About Diving Services UK
The UK’s established leader in media diving and marine coordination. Based at Pinewood Studios since 2004.
The UK’s established leader in media diving and marine coordination. Based at Pinewood Studios since 2004.
Diving Services UK is an HSE-registered commercial diving contractor specialising in diving and marine support for the film, television and commercials industry. Established in 1993 by Dave Shaw, the company has grown over more than three decades from a one-person operation into the UK’s premier media diving company, with thousands of production credits and a reputation for safety and service.
We are based at the Underwater Stage at Pinewood Studios — the world’s first permanently filled, studio-based underwater stage, designed by Dave Shaw and managed by our team on behalf of Pinewood Studios. From there, we deploy dive teams, marine units and water safety crews to productions across the UK, Europe and around the world.
Managing Director
After school, Dave qualified as an electrician, completing a 16th Edition City & Guilds 236 at Langley Tech College and working in the electrical trade for eight years while sport diving at weekends. In 1993, aged 24, he started Diving Services UK out of his parents’ garage. A few years later he qualified as an HSE Part 1 commercial diver, and the business grew from inshore commercial work into media diving; a sector Dave has helped define.
In 2016 Dave received the Colin McLeod Award for promoting diving safety in the international film industry.
In 2017 he was awarded the Holder Cup by the Society of Underwater Technology for outstanding contributions to underwater operations.
Operations
Lisa Birch leads operations at Diving Services UK and is the first point of contact for production teams enquiring about diving, marine and equipment hire support.
She compiles and constantly checks complex diving and marine budgets and logistics, and ensures that our team’s travel and arrangements, vehicles, boats and equipment are in the right place and at the right time.
Administration
Marney Hallett leads all things admin and is on hand every day during all phases of production to ensure that all questions are answered immediately.
She manages all diving and marine servicing and paperwork. Marney ensures that all equipment is serviced and tested in line with industry and legal standards so you can be sure that any equipment provided by Diving Services UK is fit for purpose.
Diving Coordinator
Josh Tuersley is our Diving Coordinator and together with the Diving Supervisor ensures that all diving is carried out in conjunction with the HSE guidelines.
He coordinates all the different elements of underwater filming operations including construction, artist training, underwater rehearsals. Josh works directly with all departments during the prep stages. On the shoot Josh works alongside the 1st AD, Director and Stunt and Special Effects Coordinators to coordinate the underwater elements.
Started in Dave’s parents’ garage carrying out diving equipment testing, servicing and repairs. Registered as an HSE diving contractor and began taking on small inshore diving projects across the UK. Designed the Tuff Box, a 100m waterproof enclosure for personal EPIRBs.
Responsible for all underwater explosives for the landing sequence.
Diving contractor on The World Is Not Enough — the start of a long-running relationship with the 007 franchise.
Worked across all eight Harry Potter films, including the design of the first underwater diving bell purpose-built for child performers.
In 2004, Dave designed the world’s first permanently filled studio-based underwater stage at Pinewood Studios, a facility Diving Services UK has called home ever since.
Consulted on the design and build of the water tank facilities at Pinewood Studios Dominican Republic (now Lantica Studios), the Caribbean’s first purpose-built marine-focussed studio. Worked on 007 sequences shot in Turkey, Austria, Italy and the UK.
Designed the underwater stage and exterior horizon tank at Wanda Studios Qingdao, China — part of the world’s largest studio, with over 2 million sq ft of facility. Also consulted on the 23m × 18.5m × 3m exterior tank at Origo Studios, Budapest.
Diving and marine support on 007: No Time To Die, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Silo, Meg 2: The Trench, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Parts One and Two, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, and Last Breath — for a full credit list see our credits page.
Every shoot, every dive, every rig is treated with the same level of preparation, respect for the water and respect for the people working in it. That mindset is why broadcasters and producers come back to us, and it’s why we’re trusted on productions where the margin for error is zero.