Diving with Type 1 Diabetes

Q: I was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and will now require insulin. Will I be able to dive again?

Woman giving herself an insulin shot

No Time Like the Present

There’s no substitute for the feeling of being underwater — weightless, focused, and fully immersed in a world few people ever see. Whether you’re enjoying a favorite local spot or exploring a new site far from home, every dive offers something worthwhile: a moment of calm, a connection with nature, a skill refined, or an experience of community with other divers. 

Bill Ziefle

Shocking Misconceptions About AEDs

The automated external defibrillator (AED) was developed as a portable medical device and released for public use in the 1960s. The operation of AEDs has gotten simpler over the years, and the devices are now widely available for use by lay providers with basic training.

The DAN O2 Cardiac Complete unit

A Quest for Life

Seemingly crafted for photographers, nudibranchs are slow-moving and vibrant and have adapted to curious shapes and sizes.

The Miamira tenue sea slug often has a partner shrimp riding along its back and sides.

Training Turns Incidents Into Inconveniences

I woke up excited for a routine day of diving at my local quarry. While the dive was not in idyllic tropical and clear conditions, I was getting to blow bubbles, which was enough for me.

This dive solidified the importance of the training the author received for calmly dealing with gear failures.

Dominika

When people ask me to describe my favorite ocean experiences, I think of my first trip to Dominica in 2020. My goal was to photograph sperm whales underwater, but I kept my expectations low, having heard that quality interactions with sperm whales often require a lot of luck.

A group of sperm whales comes together to socialize

Great Expectations

People expect recreational diving to be an enjoyable experience of adventure and fun. Divers are explorers and retain a sense of optimism regardless of how many dives they have done. While we dive with great expectations, incidents do occur — often when we least expect them.

Feeling Groovy in Little Cayman

I was in Little Cayman this past May, and a lyric hit me on the first dive: “Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last.” I had been invaded by Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 hit “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).”

A hawksbill turtle

Exercise and Decompression Risk

Being physically fit can be important, and sometimes crucial, for dive safety. Physical fitness plays a role in both regular dive activities and emergent events. A quick and effective response to sudden demands can often quickly and easily resolve a situation, while an insufficient response can prolong or exacerbate it.

pria jogging

Beyond the Acrylic

There is a moment in every dive — after the gear is checked, the team gives the final OK, and your body slips below the surface — that everything else fades.

A diver swims along Ocean Voyager’s tunnel at Georgia Aquarium