My favourite latitudes

It’s demanding, but that’s exactly why it stays with me long after I’m out of the water.

The water is cold, visibility is sometimes incredible, sometimes crappy, and there’s no distraction from crowds or surface noise. There’s a strong sense of self-reliance, but also trust in your dive equipment. Not into your diving buddy, because these are solo dives. So much is up to me and the attention I bring into preparations and every move.

Light behaves differently this far north - low angles, limited daylight, and strong contrast - which directly affects navigation, depth perception, and dive planning.

Something about high latitudes feels deeply familiar to me. my DNA carries a strong arctic component, and being in northern waters feels oddly like returning rather than visiting, operating in cold, austere environments feels natural rather than hostile.

Winter conditions demand disciplined procedures: drysuit proficiency, thermal management, gas planning with higher consumption rates, full redundancy, and conservative margins. Surface intervals are as critical as bottom time, and logistics - entry points, ice, weather windows - matter as much as the dive itself. Winter diving there is quiet, disciplined, and stripped of excess.