Passions: Football (Liverpool FC), cooking, coral reefs and music.

What prompted you to take up diving? My first dive was in 1980. Queen had been on the road for ages and we got to stop off in Hawaii. Someone said, ‘Let’s go diving,’ and we did. I didn’t have formal lessons as such, and I was all over the place when I got in the water. I did only one dive in Hawaii – my second was in Bermuda, where I was taken down to the wreck of a Greek tanker. I still hadn’t had any lessons, but it was fabulous. Where did you train? Ten years after taking up diving, I decided it was about time I did a course, to get a bit of diving respectability. I officially learned to dive in the Maldives at Christmas in 1990.

What is your worst diving experience?
I’ve had a few iffy moments, but nothing that really put me in fear of my life. I did get caught in some particularly nasty currents around Cocos Island, but that’s the sort of diving you have to be prepared for out there. It can be like a bloody washing machine at times. We experienced down-currents, side-currents, a big swell, the works. I did have moments of minor panic, but I was never seriously out of control. I’ve never had to cope with any equipment failures, touch wood.

Where have you dived?
Hawaii, Bermuda, Florida, the Bahamas, Kenya… I sound like a right flash bastard, don’t I? I’d probably dive around the UK if I lived in some nice coastal village in Cornwall, but it just isn’t something I can fit in at the moment.

Who is your regular buddy?
My girlfriend Gabriella. She’s a typical Italian, very laid-back and easy-going. She’s only been diving for three or four years, but she’s very good and we’re a great buddy team. We keep an eye out for each other, but it’s not like we’re joined at the hip underwater.

Why do you dive?
I enjoy it. There are so many reasons. I love the sensation of being underwater, the vibe of it. I last dived at Christmas, so now I feel like I need to get back into the water. I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as a dive junkie, but it’s a very important part of my life.

Where do you want to dive next?
I’m due to go to the southern Egyptian Red Sea on the Ghazala Voyager liveaboard soon, which should be excellent. Beyond that, I want to head off to Indonesia. I’m after mantas and whale sharks, the stuff everybody loves. I think there’ll be some excellent photographic opportunities out there. I tend to look for shapes and the sort of graphic form that can be brought out with black-and-white photography.

What equipment do you own?
My cameras are all Nikonos V. I usually travel with three of them, and 20mm, 28mm and 35mm lenses. I use fast black-and-white film: 1600 ASA. Most of my stuff is done on the 28mm lens these days. There’s less depth of field but it can work if you’ve got the right subject. As far as diving kit is concerned, I’m really happy with my SeaQuest BCD and my Mares regulator. My Typhoon wetsuit is getting a bit old. The zip broke when I was in the Maldives, but there was a tailor in the hotel who put in a series of Velcro straps to keep the thing on my back. My favourite bit of kit is my Aladin Nitrox computer, which I can also use with air. It’s brilliant.

Which five songs would you like to put on a liveaboard compilation tape?
What, only five? It’s impossible! I’d have to go for something by Hendrix, because he’s my hero. Also Private Number by Judy Clay and William Bell. The best live band I ever saw was Free – they could play like you wouldn’t believe, so I’ll have All Right Now. And I’d have to have a Queen track, probably Somebody to Love, but it all depends on my mood.

What is the most interesting underwater animal? Jethro Tull. Okay, seriously: I’m pretty obsessed with rays. It’s the movement and shape. I saw a lot of eagle and marbled rays at Cocos Island – but not too many hammerheads, thanks to El Niño. The animal I most want to photograph is the manta ray. I’ve never got as close as I’d like, which is why I’d really like to go to Sangaliki, off Borneo. My dream black-and-white photograph would probably be of a school of manta rays.

Have you a dive tip that has helped you?
When I’m putting on a wetsuit I like to use plastic bags on my hands and feet so that my arms and legs go straight through. I always travel with a couple of Safeway bags, although a Sainsbury’s one will suffice. I hate being hurried when I’m kitting up. There’s always someone who wants to get you into your kit 20 minutes before the dive, then you’re left baking in your wetsuit while they’re still mucking about with the boat. My motto with underwater photography and working with a rock band is: ‘Look after your kit and it will look after you.’ You should always have good interface karma with your equipment, if you know what I mean.

Which figure, living or dead, would you like to take diving, and why?
I’d quite like to take my dad, Ray. He retired recently, but he’s only 67 and he’s always been interested in the sea. He’d probably feel a bit claustrophobic, and I don’t know if I’d ever be able to get him into the water. I’ve persuaded quite a few people to try out diving, but I don’t like to be too preachy about it. n