We ’ re well into spring , with glorious summer around the corner . At the time of writing in late April , we ’ re still waiting for the South Coast to clear up , but elsewhere the diving season is properly underway . SCUBA columnist Kirsty Andrews has just posted a set of mind-blowing drone images from St Kilda , where her group is enjoying beautifully calm seas . I look forward to hearing all about it on her return .
BSAC members are out there diving the South , Wales , Scotland , Northern Ireland , and of course the beautiful North . I ’ m mindful not to leave the North East out of this impromptu list , because I know the diving there is excellent , as are the divers . Tyneside SAC has led the field in expedition diving , and I have fond memories of meeting characters from the region at the Divewise conferences of the past .
For a taste of the North East , please check out the return of SCUBA ’ s Wrecked feature , written this month by James Hickman , who offers a tour of the challenging Nidelven wreck off the Northumberland coast ( see page 31 ).
I ’ ve said it before , but writing one of these tours is the hardest of our regular features . We ’ ve covered almost all the UK ’ s regularly dived wrecks , but in some cases I may be open to revisiting some of the most popular ones . Writing and photographing a Wrecked feature is a fine challenge for a group of divers ; a club , for instance , or perhaps a group of First Class Divers in training . I can send a written briefing ( and a list of previously covered wrecks ) to anyone who fancies giving it a go .
This issue also sees the introduction of a new columnist for SCUBA ’ s conservation section , Protect our Seas . I ’ d like to welcome Kerry MacKay of the GRAB Trust , who is going to be writing about how we can all contribute directly to environmental protection . With a background in Ecology , she is a stalwart BSAC diver and will be investigating pollution and its solutions , from the sewage in our rivers to the global issues the world is facing .
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : BSAC member Emma Dís on the Giannis D wreck , by Simon Rogerson
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