Episode 4: Diving Deep with Dan Orr: A Legacy in Scuba Safety and Innovation

Episode Transcript
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You are watching the Deadfoot Diver Podcast with Kurt the Deadfoot Diver. 2 00:00:10,684.081632653 --> 00:00:13,94.081632653 Welcome to the Deadfoot Diver podcast. 3 00:00:13,104.081632653 --> 00:00:23,864.081632653 I am absolutely thrilled today to have a legend in the diving industry on Dan Orr, who is the former head of Divers Alert Network. 4 00:00:23,864.081632653 --> 00:00:26,244.081632653 How's it going, Dan? It's going pretty well. 5 00:00:26,254.081632653 --> 00:00:28,194.080632653 How are you doing? Awesome. 6 00:00:28,244.081632653 --> 00:00:30,564.081632653 I am so glad that you could join us today. 7 00:00:30,764.081632653 --> 00:00:31,914.081632653 Well, thank you for the invitation. 8 00:00:31,914.081632653 --> 00:00:32,564.081632653 I appreciate it. 9 00:00:33,724.081632653 --> 00:00:35,414.081632653 So let me start by. 10 00:00:36,279.081632653 --> 00:00:38,959.081632653 me how you first got into scuba diving. 11 00:00:40,254.081632653 --> 00:00:42,814.081632653 Well, I was born in Miami, Florida. 12 00:00:43,84.081632653 --> 00:00:46,144.080632653 Uh, my grandparents owned a home in the Florida Keys. 13 00:00:46,509.081632653 --> 00:01:13,19.081632653 And so I used to spend a lot of time down there with them, and one of their friends was a guy named Art McKee, who was the first treasure hunter in the Florida Keys, and so Art used to come to these parties my grandparents had at their home, and I remember seeing Spanish treasure that he carried with him, um, and the fact that he used to tell all these tales, true or not, I'm not really sure, um, but, uh, tell all these tales about the things he'd seen underwater. 14 00:01:13,444.081632653 --> 00:01:16,944.081632653 And, and so I really wanted to get involved in scuba diving. 15 00:01:16,964.081632653 --> 00:01:22,704.081632653 And at the time I was of course, really young and I did some snorkeling out there and then it was kind of interesting too. 16 00:01:22,704.081632653 --> 00:01:28,64.081632653 Every time I do some snorkeling there, everything that I saw on the bottom, of course, had to be a Spanish galleon or part of a Spanish galleon. 17 00:01:28,764.081632653 --> 00:01:35,964.081632653 Uh, and then, and then what really, really turned me on, my parents actually took me to a drive in theater once. 18 00:01:36,144.081632653 --> 00:01:42,414.08163265 And there was a movie called underwater, uh, with, uh, Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan, and Jane Russell. 19 00:01:43,359.08163265 --> 00:01:46,549.08163265 And almost all of that film was filmed underwater. 20 00:01:47,299.08163265 --> 00:01:48,739.08163265 And it was in the 1950s. 21 00:01:48,789.08163265 --> 00:01:55,519.08063265 And, um, I can remember laying on the grass right in front of this gigantic open air, uh, drive in theater screen. 22 00:01:55,519.08163265 --> 00:02:00,309.08063265 It was like the poor man's IMAX, uh, and I felt as though I really was underwater with them. 23 00:02:00,309.08163265 --> 00:02:02,39.08163265 And that really sealed the deal for me. 24 00:02:02,499.08063265 --> 00:02:08,289.08163265 Um, and then I moved to Central America to Costa Rica for a short period of time with my grandparents and then. 25 00:02:08,609.08163265 --> 00:02:14,919.08163265 Back to Miami, and then my parents moved to Ohio, and then finally, they relented and allowed me to take scuba lessons. 26 00:02:14,919.08163265 --> 00:02:18,649.08163265 So my brother and I took scuba lessons and got certified in 1964. 27 00:02:19,659.08163265 --> 00:02:20,259.08163265 Wow. 28 00:02:20,299.08163265 --> 00:02:21,259.08163265 That's amazing. 29 00:02:21,509.08163265 --> 00:02:30,339.08163265 So then when did you decide that you wanted to actually make this a career? Cause I mean, you've been in the diving industry for like over 50 years now. 30 00:02:30,459.08163265 --> 00:02:34,859.08063265 Oh, yeah, actually, at least I think this year is my 60th anniversary of being certified. 31 00:02:35,929.08063265 --> 00:02:41,269.08163265 And I, after I started diving, my brother and I would dive all around Ohio and. 32 00:02:41,649.08163265 --> 00:02:44,519.08163265 And, um, and then I went into the military, went to the U. 33 00:02:44,519.08163265 --> 00:02:44,629.08163265 S. 34 00:02:44,629.08163265 --> 00:02:53,39.08163265 Navy and I was in the Navy for a period of time, did a tour of duty in Vietnam, and then I came back and went to college and then I got degrees. 35 00:02:53,39.08163265 --> 00:02:55,279.08163265 And after my, I got my bachelor's degree. 36 00:02:55,689.08163265 --> 00:03:01,449.08163265 I was doing volunteer work for a local dive store and local instructor in West Carrollton, Ohio. 37 00:03:02,69.08163265 --> 00:03:13,879.08163265 And, um, so one evening my friend and I were waiting in the pool for him to show up because he worked during the day at a factory and he would come home, do some exercise and have dinner and then go to the pool for these scuba courses he was teaching. 38 00:03:14,329.08063265 --> 00:03:19,189.08163265 Well, he didn't show up one night and so we called his wife and it turns out he had a heart attack and died. 39 00:03:20,164.08163265 --> 00:03:28,314.08163265 And so his wife came to me and this friend of mine who are the pool assistants and said, you know, we've got these classes in the dive store, but we don't have any instructors. 40 00:03:28,324.08163265 --> 00:03:34,584.08063265 So would you guys like to become instructors? And I said, well, okay, what the heck? And then she said, well, I'll pay your way. 41 00:03:34,584.08163265 --> 00:03:35,524.08063265 And that was even better. 42 00:03:35,744.08163265 --> 00:03:36,224.08163265 And so. 43 00:03:36,819.08163265 --> 00:03:40,269.08163265 So she paved my way to a YMCA scuba instructor course down in Cincinnati. 44 00:03:40,269.08163265 --> 00:03:43,679.08163265 And so this friend of mine and I became scuba instructors through YMCA. 45 00:03:43,679.08163265 --> 00:03:47,179.08163265 And there was a guy there from PADI also who certified us as PADI instructors. 46 00:03:47,559.08163265 --> 00:03:50,269.08163265 And so, uh, we then went to work for this dive store. 47 00:03:50,279.08163265 --> 00:03:59,719.08163265 And so while working at the dive store and still going to college, I found out the university that I was going to school at, which is Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, uh, was going to build a pool. 48 00:03:59,979.08163265 --> 00:04:03,959.08163265 So I went to them and I said, uh, you know, I'd like to teach scuba diving for the university. 49 00:04:03,959.08163265 --> 00:04:06,189.08163265 And they said, well, well, I'm really sorry. 50 00:04:06,189.08163265 --> 00:04:07,209.08163265 We just hired somebody. 51 00:04:07,209.08163265 --> 00:04:09,359.08163265 And I said, well, you know, who is this guy? I'd like to talk to him. 52 00:04:09,359.08163265 --> 00:04:10,219.08163265 Maybe I can help him out. 53 00:04:10,739.08163265 --> 00:04:12,399.08063265 So they gave me this guy's name. 54 00:04:12,399.08163265 --> 00:04:18,59.08163265 I went to talk to him and, uh, he was an aquatics professional, whatever that means. 55 00:04:18,269.08063265 --> 00:04:21,359.08163265 And, uh, I said, uh, you know, tell me something about your diving experience. 56 00:04:21,359.08163265 --> 00:04:22,959.08163265 He said, well, I've never been diving in my life. 57 00:04:23,729.08163265 --> 00:04:27,139.08163265 And I said, but you're going to be teaching the scuba course here at the university. 58 00:04:27,139.08163265 --> 00:04:29,249.08163265 And they said, well, yeah, I'm an aquatic professional. 59 00:04:29,249.08163265 --> 00:04:29,859.08163265 I can do anything. 60 00:04:29,869.08163265 --> 00:04:31,499.08163265 And I said, well, no, not necessarily. 61 00:04:31,829.08163265 --> 00:04:34,789.08163265 So I said, I said, well, I'm teaching a class for the dive store. 62 00:04:34,789.08163265 --> 00:04:36,759.08163265 I said, I'll get you in the class for free. 63 00:04:36,959.08163265 --> 00:04:42,69.08063265 Uh, you sit through the class and then if you decide you really want to do that, I'll help you become an instructor. 64 00:04:42,69.08163265 --> 00:04:44,519.08163265 And then, you know, I'll help you out in the scuba course at the university. 65 00:04:45,209.08163265 --> 00:04:50,979.08063265 Well, during the course, he realized it was something that was far beyond his capability and he did get certified by the way. 66 00:04:51,419.08063265 --> 00:04:53,69.08163265 Uh, but he said, no, I don't want to do that. 67 00:04:53,69.08163265 --> 00:04:56,269.08163265 So he went to the university and said, you know, Dan needs to be teaching these courses. 68 00:04:57,4.08163265 --> 00:05:03,274.08163265 So I was able to set up the first scuba course at the university, which started in late 1973. 69 00:05:03,884.08163265 --> 00:05:07,304.08063265 And my only requirement from the university was, leave me alone. 70 00:05:07,444.08163265 --> 00:05:10,54.08163265 You know, let me do the course the way I think the course needs to be done. 71 00:05:10,294.08063265 --> 00:05:15,984.08063265 And this was back, you know, in the early 70s when there were basic standards, but you really could almost create your own course. 72 00:05:15,994.08063265 --> 00:05:16,984.08163265 And that's really what we did. 73 00:05:17,314.08163265 --> 00:05:32,809.08163265 Because after having been diving in, in Ohio for a while, I realized that some of the things that students were taught in some courses Uh, needed to be a little bit more in depth, um, especially since I can be diving in limited visibility and quarries and cold water necessarily. 74 00:05:32,809.08163265 --> 00:05:38,299.08163265 So, so we created basically our own courses and and that included entire curriculum. 75 00:05:38,299.08163265 --> 00:05:45,839.08163265 In fact, after about 15 years of teaching there, we were, we had probably almost 20 different courses that we offered in scuba diving. 76 00:05:45,839.18163265 --> 00:05:48,159.54163265 And we had an entry level course. 77 00:05:48,159.54163265 --> 00:05:57,204.08163265 We had, uh, A course that was between entry level and advanced that I called experience open water diver, because I think I thought there needed to be something between the entry level and an advanced course. 78 00:05:57,604.08163265 --> 00:06:03,824.08063265 And so that was about 25 additional open water dives and then, you know, river diving and night diving and all this stuff. 79 00:06:04,104.08163265 --> 00:06:10,154.08163265 And then, um, I developed an advanced course, which was, we called it our advanced research course, which really was more. 80 00:06:10,474.08163265 --> 00:06:28,604.08163265 of a research diver program, because there were a lot of projects the students were involved in, including going up to Tobermory, uh, to dive the shipwrecks up there, because I wanted them to understand something about underwater archaeology, and the Arabia, which is the wreck we dived on most frequently, uh, was a perfect, perfect candidate for doing underwater archaeology. 81 00:06:29,144.08163265 --> 00:06:33,624.08163265 And then did that for 15 years, and then I was recruited to go to Florida State. 82 00:06:33,784.08163265 --> 00:06:37,554.08163265 I was the associate dive safety officer down there and the instructional coordinator. 83 00:06:37,554.08163265 --> 00:06:41,834.08163265 So I taught all the scuba courses and also taught some of the scientific diving courses. 84 00:06:41,834.08163265 --> 00:06:49,574.08163265 And we did a lot of work for the different departments at Florida State, marine biology, oceanography, hydrology, water there. 85 00:06:50,204.08163265 --> 00:06:52,824.08163265 Departments that had to do with water quality, uh, and a lot of others. 86 00:06:52,834.08163265 --> 00:06:58,544.08163265 So anytime anybody needed something that was in or under the water, they would come to us and did that for a few years. 87 00:06:58,564.08163265 --> 00:07:06,794.08113265 And then I went to, uh, North Carolina and became the, uh, the training coordinator for Divers Alert Network. 88 00:07:06,794.08113265 --> 00:07:11,914.08163265 I'll be the training director and then went from there to other things as the organization grew. 89 00:07:12,359.08163265 --> 00:07:18,959.08163265 Uh, cause one of my first jobs was to create the Dan oxygen program, which I did and the oxygen units and the things that go along with that. 90 00:07:19,579.08163265 --> 00:07:22,499.08163265 And then, um, after the organization started growing. 91 00:07:23,359.08163265 --> 00:07:28,269.08163265 Since I, I tend to, if I see something I think needs to be done, I just go ahead and do it. 92 00:07:28,519.08163265 --> 00:07:33,79.08163265 So there were things going on there that I just went ahead and did because I thought they needed to be done as the organization grew. 93 00:07:33,469.08163265 --> 00:07:39,999.08063265 And I became the operations director and then ultimately the executive vice president and, uh, chief operating officer. 94 00:07:39,999.08163265 --> 00:07:51,769.08063265 And then ultimately I became the president of the organization that retired from there in 2013 and moved out to the great state of Idaho, where it's snowing right now, uh, and continue to do a lot of volunteer work. 95 00:07:52,809.08163265 --> 00:07:54,509.08163265 Because I do volunteer work. 96 00:07:54,619.08163265 --> 00:07:57,959.08163265 I'm the chairman of the board of DEMA, the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association. 97 00:07:58,399.08163265 --> 00:08:03,429.08163265 Chairman of the board of Force Blue, a veterans organization that deals with special operations veterans. 98 00:08:03,749.08163265 --> 00:08:09,599.08163265 Chairman of the board of, uh, of Best Publishing and WCH Media Corporation. 99 00:08:10,179.08163265 --> 00:08:15,158.98163265 And then, um, the president of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences that gives out the annual Nogi Award. 100 00:08:16,519.08163265 --> 00:08:26,319.08163265 And yeah, then I do writing now for scuba diving industry magazine and do webinars regularly on diving safety topics and lead trips for a company called blue green expeditions out of Oregon. 101 00:08:26,509.08163265 --> 00:08:29,379.08163265 Just got back from Cuba, as a matter of fact, for one of the expeditions they did. 102 00:08:30,144.08163265 --> 00:08:33,689.08163265 How's your Cuba trip? Uh, Cuba trips are really good. 103 00:08:33,729.08163265 --> 00:08:39,349.08163265 Uh, it was a little chilly when we first got down there because the air temperature was in the upper fifties, then they had a real strong wind blowing. 104 00:08:39,349.08163265 --> 00:08:41,609.08163265 So it brought the wind chill factor down a little bit. 105 00:08:41,929.08163265 --> 00:08:44,989.08163265 Um, and, but the water temperature was 82 degrees. 106 00:08:45,9.08163265 --> 00:08:48,69.08163265 And, uh, we had, We spent a week in Havana. 107 00:08:48,299.08163265 --> 00:08:51,309.08163265 We always do a land package as part of what we do with this Cuba trips. 108 00:08:51,629.08163265 --> 00:08:54,999.08163265 Uh, and then we did a week on the Jardines aggressor too. 109 00:08:55,619.08163265 --> 00:08:57,949.08163265 Uh, in the gardens of the queen, it was really, really good. 110 00:08:57,949.08163265 --> 00:09:02,249.08163265 So a lot of sharks and Goliath grouper and turtles and a lot of reef fish. 111 00:09:02,279.08163265 --> 00:09:03,369.08163265 Uh, it was really, really good. 112 00:09:03,919.08163265 --> 00:09:04,429.08163265 Had a good time. 113 00:09:05,314.08163265 --> 00:09:05,794.08163265 Awesome. 114 00:09:06,594.08163265 --> 00:09:22,789.08163265 While we're on that topic, when you're down there, have you noticed over the last couple of years, um, uh, reduction, uh, reduction in marine wildlife As, as, uh, well, I'll tell you one thing I was there two years ago. 115 00:09:22,789.08163265 --> 00:09:28,729.08263265 I led an expedition that I do the diving portion Faith Ortins who runs blue green expeditions does the land portion. 116 00:09:29,149.08163265 --> 00:09:45,194.08163265 And so two years ago, when I was there, we saw a lot of coral, a lot of healthy coral, so a lot of stands of, of, uh, pillar coral this year, There was no living pillar coral that we saw, uh, because this past summer, this past summer, the water temperature got up to 99 degrees. 117 00:09:46,364.08163265 --> 00:09:48,494.08163265 Yeah, 99 degrees. 118 00:09:48,534.08163265 --> 00:09:49,744.08163265 yeah, it was pretty amazing. 