Words by Lorie Laroche and Dr. Neal W Pollock Health is a state of overall physical, mental, and social wellness. Good mental health involves the ability to live to one’s full potential, to face normal life stressors, to work productively, and to be able to contribute to the community. …

Aging divers and divers with physical limitations could find freedom within their gear configuration… Words by: W. H. “Hank” Halliday Recent issues of DIVER have featured sidemount diving: one focused on the need to practice skills and the other related to cave diving. I suggest a third, covering a …

By Jean-Michel Cousteau and Holly Lohuis I have written extensively about my fascination, respect, and love for orcas. I believe they are our counterparts in the sea. Orcas are intelligent, they live in culturally rich families known as pods, speak different languages and dialects, and express feelings of empathy …

By Heather Creech Dan is a South Australian freediver who loves to snorkel the Port River estuary – a site near Adelaide’s marine shipping terminals not often visited by divers. One day last year, Dan spotted something in the shallows he didn’t recognize: an unusual bivalve. So he took …

By Divers Alert Network Cases of decompression sickness (DCS) with neurological symptoms are thankfully rare, but when they do occur they must be responded to rapidly and effectively. Do not let worrying about the “worst-case scenario” make your diving less enjoyable, but do take measures to learn how to …

It is with great sadness that Divers Alert Network announces the passing of its former vice president of research, Richard D. Vann, Ph.D. Dr. Vann was an esteemed researcher whose work focused on the physiology of breathing and exercise in special environments and the epidemiology of pressure-change-related injuries. His …

By Steve Lewis A few years back I wrote a book called “The Six Skills…” One of the skills mentioned in it was Situational Awareness. At the time, Situational Awareness (SA) seemed like a neat catch-all phrase, and it still sounds good as far as it goes. I wanted …

As most of us are aware, COVID-19 can be contracted by coming into contact with droplets of bodily fluid from an infected person. Performing chest compressions as part of CPR can mobilize droplets, much like coughing can. Since even asymptomatic people can carry and spread the virus, it is …

Words By Steve Lewis Even if you’re a cold-water diver, there’s a strong case to be made for doing your next advanced diver training in warm water (read tropical or sub-tropical temperatures). Let me explain. When we think about what we expect to get out of technical diving classes, …

Some divers have asked DAN about using their personal oxygen units to treat people with COVID-19. Divers’ eagerness to help during this crisis is truly admirable. However, DAN does not support the use of these emergency oxygen units for indications other than scuba diving injuries and cases of nonfatal …

RAID training agency have just launched their FREE e-learning platform. All courses, all free. Permanently. ‘FREe-Learning’ is a unique innovation that provides free access to over 120 courses to anyone interested in – or about to participate in—diving. Non-divers, divers, divemasters, instructors, instructor trainers, and dive centers, no matter …

In light of the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), questions have arisen in the dive community about disease transmission when using rental equipment, especially regulators. With the threat of coronavirus on everyone’s minds, divers want to know what precautions are being taken against the spread of disease. …

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to sweep the globe, people from all corners of the world are coming together to help create solutions in response to the crisis. For one, a team of programmers, scientists, and technicians in the Czech Republic has been putting their skills to use …

My name is Kevin James, the diver not the comedian, I’m a British Army Veteran having served as a Military Policeman and then a Physical Training Instructor specializing in scuba diving. Leaving the service as a Warrant Officer. I am based on Long Island in the Bahamas. I use …

Update – April 24, 2020 – The CDC has updated its recommendations, and some of the cleaning products noted in this article may not be suitable for killing the virus that causes COVID-19. While Steramine is an effective sanitizing product, and some manufacturers recommended it for use on dive gear, …

Divers Alert Network is seeking talented undergraduate and graduate students to assist with its dive safety and medical research this summer. Founded in 1999, the DAN Research Internship is a highly competitive program that gives candidates a strong foundation on which to build their careers. Interns will spend three …

By Margo Peyton The beginning of Kids Sea Camp seemed like just a few moments ago, not 20 years. Robbie was only 6 and Jennifer was only 4 then. As a mother and businesswoman I wanted so much to spend time with them and to be with them every day. I wanted …

By Steve Lewis Choosing an instructor? Well, there are scores of blog entries and posts on various scuba forums giving advice.  Much of it is good; some of it is excellent. It can certainly help put you on the road to making a good choice, the right choice. Of …

