We received over 1,700 submissions in our Dive Paradise contest and chose three amazing winners to join us on an exclusive diving trip to Ayada Maldives. Choosing the winners was a challenge since there were so many potential candidates to win the main prizes. In the jury’s final selection there were about a dozen images, but only three initial winners. Now, as a new year’s gift, we have made room for two more winners. Welcome to join our trip to dive paradise Jen Weston and Dapeng Juan! Here are Jen’s and Dapeng’s great diving experiences. “Diving off of Koh Tao, Thailand, I came across a large anemone with some anemone fish hanging out at home. I got my Canon G16 camera as close as I could without being bitten or stung and snapped a few photos. I was lucky that there was plenty of light and no need for flash.”–Jen Weston from New York, USA “I had a stunning diving trip in Mexico and Galapagos Islands during October!”– Dapeng Juan from Beijing, China

Diver, cave explorer – someone who just loves to go diving at every opporutunity. 2014 has been memoroable for many reasons for Jill Heinerth. Here's why: Any memorable dives of the year? Diving in the rift between the Eurasian and North America tectonic plates in Iceland was a real highlight. Slinking through towering icebergs in the misty ocean near Disko Bay Greenland was unforgettable and snorkeling with ten women across the Arctic Circle was a memory I will not soon forget. Was there anything you feel gutted you didn't do? I traveled to Croatia for a diving event that was fabulous but I had hoped to do some significant cave diving as well. Europe was experiencing some epic flooding at the time and many of the regions for cave diving were inaccessible. But you still went diving? I can’t really complain… I did get a couple of caves dives in any case and a terrific visit to a 1st Century Roman shipwreck. The archaeological work was being conducted by a large group of international students. I spoke to them about exploration, science and water conservation and they took me to their workplace – a Roman wreck of great significance.Looking ahead to 2015, what's number one on your tick list?I am heading out on for cave diving project in Cuba. If all the travel permits come in, I will be working with some scientists on documentation and exploration. I’ll also do some training for local scientists who have not had access to international expertise in cave diving. What other projects are you working on? I am working with an artist on some potential exploration of spring caves in Turkey. Many of these locations are significant Roman archaeological sites. Margaret Tolbert, painter and conservationist, has been traveling to Turkey for almost 30 years, painting the stunning landscapes around the springs. She is rallying an inter-disciplinary team that includes artists, scientists and explorers and I look forward on developing that project with her in the coming year.Where will you spend the holiday period? My holidays will be spent primarily underwater. I am working on some camera testing with a colleague from National Geographic. We are going to be cave diving with some new cameras and brand new lighting technology developed by Light and Motion. We were shooting some test photos and video over Christmas. For me, that is the best present I could ask for – a chance to do more of what I love most! All images ©Jill Heinerth

Mid-winter is traditionally a time for hibernation and holing up before the better weather of spring arrives. And so it is for the Under the Pole expedition who are currently over-wintering in Greenland. “All our suppliers are now installed in front of Ikerasak in our wintering place,” the team say in their latest dispatch. “The strong winds of these last weeks have not let the sea ice form. We hope to see the WHY [the team yacht] immobilized in the sea ice at the end of December.” “We have still two hours of light despite the fact the sun doesn’t rise any more above the horizon. Navigation is still practicable and we’ve made some back and forth to Uummannaq to pick up crew members and to protect us from the violent storms. At the beginning of December we registered winds of more than 65 knots! During 20 hours the crew did shifts to keep an eye on the hawsers and to protect the boat from the icebergs that came and hit the boat’s hull.” Despite this, diving conditions have been exceptional. “Visibility is magnificent, worthy of the incredible environments that we found at the North Pole in 2010. This winter is going to be remarkable,” adds Ghislain Bardout, expedition leader. Under The Pole is a series of submarine polar expeditions aiming to explore the hidden face of the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions in their diversities. The expedition, which is supported by Suunto, aims to further our scientific knowledge of the region and environment. For more info: www.underthepole.com All images © Lucas SANTUCCI / Under The Pole

The #Paradise contest is now closed and we will be announcing the lucky winners soon. Thank you to everyone for taking part. We have been overwhelmed by the number of images that you have sent in! Inspired.

Crystal clear waters, incredible sealife, unspoilt beaches and untapped diving sites. And did we mention the pure luxury that only Ayada Maldives can offer? You could be enjoying all this and more next month but only if you send us your most memorable diving moment. There are just three days left before the contest closes. Already we have been inundated with your submissions – over 1,000 received so far. But we want to see more. Check out the collage below for some inspiration and then click here for all the details on how to enter. The contest closes at 9am CET, Monday 8th December. We look forward to seeing your entry!

Share your most memorable diving moment and dive with the Scuba Diver Girls in the Maldives. Want to win an all-expenses paid VIP trip to one of the world's best dive sites? Now's your chance! The Suunto team is organizing a photo shoot and is heading to the luxurious Ayada Maldives with the Scuba Diver Girls, in January 2015 and we'd like you to join us. All you have to do is share your most memorable diving moment with us. So long as it captures the joy of diving, it could take you one step closer to the dream trip. © Janice Carter Plunge in and win Your ticket to paradise could be an inspiring image or video that captures your favorite diving moment. There are three ways to participate: Post and tag your image or video #SuuntoDive and #Paradise on Instagram or Twitter Upload an image or a link to your video as a comment on the official contest announcement on Facebook, click here. Or complete this form and hit submit.  © Ayada Maldives Relax above, explore below Your entry could take you to Ayada Maldives, a luxurious 5-star retreat located in the Southern Atolls. The private island, which is ringed by a pristine coral reef popular with dolphins, offers 112 spacious villas and suites, all with private pools and thoughtful five-star detailing. More info: www.ayadamaldives.com Test Suunto dive computers You'll also have the chance to test a range of Suunto dive computers, and with the Suunto team on hand you'll receive an expert demonstration from the people who made the products.    Let the Scuba Diver Girls guide you through an underwater world that is rich in species and explore some reefs that have rarely, if ever, been dived before. We look forward to seeing your special diving moment! The Scuba Diver Girls will select the three best entries. The contest opens on November 19th and closes on December 8th. The three winners will be announced mid December on Suunto.com. The trip to the Maldives is scheduled for January 10th-17th, 2015, so be sure to save the date! Read more on the terms & conditions here.