The BiG Scuba Podcast

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Hollie Teggart.   Hollie currently studying Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton and will be finishing in September 2025. She has been an Instructor with RAID and BSAC for two years and   PADI and SSI for one year. Hollie has been working at Diveshack Malta as a recreational and technical instructor so we hear more about diving in Malta too...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Dominic Robinson.   Dominic   Robinson is a technical deep diver who specialises in exploration and in particular ship wrecks around the British Isles and he documents his adventures on his YouTube Channel.. YouTube          https://www.youtube.com/@D33pUK Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/d33puk/# Facebook         https://www.facebook.com/profile....

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Emma Biran.   Emma is a PADI Staff Instructor, therapeutic counsellor and mental health professional.   Emma has merged these professions into a unique program called Self Confident Diver, which has been endorsed by PADI as a distinctive programme.   The programme offers coaching and counselling sessions specifically designed for individuals who experience...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Rob Colley.   Rob Colley is a former Royal Marine and Specialist Military Unit (SMU) operator with over 23 years of elite experience leading and performing in some of the world's most extreme environments on land and under the sea.   Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for Gallantry, Rob spent much of his military career operating in high-pressure, high...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Simon Mills.   In August 1996, the wreck of HMHS  Britannic  was bought by renowned maritime historian, Simon Mills. Simon is a long-standing camera technician in the UK film industry. During his career he has also researched numerous documentaries on historical and maritime subjects, and is a published author on all three Olympic-class ships.   The BiG Scu...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Rob Hinton.   Rob Hinton is the founder of the Hold Fast Challenges, a unique, hugely exciting, and rewarding outdoor challenge experience, based on Rob's former career as a Royal Navy Mine Clearance Diver.   A former competitive swimmer, he has spent most of his life in the water, or under it.   Robs introduction to diving began in 1999 in South Africa, wh...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Osama Gobara.   Originally from Austria, Osama has a profound passion for the subterranean realm and aquatic ecosystems   It has driven him to pursue a career as a cave diving explorer and instructor as well as working offshore too.   When not immersed in cave exploration or mentoring fellow cave divers, he extends his surveying expertise to offshore activi...

Gemma and Ian were invited to the pre-release press screening of Last Breath prior to its public release in late February 2025.     It's a heart-pounding film that follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue their crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface. Based on a true   story, Last Breath is an electrifying story about teamwork, resilience, a...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Lisa Blair.   Lisa is an Australian Adventurer, Climate Activist, Author, Speaker and Multi-World Record holding sailor.     On May 25th, 2022, Lisa achieved her latest milestone by becoming the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, shaving 10 days off the previous record. During this record-setting journey, Lisa seized th...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Luke Bullus.   Luke Bullus is the Diving Officer and a trustee of the marine conservation charity Fathoms Free.   Fathoms Free is a group of experienced volunteer divers and skippers committed to protecting marine wildlife and the environment. They focus on removing ALDFG (abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear) and other marine debris from th...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian visit Sports Financial Services to discuss the importance of Life Insurance for scuba divers as well as anyone else.   We chat to Harvey and James about the business and their bespoke and personal service for anyone wishing to discuss Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover. Sports Financial specialises in providing tailored insurance solutions...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian reflect on their year of 2024.   They discuss some stats of the podcast like how many countries the podcast is downloaded in and the most popular episodes.   Gemma and Ian talk about their watery adventures of 2024 both on the water and under the water, dive sites explored and places and shows they have visited. The BiG Scuba Podcast is brought to you by Narked at...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Edward Askham Spencer.    Edward has a spirit for competition and adventure that has drawn him across the world and back again. His fiancé would say he is married to the sea. Before Ed deployed to Afghanistan as a Paratrooper in 2008 he went to Andark his local dive shop on the south coast of England to do his Padi open water. This ignited a passion for the...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Sophie Heptonstall. Sophie was introduced to diving by her dad, grandad and uncle who were diving in the UK.   She did a PADI Discover Scuba abroad at twelve years old and then PADI Open Water Course at Stoney Cove. At university in Wales Sophie joined the university BSAC Club and continued her diver grade training and instructor training in the club with B...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Aniela Martin.   Aniela Martin is a scuba diver and an offshore hydrographic surveyor, working as part of a large team out at sea mapping the seabed and collecting geological information.   Aniela has a deep passion for the underwater world that began after her first ever scuba dive whilst on holiday as a teenager. Having just finished high school she wasn'...

The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Georgina Miller.   Aquacity Freedivng is based at Porthkerris dive centre in Cornwall. It is run by UK freedive national champion Georgina Miller, who is an SSI FD instructor trainer and her husband Daan Verhoeven, a well-known freediving photographer. Facebook             https://www.facebook.com/aquacityfreediving Instagram             https://www.instagr...

In this episode join us at "Scoobs Scuba Shack"    We are on location at Diverstme Scuba Diving centre based at Spring Lakes in the UK.   We enjoy a dive at West Lake guided by John and Liam and then chat to Mark, John, Liam and Lou about all they offer at the Divers Time and what West Lake has to offer to all scuba divers.   We thoroughly enjoyed our day with the team who are so friendly, full of...

In this episode join us in conversation with Maria Munn. Maria is a multi-award winning underwater photographer, author, journalist and shark stalker, who fell in love with whale sharks and the ocean whilst in hospital on the end-of-life pathway, after being run over for the second time and left with 15 fractures and life-changing injuries.   She launched the first ever underwater photography cour...

In this episode join us in conversation with Dr. Laura Walton.   Laura is a UK-based clinical psychologist, scuba diving instructor, and the founder of Fit To Dive, an organization dedicated to promoting mental, physical, and psychological fitness for divers. With a background in both psychology and diving, Laura specialises in helping divers manage and overcome challenges such as anxiety, trauma,...

A slightly different episode. Ian, Gemma and Honey visited the Farne Islands for a 3 day diving trip in July 2024 and give   a review of their experiences.   The Farne Islands are in the North East of the UK and have numerous dive sites only a short distance from the mainland and the harbour and coastal town of Seahouses. Our trip was organised by our local dive centre, Christal Seas Scuba  https:...

In this episode join us in conversation with Sally Cartwright.     Saly started diving 1993 after an injury on a   mountaineering trip. After a bet with a local dive club and a successful try dive, Sally took up the challenge and a new life direction.   Early into her diving career she found herself using mixed gas and rebreathers.   Finding herself at the bottom of Dorothea Quarry   at 107m or sc...

To celebrate Fathers Day in the UK we have re-released and episode recorded in 2020.   Gemma and Ian speak to Michael and Robert Thomas who are father and son.   They share similar interests in the caving, diving and diving in caves.     Michael Thomas has been involved in diving for over thirty years including being an Examiner and Training Officer for The Cave Diving Group. He is now the nationa...

Gemma and Ian chat to Sarah Donohue.     Sarah is an International Powerboat Champion, Marine Stuntwoman and conservation advocate.   She loves all things ocean and has been a UN world   ocean day blogger and a media diver….   https://sarahdonohue.com/   The BiG Scuba Podcast is brought to you by Narked at 90.    "Beyond Technical"    Narked at 90     If you are thinking of moving across to tech d...