dive site directory log book

dive site directory is a rapidly growing web site with new content being added all of the time. As you will see we keep very busy making it more and more useful to divers! The purpose of this log book is to provide both you and us with a history of what we have been up to. It means we can keep track of our updates and it allows you to easily find out how much we add to the site each month and see what changes there have been since the last time you visited the site.

Feb
2010

• We have added a Poor Knights section to our coverage of New Zealand, following our recent trip there. The diving here is typified by rocky arches covered in wafting kelp amongst which lives an abundance of marine life. If you have ever dived on the west coast of Scotland then you will have an idea of what to expect, except at the Poor Knights you get more tropical species such as moray eels and triggerfish as well as some of the species more familiar to UK divers. Perhaps the species the Poor Knights are most well known for however are the stingrays. These can be seen throughout the year but are especially abundant from December to March when they congregate to breed. As well as adding photos and reviews for the Poor Knights, we have written an extensive overview for New Zealand in general, documenting what we thought were the highlights of the land based activities we completed during our trip. We think this will be very useful for anyone heading to New Zealand, even if you are not planning on diving whilst out there.

Oct
2009

• We are very happy to finally add Russia to our list of reviewed diving locations with a number of dive sites from Lake Baikal, the deepest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Baikal is formed by a huge tectonic crack in the earths crust and offers a wide variety of diving including sheer walls, overhangs, dramatic rock formations, wrecks and even ice diving. Although Lake Baikal isn’t a conventional diving destination it offers a unique range of diving locations and experiences. Many thanks to Andrey Bobkov of Three Dimensions-Baikal dive centre for contributing this section.

Aug
2009

• Thanks to Tony Gilbert for contributing photos to the Persier wreck and Capenwray. Also thanks to K E Quill for his photos of El Arco, Costa Rica.
• Charles Duff has also contributed an overview for our Zanzibar section making this a lot more useful
• We have added two new UK inland dive sites: Buckland Lake in Kent and the slightly more unusual Deep Sea World Aquarium in Fife. Thanks to Jef Proudfoot and Tina Aydon for contributing these sites

May
2009

• Located in the North Atlantic approximately 1000km off the US coast, Bermuda is made up of approximately 138 islands. Bermuda has British, American and Caribbean influences but is too far north to be considered part of the Caribbean. The diving in Bermuda is predominantly on historical wrecks, mostly located in shallow waters. In addition there is good visibility, coral reefs riddled with holes, caves, tunnels and swim-throughs. The variety of marine life is not as good as that found in the Caribbean but you still get plenty of life. Tarpon even congregate in September for the mating season. Thanks to Jenny Pickles for compiling the information for our Bermuda section and also to Matt James for the additional photos.

Apr
2009

• With the credit crunch showing no signs of leaving us, many divers will be having to cut back on how much they are spend on their holidays each year. For those of you in Europe, it could be a good opportunity to sample some of the diving a little closer to home. This month we have added the Algarve in Portugal to dive site directory which offers a mixture of wrecks, reefs and caves in relatively warm water. There's a good selection of marine life on offer and the chance to combine your diving with a nights out in some of the Algarve's bars and restaurants.
• Thanks to Tony Gilbrt for contributing theWreck Park in Lanzarote, as new dive site. He has also submitted some wonderful photography to compliment the reviews.
• Thanks also to Mark for contributing Manta Point in East Timor, SE Asia

Mar
2009

• We've put up more new photos from Tony Gilbert for the Tabarka and Dresden in Scapa Flow and North Wall, Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland.

Feb
2009

• We recently visited Coron in the Philippines, the location of a fleet of Japanese World War II vessels. We already had the section on the site, but we have added video, new photos and some new dive site reviews as well as adding our own thoughts to all the dive sites we visited. Thanks to Martin & Tracy Frankcom for inviting us along on their holiday!

Jan
2009

• Cocos is quite simply one of the top diving locations on the planet and one of the few places left where it is easy to see large shoals of hammerhead sharks on almost every dive. On others they come so close that, should you want to or be brave enough to do so, you could almost reach out and touch them. Add to that a profusion of other sharks such as white tips, black tips silver tips and if you're very lucky Galapagos sharks and even tiger sharks. And an amazing selection of tuna, turtles, rays, giant balls of trevally, dolphins and humpbacks between dive sites and you can't help but be totally blown away by Cocos as a diving location.
• Thanks to Martin Frankcom for contributing 3 new sites to the Cyprus section: Green Bay, Cyclops Cave and the Chapel
• Thank you also to Tony Gilbert for his review of the Bottle Run in Scapa Flow, Scotland

Dec
2008

• We have just added five new dive sites and acccompanying photos to a completely new country on dive site directory: Jordan. Diving in the Red Sea off the coast of Jordan is first class and to date has none of the associated crowds of the better known parts! The eastern shore of the Northern Red Sea is the deeper side and all the dive sites in Jordan are close to shore, with soft corals and filter feeders proliferating due to stronger currents than those found along the western shore. Aqaba Marine Park was established in Jordan in 2002 to protect the coral reefs for future generations of divers and has since installed mooring buoys at all the popular dive sites. There are an abundance of wrecks and reefs suited to all levels of diver making it a great destinaion to visit.

