The BiG Scuba Podcast

The BiG Scuba Podcast

The BiG Scuba Podcast is a new, independent podcast dedicated to all things diving and ocean related. Its hosted by two friends, Ian, and Gemma. Our aim is to provide a light hearted podcast for all levels of divers and also non-divers with a view to encouraging the non-divers to consider entering the water. We hope to bring you current dive and marine related news and information with the added BIG twist. Give us a listen and get inspired about all things scuba.

  1. Episode  229  Emma Millen The Geordie Shores Diver

    Jun 22

    Episode 229 Emma Millen The Geordie Shores Diver

    Ian and Gemma are joined by Emma, better known as @TheGeordieShoresDiver on TikTok. Emma is a freelance podcast producer and BBC radio presenter from the North East, but above all she's a passionate scuba diver. Having initially dived exclusively around the UK coastline, she quickly became fascinated by the incredible marine life, history and hidden treasures found beneath the waters on her doorstep. In this episode, Emma shares how she fell in love with UK diving and why she believes our coastline has so much to offer. We talk about the role social media plays in showcasing underwater adventures and how her TikTok channel has helped connect with others who share the same passion. Emma also explains why she is keen to encourage more young people, particularly women, to take up scuba diving and discover the beauty of Britain's seas for themselves. Along the way, we discuss why unforgettable experiences don't always require a passport or tropical destination. Join us for a fun, inspiring and thoroughly Geordie conversation with a diver who is proudly championing the UK's underwater world and helping to introduce a new generation to the sport we all love. Gemma and Ian also catch up on news and talk about a recent dive trip to , Springlakes https://diverstime.com/ and the upcoming Scoob and Snork Fest on the 25th July https://diverstime.com/try-dive-experience/ola/services/scoob-and-snork-fest-2026 The Auto-Trail Camper van is discussed https://www.auto-trail.co.uk/campervans/68xl/ and how its a great adventure vehicle. Ian has started his sidemount journey with https://www.facebook.com/scottsscubaservices under the instruction off Matt and Scott. The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! Auto-Trail - Discover the new collection from the UK's leading motorhome and campervan manufacturer.   📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 45m
  2. You Might Also Like: MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

    Jun 22 ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

    Introducing Defies Explanation Vol. II from MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories. Follow the show: MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories about unexplainable phenomena. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "Two Faced" -- A man is filled with a deep sense of foreboding after a ghastly sight in his mirror (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6m1ImVG1MQ) #1 -- "Make It Rain" -- An inmate has an incredibly weird ability (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXd2m_4oBuY)   You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. Episode  228  David Swain  Beyond on Bar

    Jun 9

    Episode 228 David Swain Beyond on Bar

    In this episode, we sit down with David Swain, owner of Beyond One Bar — a family-run scuba diving business based in Leiston, Suffolk. And yes, we recorded on location at Sizewell beach from inside the Auto-Trail Expedition 68XL campervan overlooking the North Sea! David has been teaching people to dive since 1994 and has clocked up over 30 years as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. In this conversation, he shares his diving journey from the early days through to a life-changing relocation to Honduras and his eventual return to the UK, where he set up Beyond One Bar with his family in 2014. We talk scuba, open water swimming, life by the sea, and what it really means to build a dive business from the ground up and the philosophy behind the name Beyond One Bar. Find Beyond One Bar: 🌐 www.beyondonebar.com 📸 @beyondonebar on Instagram 📘 Beyond One Bar on Facebook   Gemma and Ian also catch up on news and talk about some other UK dive Sites, https://www.dudleydolphinbsac.com/ and the Netherton Reservoir and Springlakes https://diverstime.com/ and the upcoming Scoob and Snork Fest on the 25th July https://diverstime.com/try-dive-experience/ola/services/scoob-and-snork-fest-2026 The Auto-Trail Camper van is discussed https://www.auto-trail.co.uk/campervans/68xl/ and how its a great adventure vehicle. Gemma has had a diving medical at Midlands Dive Chamber https://www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk/. Remember you can book in there for any level of Diving Medical and they are a specialist team. The public are being asked to give their views on a selection of wildlife, native to the UK, that will appear on the next series of banknotes in a consultation launched recently. Cast your vote here: https://app.keysurvey.co.uk/f/41844465/6049/   The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! Auto-Trail - Discover the new collection from the UK's leading motorhome and campervan manufacturer.   📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 46m
  4. Episode  227  Rod Macdonald    Author & Shipwreck Explorer

