Diving with Mariusz

Stoney Cove, LeicestershireSSI Divemaster training at Stoney Cove Quarry, one of the UK's best known inland dive sites.

Stoney Cove, LeicestershireEvery successful dive starts with a proper briefing — planning, risk assessment and clear objectives.

Vobster Quay, UKThat instant when your eyes meet the waterline. One breath, one final check, one last look at the world above.

Vobster Quay, UKDrysuits, twinsets and cold water — how most UK training days actually look.

Stoney Cove, UKBack on the surface after a training dive. The debrief matters as much as the dive itself.

LanzaroteA slipper lobster just above the seabed. Encounters like this go to divers who can hold still and keep the silt down.

LanzaroteA night dive, and an octopus within arm's reach. After dark the seabed behaves nothing like it does in daylight — which is the whole point of the Night Diving specialty.

Vis, CroatiaThe Teti wreck off Vis. A deco cylinder slung on the left, dry suit, everything redundant — the configuration Extended Range training is built around.

LanzaroteA Try Dive in warm water, with a shoal of seabream closing in. A first descent, with the instructor alongside the whole time.

MaltaA wreck in warm, clear water off Malta. Trip diving like this is what solid basics buy you.

Vis, CroatiaA full technical rig: side cylinders, an oxygen stage for decompression, and a team within reach. Nothing here is improvised.

Vis, CroatiaTwo OK signs before the decompression part of the dive. Checking the team is procedure, not politeness.

United KingdomDry suit, twinset and a car park by the water. That is how most UK training days actually start.

Stoney Cove, UKThe Stoney Cove map before getting in. The dive plan is made in the car park, not on the bottom.

Vis, CroatiaThe Brioni wreck off Vis, in low light. A torch and a technical wing — deeper and darker is where recreational limits stop being enough.

MaltaThe superstructure, overgrown and busy. After a few decades a wreck stops being a ship and turns into a reef.

MaltaA break on the bow. Diving is meant to be fun too, not only procedures.

MaltaThe same bow up close. In visibility like this the whole hull drops away beneath you.

Stoney Cove, UKPool work: buoyancy and body position. Everything gets practised here long before open water.

Stoney Cove, UKLevel just above the bottom, without touching it. This is the skill that later decides how much you actually see underwater.

Stoney Cove, UKExchanging the OK sign. You do not talk underwater — everything goes through hand signals, so they get practised from the first session.

Stoney Cove, UKThe heated indoor training pool at Stoney Cove, 28 degrees. Last words before going down.