Guides for divers, snorkelers and ocean lovers — kelp-forest diving, snorkel safety, underwater photography and citizen science.
99 articles
Kelp beds concentrate seabirds like nowhere else on the coast. Where to stand, what to bring, and how to identify the divers, dabblers and pirates of the kelp line.
Tom Okafor ·
Kelp forests run on seasons: herring spawn on blades in spring, garibaldi garden in summer, storms reseed annual kelps in winter. A diver's phenology, by season.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
A diver and snorkeller's ethics guide for kelp forests: safe distances for seals, otters and sharks, body language to read, and how to watch without chasing.
Tom Okafor ·
Kelp forests are macro heaven: nudibranchs, gobies, skeleton shrimp. Lens choices, strobe technique, buoyancy and ethics for small-subject photography.
Tom Okafor ·
Kelp forests transform after dark. A night diving guide: lights and light discipline, night planning, the nocturnal shift change, and calming the mind in the dark.
Tom Okafor ·
Swell height is only a third of the story. Learn to read period, direction, wind, tide and sea state so you can judge a site before you pack the car.
Tom Okafor ·
Read tide heights, datum, slack water and the rule of twelfths — a practical guide to timing tidepools, shore dives and beach walks safely.
Tom Okafor ·
How to enter and exit the water safely from rocky shores: reading the surge, timing waves, protecting your gear, and planning the exit before you get in.
Tom Okafor ·
Been out of the water for months or years? How to get back into diving safely — refresher courses, pool sessions, gear checks and the gentle first dives back.
Tom Okafor ·
Diving and snorkelling where seals and sea lions live: keeping legal distances, reading their body language, what to do when one approaches — and why the animal decides.
Tom Okafor ·
Seasickness ruins more ocean days than weather does. The prevention playbook that genuinely works: positioning, horizon, medication timing, food and habits.
Tom Okafor ·
How to assess a shore dive site step by step: wind, swell, entry and exit points, surge and kelp layout — plus the bailout plan every beach dive needs.
Tom Okafor ·
A field guide to choosing kelp shore-dive sites — what habitat makes kelp grow, four site archetypes and how to dive each, and what the canopy itself tells you.
Tom Okafor ·
How to introduce children to shore snorkelling safely: readiness signs, sheltered sites, kid-sized gear, signals, and the progression that builds confident young ocean people.
Tom Okafor ·
No scuba, no strobes, no choke of gear: how to shoot kelp forests on a single breath. Breath budgeting, surface light, composition and a minimal kit that works.
Tom Okafor ·
Spearfishing can be the most selective way to take seafood — or a fast way to damage a kelp forest. Here's how to do it legally, selectively and with respect.
Tom Okafor ·
How to launch and land a sea kayak through surf safely: reading wave sets, timing lulls, bracing skills, boat choice and knowing when to stay on the beach.
Tom Okafor ·
Kelp and surf go together for the same oceanographic reasons. Why kelp-country breaks are so good, how kelp changes waves, and how to surf them well.
Tom Okafor ·
The night low tide belongs to octopus, crabs and hunting snails. How to tidepool after dark safely, what light to carry, and what you'll see that daylight hides.
Tom Okafor ·
How to explore tide pools without harming them: timing the tides, safe footing on weed-slick rock, species ID for beginners, and the etiquette that keeps pools alive.
Tom Okafor ·
A family guide to rock pooling on kelp coasts: picking the tide, the place and the kit, plus the three rules that keep kids — and tidepool life — safe.
Tom Okafor ·
Underwater photo gear without the hype: how housings, ports, domes, strobes and trays actually work, what to buy first, and how to keep salt water out.
Jack Callum ·
Kelp forests make navigation both easier (vertical landmarks) and harder (featureless canopy walls). Learn compass discipline plus natural navigation by light and surge.
Tom Okafor ·
A pencil, a slate and a slow drift through the canopy: how underwater sketching turns an ordinary kelp dive into serious observation practice.
Tom Okafor ·