Since 1980, DAN has worked tirelessly to promote diver safety — operating the 24/7 DAN Emergency Hotline, conducting dive medical research, and collaborating with stakeholders throughout the industry to establish best practices for safe operations.
Today, thanks to the support of divers, training agencies, dive pros, and dive businesses, DAN is stronger than ever. We are committed to the safety of divers around the world, and we are grateful for your support.
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SESSION TITLE | TIME | ROOM |
---|---|---|
Update on Jellies: There’s More to Them Than We Thought | 9am – 10am | 288 |
Rebreather Forum 4 Recap: Staying in the Loop | 10am – 11am | 288 |
Mitigate Your Liability Risks | 11am – 12pm | 288 |
Scientific Diving: Managing Risk at 500 Feet | 12pm – 1pm | 288 |
Everything You Need To Know About DAN Insurance | 1pm – 2pm | 288 |
2024 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update | 2pm – 3pm | 288 |
SESSION TITLE | TIME | ROOM |
---|---|---|
Medical Epidemological Research | 9am – 10am | 288 |
Diving Injuries in Minors | 10am – 11am | 288 |
The DAN HIRA Dive Safety Program | 11am – 12pm | 288 |
Bubble Dynamics From Sea to Space | 12pm – 1pm | 288 |
Diving First Aid V3.0 Upgrade Workshop | 1pm – 3pm | 288 |
SESSION TITLE | TIME | ROOM |
---|---|---|
Mitigate Your Liability Risks | 9am – 10am | 288 |
Scientific Diving: Managing Risk at 500 Feet | 10am – 11am | 288 |
Rebreather Forum 4 Recap: Staying in the Loop | 11am – 12pm | 288 |
Update on Jellies: There’s More to Them Than We Thought | 12pm – 1pm | 288 |
Everything You Need To Know About DAN Insurance | 1pm – 2pm | 288 |
2024 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update | 2pm – 3pm | 288 |
SESSION TITLE | TIME | ROOM |
---|---|---|
DAN Emergency Hotline Case Reviews | 9am –10am | 288 |
The Aging Diver | 10am – 11am | 288 |
Diving and Cancer | 11am – 12pm | 288 |
Disinfecting Dive Gear: COVID-19 and Beyond | 12pm – 1pm | 288 |
Diving First Aid V3.0 Upgrade Workshop | 1pm – 3pm | 288 |
By Frauke Tillmans, PhD
A cancer diagnosis can be a challenging and life-changing event. The severity and progression of the disease varies by cancer type and stage — and from person to person. This talk will cover what cancer patients and survivors should know and consider when thinking about returning to diving.
By Frauke Tillmans, PhD
In April 2023, the fourth rebreather forum, hosted in Malta, welcomed over 350 members of the CCR community to advance and consolidate knowledge of rebreather technology and its use by technical, government, and scientific divers, with the goal of improving rebreather diving safety and performance. In this talk we will summarize the main takeaways from RF4.
By JoAnn Haack, MSE
This Upgrade Workshop is intended for BLS and DEMP V2.1 Instructors (who are not also DFA Pro Instructors) and DEMP ITs who still need to complete the update to the 3.0 versions of the DAN first aid courses. This workshop along with completion of the online training will requalify a current V2.1 Instructor.
By JoAnn Haack, MSE
Divers Alert Network Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Examiners are invited to attend the 2024 Update. This session will cover improvements and changes from the past year and provide an outlook on changes coming in the year ahead.
By Francois Burman, PrEng, MSc
COVID-19 gave us a new appreciation for the need to properly disinfect our diving equipment. The pandemic may have passed, but controlling the spread of infectious diseases remains crucial. In this talk we will cover lessons learned about effective disinfection products and methods.
By Francois Burman, PrEng, MSc
Dive operators’ and professionals’ vulnerability to legal liability suits is more concerning now than ever before. To make matters worse, insurance premiums have soared. While we can’t expect this situation to resolve anytime soon, we can at least understand and better address the risks that lead to lawsuits — and thereby be better prepared to protect ourselves.
By Matias Nochetto, MD
Come join us for another opportunity to discuss real cases from the DAN Emergency Hotline. We’ll cover critical thinking, rationalization of signs and symptoms, and whether the signs, symptoms, and case history suggest DCI or not. We believe this is an invaluable exercise for active-duty dive leaders.