Nov
2008

• Thanks goes this month to Charles Duff who believes the peaceful, clear and calm waters of Mikindani and Mtwara in southern Tanzania are the best-kept secret of the east coast of Africa. Charles has contributed a detailed overview to this section plus 9 dive site reviews, giving a comprehensive account of the area. Thanks Charles!
• We have also recently added an overview to our Sardinia section. Sardinia is located in the Mediterranean near Italy and is home to some spectacular caves.
• We have also added two brand new areas to our Australia section: the remote locations of Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands

Oct
2008

• Our first new set of dive sites are two new wrecks, the P29 and the MV Xlendi Ferry to our already extensive Malta section (thank you Martin and Tracy Frankcom for contributing these!)
• We’ve also added a fascinating account of diving an archaeological site at Xlendi bay in Gozo contributed by Ed Fisher. The account of diving Xlendi bay is a true story of under water exploration backed up by sketches of the site and is well worth a read!

Sep
2008

• We have been away diving in Cocos, Costa Rica this month. Expect this to be released around December - it will feature some amazing shark encounters and some of the best pelagic diving on the planet!

Aug
2008

• The Perhentian Islands lie off the north east coast of Malaysia close to the Thai border. Wide, sweeping, powder white beaches, dense rainforests and breathtaking sunsets are reason alone to visit. There are around 30 dive sites, including a few wrecks. The climate means the diving and island season is from mid to late March to October, after which the monsoon season starts. Thank you to Tony Gilbert for contributing diving information, photos and reef maps.

Jul
2008

• We would like to thank Rik Vercoe for contributing some stunning photography from the Similan Islands in Thailand.
• A massive thank you also to Tony Gilbert who has managed to take some fantastic shots in tricky conditions in the pinnacle of wreck diving that is Scapa Flow, Scotland. There are more to come from Tony so watch this space!
• Also this month, check out our latest addition to the Canary Islands section with the reviews from the island of Fuerteventura

Jun
2008

• We are very happy to be extending our USA section with a series of reviews from the Great Lakes, comprising of six wrecks in Lake Huron and one in St Clair River. Thanks to our very own marketing manager Rick Davies for these reviews, he's living in the USA currently so you can expect a lot more USA sites to be added to the website in the foreseeable future!
• We have also been working behind the scenes improving the site build which means we will be able to add content more quickly in the future!

May
2008

• Thank you to Jenny Pickles for contributing this month's section on Lhaviyani Atoll in the Maldives. Located 80km north of Male international Airport, it is accessed by regular seaplane transfers. Jenny stayed at Kuredu, the northern-most island in Lhaviyani Atoll. She was lucky enough to see a sailfish, normally found only in open ocean, as well as manta rays, eagle rays and grey reef sharks. For non-divers there are plenty of activities, including golf, spas, pools, a water sports centre, fishing trips, dolphin trips and snorkelling.
• We have added more photos to the Fleur de Lys and Swanage Mussel Beds / Peveril Ledge pages in Swanage as well as added a new review for the Betsy Anna. Elsewhere along the UK's south coast we have new reviews for Selsey Lifeboat Pier and the Aeolian Sky.

Apr
2008

• We have updated our East Coast Australia section to include more overviews, diving photos and diving reviews. See our extended South West Rocks section, for its latest additions and our brand new Brisbane section. Brisbane is not a place you would automatically think of if planning where to dive in Australia and the diving there is not as good as elsewhere in the country, but its always useful to know about the diving in a region, however good!

Mar
2008

• Lying nearly 30 miles WSW of Cornwall, the Scilly Isles lie directly in the path of the Gulf Stream, which blesses them with warm moist weather and mild climate. The 56 islands and hundreds of rocks are made of granite resulting in clean sandy beaches, a bright seabed and clear green water. Reefs provide the diver with multilevel profile opportunities as depths can go to 40m - 70m at the shorelines, providing stunning vistas chocked full of marine creatures. Seals can often be seen on sites and dolphins and porpoises frequent the area, as do occasional basking sharks. Hundreds of wrecks have foundered over the centuries and there are around 1000 recorded and estimated to be 3000 wrecks meaning there is something to entertain every diver. Thanks once again to Tony Gilbert for contributing this sections write-ups and stunning photos.

Feb
2008

• The Seychelles lie 1,500km off of the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. They are made up of 155 islands including many remote coral islands. The marine life around the islands can be spectacular with large numbers of fish and coral species present. The use of gill nets for shark fishing as well as the practice of shark finning are now banned and in some areas turtle poulations are recovering. Regular dive site directory contributor Anna Wright visited the Seychelles during 2007 and managed to explore 7 different sites on two seperate islands.

Jan
2008

• Thanks to Ian Higgins for contributing 3 new sites to our Menorca section. Photos are to follow!
• La Palma Diving Center have provided us with an overview of diving in La Palma in the Canary Islands, plus a review of The Crosses of Malpique

Dec
2007

• This month we are very happy to bring you some of the very best diving the Red Sea has to offer from our recent trip to Sudan. Nine beautiful reef dives and two fantastic wrecks including that of the Umbria which is arguably one of the best reef dives in the world. Renowned diver and TV documentary maker Monty Halls has very kindly donated some of his excellent photography to compliment our reviews.

