Scubas reading material (Diver)

Name: scuba_angel

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Product:	Diver
Date:	20/06/07 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: well written all about diving

Disadvantages: diving, cost

As is reasonably clear from my user name I like scuba diving, and as with many divers I obtain alot of inofrmation on the sport through reading dive publications of which there are three main ones avaliable in the UK. this is possibly the best, it isn't affiliated to any of the diver training organisations, but each has its merits and I subscribe to all three.

This review is mainly concentrating on a recent issue's content.
The covers are usually brightly coloured and I have to say tempt me back in to the water as its almost always clear and with gorgeous bright fish.

Ok back to the real world now where the magazine is just a picture and I am not underwater!
The features tend to include travel both UK dive sites (cornwall;coast to coast) and abroad (Bali Beasts), information on improving dive technique (Deco Plans), equipment reviews (Far Fetched Fins), and more random things which this month is a feature called Divers in Space as well as Which RIB?
The top of the cover has the name of the magazine in bold white type which stands out beautifully against the blue background, with the website, month of issue and price below it.

Inside there are 114 pages which for a cost of £3.80 is reasonable for a speciality magazine. But for your money you are buying 32 pages of adverts which again is a relatively small number compared to 'celebrity' magazines.
The regular features in Diver are

First In; The editors summary of the month.
Off Gassing; Readers letters, if you write in and your letter is choosen as the letter of the month you can win some very good prizes.
News; This is a summary of the months diving and aquatic news although by the time the magazine is published you will probably have read most of it online.
Mystery Diver; The Mystery shopper section.
Beachcomber; A section devoted to exposing poor dive and environmental practises.
Blackford and Trewavas: Two very different colunmists if you don't like one chances are you will the other.
Whats Bubbling; Diving holiday news.
Diver Tests; The most upto date kit is tested by divers writers.
Just Surfaced; New kit not yet tested
Wreck Tours; This isnt counted as a feature but has been present as long as I have been reading Diver. This month it is a tour of the Kimya tanker - although once at the wreck tour page its a totally different wreck featured (The Elsa), a rare boob for them.
Deep Breath; Which ends the magazine is usually written by a guest columnist and can be about almost any topic this month its about Drinking and Diving.

Of course there is a comprehensive directory of dive centres in the UK and abroad, classified ads, and the advertisers index.

The quality of the writing throughout the magazine is excellent, written in the main in clear 'diver-ese' that is to say its easily understandable as long as you have some level of diving knowledge. The pictures are stunning, from the comparatively simple clear water pictures to those more technically challenging in murky or deeper waters, with contributions from many award winning underwater photographers. Throughout the articles and features you are aware that the writers are all divers who love the sport and are genuinely interested in their subjects. The magazine also excells at pointing novice or inexperienced divers towards suitable dives rather than focussing on the deepest, coldest, most challenging ones, although they do generally have a full range of dives to all levels. Not just tempting us with exotic holiday desinations but ones closer to home which is something some of the other magazines can sometimes omit in the rush to show the exotic expensive destinations.

There is of course a subscription option either 24 months for £59.95 currently you will also recieve a Gear bag and a Dry Bag, this has been the same offer for almost 2 years, I recieved both when I last renewed and both are of a high quality. Or you can subscribe for 12 months for £32.95 with a free Torch, I can't comment on the quality of the torch but it is a fairly good brand. I would recommend subscribing as its quite hard to find the magazine outside of WHSmiths or Borders stores and of course it will save you quite alot of money (between 27% and 34% on the magazines alone taking in to account the value of the gifts and it is substatially more).

I can honestly recommend this magazine to anyone who has an interest in diving, or who wants to know more about the diving world to keep up with a diving partner, of course if you have no interest in diving or are scared of water this may not be publication for you.

Summary: Unaffiliated so should be impartial