A Little Detail

I TAKE A GIANT STRIDE off the back of the boat and splash into a cascade of tingling, magical bubbles. The sea’s embrace is chilly; I can feel the 74˚F water through my 5 mm wetsuit and thick 4 mm hood. My vision clears as the …

scuba diver performing a giant stride

Unconscious Diver

FEBRUARY 6, 2022 HAD ALL THE MAKINGS OF A PROMISING DAY out on the water in the Gulf of Mexico off Destin, Florida. Though I work at a dive shop, this was a recreational lionfish harvesting trip with friends …

scuba diver surfacing

My Octopus Goes Where?

THE DIVE INDUSTRY IS FULL OF DEBATES. Should you use a jacket-style, back-inflate, or backplate and wing buoyancy compensator? A canister light or a cordless light? A weight belt or integrated weights? Regular fins or split fins?

skills for buddy breathing with left handed octopus

Fitness for Scuba: Exercises for All Ages

SARCOPENIA IS A NATURAL MUSCLE LOSS (atrophy) due to aging. Periods of inactivity due to injury, illness, or a busy life can accelerate this process. Individuals over the age of 65 are particularly …

dive fitness stretches

Oxygen Cleaning of Dive Gear: A Two-Part Series

FIRES IN COMPRESSED OXYGEN EQUIPMENT are rare, even though we hear about life-threatening accidents — a rebreather fire, an emergency oxygen regulator accident, or a gas blending system fire. Several key questions arise …

exploded oxygen cylinder

Rebreather Myths

CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHERS (CCRs) have significantly grown in popularity over the past few years. They are becoming more of a norm in the technical diving community, and recreational and …

advance diving

Blenny Watching 101

OF ALL THE FISHES IN THE SEA THAT ANNA ADORES, blennies perch high atop her favorites list. Her fascination with the tribe of typically small, hole-inhabiting bottom-dwellers …

hole-inhabiting Blenny's

DAN Medical Services Is Here for You

AS YOU MAKE PLANS TO DIVE THIS SUMMER, remember that an important benefit of DAN membership is access to DAN Medical Services.

medical evacuation

Bonaire Inspires Hope for the Future of Coral

DESCENDING THE LIMESTONE STAIRS OF BONAIRE’S famous 1,000 Steps dive site in full scuba gear is challenging. It’s just 64 steps down, but it feels like many more. Once you make it down, you’re rewarded with a Caribbean reef teeming with life …

Is Something Wrong?

MY BUDDY AND I DIVED SIX OUT OF SEVEN DAYS on my last dive trip. Our profile allowed an hour of dive time with two-tank dives …

Scuba diver exploring reef