119 00:09:50,4.08163265 --> 00:09:58,794.08163265 And we did see a little bit of coral bleaching with the other corals, but I didn't see any damage to the brain coral, didn't see any damage to the plate coral that was there. 120 00:09:59,134.08163265 --> 00:10:06,614.08163265 I didn't see any elk horn or staghorn coral in the places we went, uh, but it didn't appear the marine life had suffered at all. 121 00:10:07,229.08163265 --> 00:10:20,489.08163265 Uh, because we saw a lot of sharks, uh, saw a number of big, big Goliath grouper, including one called Lola, who is a kind of a favorite Goliath grouper who follows you around because she thinks if you're looking at something, it might be a food source for her. 122 00:10:20,989.08163265 --> 00:10:26,109.08163265 Uh, and so, yeah, and, uh, and so we saw a lot of really healthy reef fish. 123 00:10:26,109.08163265 --> 00:10:30,969.08163265 So the, the fish population didn't seem to be affected, at least from what I saw the last time I was there. 124 00:10:31,14.18163265 --> 00:10:46,364.08063265 Yeah, Cause I know I was in Jamaica a while ago, uh, last month and I was actually shocked at how little of fish and marine life we seen compared to other times I've been diving. 125 00:10:46,374.08163265 --> 00:10:54,204.08163265 And in fact, one of the guys podcast, Barry Middleton, who's a, um, British motorcycle champion. 126 00:10:54,204.08163265 --> 00:10:55,754.08163265 And I was diving with him all week. 127 00:10:56,829.08163265 --> 00:11:11,239.08063265 he's dove in dove there a bunch of times and he was even shocked at the of marine life compared to when he's dove there previously, lionfish he said there was not near as many lionfish is what you'd normally see. 128 00:11:11,734.08163265 --> 00:11:28,264.08163265 we didn't see very many lionfish at all, and when I talked to the marine biologist that was there, they came out to visit our boat one day, he was saying that the reason is that the lionfish evidently have learned, excuse me, the sharks and groupers have learned that the lionfish are a food source, Ah, that's good. 129 00:11:28,644.08163265 --> 00:11:29,14.08163265 Yeah, that's good. 130 00:11:29,144.08163265 --> 00:11:30,74.08163265 a good thing, man. 131 00:11:30,254.08163265 --> 00:11:30,924.08163265 Yeah, I think so. 132 00:11:31,54.08163265 --> 00:11:31,754.08163265 Hi, everyone. 133 00:11:31,754.08163265 --> 00:11:33,804.08163265 Thanks for tuning into the Deadfoot Diver. 134 00:11:34,174.08163265 --> 00:11:37,24.08163265 Subscribe and share your support means the world to me. 135 00:11:37,564.08163265 --> 00:11:44,144.08163265 If you'd like to contribute directly, you can do so at the link in the description at buymeacoffe.com/deadfootdiver 136 00:11:44,674.08163265 --> 00:11:56,274.08163265 every donation helps me work towards earning my adaptive dive buddy certification, travel costs to help me assist other adaptive divers and covering further training and equipment costs. 137 00:11:56,569.08163265 --> 00:11:59,359.08163265 Bringing you on even more exciting adventures. 138 00:12:00,769.08163265 --> 00:12:29,184.08163265 Don't forget to check out my guest links in the description and remember grab an adventure and live so tell me in all your time in DAN, what were some of the other major protocols and things that you've implemented we still use today? As far as, um, dive emergency preparedness and stuff, because I mean, when you started, there probably was basically no framework at all. 139 00:12:29,204.08163265 --> 00:12:53,389.08163265 Hardly Well, when I, cause Dan actually started in 1980, it was actually something that was created through a joint effort of the undersea and heartbreak medical society and NOAA and a few other groups, uh, who were looking to find a civilian hotline somewhere in the United States, because prior to that time, scuba instructors like myself, if we needed to find out where the nearest chamber was, we had to call the U S air force. 140 00:12:53,469.08163265 --> 00:12:55,309.08163265 Uh, we called Brooks air force base. 141 00:12:55,309.08163265 --> 00:12:57,549.08163265 It was, it was called the Leo fast number. 142 00:12:57,549.08163265 --> 00:12:57,579.08163265 Okay. 143 00:12:57,999.08163265 --> 00:13:01,579.08163265 Um, because they actually, the Air Force had a lot of chambers all over the world. 144 00:13:01,679.08163265 --> 00:13:05,579.08163265 Almost every Air Force base has a chamber because pilots get the bends like divers do. 145 00:13:06,99.08163265 --> 00:13:21,904.08163265 Um, and so we would call them, but, and we also sometimes call the supervisor of diving and, and they got, I think, kind of tired of us calling, not only to find out what chambers were, because we had to put together these sort of elaborate emergency assistance plans to know where to take somebody if somebody was injured. 146 00:13:22,334.08163265 --> 00:13:31,154.08163265 Uh, but also occasionally we ask questions, you know, about, well, uh, you know, what's going to, if I've got this symptom, what, what do I do or this or that, or all kinds of questions about diving. 147 00:13:31,154.08163265 --> 00:13:35,934.08063265 And so they, they really didn't want to answer this question anymore because it's taking a lot of their time and resources. 148 00:13:36,384.08163265 --> 00:13:45,524.08163265 So they started looking around for a place to have a civilian hotline and they ultimately selected Duke University Medical Center because it had one of the largest chamber complexes in the world. 149 00:13:46,484.08163265 --> 00:13:47,374.08163265 And at the time, Dr. 150 00:13:47,374.08163265 --> 00:13:50,324.08163265 Peter Bennett was the director of the hyperbaric facility there. 151 00:13:50,324.08163265 --> 00:13:54,684.08163265 So he became the director of DAN in the very, very beginning. 152 00:13:55,164.08163265 --> 00:13:58,784.08163265 Um, and so he was the one that managed Dan and got everything going. 153 00:13:58,784.08163265 --> 00:14:00,404.08063265 He hired, started hiring employees. 154 00:14:00,404.08163265 --> 00:14:02,964.08163265 And so that's when it started growing. 155 00:14:03,424.08163265 --> 00:14:21,924.08063265 And then in, When I came on board, which is 1991, um, they needed to, or they wanted to start some training programs because they felt that not only was, was DAN doing good things about having an emergency line that you could call not only to help an emergency, but also for information, but they, there were. 156 00:14:22,94.08163265 --> 00:14:28,914.08163265 People who didn't know how to use oxygen equipment to, to treat diving emergent injuries actually from a first aid perspective. 157 00:14:29,464.08163265 --> 00:14:31,94.08063265 Uh, so that was my job to do that. 158 00:14:31,164.08163265 --> 00:14:36,974.08063265 Um, and so then as I kind of worked my way up, Dan started expanding, started doing more and more things. 159 00:14:37,384.08163265 --> 00:14:44,564.08163265 And that's when we got involved in doing, uh, research meetings, research projects, uh, training physicians in diving medicine. 160 00:14:45,24.08163265 --> 00:14:48,264.08163265 Um, did things for example, like, uh, the flying after diving studies. 161 00:14:49,224.08163265 --> 00:15:06,644.08163265 And the flying after diving studies was because there needed to be some sort of protocol on what you did, if you either flew or actually even went to altitude, because there were a lot of people in North Carolina, for example, that dive at the coast, and then they'll drive home to West Virginia or Ohio or Tennessee or wherever and go over the mountains. 162 00:15:06,694.08163265 --> 00:15:07,583.98163265 And of course, some, yeah. 163 00:15:08,4.08163265 --> 00:15:08,654.08163265 thought about that. 164 00:15:08,694.08163265 --> 00:15:12,854.08163265 Yeah, these people would, would start getting symptoms when they got to the top of some of these mountains. 165 00:15:12,854.08163265 --> 00:15:18,914.08163265 And so, so people were getting symptoms following this exposure to depth and also sudden going down soon. 166 00:15:18,954.08163265 --> 00:15:24,224.08163265 So, so Dan did those kind of projects and that's something that was really very, very important at the time. 167 00:15:24,834.08063265 --> 00:15:27,924.08163265 We also did something that was called project dive exploration. 168 00:15:28,184.08163265 --> 00:15:36,634.08163265 Where we were looking at, uh, instance of injury, because one of the things that we would always tell people is that diving is safe. 169 00:15:36,654.08163265 --> 00:15:38,834.08163265 And in my opinion, diving is a safe sport. 170 00:15:39,284.08163265 --> 00:15:40,104.08163265 It's inherently safe. 171 00:15:40,154.08163265 --> 00:15:47,254.08163265 Um, there's nothing really about it that is inherently dangerous, but, um, we would go and tell people that and they say, okay, fine, we'll prove it. 172 00:15:47,834.08163265 --> 00:15:56,784.08163265 Well, the problem is you can't prove it unless you have an instance of injury and to have an instance of injury, you have to have a denominator number, which is a number of safe dives that are done. 173 00:15:57,354.08063265 --> 00:15:58,54.08163265 Nobody knows that. 174 00:15:58,69.18163265 --> 00:16:01,609.08163265 Uh, there's no way in the world for anybody to collect that kind of information. 175 00:16:01,609.08163265 --> 00:16:06,779.08163265 We have a good feeling that there are millions and millions of safe dives done every year without incident. 176 00:16:07,249.08063265 --> 00:16:14,149.08063265 And then there are, of course, incidents that occur a thousand or so cases of decompression sickness or air embolism that happen every year. 177 00:16:14,629.08163265 --> 00:16:24,689.08163265 So what we decided to do at Dan was to start a project where we actually looked at the number of safe dives that were done and any injuries related to those safe dives. 178 00:16:25,264.08163265 --> 00:16:41,114.0816327 So we sent interns all over the world to collect data, and what they did, they collected data by downloading dive profiles from dive computers, and then following that diver post dive and then post trip to see if there were any injuries related to the dives that person had made. 179 00:16:41,614.0806327 --> 00:16:46,804.0816327 And so what we were able to do then was to come up with a true incisive injury because we knew how many dives were done. 180 00:16:46,804.0816327 --> 00:16:49,784.0816327 We knew how many injuries there were related to those dives. 181 00:16:50,294.0816327 --> 00:16:52,114.0816327 And so the incident of injury rate. 182 00:16:52,894.0816327 --> 00:17:10,224.0806327 Range from one per 10, 000 of water dive for people diving on live aboards because live aboards you have people there that are there just for your safety to give you all the information you have to have to make the decisions you and your diving partners have to have to make the decisions you need during the dive for your safety and your enjoyment of the dive. 183 00:17:11,29.0816327 --> 00:17:16,149.0816327 And so one out of 10, 000 of water dives was what we would sort of consider the safe baseline. 184 00:17:16,169.0816327 --> 00:17:22,549.0816327 And then they also looked at people who were involved in diver training, like dive professionals, instructors, or assistant instructors. 185 00:17:22,939.0816327 --> 00:17:26,248.9816327 Uh, then we looked at people who were, uh, doing, uh, diving. 186 00:17:26,309.0816327 --> 00:17:35,759.0816327 Dives from their own personal water, water, watercraft, like their own boat or whatever from shorelines that didn't have people that were there telling them all the information they need to have. 187 00:17:35,759.0816327 --> 00:17:38,209.0816327 So they need to do the information or get the information on their own. 188 00:17:38,559.0806327 --> 00:17:41,549.0816327 And then we also looked at people who were doing what we would call technical diving now. 189 00:17:42,29.0806327 --> 00:17:49,939.0816327 And so, They're much higher because of the fact they were doing very aggressive diving, really pushing the edges of that envelope. 190 00:17:50,319.0816327 --> 00:17:51,919.0816327 Um, and so the risk was higher. 191 00:17:51,919.0816327 --> 00:18:00,379.0816327 And of course, out of all this, then people learn to mitigate some of those risks by using different gas mixtures and different algorithms, different dive profiles and those kinds of things. 192 00:18:00,389.0816327 --> 00:18:08,179.0816327 So the answer of injury range from 1 per 10, 000 water dives to 23 per 10, 000 of water dives for people who were doing technical diving. 193 00:18:08,179.0816327 --> 00:18:12,619.0816327 But again, those, if we did it again, since people know a lot more now. 194 00:18:12,874.0816327 --> 00:18:16,714.0816327 Uh, about how to mitigate those risks and those numbers are likely to be even a little bit lower. 195 00:18:17,314.0816327 --> 00:18:18,724.0816327 Uh, so that's one of the things we did. 196 00:18:18,724.0816327 --> 00:18:21,534.0816327 We also did workshops on diabetes and diving. 197 00:18:21,534.0816327 --> 00:18:25,894.0816327 We did workshops on, uh, multi level dive profiles. 198 00:18:25,894.0816327 --> 00:18:34,204.0816327 We did on repetitive dive profiles and reverse dive profiles and, and a lot of other things on fatalities and fatality research and flying after diving. 199 00:18:34,204.0816327 --> 00:18:35,544.0816327 And I mean, just a lot of things. 200 00:18:35,554.0816327 --> 00:18:55,173.0382993 So there were a lot of things that we did during the time that I was there, which weren't necessarily things that I did myself because I, weather, weather changes, information about weather, weather, weather, And, and it's, it's a, it's a really great place, really a great place to get lots of information about, about weather and transportation and things like that, and, and what, what that's all about. 201 00:18:55,173.0382993 --> 00:19:08,844.0816327 through the Alert Diver magazine um, you know, 1 thing I, I started diving again this year after being absent for from it for 25 years. 202 00:19:09,739.0816327 --> 00:19:13,599.0816327 And it, it has literally changed my life. 203 00:19:13,639.0816327 --> 00:19:17,929.0816327 I mean, being a disabled person in scuba diving is, is giving me my life back. 204 00:19:17,929.0816327 --> 00:19:19,619.0816327 There's no other way around it. 205 00:19:21,249.0816327 --> 00:19:26,229.0816327 Um, Worked at the university in Ohio, Wright state university. 206 00:19:26,289.0816327 --> 00:19:32,259.0816327 Uh, it was a new school actually at one time was a branch campus between Ohio state and Miami universities. 207 00:19:32,259.0816327 --> 00:19:37,279.0806327 And, and it was, it was created, um, to be accessible by everybody. 208 00:19:37,669.0816327 --> 00:19:41,939.0816327 Uh, so regardless of any disability or ability you had, it was accessible. 209 00:19:42,199.0816327 --> 00:19:48,939.0816327 So when I was going to school, there was a student, uh, I mean, almost every class I took, there was a disabled student in that class. 210 00:19:49,279.0816327 --> 00:19:55,569.0816327 So when I first started the scuba course there, it wasn't, it wasn't Odd to me that there were disabled students that wanted to take scuba diving. 211 00:19:56,319.0816327 --> 00:20:05,329.0816327 And the problem was, and again, that was in the early seventies, there, there weren't any standards or training programs or protocols for training people with disabilities. 212 00:20:05,799.0816327 --> 00:20:09,949.0816327 And so what we had to do is we had to sort of do it ourselves. 213 00:20:09,989.0816327 --> 00:20:22,999.0816327 And so when somebody would show up in my class, uh, you know, in a chair, for example, wheelchair, uh, or somebody with an amputation or something with some other disability, then we would sit down with them and first of all, evaluate. 214 00:20:24,784.0816327 --> 00:20:26,564.0816327 the perspective of their abilities. 215 00:20:26,564.0816327 --> 00:20:34,884.0816327 What could they do? First of all, rather than starting with their disability, what could they do? And then how we would modify whatever the standards happen to be. 216 00:20:35,174.0816327 --> 00:20:44,194.0816327 So they could learn to scuba dive and not only learn to scuba dive, but be certified and be a safe, competent diver, uh, in a variety of conditions. 217 00:20:44,194.0816327 --> 00:20:44,943.9816327 And again, we were. 218 00:20:45,534.0816327 --> 00:20:50,444.0816327 Training people to dive in quarries and rivers and, you know, some difficult, uh, conditions. 219 00:20:50,804.0816327 --> 00:20:52,524.0816327 So we had to make sure that they could do all that stuff. 