Dr Oli and Dr Mike are no strangers to fitness, both in very different ways.  Each with a keenness to promote health and fitness amongst divers, they themselves have been challenged.  

Kristen Fassolas has been a diver for 12 years and a fitness coach for 5 years. Combining her expertise and passion for both areas, she focus\' on working with divers who need to improve their health and fitness to be fit to dive, pass both professional HSE diving medicals and recreational fit-to-dive medicals and generally become better, safer divers.

Her business is based online and to demonstrate how she successfully helps divers achieve their health and fitness goals by coaching them remotely, she has tasked the Docs at both London and Midlands Diving Chambers with 3 months of training.  She has been providing them with nutritional guidance and exercise plans tailored to them individually which work along side their hectic schedules. To see how they got on, make sure you check out the next edition of Tanked Up magazine coming out in early 2018. 

If you would like to know any more info about getting fit to dive do not hesitate too get in contact with Kristen.  Check out her website: www.thescubafitnesscoach.co.uk 

Seals at the Farne Islands has been a particular hightlight of the diving year.  They behave like puppies and are incredibly interactive, until you relise they have nits and just want you to scratch the itch.  

Leo Grower, Director at Ocean Leisure took some snaps of the experience and has kindly let us share them.  

Sunday 16th July 2017 saw the memorial of Super Jolly, a celebrated photographer, writer and  diver who passed away in Philadelphia in October last year.  

Growing up in Maidenhead she began diving as a safer option to hockey where she gained too many injuries.   She graduated in finance and continued to explore her passion of underwater photography.   Super experienced much success in her social and work life, but we came to meet her through her contributions to Tanked Up Magazine and her involvement with the London Diving Chamber. 

Her photos mesmerised people, including the judge the for the Guardian Photo Competition 2013, “Natalie Meyer, judge: With good reason, the overall prize for the year goes to the photographer of this beautifully balanced and tranquil picture. I have walked through the monthly winners time and time again, but this is the one that always jumps out at me – for the reasons that it is technically and visually just \'right\'. Well done!”

During the Sunday afternoon gathering there was the anticipated unveiling of Super’s memorial sculpture by artist Alan Ross of Art In Steel.   The Conservative MP of Windsor Adam Afriyie joined the celebration and delivered a lovely introduction to the sculpture and shared memories of Super. This was not the only celeb spot of the day, but the local Mayor and Mayoress of the Royal Borough joined the party to raise a toast to such a remarkable member of the local community. 

The steel skeleton of the sweet smiling fish is going to be sunk later this week in the inviting waters of Wraysbury Lake for divers to go and enjoy underwater.  Thank you to the family, friends and the crew at Wraysbury Dive Centre for hosting such a beautiful memorial for Super Jolly.  

It was a true celebration of a person who led a life of adventure and braveness, so lovely to be amongst the love.  Oh, and of course there was also a scuba dive to visit the site where the happy fish will sit, and Rickie and Richard had a fab time exploring the mystical waters of Wraysbury.  The fish sculpture will be sunk in the next coming weeks, for now it sits above water so you can see it without getting in.  We will go on a dive soon to visit the memorial.  

Super contributed to Tanked Up; check out some of her features here:

http://www.tankedupmagazine.co.uk/photography/jolly.php

Check her website out here for her portfolio: www.superjolly.com

Sculpture Alan Ross, Art in Steel: www.artinsteel.co.uk

Be warned: Walking Dead spoilers are rife in the following. There's a fair few Machiavellian spoilers in there as well, for anyone that's six hundred years behind pop-culture.

I just wanted to get this thought up here before anyone else steals it. And they will steal it. Like in 1975 when I had the idea for punk by refusing to eat my dinner, but was unable to express my destructo-creative desires in a coherent philosophical format as I was too young to talk. I'll never forgive Rotten for stealing that.

So, Machiavelli, as we all know, was an early renaissance era Italian political philosopher. Italy, at the time, had never really got over the glory days of the Roman empire and was in a state of political and societal chaos. This, obviously, is very much the situation at the beginning of the first season of the Walking Dead. Society has collapsed under the weight of apathy, moral ambiguity, and highly infectious corpses with a taste for human flesh. Machiavelli hated it.