Nov
2007

• We've added three new diving locations in the Philippines thanks to the contributions of Carsten Sørensen. As well as reviews for a selection of dive sites for each location all sites are accompanied by photos to help you get a really good feel for the diving there. The new locations are Cabilao Island, Boracay and Sabang on Mindoro. Thanks Carsten!
• It's hard to believe what a fantastic day we had cage diving out of Cornwall in search of blue and porbeagle sharks. Beautiful weather, fantastic scenery and easily one of the best close encounters we have had with large marine life to date. At one point we had three two metre long blue sharks circling us and coming up close giving us and the divers we were with ample opportunity to take lots of photos of these stunning animals. It leaves you in no doubt that we need to do everything we can to protect these beautiful creatures from extinction. Many thanks to Jenny Pickles and Malik Chibah for contributing their excellent images.
• If that doesn't fulfil your appetite for shark action we've also just added an excellent video of cage diving with a great white in South Africa courtesy of Ben Randall, we particularly like the sound effects when the white is chewing on the cage!

Oct
2007

• Many thanks to Tony Gilbert who kindly write up 14 new dive sites for St Abbs. As well as detailed write ups Tony has also contributed stunning photographs of each site and even a wreck illustration to accompany the wreck of the Glanmire.
• Thanks also to Tony for adding more UK reviews including, Trwyn Cilan Headland - Anglesey (North Wales), Meanish Pier and Meanish Reef in the Isle of Skye (Scotland) and also one site in Hawaii Tunnels Reef and one in Mallorca Grobe Reef.
• Thanks to Carina hall for extending our Borneo section further with a selection of new dive sites and some stunning images.

Sept
2007

• Many thanks to Rik Vercoe for contributing more excellent and detailed wreck drawings / illustrations of wreck dives in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia and Fury Shoals, Marsa Alam in the Red Sea. We're sure you'll agree that they give you an excellent overall impression of the wrecks which should come in very handy when you are visiting or planning diving at the dive sites. Wreck illustrations include Aikoku Maru, Fujikawa Maru, Hoki Maru, Kansho Maru, Sankisan Maru in Truk and Abu Galawa and the Tienstin Wreck in Fury Shoals. Thanks also to Rik for his reviews and photos of three dive sites in Cambodia and Vietnam. Whilst this might not be the best diving in Southeast Asia, the reviews and photos are descriptive and give a good indication to the type of diving to expect from this region.

Aug
2007

• We have added 4 reef dives around Tenggol Island in Malaysia
• Rik Vercoe has contributed some very moving pictures of the Salem Express in Safaga, the Red Sea and thanks also to Alexander Shestopalets for his photos of the Colona IV in Hurghada

July
2007

• We've just returned from Skye in Scotland after experiencing some of the best reef diving the UK has to offer, in fact some of the reefs easily rival those abroad for sheer variety and abundance of marine life. This combined this with visibility of up to 15m, the stunning scenery above the water and a good chance of seeing both whales and basking sharks between dives makes Skye a diving destination that is well worth visiting.
• Thanks to Rob Bathgate for his review of Sugarloaf Caves in the Isle of Man.
• Read about the M. S. Projects study of Pozzo del Merro, a sink hole in Italy and how a free dive was carried out here.

June
2007

• This month Martin & Tracy Frankcom have kindly donated a selection of reviews for wreck diving in Coron in the Philippines. There are detailed write ups and images of 9 Japanese World War II vessels as well as one reef dive in the local marine park, all illustrated with photos. This is a world class diving location rivalling even Bikini and Truk Lagoon and is well worth a look if you a self-confessed wreck junkie. Thank you Martin & Tracy!

May
2007

• We have been working on a massive revamp of our Southern Red Sea section over the last two months. This has involved adding hundreds more photos, improved dive site maps and 15 new dive sites. The old Marsa Alam section used to include Fury Shoals and St John's. These are now sections in their own right due to the sheer volume of content they contain. Navigate from the Red Sea home page to see where these areas lie in relation to Marsa Alam. We would like to thank Rik Vercoe and Gerhard Niezen for contributing more reviews to our ever-growing Red Sea directory, helping to make it to be what is probably the most detailed Red Sea dive site resource on the internet.
• Thank you to Jenny Pickles who has contributed more dive sites for our Australia section adding the Forster region and Shelly Beach in Sydney
• Marco Vassallo has contrubted some photos for Zurrieq, a Maltese wall dive

April
2007

• Excellent images and dive site maps provided again by Tony Gilbert this time for Charco del Palo in Lanzarote
• More details of diving in Malin Head, Donegal, Ireland with a review and images of Argo Delos thanks to Tony Gilbert
• Tony Gilbert brings the wreck of the Glen Strathallen in the UK to life with an in depth review and set of excellent images

March
2007

• More fantastic images donated by Liquid Lense, this time for Ko Phi Phi in Thailand
• Ian Higgins and Tony Gilbert tell us more about the excellent wreck of the Million Hope in Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea
• Richard Welch adds a review for the Landing Craft & Bombardon Unit in Portland Harbour, UK
• Anna Wright returns with more diving reviews and excellent images, this time for Gozo in Matla including MV Cominoland, MV Karwela, Reqqa Reef and Cathedral Cave
• Thanks to Anthony for adding a review of the HTMS Kood to Pattaya in Thailand

Feb
2007

• We added a series of highly detailed dive site write ups accompanied by stunning photographic and macro photographic imagery to our UK section thanks to Tony Gilbert. The reviews include the Akka in Scotland, the James Egan Layne and HMS Scylla in Plymouth and the Puffin Sound Drift, Seagull Islands Drift, Trearddur Bay, Ynys-y-Moch in Anglesey.
• Thanks to Terry Nichols we have finally added another site to the Cyprus section St Georges Island to keep the Zenboia company!
• Pillars of Hercules is possibly one of the the best dive sites in Antigua in the Caribbean, thanks to Carlo Williams for contributing it to the directory
• Many thanks to Martin Ward, Jane Wilkinson and Mary for contributing three more dive sites to help expand our New Zealand section. The new sites are Cream Gardens, Milford Sound and Northern Arch which also contains some excellent photos contributed some time ago for the site by Malik Chibah