220 00:20:52,594.0816327 --> 00:21:01,844.0816327 And so, uh, it wasn't unusual for us to start certifying paraplegics or amputees or people with other disabilities, uh, in the scuba courses. 221 00:21:02,689.0816327 --> 00:21:14,679.0816327 which, which is amazing because I mean, A lot of, even today, there's not a lot of overall, uh, training available for people with disabilities. 222 00:21:15,144.0816327 --> 00:21:24,754.0816327 For scuba diving from what I've, I've been finding, I mean, there's dive heart in the States and a few other organizations, Canada, very limited on my options as Now. 223 00:21:25,524.0806327 --> 00:21:27,584.0806327 a disabled training instructor. 224 00:21:27,594.0816327 --> 00:21:29,954.0816327 There's actually one instructor here. 225 00:21:29,954.0816327 --> 00:21:31,574.0806327 That's six hours away from me. 226 00:21:32,44.0806327 --> 00:21:36,434.0816327 And, um, who also teaches technical diving for adaptive divers. 227 00:21:36,674.0816327 --> 00:21:37,244.0816327 Oh, okay. 228 00:21:37,414.0816327 --> 00:21:38,774.0816327 he can't take any students. 229 00:21:38,814.0816327 --> 00:21:40,154.0816327 He's he's swamped. 230 00:21:40,174.0816327 --> 00:21:40,774.0816327 He's. 231 00:21:41,374.0816327 --> 00:21:45,84.0816327 He's got a set amount of students he works for with. 232 00:21:45,194.0816327 --> 00:21:48,864.0816327 I'm actually going to train as an adaptive buddy so I can help Oh, okay. 233 00:21:48,904.0816327 --> 00:21:49,254.0816327 Good. 234 00:21:49,434.0816327 --> 00:21:51,134.0816327 I'm really looking forward to. 235 00:21:52,144.0816327 --> 00:21:58,874.0816327 Um, going to be awesome for me as well, because I mean, not only that, he, he's got a paraplegic that's actually cave diving. 236 00:21:59,394.0816327 --> 00:22:00,24.0816327 Oh, wow. 237 00:22:00,794.0816327 --> 00:22:01,254.0816327 Nice. 238 00:22:01,914.0816327 --> 00:22:09,604.0816327 yeah, I mean, it's going to open up a lot of doors for me diving wise that I never even imagined possible because when Yeah. 239 00:22:09,684.0816327 --> 00:22:16,584.0806327 started diving, I was like, okay, well, yeah, I definitely I want to do some technical diving maybe and stuff like that. 240 00:22:16,584.0816327 --> 00:22:16,844.0816327 But. 241 00:22:18,314.0816327 --> 00:22:27,784.0816327 No overhead, obviously, because of my disabilities, and I wasn't going to do any, uh, cave or wreck penetration of that as well. 242 00:22:28,234.0816327 --> 00:22:36,944.0806327 And now, those doors have opened for me because I have an instructor that I'm confident enough to dive with and actually try some of that stuff. 243 00:22:37,674.0816327 --> 00:22:38,204.0816327 Well, that's good. 244 00:22:39,624.0816327 --> 00:22:40,629.0816327 It's Well, good for you. 245 00:22:41,349.0816327 --> 00:22:41,839.0816327 Good for you. 246 00:22:42,784.0816327 --> 00:22:43,114.0816327 thanks. 247 00:22:43,114.0816327 --> 00:22:44,704.0816327 I'm really looking forward to it. 248 00:22:44,899.0816327 --> 00:22:45,269.0816327 Nice. 249 00:22:45,674.0816327 --> 00:22:55,99.0816327 So what have you seen as far as working with people with disabilities and how diving has changed their lives? Oh, it made a dramatic change. 250 00:22:55,99.0816327 --> 00:23:17,179.0816327 In fact, one of the students that I had was a guy who had worked in the coal mines in West Virginia, and, um, he was, his job was to operate a truck that pulled coal cars out of a mine, and when this truck was designed, it was designed with a cage around the top of it to protect him from things that were falling down from the ceiling. 251 00:23:17,789.0816327 --> 00:23:19,449.0816327 Well, evidently, uh, they had. 252 00:23:19,759.0816327 --> 00:23:24,979.0816327 Is the company work for had removed that cage because it either got in the way or there was some problem with it. 253 00:23:24,979.0816327 --> 00:23:39,79.0816327 I'm not sure the details, but as he was pulling this, this, this, these coal cars through this case or this mine, um, and this evidently, this thing was once you only had start and stop, it didn't have any way to control the speed. 254 00:23:39,509.0816327 --> 00:23:48,994.0816327 And so evidently, as he was coming out of the coal mine, Uh, there had been a cave in in front of him, a small, uh, uh, cave in or collapse of the ceiling. 255 00:23:49,564.0816327 --> 00:23:55,554.0816327 Uh, and so this coal car that he was driving went up the incline and crushed him against the ceiling. 256 00:23:56,499.0816327 --> 00:23:58,349.0816327 Uh, which, which damaged his spine. 257 00:23:58,349.0816327 --> 00:23:59,639.0816327 And so he became a paraplegic. 258 00:23:59,959.0816327 --> 00:24:04,19.0816327 Well, he came to me and wanted to know if he could get certified because he had always wanted to be a diver. 259 00:24:04,19.0816327 --> 00:24:05,709.0816327 And I said, well, we'll do what we can. 260 00:24:06,239.0806327 --> 00:24:08,149.0806327 And so we put him to the training program. 261 00:24:08,149.0816327 --> 00:24:15,269.0816327 He did become certified and, and, uh, he actually had quite a bit of money because of the legal case that he brought against the, this company. 262 00:24:15,769.0816327 --> 00:24:17,799.0816327 And, um, and so he traveled all over the world. 263 00:24:17,909.0816327 --> 00:24:21,849.0816327 And so he would send me postcards for a long time about all these places he'd gone. 264 00:24:21,849.0816327 --> 00:24:24,499.0816327 So it really was a major, major change in his life. 265 00:24:25,94.0816327 --> 00:24:27,854.0816327 And then we had other students who also had disabilities. 266 00:24:27,864.0816327 --> 00:24:34,64.0816327 And I can remember probably one of the most emotional things was a student that we'd taken, uh, gotten certified. 267 00:24:34,64.0816327 --> 00:24:35,784.0816327 We took him out to do his open water dives. 268 00:24:35,784.0816327 --> 00:24:41,274.0816327 And when he, I got in the open water for the first time as I looked at him when we went underwater. 269 00:24:41,544.0816327 --> 00:24:44,814.0816327 Uh, there were tears in his eyes because he was free. 270 00:24:44,824.0806327 --> 00:24:45,354.0816327 He was free. 271 00:24:45,364.0806327 --> 00:24:47,864.0806327 He was free of the chair and free of the chair and not in a pool. 272 00:24:47,864.0806327 --> 00:24:52,54.0816327 He was outside in the open water and it really made a significant difference in his life. 273 00:24:52,94.0816327 --> 00:24:53,849.0816327 And we had, We have one student. 274 00:24:53,849.0816327 --> 00:24:57,209.0816327 There was one student who had a brain injury that we dealt with. 275 00:24:57,229.0816327 --> 00:25:06,159.0816327 He actually had been in a car accident and it damaged his brain stem and wiped out his short term memory and he had been a certified diver beforehand. 276 00:25:06,159.0816327 --> 00:25:10,519.0816327 But his parents came to me and say, you know, like to get him back into the sport because he really misses diving. 277 00:25:10,879.0816327 --> 00:25:11,979.0816327 But he has no short term memory. 278 00:25:12,849.0816327 --> 00:25:14,689.0816327 And I said, well, I don't, I don't know. 279 00:25:14,689.0816327 --> 00:25:19,19.0816327 I said, we've never dealt with anybody with a short term memory problem before, but, uh, we'll see what we can do. 280 00:25:19,129.0816327 --> 00:25:27,999.0816327 And I said, I went to the administration of the university and I said, you know, I've got this, this young man who really wants to be certified and it's probably going to take us more than one course. 281 00:25:28,434.0816327 --> 00:25:32,94.0816327 To kind of get him through to the point where he can really function as a certified diver. 282 00:25:32,574.0816327 --> 00:25:35,654.0816327 And so the university said, fine, they won't charge him any additional amount of money. 283 00:25:35,654.0816327 --> 00:25:49,774.0816327 And so we got him in the course and it took three courses, three courses back to back to back, uh, to the point where he started actually remembering things, uh, and that he could function effectively and safely as a certified diver doing dive tables and everything else. 284 00:25:50,204.0816327 --> 00:25:55,624.0816327 And we finally were able to recertify him as a diver, but I'll tell you, it was, he was a great, great young man. 285 00:25:55,694.0816327 --> 00:26:02,734.0816327 Uh, but the one thing he learned, the first thing he learned after going through these three courses were the punchlines of my jokes, uh, because. 286 00:26:03,304.0816327 --> 00:26:07,274.0816327 Because we did teach the same course over and over again, you tend to use the same jokes over and over again. 287 00:26:07,564.0816327 --> 00:26:09,254.0816327 And this young man, his name was Steve. 288 00:26:09,514.0816327 --> 00:26:12,144.0816327 Uh, he, uh, he learned the punchline of my jokes. 289 00:26:12,144.0816327 --> 00:26:14,934.0816327 And so I get ready to give the punchline and he would blurt it out. 290 00:26:14,994.0816327 --> 00:26:18,654.0816327 So I had to say, Steve, you know, I want to keep in the course. 291 00:26:18,654.0816327 --> 00:26:28,674.0816327 Just don't don't give my punchlines away, but it, but we, I mean, we saw so many changes in people's lives, um, once they become certified and we're free of the chair. 292 00:26:29,974.0806327 --> 00:26:31,884.0806327 Yeah, it's, it's amazing. 293 00:26:31,924.0816327 --> 00:26:35,394.0816327 The, uh, benefits of it both mentally and physically. 294 00:26:35,834.0816327 --> 00:26:41,514.0816327 Um, I mean, I, I have no moment below my left knee and then I'm blind in my left eye. 295 00:26:42,379.0816327 --> 00:26:46,529.0816327 on top of it, my right side is actually from another motocross accidents, actually Oh, wow. 296 00:26:46,529.0816327 --> 00:26:48,149.0816327 pinned and plated really heavy too. 297 00:26:48,149.0816327 --> 00:26:50,829.0816327 So I'm pretty restricted on movement that Mm hmm. 298 00:26:51,209.0816327 --> 00:26:54,679.0806327 Um, I'm definitely not doing any running or jogging anymore. 299 00:26:55,899.0816327 --> 00:26:56,369.0816327 I don't blame you. 300 00:26:56,549.0816327 --> 00:26:57,219.0816327 I don't do it either. 301 00:26:59,379.0816327 --> 00:27:01,229.0806327 And not only that I'm clumsy. 302 00:27:01,229.0816327 --> 00:27:04,769.0816327 So I, I mean, case in point right there, right. 303 00:27:04,959.0816327 --> 00:27:05,329.0816327 Oh yeah. 304 00:27:08,179.0816327 --> 00:27:16,149.0816327 So, I mean, it's definitely amazing for me, especially because, I mean, under the water. 305 00:27:16,229.0816327 --> 00:27:17,319.0816327 I'm not clumsy. 306 00:27:17,379.0806327 --> 00:27:19,489.0816327 I am actually free. 307 00:27:19,519.0806327 --> 00:27:25,969.0816327 And best of all, I am actually lot less pain, lot less pain after I'm diving. 308 00:27:26,299.0816327 --> 00:27:26,849.0806327 Oh, that's good. 309 00:27:27,469.0816327 --> 00:27:28,579.0816327 oh, it's amazing. 310 00:27:28,589.0816327 --> 00:27:30,479.0816327 I noticed this summer. 311 00:27:30,919.0816327 --> 00:27:38,49.0816327 just from dives two or three times a week, the difference in my pain level, which is That's good. 312 00:27:38,49.1816327 --> 00:27:39,669.0806327 Yeah, that's good. 313 00:27:40,659.0816327 --> 00:27:41,549.0816327 So yeah. 314 00:27:41,859.0816327 --> 00:27:41,989.0816327 Yeah. 315 00:27:41,989.0816327 --> 00:27:45,639.0811327 Scuba diving is very therapeutic for people with a lot of different things to deal with. 316 00:27:45,639.0811327 --> 00:27:50,874.0816327 I know when, when I'm, uh, on the, uh, the board of directors for this group, veterans group called Forest Blue. 317 00:27:50,874.0816327 --> 00:27:58,504.0816327 We deal with a lot of special operations veterans, you know, the Navy SEALs and a special boat service to the UK and a lot of others, uh, army rangers. 318 00:27:58,784.0816327 --> 00:28:06,104.0806327 And so all these people were trained to dive in the military, but after coming back to the military, especially war zones, they have PTSD to deal with. 319 00:28:06,104.0816327 --> 00:28:17,874.0816327 And so we're very, We're hoping and we are seeing some benefit of scuba diving activities because we give them projects to get involved in, divide them into teams and get projects to be involved in that are helping the marine environment for one thing. 320 00:28:17,874.0816327 --> 00:28:24,694.0816327 So they are doing good as well as getting some benefit from that, from that exposure to the ocean having to do with their PTSD. 321 00:28:25,669.0816327 --> 00:28:26,49.0816327 Yeah. 322 00:28:26,59.0806327 --> 00:28:33,669.0816327 I've actually heard that from a lot of guys of the benefits that they've had from, uh, PTSD just from scuba diving, which is awesome. 323 00:28:34,549.0816327 --> 00:28:37,954.0816327 Um, so yeah, that's, that's Good. 324 00:28:38,279.1806327 --> 00:28:41,579.0816327 a good benefit of diving for sure. 325 00:28:42,349.0816327 --> 00:28:49,49.0816327 I want to talk a bit more about, uh, I want to talk about dive insurance for one thing, because Okay. 326 00:28:49,339.0816327 --> 00:29:04,569.0806327 one thing that, well, the one thing that has shocked me actually, when, when I started diving again, this year is how little people know, first of all, about what causes the bends, Yeah, just basic theory stuff. 327 00:29:05,329.0816327 --> 00:29:21,669.0816327 which seems to have, uh, uh, gone to the wayside to a certain extent, should we say? and not only that, um, just the fact of that people think that, Oh yeah, well, I'm only diving a few times a year, I don't need to bother with, uh, dive insurance. 328 00:29:21,909.0806327 --> 00:29:29,269.0816327 And meanwhile, a chamber run, I know in Canada is gonna cost you about 100, 000 if you haven't got insurance. 329 00:29:30,439.0816327 --> 00:29:30,809.0816327 it could. 330 00:29:30,809.0816327 --> 00:29:32,659.0816327 I mean, especially if you're in remote locations. 331 00:29:32,659.0816327 --> 00:29:39,249.0816327 I mean, you are at the mercy of these facilities that will charge just about anything for treatment. 332 00:29:39,249.0816327 --> 00:29:48,409.0816327 But the problem with with the diving medicine is no one, even the research community doesn't know the exact mechanism of injury for decompression sickness. 333 00:29:49,244.0816327 --> 00:29:56,964.0816327 And so, if you don't know the exact mechanism of injury, you can't determine a way to completely, absolutely avoid it. 334 00:29:57,804.0816327 --> 00:30:03,244.0816327 Um, and so, It really doesn't make any difference how many dives a year you make. 335 00:30:03,284.0816327 --> 00:30:13,784.0816327 In fact, when you look at some of the DAN data, at least one of the sets of data that I use in the webinars that I do on diving safety, it shows that people are most vulnerable when they have very few dives. 336 00:30:14,349.0816327 --> 00:30:23,449.0816327 So, um, so if they have, if they have less than 20 dives, they are kind of overrepresented in the injury and fatality databases because they, they have limited experience. 337 00:30:23,449.0816327 --> 00:30:28,629.0816327 And sometimes they get themselves in a situation or in an environment that's far beyond their capabilities. 338 00:30:28,939.0816327 --> 00:30:35,69.0816327 But then, on the other hand, you get people who, uh, in the same set of data that have over 300 dives in a year. 339 00:30:35,454.0816327 --> 00:30:43,974.0816327 Uh, and still have a problem with either decompression sickness or diving fatalities because they're either overconfident or they just don't follow the same rules. 340 00:30:43,974.0816327 --> 00:30:56,364.0816327 In fact, I wrote a article that was actually in Dive Newswire and also in this new scuba diving industry magazine on normalization of deviance, where people will take shortcuts and when they take a shortcut and it works, they do it again because it did work. 341 00:30:56,454.1816327 --> 00:31:02,624.0816327 Uh, and so that's when people start getting themselves in trouble because they don't follow the same protocols you and I would follow when we dive. 342 00:31:03,24.0816327 --> 00:31:08,54.0811327 Um, and so it's very, very important to make sure that you always follow those rules and it can happen to anyone, anybody. 343 00:31:08,54.0811327 --> 00:31:09,474.0816327 In fact, Dick Van, Dr. 344 00:31:09,474.0816327 --> 00:31:12,364.0816327 Dick Van, who was our director of research at DAN for a while. 345 00:31:12,724.0816327 --> 00:31:17,184.0816327 Um, he, uh, used to tell people that it's, it's really like a roll of the dice. 346 00:31:17,184.0816327 --> 00:31:18,34.0816327 You just don't know. 347 00:31:18,44.0816327 --> 00:31:20,324.0816327 There are people who do follow the rules. 