By Matias Nochetto, MD
Jellyfish are perhaps the most iconic hazardous marine life, and they are among the ocean’s most fascinating and underrated creatures. When it comes to first aid and definitive treatment, there is science, there is nonsense, and there is vinegar. We’ve learned a few things about these animals that we think you should know, too.
By Mauritius Bell
Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems (MCEs), which range in depth from 100 feet to 500 feet, are among the least explored and studied areas of the oceans. Since 2013 a small group of divers from the California Academy of Sciences has been diving and characterizing MCEs, focusing on reefs between 250 and 500 feet deep. The team has discovered dozens of new species of fish, corals, and invertebrates. Safely conducting working dives to these depths is challenging, and the team has had to manage decompression sickness, thermal stress, exertion at depth, hypercapnia, equipment failures, bailouts, and much more.
By David Charash, DO
This presentation will cover the physical and mental changes that occur as we age and how they might impact one’s safety while diving. We’ll answer questions including, “When am I too old to dive?,” “Are there certain medical conditions that might impact my dive safety?,” and “How often should I undergo a diver medical physical evaluation as I get older?”
Francois is the Vice President of Safety Services at DAN. He is responsible for all of DAN’s safety and accident-prevention initiatives as well as the recompression chamber network. He has traveled around the world to conduct safety assessments at facilities used to treat injured divers and has written two books: The Risk Assessment Guide for Dive Operators and Professionals, and The Risk Assessment Guide for Recompression Facilities.
Matias is the Vice President of Medical Services at DAN, where he has worked since 2006. He is co-director of the DAN-UHMS continuing medical education program and a faculty member of several national and international diving medicine courses and programs. He became a dive instructor (1999) during medical school, which led him to complete a three-year clinical and research fellowship in hyperbaric and diving medicine to combine the two passions.
Contact: Ask a Medic
Frauke is the Research Director at DAN. She has a degree in human biology and a PhD. in oxidative stress, a condition associated with acute diving injuries. Dr. Tillmans is an experienced public safety diver, scientific diver, and dive safety officer. She has worked as a researcher in global collaborative projects focused on decompression stress, inert gas narcosis, and oxygen toxicity and was employed by the German Navy before she began working at DAN in 2019.
JoAnn is the Safety Services Program Coordinator for Divers Alert Network (DAN). She has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering and brings a knowledge of safety in the construction and manufacturing industries into scuba diving. JoAnn has been teaching scuba diving since 2008 and is an Instructor Trainer for Scuba and Examiner for DAN programming.
Nathalie is the Director of Membership and Insurance Services at DAN. She is a diver and a licensed insurance agent. Nathalie has over 20 years of experience at DAN, helping divers and travelers navigate the organization’s various insurance products and programs. She works with DAN members, dive professionals, and dive operators globally and is fluent in Spanish and French as well as English.
Rochelle is the Director of Commercial Insurance at DAN. She has been a licensed insurance agent for over 25 years, actively working with all lines of insurance products. Shelli is an avid technical and full cave diver as well as a dive instructor. She combines her knowledge of insurance and her passion for diving to promote risk mitigation and safety education for the diving community.
Mauritius began diving in 1997. He is presently the Senior Manager of Dive Operations and the Diving Safety Officer for the California Academy of Sciences, where he has served as the lead diver on 27 mixed-gas rebreather scientific diving expeditions. He previously worked as a diving officer for the University of Hawaii at Hilo and for the Georgia Aquarium. He is a course director trainer, technical examiner, and cave instructor for NAUI, an examiner for DAN, and an advanced diving medical technician. He is also a past president of the Association of Dive Program Administrators. He is an avid open-water swimmer and a certified flight instructor.
David is a physician who is board certified in emergency medicine and undersea and hyperbaric medicine. He has been involved in the care of injured divers since 1993. Early in his career he recognized the need for quality education for both the diving community and those in the medical community who care for divers. Charash is a Level 2D Diving Medical Physician and a Level 1 Medical Examiner of Divers.
Join DAN and your fellow dive industry professionals at the DAN Social at DEMA to enjoy an evening of conversation, drinks, and fun. As your dive safety organization, we raise a glass to all who work tirelessly to promote dive safety. We hope you can join us.
DATE & TIME
Tuesday, November 14th
6–9pm
LOCATION
The Sugar Mill
1021 Convention Center Blvd
New Orleans, LA 70130