But the goal was clear. Society had to be restored to, well, a society. And the best form of society is the Republic.

After the chaos of season one, a few human remnants of the old society take the easiest route to establishing a new society; they find one elsewhere. But here, we merely find an echo of the old problems: immorality; greed; petty power struggles; and zombies in the shed. Collapse is once again inevitable, so how do we create a strong republic?

Machiavelli has the answer in season three. It's an effective answer, but it's never been popular: The Prince. Played in this case by Rick from Teachers. Machiavelli has long been associated with the notorious maxim "The ends justify the means", which throughout history has been taken as license for bad people to do bad things, but this was never Machiavelli's intention. The point was that the ends had to be good ends, and democracy has never been very good at delivering revolutionary goodness. That's what the Prince is for.

Given the revolutionary episodes of the twentieth century, it seems clear nowadays that the ends are in part determined by the means, and you can't go around killing people just because they wear glasses if you want to remain historically popular. Even though people who wear glasses definitely deserve it.* But if you want something doing, it helps to have all power centralised in the hands of one person. And that person needs to be a bad-ass.

Thus, here comes Rick, TCB (Takin' Care o' Business). But his ultimate aim is good: to restore the Republic; and that's what he does. The Prison Principality is strong enough to defeat the external attacks of a constitution under the control of a similar, albeit more mental, Prince, the Governor, and When The Music's Over, Rick hands over the keys of the new republic to the people that live within it.

Thus to season four. Internal as well as external pressures are creating huge problems for the republic, and whilst it seems to have weathered the zombie storm, it's substantially weakened. Given that the auld adversary is back, it seems like the time for the Prince may be upon us again.

Particularly as this time the Governor is motivated, seemingly, by love. And that's never going to end well. Princes just aren't built for it. That's what republics are for.

*I never wear glasses. Except for reading.

Rob1: Hi Rob, how are you?

Rob2: Very well, thank you.

Rob1: That's good to hear.

Rob2: Well, maybe, but you'd know that anyway.

Rob1: Know what?

Rob2: Know that I'm well. Given that we're the same person.

Rob1: I was just being polite.

Rob2: You're an idiot.

Rob1: Well, what can you tell me about the Tanked Up App?

Rob2: How come you get to be Rob1 and I'm just Rob2?

Rob1: Well, it doesn't matter, does it? We're both the same.

Rob2: Yeah, we're both the same except you're numero uno and I'm number twos.

Rob1: Number twos? Really?

Rob2: Sorry. But still.

Rob1: It really doesn't matter who's one and who's two.

Rob2: Let's swap, then.

Rob1: Well we can't now, can we? The precedent has been set. Move on.

Rob2: It's a downloader for all of the back issues of Tanked Up Magazine.

Rob1: What are you talking about?

Rob2: You said move on, so I answered the question you asked me before I rather reasonably interrupted you.

Rob1: Got you. All of the issues?

Rob2: Did you just steal this idea from Richard Herring, anyway?

Rob1: No, I came up with the idea independently.

Rob2: Independently, despite having already listened to Herring's podcast in which he plays snooker against himself?

Rob1: If I stole it, you stole it as well. Given that we're the same person.

Rob2: Yeah, we're the same except I'm number twos and you're numero uno. Plus maybe you're a plagiarist.

Rob1: You'll never prove it in court.

Rob2: You're an idiot.

Rob1: So are you, then.

Rob2: Well, hopefully all the issues will be available, but at the moment it's just issues 5 to 15.

Rob1: What are you changing the subject for this time?

Rob2: I had no choice. Rob0 made me do it.

Rob1: Who's Rob0?

Rob2: The one actually writing this drivel. He got bored, couldn't find a way out of the argument, and thus employed deus ex-machina but was too gutless or unimaginative to make the deus ex-machina anything interesting, so he just used me to change the subject.