348 00:31:20,599.0816327 --> 00:31:30,729.0816327 And do everything the way they're supposed to follow what the guidelines on their dive computer and still get a decompression sickness could be due to some inherent medical issue that they may be dealing with. 349 00:31:30,729.0816327 --> 00:31:37,969.0816327 It could be due to almost anything because nobody really knows how to completely avoid the bends, except not diving. 350 00:31:37,969.1816327 --> 00:31:43,84.0816327 Yeah, yeah, probably that's, that's definitely true. 351 00:31:43,114.0816327 --> 00:31:59,209.0816327 I mean, what, what shocked me, I think what else shocked me is like, even the fact of that, um, I, I was going to have a get together over at my house and I have a hot tub, so I have a rule after diving, no hot tub, right? a good idea. 352 00:32:00,844.0816327 --> 00:32:01,624.0816327 Exactly. 353 00:32:01,974.0816327 --> 00:32:08,184.0811327 However, when I first put this idea about having this barbecue out, I said, I said, okay, we're going diving. 354 00:32:08,184.0811327 --> 00:32:10,144.0816327 So hot tubs out of use after. 355 00:32:10,894.0816327 --> 00:32:15,104.0816327 The thing, I had a couple of complaints and I'm like, I'm like, not in my hot tub. 356 00:32:15,104.0816327 --> 00:32:15,584.0816327 You're Not Yeah. 357 00:32:16,224.0816327 --> 00:32:21,994.0816327 like they had no idea that you could actually get bent from going in the hot tub after diving. 358 00:32:22,179.0816327 --> 00:32:33,569.0816327 Yeah, I mean, that was a question that we got when we, when I worked at DAN was, you know, how hot should hot to be? Well, nobody knows because we're not likely to do research on human beings to figure out what's going to happen if we put them in a hot tub. 359 00:32:33,579.0816327 --> 00:32:36,679.0816327 But, um, yeah, that nobody wants to do that. 360 00:32:36,679.0816327 --> 00:32:38,859.0826327 Nobody certainly want to volunteer for that research. 361 00:32:39,64.0806327 --> 00:32:40,34.0806327 No, I'm out. 362 00:32:40,109.0816327 --> 00:32:44,119.0816327 But but I mean, hot tubs are okay, but it really shouldn't be too hot. 363 00:32:44,119.0816327 --> 00:32:45,779.0816327 But nobody knows how hot is too hot. 364 00:32:46,509.0816327 --> 00:32:49,809.0806327 So you may be a little bit warmer than your body temperature may not may be okay. 365 00:32:49,809.0816327 --> 00:32:56,29.0806327 But, uh, you know, really hot, hot tub or really hot shower post dive, especially a very aggressive dive is certainly not a good idea. 366 00:32:57,94.0806327 --> 00:33:04,544.0816327 So what do you, what do you suggest for that? If you've done an aggressive dive, do you suggest like 24 hours before you like jump in a hot tub just to be safe Yeah. 367 00:33:04,864.0816327 --> 00:33:06,584.0816327 Well, for one thing, I don't do aggressive dives. 368 00:33:06,584.1816327 --> 00:33:08,744.0816327 Not anymore. 369 00:33:09,4.0816327 --> 00:33:09,674.0816327 Not anymore. 370 00:33:10,274.0816327 --> 00:33:13,124.0816327 I mean, I mean, you literally would have to drag me to 100 feet. 371 00:33:13,134.0816327 --> 00:33:16,174.0816327 But, uh, yeah, I don't, I don't do aggressive. 372 00:33:16,274.0816327 --> 00:33:20,714.0806327 Well, since I'm 77 years old now, and I don't do, I don't do aggressive dives. 373 00:33:20,714.0816327 --> 00:33:22,63.9816327 I still do dives, but I don't do aggressive dives. 374 00:33:22,124.0816327 --> 00:33:26,784.0816327 Uh, you know, I like to have long dives and good visibility and relatively warm water. 375 00:33:26,784.0816327 --> 00:33:37,624.0811327 And even though I do take trips a couple of times a year to the Arctic or the Antarctic with these expeditions I do with blue green expeditions, um, I, I just, I'm very, very careful. 376 00:33:37,624.0811327 --> 00:33:44,494.0816327 And so the dives we did, for example, in, in Cuba, the average depth that we did was probably 70 feet, 60 or 70 feet. 377 00:33:45,74.0816327 --> 00:33:49,149.0816327 Um, and we did spend a lot of time in shallow water and I always, we did course, do a safety stop. 378 00:33:49,149.0816327 --> 00:33:53,259.0816327 And sometimes I expand that safety stop by a couple of minutes. 379 00:33:53,259.0816327 --> 00:34:02,919.0806327 But depending on how I feel, or if I felt I did more work than I normally would do during the dive, um, which I really do because I like to take my time and really enjoy the dive. 380 00:34:02,919.0816327 --> 00:34:04,219.0811327 And that's what it's all about anyway. 381 00:34:04,219.0811327 --> 00:34:15,309.0816327 But even then, when I come back to the boat and want to take a shower, I try to make sure that the water temperature is maybe a little warmer than body temperature, just so it's comfortable and not take a hot shower. 382 00:34:15,689.1816327 --> 00:34:22,759.1816327 Just what about alcohol after diving, because I know that's a favorite pastime of a lot of people it is. 383 00:34:23,199.1816327 --> 00:34:23,879.1816327 Yeah. 384 00:34:23,879.2816327 --> 00:34:27,99.1816327 And again, nobody really knows. 385 00:34:27,909.1806327 --> 00:34:30,329.1816327 So I again tend to be conservative. 386 00:34:30,329.1816327 --> 00:34:35,766.0970173 So I will when I do my dives, I certainly don't have an alcoholic drink right after the dive. 387 00:34:35,766.0970173 --> 00:34:37,709.0816327 I'll wait an hour or so. 388 00:34:37,709.1816327 --> 00:34:39,949.1816327 But again, it's nobody really knows. 389 00:34:39,949.1816327 --> 00:34:41,119.0816327 I just try to be conservative. 390 00:34:41,399.1816327 --> 00:34:42,59.1816327 conservative. 391 00:34:42,59.1816327 --> 00:34:48,689.1816327 And one thing to people my age, uh, we don't metabolize the alcohol as quickly as we used to when we were younger. 392 00:34:49,149.1816327 --> 00:34:53,759.1806327 And also, once you metabolize that alcohol, your body has to rid itself of those waste products. 393 00:34:53,759.1806327 --> 00:34:59,109.1816327 And this is all stuff that I talk about in a webinar that I do called, uh, safety issues for the older diver. 394 00:34:59,499.1806327 --> 00:35:09,129.1816327 And, um, and, and so we talk about all the body systems and things that change as you age and how that affects your, your safety as divers, along with some recommendations about what you should do to mitigate those risks. 395 00:35:09,129.1816327 --> 00:35:13,844.1816327 But, um, But your body has to, has to rid itself of all those waste products. 396 00:35:13,844.1816327 --> 00:35:20,384.1816327 And, and so I, I want to make sure that I'm ready and able and, and serious about diving the next day. 397 00:35:20,624.1816327 --> 00:35:25,44.1811327 And I don't want to have to deal with a hangover, um, because you shouldn't be diving with a hangover. 398 00:35:25,44.1811327 --> 00:35:29,164.1811327 You shouldn't be diving under the influence, of course, of alcohol and anything else, any kind of drugs. 399 00:35:29,164.1811327 --> 00:35:36,374.1816327 So, uh, so I just tend to be very, very, very conservative because I want to continue to enjoy dives as long as I can. 400 00:35:36,439.2816327 --> 00:35:40,719.1816327 Uh, that you're still actively diving. 401 00:35:40,719.1816327 --> 00:35:49,99.1816327 I mean, how many dives a year do you do still at 77? you know, I'll probably do maybe 40, 50, 50 dives a year, maybe more. 402 00:35:49,99.1816327 --> 00:36:03,639.1816327 I do some snorkeling, for example, with these, these, these trips that I do, uh, with, uh, Blue Green Expeditions this, this year alone, we did a citizen science program in the Antarctic in February and March, and I was responsible for the snorkeling there. 403 00:36:03,639.1816327 --> 00:36:05,329.1816327 So I'll snorkel there. 404 00:36:05,609.1816327 --> 00:36:17,554.1816327 Uh, and then we did a trip, uh, just a few months ago, about six months ago, uh, Uh, to the Arctic to the Norwegian Arctic to Svalbard, uh, where I also did snorkeling there and did manage the snorkelers. 405 00:36:17,964.1816327 --> 00:36:21,234.1806327 Uh, and I, I, and I have done diving in the Antarctic. 406 00:36:21,234.1816327 --> 00:36:27,384.1816327 I did dives when I first went there in 2018, but, uh, I have some issues with, uh, circulation in my hands. 407 00:36:27,384.1816327 --> 00:36:29,474.1816327 I was exposed to Agent Orange when I was in the military. 408 00:36:29,474.1816327 --> 00:36:32,124.1816327 And, and so I have some circulation issues. 409 00:36:32,134.1816327 --> 00:36:33,664.1816327 So my hands get exceptionally cold. 410 00:36:33,674.1816327 --> 00:36:35,409.0816327 And so even with heated gloves, my hands get cold. 411 00:36:35,469.1816327 --> 00:36:35,679.1816327 Cold. 412 00:36:35,679.1816327 --> 00:36:38,709.1816327 So I, I tend to try to do snorkeling more than diving anymore. 413 00:36:38,949.1816327 --> 00:36:40,209.1816327 That way I can keep my hands out of the water. 414 00:36:40,209.1816327 --> 00:36:42,769.1816327 If I start getting real cold, Wow. 415 00:36:42,959.1816327 --> 00:36:43,369.1816327 Cool. 416 00:36:44,699.1816327 --> 00:36:50,159.1816327 let's talk a bit about you've done a lot of diving actually up here in Tobermory I have, yeah, quite a bit. 417 00:36:50,979.1816327 --> 00:36:56,509.1816327 Tell tell me about some of your experiences up in Tobermory where and what drew you all the way up here to go diving. 418 00:36:57,119.1806327 --> 00:37:09,519.1816327 Well, when I was, when I was teaching, teaching diving, the one thing that I had done very little of was diving in the great lakes, being in Ohio, I had done diving in Lake Erie, but I'd not done diving in any of the other great lakes. 419 00:37:09,979.1816327 --> 00:37:19,504.1816327 And so in my opinion, being an instructor, I really needed to make that I, if I was teaching students how to dive in various places, I had experience in those areas. 420 00:37:19,514.1816327 --> 00:37:21,984.1816327 So I wanted to try something a little bit different. 421 00:37:21,994.1816327 --> 00:37:30,224.1816327 And so, uh, I talked to a friend of mine and he said, Oh, yeah, I heard about this place up in Canada called Tobermory, the lot of shipwrecks and, and I said, Yeah, I'd like to do that. 422 00:37:30,444.1816327 --> 00:37:39,414.1816327 And so, uh, about five or six of us piled in a van and left Ohio and drove north and, um, we got up there in Tobermory. 423 00:37:39,414.1816327 --> 00:37:48,739.1816327 It was in the summertime and And I, we actually pulled into big tub campground, uh, and I got out of the van and we've been in the van for, I don't know how many hours. 424 00:37:48,739.1816327 --> 00:37:50,619.1816327 It was really smelly and everybody was tired. 425 00:37:50,619.2816327 --> 00:37:51,929.1816327 And I got out of the van. 426 00:37:51,929.1816327 --> 00:37:55,99.1816327 I saw all these Canadians out there, you know, in the harbor. 427 00:37:55,99.1816327 --> 00:37:57,449.1811327 And so I said, yeah, I want to do that. 428 00:37:57,449.1811327 --> 00:38:06,959.1816327 So I went and changed my swimsuit, took a flying leap to the water and nearly had a heart attack because it was the water temperature was in the fifties. 429 00:38:06,989.1816327 --> 00:38:09,719.1811327 And so it wasn't anything I really expected. 430 00:38:09,719.1811327 --> 00:38:13,589.1816327 So, So we, we then decided to go diving. 431 00:38:13,599.1816327 --> 00:38:17,349.1816327 We did diving on some of the, some of the wrecks that we did diving on the sweepstakes. 432 00:38:17,349.1816327 --> 00:38:22,339.1811327 Of course, we did diving on the, on some of the ones that the, the tugboats that are there in the harbor. 433 00:38:22,339.1811327 --> 00:38:27,849.1816327 And so, and then somebody said, well, what about this, uh, this wreck called the Arabia? And I said, well, that sounds pretty exciting. 434 00:38:28,169.1816327 --> 00:38:29,489.1816327 You know, let's see if we can do that. 435 00:38:29,499.1816327 --> 00:38:35,759.1816327 So we got on one of the boats, uh, from, uh, G&S water sports, which is the company we dealt with at the time. 436 00:38:36,289.1816327 --> 00:38:39,289.1816327 And so we went out there and went down the mooring line. 437 00:38:39,289.1816327 --> 00:38:50,64.1816327 And And, um, and then saw this block mooring block on the bottom, uh, and then the visibility wasn't very good visibility is probably 10, 15 feet or so, uh, that day. 438 00:38:50,514.1816327 --> 00:38:53,784.1806327 And, uh, and there was a light line that went off into the distance. 439 00:38:53,784.1816327 --> 00:38:54,554.1816327 So I followed that. 440 00:38:54,564.1806327 --> 00:39:04,214.1816327 And then also there was, I mean, I saw the bowsprit, uh, of the shipwreck sitting on the bottom and, and it was the most magnificent thing I'd ever seen. 441 00:39:04,654.1816327 --> 00:39:05,434.1816327 I'd ever seen. 442 00:39:06,114.1816327 --> 00:39:16,864.1816327 And I thought, Oh my God, I mean, I, I, how can people not dive this thing all the time? And so we swam around it and then came back up and it was just, I mean, it was a life changing experience for me. 443 00:39:16,904.1816327 --> 00:39:32,579.1816327 And then when I, when I started this research program, uh, that DAN diving research program, uh, not Dan at, uh, Rice State University, um, I thought, Oh my God, What better experience was to take the people up there and show them shipwrecks, uh, in, in a beautiful place. 444 00:39:32,979.1816327 --> 00:39:34,289.1816327 Uh, and then I met Dr. 445 00:39:34,289.1816327 --> 00:39:37,239.1816327 George Harper, who had the clinic there in Tobermory with the chamber. 446 00:39:37,569.1806327 --> 00:39:42,689.1816327 And so part of that whole experience, I made sure that the students had an opportunity to do a chamber dive. 447 00:39:42,709.1816327 --> 00:39:45,589.1816327 So they saw what it was like to be inside of a hyperbaric chamber. 448 00:39:45,589.1816327 --> 00:39:46,889.1816327 And then we did shallow dives. 449 00:39:46,889.1816327 --> 00:39:54,304.1816327 And then we did, uh, dives, a couple dives, uh, actually on the Arabia every day where we, you know, I had them do measurements and had them do all kinds of archaeological things. 450 00:39:54,304.2816327 --> 00:40:01,254.1816327 And, um, and it, it just, it was one thing that there was a highlight of my year every year. 451 00:40:01,324.1816327 --> 00:40:02,914.1806327 Uh, just phenomenal. 452 00:40:03,274.1816327 --> 00:40:04,624.1811327 And then I liked it so much. 453 00:40:04,624.1811327 --> 00:40:08,314.1811327 I wrote an article about it for a historical journal, uh, in Ohio. 454 00:40:08,314.1811327 --> 00:40:19,164.1816327 And then I was asked to do a presentation about the Arabia, uh, at, in Kingston, where the keel had been laid, uh, back in 1852 when it was first built. 455 00:40:20,769.1816327 --> 00:40:21,354.1816327 That's stuff. 456 00:40:21,684.1816327 --> 00:40:22,824.1816327 It was, it was really cool. 457 00:40:22,874.1816327 --> 00:40:23,804.1816327 Really, really cool. 458 00:40:23,834.1816327 --> 00:40:25,554.1816327 One of the highlights of my diving career. 459 00:40:26,279.1816327 --> 00:40:31,979.1816327 Yeah, the back in the 90s when I dove that was actually one of my favorite guys was doing the Arabia. 460 00:40:32,129.1816327 --> 00:40:38,494.1816327 Um, we even, uh, went out on a buddy's boat and actually did a couple of night dives on it, Night dives. 461 00:40:38,494.2816327 --> 00:40:41,634.0816327 Whoa. 462 00:40:41,699.1816327 --> 00:40:45,669.1816327 I only, we only did that twice, but it was really cool to do. 463 00:40:45,689.1816327 --> 00:40:51,789.1806327 It was, uh, I mean, I'm definitely one of my goals this summer again is to go dive the Arabia. 