Jan
2007

• Tobago is a tiny island in the Caribbean at only twenty five miles long and seven miles wide. It is the sister island of Trinidad with a relaxed, slow pace of life, secluded bays and sandy beaches. The coral seas have rich fringing and patch reefs with sponges and hard and soft coral. We have extended our Tobago section by adding with seven new dive site reviews and accompanying photos contributed by Anna Wright. These include Japanese Gardens and Diver's Dream.
• We have added 3 new dive sites in New Zealand: Cream Gardens and Northern Arch at Poor Knights Islands and Milford Sound on South Island. Thanks to Mary, Jane Wilkinson and Martin Ward for contributing these reviews.
• A massive thanks to Tony Gilbert for contributing a lot of reviews and some of the best photography on dive site directory for locations all around the UK and in Lanzarote. See Charco del Palo in Lanzarote and our new North Wales section that has 4 new dive sites, North Wall on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland, Calf Sound Drift on the Isle of Man and the Akka in the River Clyde, Southwest Scotland.
• Thanks to Rik Vercoe for divulging all he knows about Safaga in the Red Sea. He has contributed 12 more dive sites to add to our October release.

Dec
2006

• Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands was the site of 23 nuclear bomb tests between 1946 and 1958. It is a haven for divers due to the blasts which sunk ten major ships that were moored in the lagoon at the time. The wreck diving here makes this a world class diving destination with the highlight being the USS Saratoga, one of the best dive sites in the world. A big thank you to Martin & Tracy Frankcom who have provided us with reviews of the wreck diving here and some superb photos of the dives to really give a feel of what the diving is like in Bikini.
• Thanks to Rick Davies who has contributed two more dive site reviews to our Fiji section in the Vatu-i-Ra region. These are Black Magic Mountain and Pot Luck.
• We have added two new sites to Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea: Ras Katy contributed by Rosie Branch, and Ras Nasrani from Ian Higgins.

Nov
2006

• Truk Lagoon (officially spelt Chuuk) is one of the best wreck diving locations on the planet. It served as a Japanese military and naval base during the Second World War and intense U.S. bombing led to the creation of many wrecks. Rik Vercoe has supplied us with a fantastic selection of photographs for 25 different sites in Truk, which should compel every diver to rush out and book a holiday there.
• Anna Wright has provided us with more contributions for South Ari Atoll in the Maldives with six new dive sites and plenty of photos.
• Thanks to David Joseph for reviewing Aquarium, a dive site in the Daymaniyat Islands of Oman (new section)
• Woz has sent us a comprehensive review of Swithland Quarry in Leicestershire, an inland UK dive site

Oct
2006

• In September we visited the Red Sea on a liveaboard trip to Safaga starting from Hurghada. This has allowed us to extend both our Hurghada and Safaga sections further, adding many new dive sites and photos. Some of the highlights of the trip were diving the wrecks of the revered Salem Express and the Al Kahfain, a recent ferry sinking from November 2005. We've also got reviews for some of the famous southern wall dives including Panorama Reef and some lovely reef dives such as Gota Abu Ramada. Thanks also to Ian Higgins who has also contributed some new sites to this section.
• Thanks to Anthony C for submitting 11 diving reviews of Pattaya and 6 reviews of Koh Samet in Thailand

Sept
2006

• Anna Wright contributes more information on scuba diving in the Maldives with three new dive sites at South Ari Atoll. The three new sites AA Thila, Broken Rock and Kuda Rah Thila are all first class and are brought to life thanks to Anna's excellent images and reviews.
• We have expanded our Tanzania section to include the island of Zanzibar and the region of Mtwara in addition to the Pemba dive sites. Tanzania is known for its big drift diving and healthy reef systems where macro life such as nudibranchs give photographers something to get excited about. Thanks to Sharon Richards and Blue World Diving for contributing to this section.
• Ian Higgins has given us a review of Dolphin Cave from L'Estartit on the southern coast of Spain.
• We have added three more sites to our Similan Islands section in Thailand: the Ridge, East of Eden and Boulder City. Thanks to Debbie Benton for the reviews.
• Thanks to Neil Norman for his review of the ironically named Blue Lagoon, a UK inland dive site.

Aug
2006

• World class diving - with plenty of big stuff! Ko Lanta in Thailand is home to some fantastic diving and is a photographer's paradise. Whale sharks and manta rays can sometimes be seen at Hin Daeng & Hin Muang, which also have the deepest drop-offs in Thailand. There is also the King Cruiser wreck to break up the reef dives. Thanks to Saffron Kiddy for supplying us with comprehensive reviews and to the stunning photography from Liquid Lense.
• Thanks again to Rick Davies for keeping us up to date with the diving in Fiji. He has provided us with a review of White Rock in the Yasawas.
• Thanks to Tom Watson for reviewing St. John's Point in County Donegal, Ko Lanta in Ireland and the MV Alastor in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland.

