From the Tribe
106 articles from over a decade of Scubaversity — skills, sightings, trip reports and the odd adventure. Jump to a year, or just start scrolling.
Why training in low-visibility water builds sharper buoyancy, focus and buddy awareness than clear water ever could.
Read the full post →How PADI Seal Team turns pool time into an action-packed junior mission for divers as young as eight.
Read the full post →Why the PADI Fish Identification specialty turns every reef dive into a rewarding scavenger hunt.
Read the full post →Inside blackwater 'bonfire' diving — the otherworldly night dive where drifting plankton can draw in manta rays.
Read the full post →A look at volcano diving — the black sand, hydrothermal vents and rare dive sites shaped by the earth's fire.
Read the full post →How divers can spot, report and safely help manage marine invasive species like the lionfish.
Read the full post →A light-hearted look at how Hollywood gets scuba diving wrong — from infinite air to chatty underwater villains.
Read the full post →Every dive instructor teaches differently — here's why finding the right fit matters for your Open Water course.
Read the full post →Why real water comfort — not rushing your Open Water course — is the foundation of safe, enjoyable diving.
Read the full post →What it takes to move from recreational diving into technical diving — the skills, certifications and gear that come first.
Read the full post →Eight bucket-list wreck diving destinations, from Chuuk Lagoon and the SS Thistlegorm to Bermuda's Wreck Capital of the Atlantic.
Read the full post →Why keeping a dive journal builds safety and skill as fast as it preserves the memories that make diving unforgettable.
Read the full post →Why the PADI Rescue Diver course is often called the most rewarding course a diver can take, and how it changes the way you dive.
Read the full post →Why the PADI Advanced Open Water course, five Adventure Dives of your choosing, is the smartest next step after Open Water.
Read the full post →Blue holes and cenotes are Ice Age cave systems flooded by rising seas, and among the most striking, demanding dives on Earth.
Read the full post →From the Trieste in 1960 to James Cameron's solo dive in 2012, the story of humanity's journey to the deepest point on Earth.
Read the full post →Inside coral gardening, the fragmentation, nursery and outplanting process that lets scuba divers actively restore damaged reefs.
Read the full post →A clear guide to Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism: what causes DCI, who's at risk, and how it's treated.
Read the full post →How adaptive scuba diving opens the freedom, confidence, and community of the underwater world to divers of every ability.
Read the full post →A side-by-side look at reef diving's big, colourful vistas versus muck diving's world of tiny, camouflaged critters.
Read the full post →Meet the coelacanth, a 420-million-year-old living fossil once thought extinct, and the deep-sea life it still leads today.
Read the full post →The vaquita, or 'sea panda,' is down to a few dozen individuals in the Gulf of California. Here's why, and what's being done.
Read the full post →Sharks aren't the mindless killers of movie legend. Here's the truth about their diversity, their ecosystem role, and how to help.
Read the full post →Never dive alone: how the buddy system acts as your backup life support, extra eyes, and calm head when things go wrong.
Read the full post →On 28 September 1994, the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea, killing 852 people. The story of the disaster and its investigation.
Read the full post →Thinking about a career on the water? Here's what yacht crew life actually involves and six steps to break into the industry.
Read the full post →What separates cavern diving from true cave diving, and the training, lights, lines and gas rules that keep overhead divers safe.
Read the full post →Practical, everyday habits every diver can adopt to protect coral reefs and marine life, and become a real ocean ambassador.
Read the full post →Inside the training, teamwork and equipment that make ice diving one of the most demanding overhead specialties in the sport.
Read the full post →Tribes, scuba pong and a braai under the stars — a recap of our Survivor Challenge Weekend at Miracle Waters.
Read the full post →How Egyptian diver Ahmed Gabr descended to 332 metres in the Red Sea and set the record for the deepest scuba dive ever made.
Read the full post →Why alcohol and drugs and diving never mix, how long impairment really lasts, and why sober diving keeps you and your buddy safe.
Read the full post →Inside MUSA, the Cancún Underwater Museum of Art — 500 sculptures slowly becoming a living reef, and the diver behind them.
Read the full post →From ancient Japanese free divers to Henry Fleuss's 1878 rebreather, a short history of how humans learned to breathe underwater.
Read the full post →Why the PADI Rescue Diver course builds the awareness and confidence to look after your buddy, long before anything goes wrong.
