Blue Ocean Diving was founded in January 2003 by PADI Course Director, Ryby Stonehouse.

Based in Maidstone, Kent, it has since established itself as the UK’s premier dive centre providing quality training for students at every level of diving, from beginner to Technical Master Instructor.

Blue Ocean’s consistently high standards of teaching has earned it the prestigious achievement as a PADI 5-star Instructor Development Centre with an exceptional and greatly respected reputation all over the world.

Blue Ocean Diving regularly runs trips both in the UK and abroad for new and experienced divers, with Ryby Stonehouse personally organising and overseeing all trips, both domestic and worldwide.

It is also the home of the Scubaholics Dive Club which, with more than 7,500 members, is the largest scuba diving club in the South East.

Visit www.blueoceandiving.co.uk for more information on our scuba diving courses, instructor training or dive trips and holidays.
You can also contact us via email at scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk or by phone on 01622 212 022 or by visiting us at:

Blue Ocean Diving

West Park Road

Maidstone

Kent

ME15 7AF

About Ryby Stonehouse:

Ryby Stonehouse’s diving experience began in 1984 with his first dive. Ten years later he qualified as a Divemaster before becoming a qualified Diving Instructor in 1997.

In 2001 Ryby earned his place through a competitive application process examining his experience and training goals, in order to achieve recreational scuba diving’s highest and most respected rating of PADI Course Director. Within five years he was one of the first PADI Course Directors worldwide to be awarded the prestigious platinum rating.

In the following years, Ryby Stonehouse continued to add to his scuba diving experience and achievements, qualifying as a Tec Instructor Trainer in 2004.

He then qualified as a Rebreather Instructor, becoming one of the first PADI Instructors to instruct students on the Hollis Prism2 Rebreather.

Ryby’s list of firsts continued, as he became established as the very first UK Instructor Trainer in the new PADI Sidemount Course in 2008, introducing it to the UK.

Ryby has had experience of running successful dive tours since 1997.

He has taught students, and organised and guided trips worldwide including the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, African, and South East Asia and the Pacific.

Since 1997, he has completed well over 10,000 dives, certified more than 1800 individual students, and issued over 2000 instructor-level certificates.

Oh, and he also makes a mean spaghetti bolognese!

Ryby Stonehouse is available for interviews, articles, guest posts or comments. 

Please contact Ryby at press@blueoceandiving.co.uk with any enquiries or requests for further information.

On Tuesday 8th March 2022, a team of TEC divers from BlueOceanDiving laid a memorial plaque in honour of Mike Melville at 66m under the Third Arch in Thomas Canyon.

The arch, in the straits of Tiran in the Egyptian Red Sea, was a significant and meaningful location in which to honour ‘The Chief’.

Mike qualified as PADI TecDeep in September 2009 on a trip which saw a gang of us form the BlueOceanTec THREEEEEEE club – by making an adventurous dive through all three arches in Thomas Canyon. (Cheers to all who have joined this select little group over the years!).

Known as ‘The Chief’, PADI Master Instructor Mike sadly lost his fight with cancer on May 4th, 2021.

He was one of the original Scubaholics Dive Team at Blue Ocean Diving. Since 2003, he was instrumental in building the club and supporting the business to make it what it is today.

As Chief Instructor he taught many of the team who now pass on his knowledge, skill, and his love of diving.

He was an adventurous Technical Diver, always pushing limits underwater.

Be it in a dark cave with tight wriggle room, at extreme depths on Trimix on Twinset or SideMount, or diving on his much prized Prism2 CCR rebreather, he pushed the boundaries.

Mike had virtually every diving qualification possible and several thousand dives under his belt.

The diving world has lost one of the greats.

His sharp wit, dry humour and sense of camaraderie, as well as his natural leadership made him a huge part of all our lives.

Mike and I subsequently dived Thomas Canyon several times on Trimix OC & CCR

• It’s a special dive site with special memories
• It’s for special divers
• It was one of Mike’s special places
• It is my favourite dive site: EVER

Laying the plaque, which is at 66m up in the roof of the Third Arch, was a challenging mission.