July
2006

• We have added 10 new reef dives to Taveuni in Fiji.
• We now have Bali in our Indonesia section featuring photos and 20 dive site reviews.
• Our Greece sections sees the addition of a new island with 6 reviews for Lefkas.
• We have added the region of Fethiye to our Turkey section.
• We have four further reviews in our Lanzarote section for the Lava Caves, the Rabat Wreck, Punta Jabillo and Las Salinas.
• Thanks to Rick Davies for reviewing Fish Rock Cave at South West Rocks, Australia and for South West Rocks dive centre for supplying us with some pictures to accompany the review.
• Andrew Woodfin has reviwed Sha'ab Sabina a reef dive in Hurghada, the Red Sea and supplied us with a selection of photographs for the dive site.

June
2006

• We have added 12 more dive sites to our Dahab section, including Umm Sid and Shoe Stump. Thanks to Carina Hall and Luke Cooper-Berry for contributing photos for these sites.
• Rob Bathgate has contibuted four dive sites and photos for the Isle of Man in the UK.
• Thanks to Anthony for contributing 6 dive sites in the Pattaya region of Thailand.

May
2006

• Australia is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. Most divers visit the renowned Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system which offers some fantastic diving. We have a new section up with 14 dive sites and complimentary photos in Cairns, the gateway to the northern extent of the Great Barrier Reef. We also feature some of the great temperate diving available in the southern states of this massive country with dive site reviews for the harbour city of Sydney and the remote Lord Howe Island. Many thanks to all those who have contributed to this section.
• This month sees a new addition to our Caribbean section with 5 new reef dives in Bonaire contributed by Anna Wright. Anna has provided us with a large number of dive sites across the world recently and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank her profusely. As well as comprehensive reviews, Anna has provided us with some great photography of the places she has visited. Her contributions include sites in Dahab in the Red Sea, Baa and North Nilandhe Atolls in the Maldives, diving in Malta and reef diving in the United Arab Emirates.
• Thanks to Stuart Davis for contributing Tarpon Alley in Grand Cayman.

April
2006

• Aprils main new section is Grand Bahama Island, part of the large group of islands that makes up the Bahamas. This includes Theo's Wreck and a shark feed dive at Shark Alley. Thanks to Chris Gjersvik for contributing the reviews and to Ray Lightbourne for the photos.
• We have added two very deep cave systems in inland South Africa suitable for trimix divers. Read the reviews for Badgat and Boesmansgat caves.
• Abu Dabab is a reef in Marsa Alam, the Red Sea where you can find dugongs. Thanks to Ian Higgins for this review.
• Thanks to Rob for contributing a review of the National Diving & Activity Centre, an inland dive site in the UK.
• We have uploaded two new sites to our Costa Rica section: Bajo de Diablo and Punta Quepos, thanks to Oceans Unlimited for reviewing these stes.
• Posidonia Oceanica, or seagrass, plays an important role in the Mediterranean ecosystem. It is coming under threat due to trawler-fishing, fish-farming, the building of new marinas and seaside complexes. We have added a new section to our environmental page on dive site directory detailing how this is threatening the delicate balance of the marine ecosystem. Many thanks to KennaEcoDiving for contributing this information to us.
• Thanks again to Rick Davies for contributing more to our Fiji section. This time the reviews are for Vomo Island with reviews of Great Wall of China, Rabbitfish Reef and Wet & Wild.
• We have created a new section in our Thailand pages for the Similan Islands following some contriutions from Danny Galt for Elephant Head Rock and Snapper Alley.

March
2006

• We add one dive site in Kenya and 10 dive sites on the island of Pemba off the east coast of Tanzania, a must for any diver who enjoys diving in strong challenging drifts with a chance to see large pelagics including hammerhead sharks.
• An excellent overview shot and great selection of images are donated by Paul Shuttleworth and Jerry Mayers for the inland dive site Capernwray Quarry.
• Many thanks to Gareth Parris for starting off our Sri Lanka section by providing us with reviews of Beruwela.
• We have extended our Philippines section with 15 new dive site reviews for Panglao Island, an island on the southwest tip of Bohol. Many thanks to Chito Medalle for contributing some very thorough write-ups

Feb
2006

• Ex-Red Sea dive guide Ian Higgins has contributed more to our Red Sea section including new reviews of Abu Kafan, the Tobias and Thomas Reef.
• Thanks to Daniel Honeywell for reviewing the Sophie Rickmers, a deep World War II wreck in Pulau Weh, Indonesia
• Gaynor Kenna has provided us with a review of Las Rocas at L'Escala, Costa Brava, our first dive site on mainland Spain
• Emma Holman has given us a review of Watcombe Caves in Devon along with some photos of the caves and of the James Egan Layne and Babbacombe Bay

Jan
2006

• In Norway from October to January there is a chance experience some unforgettable encounters with killer whales as they chase the herring that pass through the fjords. Jenny Pickles and Rik Vercoe were lucky enough to visit Lofoten this winter to snorkel with the orcas and dive on some of Norway's wrecks and reefs whilst they were there. In dramatic scenery and freezing temperatures they swam with these majestic animals and have supplied dive site directory with comprehensive write-ups and photos of their trip.
• Thanks to Craig Campbell for reviewing Powmill Quarry in Fife, Scotland for dive site directory

Dec
2005

• We've been able to expand our Thailand section further thanks to Brinley Meredith, who has contributed a review and some excellent images for Mango Bay in Koh Tao.
• One of the most popular pages on dive site directory is for the UK inland training centre, Stoney Cove. One of our contributors Rik Vercoe has decided to contribute more comprehensive information about the inland dive site to give us this month's special feature. There are photos and sketches of most of the features found in Stoney Cove and one of the better maps you will find on the internet.
• We have added the island of Mykonos in Greece to dive site directory with a review of the Anna II kindly contributed by Sotiris Vassiliadis.
• Rick Davies has sent us more dive reviews for the Mamanucas in Fiji, this time of a site called Mana Wall.
• We've added Amarilla Montagne in Tenerife thanks to Jon Cadman.

