I love reading magazines about scuba diving. Sure, there’s plenty of info, blogs and websites about diving but for me it’s far more relaxing to flick through a magazine then to ‘browse the web’.
When I’m traveling I read magazines on my tablet and because I don’t always have connection (when I’m on a plane or in some remote location) I always have a collection of magazines in PDF on my tablet. Many scuba diving magazines offer ‘online’ subscriptions and that’s great. But FREE STUFF is even better! Here are some of my favorite free scuba diving magazines that can be downloaded as PDF.
X-Ray Mag
Let’s start with my Number one favorite scuba diving mag! X-Ray Mag is a beautiful magazine and it’s been around for a while (2003). The first time I read this magazine I was amazed that it was actually free! X-Ray Mag has a strong focus on underwater photography. It’s loaded with great looking underwater images and has many great articles to read if you are trying to perfect your own underwater snapshots. But there’s also very good articles about scuba diving and traveling. Every issue focusses on a specific destination and gives you a lot of background about a chosen region. All issues end with the work of an different artist who’s work is somehow related to the underwater world. The art can be yaw dropping or uhm… interesting! All X-Ray Mag (back) issues can be downloaded in PDF from their website.
Shark Focus
I’m crazy about sharks and I’m crazily worried about the future of sharks! One of the most well know shark conservation organizations is Shark Trust. Shark Focus is a twice yearly magazine that is available for free for their members. According to Shark Trust, Shark Focus brings readers up to date with the very latest news and issues surrounding shark conservation and research. If you like to receive the free (paper) copy then off course you should join and support Shark Trust! But all the latest issues are also available for download here.
Alert Diver
DAN, or Divers Alert Network, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety and health of divers worldwide. They offer emergency assistance, medical information, dive accident insurance, and research to improve diving practices. One of their most popular resources is Alert Diver, a free publication filled with in-depth articles on dive safety, medical insights, gear reviews, underwater photography, and ocean conservation. It’s an excellent read for divers who want to stay informed, inspired, and safe in the water.
Issuu.com
A website worth mentioning is issuu.com. According to the site they have over 30 million documents available to read. Many can be downloaded as PDF. I found many (mostly older) issues of well known scuba diving magazines here. https://issuu.com
