Hello and welcome ! As this issue arrives , we should be just past Easter , the traditional start of the UK diving season . March was brutal , with its winds and flurries , but at least we had the Go Diving Show to whet our appetite for the coming season . BSAC had a strong presence , which saw the club ’ s awards handed out to the latest generation of scuba superstars . Check out our Awards spread on page 14 .
Anyway , here ’ s hoping for some decent weather to usher in Spring 2023 . Then of course , it ’ s a question of following the early season rules . Make sure your kit is serviced and in workable condition ; start slowly with dives that are well within your level of experience , and of course make sure you are fit and ready to dive yourself . Have you had an inactive winter ? If so , take the early spring as a time to ( at the very least ) get walking and build up some leg strength and general fitness .
What to do when you ’ re back in the water ? I hope there ’ s something in this magazine that may offer some inspiration , whether that be the conclusion of Aberdeen BSAC ’ s epic voyage from Orkney to St Kilda [ page 32 ] or cherry-picking from the awesome array of shipwrecks on offer in Malta and Gozo , the subject of this issue ’ s bumper Travel Special [ page 51 ].
If you have a fondness for marine heritage and want to put your diving skills to good use , have a read at Jane Maddocks ’ column , Taking it Further [ page 44 ]. Jane is looking for divers choose a wreck to study , survey and report on for her Wreck Champions project . It ’ s all too easy to gloss over these invitations , perhaps to disregard them as another well intended appeal in a diving magazine . But the point is , this one is eminently do-able , not too onerous and potentially a lot of fun .
Our columnists are all on form this month . Kirsty Andrews is seeking out cryptic critters ; Yo-Han Cha is ‘ fessing up to his woeful packing habits and Becky Hitchin ’ s work has taken her to the Cook Islands . Andy Torbet , meanwhile , is hanging out under bridges , while Paul Naylor is looking for lumpfish in Whitley Bay . All great reads representing different aspects of our incredible world of diving ; I hope you enjoy them .
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : Bow of the Umm el Faroud wreck , Malta , by Alex Dawson
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