The Splash, February 2026

Hi everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of The Splash. To say the start of the year has been eventful would be something of an understatement.

A rocky start, and a brilliant recovery

In early January, shortly after sending out my Christmas newsletter, I heard from Jim at Island Divers that he was being forced to downsize and had sold all of his scuba equipment. This left us in a very difficult position, unable to offer courses and facing the real possibility of having to close Island Dive School altogether.

However, as is so often the case in the diving community, people rallied round with incredible generosity and support. I'm delighted to say this has led to a brand-new partnership with Poole Diving.

A huge thank you to Kev and Ian for stepping in to provide new kit. I'm enormously grateful for their help and encouragement. Thank you too to Peter for his support in looking after those who are currently halfway through their open water qualifications. The result? We're back up and running.

New divers joining us

Following the January drama, it's been a real pleasure speaking via email and Zoom with several new divers who will soon be joining our merry band. We're hoping to begin their new Open Water courses later this month. Exciting times ahead.

A little sunshine, just to make you jealous

One highlight of the year so far was my recent trip to Thailand. Yes, warm water. Yes, sunshine. Yes, proper diving temperatures.

A huge thank you to my friend, and someone I admire greatly, David Holmes, who helped make this happen. If you haven't seen his Sky documentary The Boy Who Lived, I thoroughly recommend it, or check out his Ted Talk. Harry Potter fans may already recognise him. Despite now using a wheelchair full-time, David continues to dive, an inspiring example of resilience and determination.

Instructor perks

A special shout-out to my latest pupil, Sophie. It was a real pleasure teaching her, partly because she was great fun, but also because the classroom happened to overlook Bang Tao Beach in Phuket from a rather lovely infinity pool perched high in the hills. 36 degrees, bright sunshine, cooling breeze. It's a tough job.

Looking ahead

After what could have been a very challenging start to the year, I'm genuinely excited about what's ahead: new partnerships, new divers, and getting everyone back in the water where we belong. I look forward to seeing many of you very soon.

Dates for the diary

First dive of 2026, Sunday 22 March, UKSA Cowes. Meet at 10:30am in the car park next to UKSA, in the water by 11am and out of the pool by 1pm. If you'd like to join us, please let me know as soon as possible so we can get everything organised.

Happy diving,

Ian