Recent Content

Best Dive Knives (And When You Actually Need One)

A PADI Divemaster's tested picks for the best dive knife, line cutter, and shears, plus a buying guide on blade material, tip shape, and attachment style.

Suunto Zoop Novo Review (1 Year of Diving)

Best Scuba Tank Marker Lights (For Night Diving and Low Visibility)

A tank marker is one of the cheapest safety upgrades you can add to your kit and one of the most overlooked. This guide breaks down the three best options for night diving, covering the best overall LED beacon, the best purpose-built diving glowstick, and the best budget disposable option.

Suunto Nautic S Review (Divemasters Thoughts After 90 Days)

I tested the Suunto Nautic S as a backup computer across 25 dives on a Red Sea liveaboard and in Turkey. At $550, it packs air integration, a digital compass, and a vivid color display into a price point that makes the competition look overpriced.

Best Scuba Diving Tanks (All Dive Scenarios)

Not every diver needs to own a tank, but if you dive often enough it's worth it. I've been diving my own steel tanks since 2022 and break down the three best options for recreational divers, including the best aluminum tank for tropical diving, the best steel tank for cold water and weight savings, and the best pony bottle for added safety. Plus a full buying guide covering inspections, used tank risks, buoyancy differences, and valve types.

3 Best Reef Safe Sunscreens (PADI Divemaster's Picks)

PADI Divemaster Austin Tuwiner breaks down which sunscreen chemicals harm coral reefs and shares his top 3 reef-safe picks: Stream2Sea, Coral Safe, and Sun Bum.

3 Best Scuba Diving Boots (For All Dive Scenarios)

Dive boots keep your feet warm, protected, and comfortable before, during, and after a dive. In this post I cover whether you need them, the benefits, reviews of the best scuba diving boots, as well as a buying guide to help you pick the right pair.

Lionfish Hunting Guide: Everything You Need to Start Spearing Invasive Lionfish

How to Catch Florida Spiny Lobster (Gear, Seasons, Limits)

Hunting lobster in Florida via a scuba tank or freediving is one of my favorite things to do. There's something very primal in being in direct contact with the food we eat. After diving in South Florida for the past four years, I wanted to put together the ultimate guide to hunting Florida Spiny Lobster, so you can do it legally and properly, on your own time.

Best Surface Marker Buoys (For All Dive Scenarios)

An SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) is a simple piece of gear that could save your life. It marks your location on the surface so boats don't run you over when you come up from a dive. Sounds dramatic? It happens more often than you think.

5 Best Scuba Fins (For All Diving Scenarios)

Complete guide to choosing scuba diving fins. Learn about open heel vs. closed heel vs. freediving fins, sizing, materials, and which fins work best for drift diving, shore diving, and different conditions. Written by a PADI Divemaster with 400+ dives.

Best Scuba Diving Gloves (For Each Environment)

Diving gloves can be a point of contention for divers. When divers wear them (usually inexperienced divers) they tend to touch more marine life than they would otherwise, as there are fewer repercussions when wearing gloves.

Best Freediving Masks (For All Scenarios & Skill Levels)

Besides a pair of freediving fins, a reliable freediving mask is one of the most important pieces of freediving gear. While you could use a standard scuba mask or snorkel mask, it’s not ideal. With so many different freediving masks on the market nowadays, and major brands featuring endless product lines, it can be tough to pick the best mask for freediving.

Garmin Descent MK3i Review (Divemasters Thoughts After 90 Days)

For the past 90 days, I’ve used the Garmin Descent MK3i not only as my primary diving computer but also as an everyday smartwatch.

Best Scuba Diving Computers (For Every Budget & Skill Level)

In this article, I'll share my favorite dive computers that I've personally tested over my 500+ dives, including which one is on my wrist right now. These include different recommendations depending on budget, watch-style preference, and skill level.

Steel vs Aluminum Scuba Tanks: Which Should You Use?

Steel and aluminum tanks both get the job done — but they dive differently. Steel is lighter, holds more air, and stays negatively buoyant the whole dive. Aluminum is cheaper, corrosion-resistant, and what you'll find at most dive shops worldwide. Cold water or drysuit diving → steel. Warm water tropical diving → aluminum.

Best Full Face Snorkel Masks (What To Avoid)

test

Shearwater Peregrine TX Review: 50+ Dives Later

In 2025, the Shearwater team sent me a loaner copy of the Shearwater Peregrine TX for testing. It's an upgrade to the base Shearwater Peregrine with two new features, being a digital compass and an air transmitter.