Words by Drew McArthur / Photography by Jim Catlin What better way to end a pleasant day’s diving than by hitting a bar and ordering some vacation food? While you’re there, why not kick back with an adult beverage, too? The bar staff of whatever establishment you care to decompress …

Words by Nath Lasselin Going with the flow raises awareness of drinking water health It was Friday morning, around 7:00 am. I was all geared up, with my drysuit, my latex hood, my modified Kirby Morgan full face mask, communication system, rebreather, tanks, computer, scooter and all kinds of …

By Steve Lewis If you have aspirations of moving your scuba diving into the world of sidemount diving this article might interest you. If you are a bona fide sidemount diver and especially if you’re going a little deeper, planning exposure that require staged decompression, use exotic breathing gases …

By Kirk Krack & Ashley Futral Chapman  There is little conclusive evidence supporting mainstream advice that women should stop diving (with compressed air) during pregnancy. The lack of science backing up the counsel is partly due to the fact that experimenting on pregnant women is unethical. That and endless …

By Divers Alert Network Oxygen toxicity is a serious condition, and many divers struggle to understand it. We know that monitoring oxygen exposure is important to our safety, but we may not know what happens if we exceed safe exposure limits or why those limits even exist. Following training …

Words by Jill Heinerth There is a stone embedded in the pavement of my old Florida home, the embossed message reads “Gravity Sucks.” It is a humble reminder that I find my grace underwater. Frankly, I am a bit awkward on land, having flipped my van, crashed my motorcycle, …

By Margo Peyton Family bonding: It is the perfect way to get them to disconnect from their virtual worlds and reconnect to each other and you. Today’s youth are stuck to their cell phones and rarely look up. Scuba diving is not only outdoors, it’s underwater, and in zero gravity! It’s a …

By Heather Creech Don Gordon carries a special slate on every dive. On that slate is a list of 100 species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants for the Pacific Northwest waters. While diving with his friends, he checks off what he sees – a single sighting, a few …

  The following is an abridged version of an extensive ten page feature interview in the Fall 2019 issue of DIVER magazine, written by Michael Menduno. Kirk Krack is one of the most prolific and innovative trailblazers in sport diving, yet ironically, most divers (DIVER readers excluded) have never heard of …

  Jill Heinerth has spent a lifetime travelling the globe on expeditions and filming projects. In the Summer issue of DIVER she offers us her top 101 expedition tips to make your adventure more relaxed and earth-friendly. Here are a few of our favourites… Checklists: I’m a fan of …

ITI, the parent company of TDI, SDI, ERDI and First Response Training, have today announced a new addition to their family with the acquisiton of Performance Freediving International. DIVER readers will be familiar with PFI as its founder, Kirk Krack, is our regular freediving columnist and Contributing Editor. “I’m …

By Kirk Krack and John Hullverson To my mind, there’s nothing better than gliding over a reef or wreck, free of tanks and hoses, tied only to the surface by my need for an eventual gulp of air.  However, as a former Trimix Instructor Trainer from what seems like …

Citizen scientists around the world are being urged to share their anchor ‘finds’ following the relaunch of an online resource that aims to be the world’s biggest public record of these iconic objects.  The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) has relaunched the popular Big Anchor Project following a generous public …

Words and Photography by Jill Heinerth   Rebreathers offer an entirely new way to enjoy the underwater world. Whether it is the technology that attracts you or the potential to swim free without making bubbles, the decision to enter the domain of rebreather diving is a significant one. You …

  Text and Photo by Jill Heinerth I’ve been told that I have a problem intellect, meaning that I am always in pursuit of learning. I think that is quite true. If I am not challenged with novelty and discovery, then I feel a sense of unrest. Change and …

  By Dr. David Sawatzky Rebreathers are becoming ever more common in the diving community, and in diving fatality records.  I wanted to write a column on rebreather fatalities but immediately realized that it would make no sense to most divers unless they had a good, basic understanding of …

There’s nothing worse than gearing up a boat dive only to have your tummy lurching within minutes of leaving the dock. Fly & Sea Dive Adventures are there with you… Choose the right destination Don’t choose a destination where you have to hit the open ocean in the middle of monsoon season …

By Michael Menduno   RAID’s co-owner is on a mission to make diving sexy again. He’s passionate, experienced, and brings a fresh point of view. Don’t underestimate Paul Toomer… By creating a new market for diving, PADI co-founder & former CEO John Cronin—reportedly the first person to rack up …