Field notes

The journal

Practical notes on equipment, skills, travel and planning — written for recreational divers who like to arrive prepared.

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140 articles

Modern recreational scuba regulator set prepared for inspection

Cold-water regulator care

Equipment · 8 min

Modern dive computer showing information for a recreational diver

The working diver’s instrument panel

History · 12 min

Recreational diver in clear warm blue water

Packing lighter for the Red Sea

Travel · 6 min

Illustration of a drysuit laid out on a workshop bench by the coast

Drysuit care between dives

Equipment · 6 min

Illustration of a diver hovering clear of a rocky seabed

Buoyancy and trim over the reef

Technique · 7 min

Illustration of a diver holding an orange marker buoy at the surface by a boat

Planning with a surface marker buoy

Field notes · 6 min

Diver adjusting a scuba mask strap before entering the water

Mask fit and clearing, revisited

Skills · 5 min

Diver preparing a surface marker buoy and reel before ascent

SMB deployment basics

Skills · 5 min

Dive light beam cutting through dark water at dusk

Planning a night dive

Planning · 5 min

Divers timing a shore entry as small waves break on a beach

Shore entries in surf

Skills · 5 min

Dive computer and cylinder label showing nitrox oxygen content

Enriched air nitrox basics

Planning · 5 min

Diver checking a compass while swimming over a reef

Underwater navigation fundamentals

Skills · 5 min

Scuba gear hanging to rinse and dry after a dive

Post-dive equipment rinse

Equipment · 5 min

Open dive logbook with a pen beside a dive computer

The discipline of a dive log

Planning · 5 min

Divers preparing gear in an orderly line aboard a dive boat

Boat diving etiquette

Travel · 5 min

Diver moving effortlessly with a current along a reef wall

Drift diving safety

Skills · 5 min

Row of wetsuits of varying thickness hanging in a dive shop

Choosing wetsuit thickness

Equipment · 5 min

Diver holding a compact underwater camera while hovering above a reef

Cameras and buoyancy control

Skills · 5 min

Dive boat crossing gentle swell under a bright sky

Preventing seasickness on dive boats

Travel · 5 min

Two divers checking each other’s equipment before entering the water

Buddy checks that actually happen

Skills · 5 min

Flat illustration of a diver gesturing towards their ear with a calm expression

Equalization techniques

Skills · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver breathing calmly while checking a pressure gauge

Air consumption tips

Skills · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver in a thick exposure suit checking their equipment on a boat

Cold-water diving preparation

Planning · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver swimming alongside a coral-encrusted shipwreck

Wreck diving basics

Skills · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver at the entrance of a sunlit underwater cavern

Cavern awareness

Safety · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver hovering above a healthy coral reef without touching it

Reef etiquette and conservation

Marine life · 6 min

Flat illustration of two divers communicating with hand signals near the surface

Underwater hand signals

Skills · 6 min

Flat illustration of a diver configuring settings on a wrist-mounted dive computer

Dive computer setup

Equipment · 6 min

Flat illustration of several different styles of diving fins arranged neatly

Choosing fins

Equipment · 6 min

Flat illustration showing a jacket-style BCD and a back-inflate wing side by side

BCD styles compared

Equipment · 6 min

A diver performing a buoyancy check at the surface while holding their breath

The pre-dive weighting check

Skills · 6 min

A collection of travel documents and a diving certification card on a desk

Choosing dive travel insurance

Travel · 6 min

A commercial airplane flying above the clouds with a dive watch in the foreground