464 00:40:52,294.1816327 --> 00:40:52,664.1816327 Nice. 465 00:40:52,864.1816327 --> 00:40:53,174.1816327 Nice. 466 00:40:53,279.1816327 --> 00:41:00,319.1806327 that for people not watching who haven't seen it, it's the, it's other nicknames, the widow maker up here. 467 00:41:00,414.1816327 --> 00:41:00,744.1816327 Yeah. 468 00:41:02,219.1806327 --> 00:41:14,614.1816327 do you want to go into a bit of why you think so many deaths occur on that wreck? Well, part of it, part of it is, um, there, there are, in my opinion, there are people who aren't prepared for that kind of dive. 469 00:41:14,674.1816327 --> 00:41:23,784.1816327 Um, so they're, they've done diving elsewhere and all of a sudden they're out there and they're looking down this yellow line that goes down to the mooring block on the bottom and they see nothing else. 470 00:41:23,784.1816327 --> 00:41:26,814.1816327 So as you're descending, you see nothing else but that yellow line. 471 00:41:27,249.1816327 --> 00:41:47,329.1816327 And sometimes they get away from the yellow line, all of a sudden they're in the green water, and they, it really freaks them out, uh, and they get down, they finally get down to the shipwreck, and sometimes they, they're, they're so excited because they're so anxious that they overbreed the regulator, they get regulator freeze up, they get, uh, they get, you know, air spontaneously flowing out of the second stage of the regulator, and they don't know what to do. 472 00:41:47,729.1816327 --> 00:42:06,479.1806327 And in fact, um, after having read a number of accident reports that took place on around the Arabia, one of the issues was people getting spontaneous free flow, get regulated, freeze up, uh, and people not knowing what to do, and then taking the regulator of their mouth, trying to do an emergency sent off the bottom out of 110 feet of water, uh, and it not being successful. 473 00:42:06,509.1816327 --> 00:42:09,179.1816327 And so 1 of the things that I did after reading that. 474 00:42:09,634.1816327 --> 00:42:21,724.1816327 was to put a, uh, exercise in our training programs where all the students from the entry level up through the advanced class all had to swim laps breathing through a free flowing regulator. 475 00:42:22,334.1816327 --> 00:42:33,654.1816327 So they had to keep their finger on the purge button to make sure they understood that free flow is not a big issue of the fact you're running out of air in a hurry, but you can still breathe through a free flowing regulator, just get more air rather than none. 476 00:42:34,274.1816327 --> 00:42:36,464.1816327 Um, and and so that's part of the problem. 477 00:42:36,464.1816327 --> 00:42:43,904.1816327 And the other, and I think a lot of it really has to do with the fact that people aren't, they may be certified, but they're not qualified for that kind of diving. 478 00:42:44,544.1816327 --> 00:42:47,124.1816327 So they don't have experiences leading up to that dive. 479 00:42:47,449.1816327 --> 00:42:58,599.1816327 When, when we would do that dive before we do that dive in my advanced and research diver class, we would actually set up the Arabia, a simulation of the Arabia on the bottom of a quarry. 480 00:42:59,329.1816327 --> 00:43:01,299.1811327 Uh, we'd have line set up. 481 00:43:01,299.1811327 --> 00:43:03,419.1806327 So it was the exact length of the Arabia. 482 00:43:03,984.1816327 --> 00:43:07,864.1816327 Uh, we couldn't meet the depth because the quarries weren't that deep, but we had it 65 feet. 483 00:43:07,864.1816327 --> 00:43:15,704.1816327 I think it was, uh, but each person was assigned a dive profile that we checked based on. 484 00:43:15,914.1806327 --> 00:43:16,704.1811327 We had stopwatches. 485 00:43:16,704.1811327 --> 00:43:22,794.1816327 I had a board actually sitting on the, on the ship that we were diving from, uh, that had stopwatches for each buddy pair. 486 00:43:23,194.1816327 --> 00:43:34,84.1816327 And so we did that simulation over and over and over again in this quarry, uh, the two weeks before we did the trip to the Arabia to make sure that they understood what their dive profile was. 487 00:43:34,84.1816327 --> 00:43:37,774.1816327 They understood that they knew they needed to know where they were on the on the wreck. 488 00:43:37,794.1816327 --> 00:43:38,424.1816327 We did all that. 489 00:43:38,649.1816327 --> 00:43:41,859.1816327 Types of presentations about the configuration of the wreck and everything else. 490 00:43:41,859.1816327 --> 00:43:49,449.1816327 And, and uh, Stan McClellan, who was actually the director of the of the park at the time, uh, sent me a map, uh, that was done of the Arabia. 491 00:43:49,449.1816327 --> 00:43:51,669.1816327 And so we actually had the students memorize that. 492 00:43:51,669.1816327 --> 00:43:54,99.1816327 So they knew everything they needed to know about the shipwreck. 493 00:43:54,309.1816327 --> 00:43:58,649.1816327 So they weren't surprised by things when they were down there, uh, 'cause they already knew as much as they could about it. 494 00:43:58,649.1816327 --> 00:44:05,879.1816327 So I wanted to make sure they knew as much as they possibly could and were as well qualified as I could possibly get them for dives like that. 495 00:44:06,224.1816327 --> 00:44:10,24.1816327 Because we were allowed to do two dives a day on the Arabia. 496 00:44:10,394.1816327 --> 00:44:12,654.1816327 Uh, as far as I know, other people were not allowed to do that. 497 00:44:13,264.1816327 --> 00:44:23,684.1806327 Um, and, and we did that because we, we had all this preparation that we went through, uh, to make sure that everybody was completely prepared, completely qualified for the dives they were going to make. 498 00:44:24,869.1816327 --> 00:44:25,179.1816327 Yeah. 499 00:44:25,179.1816327 --> 00:44:26,399.1816327 Which, which is amazing. 500 00:44:26,399.1816327 --> 00:44:28,209.1816327 And I mean, it is an eerie dive. 501 00:44:28,269.1816327 --> 00:44:40,109.2816327 I mean, the only time that I've ever, uh, had somebody free flow on me actually was on the Arabia it it was actually, um, a guy was diving with that. 502 00:44:40,179.2816327 --> 00:44:42,859.2816327 Um, This was back in the 90s. 503 00:44:42,859.2816327 --> 00:44:46,199.2816327 So no tech training per se, really up here. 504 00:44:46,209.2816327 --> 00:44:54,439.2816327 And we were starting to get into doing tech diving because some of the other guys we dove with actually had gone down to like Florida and been trained by Sheck Exley and stuff. 505 00:44:54,924.2816327 --> 00:44:56,344.2816327 So we're diving with them. 506 00:44:57,394.2816327 --> 00:45:06,334.2816327 um, I had trained this guy from open water all the way up to, he was working on his dive master at the time and he was really super cool in the water. 507 00:45:07,534.2816327 --> 00:45:09,74.2816327 I wasn't worried about him at all. 508 00:45:09,104.2816327 --> 00:45:13,874.2806327 And we're coming up on the ascent line and his regulator free flowed on him. 509 00:45:14,204.2806327 --> 00:45:22,804.2816327 And Yeah, tell you, I have never seen somebody's eyes light up so big, like a Christmas tree in my life! Yeah, yeah. 510 00:45:23,94.2816327 --> 00:45:33,114.2811327 Well, that's one reason why we put that exercise in our training programs, because if it happened to them, and we've had students had that happen actually the bottom of the quarry, and it was no big deal because they already dealt with it in the pool over and over and over again. 511 00:45:33,114.2811327 --> 00:45:34,614.2816327 So they knew how to handle it. 512 00:45:34,744.2806327 --> 00:45:44,214.2816327 And that was the important thing to make sure that we tried to simulate as much as we possibly could about things that could possibly go wrong to make sure they were fully qualified for the dives they were going to make. 513 00:45:44,224.2816327 --> 00:45:49,444.2816327 And we tried to do that not only with the Arabia, but any other dives we did to make sure that students are fully qualified. 514 00:45:50,804.2816327 --> 00:45:52,394.2816327 Yeah, which, which is awesome. 515 00:45:52,444.2816327 --> 00:45:53,144.2816327 Hi, everyone. 516 00:45:53,144.2816327 --> 00:45:55,194.2816327 Thanks for tuning into the Deadfoot Diver. 517 00:45:55,564.2816327 --> 00:45:58,414.2816327 Subscribe and share your support means the world to me. 518 00:45:58,954.2816327 --> 00:46:03,214.2816327 If you'd like to contribute directly, you can do so at the link in the description at buymeacoffee. 519 00:46:03,854.2816327 --> 00:46:17,664.2816327 com slash deadfoot diver, every donation helps me work towards earning my adaptive dive buddy certification, travel costs to help me assist other adaptive divers and covering further training and equipment costs. 520 00:46:17,959.2816327 --> 00:46:20,749.2816327 Bringing you on even more exciting adventures. 521 00:46:22,159.2816327 --> 00:46:31,189.2816327 Don't forget to check out my guest links in the description and remember grab an adventure and live and don't ever let a disability. 522 00:46:31,189.2816327 --> 00:46:31,999.2816327 Keep you down. 523 00:46:32,277.2816327 --> 00:46:39,607.2816327 So, I mean, now one of the other things is I heard that actually, you actually, I got a picture here. 524 00:46:39,617.2816327 --> 00:46:40,497.2816327 One second. 525 00:46:40,602.2816327 --> 00:46:43,92.2816327 Oh yeah, the picture that was in Skin Diver Magazine. 526 00:46:44,77.2816327 --> 00:46:48,237.2816327 Uh, no, actually No? picture that's in Skin Diver Magazine. 527 00:46:48,257.2816327 --> 00:46:53,237.2816327 It's actually of a place that has another special story to you, apparently. 528 00:46:55,327.2816327 --> 00:46:56,497.2816327 The lighthouse. 529 00:46:57,342.2816327 --> 00:46:59,52.2816327 The Lighthouse, okay. 530 00:47:00,92.2806327 --> 00:47:03,172.2806327 You'll have to refresh my memory about the special story. 531 00:47:03,812.2816327 --> 00:47:15,392.2816327 Well, apparently, um, from what I was told from, uh, Stu Seldon, that, um, you actually got engaged at the lighthouse. 532 00:47:15,682.2806327 --> 00:47:20,992.2816327 Oh yeah, actually we got, we got engaged not at the Lighthouse, but at the garage restaurant. 533 00:47:21,972.2816327 --> 00:47:23,42.2806327 Oh, okay. 534 00:47:23,222.2806327 --> 00:47:30,572.2816327 Yeah, uh, because we were, we, my, My wife, uh, now, um, she used to help us. 535 00:47:30,602.2816327 --> 00:47:33,542.2816327 He was actually our surface support person on the dive. 536 00:47:33,542.2816327 --> 00:47:35,42.2816327 We would do to take care of all the surface support. 537 00:47:35,52.2816327 --> 00:47:35,732.2816327 Things had to be done. 538 00:47:36,182.2816327 --> 00:47:40,652.2806327 Um, but, uh, she would travel along with me every time we go up there. 539 00:47:40,662.2816327 --> 00:47:48,402.2816327 And then, um, when I finally decided to ask her, we would at the end of these trips, we'd always go to the garage restaurant. 540 00:47:48,857.2816327 --> 00:47:57,402.2806327 I'm not sure if it still exists there in Tobermory, but, uh, Yeah, but, but we would go there and we'd have a little party after, before we headed back to Ohio. 541 00:47:57,752.2796327 --> 00:48:09,172.2806327 And so, while we're there with all of my class, and I think we had 14 students or something with us at the time, and then the restaurant was full of people because I'd actually gone to a jewelry store there in town. 542 00:48:09,677.2806327 --> 00:48:11,137.2806327 And bought a ring. 543 00:48:11,477.2806327 --> 00:48:19,397.2801327 And so the people, since they knew me, having gone up there over and over and over again, uh, they knew what I was going to do and the people at the dive store knew what I was going to do. 544 00:48:19,397.2801327 --> 00:48:21,957.2806327 And so all these people in town knew what I was going to do. 545 00:48:21,957.2806327 --> 00:48:28,307.2806327 And so they were there at the restaurant, uh, when I, when I addressed my class, you know, see me just talk about the trip we'd had. 546 00:48:28,567.2806327 --> 00:48:31,717.2806327 And then at the end, I kind of made a loud announcement. 547 00:48:31,717.2806327 --> 00:48:32,997.2806327 I wanted Betty to come up. 548 00:48:32,997.2806327 --> 00:48:35,327.1806327 And so she came up and that's when I asked her to marry me. 549 00:48:37,517.2796327 --> 00:48:38,367.2796327 That's awesome. 550 00:48:38,427.2796327 --> 00:48:42,947.2806327 So, like, everybody converged, uh, the Yeah, yeah, they knew, they knew, yeah. 551 00:48:43,327.2806327 --> 00:49:00,782.2806327 And there used to be, there used to be a guy, and I don't honestly remember his name, at the crow's nest that was there, uh, it was a bar, who actually wrote a song about the Arabia and Gave me a copy of the, of the record, um, with, and he signed it. 552 00:49:00,792.2806327 --> 00:49:04,712.2806327 So he had actually written a song and recorded a song about the Arabia. 553 00:49:05,377.2806327 --> 00:49:08,72.2801327 Really? And I don't know, I'd never heard it anywhere before. 554 00:49:08,72.2801327 --> 00:49:10,272.2796327 And, and he gave me a copy of that, that record. 555 00:49:10,272.2806327 --> 00:49:15,842.1806327 I'm sure I have it here, here in the house somewhere, but, uh, and he would actually perform there at the crow's nest. 556 00:49:16,747.2806327 --> 00:49:19,787.2806327 Find, find out who it is for me so I can look it up. 557 00:49:19,842.2806327 --> 00:49:21,382.2806327 Yeah, I'll try, I'll try to do that. 558 00:49:21,412.2806327 --> 00:49:23,72.2806327 Uh, and I don't remember the guy's name. 559 00:49:23,682.2806327 --> 00:49:25,127.2806327 Is it still there? Yeah. 560 00:49:25,127.2806327 --> 00:49:26,437.2806327 The crow's nest is still there. 561 00:49:26,437.2806327 --> 00:49:29,327.2806327 I actually, I ate there a couple of times this summer after diving. 562 00:49:29,327.2806327 --> 00:49:30,817.2796327 I love sitting on the deck up there. 563 00:49:30,902.2806327 --> 00:49:31,412.2806327 Oh, yeah. 564 00:49:31,452.2806327 --> 00:49:31,662.2806327 Yeah. 565 00:49:31,662.2806327 --> 00:49:32,392.2806327 Beautiful place. 566 00:49:32,402.2806327 --> 00:49:33,722.2806327 A lot of memories there. 567 00:49:34,427.2806327 --> 00:49:34,687.2806327 yeah. 568 00:49:36,347.2806327 --> 00:49:46,472.2796327 So you, you said that back in the day when you, uh, when you first dove in Tobermory and you jumped in the water, you said the water was like 51 degrees, Yeah, it was cold. 569 00:49:48,227.2806327 --> 00:49:51,57.2806327 which I remember those days in Tobermory. 570 00:49:52,242.2806327 --> 00:49:59,332.2796327 this summer though, at the tugs, do you believe the water's temperature was 73 degrees Oh my gosh. 571 00:49:59,562.2806327 --> 00:50:01,652.2806327 Was it really? insane. 572 00:50:01,832.2806327 --> 00:50:03,2.2806327 Oh my gosh. 573 00:50:03,302.2806327 --> 00:50:05,82.2806327 I could not believe it. 574 00:50:05,192.2806327 --> 00:50:05,832.2806327 Wow. 575 00:50:06,402.2796327 --> 00:50:12,172.2806327 every time I was at the tugs, somebody would say, I cannot believe how warm this is. 576 00:50:12,202.2806327 --> 00:50:14,792.2806327 I've never seen the temperature of the water this warm. 577 00:50:14,952.2796327 --> 00:50:15,762.2806327 Oh my gosh. 578 00:50:16,642.2806327 --> 00:50:18,572.2806327 Yeah, that, that actually can't be good. 579 00:50:19,532.2806327 --> 00:50:28,972.2806327 no, no, it's, it's, it's not, it's, it's actually pretty crazy when you think about it, especially anybody who's dove up here for like years. 580 00:50:29,52.2806327 --> 00:50:29,412.2806327 Yeah. 581 00:50:29,412.3806327 --> 00:50:38,367.1806327 I know, I know. 582 00:50:38,582.2806327 --> 00:50:39,452.2806327 up all our space. 583 00:50:40,952.2806327 --> 00:50:47,282.2806327 I mean, back in the day, you wouldn't have anybody snorkeling on the tugs because wanted to get that cold. 584 00:50:51,107.2806327 --> 00:50:52,427.2806327 But it still is a place. 585 00:50:52,437.2806327 --> 00:50:56,497.2806327 So, I mean, it's 1 of those those places that once you go, you always remember it. 586 00:50:56,517.2806327 --> 00:50:59,467.2806327 I mean, it's just a phenomenal place to dive and the town. 587 00:50:59,957.2806327 --> 00:51:00,917.2806327 The people are fantastic. 588 00:51:02,232.2806327 --> 00:51:03,172.2806327 it's awesome. 589 00:51:03,172.2806327 --> 00:51:04,442.2806327 I love living here. 590 00:51:04,442.2806327 --> 00:51:10,502.2806327 I love the fact that, um, now that I am diving again, I live an hour and a half away. 591 00:51:11,722.2806327 --> 00:51:13,152.2806327 it is so easy for me. 592 00:51:13,152.2806327 --> 00:51:13,652.2796327 I get done. 593 00:51:13,652.2806327 --> 00:51:16,622.2806327 I work nights usually when I'm doing it stuff. 594 00:51:16,917.2806327 --> 00:51:19,417.2806327 I get, I get off at like nine 30 in the morning. 595 00:51:19,497.2806327 --> 00:51:23,967.2806327 I can actually be in told more by noon and jump on a charter boat in the afternoon Really? Really? Yeah. 596 00:51:24,727.2806327 --> 00:51:31,27.2806327 Well, you know, I have, I actually have a certification card that says on the back of it that I'm an honorary Canadian. 597 00:51:31,877.2806327 --> 00:51:38,777.2806327 really? Well, there was, there was a short lived certification program called the Canadian diving association. 