This year, forget the gift card they’ll never use and give the ultimate gift – a dive trip! You’ll undoubtedly win “best present” by giving an invitation to the dive trip of dreams.

The simple answer is: commercial divers get paid to work underwater and recreational divers dive for fun. It’s a bit like driving an 18-wheel truck versus taking a scenic drive on holiday.

We spend a lot of time, rightly, pointing out that technical diving is not for everyone. It’s for experienced divers, we say. It’s for those who want to go beyond current limits and are willing to accept the added risks, training, investment and commitment it demands. That’s true, but be we should be careful not to exclude anyone from trying Tec 40.

This time last week, it was International Women’s Day. To be honest, I’m always in two minds about Women’s events, awards, records, etc. I understand the need to highlight inequality and injustice and fight for change. I also realise that we often measure people on sports that are traditionally male, e.g. running, jumping, strength etc, so we split competitions into male and female for better comparison.

Back in 2010, I was backpacking Southeast Asia, being a traveling bum. I used to live on instant noodles, street food and sleep in the cheapest accommodation money could buy, just so I could conserve money to pay for my addiction… scuba diving!!!!