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Scuba diving and snorkelling

Marine conservation scuba diving and PADI courses

Miles Jackson - Diving Zone editor

Hi I’m Miles, 22 years old and currently extremely bored in my delivery job. I’ve been told I’m so laid back I could fall over, but I guess that’s what you get after living on a beach with Fijians for two months on what they call ‘Fiji-time.’ I have always been open to new challenges and experiences and after learning to dive, I found myself studying Oceanography, but Southampton was a far cry from the beautiful waters of Fiji. Now all that’s over, I can’t wait until my bank account starts being positive again, then hopefully I’ll be able to start my adventures again!

Countries visited

Australia, Europe, Fiji, Hong Kong, New Zealand and USA.

Unusual experiences

1. Taking part in a shark dive (not a cage dive); we weren’t really expecting to see much and ended up with loads of reef sharks everywhere. All of a sudden though, there appeared huge bull sharks - five of them! Unfortunately I’ve heard the place has since been closed as someone was killed by one of the bull sharks.
2. Rafting down the biggest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. I thought it’d be a laugh until heard 'hold on and get down' as we plummeted over nine metres into the pool. It was absolutely awesome.
3. Getting wasted on Fiji’s narcotic drink ‘Kava’. Many of the locals don’t drink alcohol, but instead this kava which tastes as good as muddy water! It certainly chills you out, a very relaxing experience.
4. Taking a flight over the Southern Alps in New Zealand. I managed to gain a seat on a tiny plane for virtually nothing and the views and time we had in the air were spectacular.
5. Having a drink with some random guy in Sydney, and still drinking with him by the time we got to Cairns. Hugo was his name and he soon became our travelling companion. We’re still good mates to this day.

Top five tips

1. Travelling obviously requires some planning, but allow yourself to be free! You don’t have to stick to your plans, in fact its often more fun doing what you fancy at the time.
2. Keep some form of travel journal or diary. I adore reading mine and rekindling so many memories.
3. Take some books, I managed to read 'The Beach' whilst living on a beach for 10 weeks.
4. Always remember which airport you’re flying from! I nearly missed my flight as I though it was from Alice Springs, but it was at Ayres Rock four hours away!
5. Go diving! It’s an absolute must.