598 00:51:38,787.2806327 --> 00:51:42,117.2806327 I think it was called, it was started by a guy named Gain Wong. 599 00:51:43,692.2806327 --> 00:51:50,772.2806327 And I was asked to contribute to their training program, helping develop training materials and everything else and review the materials they had. 600 00:51:50,772.2806327 --> 00:51:52,672.2796327 And, and unfortunately, Gane passed away. 601 00:51:52,682.2796327 --> 00:51:57,802.2801327 And when he passed away, the whole thing sort of fell apart, but, uh, they made me instructor number two, I think it was. 602 00:51:57,802.2801327 --> 00:52:00,402.2796327 And, and on the back of the card, it says honorary Canadian on it. 603 00:52:02,42.2806327 --> 00:52:11,952.2806327 I used to go to, and I used to go to what I considered and what my wife and I considered to be probably one of the best, uh, convention diving convention in the world was underwater Canada in Toronto. 604 00:52:12,467.2806327 --> 00:52:14,272.2806327 it used to be Oh my God. 605 00:52:14,307.2806327 --> 00:52:19,872.2806327 to love going to Underwater Canada and it's such a bummer that they don't have it Yeah, it was, it was phenomenal. 606 00:52:19,872.2806327 --> 00:52:23,692.2806327 I mean, it was the best of the best as far as conventions are concerned. 607 00:52:24,377.2806327 --> 00:52:24,667.2806327 Yeah. 608 00:52:24,697.2806327 --> 00:52:27,17.2806327 And, and not only that, I used to love it. 609 00:52:27,17.2806327 --> 00:52:29,422.2806327 Cause you catch up with all kinds of people Oh yeah. 610 00:52:30,147.2806327 --> 00:52:31,257.2806327 hardly all year long. 611 00:52:31,532.2796327 --> 00:52:31,842.2796327 Yeah. 612 00:52:32,587.2806327 --> 00:52:41,77.2806327 I used to, uh, when I did my instructors actually out in BC, I, um, Was trained by Bob Tether from the RCMP. 613 00:52:41,272.2806327 --> 00:52:41,562.2806327 Oh yeah. 614 00:52:41,562.2806327 --> 00:52:42,12.2806327 I know Bob. 615 00:52:42,52.2806327 --> 00:52:42,382.2806327 Yeah. 616 00:52:42,817.2806327 --> 00:52:43,287.2806327 Yeah. 617 00:52:43,357.2806327 --> 00:52:58,422.1806327 And, um, so him and I struck up a friendship when I started doing the training and stuff, every time he'd come to underwater Canada to do his, uh, course, he would actually let me sit in with the guys here with the, uh, Niagara Falls. 618 00:52:58,672.2806327 --> 00:53:02,302.2796327 Falls guys in the Hamilton Police Department and all that Oh, nice. 619 00:53:02,482.2806327 --> 00:53:04,342.2806327 training with them, which was awesome. 620 00:53:04,662.2806327 --> 00:53:05,552.2796327 Oh, that's fantastic. 621 00:53:05,992.2806327 --> 00:53:06,202.2806327 Yeah. 622 00:53:06,222.2806327 --> 00:53:06,772.2806327 Fantastic. 623 00:53:07,582.2806327 --> 00:53:07,752.2806327 Yeah. 624 00:53:07,752.2806327 --> 00:53:09,522.2796327 In fact, I used to go up and do workshops up there. 625 00:53:09,532.2796327 --> 00:53:22,757.2806327 One workshop that I did, uh, actually I did, I created it specifically for one of the underwater Canada shows was a first aid course where we did not use any, Real first aid materials that everything we did in first aid had to be done with diving equipment. 626 00:53:23,762.2806327 --> 00:53:27,747.2806327 really? included actually cutting apart a dry suit, believe it or not. 627 00:53:28,107.2806327 --> 00:53:33,967.2796327 Um, so we, yeah, we cut apart a dry suit to use that material for bandaging and wrapping and slings and everything else. 628 00:53:33,967.2806327 --> 00:53:35,407.2796327 We use fins, we use mass snorkel. 629 00:53:35,607.2806327 --> 00:53:39,607.2806327 Everything we did in first aid was all done only with diving equipment in a dive bag. 630 00:53:40,692.2806327 --> 00:53:41,422.2806327 Wow. 631 00:53:41,742.2796327 --> 00:53:43,112.2806327 That's actually really cool. 632 00:53:43,357.2806327 --> 00:53:43,962.1806327 It was cool. 633 00:53:44,232.2806327 --> 00:53:44,642.2806327 it's expensive. 634 00:53:45,182.2806327 --> 00:53:48,872.2806327 It was, it was, well, but he donated that old dry suit, so that helped out. 635 00:53:50,702.2796327 --> 00:53:55,732.2806327 I would, I would hate to even think with the cost of dry suits now, Oh yeah. 636 00:53:55,852.2806327 --> 00:53:58,222.2806327 cut my dry suit up for a dive buddy. 637 00:53:58,432.2806327 --> 00:53:58,692.2806327 Yeah. 638 00:53:58,692.2806327 --> 00:54:03,622.2806327 This, yeah, this was a long time ago when the dry suits were not, not quite as expensive as they are now. 639 00:54:04,742.2806327 --> 00:54:12,22.2806327 well, I mean, it's You know, when I dove back in the nineties, I had a, uh, Viking heavy duty. 640 00:54:12,522.2806327 --> 00:54:13,152.2796327 It did. 641 00:54:13,182.2806327 --> 00:54:16,572.2806327 me about 1200 bucks, I think. 642 00:54:16,572.2806327 --> 00:54:21,792.2806327 And that was with the diving underwear and like everything with it at the time, which at the time it was a lot of money. 643 00:54:22,122.2806327 --> 00:54:25,542.2806327 I mean, now you're looking at like almost $6,000 Oh yeah. 644 00:54:25,862.2796327 --> 00:54:29,412.2796327 And was that, was that suit orange? uh, yeah, Yeah. 645 00:54:29,412.2806327 --> 00:54:29,982.2796327 So it was mine. 646 00:54:30,492.2806327 --> 00:54:34,722.2806327 I had the, mine was a really bright orange and, uh, and the Viking suit was a great suit. 647 00:54:34,792.2806327 --> 00:54:37,22.2806327 I mean, what I've got now is a DUI, which is really good. 648 00:54:37,22.2806327 --> 00:54:39,262.2806327 And the, the Viking suit was really good too. 649 00:54:40,22.2806327 --> 00:54:41,912.2806327 Oh, I, I loved my Viking suit. 650 00:54:41,912.2806327 --> 00:54:43,262.2806327 A very durable suit. 651 00:54:43,262.2806327 --> 00:54:47,193.2806327 They were, I, I had no complaints with my Viking at all. 652 00:54:47,867.2806327 --> 00:54:57,537.2806327 Before that I had a unisuit, uh, and I don't know if you know anything about the unisuit, but the unisuit had a crotch entry zipper and it was, plus it had really, really, really thick neoprene. 653 00:54:57,907.2806327 --> 00:55:00,337.2806327 Uh, and when you put it on, it was like being born. 654 00:55:00,627.2796327 --> 00:55:05,197.2796327 Uh, and it was, it was a very, very difficult suit to dive with because it was so buoyant. 655 00:55:05,757.2806327 --> 00:55:08,317.2806327 Um, and so when I, I did actually some. 656 00:55:08,932.2806327 --> 00:55:10,152.2806327 I did some consulting work for the U. 657 00:55:10,152.2806327 --> 00:55:10,272.2806327 S. 658 00:55:10,272.2806327 --> 00:55:17,802.2796327 Navy to test out their first crushed neoprene dry suit, which is the first suit I'd ever seen with a shoulder entry zipper that the Viking had. 659 00:55:18,312.2796327 --> 00:55:25,962.2796327 And so once I, once I tested that suit, I thought that was absolutely fantastic to have a shoulder entry zipper rather than having this huge suit that you wore with the gigantic boots. 660 00:55:26,352.2796327 --> 00:55:30,642.2806327 Um, and, and, and that suit was a lot more form fitting, which was really good. 661 00:55:30,642.2806327 --> 00:55:35,62.2806327 And the undergarment was really nice with it too, which was one of the first Thinsulate undergarments that I tested. 662 00:55:35,992.2806327 --> 00:55:36,552.2806327 Wow. 663 00:55:36,602.2806327 --> 00:55:42,357.2806327 And the, and, uh, I, a crotch entry, I can't even imagine Oh, yeah, it was, it was a bizarre suit. 664 00:55:42,357.2806327 --> 00:56:08,27.2806327 It was really, in fact, actually, the training program, because you had to at the time, this is a long time ago, the training program that you had to take to be able to get certified to use the unit suit, because you had to have a unit suit certification card to rent 1 and so they would take it to, they took it to the quarry and they had this thing laying on the bottom that looked like a, A horse from Olympics, you know, that gymnastics, gymnastics, people do and had little loops to hold onto and it was concrete. 665 00:56:08,247.2806327 --> 00:56:15,437.2806327 And so I had to go down with a suit, hold onto it and inflate the suit and then let go and dump all the air out of it before I reach the surface. 666 00:56:15,767.2806327 --> 00:56:20,57.2806327 Uh, it was not a smart, not a smart thing to do, believe me. 667 00:56:20,367.2806327 --> 00:56:23,17.2806327 Uh, but that was what you had to do to learn how to use that suit. 668 00:56:23,407.2806327 --> 00:56:33,917.2806327 And so, no, I wouldn't recommend doing that again, but and luckily with the newer with the newer suits makes it a lot easier, especially the front entry zippers that the DUI and the other suits have now makes it a lot easier and a lot safer. 669 00:56:35,32.2796327 --> 00:56:41,122.2806327 I, I actually, I, in some ways still prefer the back zip suit to get into. 670 00:56:41,602.2806327 --> 00:56:44,322.2806327 Um, I'll have to see. 671 00:56:44,322.2806327 --> 00:56:46,882.2806327 I mean, I, I'm gonna at some point get another dry suit. 672 00:56:46,882.2806327 --> 00:56:51,42.2806327 I actually ended up, uh, getting a bag dry suit. 673 00:56:52,857.2806327 --> 00:56:57,27.2806327 This year, um, a whites one, a used whites one I got. 674 00:56:57,737.2806327 --> 00:57:06,387.2806327 And, um, the only thing, the worst thing I find about that as far as the dry suit goes is getting in and out of it with my leg. 675 00:57:06,797.2796327 --> 00:57:07,267.2806327 Oh, yeah. 676 00:57:07,337.2806327 --> 00:57:07,657.2806327 Yeah. 677 00:57:08,312.2806327 --> 00:57:12,972.1806327 Because my foot gets caught cause I can't control where my foot's going. 678 00:57:13,117.2796327 --> 00:57:13,567.2806327 Oh, yeah. 679 00:57:15,552.2806327 --> 00:57:17,222.2806327 So that's a bit of a pain. 680 00:57:17,222.2806327 --> 00:57:23,317.2806327 So then the next dry suit, I'm going to, uh, I'm going to actually get, it's going to have boots built it. 681 00:57:23,362.3796327 --> 00:57:27,852.2796327 I think that's going to make my life a lot, a lot easier. 682 00:57:27,962.2806327 --> 00:57:28,262.2806327 Oh, yeah. 683 00:57:28,262.2806327 --> 00:57:31,932.2806327 In fact, I just, I just bought, um, it, I bought a used dry suit. 684 00:57:31,932.2806327 --> 00:57:35,872.2806327 Actually, it belonged to Dick Long, the guy who created DUI's dry suits. 685 00:57:36,172.2806327 --> 00:57:40,292.2796327 Uh, he had a, he had one design for himself that's got stars and stripes on it. 686 00:57:40,292.2806327 --> 00:57:41,812.2796327 So it looks like a Captain America suit. 687 00:57:41,812.2796327 --> 00:57:50,762.2806327 And I, I, uh, I borrowed it once, uh, to go on a trip actually to Guadalupe Island, Mexico, where they were diving with the great white sharks doing the cage diving there. 688 00:57:51,92.2806327 --> 00:57:54,752.2806327 And so I borrowed his dry suit because I didn't have a dry suit at the time. 689 00:57:54,752.2806327 --> 00:58:00,152.2806327 So, um, And I said, uh, after I used it for a couple of days, I said, Dick, I really liked this suit and it fits me really well. 690 00:58:00,502.2806327 --> 00:58:03,682.2796327 Uh, I said, would you be willing to sell it to me? And he said, oh yeah, I'll sell it to you. 691 00:58:03,682.2806327 --> 00:58:08,362.2806327 So he sold me that suit and it's again, the upper part of it's red, white, blue stars and stripes. 692 00:58:08,362.2806327 --> 00:58:16,522.1806327 And, and so when I got it in the mail from him, he had actually included a Captain America shield that goes along, that goes along with it. 693 00:58:16,522.2806327 --> 00:58:18,512.2806327 I haven't, I haven't taken the shield anywhere with me. 694 00:58:18,512.2806327 --> 00:58:21,932.2806327 I still have it in the garage, but, uh, uh, but I've used it dry suit a couple of times. 695 00:58:21,942.2806327 --> 00:58:22,952.2806327 So it's really a nice suit. 696 00:58:24,812.3806327 --> 00:58:26,682.1806327 Yeah. 697 00:58:26,777.2806327 --> 00:58:33,517.2806327 uh, actually when I started diving again this year, cause I'm such a wimp when it comes to cold, I was like, all right, I'm dying. 698 00:58:33,847.2806327 --> 00:58:36,107.2801327 My wife's like, okay, you guys start diving up here. 699 00:58:36,107.2801327 --> 00:58:39,117.2806327 And I'm like, okay, dry suit only then I'm not diving. 700 00:58:39,562.2806327 --> 00:58:39,992.2806327 Oh yeah. 701 00:58:40,827.2806327 --> 00:58:45,77.2806327 No way, all I could remember was how cold it was at Tobermory. 702 00:58:45,502.2806327 --> 00:58:46,22.2806327 Oh yeah. 703 00:58:46,282.2806327 --> 00:58:46,572.2806327 Yeah. 704 00:58:46,582.2806327 --> 00:58:52,42.2806327 I mean, once, once I got that unisuit and realized what dry suit diving was all about, you know, then I said, that's it. 705 00:58:52,42.2806327 --> 00:58:53,912.2806327 I'm not doing any cold water diving again. 706 00:58:54,192.2806327 --> 00:58:55,792.2806327 Uh, with a, with a wetsuit on. 707 00:58:56,837.2806327 --> 00:59:03,582.2806327 I, I actually did, um, I had some, uh, issues with leaks in this used dry suit I Yeah. 708 00:59:03,627.2806327 --> 00:59:04,777.2796327 at first this year. 709 00:59:05,177.2796327 --> 00:59:11,527.2806327 So, uh, one of my friends actually, uh, who's an instructor who has set me up with some cheap gear. 710 00:59:12,107.2806327 --> 00:59:14,977.2806327 This year, he's like, Oh, dude, I got a semi dry suit. 711 00:59:14,977.2806327 --> 00:59:16,777.2806327 I'll sell you for like 200 bucks. 712 00:59:17,127.2806327 --> 00:59:20,917.2806327 So he actually gave me a semi dry semi dry. 713 00:59:20,927.2806327 --> 00:59:24,107.2806327 That was in really good shape, the scuba pro one. 714 00:59:25,157.2796327 --> 00:59:26,967.2796327 I dove that with that for a while. 715 00:59:26,967.2806327 --> 00:59:33,897.2806327 And actually, I, I'm glad I actually did get to do that because it actually helped me rehome my skills a bit more. 716 00:59:33,897.2806327 --> 00:59:38,222.2796327 And I didn't have to concentrate on the dry suit Yeah. 717 00:59:38,227.2806327 --> 00:59:38,827.2806327 the other stuff. 718 00:59:38,942.2806327 --> 00:59:39,152.2806327 Yeah. 719 00:59:40,327.2806327 --> 00:59:49,222.2806327 Uh, because I, I had to do a lot of messing around at first with my gear, just adjusting stuff and figuring out stuff is going and stuff like that, because Oh yeah. 720 00:59:49,222.2806327 --> 00:59:50,917.2806327 i cant wear a weight belt or anything. 721 00:59:51,242.2796327 --> 00:59:55,477.2806327 Oh, I'm trying to put a weight belt on. 722 00:59:55,477.2806327 --> 00:59:57,387.2806327 I have no hips anymore from surgery. 723 00:59:58,592.2806327 --> 01:00:03,57.3431327 well also went, I am so lucky. 724 01:00:03,57.3431327 --> 01:00:05,972.2806327 I have a very patient dive buddy who good. 725 01:00:06,247.3431327 --> 01:00:10,737.3431327 with most of the summer, who is a dive, was working on his dive master. 726 01:00:11,877.3431327 --> 01:00:17,617.3431327 uh, the first dive we went to told him where I said, I said, okay, I said, I want to do the tugs. 727 01:00:17,737.3421327 --> 01:00:19,337.3421327 And he's like, he's like, okay. 728 01:00:19,377.3431327 --> 01:00:21,427.3421327 Cause that first day we're talking about going in Cedar Hill. 729 01:00:21,447.3426327 --> 01:00:24,997.3431327 And I said, nope, my first dive, I absolutely want to do the tugs. 730 01:00:25,7.3431327 --> 01:00:37,412.2806327 And the reason I wanted to do the tugs was because Was because I knew that at least if I got in the water, had troubles and stuff like that, I'd at least see a shipwreck Oh yeah, yeah, that's right. 731 01:00:37,412.3806327 --> 01:00:38,839.7806327 Yeah. 732 01:00:38,839.7806327 --> 01:00:40,267.1806327 Yeah. 733 01:00:40,347.3806327 --> 01:00:42,477.313966 Good. 734 01:00:42,477.313966 --> 01:00:44,607.2472993 Yeah. 735 01:00:44,607.2472993 --> 01:00:48,682.3421327 Oh, and we're getting all the stuff ready and all that. 736 01:00:48,682.3431327 --> 01:00:53,712.3431327 And I mean, it's the first time I've had a dry suit on in like 25 years, so I'm getting all suited up and all that stuff. 737 01:00:54,387.3431327 --> 01:00:57,47.3431327 And go to get in the water. 738 01:00:57,67.3431327 --> 01:01:06,207.3431327 And I thought I had actually gotten a new BCD that had, um, integrated weights, which back in the day, I'd never used integrated weights or anything like that. 739 01:01:06,687.3431327 --> 01:01:13,107.3431327 So my wife's like, why aren't you going to use the integrated weights? And I said, no, I think this time, just cause I'm used to using a weight belt. 740 01:01:14,347.3421327 --> 01:01:18,377.3431327 I said, I'll use a weight belt again, just to get things figured out. 741 01:01:18,377.3431327 --> 01:01:21,77.3431327 Just so I'm not adding something else extra into the mix. 742 01:01:22,47.3431327 --> 01:01:23,687.3431327 uh, so she's like, okay, that's cool. 743 01:01:23,687.3431327 --> 01:01:28,687.3431327 So I get up there, get all the stuff on, start going out in the water. 