Diving Magazines

I am curious to know if anyone subscribes to Undercurrent and what you thought about the Magazine. Also, what is your favorite dive/scuba magazine? I am about to subscribe to undercurrent but was looking for some feedback before I do.

I really don't like the main stream diving publications which for the most part are just a bunch of advertisements posed as articles promoting the industry with biased reviews and no real in depth reports that tell it like it is.

Keith

i personally like scuba diving mag , where did you find this other magazine ?

I'm a dive travel agent and have subscribed for years...most of their monthly reviews are "spot on" but if you read the Chapbook every year with regard to specific resorts/dive operators, remember that they are very "subjective" reviews....your expectations can be very different from others. I often review the Chapbook entries but know that you must take them with a grain of salt.

Hope that helps!

I subscribe to three...

Scuba Diving is too commercial and bit vanilla but I think it's actually pretty well done considering it's broad focus on the whole of recreational diving. http://www.scubadiving.com/

Fathoms is the best I've seen so far. The graphic designer in me appreciates the production values. It usually includes interesting trip reports and gorgeous photography.

http://www.fathomspub.com/

WreckDiving makes for an interesting read. You get a little history with your diving lit. That said, it's certainly focused on technical dives that I'll probably never do in this lifetime.

http://www.wreckdivingmag.com

I'd love to hear of other good ones. There's plenty of room for improvement.

A blatant blowing of my own trumpet!:

(Moderators Please delete this if you think it is advertising.)

by e-mail:

John, thank you and your publisher for letting Undercurrent adapt your pieces.

Because we don't take any advertising, Undercurrent has always been an economically marginal publication, a labor of love rather than an occupation. So, we're unable to do much in the way of field testing ourselves.

That's why we're delighted to use your material. In all the worldwide diving publications, no one is more forthright in their equipment reviews than you. Your evaluations always seem fair and to the point and are particularly helpful for divers who want to know which equipment suits them best. Too often manufacturers entice divers into buying equipment that is really no better than gear half the price, but there are few places one can find out about that. So, we're delighted to be able to use your reports and our readers are appreciative.

Ben Davison, Publisher

Undercurrent, the private guide for sport divers

www.undercurrent.org

...where did you find this other magazine ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here you go...

Undercurrent Magazine

I have been a subscriber of Undercurrent for years. The monthly reports are good, but I really enjoy the Chapbook that comes out every year. It is full of useful information on dive operations and destinations. Undercurrent is more of a newsletter than a magazine.

thanks should stores like books amillion or barnes and noble carry this ?

Thanks for everyone's feedback! I ended up subscribing to both Fathoms and Undercurrent. I only wish there were a high quality UW Photo Mag like "Ocean Realm" (which is not around anymore). It sure seems there are more UW shooters around now that digital has matured and can be had at almost any price range.

Keith

Keith, i think you will find Fathoms exceeds Ocean Realm in all aspects.

Head to their website fathomspub.com and read some of the old articles and interviews. Bret Gilliam is absolutely hilarious!

Wow, Mike - you are treading on thin ice with that comment! Them's fightn words...

When I was growing up I had my holy collection of all the Ocean Realm issues with their thick, glossy pages and big beautiful shots.

Seriously, though - I have not taken a look at Fathoms and if its of that calibre then I got to get my butt in gear and check it out! I would love to have a magazine like that. Going to Fathoms...

For u/w photography my favorite is the UwP, its online of course (big advance to us who live in corners of the planet and not in the states or UK) has good articles & reviews and its all about u/w photography

Wow, Mike - you are treading on thin ice with that comment! Them's fightn words...

 

When I was growing up I had my holy collection of all the Ocean Realm issues with their thick, glossy pages and big beautiful shots.

Nice to see others remember "Ocean Realm". I had my collection of every issue for the first few years the mag was in business and it was the first mag that I religously read cover to cover. The print quality was outstanding. I had heard that the magazine editors/publishers were a pain to deal with and that was one of the reasons for it's downfall. Too bad it was a great mag!

I am really looking forward to Fathoms and thanks Mike for the heads up on the past articles. That is pretty generous of them to post their past issues.

Keith

Ocean Realm is back! I saw a copy while hanging at PMooney's shop in AU. Website is http://www.oceanrealmjournal.com/

tho' I can't seem to get to the site right now. Perhaps it was a one-shot second coming :-)

My wife and I have subscribed to Undercurrent for about 4 months now. Our very first issue happened to be featuring the very dive resort we were leaving for in two weeks! We went to La Paz, Mexico to find Whale Sharks and Hammerheads. The review of the resort was very accurate and I wish we had access to their newsletter earlier as we never would have made our reservations.

We will be following the Chapbooks advice for our next vacation to Key West, Fl. in May! I hope it is as accurate as the monthly.

We also enjoy UwP, Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, California Diving News, and, IMHO, the sorely underrated Dive Training Mag.

I, too miss Ocean Realm, and will have to check out Fathoms.

I'm a long-time (10+ year) subscriber to Undercurrent, and would never consider letting it lapse. It's sort of the "Consumer Reports" of dive magazines -- provides objective, non-advertising-influenced information.

I also find Undercurrent's annual Chapbook (full of "average Joe" divers' reviews of resorts and liveaboards) useful, although as someone else mentioned, you have to take those write-ups with a grain of salt (like the internet, the Chapbook presents an opportunity for people who like to hear themselves talk--or in this case see their words in print--to expound or complain). Still, if you read nothing but negative comments on one operation, and nothing but positive about another at the same destination, it may help you avoid some bad experiences.

In short, the cost of an Undercurrent is IMHO the most valuable money you can spend if you regularly take dive vacations.

Second all comments on Fathoms and Undercurrent.

We were reading it years ago befor Davidson left and rejoined!

Although I do miss SkinDiver for the early morning constitutionals!

I, too, like Fathoms. It is a bit pricey, but then they ain't just a bunch of ad-ho's. They present truly unusual destinations. I find I sometimes don't like the attitude/style of some of the articles -- but at least they HAVE a recognizable style (which ranges for scholarly to juvenile, puckish to libertine, provocative to just plain contrarian).

All the best,

Chris

I second the motion for Undercurrent. It's the only mag I get that I read cover-to-cover. I also enjoy Fathoms--Stan Waterman's contributions are worth the price of subscription alone. I don't know if the Golden Dolphin CD Rom magazine is still in production, but it's a great product that never seemed to take off. -Clay

I have subscribed to undercurrent since mid 80's. always something to learn. A bit spendy but if you travel worth it. Have written quite a few reviews in it's chapbook as well over the years.

Also to Ocean realm till it went bust- it was good but now theres a better one-Fathoms

Have taken Fathoms since inception-It's the best out there I have seen currently

Started by Bret Gilliam recently sold to others with his oversite still there. Went on a month long trip with him last spring.

The heyday of the dive rag seems to have faded Fathoms is the exception these days. Mark