Underwater Photographer and explorer Vic Verlinden is the author of six diving books, and has 50 years experience in wreck exploration – he’ll be on the Tech Stage at the GO Diving Show talking about three legendary sunken liners.
He discovered the wreck of the East Indies vessel De Roompot in 1992 in the North Sea. The ship was built in 1844 in the Dutch city of Zierikzee. The collection (200 objects) was donated to the city museum in Zierikzee.
His latest major project is his book Sunken liners, focusing on the Britannic, Lusitania and Leopoldville – three important shipwrecks in world history. Vic worked for two years to complete the book and received cooperation from Peter McCamley and Richie Kohler, among others.
In his talk, Vic will be focusing on the stories of these wrecks. The HMHS Britannic struck a mine and sank off the Greek coast. Revisited once again, the Lusitania offers more discoveries in 2023 and 2024. The Leopoldville was torpedoed in 1944, with the loss of 700 American soldiers.
The GO Diving Show 2026
The Main Stage boasts a smorgasbord of top talent – be inspired by stories from TV faves Steve Backshall and Lizzie Daly, as well as commercial diver Chris Lemons, whose amazing tale of survival in the depths of the North Sea was made into the big-budget movie Last Breath in 2025, and Hollywood stunt performer and freediver Liz Parkinson. Action Man Andy Torbet will, of course, be returning as MC, as well as presenting on the stage.
As well as the Main Stage line-up, the dedicated stages – the UK Stage, the Tech Stage and the Inspiration/Photo Stage – also boast a fantastic array of speakers, ranging from old favourites like tech gurus Paul Toomer and Mark Powell, underwater photographers Lawson Wood and Kirsty Andrews, to new faces such as snorkel pros Emma and Gordon Taylor, the Great Scuba Drive duo Rico Anselmi and Sophie Shields, underwater archaeologist Duncan Ross, extreme freediver Nick Fazah, and tech experts Barry McGill, Ahmed Gabr, and Dominic Robinson.
Each of the speakers on the dedicated stages are only appearing on one of the days, so with so many different options to choose from over the Saturday and Sunday, why not make a weekend of it?
There is plenty to keep you occupied. As well as the superlative array of speakers over the weekend, there are also a host of interactive features, including a VR technical wreck dive, the Nautical Archaeology Society’s ‘shipwreck’ to learn survey techniques, breath-hold workshops with Freediving London, the marine biology zone with Just One Ocean, and new for 2026, your chance to take part in research with Imperial College London, which has been conducting various studies into diving, as well as peruse diving gear from days gone by with the Historical Diving Society.
All these attractions are scattered among an ever-increasing array of stands from tourist boards, manufacturers, training agencies, resorts, liveaboards, tour operators, dive centres, retailers, artists and much more. Get inspired for your next dive adventure, check out the latest gear, and look at where your training will take you next.
Get your tickets now – save 30%!
Tickets are available now, priced at £20 for a day ticket, and £35 for a weekend pass. There is also the option of a VIP Pass, which includes a weekend pass plus 12 issues of Scuba Diver magazine (Magazine delivery – UK mainland only), and a GO Diving Show Dive Team T-shirt.
As always, complimentary parking is included with all tickets, and under 16s go free – bring the family and let the kids dive into the fun with our try-dive pool.
Book your ticket now and save money – use code divernet_30 and you will get 30% off the ticket price!