Nov
2005

• We have added Turkey to dive site directory with wrecks and reefs from around the Bodrum area. Many thanks to Rik Vercoe for contributing the comprehensive reviews and a selection of underwater imagery to us so that we could add another Mediterranean destination to the directory.
• Many thanks to Rosie Branch who has contributed comments to the Superior Producer, a wreck dive in Curacao and has contributed a new review with photos of Porto Marie further along the coast.
• Ian Rudge has extended our Tenerife section by sending us a review of the Meridian.
• Emma Holman has contributed a review of the Galicia near Torbay, England along with some superb photos.
• We now have the Blue Corner in Bali, Indonesia on dive site directory thanks to Luci Djunaidi.

Oct
2005

• This month sees the addition of many new South Pacific dive sites on dive site directory around Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia with cave and reef diving on the Ils de Pins and some historic wreck dives in Rabaul. Many thanks to Rik Vercoe for contributioning to this region.
• We have added a fantastic selection of photographs to our existing Maldives section after Carina Hall contributed a them for a selection of dive sites. They add some colour to the section, particularly to the wreck dives Kuda Giri and the Victory. The reef dive reviews that have photos to compliment them are all within South Male Atoll.
• Thanks to Barry McGill for contributing a number of deep wreck dives suitable for trimix divers around Malin Head in County Donegal, Ireland.
• Our Fiji section has grown even more thanks to Rick Davies with a new section on the Yasawas as well as reviews for Breath Taker and Bula Maker in Nananu-i-Ra, the Pipeline in Ovalau and the world famous Shark Reef in Beqa Lagoon.

Sept
2005

• We visited Baltimore in County Cork, Ireland, Europe to do some great cold water wreck and reef diving. There are plenty of photos to compliment the reviews in this section that are well worth a look.
• Thanks to Charlott Ragnarsson, James Howard and Ian Scrowther for contributing dive site reviews of Koh Tao in Thailand to add to the existing reviews we have in this area.
• Gordon Bagwell has added another site to our Scotland inland section called Kenmore Point.
• Stefano Di Cagno has given us details of 3 wreck dives in Southern Italy in the Puglia region: the Attilio Deffenu in Brindisi, the HMS Quail in Gallipoli and the HMS Regent in Barletta.
• Karim Awenat has sent us some excellent oceanic white tip shark photos taken at Jackson Reef in the Tiran Straits of the Red Sea and some for Outer Reef in Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
• We dived the Fortuna, Brighton as our last sea dive of the season in Force 5 conditions. Under the sea was comparably serene! Read about the dive and view photos here.
• Malik Chibah has contributed his unforgettable experiences of Chac Mool, Mexico, a cave dive with over 150 metres of visibility!

Aug
2005

• Dive guide Rick Davies has reviewed another top dive site in Fiji for us called Dream Maker. He has also sent us images to go with his previous contributions.
• A big thanks to regular contributor Rik Vercoe who has sent us 15 dive sites in the Philippines as well as photos for each dive and comprehensive overviews. Thanks also to Jel who has given us reviews of two dive sites in Palawan: Barracuda Lake and Olympia Maru.
• Ron Young has completed thousands of dives in the notheast of Britain and has sent us a review of Beadnell Point in Northumberland. He has told us that he'll send through more dive reviews for this areas as he finds the time so watch this space!
• Luca Nardi has given us a review of Alghero in Sardinia, Italy - with images now also here!
• We spent a weekend in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and dived at four locations around the marine reserve of Skomer Island. The dive reviews include an encounter with a very playful seal!

July
2005

• Dubai is a city famed less for its diving and more for its horizon-dominating tower blocks and new island development project "The World Islands". However, Jenny Pickles has recently visited both Dubai and Al Fujayrah in the United Arab Emirates and has supplied us with photos and dive write ups for the sites she dived.
• We have made a highlights page so that if you fancy browsing the site but don't know where to look you can view some of our most interesting sections with stunning photography and fascinating dive write ups.
• Rik Vercoe has given us a review of the controversial Salem Express giving some balanced arguments to consider when diving this Red Sea wreck.
• Malik and Nicky Chibah recently dived the Zenobia and have supplied us with some new photos for the page. Take a look to see what Nicky gets up to at 40 metres!
• Rick Davies has provided us with more photos and reviews for our Mamanuca Islands section, Fiji.
• We have been provided with a lot of reviews of inland dive sites in Scotland from Chris Wright who runs the Underwater Centre at Fort William. There are reviews for dives in lochs throughout the area.
• We have yet another dive site added to our Tenerife section called Punta Blanca.
• Jason Till has reviewed a couple of wrecks near to Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, UK. They are the HMS Montagu and the Robert.