The stainless steel plaque, made by Pete Moore, had Mike’s original Trimix VR3 Dive Computer affixed.

Weighing 6kg, taking the plaque to the arch made the dive itself more challenging.

Thanks go out to Andy Rudge who completed the dive with me, and to our Tec support team who waited at 45m for us.

Thanks also go to Pete Moore for making the plaque and to everyone who dived with Mike over the years.

We all know that Mike would be quietly very pleased that we all think so much of him.

Mike, you are deeply missed by all of us.
Ryby

Have you considered learning to dive but aren’t quite ready to make the splash?

Let us continue…

The diving community is quite a large one, with people travelling all around the globe to explore a variety of underwater settings. 

Even newer members of the diving world who have recently completed a variety of scuba diving courses can’t wait to explore their favourite coastlines. Then they venture to foreign destinations and do it all over again!

Despite having a rather large community dotted around the globe, you might think that in major cities, diving is a relatively niche activity. 

Not at all.

However, this doesn’t mean that people living far away from a seaside location can’t eventually gain the qualifications needed to enjoy diving when on holiday or during a weekend trip to a coastal seaside resort in the UK. 

Yes, learning to dive might take longer than other people who have access to the water throughout the year. Do not let not being by water be your excuse! There are many UK lakes and dive quarries to explore, and the UK is an island surrounded by water, don’t forget!

No doubt you will certainly find it worth it once you attain your PADI. Besides, our club regularly runs trips each month both in the UK and abroad so join us!

There are numerous benefits to diving which people are discovering on a regular basis, too. 

Simply put, exploring the underwater world in person and up close is far more magical than visiting an aquarium or exploring the beauty that is hidden beneath the crashing waves of the ocean in popular games such as Playtech’s Great Blue online slot. 

But why? 

What are the benefits of learning to dive? 

Here’s a look at some of them. 

You can learn to dive virtually

These days, in the modern world, learning to dive can also be done virtually. 

Many diving schools offer beginner courses online which feature theory sessions and easy-to-digest material. 

Learning the theory before the practical side of diving is a great way to gain useful information before progressing into the water. 

Blue Ocean Diving offers you two ways to complete your scuba diving qualifications. Complete your diving course in the UK, from swimming pool to lakes – or you can learn to scuba dive on Holiday in clear warm waters with amazing wildlife!

Diving can boost your physical and mental health 

Diving is the best form of water therapy around. 

It provides the benefits of exercising as you swim your way to various underwater locations. It also enables us to improve our all-round mental health, too. 

Immersing ourselves in nature is a sure-fire way of improving our general mood. 

Submerging yourself underwater and living in the moment in nature is one of the most relaxing activities we can possibly do. 

Relax, enjoy the view and switch off from the stresses of life to enjoy what is an amazing experience. 

Diving is fun

Although there are certainly some serious aspects attached to diving, overall it’s a fun and truly enjoyable activity to throw yourself into. 

Once you learn how to dive, you can do it wherever you are in the world.

A great way to meet new people

We’ve touched on it already, but the diving community is a friendly and large one. With that comes welcoming events and an all-round friendly feel, which many other popular activities don’t always achieve. Meeting many wonderful people who share your love of diving all over the world is another advantage.

Given the memorable experiences which can be had diving, people are generally always in a positive and happy mood. Knowing you’re about to embark on a coastal adventure tends to lift the spirits!

 As such, many members of the diving community are open to meeting new people and sharing their experiences of diving. 

Join Blue Ocean Diving’s Scubaholics Dive Club and get special member discounts and offers, as well as our Scubaholics Dive Club community over on Facebook. 

You’ll appreciate nature far more 

Scuba diving and taking a leap into the natural world is a fantastic way of reconnecting with nature.

What better way to explore a diverse and truly unique marine landscape?

Once you discover the beauty of an underwater setting, you’ll be even more passionate about protecting it and its conservation.