Rick's Blog
Kit List
- Ri 1-100 Rear Entry
- T-Flex Gloves
- ECM Mitts
- Classic Semi Hood
- Standard P-Valve
Biography
Rick Ayrton learnt to dive with Clifton BSAC club, in the late 1980’s, and has been active club diver ever since. He was an early entrant into the world of technical diving receiving his first Trimix qualification in 1999. He took up rebreather diving in 2002, at the same time as his first steps into underwater photography; acquiring a second-hand Subal/Sony Hi8 video housing.
As rebreather experience increased, u/w video equipment was upgraded. Rick was asked to be involved as a cameraman on the Deep Wreck Mysteries TV series of historical underwater documentaries, this proved to be a challenging and rewarding experience and he is pleased to see that the series still gets regularly aired. Unfortunately no third series has been commissioned (yet).
More recently he developed a passion for still photography, he is a member of the Bristol Underwater Photo Group(BUPG) and the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP). He has earned some success with his images , notably winning the Close up & Animal portrait category of the 2009 BSoUP splash in competition, in 2014 runner-up in the same competition for the wide angle category.
In the newly established British & Irish Underwater Photography Championship he was awarded Highly Commended in the 2015 wide angle category.
He has had images selected for display in the BSoUP print competitions, as well as intermittent success in monthly competitions for both the BUPG & BSoUP. Many of Rick’s images are used in O’Three’s publicity material.
Rick enjoys both close-up & wide angle underwater photography, but particularly enjoys the challenge of taking images of wrecks and happily admitting that getting good images of deep UK wrecks is a fickle process with many variables that he is still trying to master.
Alongside the photography Rick has contributed to several diving magazines, 990, Sport Diver, Scuba & Diver magazine, he enjoys telling the story behind the wrecks that often feature in his articles.
He remains an active member of the CliftonSAC currently holding the position of club President. He will equally enjoy taking his rebreather & camera on a shallow scenic dive as much as on a deep wreck, his diving year is split between deep wreck diving, club trips(which can be to any destination) & photographic trips. The majority of his diving is in UK waters but usually will take in a couple of weeks overseas each year.
Off the water Rick enjoys skiing and mountain biking and travelling in his VW California campervan with his wife Helen.