So its a while since i’ve posted on here. Been quite busy with work. However this weekend and one a few ago my dad came down to Dorset where I’ve been working this month to do some diving. 2 days of diving with Diver’s Down on Swanage Pier, this is what I thought…
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Couple of Weekends Ago….
Saturday - Black Hawk & Durdle Door
To catch the slack tide the day started at 5 to get on the boat for just after 7 and we where taken to the first dive site for the day, the Back Hawk. An old wreck thats been blown up several times in the past to make way for pipework. There’s about half of it left, but its scattered over the seabed. It sits in about 18metres of water near Lulworth Cove on a sandy bottom. Not a lot to see other than the wreck, life was very sparse.
After a surface interval we headed around to Durdle Door. It was to be a drift dive starting from the door, heading around to Man Of War with the current. The max depth was about 19metres, mostly sandy bottom with boulders interspaced. Other than seaweed in the shallower depths there wasn’t much else apart from the occasional crab.

Sunday - Kyarra & Peveril Ledges Drift
 Another early start to get on whats supposed to be the best wreck in Swanage. Kyarra is just outside the bay, sat in 28-30 metres of water. We were put on the wreck way too early, the tide was still really running all the way till the end of the dive. Had to hold onto the shot all the way down then hold onto the wreck to stop being pulled away. The vis was pretty rubbish too. Didn’t really see a lot other than the deck as we stayed near to the shot due to the conditions.
The second dive was even worse, was a drift dive over the bay, but the skipper insisted that everyone put up DSMB’s as we left the boat to make it easier to track us. Although would have made a nice drift dive if there was something to see as the current was running nicely so no swimming was needed. Saw a few crabs and some scallops.

This Weekend Just Gone…
Saturday - Venezuela & Fleur De Lys
 A wreck in the channel between Swanage & Isle of Wight. Sat in 28 metres the Venezuela was a 64metre cargo steamer carrying coal. The vis was absolutely shocking, most 2metres, sometimes less. Apparently theres loads of fish on this one, but couldn’t see even if there was. Ok dive, but is probably a lot better in better vis.
 The second dive, after a rushed swap around back on the pier was the Fleur De Lys. A French crabber sat in 13 metres, the vis not a lot better and very broken up. Theres a rope running on the seabed from the Floor De Lys to another wreck sat upright next to it. This is alot more intact and can swim through the hold. Not a lot of life again but made an interesting dive.

Overall our experience diving in Swanage has not been a good one, the parking to expensive and rammed on the pier, theres not a lot of life and you feel like its run more for the money than for actual divers benefit. However with simple dives and pretty well managed would suit beginners or groups well. If you live above London its probably not worth the drive, go north instead or further south! Will probably not be in a rush to dive down here again!

So a few months ago my sister and I decided to go somewhere before I get busy again and she gets a job, also meant escaping the rubbish UK weather for a bit! We travelled to Aonang just outside Krabi on the coast of the Andaman Sea. Travel took about 24 hours, but was well worth it!
We stayed in the Ibis which was nicely set back off the road, avoiding the noisy Thai traffic! It was about a 20min walk to the closest beach, although the hotel had a free shuttle service every hour.
​While there we went Scuba Diving, visited a few beaches, went to the Phi Phi Islands, kayaked, did a bit of Climbing, Snorkelled and occasionally rested!

​Railay, Tonsai and Climbing 
From Aonang you can get long boat water taxi to a selection of close-by places, so twice we paid 400baht return, (£9), for the two of us to get around to Railay as the beach was a lot nicer around there. If staying in Aonang it's definitely worth going around for the day, the sea's clearer and beach quieter. Bonus too if your into climbing as Tonsai is only a short walk through the forest at the far left of the beach, (about 5-10mins). My sister doesn't climb so just had a bit of a boulder around the bottom of the cliffs on the beach. Theres loads of sport routes though!

