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Way to go! You will be fine. I’m kind of late to the party, but just to second something Angelo said, think about doing a freediving course. Obviously, breathing in while diving is very different from a one-breath regimen, but the focus on breathing (and compensating!) techniques, plus a good...

Haven‘t done Sharkskin as an undergarment (as mentioned, its non-wicking might be uncomfortable, although at 20C you will probably be ok). But for the sake of comparison, I have done the Azores a couple of times in 4th Element Xerotherm/membrane drysuit at 18/19C surface, down to 13C at 35m for...

You could do worse than Banco di Santa Croce. Bikini in Castellamare di Stabia is a good outfit, there are many others that go out there. Have fun!

If you’re coming up through Chetumal, check out a detour to Mahahual to dive Chinchorro Reef. I was there this February and did some of my best Caribbean dives there - nurse sharks, various reef sharks, biggest lobsters I’ve ever seen, big sponge landscapes. Coral in good shape, too. Plus...

Just a quick shout-out and thank you: While I read most of your posts with the same mindset I devour articles on freediving under ice in Antarctica (am I intrigued? YES! Would I ever do it? …), I very much enjoy them (and generally learn something new). Plus, the Optimal Buoyancy Calculator has...

I was in Pico (Maddalena) a few years ago (pre-covid) for two weeks in June. Highly recommended, visibility was great, we saw lots of sharks (especially blue sharks, but also one atypical hammerhead), mobulas at Princess Alice, rays, giant groupers (my profile pic is from that vacation), etc...

Certified in 1996, around 900-1,000 dives - I stopped counting in 1999, when my logbook (yes, children, it had pages made of actual paper!) showed 173. Mostly stopped scuba for a while and generally went freediving except for the odd holiday dive (kids and all that), got my son certified when he...

I love diving around Sicily, and Palermo is wonderful, but while there are serviceable dives not too far from the city, I wouldn‘t go out of my way for them. There‘s a good spot about 30-40 mins due East by car off Porticello (Secca della Formica); there‘s a good diveshop in Porticello that has...

I bought a 4E Proteus II a few years back and I‘ve never looked back (at least above 19 C to mid/upper 20s … colder and I‘ll go dry, warmer, I‘m in my 4E Thermocline). Great suit, but then it fits me well. Might be the same with cheaper suits if they fit tightly. SP was always too wide for me -...

You might want to try a set of Cressi Gara Modular Sprints. Relatively short, lightweight, very powerful, practically indestructible, with some practice they even take a frog-kick/backwards moves decently, and if you want to snorkel/freedive on the same trip, you have all the fins you need in...

My OWD was in 1996, when things were somewhat different. My wife and I did it the course on a lark on Elba/Italy. The instructor was a local celeb, having written the go-to guide to dive spots there, and a very competent if somewhat reckless diver. Nobody owned computers, so we did a few days of...

If you are ever around in the Mediterranean, check out Sailingbubbles. Lucio and Elisa do Sailing/diving charters to the islands around Sicily. I have shipped with them three times and will do so again.

I got one about a year/60+ dives ago and couldn‘t be happier (once I got over the sticker shock - these aren‘t exactly cheap…). The light output is phenomenal, the dimming settings work well (I rarely use the 100%). The cone angle is a good compromise for most situations (although in zero viz...

I got a Waterproof D9 five years ago at a sale and am very happy with it - excellent quality, no issues yet. I am 6‘2“ and skinny, size MT fits me well (could be a bit longer in the legs but works fine). With a Fourth Element Xerotherm set, I am good between mid-50s and low-70s F for an hour or...

I‘ve been to RA three times over Christmas/New Year‘s. I tend to get cold easily but am absolutely comfy in my Fourth Element Thermocline full suit, no hood, even for extended dives and at depths below 30m. 3mm is warmer and should also be fine, I wouldn‘t go thicker than that. No opinions on...

https://uk.apeksdiving.com/en/accessories/bags/apeks-90l-roller-bag-BA1890110.html Pricey (I paid EUR140 or thereabouts two years ago) but it has great wheels, is superbly made, works on planes as standard-size luggage, and holds two full sets of equipment. Best, C.

I spent two excellent weeks on Pico. Princess Alice for Mobulas, lots of blue sharks and an ( unusual) hammerhead (if you have no issues with chumming),huge wrasses, eagle rays, interesting caves/grottoes, black coral etc. and several different kinds of cetaceans close up. Topside, the...

No contest - slide in carefully in order not to shy the shark away and enjoy. This one happened to amble by off Pico/Azores. Not an expert, but I think she was pregnant. I felt lucky to share an ocean with her.

Well, it all depends… When I know I am going to be in current and can‘t be smart and go with the flow (say Princess Alice/Azores or Big Blue in RA) or need to cover distance under water, I am very happy to don freediving fins. I used to wear my SPierres Carbon, but they are a pain to travel...

If you can bear being away from the water for a few days and feel slightly adventurous, consider heading to the Baliem Valley. The Papuan mountains are among the more interesting places I ever had the good fortune to visit. We organized hikes through Baliem Valley Resorts that were breathtaking...