Flying after diving guidelines

Safety · 6 min

A reusable water bottle next to a diving mask and fins on a sunny boat deck

Hydration and diving safety

Health · 6 min

A diver checking their pulse or fitness tracker before a dive

Fitness and medical fitness for diving

Health · 6 min

A diver holding a tissue, looking disappointed near their dive gear

Diving with a cold or congestion

Health · 6 min

A diver gently drying their ears with a soft towel after a dive

Ear care after diving

Health · 6 min

A diver observing a colorful reef fish while holding an identification slate

Beginning marine life identification

Marine life · 6 min

A diver holding a camera system with two external strobes extended on arms

Lighting for underwater photography

Equipment · 6 min

A diver maintaining a calm, horizontal position while a reef shark swims nearby

Responsible shark encounters

Marine life · 6 min

A flat illustration of a translucent jellyfish in blue water

Jellyfish and stings

Marine life · 6 min

A flat illustration of two divers losing sight of each other

Lost buddy procedure

Safety · 6 min

A flat illustration of two divers practicing gas sharing

Out-of-air response

Skills · 6 min

A flat illustration of an emergency oxygen kit

Emergency oxygen basics

Safety · 6 min

A flat illustration of a diver listening to a boat captain

Dive boat briefings

Planning · 6 min

A flat illustration of water flow

Reading currents

Skills · 6 min

A flat illustration of a tide chart

Tides for shore divers

Planning · 6 min

A flat illustration of a diver in murky water

Low-visibility diving

Skills · 6 min

A flat illustration of a mountain lake

Altitude diving

Planning · 6 min

A flat illustration of a lake landscape

Freshwater lake diving

Travel · 6 min

A diver looking at their computer screen with a slightly dazed expression

Deep diving and narcosis

Safety · 6 min

Diver hovering at 5 metres for a safety stop

Safety stop discipline

Safety · 6 min

A scuba cylinder being secured in a vehicle

Cylinder handling and transport

Equipment · 6 min

A small box containing essential dive repair tools

Save-a-dive kit

Equipment · 6 min

A diver selecting a torch from a variety of options

Choosing a dive torch

Equipment · 6 min

A diver wearing a thermal hood and gloves

Hoods and gloves

Equipment · 6 min

A diver encouraging a family member to try snorkelling

Introducing family to diving

Skills · 6 min

A diver reviewing a training manual with their instructor

Continuing education paths

Skills · 6 min

An open suitcase with organised diving gear

Dive trip packing list

Travel · 6 min

A diver taking a photo of a fish for research

Citizen science for divers

Marine life · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration showing a diver in calm blue water, holding a reef hook that is gently placed on a bare rock surface, with colorful coral and fish in the background, subtly indicating no direct contact with living organisms.

Using a Reef Hook Responsibly: A Diver's Guide

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A diver in a full wetsuit with fins and mask, gently navigating through tall, green kelp stalks in clear blue water, with light rays filtering from the surface.

Diving in Kelp Forests: Navigating Nature's Cathedral

Recreational Diving · 7 min

Flat modern illustration of a diver hovering above a sandy, silty seabed, observing a small, camouflaged nudibranch with a magnifying glass.

An Introduction to Muck Diving: Uncovering the Hidden Gems Beneath the Surface

Recreational Diving · 8 min

A flat modern illustration depicting a diver holding an underwater camera with a large macro port, focusing on a small, vibrant nudibranch on coral. Light rays filter from the surface, highlighting the scene. The illustration is clean and uses a limited color palette.

Macro Photography Basics for the Prudent Diver

Underwater Photography · 6 min

An illustration showing a diver with a wide-angle camera, framing a vibrant coral reef with a school of fish and a sunburst from the surface.

Mastering Wide-Angle Composition Underwater: A Siebe Gorman Guide

Photography & Exploration · 6 min

Flat modern illustration showing two divers in full gear, one pointing at a dive plan on a slate while the other nods in understanding, with a dive boat in the background.

Running a Buddy Briefing: Your Dive, Your Safety

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A clean, modern illustration of a scuba regulator's first and second stages, with a wrench icon subtly indicating maintenance, set against a calming blue background.

Regulator Servicing Intervals: A Prudent Diver's Guide

Diver Safety & Maintenance · 6 min

A modern, flat illustration showing a diving cylinder with various inspection stamps and a calendar icon highlighting test dates.

Cylinder Inspections and Test Dates: A Prudent Diver's Guide

Diver Safety & Equipment · 5 min

Cutting Tools for Divers: Essential Safety Equipment

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration showing a diver in clear water, actively avoiding a fishing net partially draped over a coral reef. The diver is signaling 'OK' to a buddy.

Avoiding Entanglement: Staying Clear Underwater

Diving Safety · 6 min

Flat illustration showing a diver in various layers of thermal protection (rash guard, wetsuit, drysuit undergarment, drysuit) next to a thermometer indicating cold water and warm water.

Layering for Thermal Protection: A Practical Guide for Divers

Diver Safety · 6 min

Flat modern illustration of a diver in a drysuit descending with a dive buddy, showcasing the drysuit's bulk and warmth against a cool blue underwater background.

Your First Drysuit Dives: A Cautious Approach with Siebe Gorman

Diving Tips · 7 min

A flat, modern illustration depicting a diver descending along a vertical shotline towards a submerged shipwreck, with other divers visible in the background.

Descending on a Shotline: A Prudent Approach for Recreational Divers

Diving Techniques · 7 min

A flat, modern illustration of a diver in mid-water, surrounded by blue, with a subtle depth gradient and small, distant fish.

