About Doris Gone Diving

Hi, I’m Doris.

Scuba instructor. Tec diver. Researcher. Hyperbaric chamber operator. And the person behind Doris Gone Diving.

In 2025, Doris Gone Diving was awarded Best Scuba Diving Travel Blog (GHP Active Lifestyle Awards 2025). For me, that recognition validates the mission of this blog: providing content based on dives I’ve personally done, including the ones where the visibility dropped or the current surprised me.

Why This Blog Exists

When I started planning dive trips, everything sounded perfect.

“Crystal clear water.”
“Suitable for all levels.”
“World-class diving.”

But nobody talked about what it’s actually like to be there:

• When does the wind shut down half the sites?
• What does visibility really look like outside peak season?
• What’s there to do if conditions turn bad?
• Does the town feel relaxed or chaotic?
• Would I go back?

Safety information was either missing or too technical to be practical. With my background in hyperbaric medicine and diving safety research, I wanted to bridge that gap, giving you the real conditions alongside a grounded perspective on risk.

I also struggled with how scattered information was. Dive sites on one page, transport on another. Random forum threads filling in the gaps. And almost never a clear answer to a simple question:

Is it worth skipping a diving day for what’s on land?

Because when you’re planning a dive trip, you’re balancing time, money, energy, and conditions. The diving matters. But so does the rest of the place.

So that’s what I built here.

Not just dive site lists, but diver-focused destination guides that connect conditions, logistics, and the highlights above water, and help you decide what’s actually worth your time.

If something is overrated, I’ll say it.
If something is brilliant but only in perfect conditions, I’ll say that too.

And if I haven’t personally dived somewhere, I don’t write about it.

My Diving Background

I started diving in 2016. Ten years later, I’ve logged 2,000+ dives in everything from freezing Austrian lakes to the famous wrecks of Jordan and the high-energy currents of Bali.

I’m a certified RAID and SSI Open Water Instructor. I spent four years living and working in Koh Tao, and I’ve also taught in Austria and Malta. Cold-water drysuit dives, tropical training dives, deep Mediterranean sites, very different student mindsets. That mix gave me a practical understanding of how environment, stress, and conditions shape diver behaviour, especially for beginners.

I’m also a technical diver and an academic researcher, with a background in cognitive neuroscience and diving safety research with DAN Europe. So yes, I’m genuinely fascinated by nitrox, decompression theory, human factors, and the science that keeps us safe underwater. I don’t just follow dive tables, I like understanding the algorithms behind them and how divers actually make decisions underwater.

For three years, I worked in a hyperbaric chamber. That changes your perspective. You see what happens when limits are pushed, when stress overrides judgment, or when conditions are underestimated. It makes you calmer, more cautious, and very honest about risk.

That experience shapes every guide I write.

Who This Blog Is For

This isn’t a generic travel site. This blog is for divers who want to know what a place is actually like before they book a flight.

You’ll feel at home here if:

• You value safety over “vibes”. You want to understand current patterns, chamber locations, and boat procedures, not just where the best sunset bar is.
• You’re tired of the hype. You want to know if a “world-class” site is actually worth the 3-hour boat ride and the $200 price tag.
• You’re a slightly nerdy diver. You care about the why behind decompression, gear choices, and marine behaviour.
• You want logistics that work. You need to know how to get from point A to point B with a 30kg gear bag without losing your mind.

If you’re looking for filtered photos and “Top 10” lists written by people who haven’t touched a regulator in a year, this probably isn’t your style.

What I Love Underwater

Shipwrecks. Always. I’m drawn to the history, the structure, and the feeling of descending onto something that has a story.

Beyond that, I’m a macro enthusiast. I will happily spend half a dive staring at a nudibranch the size of my fingernail and consider that a successful day.

I like dives with personality. A bit of current. A thermocline that wakes you up. Topography that makes you think instead of just drifting along.

And yes, I am absolutely the person who will start talking about decompression algorithms or nitrogen loading over dinner.

The Stats

• 2,000+ Logged Dives | Diving since 2016
• International Teaching Experience | Thailand, Austria, and Malta
• Instructor & Technical Diver | RAID & SSI Open Water Instructor + technical diving certifications
• Safety & Research | 3 years in hyperbaric chamber operations + diving safety research with DAN Europe
• Award-Winning Blog | Best Scuba Diving Travel Blog 2025 (GHP Active Lifestyle Awards)

Ready to plan your next trip?

Start with the guides divers read before they book:

• The Honest Guide to Diving Koh Tao – 4 years of insider secrets
• Nusa Penida Diving Guide – Everything you need to know about currents, Mantas, and Molas
• The USAT Liberty Wreck – A complete guide to exploring Bali’s most famous shipwreck
• Best Places to Scuba Dive in Bali – A guide with pro tips for every level

Let’s Connect

If you’re planning a dive trip and want an honest second opinion, or if you have a nerdy question about decompression theory, reach out.