My First Time – Stephan Whelan

What did you first learn to dive in?

I first learned to dive in the Canary Islands when I was 8 years old. Obviously when I came back to the UK, I needed a little more thermal protection than just a BCD and Speedos, (plus I don’t think my friends wanted to see me in speedos), so the I was wearing semi-dry suits.

How was your first drysuit experience?

I was diving during the winter, I was a student so was using a rental semi-dry and I was absolutely freezing cold. I had had enough and I got myself a drysuit – moving from semi-dry to dry was an absolutely amazing experience!

At what point in your diving journey did you identify yourself as a “Diver”?

I think the first time I was properly dressed in all the kit, going into open water, dressed in a semi-dry – I didn’t have a BCD at the time, it was one of those old “toilet seat” ABLJs – but I felt amazing and that was the point when I thought ‘I now feel like an absolute diver”

What’s your favourite piece of dive kit now?

Got to be my Argonaut! For me, it’s absolutely amazing – it’s light, it’s flexible – having gone through a number of different drysuits, I just love it!

If there’s one thing that you wished fourth element made, that we don’t already make, what is it?

Hmmm – t-shirts done, thermal protection and undersuits done, wetsuits done, drysuits done, free diving kit done – its got to be some of the other stuff – so masks, fins, snorkels – I’d love to see you bringing out more dive kit like that.