News
Diving with… Atlantic Scuba, Cornwall
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
Mark Milburn
What is the name of your business?
Atlantic Scuba, Cornwall
What is your role within the business?
Owner
How long has the business operated for?
Since 2008, nine years
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
First qualified in February 2000, multi-agency Instructor
What is your favourite type of diving?
Exploratory dives
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
We specialise in going diving and getting people diving. We encourage all divers and potential divers to get involved with our projects, using their special diving interests whether it’s photography, filming, archaeology or marine biology.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
The Manacles reef system. It is covered in a wide range of colourful wildlife and an unknown quantity of wrecks, with plenty more wrecks to find.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We have many shore dives that are worth doing. We also operate our own boat, so we can visit many wrecks and reefs, of all depths, within our operational area. We take divers of all levels out, whether they are a newly qualified open water, or seasoned technical divers.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Showing divers just how good the local diving can be, with the wide range of wildlife as well as the potentially good visibility.
What is your favourite underwater creature?
I really like rays. We have a few rays we see on a regular basis but the male cuckoo wrasse has to be one of the most colourful fish anywhere.
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
Our next move is to get a second boat legal and running, one that can be moved and launched anywhere around Cornwall; so we can access an even bigger range of wrecks and reefs. We have some potentially interesting new sites to find and/or explore.
As a centre what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
We are a very busy centre but taking that move to take on more staff, without knowing what the future holds, is quite a concern.
Is your centre involved in any environmental work?
For many years we have organised underwater litter picks from the local beaches. We have also removed ghost fishing gear, released juvenile lobsters for the National Lobster Hatchery and we have run Seasearch dives. We also collect any floating debris we see when out on our boat.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
Overall the industry is not in the best shape, manufacturers and dive centres should all talk, so that they can organise a systematic approach to promote diving. At Atlantic Scuba we promote diving in whatever way we can, we also actively promote and get involved in both snorkelling and freediving.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
We specialise in getting individuals and small groups diving. We run scheduled dives, as well as full charters, so that almost anyone can join in without having to worry about filling the boat. With the range of wrecks and reefs we have to offer, for divers of every level, we can find you some suitable good dive sites. Our unique location means that we rarely cannot dive, we may have to switch dive sites but we do have some good back up locations if the weather does try and defeat us, which it rarely does.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Our website www.atlanticscuba.co.uk has details of what we have to offer, from dive courses to dive sites, from sales to servicing. We organise our scheduled dives within a Facebook group – Falmouth RHIB diving on Stingray. We also have a Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticScuba/ and a Facebook place – https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticScubaDiveCentre/. Our Google+ username is +atlanticscuba, Twitter #atlanticscuba and you can find us as Atlantic Scuba on most social networks.
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
-
News3 months ago
Hone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months ago
Capturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs3 months ago
Creature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months ago
Murex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months ago
Diver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks ago
GEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months ago
Save the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months ago
Gear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone