The skipper's box of tricks

Today's charter-boats feature a range of sophisticated electronic instruments that skippers use to take us diving. On upgrading to a new set, the old units are often kept as backup, so we see the latest flat-panel systems used beside previous generations of instruments.
John Liddiard provides a quick roundup. more...

All aboard all year round

There have been subtle shifts in UK diving patterns in recent years, says Colin Mac Andrias, who has been talking to skippers while compiling a guide to UK charter-boats more...

What to look for in a RIB

Many UK divers now opt for the convenience of a charter boat, but there are still plenty of club divers who prefer to bring their own RIB to a dive site. Hugo Montgomery-Swan, Editor of RIB International, looks at what makes a good dive boat more...

Making the most of dayboat hell

When a diver has been round the block more than a few times, he doesn't need to go through all those tedious formalities that less experienced divers must endure when on holiday. Mike Ward comes across a veteran diver who knows how to earn respect more...

Skimming the surface arts

In the first of his forays into diving-related training programmes, Chris Boardman tackles the RYA Level 2 Power Boat course more...

Get smart at the helm

Why do so many of the incidents that cause the maritime emergency services to despair occur not under but above the water? Could it be that we don't take our boat-handling and maintenance skills seriously enough? RIB-relisher John Liddiard offers his alternative guide to safe practice based on bitter experience, while boating innocent Chris Boardman embarks on his new career as Diver's training-course guinea pig more...