, and what instructors look for.9 Mar 2026 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsLow-Visibility Diving: How to Stay Calm When You Can't SeePractical skills for diving safely in low-visibility conditions, common mistakes to avoid, and how to practise before you need it in earnest.29 Dec 2025 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsYour November Dive Checklist: Deals, Dry Suits and SafetyBlack Friday offers, dry suit prep and Movember safety checks all land in November. Here's how Reading divers can use the month well this year.17 Nov 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsMaster Your Trim: The Skill That Fixes Everything ElseWhy trim is the diving skill that fixes almost everything else, plus common mistakes, practice drills, and what instructors actually look for.20 Oct 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsLow-Visibility Diving: Skills Every Quarry Diver NeedsMurky UK quarries catch divers out every summer. Here's how to build genuine low-visibility skills, the mistakes to avoid, and how to practise properly.11 Aug 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsMastering SMB Deployment: A Core UK Diving Safety SkillWhy surface marker buoy deployment matters, the mistakes most divers make, and how to practise it properly ahead of peak UK diving season this year.2 Jun 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsYour Easter Season Kickoff: Getting Diving-Ready AgainEaster is the real start of the UK diving season. Here's how to shake off winter rust, check your gear, and get back in the water with confidence.21 Apr 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsMaster Your SMB: The Skill Every Diver Should NailDelayed SMB deployment trips up more divers than almost any other skill. Here's why it matters, the mistakes to avoid, and how to practise it properly.24 Mar 2025 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsNew Year, Better Diving: Mastering Basic Gas PlanningMake 2025 the year your gas planning stops being guesswork. A practical guide to the rule of thirds, reserves, and building the habit properly.13 Jan 2025 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsGas Planning for Divers: A Practical, Honest GuideWhy gas planning matters more than most divers realise, the core concepts explained simply, and how to genuinely build the habit into every dive.4 Nov 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsSMB Deployment: The UK Diving Skill Too Many Divers SkipStruggling with your surface marker buoy? Here's why SMB deployment matters, the mistakes divers make, and how to actually get good at it for good.26 Aug 2024 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsHow to Plan a Family Diving Summer From Pool to SeaThinking of learning to dive this summer as a family? Here's a practical, honest timeline from your first pool session through to open water.15 Jul 2024 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsHow to Deploy an SMB Properly (Without the Panic)Struggling with your surface marker buoy? Learn the technique, common mistakes and practice drills every diver needs for safe SMB deployment.17 Jun 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsSMB Deployment: The Skill Every Diver Should SharpenWhy a clean surface marker buoy deployment matters, the mistakes divers commonly make, and how to practise it before the season kicks off properly.8 Apr 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsNew Year Skill Focus: Deploying an SMB ProperlyMake this the year your SMB deployment actually gets reliable. Why it matters, common mistakes, how to practice, and what instructors look for.29 Jan 2024 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsBuddy Checks: The Two Minutes That Prevent Real ProblemsThe pre-dive buddy check takes two minutes and gets skipped constantly. Here's why it matters, what it should cover, and how to make it a habit.20 Nov 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsPumpkin Carving Underwater and Why Drysuit Season Starts NowHalloween brings our favourite silly specialty, the Pumpkin Carving dive, plus the serious business of switching to a drysuit as UK water cools down.9 Oct 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsSMB Deployment: The Skill Every Diver Should Master This AutumnDeploying a surface marker buoy properly is one of the most important safety skills a diver can build. Here's how to actually get good at it.11 Sept 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsEars Hurting? Master Equalisation Before Your Next DiveEar discomfort is the single top reason new and family divers cut dives short. Here's how to fix your equalisation technique for good this summer.3 Jul 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →Diver TipsYour Early Summer Diving Checklist, Plus World Turtle DayA practical early summer checklist for divers, from kit servicing to holiday planning, with a nod to why World Turtle Day matters for divers.22 May 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsMastering the SMB: A Skill Every Open Water Diver NeedsWhy deploying a surface marker buoy properly matters, the mistakes most divers make, and how to practice it until the whole sequence feels automatic.24 Apr 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsSpring Diving Prep: Your Early-Season ChecklistFrom regulator servicing to buoyancy refreshers, here is a proper checklist for getting your skills and gear ready before the UK dive season.13 Mar 2023 · 6 min readRead Article →Diver TipsThe Buddy Check: A Half-Term Skill Every Family Diver NeedsBuddy checks feel basic, but instructors say they're the skill most divers rush. Here's how to actually get them right every single time you dive.13 Feb 2023 · 7 min readRead Article →