Welcome
Spring is here and this issue is all about embracing what will hopefully be a memorable British diving season . Our centrepiece feature has Kirsty Andrews ’ incredible photography from an expedition to St Kilda on the Clasina , which took place this time last year and was blessed with beautiful conditions ( see page 28 ).
St Kilda is still seen as the pinnacle ( literally , in the oceanographic sense ) of British adventure diving , but it can be a demanding place , recommended for experienced divers . To balance things out , I have provided my own tongue-in-cheek guide to the unsung benefits of British diving , setting out how I believe it can change lives for the better ( page 36 ).
This may be old news to many SCUBA readers , but the piece is very much aimed at those in their first two years of UK diving . Hopefully any reader will find it reflects their own club diving experience . It ’ s all based on a presentation I made at the Go Diving show , so it may well ring a bell with a ( very ) select few of you .
There ’ s a lot of positive stuff to look forward to this year . Take a look at this issue ’ s HUB section ( starting on page 8 ) and read all about the return of BSAC ’ s Diving Conference ( Saturday 19 October ), plus diving events in the South West ( Kernow Fest , 14-16 June ) and North West ( NW Dive Festival , 27 September ). For underwater photographers , there are two popular underwater photography events for your diaries – the Torbay Splash-in on 29 June and the British and Irish Underwater Photography Championship ( BIUPC ) on 14 September .
All this is , of course , the proverbial tip of the iceberg next to your own club diving trips , projects and training . Do keep in touch and let us know what you ’ re up to . I have briefing documents ready to send to anyone wishing to write for SCUBA . In the meantime , I wish you all a productive and safe summer of diving .
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : Curled octopus , St Kilda , by Kirsty Andrews
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