June
2005

• Our Cuba section now has 16 further dive sites in two different regions of the island (Maria la Gorda and the Isle of Youth). With each site there are plenty of photos along with surface shots and overviews to really give a flavour of the truly world class diving that can be found there.
• We have added a wealth of new images and more dive sites to our Cook Islands section courtesy of Malik Chibah who dive guided there recently. There are wrecks, reefs and caves in this fascinating location all wonderfully illustrated by Malik's photos.
• Terrence Credlin has improved our Pacific section by providing us with reviews of Kennedy Island in the Solomon Islands and the Peaks at Naigani Island, Fiji. Both dive sites are complimented by images.
• We have a new image and a comment on the Horsea Horsea Island page for the Inland dive sites of England, thanks to Richard Welch
• Max Pulcher has contirbuted a review of Cades Reef in Antigua, our first dive site for this Caribbean island.

May
2005

• We have expanded our Southwest Britain section with a number of new wrecks and reefs around the Plymouth Sound, contributed by Luke Cooper-Berry. He has also given us a selection of photos and some sketches of the James Egan Layne and the UK's newest wreck, the HMS Scylla.
• Iain Page has contributed a review of Shark Point in Phuket, Thailand.
• Jose Foronda has sent through yet more reviews for our Tenerife section complete with some stunning photos for Roques de Anaga, La Cueva Del Roquete and Los Callejones.

April
2005

• Gran Canaria is the latest addition to the site with photos and diving reviews from Brian Goldthorpe.
• Carina Hall provides with some first class reviews and some outstanding photos from a liveaboard dive trip to Fury Shoals in Marsa Alam, the Red Sea.
• Michael Max sends us a dive site review of Las Eras in Tenerife with some accompanying photos.
• Malik Chibah sends us a selection of photographs for diving Fiji and New Zealand.

March
2005

• We add Playa Giron and Trinidad & Cienfuegos in Cuba to dive site directory thanks to contributions from Nick Wood and Rik Vercoe.
• John Green reviews a number of dive sites from around the UK including the SS Kintyre, the Pandora, Howick Beach and St Mary's Island.
• Aquanauts Grenada supply us with a press release detailing a new wreck to have sank off the southern coast of Grenada in the Caribbean called the Hema 1
• We add some photos to our Sudan section thanks to Johnathan Brass.

February
2005

• We have added a number of new dive site reviews to the Tenerife section, thanks to Jose Foronda who has provided us with some great images to go with them.
• We have also created a new section for diving Thailand, with a review from Cormac Kavanagh of Christmas Point in the Similan Islands.
• The City of Westminster is a wreck dive in Cornwall. James Buchanan tells us about how it became a top UK dive site. We've also added Capenwray Quarry in Lancashire and the Cadmus in East Yorkshire thanks to John Green.
• Many thanks to Arawak Divers for bringing our Carriacou section to life with an excellent selection of images from dive sites around the island.
• At dive site directory we are concerned about helping protect the environment for future generations to enjoy and would like to help bring issues such as pollution in the ocean and over fishing more to the attention of all divers. To help inform divers about the problems facing us globally, we have compiled a environmental issues page.
• We have added Italy to dive site directory thanks to Stefano Scolari who gave us a review of Costacuti Reef in Anzio.

January
2005

• As dive site directory turns a year old, we decide to create this log book to help you (and us!) keep a track of what we're up to.
• We add a few more dive write ups from Rik Vercoe to the North Hurghada section in the Red Sea.
• We're covering the aftermath of the Asian tsunami disaster, to help out wherever we can by publicising the areas that are unaffected by the disaster and which areas it is no longer possible to dive at. We want to try to encourage tourism in a time when small businesses that rely on it are struggling to make a living.
• We have put up a dive site in the deep south of the Red Sea in Sudan, thanks to the contribution of Jonathon Brass.

December
2004

• December’s major new addition is Catalina Island in California. There are some amazing photographs of the kelp forests and associated wildlife submitted by Carina Hall, who has also provided us with some comprehensive reviews. This section also sees the first shark dive to feature on dive site directory, with some accompanying shots of a feisty-looking mako!
• Have you ever heard about gold coins being washed up in Lulworth Cove? If so, perhaps you could get in touch with us and help Martin Scarfe find out where they have come from.
• Jeffrey Pappalardo contributed reviews on the HMS Stubborn and the Blenheim Bomber in Malta along with some great shots of the sites making this section of the directory even more thorough!
• Ian Haines has submitted reviews to both North and South Male in the Maldives, increasing the detail of coverage of the diving in this section.
• We have put some surface shots in some of the Red Sea overview pages to help readers get an impression of what to expect from the desert landscape.

November
2004

• The Balearics of southern Spain make an ideal budget destination for Europeans. Excellent visibility, an abundance of marine life and interesting geology makes Mallorca one of the best places for reef diving in the Mediterranean. Read all about it in this month's major new section.
• An ongoing project has finally been completed: we have added scale bars to our maps wherever possible to give you a better understanding of how far apart the dive sites are in each location. We hope you find this a useful feature!
• Carriacou sees another addition to the Caribbean section of dive site directory. Claudia Nagel has provided us with reviews of dive sites from all around this tiny island.

October
2004

• After months of hard work, we have finally completed a massive overhaul of our Red Sea section with the help of Ian Higgins, Rik Vercoe, Jenny Pickles and Dan Begent. We now cover more dive sites in greater detail from as far north as Taba all the way down to Marsa Alam in the south. Our maps now show scale bars and have accurate outlines of the reefs. We also have far more photographs of the dive sites giving a better impression of what the diving is like. Rik and Ian have both dive guided in the Red Sea, so have provided us with some insider information, some of which cannot be found anywhere else on the internet. Rik has spent a lot of time and effort producing spectacular drawings of a lot of the Red Sea wrecks as how they lie on the seabed which we have uploaded in PDF format for you to print out and take away with you if you are visiting the Red Sea. Rik and Ian have promised to send through more information when they get that chance, so watch this space!
• John Liddiard has given us access to his diving photography from around the world, but particularly in the UK. His shots really help to set the scene for our reviews – thanks John!
• We add Coral Garden in Pulau Payar, Malaysia to dsd thanks to Mo Razzak.