Read the full post →How a manta ray hiding in plain sight for 15 years was confirmed as a third distinct species, and how to tell it apart.
Read the full post →From dolphin signature whistles to octopus jumping genes, ten ocean animals whose intelligence still surprises scientists.
Read the full post →Learn how Scubaversity's Fish Identification speciality turns every dive into a treasure hunt of colours, patterns and behaviour.
Read the full post →Worried about being rusty after time away from diving? Here's why that fear rarely matches reality, and how to ease back in.
Read the full post →Explore the Sweepstakes, an 1867 schooner remarkably preserved in Lake Huron's cold, clear waters near Tobermory, Ontario.
Read the full post →Trade the 9-to-5 grind for the ocean. Five reasons a career as a scuba diving instructor offers freedom, purpose and adventure.
Read the full post →Instructing is just one current in the dive industry. Discover the many other diving careers open to qualified divers.
Read the full post →From Two Mile Reef to Nine Mile Reef, discover which of Sodwana Bay's dive sites suit your certification level.
Read the full post →Quieter sites, clearer water and more one-on-one instructor time, five reasons winter is a great time to learn to dive.
Read the full post →A complete packing checklist for Scubaversity's Zanzibar and Mafia Islands dive trip, from dive gear to travel essentials.
Read the full post →Skip the usual tie and aftershave, give Dad an unforgettable Discover Scuba Diving experience this Father's Day.
Read the full post →From devoted clownfish mothers to nursing dolphin calves, a Mother's Day look at how maternal love echoes throughout the ocean.
Read the full post →Training for your PADI Open Water certification inland can save money, ease you in gently and leave you fully ready to enjoy the ocean.
Read the full post →From hand-made single-lens masks to today's wide-vision designs, here's how the humble dive mask evolved over seven decades.
Read the full post →A Scubaversity member on how the PADI Search and Recovery course sharpened her buoyancy, navigation and cool-headed problem solving.
Read the full post →Baited shark dives, the Aliwal Express drift and the MV Produce wreck — three reasons Aliwal Shoal belongs on your list.
Read the full post →Presentation, briefings and logistics: three lessons that shaped how one trainee approaches the job of being a divemaster.
Read the full post →Becoming a dive instructor is less about the badge and more about a life path of self-discovery, confidence and helping others.
Read the full post →Marking International Whale Shark Day with the facts behind the ocean's gentle giant, and how divers can help protect it.
Read the full post →Not knowing what to do with your life after school? The Blue Ocean Program can turn a love of diving into a career and a calling.
Read the full post →A secluded stretch of Mozambique coastline with pristine beaches and crystal-clear water, just over the South African border.
Read the full post →Coral reefs among the most southern in the Indian Ocean, manta rays, whale sharks and 30-metre visibility — welcome to Sodwana.
Read the full post →Meet the ocean sunfish: the world's largest bony fish, an awkward swimmer, a jellyfish specialist and a curious diver's companion.
Read the full post →From Tubbataha Reef to Apo Reef, the Philippines pairs world-class dive sites with over 30 metres of visibility for every level.
Read the full post →Marico Oog's crystal-clear spring water in North West Province is a year-round favourite for relaxed, warm-water diving.
Read the full post →A guide to the four stages of the PADI Rescue Diver course, from eLearning to open water rescue scenarios.
Read the full post →Discover why becoming a PADI Dive Instructor could be the fulfilling, adventure-filled career change you're looking for.
Read the full post →Meet Gonatus onyx, the deep-water black-eyed squid known for its hooked arms and jet-propelled hunting style.
Read the full post →The dumbo octopus gets its name — and its ear-like fins — from Disney's famous flying elephant.
Read the full post →The coelacanth was thought extinct for millions of years until it was rediscovered off the South African coast in 1938.
Read the full post →Sea angels are tiny, transparent sea slugs whose graceful, dance-like movements have captivated divers.
Read the full post →A simple step-by-step guide to correctly threading your weight belt buckle before every dive.
Read the full post →The candy crab is a tiny, brilliantly camouflaged crustacean that dresses itself in the colours of soft coral.
Read the full post →A look at three of Mozambique's standout dive sites — Pinnacles, Three Sisters, and Doodles.
Read the full post →Seven surprising facts about stingrays, from cartilage skeletons to fossils older than the dinosaurs.