    May 18

    Episode 227 Rod Macdonald Author & Shipwreck Explorer

    In this episode, we chat with Rod Macdonald. Rod is an internationally renowned Scottish shipwreck explorer, undersea adventurer, maritime historian, TV personality and best-selling diving author with 13 books about shipwrecks and naval history, the culmination of a lifetime of diving. His beautifully illustrated books are the internationally accepted definitive guides to many world-famous dive locations. He is the author of Dive Scapa Flow, covering the German WWI High Seas Fleet shipwrecks scuttled in Scapa in 1919, Dive Truk Lagoon – the Japanese WWII Pacific shipwrecks, covering the 40 Japanese ships sent to the bottom of the Truk lagoon in Micronesia in February 1944 during a daring 2-day fast carrier raid by U.S. Task Force 58 aircraft codenamed Operation HAILSTONE. He is also the author of Dive Palau – the shipwrecks, the sunken legacy of the follow up Task Force 58 raid, Operation DESECRATE 1, just six weeks later – and a number of naval history books. Rod regularly appears on TV documetaries as a wreck expert, and as a patron of the British & Irleand Chapter of the Explorers Club of New York and has led a number of high profile Explorers Club flagged expeditions to survey shipwrecks around the world. He dived the feared Corryvreckan Whirlpool on the west coast of Scotland!   Website : https://rod-macdonald.com Books : https://amzn.eu/d/0bjAJ7m9   The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! Auto-Trail - Discover the new collection from the UK's leading motorhome and campervan manufacturer.   📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    2h 19m
  5. Episode  226 Dan Frolec     Author of "The Cave"

    May 4

    Episode 226 Dan Frolec Author of "The Cave"

    In this episode, we chat with Dan Frolec — diver, adventurer, entrepreneur, and author of The Cave, a gripping true story that blends scuba diving with real-life tragedy and injustice. Dan has been diving for over 30 years, exploring oceans across the globe. But one trip in 2002 to Croatia changed everything. What began as a routine sailing and diving holiday turned into a nightmare when a fellow diver was lost in an underwater cave. Soon after, Dan and a friend were falsely accused of murder and imprisoned, forced to fight for their freedom against shocking claims. Dan shares the story behind The Cave, the emotional toll of the incident, and how he found the strength to keep going. Beyond the book, we also dive into Dan's life journey — from a high-level corporate career in Prague to quitting it all and moving to Bali for a different way of life. Today, he runs his own advisory business, created a fitness programme, and continues to pursue his love for diving, freediving, and adventure. A powerful episode about resilience, truth, and the unexpected paths life can take. Links: Website: www.danfrolec.com Instagram: @danfrolec LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfrolec/ Book: The Cave – The True Story of Two Mysterious Deaths in an Underwater Labyrinth   The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! Auto-Trail - Discover the new collection from the UK's leading motorhome and campervan manufacturer.   📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 30m
  6. Episode  225     Mark Greaney  No.1   New York Times Bestselling Author

    Apr 20

    Episode 225 Mark Greaney No.1 New York Times Bestselling Author

    The Big Scuba podcast, hosts Ian and Gemma are joined by Mark Greaney.   What happens when a world-class thriller writer hits the water? In this episode, we sit down with Mark Greaney, the man behind The Gray Man and the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan series. We discuss his transition from tactical firearms training to recreational scuba diving and how he translates the "inner space" of the ocean into high-octane thriller scenes. About Mark Greaney Mark is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with a background in international relations and political science. His commitment to authenticity has led him to: Travel to 35+ countries for book research. Train with military/law enforcement in tactics and battlefield medicine. Collaborate directly with Tom Clancy on titles like Locked On and Command Authority. See his debut novel, The Gray Man, become a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. https://markgreaneybooks.com/ https://www.instagram.com/MarkGreaneyBooks/ https://www.facebook.com/MarkGreaneyBooks     The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! Auto-Trail - Discover the new collection from the UK's leading motorhome and campervan manufacturer.   📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 35m
  7. Episode 224   Will Appleyard & Núria Paré Soldevila

