By Divers Alert Network With their fanlike fins and melancholy stares, lionfish are now a fixture at many popular dive sites in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Though native to the Indo-Pacific, their populations exploded throughout the Atlantic due to a lack of predators. In addition to wreaking havoc on …

Many of our fellow dive buddies around the world are or were part of their country’s military. So, today, in honor of Veteran’s Day (U.S.) and Remembrance Day (Canada), DIVER would like to graciously thank all the military men and women around the world for their honor, commitment, and …

August 11, 2022 – Peter Bennett, PhD, DSc, passed away on Tuesday in the company of his wife, Margaret, and son, Chris. Bennett was a passionate researcher and entrepreneur who founded Divers Alert Network in 1980 and led the organization for 23 years.  Born in Portsmouth, England, on June …

By Divers Alert Network Dive sites are never constant. From currents to water temperature to depth, environmental variables can offer unique challenges and adventures. But before you embark on a new dive experience, make sure you have the skills you need and are well prepared for the conditions.  Currents …

The DAN Emergency Hotline has been a lifeline for divers around the world since it was launched in 1981. For 41 years, all divers have had access to expert medical assistance 24 hours a day, every day, at +1-919-684-9111. Earlier this year DAN launched a dedicated Spanish-language emergency hotline. …

By Divers Alert Network While bubble-related injuries get a lot of attention, they represent only a fraction of the trouble divers can face. Similarly, important safety concerns include slips and falls as well as injuries resulting from poor technique or insufficiently maintained equipment. The impact of any given safety …

By Divers Alert Network Jellyfish are often associated with tropical climates—their gelatinous bodies are commonly seen drifting through warm waters—and they’re known for stinging unsuspecting divers, swimmers, and beachcombers. Cold water divers might be forgiven, then, for thinking that jellyfish stings are a problem they don’t really have to …

When a hyperbaric emergency happens, divers want to know that a chamber is always available nearby. Problem is, it isn’t. Words by Dan Orr In the Winter 2012 edition of Alert Diver Online, Divers Alert Network (DAN) published an article authored by Dick Clarke of National Baromedical Services entitled, …

For more than 40 years, DAN has been here to help divers, dive professionals, and health care providers stay safer and better prepared. With its vision of making every dive accident- and injury-free, DAN Medical Services offers an array of essential services trusted by millions of divers worldwide. DAN’s …

Divers Alert Network has published the latest edition of its Travelers Medical Guide. Created to help divers, boaters, and adventure travelers recognize and manage various travel-related illnesses and injuries, this digital guide explains common symptoms, illnesses, and treatments in an easy-to-understand manner. “DAN members are active explorers, and they …

Even if you won’t be at DEMA next week, you’ll still be able to watch many of DAN’s DEMA seminars. The safety organization will be streaming live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, November 16, 17, and 18. Tune in for talks about advances in postdive bubble …

Are you located in British Columbia? Are looking for a new career? The Simon Fraser University Environmental Medicine and Physiology Unit are looking for someone with a keen interest in diving physiology, aerospace physiology, and equipment testing. They will offer training for the right candidate, including training as a …

Demystifying Dive Computers Words and Photography by Jill Heinerth In my previous article I looked into incident reports that fell outside of the data gathered by organizations such as DAN. In this article, I’m going to dive into the physiology of decompression, gradient factors, and conservatism strategies. When you …

By Jill Heinerth The cream of the crop of the diving industry are respected for their work in exploration, science, education, and engineering. They have been bent, and so have I. Each year, members of Divers Alert Network (DAN) receive a link to review the Annual Diving Report that chronicles …

By Divers Alert Network With its unusual name, its connection to cardiovascular health, and its link to DCS risk, it’s easy to see why patent foramen ovale (PFO) is of particular interest to divers. The good news is that, while the condition is common, it’s typically low-risk—but it can …

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. …

By Divers Alert Network Decompression sickness (DCS) is a tricky condition. On one hand, we know a lot about who gets it and when—and even how to prevent it, but we do not have a definitive understanding of the mechanisms of bubble formation or injury. Decades worth of research …

Divers Alert Network and Rolex are pleased to announce that Richard Moon, M.D., has been selected as the 2021 DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year. The award was presented at a virtual event on June 5.  Dr. Moon is a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University and the medical director of …

For 40 years, DAN has played a critical role in the dive industry, championing diver safety, research and emergency preparedness. At this year’s DEMA show, DAN will be reaching out to dive pros around the world with important messages about keeping divers safe in a series of timely webinars …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 Dr. David Sawatzky In the last three columns I reviewed vision underwater, common refractive errors, and reading glasses/ contacts.  In this column I will finish the discussion of vision and diving by looking at various mask options for correcting your vision while under water. Do You Need to Correct Your Vision? Diving with a …

By Dr. David Sawatzky In the last column I reviewed common refractive errors and the effects they have on our vision both in and out of the water.  In this column I will continue that discussion by reviewing reading glasses, contact lenses and how they interact with diving. Presbyopia (far-sightedness associated with age) …

Visibility notwithstanding, dive masks are the solution… for human beings By Dr. David Sawatzky The eye is really just a complex, living camera.  The main parts of the eye are the cornea, iris, lens and retina.  The cornea is clear and has no blood supply.  It protects the eye …

By Dr. David Sawatzky Cave diving is a very unforgiving activity.  You have to keep track of a large number of variables, concurrently.  If you make a mistake or lose track of one of these variables, you will very likely die.  There is very little margin for error. In …

By Dr. David Sawatzky Diving is an activity with some degree of real risk.  You can get hurt while diving and you can die.  You should have some degree of anxiety and apprehension when you are diving.  This ‘appropriate’ level of arousal is reasonable, normal, healthy and actually reduces …

To accompany our rather good feature on breath hold diving and yoga, here are a few extra tidbits:   Yoga literally means ‘union’ and is based on the principle of harmony between the mind and body. All freedivers can benefit from it but yoga is particularly helpful for those …