After getting my dive certification in 1992, I was instantaneously addicted. Being young, obsessed, and convinced of my immortality, I was not the most conservative diver, but I had no issues with decompression sickness (DCS) for my first decade of diving.
Dive training agencies track the number of certifications they issue, but the number of active divers worldwide is still unverified. As dive research grows, identifying the denominator for the dive population is increasingly important.
The decision to sustainably harvest marine life can spark vigorous discussions among divers. Regardless of your views, there are benefits to understanding the equipment, procedures, and dangers associated with spearfishing.
The DAN Medical Call Center experienced a significant increase in activity in 2023, setting a record for medical information calls and case reports. This proliferation indicates a resurgence in the dive industry, prompting DAN Medical Services to accommodate the demand to assist divers and health care providers in making the best decisions for their patients.
Colombia has some of the strictest illegal fishing laws in the world, but people still need to stand up and enforce them. Erika Lopez has taken on the role of guardian of Malpelo, an island 314 miles (506 kilometers) west of Colombia.
I started diving while I was in flight school in Pensacola, Florida. One day I thought, “I’m right by the water. I’ll go try it out.” I got certified and found that flying and diving share a lot of similarities.
Having their work showcased in a print magazine is one of the greatest satisfactions for underwater photographers.
Traditional copper and brass deep-sea dive helmets often attract the modern dive community’s attention. International interest recently spiked when a helmet believed to be from the dawn of American professional diving sold for a record-setting $54,000 in Wichita, Kansas.
In the opening chapter of The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs, his acclaimed combination coffee table book and coral reef reference guide, Richard Smith, PhD, recalls his six months of shore diving and research in 2007 at the Wakatobi reefs in Indonesia.
This past summer the Florida Keys experienced the effects of a marine heatwave event that lasted longer and was more intense than anything in recent recorded history. By early June 2023 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch (CRW) issued bleaching warnings for some areas in the Florida Keys and other locations in the Caribbean.