744 01:01:28,687.3431327 --> 01:01:30,737.3431327 And I, I couldn't keep my weight belt on. 745 01:01:31,647.3431327 --> 01:01:33,357.3431327 I'm like, come on. 746 01:01:33,357.3431327 --> 01:01:34,877.3421327 Like I tighten it up so much. 747 01:01:34,917.3431327 --> 01:01:36,477.3431327 I couldn't, it's just sliding off. 748 01:01:36,477.3431327 --> 01:01:36,657.3426327 Right. 749 01:01:36,657.3426327 --> 01:01:38,597.3426327 And I'm like, I don't get this. 750 01:01:38,597.3426327 --> 01:01:40,727.3431327 Like, so we ended up scrapping the dive. 751 01:01:40,727.3431327 --> 01:01:43,77.3431327 I actually got to see the shipwreck though. 752 01:01:43,77.3431327 --> 01:01:44,337.2806327 So it was like, okay, that's good. 753 01:01:44,697.2806327 --> 01:01:45,137.2806327 That's good. 754 01:01:45,267.3431327 --> 01:01:46,307.3431327 I get back home. 755 01:01:46,337.3431327 --> 01:01:47,537.3431327 I'm driving back home. 756 01:01:47,537.3431327 --> 01:01:53,697.3431327 And I'm, my wife on the phone and I'm like, Well, I said it was interesting. 757 01:01:53,697.3431327 --> 01:01:57,107.3431327 I said, I said, we didn't get much of a dive in because of what happened. 758 01:01:57,147.3431327 --> 01:01:58,927.3431327 And I had to mess around with the gear. 759 01:01:59,187.3431327 --> 01:02:01,527.3431327 And I said, plus, I said, I can't wear a weight belt. 760 01:02:01,527.3431327 --> 01:02:04,317.3431327 And she says, do you forget? You've had two hip surgeries. 761 01:02:04,327.3421327 --> 01:02:05,217.3431327 You have no hips. 762 01:02:06,17.3431327 --> 01:02:07,587.3431327 I'm like, Oh, yeah. 763 01:02:09,667.2806327 --> 01:02:09,847.2806327 Yeah. 764 01:02:10,617.2806327 --> 01:02:11,397.2806327 That can be a problem. 765 01:02:12,257.2806327 --> 01:02:15,397.2806327 But I'm still, I'm still a firm believer in a, in a weight belt. 766 01:02:15,407.2806327 --> 01:02:16,817.2806327 The fact that I always wear a weight belt. 767 01:02:17,547.2806327 --> 01:02:18,27.1806327 I'll be honest with you. 768 01:02:18,367.2806327 --> 01:02:20,907.2806327 Yeah, because a weight belt is quick release. 769 01:02:21,97.2806327 --> 01:02:22,167.2806327 One movement, it's gone. 770 01:02:22,717.2806327 --> 01:02:24,637.2806327 You don't have to pull pockets out and drop them. 771 01:02:24,937.2806327 --> 01:02:26,897.2806327 Uh, it is truly quick release. 772 01:02:27,802.3431327 --> 01:02:29,892.3431327 Yeah, yeah, I, I agree with that. 773 01:02:29,892.3431327 --> 01:02:37,742.3431327 I mean, if I, uh, if I did have the option again, I would probably wear a weight belt in a lot of situations far as that goes. 774 01:02:37,832.3421327 --> 01:02:43,652.3421327 Um, but, uh, luckily they've got, uh, weight pockets invented. 775 01:02:43,652.3431327 --> 01:02:44,397.2796327 So Oh, yeah. 776 01:02:46,217.2796327 --> 01:02:47,677.2801327 Yeah, it makes it easier. 777 01:02:47,677.2801327 --> 01:02:48,197.2806327 That's for sure. 778 01:02:48,972.3421327 --> 01:02:49,812.3421327 makes it easier. 779 01:02:49,812.3431327 --> 01:02:54,52.3431327 I also started, uh, this year, something that I, I've never done before. 780 01:02:54,52.3431327 --> 01:02:55,972.3431327 And that was actually start diving with a wing. 781 01:02:56,717.2806327 --> 01:02:57,397.2796327 Oh, okay. 782 01:02:57,612.3431327 --> 01:03:05,242.3431327 um, I find a wing way easier to use with my disabilities, especially just getting in and out of it and stuff like that. 783 01:03:05,242.3431327 --> 01:03:07,207.2806327 So I'm Good. 784 01:03:07,262.3431327 --> 01:03:07,742.3421327 about that. 785 01:03:07,792.3421327 --> 01:03:10,72.3431327 I'm actually going to do sidemount diving this summer. 786 01:03:10,127.2806327 --> 01:03:11,97.2806327 Are you really? Well, good. 787 01:03:11,107.2796327 --> 01:03:11,497.2796327 Good for you. 788 01:03:11,687.2796327 --> 01:03:21,417.2816327 Yeah, that's one of the things that I, that I suggest too, for people that are older divers, because they're, you can put them on in the water, take them off in the water I'm actually going to do sidemount diving this summer. 789 01:03:21,472.2191327 --> 01:03:22,442.2191327 Are you really? Well, good. 790 01:03:22,452.2181327 --> 01:03:22,842.2181327 Good for you. 791 01:03:23,32.2181327 --> 01:03:30,132.2191327 Yeah, that's one of the things that I, that I suggest too, for people that are older divers, because they're, you can put them on in the water, take them off in the water. 792 01:03:30,482.2191327 --> 01:03:35,492.2181327 Uh, and the same thing goes for some of the new things that are out like the Avelo diving system. 793 01:03:35,817.2191327 --> 01:03:37,97.2816327 Which is the one where you don't, yeah. 794 01:03:37,737.2191327 --> 01:03:37,927.2191327 yeah. 795 01:03:37,927.2191327 --> 01:03:40,117.2191327 Cause I did test dives on the Avelo system. 796 01:03:40,717.2191327 --> 01:03:44,717.2191327 Um, and, uh, I'm a firm, firm believer, firm believer in it. 797 01:03:45,532.2191327 --> 01:03:55,912.2181327 Uh, because, oh yeah, because when I, I first heard about it, actually, I went to, uh, a seminar they did at the DEMA show a couple of years ago, and I'm sitting in the room with a lot of other dive professionals. 798 01:03:55,912.2191327 --> 01:03:57,362.2191327 You know, we're all kind of scratching our heads. 799 01:03:57,362.2191327 --> 01:03:58,232.2186327 This thing really work. 800 01:03:58,232.2186327 --> 01:04:01,272.2186327 And, and I can see people shaking their heads, you know, this thing can't really work. 801 01:04:01,272.2186327 --> 01:04:15,457.2191327 And so afterwards, I went to their, uh, their booth at the show and I said, you know, I have a lot of questions about this because I'm, I'm, you know, I do a lot of work in diving safety and I want to make sure that the system is a safe thing to use and they said, well, you know, we've been wanting to talk to you anyway. 802 01:04:15,457.2191327 --> 01:04:20,257.2186327 And so would you come to Maui and do some of the test dives with us? And I said, absolutely. 803 01:04:20,257.2186327 --> 01:04:23,897.2191327 So, they flew me out to Maui and I had an opportunity to test dive it. 804 01:04:23,897.2191327 --> 01:04:27,807.2191327 And when I was diving in Maui, I was wearing a 5mm suit. 805 01:04:28,412.2191327 --> 01:04:34,622.2191327 And normally with a 5 mil suit, I'll wear about 18 pounds or so of lead being a robust kind of guy that I am. 806 01:04:35,82.2191327 --> 01:04:40,72.2191327 Um, and so with the Avello system, I only had to wear 4 pounds of lead. 807 01:04:41,112.2191327 --> 01:04:46,602.2191327 Uh, so I was able to, I was able to take 14 pounds of lead off my weight belt with a 5 mil suit. 808 01:04:47,242.2191327 --> 01:04:54,682.2191327 Um, and I think actually had I been there longer because I was only there for a week and I've been there longer and been able to make more dives with it. 809 01:04:54,682.2191327 --> 01:04:56,612.2191327 I think I could have taken off even more weight. 810 01:04:56,662.2181327 --> 01:05:02,852.2191327 In fact, some of the people that I talked to, there's a, uh, a lady called Jennifer Idol that works for that company. 811 01:05:02,852.2191327 --> 01:05:04,592.2191327 Also, she does a lot of dry suit diving. 812 01:05:04,832.2191327 --> 01:05:07,812.2191327 She said she was able to take 50 percent of the weight off of her body. 813 01:05:07,927.2191327 --> 01:05:10,337.2191327 weight system, uh, with that Avela system. 814 01:05:10,817.2191327 --> 01:05:15,287.2191327 Um, uh, and it's, I mean, there's no drag because there's no BCD that you wear. 815 01:05:16,187.2191327 --> 01:05:25,987.2181327 Um, and I tested it, uh, when everything failed, I want to make sure that if the battery pack failed or the pump failed or whatever failed, that it would still be a safe system to use. 816 01:05:25,987.2191327 --> 01:05:32,197.2191327 And, and when the pump wasn't working and the battery pack wasn't working, the absolute worst I was is neutrally buoyant. 817 01:05:33,97.2816327 --> 01:05:37,82.2191327 Really? Yeah, so you can't overweight yourself because in reality, you're taking weight off. 818 01:05:37,492.2191327 --> 01:05:44,592.2191327 Uh, you can't have a rapid ascent because you're not wearing a BC, so there's nothing affected by the direct pressure of the water. 819 01:05:45,122.2191327 --> 01:05:50,882.2181327 So with a BC, if you start towards the surface, for example, you've got to deal with that expanding air in your BC, if you put air in your BC. 820 01:05:51,262.2181327 --> 01:05:52,192.2191327 Uh, and just think about it. 821 01:05:52,192.2191327 --> 01:06:14,42.2191327 In fact, I gave a lecture, a webinar the other day to a, Um, a group of underwater photographers and I was saying, uh, just, just think about the fact that if, if you're wearing a traditional scuba equipment with a BC and you've got 20k with a camera equipment in your hand, and all of a sudden you run across somebody experiencing a diving emergency, what are you going to do? You only have two hands. 822 01:06:14,532.2181327 --> 01:06:17,822.2191327 Uh, all of a sudden, if you deal with this person, let's say they're even unconscious. 823 01:06:18,387.2191327 --> 01:06:25,117.2191327 If you bring them to the surface, you're going to have to deal with the air in their BC, air in your BC and camera equipment. 824 01:06:25,237.2191327 --> 01:06:30,387.2191327 What are you going to do? Uh, and it's, it's a very complex psychomotor skill when you're trying to deal with all of that. 825 01:06:30,637.2191327 --> 01:06:35,387.2191327 But if you had the Avelo system, you could do all that with one hand because you're going to be neutrally buoyant. 826 01:06:35,607.2191327 --> 01:06:37,37.2191327 That person's going to be neutrally buoyant. 827 01:06:37,257.2191327 --> 01:06:39,237.2191327 And so all you do is swim to the surface. 828 01:06:39,657.2191327 --> 01:06:40,647.2191327 You can do one. 829 01:06:40,747.2816327 --> 01:06:46,837.2806327 So with the Avilo diving system, you don't even have to make any adjustments at all to your buoyancy. 830 01:06:47,247.2181327 --> 01:06:50,897.2191327 Once you, once you're in the water, um, you are slightly positive. 831 01:06:51,262.2191327 --> 01:06:56,102.2191327 And then what you do is you push a button and water is forced into the cylinder. 832 01:06:56,847.2191327 --> 01:07:00,37.2191327 and it compresses a bag that contains your breathing gas. 833 01:07:00,357.2191327 --> 01:07:02,647.2191327 So what that does, that changes your displacement. 834 01:07:02,917.2191327 --> 01:07:07,477.2191327 So it reduces your displacement and therefore reduces your positive buoyant force. 835 01:07:07,957.2191327 --> 01:07:17,367.2191327 And so therefore you become slightly negative and then you start sinking to the bottom and then you adjust it by putting a little bit more water in or letting a little bit of water out until you get neutrally buoyant. 836 01:07:17,377.2191327 --> 01:07:20,397.2191327 Once you're neutrally buoyant, you're neutrally buoyant throughout the entire water column. 837 01:07:20,817.2191327 --> 01:07:24,417.2191327 So for example, one of the dives I did, I had my hands in front of me. 838 01:07:24,687.2191327 --> 01:07:25,957.2191327 like I was carrying a camera. 839 01:07:25,997.2191327 --> 01:07:30,287.2191327 So I have my hands out here like this, and I was at 50 feet at the Molokini crater. 840 01:07:30,847.2191327 --> 01:07:35,397.2191327 And so I heard a noise, and I looked up, And there was a whale shark at the surface. 841 01:07:35,817.2191327 --> 01:07:44,527.2191327 So with my hands in front of me like this, without touching anything else, I swam to the surface from 50 feet back down to 50 feet again, with no change in buoyancy at all. 842 01:07:45,767.2181327 --> 01:07:53,727.2191327 And, and one of the dives I did was to 95 feet and I swam from 95 feet to my safety stop with no change in buoyancy at all. 843 01:07:54,407.2181327 --> 01:08:00,647.2191327 So if you were diving the Arabia, for example, you could go from the bottom 110 feet to your safety stop. 844 01:08:00,832.2191327 --> 01:08:02,222.2191327 With no change in buoyancy at all. 845 01:08:03,307.2816327 --> 01:08:03,817.2816327 Wow. 846 01:08:04,292.2191327 --> 01:08:04,652.2191327 Yeah. 847 01:08:04,807.2806327 --> 01:08:12,102.2191327 think they're going to start using the same type of system? Are they going to come out with like a double system or anything like that for it? Well, I asked him about that. 848 01:08:12,102.2191327 --> 01:08:15,342.2191327 I said, because there are some technical divers that I'm sure would like to have a system like that. 849 01:08:15,482.2191327 --> 01:08:18,262.2181327 And so they said that's one of the things they're considering. 850 01:08:18,262.2191327 --> 01:08:21,172.2191327 And one of the plans they have to eventually do that. 851 01:08:21,562.2191327 --> 01:08:24,792.2191327 Um, they right now have different centers around the world. 852 01:08:25,242.2191327 --> 01:08:31,302.2191327 They have one in Australia, they have one in Bonaire, they have one in Catalina, they have some in Florida Keys, uh, they have some in Europe. 853 01:08:31,302.2191327 --> 01:08:38,692.2181327 And so they're, they're having these centers where you go to and you can take the course, because everybody has to take the course on how to use it, which is an online course that I reviewed and helped them write. 854 01:08:38,992.2181327 --> 01:08:40,172.2191327 Um, and then. 855 01:08:40,507.2191327 --> 01:08:46,57.2191327 Uh, then, then you meet with an instructor, do a couple of dives with the system, uh, to fill your familiars yourself with it. 856 01:08:46,57.2191327 --> 01:08:47,227.2191327 So you can do some exercise with. 857 01:08:47,227.2191327 --> 01:08:49,567.2191327 So the instructor knows that you really know what you're doing. 858 01:08:49,887.2191327 --> 01:08:52,817.2191327 Um, and then, uh, you can just dive with it. 859 01:08:52,837.2191327 --> 01:08:59,367.2191327 And right now, they're actually coming to the point where they're going to be selling the individual system to everybody rather than having it, the centers that you would rent. 860 01:09:00,867.2191327 --> 01:09:03,2.1191327 But I'll tell you, well, the, okay. 861 01:09:03,612.2191327 --> 01:09:07,192.2191327 Yeah, they're that, that's one of the things we're working on right now. 862 01:09:07,192.2191327 --> 01:09:18,672.2191327 I mean, it's a, it's a relatively expensive system, but when you consider the fact that when you have that, you don't need a BC, uh, it also includes the back plate, which is called a jet pack, uh, and, and the cylinder itself. 863 01:09:18,912.2181327 --> 01:09:25,152.2191327 Uh, so it's probably not a whole lot more than if you were to buy, you know, the higher end of all of those things. 864 01:09:25,817.2191327 --> 01:09:41,27.2191327 Um, and, and it's, it's, it's going to be a bit pricey, but when you consider what it does, because it with no drag in the water, your air consumption goes down dramatically, um, and, and the fact that even if everything were to go haywire at the worst, you're neutrally buoyant. 865 01:09:41,967.2191327 --> 01:09:52,157.2191327 Uh, so when you, when you swim to the surface, your safety stop, once your safety stop is over, you just evacuate the water out of the cylinder, which then makes you more buoyant because it gives you more buoyant force. 866 01:09:52,157.2191327 --> 01:09:55,187.2191327 And then you come to the surface and you're positive and at the surface. 867 01:09:55,737.2191327 --> 01:09:59,347.1191327 I mean, it's just, and the cylinder itself can be filled to 4, 350. 868 01:09:59,927.2191327 --> 01:10:03,167.2191327 Um, which modern day compressors can do that. 869 01:10:03,257.2191327 --> 01:10:07,667.2191327 And when it's completely filled to 43 50, it actually has 106 cubic feet of air. 870 01:10:08,117.2191327 --> 01:10:21,107.2191327 And it's not, it's not a, it's not a whole lot, it's a little bit longer than a standard 80, uh, because of the fact that it has a, uh, the, the, um, inlet for the pump, uh, is at the bottom of the cylinder. 871 01:10:21,107.2191327 --> 01:10:24,407.2191327 So there's little cage there, plastic cage to protect that. 872 01:10:24,407.2191327 --> 01:10:28,307.2191327 So it's a little bit longer than a standard 80, but it's 15 pounds lighter than a standard 80. 873 01:10:29,167.2816327 --> 01:10:34,547.2191327 Really? So when the dives that I did in Maui, I took 14 pounds of lead off my belt. 874 01:10:34,587.2191327 --> 01:10:36,397.2191327 I was 15 pounds lighter because of cylinder. 875 01:10:36,537.2191327 --> 01:10:39,97.2191327 When I came up that ladder, I was nearly 30 pounds lighter. 