Episode 192 Sophie Heptonstall BSAC Head of Diving and Training
Release Date: 12/02/2024
Episode 201 Simon Mills Inside the Britannic
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Simon Mills. In August 1996, the wreck of HMHS Britannic was bought by renowned maritime historian, Simon Mills. Simon is a long-standing camera technician in the UK film industry. During his career he has also researched numerous documentaries on historical and maritime subjects, and is a published author on all three Olympic-class ships. The BiG Scuba Podcast is brought to you by Narked at 90. “Beyond Technical” Narked at 90 If you are thinking of moving across to...
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Episode 200 Rob Hinton Hold Fast Challenges
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Rob Hinton. Rob Hinton is the founder of the Hold Fast Challenges, a unique, hugely exciting, and rewarding outdoor challenge experience, based on Rob's former career as a Royal Navy Mine Clearance Diver. A former competitive swimmer, he has spent most of his life in the water, or under it. Robs introduction to diving began in 1999 in South Africa, where he learnt to Scuba Dive in CapeTown. A 22 year career in diving, which saw him serve as a Royal Navy Mine Clearance and Bomb Disposal Diver, a Commercial Diver in the oil and...
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Episode 199 Osama Gobara Cave Diving Explorer
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Osama Gobara. Originally from Austria, Osama has a profound passion for the subterranean realm and aquatic ecosystems It has driven him to pursue a career as a cave diving explorer and instructor as well as working offshore too. When not immersed in cave exploration or mentoring fellow cave divers, he extends his surveying expertise to offshore activities, specializing in deepwater ROV-based remote sensing and seabed mapping for offshore wind farm projects worldwide. Social media and website links. ...
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Episode 198 Last Breath The Directors Cut
The BiG Scuba Podcast
Gemma and Ian were invited to the pre-release press screening of Last Breath prior to its public release in late February 2025. It’s a heart-pounding film that follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue their crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface. Based on a true story, Last Breath is an electrifying story about teamwork, resilience, and a race against time to do the impossible. Gemma and Ian then interviewed Alex Parkinson, director/co-writer and David Brooks, co-writer/producer about the...
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Episode 197 Lisa Blair Solo Sailor, Explorer and Climate Activist
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Lisa Blair. Lisa is an Australian Adventurer, Climate Activist, Author, Speaker and Multi-World Record holding sailor. On May 25th, 2022, Lisa achieved her latest milestone by becoming the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, shaving 10 days off the previous record. During this record-setting journey, Lisa seized the opportunity to amplify her message of Climate Action Now and collaborated with a number of scientific organizations such as the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Institute of Marine...
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Episode 196 Luke Bullus Diving Officer at Fathoms Free
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Luke Bullus. Luke Bullus is the Diving Officer and a trustee of the marine conservation charity Fathoms Free. Fathoms Free is a group of experienced volunteer divers and skippers committed to protecting marine wildlife and the environment. They focus on removing ALDFG (abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear) and other marine debris from the coastal waters of Cornwall and Devon. ALDFG, often referred to as "ghost gear", continues to "fish" by entangling, trapping, and killing wildlife indiscriminately. Since its inception in...
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Episode 195 Sports Financial Services - Specialists in arranging life insurance for active sports and hazardous occupations
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian visit Sports Financial Services to discuss the importance of Life Insurance for scuba divers as well as anyone else. We chat to Harvey and James about the business and their bespoke and personal service for anyone wishing to discuss Life Insurance, Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover. Sports Financial specialises in providing tailored insurance solutions for individuals involved in high-risk and extreme sports, such as Scuba Diving and other active sports and hazardous occupation. Recognising the added risks of injury, accident, or even...
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Episode 194 The BiG Scuba Reflections
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian reflect on their year of 2024. They discuss some stats of the podcast like how many countries the podcast is downloaded in and the most popular episodes. Gemma and Ian talk about their watery adventures of 2024 both on the water and under the water, dive sites explored and places and shows they have visited. The BiG Scuba Podcast is brought to you by Narked at 90. “Beyond Technical” Narked at 90 If you are thinking of moving across to tech diving or completely new to diving, Narked at 90 can advise and guide...
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Episode 193 Edward Askham Spencer Commercial Diver and Magician
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Edward Askham Spencer. Edward has a spirit for competition and adventure that has drawn him across the world and back again. His fiancé would say he is married to the sea. Before Ed deployed to Afghanistan as a Paratrooper in 2008 he went to Andark his local dive shop on the south coast of England to do his Padi open water. This ignited a passion for the sea that saw him defending ships from pirates and then to become a professional air and saturation diver. He is a coded wet welder, inspection diver, experienced subsea Burner, DMT, Rigger,...
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Episode 192 Sophie Heptonstall BSAC Head of Diving and Training
The BiG Scuba Podcast
The BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Sophie Heptonstall. Sophie was introduced to diving by her dad, grandad and uncle who were diving in the UK. She did a PADI Discover Scuba abroad at twelve years old and then PADI Open Water Course at Stoney Cove. At university in Wales Sophie joined the university BSAC Club and continued her diver grade training and instructor training in the club with BSAC but completed other agency specialty courses with TDI and IANTD and worked as a PADI Divemaster in the UK at weekends for a few years. Sophie then had opportunities to dive abroad...
info_outlineThe BiG Scuba Duo, Gemma and Ian chat to Sophie Heptonstall. Sophie was introduced to diving by her dad, grandad and uncle who were diving in the UK. She did a PADI Discover Scuba abroad at twelve years old and then PADI Open Water Course at Stoney Cove.
At university in Wales Sophie joined the university BSAC Club and continued her diver grade training and instructor training in the club with BSAC but completed other agency specialty courses with TDI and IANTD and worked as a PADI Divemaster in the UK at weekends for a few years. Sophie then had opportunities to dive abroad – Caribbean, Red Sea, Maldives and Truk Lagoon.
In 2004 Sophie became a BSAC Instructor Trainer and in 2005 was asked to be the Communications Advisor on the BSAC National Diving Committee and a few years later was elected onto BSAC Council. In 2015 she was elected as BSAC National Diving Officer, the youngest person to hold the post.
Sophie is a CCR Mod 3 diver and CCR Instructor and have also held the BSAC positions of Tech Lead, First Class Diver Chief Examiner and National Instructor Chief Examiner. All these previous roles were volunteer roles but in March 2024 her hobby became a full time job taking in the BSAC employed role of Head of Diving and Training.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-heptonstall-82a44925/
The BiG Scuba Podcast is brought to you by Narked at 90. “Beyond Technical” Narked at 90 If you are thinking of moving across to tech diving or completely new to diving, Narked at 90 can advise and guide on the best equipment and set up for your personal or commercial requirements https://www.narkedat90.com/ There is currently a code for you to use for purchases and the code is BIGSCUBA2024.
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