Rob1: He's an idiot.

Rob2: Yes. But he wants us to continue the interview and he says I have to say that we must obey.

Rob1: So, we have most of the issues downloadable on the Tanked Up App. What devices is it available on?

Rob2: The iPad.

Rob1: Just the iPad?

Rob2: All the iPads.

Rob1: Where can I find further information.

Rob2: Here.

Rob1: Thank you, Rob 2.

Rob2: That was amazing.

Rob1: What was?

Rob2: I said "here" but the words were actually a link to another web page.

Rob1: That is amazing.

Rob2: That's why I said it was amazing.

Rob1: I probably thought it first and you stole it.

Rob2: I'm going to kick you in the nuts.

Rob1: You'll be kicking yourself in your own nuts.

Rob0: I've had enough of this. Download the free app here. Did we mention it's free? It's free.

Step 1: Check fuel and oil in your computational device and perform pre-internet-usage safety checks before operating the ignition.

Step 2: Prepare a suitable beverage. Approved internet beverages include beer and coffee, in any order. Banned substances include herbal tea and methylated spirits.

Step 3: Launch internet browsing computational program. Stand well back.

Step 4: Ensure you remain well lubricated with approved beverages throughout the entire procedure.

Step 5: Apply suitable vinyl recording to the stereogram. Approved artists generally originate from the City of Manchester or are mid to late 1970s punkological merchants. There are exceptions to this rule, however anything approved by Cowell, S, is punishable by the severest of nut-kickings.

Step 6: Sit down and calm down.

Step 7: Get excited and bounce around for a bit.

Step 8: Engage yourself with your chosen internettal browsing computational program. If your chosen program is AOL or Internet Explorer 7, punch yourself in the mandible and desist from all computational activities until you've installed Firefox or Chrome.

Step 9: Using astronomical charts, compasses, calculations made with the angle of the sun and an accurate timing device, and with either the address bar in your internetional browsing computational program, or by clicking the link, navigate to the following address: http://www.amazon.co.uk/FAQ-Dive-Medicine-Oliver-Firth/dp/095534672X.

Step 10: Gorge yourself on the facts presented as promotional material.

Step 11: Learn how 'tis penned by both Janky and Shamanski.

Step 12: Wonder at who would let Lobectomy's alter-ego edit such a thing.

Step 13: Consider that it is the first diving medicine tome aimed at YE, yon aquanaut.

Step 14: Observe the informative and amusational qualities of the piece.

Step 15: Note with awe, the miserly cover price of a mere 8 of the Queen's own sterling plus 95 of her Great British pence.

Step 16: Become gripped by purchasing fever.

Step 17: Ferret around in one's breeches for a suitable purchasing device, often composed of organic polymers derived from petrochemicals.

Step 18: Operate the 'Add to Basket' and 'Proceed to Checkout' buttons.

Step 19: Transcribe information from your plastic purchasing device to the screenium of your computational device with the use of a board of typographical symbols.

Step 20: Or a touch screen.

Step 21: Or you can try talking to it like in Star Trek. You can always try talking to it.

Step 22: Transcribe your locational information to your computational device using similar methods to those outlined in steps 19 - 21 above.

Step 23: Confirm your honourable intentions.

Step 24: Anticipate swift delivery of tome.

Step 25: Wait.

Step 26: Remain well lubricated with approved liquids at will. Add solid matter in the form of food according to dietary requirements.

Step 27: Ablute and pass out according to taste.

Step 28: Change the record occasionally.

Step 29: Accept delivery of tome.

Step 30: Rejoice.

Step 1: Check fuel and oil in your computational device and perform pre-internet-usage safety checks before operating the ignition.

Step 2: Prepare a suitable beverage. Approved internet beverages include beer and coffee, in any order. Banned substances include herbal tea and methylated spirits.

Step 3: Launch internet browsing computational program. Stand well back.

Step 4: Ensure you remain well lubricated with approved beverages throughout the entire procedure.

