Guides for divers, snorkelers and ocean lovers — kelp-forest diving, snorkel safety, underwater photography and citizen science.
99 articles
Moving from stills or action cams to serious underwater video — housings, video lights, white balance and the shot discipline that makes kelp footage worth editing.
Tom Okafor ·
You can't wear glasses under a dive mask — but you have better options. Prescription masks, contact lenses, drop-in lenses and surgery, compared honestly.
Tom Okafor ·
Join a diver or snorkeller reef survey: the main program types, the training, the transects and how to make your volunteer data scientifically usable.
Tom Okafor ·
How to snorkel with seals and sea lions on kelp coasts legally and kindly — reading haul-outs, letting them choose the encounter, and what to do when a pup swims to you.
Tom Okafor ·
Neoprene dies from salt, sun, heat and rough handling — not from diving. A complete guide to rinsing, drying, storing and repairing a wetsuit properly.
Tom Okafor ·
The complete cold-water kit for kelp forest diving: wetsuit thicknesses, drysuits, hoods, gloves and the small accessories that save a dive.
Tom Okafor ·
Plan a day paddle along kelp coastlines — choosing routes, timing tides and currents, reading the canopy from seat level, and staying safe on exposed water.
Tom Okafor ·
Where and when to watch whales along the world's kelp coasts, how to read blows and behaviour, and the ethics that keep whales calm and watchers welcome.
Tom Okafor ·
A beginner's method for identifying reef fish: the five-feature order that works underwater, how to use guides, and practice drills that turn 'a fish' into a species name.
Tom Okafor ·
How to kayak fish over kelp beds the right way — target species, tackle choices, gentle handling, and staying legal and light in fragile forest habitat.
Tom Okafor ·
How to plan a multi-day sea kayak trip along a kelp coastline — route shape, tide and swell strategy, landing through kelp beds, and camping with a light footprint.
Tom Okafor ·
A drysuit is the best investment in cold-water diving — if you keep it dry. Complete guide to zip care, seal replacement, leak-hunting and field repairs.
Tom Okafor ·
How to shoot smooth, colourful underwater video in a kelp forest with an action camera — the settings, lights, mounts and slow moves that separate footage from mush.
Tom Okafor ·
How to join a reef or beach cleanup above or below the waterline — and how to record what you find so it becomes useful citizen-science data, not just a trash run.
Tom Okafor ·
How to choose an SMB or dSMB and deploy it cleanly — the tube that keeps boats off your head and surfaces safe. Sizes, types, reels and kelp-country tips.
Tom Okafor ·
A practical expedition guide to multi-day sea kayaking along kelp coastlines: route design, tides and wind, camps, boat loading and forest etiquette.
Tom Okafor ·
How shoreline citizen science — from iNaturalist to kelp-cast surveys — feeds real kelp forest research. What to record, how to join, and why it matters.
Tom Okafor ·
When is kelp diving best? A hemisphere-by-hemisphere, month-by-month guide to visibility, water temperature and kelp condition in the world's temperate forests.
Tom Okafor ·
Step-by-step guide to building a baited remote underwater video station (BRUV) that records real fish counts for citizen-science kelp forest monitoring.
Tom Okafor ·
Sea otters look playful but waste energy if you get too close. Practical distances, what to never do, and how quiet watching supports kelp forest recovery.
Tom Okafor ·
Drysuit or wetsuit for cold-water kelp diving? A straight comparison of warmth, buoyancy, cost and upkeep — plus the water temperature where each makes sense.
Tom Okafor ·
Surf entries and exits are the hardest part of shore diving. Learn to read wave sets, time your crossing, and know the signs that say it's not diveable.
Tom Okafor ·
Coasteering mixes scrambling, swimming and cliff traverses. Learn to read rock, tide and swell, plan escape routes, and keep a group safe on the coast.
Tom Okafor ·
Underwater scooters open huge kelp forests to a single dive — but speed multiplies entanglement and wildlife risks. Here's how to DPV kelp country sensibly.
Tom Okafor ·