September
2004

• We spend a weekend diving around the Manacles on the Lizard, Cornwall giving us seven new dive sites to the southwest section of the UK pages along with some photos. We are joined by Carina Hall who puts our shots to shame!
• Ben Ernsting tells us about the Superior Producer in Curacao, the Caribbean and gives us a shot of it sinking.
• Anthony Ritchie leaves a comment on diving at Vobster Quay in the UK.
• Paul Beach emails us his comments on the Um El Faroud in Malta.
• Joanna Hudson contributes to the Yadua overview.
• Lou Harris gives us a review on Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote and Rik Vercoe provides us with a few photographs from the region.
• Julie Pothecary and Kayley Brown comment on the Countess of Erne in the UK.
• Jessica Bradford gives us a review of Punta Argentina in Costa Rica and some photos.

August
2004

• We make our Caribbean section even bigger with dive write-ups from Keith Royle on the British Virgin Islands. He also gives us access to RainbowVision’s pictures.
• Ousmon Sadique provides us with photographs and a comment for the Kyarra in Swanage, the UK and for the Zenobia in Cyprus.
• Ian Higgins gets in touch with us and starts contributing to the Red Sea section of dive site directory.
• Patrick O’Neill sends through a review of the Antilla in Aruba, complete with whale shark shots! He also leaves us his comments on Stingray City in Grand Cayman.
• Darren Mills gives us some comments on diving a selection of dive sites in Scapa Flow and Oban, Scotland.

July
2004

• July sees dive site directory really start to grow with people leaving comments and reviews for many different countries. This begins with us starting the Ireland section of dive site directory thanks to Coleman Byrne who sent us three reviews and some photos. We ask www.iol.ie/~hofnanet if we could use their shots of the U-260 and they kindly allow us to.
• Rik Vercoe returns from a trip to Borneo where he dived at Kapalai, Mabul and the Sipadan. He took some astounding photographs and also gave us some video which we put on the directory. His write ups reflect his enthusiasm for the diving in the area!
• In the UK section of the site Dick Berry gives us his thoughts on the Fleur de Lys and Swanage Pier, and on Stoney Cove in Leicester. Elaine Murphy tells us more about Dorothea in North Wales and Graeme Mackay gives us his thoughts on the Breda in Oban.
• Adrian Keene and Darren send us with a photograph and comment on the Bianca C in Grenada.
• Carina Hall adds to our Malta section with photos and reviews on the dive sites there.

June
2004

• David Drew starts off our Lanzarote pages by sending us a review of the Wrecks at Puerto del Carmen and some lovely shots to go with it.
• We do a weekends diving out of Eastbourne in the UK visiting the Duchess and the Alaunia. Sally & Gareth Morgan provide us with some photographs to compliment our reviews.

May
2004

• Rik continues to contribute to the directory by giving us reviews of various dive sites in Raratonga, the Cook Islands, plus a large number of write ups for sites around Male in the Maldives.
• Carina Hall contributes a selection of dive sites from Yadua, Beqa Lagoon and Mamanuca in Fiji, which Rik Vercoe then adds to. She also provides us with some great photography from the region.

April
2004

• Carina Hall and Jenny Pickles send us through reviews on diving in Tenerife to add to dsd. Jenny also contributes her opinions of some dive sites in Lombok, Indonesia.
• Rik Vercoe provides us with some reviews about diving around the volcanic reefs of Oahu in Hawaii.

March
2004

• We decide that reviews of dive sites just aren’t enough to provide all the information our readers need when planning a dive trip, so we begin writing overviews of each region as well, starting with Malta. The rest are to slowly trickle in over time. If an area does not have an overview at present, bear with us – it’s probably on its way!
• Rik Vercoe sends us some stunning photography and reviews to go with them for dive sites in Tobago and St Lucia. Carina Hall then gets in touch to extend these sections with some of her own shots and more comments on diving in the area.
• Rik also writes up two dive sites in New Zealand: Lion Rock and the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior.

February
2004

• We begin telling people about dive site directory to spread the word and begin to receive some reviews to put on the site. Carina Hall starts us off by sending through write-ups on diving in Grenada, the first island to be included in our Caribbean section.
• Jenny Pickles kindly sends us through reviews for some dive sites in the UK, the Cayman Islands, and for Dahab and Taba in the Red Sea.

January
2004

• dive site directory goes online, which is very exciting! The first additions to the site are dive sites in Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea, a few sites in Malta and a selection of dives from around the UK including some in Oban and Scapa Flow.

December
2003

• We get back from Malta and get our heads down! We designed the site layout and our logo and picked the colours we were going to use. We started building some of the pages ready to put dive site directory online in the New Year.

November
2003

• We had a diving holiday booked to Malta and were using the internet to try and research what the dive sites were like out there. Although the information was available if you hunted for it, it was difficult to find and we thought how great it would be to have it all in one place. The thought stuck with us and on our return we decided that we'd build a web site that was a directory holding reviews of dive sites worldwide - the concept was born!