I have been a PADI diver for 21 years and have done all my training through PADI. I have thousands of dives loged in every environment imaginable.

I have ADHD and have to get a doctor to sign off on my medical each year, which has not been a problem for years. They write that I am limited to 40m, which is perfectly fine.

Now, PADI has introduced a new (September 2025) standard for instructors and dive centers stating that any restriction noted on a medical form means no to diving, even if a doctor says it is perfectly safe for someone to dive within their restriction.

I am limited to 40m but cannot take a PADI underwater photography course with a maximum depth of 30m as per PADI standards. The dive center will conduct the course at a maximum depth of 17m due to the dive site used.

I am medically fit and experienced enough to do the course, but I can no longer take the course or any training with PADI.

How is this not discrimination?

So I'm a beginner photographer and everyone and their mum is telling me to use the rule of thirds to make my photos look more interesting, but I think it ruins them. When I use it it always looks obviously cropped and just strange.

Like I get it when you have a moving subject and you want it to be lightly off center so it looks like it's entering a scene, but for my photos I just think they look worse when I crop them off centre.

But I mean I have looked into the cropping "rules" or like those ratio things and I just can't seem to apply them to my photos without making them look strange.

Just to give you an idea, I added some photos to this post.

Can anyone please educate me on this?

Hello everyone, I'm 22 and have been diving for 7 years now. I racked up around 300 dives in Greece, Egypt and Maldives.

Is it worth it to look for any advanced certifications or is it just hyper specific stuff that isn't really needed.

Hi fellow divers!

Since last year, I’ve been using a SANTI Avatar drysuit with a rubber neck seal.

Last year, during a diving trip (around 15 dives over 6 days), I developed a large open wound on my neck.

I received all kinds of advice at the time:

Use more talcum powder.

Use Seal Saver.

Cut a small piece out of the neck seal.

After the diving trip, the weather in Belgium got warmer, so I switched to my semi-dry suit.

This year, I’ve already done several drysuit dives without any problems. However, after my dive yesterday, I developed the skin irritation you can see in the photo.

Has anyone else experienced this? And how do you deal with it?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and advice! 🤿

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a backpacking/scuba trip through Southeast Asia and am facing a huge luggage dilemma. I'd love to get some recommendations or advice from anyone who travels with heavy gear.

I'll be bringing my own complete scuba setup (BCD, wetsuit, fins, booties, mask, etc. — except my regulator and dive computer, which I'll keep in my carry-on for safety). Combined with my clothing and travel essentials, I'm looking at a volume of roughly 90L to 120L.

Here is my main issue with the type of travel I'm doing:

I'll be moving around a lot across Southeast Asia, that is, dirty roads, cobblestones, high curbs, ferries/boats, tuk-tuks, and long walks where I'll need to carry everything on my back.

Hard-shell 4-wheel spinners are completely out of the question: small wheels get destroyed on rough terrain, and hauling a rigid suitcase onto boats is a nightmare.

I also want to avoid obvious dive-brand bags (Mares, Cressi, etc.) because I don't want a giant "dive logo" advertising expensive gear inside while in transit or at airports.

What I'm looking for is a hybrid solution:

Large, rugged, off-road wheels (expedition duffel style) to roll smoothly on rough surfaces most of the time.

Concealable backpack straps / harness for when the terrain gets impossible, or when boarding boats/climbing stairs.

High durability to handle airport abuse and local transport.

A discreet/neutral exterior (looks like regular outdoor/mountain gear).

Has anyone who travels with dive gear in a backpacking style found the ideal setup?

Any advice, packing tricks, or bag recommendations are super appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Just got my first Shearwater, a Peregrine TX, and I’m looking for a good dive log app for my iPhone.
I’ve tried Dive Shearwater, but I’m already running into frustrations, including being unable to delete an imported test dive.
What are you using with your Shearwater, and would you recommend it? I’ve seen Subsurface, MacDive, and Dive Log mentioned. Mainly looking for reliable Bluetooth downloads, easy editing/deleting, and a decent interface. Free or paid is fine if it’s worth it.

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I am planning on traveling to Phuket in early December 2026 for my first scuba experience and Open water diving certification.

I have done snorkeling before. I am a decent swimmer and currently on a fitness journey.

My question is should I go for a Scuba Diver course or directly for an Open Water course? I can swim non-stop for 30 mins or so but I'm not sure that's enough.

Do you have any recommendations for dive school in Phuket that you have done your course from? The ones I saw were Rumblefish, Aussie Divers and All4Diving

Any help is greatly appreciated

I’ll be in railay Beach area for 5 nights, I was wondering if anyone thinks this would be enough time to get a license I’ve heard that they have three day intensive courses and I think it would be cheaper to get it in Thailand. Has anyone done this before in krabi? Also, do you think it would be worth it or do you think it would take too much of my trip because I also wanted to do rock climbing and a little bit of sightseeing?

I see a couple places selling a Perdix 2 for $900. e.g., https://www.scuba.com/shearwater-perdix-2-ti-dive-computer/p/swttp2bk?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16820818456&gbraid=0AAAAACmoH5X2ZmhetfQZrTBNU38Tkb7Qy&gclid=CjwKCAjw_9bWBhBGEiwAomyTImfABeei48peAeNjLrbcQZqSV8QIzA__NWLos-HUtCTjOKK56hqnrhoCeTQQAvD_BwE

I'm relatively new to diving, and was wondering if this is good deal? I think it's been at this price since the Perdix 3 came out this year.

I'm not a tech diver and don't really need a Perdix, and I was thinking of getting the tern TX but this is pretty much the same cost as the tern TX and has the benefit of a replaceable battery + other benefits should i ever get into tech diving.

Also $900 is just for the computer only. The air integration + GPS is like an extra $400