Read the full post →From the giant bumphead to the nocturnal princess parrotfish, meet four striking members of the parrotfish family.
Read the full post →Meet the yeti crab — a hairy, deep-sea crustacean that farms its own bacteria for food near hydrothermal vents.
Read the full post →The round ribbontail ray is a striking, speckled stingray found across Indo-Pacific reefs and lagoons.
Read the full post →Female blanket octopuses trail shimmering webbing and even steal venomous tentacles for their own defence.
Read the full post →At just 20cm long, the dwarf lantern shark is the smallest shark in the world — and one of the few that glow.
Read the full post →Nudibranchs communicate through chemical trails, detect food with rhinophores, and even weaponise the toxins they eat.
Read the full post →Three hearts, blue blood, and hundreds of thousands of eggs — the octopus is one of the ocean's strangest residents.
Read the full post →Nine quick facts about hammerhead sharks, from their one-of-a-kind head shape to their rare virgin births.
Read the full post →Ten quick facts about manta rays, from their mucous coating and huge brains to why they're now classed as vulnerable.
Read the full post →Ten common misconceptions about scuba diving, from cost and fitness myths to claustrophobia and what's really in your tank.
Read the full post →Ten surprising facts about puffer fish, from their fused, ever-growing teeth to why dolphins are known to get high on their toxin.
Read the full post →Meet the hairy frogfish, a master of camouflage that would rather walk across the seafloor than swim.
Read the full post →Finished school and not sure what's next? Scubaversity's gap year program turns diving into a career, an adventure, and an education.
Read the full post →Everything you need to know about getting your PADI Open Water certification with Scubaversity, the world's most popular scuba course.
Read the full post →The Advanced Open Water course opens up more diving, sharpens your skills, and sets you up for the specialties that follow.
Read the full post →Ten fascinating facts about whale sharks, from their thousand-tooth grins to how scientists track individuals by their spot patterns.
Read the full post →A student diver's account of the Open Water course, Bass Lake campfires, and a chaotic, unforgettable first trip to Sodwana Bay.
Read the full post →From the Sardine Run to Aliwal Shoal and the Garden Route wrecks, here are ten of South Africa's best dive sites.
Read the full post →A love letter to the club kiosk's bacon, egg and cheese Bekka Broodjie, and the correct (two-handed) way to eat one.
Read the full post →How the Scubaversity club coped with lockdown, from bathtub wetsuit sessions to banking theory dives for when travel resumed.
Read the full post →A Sardine Run dive at Aliwal Shoal delivers 25 sharks, a bull shark, hammerheads, and a manta ray, all caught on a brand new GoPro.
Read the full post →A weekend at Marico Oog: warm hospitality, 10m visibility freshwater diving, and the friendships that come with it.
Read the full post →An intern's account of a Scubaversity trip to Ponta Malongane — deep dives at Pinnacles, potato bass, bull sharks and camp life.
Read the full post →A 2019 intern shares what she learned earning her shark specialty — from bone-free skeletons to whale shark fingerprints.
Read the full post →Why deep diving is less about depth and more about training, buoyancy and knowing your limits.
Read the full post →Why a career in diving might be exactly the alternative path your child — or you — are looking for.
Read the full post →A shout-out to Rudi — Scubaversity instructor, associate since 2003, and one of the most passionate divers around.
Read the full post →A practical, step-by-step guide to choosing a dive mask that actually fits your face.
Read the full post →One instructor's honest answer to 'why dive?' — a first Mozambique trip, a drowning-duck start, and the people who made it stick.
Read the full post →Why the mask clear feels so hard — and how breaking it into learning phases makes it click.
Read the full post →Becoming a PADI Divemaster is the first step toward a life spent diving — and helping others fall in love with it too.
Read the full post →How rising noise in our oceans is reshaping the underwater world we dive in, and what we can do about it.
Read the full post →One instructor's terrified first shark dive at Aliwal Shoal — and how it turned into a lifelong love of sharks.
Read the full post →A look back at our May 2015 club newsletter, part of the Scubaversity blog archive.
Read the full post →Warm weather, great visibility and a rare night dive on our latest Sodwana trip — don't miss the next one in November.
Read the full post →Got a dive story or a great trip photo to share? Send it our way — we love featuring our members.