Practical Sailing, Scuba Diving and Coastal Travel Guides

Sailers helps people make better decisions on and around the water. We publish beginner-friendly sailing guides, UK coastal safety advice, boat-handling explainers, scuba diving features and marine travel ideas, with a focus on clear, practical information you can actually use.

Written by sailing and diving enthusiasts, with safety-focused guides checked against official sources where appropriate.

Latest Articles from Sailers

New to Sailing?

Learn the parts of a sailboat, the basic principles of sailing, and how wind moves a boat.

Planning a Coastal Trip?

Start with our UK coastal sailing safety guide before checking weather, tides, navigation and crew preparation

Interested in Diving?

Explore family scuba, marine life, shark conservation and dive travel ideas

Meet the Sailers Team

Sailers is written by people with real interest and experience in sailing, scuba diving and marine travel. Our guides are designed to be practical, readable and safety-aware, especially for beginners building confidence on the water.

David Harken
Licensed yacht captain and lifelong sailor, David has logged passages across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South Pacific. He writes about seamanship, passage planning, and kit that actually earns a place on board, and champions ocean conservation every chance he gets.
Sally Minard
A certified Dive Master with 10+ years underwater, Sally has guided dives from warm coral gardens to chilly drop-offs. She covers dive travel, training, and photography, and is passionate about protecting the marine life that makes every descent worth it.

How We Create Sailers Guides

Our goal is to make water-based activities easier to understand without making them sound simpler than they are. For safety-related sailing and diving content, we prioritise clear explanations, current guidance, practical checklists and links to official or specialist sources where appropriate.

  • Beginner-friendly explanations
  • Practical checklists and diagrams
  • Clear author bylines
  • Corrections welcomed
  • Safety topics linked to official sources where relevant
  • No substitute for qualified instruction, skipper judgement or emergency services

Recent Articles

Your First Overnight Sail: How to Prepare as Crew

Prepare for your first overnight passage with clear crew arrangements, accessible clothing, a proper briefing and realistic rest.

Planning a Coastal Sailing Break in Cornwall

Compare a Fal-estuary base, Fowey and a quieter Helford-focused break, with flexible sailing days and practical plans ashore.

Buying or Renting Your First Dive Kit: What to Decide First

Decide what dive equipment to buy by considering fit, training, servicing, travel and the kind of diving you will actually do.

Navigation

Essential Sailing Guides

The UK Coastal Sailing Safety Guide

Safe UK coastal sailing starts before the boat leaves the berth. The essential question is not simply, “Can we go?” It is: “Can this boat, with this crew, on this route, in this forecast, still get to shelter if conditions change?” UK...

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling

Underwater Photography Etiquette: Getting the Picture Without Disturbing Wildlife

Put buoyancy, your buddy and wildlife ahead of the photograph. Practical questions and habits for more considerate underwater photography.

Buying or Renting Your First Dive Kit: What to Decide First

Decide what dive equipment to buy by considering fit, training, servicing, travel and the kind of diving you will actually do.

What to Pack for Your First Dive Course

Bring the paperwork and personal essentials you need, confirm the supplied equipment and leave unnecessary purchases until you know what suits you.

Environment

Shark Conservation Dive Travel: How to Choose an Ethical Trip

Shark conservation dive travel can support education, research, local conservation and better public understanding of sharks, but only when the trip is run responsibly. Choose operators with clear wildlife rules, qualified dive professionals, transparent conservation partners, small-group control, local permits, emergency...

Marine Animals Found in Australia

Australia is an island nation that offers an impressive range of unique marine life. From jellyfish to seahorses, the waters around Australia are home to a variety of incredible creatures that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. If you’re...

Training

Family Scuba Diving: How to Get Kids Started Safely

Children can get started with scuba diving through age-appropriate pool sessions, try-dives and junior courses, but age alone is not enough. A child also needs swimming ability, comfort in...

Deep Blue Sea

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Fresh Stories

Tidal Height and Tidal Stream: What Is the Difference?

Tidal height affects water depth; tidal stream affects the boat’s movement over the ground. Understand why you need both when planning a passage.

Planning a Sailing Weekend in the Solent

Choose a Solent departure base, sailing format and manageable weekend schedule, with time for the weather and the journey home.

What to Pack for Your First Dive Course

Bring the paperwork and personal essentials you need, confirm the supplied equipment and leave unnecessary purchases until you know what suits you.

How to Read a Marine Weather Forecast Before Sailing

Read a marine forecast as a whole: area, timing, wind, sea state and visibility, then relate it to the boat, crew and route.

What to Pack for a Sailing Holiday: A Practical Checklist

Pack around your actual boat and booking: documents, supplied equipment, clothes, personal essentials and luggage that can be stowed.

Learning to Dive in the UK or Abroad: How to Choose

Compare local and overseas dive training by schedule, support, total cost and the diving you want to do after qualification.