Descents in Open Blue Water: A Practical Guide for the Thoughtful Diver

Diving Techniques · 8 min

A flat, modern illustration depicting a diver performing a controlled emergency swimming ascent towards the surface, with a dive buddy nearby and a boat visible above.

Understanding Emergency Ascents: A Lifesaving Skill

Diving Safety · 7 min

Flat modern illustration of a diver in a stressful situation, bubbles erratically escaping their regulator, eyes wide, with another diver nearby observing calmly.

Recognising Stress and Panic in Diving

Diver Safety · 6 min

Breathing Rhythm Underwater: A Foundation for Safer Diving

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration showing a diver in neutral buoyancy. Arrows indicate the movement for a frog kick, a flutter kick, and a subtle back kick, highlighting leg and fin positions.

Mastering Underwater Propulsion: Frog Kick, Flutter, and Back Kick

Diver Skills · 7 min

A diver in a modern wetsuit, finning gently above a vibrant coral reef, arms relaxed, demonstrating perfect neutral buoyancy.

Mastering the Hover: The Art of Neutral Buoyancy

Diving Skills · 8 min

A flat, modern illustration of a diver in full gear consulting a map or tablet while a dive boat is visible in the background, implying research and planning for a new dive site.

Researching a New Dive Site: A Prudent Approach for the Modern Diver

Dive Exploration · 8 min

Flat, modern illustration of a liveaboard dive boat with divers in the water, coral reefs, and a clear blue sky.

Life Aboard a Liveaboard: Maximizing Your Dive Expedition

Diving Destinations · 7 min

Flat modern illustration of a diver applying sunscreen on a boat deck, with a wide-brimmed hat nearby and the sun shining brightly.

Sun Care on Dive Trips: A Prudent Approach for Divers

Dive Safety · 6 min

Flat, modern illustration showing a diver in the sun, with a bottle of sunscreen and a coral reef in the background.

Choosing Reef-Friendly Sun Protection: A Practical Guide for Divers

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration depicting a diver observing a large manta ray from a respectful distance, with light rays filtering through clear blue water.

Respectful Manta Ray Encounters

Marine Life & Conservation · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration of a scuba diver observing a sea turtle gracefully swimming through a coral reef with sun rays filtering from above.

Diving with Sea Turtles: A Guide to Respectful Encounters

Underwater Encounters · 7 min

A flat, modern illustration depicting a healthy, colorful coral reef on one side transitioning to a pale, bleached coral reef on the other, with a diver observing the change.

Coral Bleaching Explained: A Diver's Understanding

Environmental Awareness · 5 min

A modern, flat illustration showing a diver observing colorful coral and fish within a clearly marked marine protected area, with a buoy and a conservation symbol in the background.

Diving in Marine Protected Areas: Responsible Exploration for the Siebe Gorman Diver

Responsible Diving · 6 min

A modern, flat illustration showing a diver in the foreground looking at a diverse coral reef, with a small, distinct invasive species (e.g., lionfish or zebra mussel) highlighted in a contrasting color.

Silent Travelers: Divers and the Challenge of Invasive Species

Environmental Stewardship · 6 min

A modern, flat illustration showing a diver in a quarry, with rocky walls, clear blue water, and safety markers on the surface.

Quarry and Inland Site Diving: Practical Considerations

Diving Destinations · 7 min

Returning to Diving After a Break: A Cautious Approach

Diving Safety · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration showing a diverse group of older adults, some with grey hair, wearing dive masks and smiling, with coral reefs and fish in the background, suggesting healthy and joyful senior diving.

Diving Well in Later Life: Embracing the Underwater World with Experience

Recreational Diving, Health & Safety · 6 min

Flat modern illustration of a young diver, perhaps 10-12 years old, wearing a full scuba kit appropriate for their size, giving an 'OK' hand signal underwater, with a certified instructor nearby.

Junior Divers and Young Beginners: Guiding the Next Generation of Explorers

Diving Safety & Education · 6 min

A diver's face partially obscured by a modern, sleek dive mask with visible prescription lenses, featuring a calm, blue underwater background.

Clear Vision, Safe Dives: The Practicalities of Prescription Dive Masks

Diving Essentials · 5 min

A flat, modern illustration depicting various pieces of diving equipment (mask, fins, regulator, BCD) neatly stored in containers or hung up, against a clean, light background.

Storing Your Siebe Gorman Gear: A Cautious Off-Season Approach

Gear Maintenance · 6 min

A flat, modern illustration showing a variety of black O-rings of different sizes, a small bottle of silicone grease, and a small spare parts kit laid out on a clean surface.