    Apr 6

    Episode 224 Will Appleyard & Núria Paré Soldevila

    In Episode 224 of the Big Scuba podcast, hosts Ian and Gemma are joined by Will Appleyard and Núria Paré Soldevila.   Will Appleyard is the creative eye behind Amphibious. His background spans a wide range of hands-on work, shaped by years of experience in diving, outdoor projects and adventure-based environments. Will has also been a brand ambassador for O'Three for over a decade.   Alongside award winning filmmaking, he is also the author of several books, including Dorset Dives and Wild & Tempered Seas, and as an underwater photographer, has spent over a decade as contributor to several diving magazines and platforms. These past experiences continue to inform his visual and narrative approach, grounding his work in authenticity and a strong connection to the sea   Núria Paré Soldevila works with Amphibious on subtitles, translation and story support. She has worked for many years with language, both as a translator and as an English teacher in an audio-visual vocational training programme.   She collaborates on documentary projects by interviewing contributors, subtitling and translating content, and supporting the storytelling process from behind the scenes, helping each story remain clear, coherent and true to its voice.   Amphibious is an award-winning independent documentary collective focused on nature-based storytelling, working both above and below the water. Their work combines strong visuals with thoughtful, human-centred narratives. Their most recent film "Voices Of Pura Vida", filmed in Costa Rica, has won several awards and is listed on IMDB. The Paragliding documentaries have not only won awards but one has even been broadcast on Spanish TV. Voices Of Pura Vida has been selected to be screened at the Lisbon Underwater Film Festival on 13th Feb 2026.   Websites: https://www.amphibiouscollective.com/ https://www.willappleyard.com/   Instagram: @willappleyard @amphibious_collective YouTube: Will Appleyard     The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Circular & Co – use our code BIGSCUBA Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks - use our code THEBIGSCUBA2026 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! 📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 46m
  8. Episode 223    Miranda and Ollie Krestovnikoff

    Mar 23

    Episode 223 Miranda and Ollie Krestovnikoff

    In Episode 223 of the Big Scuba podcast, hosts Ian and Gemma are joined by TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff and her son, Ollie, to discuss the dynamics of a "diving family." The conversation explores how diving became a central part of their household, with Miranda's daughter, Emily, recently working as a Dive Master and Ollie emerging as an enthusiastic advocate for the sport. Miranda reflects on the natural progression of her children into diving, noting that while their upbringing made it almost inevitable, it was always rooted in a genuine, positive choice. Ollie's introduction to the underwater world was remarkably early, having first used a regulator at just three years old. He attributes his passion not only to his mother's career but to a shared family interest that included his father's love for snorkeling and his siblings' early certifications. This upbringing involved family holidays centered around diving clubs, allowing the children to build their skills alongside their parents. Now a teenager, Ollie is focused on encouraging other young people to overcome their hesitations and try the sport for themselves. Beyond recreational trips to locations like Grenada and the Philippines, the family remains active in marine conservation, frequently participating in underwater clean-ups with groups like "Neptune's Army." Miranda notes the welcoming nature of the diving community, which has consistently supported her children as fellow divers rather than just observers.   More about Grenada : https://www.puregrenada.com/ Madagascar with Operation Wallacea : https://www.opwall.com/location/madagascar/ Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners : https://www.narcdiving.org.uk/   The BiG Scuba Podcast is proudly supported by Narked at 90 – "Beyond Technical." Whether you're new to diving or thinking about moving into tech, they can help guide you with the best kit and advice. 💬 We'd love your feedback! Leave us a ★★★★★ review, share with your dive buddies, and get in touch via our socials or at mailto:thebigscubapodcast@gmail.com   👉 Check out our affiliate links and stores: Insta360 Store – use our code BIGSCUBA Waterhaul link Stream to Sea McConks use our code THEBIGSCUBA2025 Amazon Store Patreon – support the show and keep us diving! 📲 Follow us on socials: Instagram: @thebigscuba Facebook: @thebigscuba LinkedIn: Ian 🦈 Last 🌐 Website: www.thebigscuba.com   🎧 Listen to The BiG Scuba Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and all major platforms. ISSN: 2752-6127

    1h 35m

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

The BiG Scuba Podcast is a new, independent podcast dedicated to all things diving and ocean related. Its hosted by two friends, Ian, and Gemma. Our aim is to provide a light hearted podcast for all levels of divers and also non-divers with a view to encouraging the non-divers to consider entering the water. We hope to bring you current dive and marine related news and information with the added BIG twist. Give us a listen and get inspired about all things scuba.

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