I first learned to dive in 1977 at the age of eight, taught by my father—a British military and commercial diver. Throughout my childhood, I joined him wherever he had a diving contract across the UK, gaining early hands-on experience. By the age of fourteen, I was working my first full-time job assisting commercial divers in the Irish Sea, doing twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week.

After studying Mechanical Engineering at college, I obtained my first HSE commercial diving qualifications at eighteen, and continued earning further HSE certifications between diving contracts. Over the following 35 years, I worked both inshore and offshore in a wide range of commercial diving operations.

My work included:

• • Installation and repair of subsea pipelines

  • Demolition and reconstruction of underwater structures

  • Use of explosives and ultra-thermic cutting equipment

  • Scientific diving in support of marine biology and archaeology

  • Climate change monitoring in Antarctica

  • Shipwreck salvage and zero-visibility operations

  • Extended mixed gas diving with weeks living in a chamber

I held senior positions including Diving Supervisor and Superintendent for several commercial companies, and served as a staff diver for the UK Environment Agency and the National Environment Research Agency. I was also Diving Officer for the British Antarctic Survey.

Recreational and Technical Diving Career

Alongside my commercial work, I have always dived recreationally. In the early 1990s, I guided Red Sea liveaboards as well as dive trips in the UK’s Isles of Scilly and Scapa Flow. I became a PADI Instructor in 1993 at the National Diving Centre (Stoney Cove), and helped establish several UK dive centres—many of which are still operating today.

From the mid-90s to early 2000s, I dived extensively in the UK, Norway, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. In 1998, I became a TDI Instructor in Northern Ireland, teaching both open circuit up to Trimix and rebreather diving on the AP Inspiration and Draeger Atlantis/Dolphin units.

I later worked as an instructor and dive guide aboard the legendary Little Cayman Diver liveaboard, before returning to the UK to purchase Devon Dive Centre—a full-service technical diving hub. DDC featured gas mixing facilities, three charter boats, a retail shop, medical unit, and its own recompression chamber. I sold the business in 2003 to return to commercial diving full-time.

In that same year, I returned to Northern Ireland to update my qualifications to Advanced Trimix Instructor under the then-new TDI curriculum.

Global Diving Experience

For the next decade, I combined commercial diving with teaching technical courses and running expeditions in locations including:

• UK, Ireland, Norway, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea

• Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia

• Mexico, Aldabra Atoll, Lakshadweep, Falkland Islands, Ascension Island

Recent Work

Since 2013, I’ve been based between the UK and the Maltese island of Gozo, where I continue to teach both private and dive centre courses in one of the world’s most unique diving environments.

Diving Qualifications

I hold full HSE Commercial Diver certifications (Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4), and am certified as an Diver Medical Technician, and Life Support Technician. I’m also a CSWIP 3.1 and 3.2U Underwater Inspector, Diving Officer for the British Antarctic Survey, and certified through the National Facility for Scientific Diving as a diver, supervisor, and chamber operator.

As a PADI Open Water Instructor, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Staff Instructor, and Emergency First Response & Medic First Aid Instructor, I also hold specialties in Deep, Multilevel, Nitrox, Wreck, Dry Suit, Sidemount, Ice, Night, Search & Recovery, Navigation, Boat, Drift, Emergency Oxygen, Equipment Specialist, Semi-Closed Rebreather, AWARE Coral Conservation, Dive Against Debris, and Peak Performance Buoyancy.

Through SDI/TDI, I am an Instructor Trainer, Course Director, and instructor for Advanced Trimix, Trimix 75, Trimix, Extended Range, Helitrox, Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, Nitrox, Intro to Tech, and multiple rebreather systems including Inspiration/Evolution, SF2, Poseidon 6/7, Hollis Prism 2, and Draeger Atlantis/Dolphin SCR. Additional specialties include Advanced Wreck, Sidemount, Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV), Solo Diver, Full Face Mask, Underwater Navigation, Wreck, Drysuit, Underwater Video, Equipment O2 Service Technician, and Advanced Gas Blender. I also hold professional ratings including Technical Divemaster, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and Dive Experience Leader, with additional certifications in HSE First Aid at Work, Oxygen Administration, Adult and Child CPR, and Bloodborne Pathogens.

I am also a BSAC Open Water Instructor, IANTD Technical Cave Diver, and Fathom Rebreather Trimix Diver. My marine operations qualifications include RYA Powerboat Level 2, Advanced Powerboat, and roles with the British Antarctic Survey as Boat Officer and Advanced Medic. Additionally, I’m an IDEST Cylinder Service Technician (Visual & Hydrostatic), and manufacturer-trained service technician for Poseidon, Oceanic, and Kirby Morgan equipment.