Shearwater Teric Review (Divemasters Thoughts After 1 Year)

Shearwater gave me a loaner copy of the Shearwater Teric, where I had the opportunity to use it as a primary diving computer for one year. In this guide, I'll share my favorite things about the computer, as well as some things I didn't like, so you can purchase your next dive computer.

Lefeet P1 Review (Divemasters Thoughts After 50 Dives)

I bought the Lefeet P1 diver propulsion vehicle in 2025 and have been diving it into mid-2026 across South Florida and 7 countries. Here's my honest take on air conservation, travel, camera stability, and the two issues I ran into.

What a Week on the All Star Scuba Scene REALLY Looks Like

I spent 7 nights aboard the All Star Scuba Scene liveaboard on the North & Brothers itinerary out of Hurghada, Egypt in May 2026. I cover everything from the cabin and boat layout to the crew, food, safety setup, and the diving itself, including Big Brother Island and the SS Thistlegorm. I also break down the full pricing, gear rental costs, best time to go, and what to expect with WiFi. My verdict: the best liveaboard I've ever been on.

What a Week on Blackbeards REALLY Looks Like (Morningstar & Sea Explorer)

I'll share my experience with the Blackbeard Liveaboard Duo – The Sea Explorer and The Morning Star. While my experience was on The Sea Explorer, the boats are pretty much identical, with the only differences being the crew that runs the operation and some minor structural changes.

What Scuba Diving Türkiye ACTUALLY Looks Like

I spent three weeks solo diving across Türkiye, hitting Antalya, Kemer, Tekirova, and Kaş. This guide covers every site I dove, including the Saint Didier and the Paris II (with the diver who actually discovered it), plus real water conditions, dive operators, and what to budget if you go.

What Scuba Diving Kaş ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

In June 2026, I scuba dived in Kaş, Turkey, an affordable Mediterranean destination with boat-only diving, sunken wrecks, and a military tank sitting on the seafloor.

What Diving Eilat, Israel ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

In May 2026, I dived Eilat, Israel's only Red Sea city. I covered six dives across five sites including the Satil wreck, Yatush wreck, Japanese Gardens, and the Coral Beach Nature Reserve. Eilat has some of the best visibility I have seen anywhere, strict government diving regulations, and a shore diving setup unlike most destinations. Here is everything you need to plan your trip.

What Diving the Dominican Republic ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

In April of 2026, I spent a week scuba diving around the Dominican Republic, hitting all of the best dive sites around the island. I dove pristine coral reefs, world class shipwrecks, and tried cave and cavern diving for the first time.

What Scuba Diving Panama ACTUALLY Looks Like (Both Coasts)

I spent three weeks diving both coasts of Panama in March 2026 — the Pacific and Caribbean. This guide covers the top scuba diving destinations in Panama including Coiba National Park, Portobelo, Bocas del Toro, and the Pearl Islands, with first-hand charter recommendations, how to get there, and honest takes on what the diving is actually like.

What Scuba Diving Cozumel ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

In January 2026, I did a two-day dive trip in Cozumel, Mexico with Deep Exposure. Here's my full breakdown of the best dive sites including Palancar Caves, which cracks my top five dives of all time, plus operator recommendations, marine park rules, and everything you need to plan your trip.

What Scuba Diving Utila ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

I spent two weeks living and diving in Utila, Honduras in March 2026. Here's my full breakdown of the best dive sites, where to stay, which operators to use, and everything else you need to plan your trip.

What Scuba Diving Roatan ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

I spent 10 days diving Roatan, Honduras as a PADI Divemaster — here's every dive site, operator, and tip you need to plan your trip.

What Scuba Diving Coiba ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

In January of 2026, I went to Santa Catalina to dive Coiba National Park on a 3-day overnight trip totaling 9 dives over 3 days.

What Scuba Diving Santa Teresa ACTUALLY Looks Like (2026 Guide)

Here are some highlights from diving two sites in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, being "Sunken Ship" and "La Pared." The dive charters here leave out of Malpais and do a lot of diving around Cabo Blanco Island.

Scuba Diving Colombia's Rosario Islands

In January of 2026, I went scuba diving at the Rosario Islands off the coast of Cartagena. I purposely didn’t do much research before coming, as I wanted to be surprised by the diving. Here’s what my experience was!