Step 5: Apply suitable vinyl recording to the stereogram. Approved artists generally originate from the City of Manchester or are mid to late 1970s punkological merchants. There are exceptions to this rule, however anything approved by Cowell, S, is punishable by a severe nut-kicking.

Step 6: Sit down and calm down.

Step 7: Get excited and bounce around for a bit.

Step 8: Engage yourself with your chosen internettal browsing computational program. If your chosen program is AOL or Internet Explorer 7, punch yourself in the mandible and desisist from all computational activities until you've installed Firefox or Chrome.

Step 9: Using astronomical charts, compasses, calculations made with the angle of the sun and an accurate timing device, and with either the address bar in your internetional browsing computational program, or by clicking the link, navigate to the following address: http://www.amazon.co.uk/FAQ-Dive-Medicine-Oliver-Firth/dp/095534672X.

Step 10: Gorge yourself on the facts presented as promotional material.

Step 11: Learn how 'tis penned by both Janky and Shamanski.

Step 12: Wonder at who would let Lobectomy's alter-ego edit such a thing.

Step 13: Consider that it is the first diving medicine tome aimed at YE, yon aquanaut.

Step 14: Observe the informative and amusational qualities of the piece.

Step 15: Note with awe, the miserly cover price of a mere 8 of the Queen's own sterling plus 95 of her Great British pence.

Step 16: Become gripped by purchasing fever.

Step 17: Ferret around in one's breeches for a suitable purchasing device, often composed of organic polymers derived from petrochemicals.

Step 18: Operate the 'Add to Basket' and 'Proceed to Checkout' buttons.

Step 19: Transcribe information from your plastic purchasing device to the screenium of your computational device with the use of a board of typographical symbols.

Step 20: Or a touch screen.

Step 21: Or you can try talking to it like in Star Trek. You can always try talking to it.

Step 22: Transcribe your locational information to your computational device using similar methods to those outlined in steps 19 - 21 above.

Step 23: Confirm your honourable intentions.

Step 24: Anticipate swift delivery of tome.

Step 25: Wait.

Step 26: Remain well lubricated with approved liquids at will. Add solid matter in the form of food according to dietary requirements.

Step 27: Ablute and pass out according to taste.

Step 28: Change the record occasionally.

Step 29: Accept delivery of tome.

Step 30: Rejoice.

If you'd told me two weeks ago that I would be happy to be woken up at 5am by someone that smells a bit of poo, someone that wasn't me, I would have dispatched you to the 14th Century with an iPad in your hand, and delighted in watching you burn as a witch.

Probably this is the first recorded example of a cute kitten. It will certainly be the first time one has featured on the internet. Unfortunately, appearances can be deceptive, as this photograph, in which she is seen consorting with a well-known member of a terrorist organisation, proves.

Loquita is never happier than when trying to murder feet or inanimate objects. All feet and all inanimate objects. Except the cat tree. The $70 cat tree. The $70 cat tree, bought for this purpose, and which is regarded as some sort of historical curiosity that must not be touched.

Marina and I generally compete for her affections in much the same way that I believe all parenting manuals would recommend. Marina overfeeds her. I bought the cat tree. Marina's sister, Hollyester, completely ignores her.

Hollyester is her favourite human. But I'll fix that. I'm going to buy her a plasma screen TV, so she can watch kitten programmes on demand. And maybe a DVD player, too. No, Blue Ray...

I've been struggling, recently, to find anyone that believes Al Qaida was behind 9/11.

This could go either way, couldn't it. Where am I going? In the unlikely event that a sentient human thing is reading this blog, at this point, that sentient matter (you) will either be thinking "That's right, Rob, finally someone in the diving world is prepared to tell the truth about 9/11 and Dubya bush, and, er the Illumaniti. And Freemasons. And so forth. Gov'mint etc.", or you'll be more inclined to think "Oh no, he's turned into a hippy. I think I can hear bongos. Do something before it grows dreadlocks and tries to infect us all."