​Scuba Diving 
So both being qualed. padi divers we booked a three dive boat trip through The Dive Ao Nang. Theres a few dive centres in Aonang and after walking around and talking to a few The Dive was the most friendly and didn't feel like I was pulling teeth when talking to them finding out about the local dive sites. We went on what they call the ASK, essentially in its three dives, a wreck and 2 reef dives.
The wreck is an old car transporter which sank in 1997 after hitting the reef nearby, (also the location of the second dive). Called the King Cruiser, it also happens to be in Scuba Travel's top dive sites in Thailand guide. The wreck is sat upright with the wheelhouse at 10metres, going down to the props at 30. Theres lots of life, big schools of fish, shrimps, nudibranchs, moray eels and box fish, along with typical reef life for the area.
The next dive was on a reef called anemone reef. A pinnacle starting at around 5 metres going down to 30+metres. As the name suggests there are lot of anemones. Lots more life too, even a shoal of barracuda swimming past on our dive. Our guide said that there used to be quite a few seahorses there, but in recent years they have completely disappeared. 
The final dive was called Shark Point, which is three pinnacles at progressively deeper levels, first tops out around 4metres, second 10metres, third 20ish. Again we where told there used to be quite a few sharks at this site, but have dropped sitings recently. We didn't see any, but did see a hawksbill turtle, along with a variety of shrimps, crabs, a cuttle fish and a few tunas.
The trip was well run with food and drink offered between each dive, and the guide was very knowledgeable. The guide ratio was good too with one to three and after our guide saw that we knew what we were doing soon relaxed. Ended up with 3 60min dives, not bad for a day diving!

Phi Phi Islands
​For one of the days we went on a Phi Phi Islands tour. It cost 2,000baht(£46) for two of us. That included a taxi from the hotel to the speed boat, Lunch and water throughout the day. The only thing it didn't include was national park entrance fees which are currently 200baht/person. It's approx. a 40 minute boat ride from Aonang to the Phi Phi islands. We visited several of the islands on the trip. First place we went was Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Lee. The beach is possibly one of the best beaches I have ever been on, well it would have been if you got rid of a few hundred people! According to the guide, 200 boats visit every day in peak season!
After a few more beach and sightseeing stops we arrived at the main island, (Ko Phi Phi), for lunch. Buffet style and nice food. Our final stop after lunch was a snorkelling trip then relaxing on Bamboo beach. Coral around Bamboo island is good, (video below), and the beach has soft white sand. It was also a lot quieter than the rest of the beaches that we had been to.

Food, Getting Around, Ect 
The food in Thailand is generally pretty cheap. Cost 2 of us around 600-800baht(£15) for a decent meal every night, although neither of us drink. In Ao Nang you need to get a water taxi to the other beaches around. To get to Railay beach it'll cost you 200baht return / person. There is however a nice beach just around the corner in the next bay along that can be got to by walking to the far end of the beach and up through a bit of rainforest.

Last week I went to go see the Ocean Film Festival in Wimborne, just outside Poole with a friend. Ive always loved the sea and spent a long time in and on it as a child, with scuba diving being one of my favourite water sports. The Festival is all about water sports, this year the films covered kayaking, diving and surfing, amongst other things. I thought i'd share a quick overview of my favourite films with you and hopefully encourage you to go see it!


Kayaking the Aleutians
This film is about Justine Curgenven and Sarah Outen and their quest to be the first to paddle the chain of islands in Alaska. The journey takes them 101 days in some of the most unpredictable waters in the world, with strong currents, big swell and the occasional encounter with a bear, while having a shower in a river… If this film won’t get you to go on a kayak journey, nothing will. They encounter lots of wildlife along the way and see some magnificent islands and scenery.


Gold of Bengal
Corentin de Chatelperron aims to prove that boats don’t have to be made out of plastic and fibre glass, but instead they can be made from natural products such as jute, a strong natural fibre. To do so he makes a small sailing boat, with a greenhouse, some chickens and lots of low-tech solutions to try and be completely self sufficient in a 6 month journey around the islands in the golf of Bengal. With a few mishaps and damage along the way, he and the boat make it, although the chickens have to be replaced. Corentin try to prove that everything does not have to be done in a complicated way, but instead can be done with some ingenuity and some bits that others would class as rubbish.


Other films featured are The Right, The Accord, India’s First Surfer Girl, (all surfing films), One Voice, (success story of the Humpback Whales’) and Ocean Stories: The Halls, (IMAX underwater videographers).


Head over to their website and check out the other films, dates and locations. 
oceanfilmfestival.co.uk

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What have I been up to:
Work has kicked back into full swing so quite busy, doing lots of watersports and working with kids and adult groups. I have had a few days off, been out climbing as much as possible, did a bit of drone filming, (keep eyes on instagram) and route set for a wall near Southampton. Ive also managed to fit in the last of my holiday to go to font for a few days next month which I’m psyched about and hopefully a cornwall trip next week!

On a side note i'm trying to sort out opening a store so you can purchase any of my pictures. In the mean time if you would like a print/canvas or use for any other purposes get in contact with me on the Contact  page.