O-rings and Small Spares: Essential Preparedness for Every Dive

Diving Essentials · 6 min

A flat modern illustration showing two divers underwater. One diver points to their pressure gauge while making the 'air shortage' signal with their hand, and the other diver acknowledges with an 'OK' signal. Bubbles rise from their regulators.

Communicating Air and Problems: Clear Signals for Safer Dives

Diving Safety & Techniques · 5 min

Flat modern illustration of a diver, clearly visible, holding a dive slate and writing on it with an attached pencil, with another diver nearby observing. Bubbles are ascending around them.

Using a Dive Slate: Enhancing Underwater Communication and Safety

Dive Skills & Safety · 6 min

A modern, flat illustration of a compact first-aid kit with various medical supplies neatly arranged inside an open container, possibly featuring a diving mask icon.

A First-Aid Kit for Dive Trips: Essential Preparation

Diving Safety · 5 min

A diver ascending slowly with a dive computer visible on their wrist, showing decompression stops. A red cross symbol is subtly overlaid in a corner, indicating medical attention.

Decompression Illness: Awareness and Response

Diving Safety · 6 min

Flat modern illustration of a classic brass diving helmet, slightly angled, with light reflections, against a clean, technical background.

Historic Diving Helmets Today: A Cautious Revival

Heritage Diving · 6 min

Reading a marine forecast

Reading a marine forecast

Field notes · 1 min

Comparing cylinder valves

Comparing cylinder valves

Field notes · 1 min

Diving above a seagrass meadow

Diving above a seagrass meadow

Field notes · 1 min

Reef photography without contact

Reef photography without contact

Field notes · 1 min

Planning an anchor-line return

Planning an anchor-line return

Field notes · 1 min

Keeping a spool under control

Keeping a spool under control

Field notes · 1 min

Choosing a rocky shore entry

Choosing a rocky shore entry

Field notes · 1 min

The surface air pump

The surface air pump

Field notes · 1 min

Watching sea fans in current

Watching sea fans in current

Field notes · 1 min

Rinsing an underwater camera

Rinsing an underwater camera

Field notes · 1 min

Compass bearings over sand

Compass bearings over sand

Field notes · 1 min

Propeller awareness around boats

Propeller awareness around boats

Field notes · 1 min

Mask straps and seals

Mask straps and seals

Field notes · 1 min

Freshwater spring etiquette

Freshwater spring etiquette

Field notes · 1 min

Plankton and the night sea

Plankton and the night sea

Field notes · 1 min

Drysuit valve checks

Drysuit valve checks

Field notes · 1 min

Fin fit before a trip

Fin fit before a trip

Field notes · 1 min

Logging marine litter sightings

Logging marine litter sightings

Field notes · 1 min

Diving under a jetty

Diving under a jetty

Field notes · 1 min

Reading sunlight underwater

Reading sunlight underwater

Field notes · 1 min

Octopus encounters

Octopus encounters

Field notes · 1 min

Wave sets and dive timing

Wave sets and dive timing

Field notes · 1 min

Wrecks from the outside

Wrecks from the outside

Field notes · 1 min

Gas pressure is not dive time

Gas pressure is not dive time

Field notes · 1 min

Wall diving without depth creep

Wall diving without depth creep

Field notes · 1 min

Finding a nudibranch, leaving it there

Finding a nudibranch, leaving it there

Field notes · 1 min

Buoyancy above a sandy bottom

Buoyancy above a sandy bottom

Field notes · 1 min

Archaeology is not souvenir hunting

Archaeology is not souvenir hunting

Field notes · 1 min

Signals for an unfamiliar buddy

Signals for an unfamiliar buddy

Field notes · 1 min

Boat ladders and tired legs

Boat ladders and tired legs

Field notes · 1 min

Recognising a thermocline

Recognising a thermocline

Field notes · 1 min

Mangrove roots and shallow water

Mangrove roots and shallow water

Field notes · 1 min

Where to keep a surface whistle

Where to keep a surface whistle

Field notes · 1 min

Artificial reefs, real habitats

Artificial reefs, real habitats

Field notes · 1 min

Light choices for a night dive

Light choices for a night dive

Field notes · 1 min

Tide pools are living nurseries

Tide pools are living nurseries

Field notes · 1 min

Fish identification in the field

Fish identification in the field

Field notes · 1 min

What coral nurseries can and cannot do

What coral nurseries can and cannot do

Field notes · 1 min

Jellyfish in the water column

Jellyfish in the water column

Field notes · 1 min

Reading a dive coast from the lighthouse

Reading a dive coast from the lighthouse

Field notes · 1 min