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Definitely one of my favourite diving books, and I was amazed when, a few years back, Tony posted on my blog after a friend put him on to it. Small world.

I found it terrible. Littered with typos and grammatical errors. Not to mention the stories of dives to 90m on air, safety divers breathing the same on the Ferreras's free dives. As for the "facts" he presents about diving, the book is laughable. I don't think he had a proofreader or editor on...

SHADOW DIVERS is a must. My Dad's a holiday diver, whereas I'm a wreck freak. Took him ages to pick it up, but then he couldn't put it down. DIVER by Tony Groom, an ex-Royal Navy diver's career story, from bomb-disposal in the Pacific to the bars of South England. Very funny. Don't read THE...

I think that's a very blinkered, media-influenced view you have on Mexico. I've been in Central America 11 months, and have had no problems here (and I've been to all the countries, including Honduras and El Salvador). In Mexico I've visited Playa Del carmen, Tulum, San Cristobal De Las Casas...

I've worked in Coron, Philippines, twice. The wrecks there are empty, but still very exciting dives...particularly the Irako (42m max...great penetrations), Akitsushima and Okikawa (massive oil tanker...just 12m to the main deck, and it's upright). You can take a liveaboard very cheaply (and...

Excellent report, Dirtfarmer...thanks for taking the time to put all that up. I'm on Utila at the moment, but heading South pretty soon. Looking to do Little Corn in Nicaragua and Bocas Del Toro in Panama. Maybe even jump on a Cocos trip in Rica, if I can wing a cheap Standby!

I'm doing the IDC in Utila this April. I land in Mexico this Wednesday, and will be backpacking over there via Cuba, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador.

Thanks for all the responses. They reinforce what I was thinking: better to make OWSI with Nitrox for now. I'm mainly into wrecks, so later on will maybe take Deep, DPV, Wreck and anything else related. I'll be doing some Tec Wreck courses with Tech Asia next time I'm out in the Philippines...

Cherry Blossoms is good and cheap, also very secure. Days out, Corregidor as mentioned, and also the Mt Pinatubo volcano is doable from Manila, and saves you having to stay in the sex-tourist hell that is Angeles to do it. Great hike up, and a cobalt-blue lake to swim in...lovely! Get to...

Hello all I'm off to become an instructor in April, and am wondering whether the MSDT is worth doing, as opposed to the cheaper option of OWSI (inc Nitrox instructor). A few people have said that some dive operations are asking for MSDTs more and more. But I don't know of any instructor in...

ha ha ha...I'm the same. Hablo mas lo que entiendo, porsupuesto. Listening is difficult, the worst place being the Colombian coast...even south americans we hung out with hardly understood los costeños. I've spent a lot of time in the Philippines, especially Coron near Palawan; a great country...

Hi mate Yes, I'm planning to get 2-4 weeks in Antigua, Guatemala, myself; very cheap to learn there. I did a little in Colombia last year, and have been using Margarita's Magic Key (great book) as well as the Michel Thomas CDs. So I'm intermediate. I'll be looking for a hot latina to teach me...

Hey Dharker I'm in a similar situ, around your age, and from your neck of the woods. I'm off to Central America to do the IDC in Utila with Andy Phillips of UDC in April. Also going to improve my Spanish while travelling from Mexico to Panama. I met AP at the Birmingham Dive Show, and he seems...

Thanks, all. I would have liked a wing, as these pack away flat...but apparently most dive centres like you to teach while using equipment familiar to rookie divers. It would be the best option, though...and I'd get more use out of a wing when using twins to dive around the UK. As for...

True, awap. But these BCDs are particularly light, and this info was coming from an instructor who runs a kit shop in London...hence my question.

How did you get on, Camden? I'm heading out there in January...any tips for me? I'm going to be roughing it a bit, as I always do...travel cheaper, travel longer. So if you found any good, reasonable accommodation in Tulum, please let me know.

You certainly get a short dive at depths of over 120'. I have dived 200' on air (Apo Reef, Philippines), and it meant spending the rest of the dive at 15m if I didn't want to do any deco. As posters above have mentioned, there are the concerns of O2 toxicity and and narcosis. It's all down to...

Hey, thanks for those. I'm looking forward to getting out there and diving, and also learning a little more Spanish on the way around.

Thanks, Anne Marie. I head for Mexico next year, so if I follow in Steinbeck's footsteps, I'll give you a shout.

Hello all My first post on here. I'm off to Central America to take the IDC early next year, and am shopping for a BCD to take with me. I've been using a Mares Dragon, and love it...but it's too bulky and heavy to take, as I'll be doing a lot of backpacking around the region which won't...