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Malta Mania
Jason Brown, Stratis Kas, Michael Menduno and Florine Quirion take you for a deep dive into Maltese culture.
Lead image: L2R: Rebreather divers at RF4 by Jason Brown, diver on the wreck of the Phoenician by John Wood, Malta harbor by Jason Brown, collage design by Jason Brown. Special thanks to Asutay Akbayir for his help.
On the eve of releasing the Rebreather Forum 4 (RF4) Proceedings, we thought it important and fun to revisit the Republic of Malta, sometimes called the “Chuuk of the Mediterranean”—where we held RF4. Specifically, we dive into Malta’s rich underwater heritage—read shipwrecks and downed aircraft; explain how Malta became the scuba diving capital of Europe, and discuss the changes and trends on the islands as seen by some of its local veteran instructors and dive center owners. Included is a Maltese dive site map and a listing of the Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA) operators.
We also engage in a bit of nostalgia, with a photographic tour of Rebreather Forum 4, held April 2023 in Valletta, in a story we ran last year, “In The Loop,” as seen through the eyes of RF4 picture-maker Jason Brown. Dive in!—M2
A Dive Into Malta’s Submerged Cultural Heritage with Timmy Gambin
InDEPTH chief Michael Menduno speaks with marine archeologist, Professor Timmy Gambin, who was instrumental in setting up Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit, and discusses Malta’s rich subsea heritage and its unique approach to managing its cultural resources, to wit: Explore, Record, and Share!
How The Smallest Country Of The EU Became Its Scuba Diving Capital
Travel writer and photographer Florine Quirion takes us for a dive into the Malta archipelago located in the southern Mediterranean, and explains how and why such a tiny country found itself at the centre of attention of the global diving community.
Evolution and Resilience in Malta’s Diving Industry
As Malta’s diving industry has grown, so too have the experiences and perspectives of the diving professionals who call Malta and Gozo home. Accordingly, cave instructor and author Stratis Kas speaks with a number of veteran instructors and dive centre owners to get their insights into the evolution, challenges, and surprising realities of life and work in Malta’s enigmatic dive industry.
In The Loop
Photographer phenom Jason Brown takes us for a nostalgic tour of the Rebreather Forum 4 meeting, held in April, 2023 in Valletta, Malta
A Directory of Malta’s Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA) including diving centres registered with Heritage Malta to visit its historical shipwrecks.
Cutting the Wires on Halcyon’s new Chestmount Rebreather
Forty Years of Dive Rite: 1984-2024
Deep in Dragon’s Breath
THE TALKS: The Art & Practice of Cave Photography
For Whom the Bell Tolls—Wreckers and Mine Divers!
Is Animal Testing Still Needed in Diving Medicine?