It's OK, there's no need to get the bleach. But why am I spending my time trying to persuade people that any "World Government" that's completely incapable of calculating a Council Tax bill correctly after 14 attempts, is unlikely to have been involved in faking the moon landings 25 years before CGI?

It's because I'm living in Port Douglas.

Port, to its skunk-befuddled, stinky little friends, is an excellent place to spend time swimming around underwater in Far North Queensland, but an even better place to purchase much needed sea shells with dolphins painted on them for around £65. Or to pay a similar price for a "frontal massage". By someone that's completely unqualified for it.

Qualified by whom? That's what I say; oh sure, so you're going to tell me that nothing works until it's been verified by the state and rubber-stamped by The Man, yeah? Right, kids? Right? Well, I nearly got away with it.

Anyway, hopefully by now, enough time will have elapsed for the above video of humpbacks to have loaded. It's much worse quality than the original, for which I blame my new Adobe editing software. And The Man. Mostly The Man. But it was quite nice at the time.

Not quite nice enough for me to overcome the trauma of living in a backpackers' for three weeks, five days, six hours and 24 minutes, though. If you've never gone backpacking before, and are unsure as to whether it's really for you, the following quiz should help:

Question 1) You awake one morning to discover that one of those wispy little moustaches that, although you're not sure because you've never been allowed there, you imagine trainee gangsters in Brixton might grow when their mums let them, has appeared on your weasely little face, just below your eyes, which are too close together. Do you:

a) Shave it off immediately.

b) Sport it ironically for an evening in the hope it will improve your chances of sexy-time.

c) Accentuate it with with four conspicuous chin hairs and a hat with floppy ear bits that dangle down near your vest. You're wearing a vest.

Question 2) It's the morning-time and you see a semi-sentient human thing (called Rob, for example), sitting in a seat pouring Coco Pops into a bowl. When Rob gets up to put the milk back in the fridge do you:

a) Do nothing.

b) Question everything, man. There's no way bin Laden flew those planes.

c) Sit down in the seat for the seven and a half seconds that it's empty and invite six of your be-dreadlocked friends over to talk about the nightlife in Bristol and how 9/11 was a conspiracy by The Man because buildings don't just fall over when planes fly into them because you've never seen it happen before. Except for that one time. On 9/11. And so Rob has to pick up the Coco Pops and eat them in the seat by the speakers with the Bob Marley playing out of them.

Question 3) You're a bit drunk and need a poo. Do you:

a) Go to the communal toilets and have a poo. Then flush.

b) Go to the communal toilets and have a poo. Forget to flush.

c) Go to the communal toilets, put the seat down, and then the lid over the seat, and then have a poo. On the lid of the toilet. Yes, the lid. It's irrelevant whether you flush or not.

I'm not in the backpackers' anymore.

Given that humanity has yet to find any use for either letters or numbers, it's unlikely that this is going to be of any interest, but for those who are at work or suicidally bored, you may enjoy the zenith of my existence, although it's far more likely you'll prefer the nadir. Feel free to add comments. "Rob's face is not fat and he doesn't sound smarmy and reedy"; "Bring back Rob that we may have our televisual pleasure enlivened by him"; "It takes great courage to only find six letter words whilst all around you find seven"; that sort of thing.

I'm still failing to find a point to my existence, which will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me. My intense research into the matter has, however, enabled me to provide a brief translation service, should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of ever having to speak to a recruitment consultant or anyone at all who works in HR (you can spot them: they believe that HR is the most important department in any company. More important than the soldiers in an army, for example, or the lizards in a shop where what they do is sell lizards). Here you go:

"I'll call you back later in the week" translates as "I will never call you back".

"I'll call you back tomorrow" translates as "I will never call you back".

"I'll call you back this afternoon" translates as "I will never call you back".

"I'll call you back in five minutes" translates as "I will never call you back".

"I promise I will call you back in less than one minute, may I be flogged naked in the street and rent asunder by stampeding horses if I do not. You have my word. My word is my honour, the only thing that is important in this life and I swear upon the vengeance of the very gods themselves that I will never ever break it" translates as "I will never call you back".

They rarely call you back.