876 01:10:40,42.2816327 --> 01:10:43,317.2181327 Whoa, that would be a huge advantage my God. 877 01:10:43,317.2191327 --> 01:10:43,477.2186327 Yeah. 878 01:10:43,477.2186327 --> 01:10:45,927.2191327 For older people and for people with disabilities. 879 01:10:46,177.2181327 --> 01:10:49,37.2191327 Uh, I mean it, and for everybody actually, it's, it's a game changer. 880 01:10:49,37.2191327 --> 01:10:49,927.2181327 It really is. 881 01:10:51,142.2816327 --> 01:10:51,412.2816327 Yeah. 882 01:10:51,412.2816327 --> 01:10:53,312.2816327 No, it seems like a pretty awesome system. 883 01:10:53,312.2816327 --> 01:10:56,992.2816327 I actually, I actually am interested in trying one out at some point. 884 01:10:57,2.2816327 --> 01:11:04,862.2806327 And I mean, like you said, the safety benefits of Oh, seems like it's going to definitely decrease diving accidents Oh my gosh. 885 01:11:04,887.2191327 --> 01:11:05,117.2191327 Yeah. 886 01:11:05,297.2191327 --> 01:11:06,847.2191327 You can't, you can't have a rapid ascent. 887 01:11:06,847.2191327 --> 01:11:07,977.2191327 You can't have a rapid descent. 888 01:11:08,7.2191327 --> 01:11:08,767.2191327 I mean, it's just. 889 01:11:09,107.2191327 --> 01:11:21,667.2191327 It, it, and one of the things I was actually, when I was at the DEMA show, uh, recently in Las Vegas, I actually went to, uh, a NAUI meeting that they had, and, and that's where they were talking about the AVELO system, because NAUI has actually embraced that system. 890 01:11:22,537.2181327 --> 01:11:37,167.2191327 So they asked me my opinion, and I said, well, one of the things that I learned when I became an instructor, the people that taught me, Become an instructor said that one thing you need to do is to gauge the people you certify by whether or not you would want that person to dive with the person you love the most. 891 01:11:37,657.2191327 --> 01:11:40,337.2191327 And so I applied the same thing, the same philosophy to equipment. 892 01:11:40,577.2191327 --> 01:11:44,947.2191327 So what I want the people that I love the most, uh, to wear the AVELO system. 893 01:11:45,27.2201327 --> 01:11:45,817.2196327 Absolutely. 894 01:11:45,817.2196327 --> 01:11:47,497.2181327 I'd want them to use that and nothing else. 895 01:11:48,662.2806327 --> 01:11:49,72.2806327 Wow. 896 01:11:49,942.2816327 --> 01:11:54,872.2816327 that says something right there, especially with all your years of experience diving. 897 01:11:55,97.2191327 --> 01:12:01,827.2191327 Yeah, I mean, it's really a game changer as far as diving safety is concerned and diving efficiency and diving enjoyment, the same thing. 898 01:12:02,792.2816327 --> 01:12:03,172.2816327 Yeah. 899 01:12:03,337.2191327 --> 01:12:07,242.2816327 there's, the benefit of having so much less gear on you. 900 01:12:07,407.2191327 --> 01:12:08,107.2191327 Hi, everyone. 901 01:12:08,107.2191327 --> 01:12:10,157.2191327 Thanks for tuning into the Deadfoot Diver. 902 01:12:10,527.2191327 --> 01:12:13,377.2191327 Subscribe and share your support means the world to me. 903 01:12:13,917.2191327 --> 01:12:18,177.2191327 If you'd like to contribute directly, you can do so at the link in the description at buymeacoffee. 904 01:12:18,817.2191327 --> 01:12:32,627.2191327 com slash deadfoot diver, every donation helps me work towards earning my adaptive dive buddy certification, travel costs to help me assist other adaptive divers and covering further training and equipment costs. 905 01:12:32,922.2191327 --> 01:12:35,712.2191327 Bringing you on even more exciting adventures. 906 01:12:37,122.2191327 --> 01:12:46,152.2191327 Don't forget to check out my guest links in the description and remember grab an adventure and live and don't ever let a disability. 907 01:12:46,152.2191327 --> 01:12:46,962.2191327 Keep you down. 908 01:12:47,240.2191327 --> 01:12:54,110.2191327 oh, yeah, and there's, and there's another another company that I'm doing some consulting with, um, called divo. 909 01:12:54,180.2191327 --> 01:12:55,110.2191327 I don't know if you've heard of them. 910 01:12:55,120.2191327 --> 01:12:58,340.2181327 They're the ones that this system that they, it's not on the market. 911 01:12:58,340.2191327 --> 01:12:58,560.2191327 Yes. 912 01:12:58,570.2181327 --> 01:13:05,60.1191327 It's still under development, but the system that they've developed is, um, is a system that, um. 913 01:13:05,820.2191327 --> 01:13:23,720.2191327 It's a modified power inflator that goes on your BC that when you, uh, run out of air or stop, excuse me, when you stop breathing for some number of seconds, uh, 25, 35, 45 seconds, whatever the number they finally end up with, it automatically inflates your BC and brings you to the surface. 914 01:13:24,0.2201327 --> 01:13:29,850.2191327 So if you were to pass out underwater and stop breathing, it automatically inflates your BC and brings you to the surface. 915 01:13:30,120.2191327 --> 01:13:34,630.2191327 Also, if you get down to about 72 PSI. 916 01:13:35,30.2191327 --> 01:13:41,910.2191327 It automatically inflates your BC so you don't run out of air underwater and you can override the system. 917 01:13:41,920.2191327 --> 01:13:48,450.2191327 So, for example, it would not be something I definitely want to use in a cave or inside of a shipwreck or something where they have an overhead environment. 918 01:13:49,10.2191327 --> 01:13:53,180.2201327 But you can, you can override the system as something were to happen, but it really would. 919 01:13:53,545.2191327 --> 01:13:55,915.2191327 prevent people from being lost. 920 01:13:56,25.2191327 --> 01:14:03,975.2191327 So divers, for example, that may have a cardiac event, which unfortunately is not uncommon in diving, um, uh, and pass out underwater and stop breathing. 921 01:14:04,245.2191327 --> 01:14:05,545.2181327 All of a sudden they're brought to the surface. 922 01:14:05,555.2191327 --> 01:14:12,30.2191327 So that will help because you're, you're a lot, You're a lot easier to deal with at the surface than you would be underwater. 923 01:14:12,30.2191327 --> 01:14:14,420.2191327 Because for one thing, you get lost underwater, people would search for you. 924 01:14:14,710.2191327 --> 01:14:17,350.2191327 And so by the time they find you, it's probably too late to do anything. 925 01:14:17,350.2191327 --> 01:14:24,140.2191327 But this way it'll bring the person to the surface and at least their resuscitation average would be a lot more effective on the surface than trying to do it underwater. 926 01:14:25,55.2816327 --> 01:14:31,55.2816327 What about, um, yeah, I mean, I can definitely see the advantages of that for sure. 927 01:14:31,85.2816327 --> 01:14:37,220.2191327 But what about the chances of it malfunctioning? Well, they're doing test dives. 928 01:14:37,725.2816327 --> 01:14:42,395.2191327 some sort of computer chip in it or something No, it's all it's all done by pressure. 929 01:14:43,75.2191327 --> 01:14:44,805.2191327 Uh, all done by pressure. 930 01:14:44,805.2191327 --> 01:14:47,395.2191327 And so there's no computer chip to go bad. 931 01:14:47,395.2191327 --> 01:14:50,715.2191327 There's no electronics to get salt water in to cause any kind of corrosion. 932 01:14:50,725.2191327 --> 01:14:54,575.2191327 It's all done with pressure and, um, and not being an engineer. 933 01:14:54,575.2191327 --> 01:14:58,205.2191327 I don't know the details of that, but, um, but they're doing test dives. 934 01:14:58,305.2181327 --> 01:14:59,765.2191327 A number of test dives on it now. 935 01:15:00,35.2181327 --> 01:15:04,825.2191327 And so far, if it malfunctions, it's just simply not going to work. 936 01:15:05,125.2191327 --> 01:15:06,535.2191327 It's not going to start inflating your BC. 937 01:15:07,615.2806327 --> 01:15:08,345.2816327 Oh, well, that's good. 938 01:15:08,345.2816327 --> 01:15:13,825.2191327 At least So, yeah, yeah, because that would be my only concern with something like that as Oh, yeah. 939 01:15:14,565.2816327 --> 01:15:16,895.2816327 and then all of a sudden you rock it up to the surface. 940 01:15:17,125.2191327 --> 01:15:21,275.2191327 Well, I mean, if it, if we're in a malfunction, for example, it's likely to be slow. 941 01:15:21,275.2191327 --> 01:15:22,675.2191327 It's not going to be a rapid expansion. 942 01:15:22,675.2191327 --> 01:15:23,445.2191327 So it's not going to be. 943 01:15:23,730.2191327 --> 01:15:29,810.2191327 You know, like a CO2 cartridge or something like that going off or what is going to happen is because you'll notice a slight change in buoyancy. 944 01:15:29,810.2191327 --> 01:15:34,820.2191327 What would you do if you notice a slight change in buoyancy, simply dump the air out or you can disconnect those. 945 01:15:35,110.2181327 --> 01:15:39,910.2181327 Uh, so, uh, there are a lot of things that, uh, that you can do to mitigate it. 946 01:15:39,920.2181327 --> 01:15:49,610.1191327 If in the worst, after the worst case scenario, in case it would start to inflate, simply disconnect the inflator or dump the air out. 947 01:15:49,615.2816327 --> 01:16:15,115.2816327 what are your thoughts on how, uh, technical diving has come into more of a, mainstream with diving, shall we say, and I think one of the big things why I mean, I was shocked at first when I went to Mexico a year ago, because the first thing I did was look at the dive charter boat and they had like four boats going out. 948 01:16:15,835.2816327 --> 01:16:23,210.2181327 there were maybe two people on all four boats that weren't diving nitrox Yeah, well, I'm, I'm an. 949 01:16:23,580.2191327 --> 01:16:26,600.2191327 Yeah, I'm an absolute 100 percent believer in nitrox. 950 01:16:26,690.2191327 --> 01:16:29,760.2191327 Um, I'm actually nitrox instructor number 10. 951 01:16:30,910.2191327 --> 01:16:35,220.2191327 Um, yeah, because I got certified as a nitrox instructor in 1988. 952 01:16:35,240.2191327 --> 01:16:46,360.2191327 I think it was, um, and, and I, and I was there when all that controversy about being a voodoo gas and, you know, nitrox vendors were not allowed in the show and all that nonsense was going on. 953 01:16:46,360.2191327 --> 01:16:51,10.2191327 But, um, when I do my webinar, I talk about the safety issues for the older diver. 954 01:16:51,320.2191327 --> 01:16:57,830.2191327 That's one thing I absolutely recommend that they use nitrox while keeping their computer on the air setting. 955 01:16:58,560.2191327 --> 01:17:04,740.2191327 I, I have not dived air in probably seven or eight years, maybe longer. 956 01:17:05,110.2181327 --> 01:17:07,970.2191327 Uh, my dive computer has never been off the air setting. 957 01:17:08,190.2181327 --> 01:17:14,500.2191327 Uh, all the dives, all the dives I did in Cuba were all done on 32%, around 32 percent nitrox. 958 01:17:14,890.2191327 --> 01:17:18,860.2191327 Um, and my computer never came off the air setting and it never will come off the air setting. 959 01:17:19,400.2191327 --> 01:17:34,630.2186327 Uh, because Because I think that's something that older divers and conservative divers really should do because it does give you, in my opinion, a safety factor because your computer thinks you're breathing 78 percent nitrogen when you're actually breathing a lot less nitrogen. 960 01:17:34,630.2186327 --> 01:17:39,460.2191327 So, therefore, it's going to, I think, have a positive impact on your safety. 961 01:17:39,780.2191327 --> 01:17:49,990.2186327 Uh, it may limit what you do, but that's okay with me because I don't do deep dives anyway, and I don't do dives that are likely to go beyond, uh, the limits of, uh, safety for your oxygen tolerance. 962 01:17:49,990.2186327 --> 01:17:53,560.2191327 But, um, but I think it's something that people should do. 963 01:17:53,800.2191327 --> 01:17:56,755.2811327 I'm a firm believer in nitrox Yeah. 964 01:17:56,755.2811327 --> 01:18:02,675.2816327 I I'd actually love to watch one of your, uh, uh, webinars on, uh, diving for older people. 965 01:18:02,675.2816327 --> 01:18:05,325.2806327 Cause I mean, I'm 55, so I'm not exactly young anymore. 966 01:18:06,110.2191327 --> 01:18:07,300.2181327 and not exactly old either. 967 01:18:07,300.2191327 --> 01:18:09,790.2191327 So, uh, but I do, I do these webinars. 968 01:18:10,150.2191327 --> 01:18:10,860.2191327 Actually, I do them. 969 01:18:11,190.2191327 --> 01:18:11,640.2191327 They're free. 970 01:18:11,640.2191327 --> 01:18:12,790.2191327 I don't charge anything for them. 971 01:18:12,790.2191327 --> 01:18:13,220.2191327 And I do. 972 01:18:13,510.2191327 --> 01:18:15,70.2191327 Webinars on the older diver. 973 01:18:15,70.2191327 --> 01:18:17,560.2191327 I also have a webinar called mistakes divers make. 974 01:18:17,840.2191327 --> 01:18:21,620.2191327 And in both those webinars, I talk about nitrox with the air tables or air computers. 975 01:18:22,70.2191327 --> 01:18:29,160.2181327 Um, and I also do, excuse me, also do other, pardon me. 976 01:18:30,640.2191327 --> 01:18:33,470.2191327 Also do webinars on, uh, excuse me just a second. 977 01:18:39,600.2191327 --> 01:18:39,890.2191327 Okay. 978 01:18:39,890.2191327 --> 01:18:45,850.2191327 Also do webinars on, uh, other safety topics, uh, like risks and diving and, and all of those things. 979 01:18:45,850.2191327 --> 01:18:48,790.2186327 So if any group wants those, all they have to do is drop me an email. 980 01:18:48,790.2186327 --> 01:18:51,360.2191327 And my email address is Dan or Dan or consulting. 981 01:18:51,820.2181327 --> 01:18:52,230.2181327 com. 982 01:18:52,470.2181327 --> 01:18:53,780.2191327 And I'll be happy to do that. 983 01:18:53,780.2191327 --> 01:18:58,370.2191327 In fact, I've got three webinars that are set up for the next couple of months that I'm doing for people. 984 01:18:58,370.2191327 --> 01:19:01,210.2191327 And I did during COVID actually, I did almost 50 webinars. 985 01:19:01,210.2191327 --> 01:19:01,220.1191327 Okay. 986 01:19:01,680.2191327 --> 01:19:05,270.2191327 Uh, for people, you know, I do any by anytime anybody wants one. 987 01:19:05,270.2191327 --> 01:19:07,15.2806327 I'll do one Yeah. 988 01:19:07,185.2806327 --> 01:19:08,85.2806327 Yeah, definitely. 989 01:19:08,85.2806327 --> 01:19:09,465.2816327 I'd like to watch those for sure. 990 01:19:10,175.2816327 --> 01:19:13,925.2816327 Um, so you were instructor number 10 for nitrox. 991 01:19:13,930.2191327 --> 01:19:14,440.2191327 nitrox. 992 01:19:14,490.2191327 --> 01:19:14,770.2191327 Yep. 993 01:19:14,770.2191327 --> 01:19:28,230.2191327 Dick Rutowski certified me, uh, down at his, because when I was working at Florida state, I went down there to learn chamber operation because at FSU, we had a project at warm mineral springs in Venice, Florida, where we had an onsite chamber. 994 01:19:28,575.2191327 --> 01:19:30,625.2191327 And so I needed to be able to run the chamber. 995 01:19:30,625.2191327 --> 01:19:33,775.2191327 So they sent me down there to learn chamber operation. 996 01:19:34,195.2191327 --> 01:19:42,705.2191327 And while we were doing that, that's when Dick was starting his, uh, nitrox certification and he kept telling me, he said, you know, you need to be a nitrox instructor. 997 01:19:42,705.2191327 --> 01:19:45,505.2181327 And I said, well, you know, we're using nitrox at Florida state. 998 01:19:45,505.2181327 --> 01:19:46,305.2191327 We have been using it. 999 01:19:46,625.2191327 --> 01:19:50,575.2191327 But we don't certify people with, because the science divers didn't need the certification. 1000 01:19:50,575.2191327 --> 01:19:51,355.2191327 They just need the training. 1001 01:19:51,895.2191327 --> 01:19:54,515.2191327 Uh, and he said, yeah, but you really need to be a nitrox instructor. 1002 01:19:54,515.2191327 --> 01:19:56,75.2191327 And so he finally talked me into it. 1003 01:19:56,395.2181327 --> 01:19:58,755.2191327 Um, and then I was the 10th one that he certified. 1004 01:19:59,790.2816327 --> 01:20:00,190.2816327 Wow. 1005 01:20:01,110.2816327 --> 01:20:02,670.2816327 Dick's actually a really cool guy. 1006 01:20:02,670.2816327 --> 01:20:08,185.2191327 Dick actually, uh, certified me for Nitrox back in 1996 Oh, did he really? Oh, nice. 1007 01:20:08,235.2191327 --> 01:20:08,585.2191327 Yeah. 1008 01:20:08,820.2816327 --> 01:20:14,615.2811327 actually, uh, I think my cert number is something like 6126 or something. 1009 01:20:14,615.2811327 --> 01:20:15,180.2806327 It's old actually. 1010 01:20:15,600.2191327 --> 01:20:15,990.2191327 Wow. 1011 01:20:17,600.2816327 --> 01:20:23,550.2191327 It's actually, yeah, I actually did it, uh, at the Underwater Canada show Oh, did you really? Wow. 1012 01:20:23,610.2816327 --> 01:20:23,830.2816327 came up. 1013 01:20:23,880.2816327 --> 01:20:24,780.2191327 Yeah, there Nice. 1014 01:20:25,130.2816327 --> 01:20:29,420.2816327 and, um, five other instructors that actually, uh, took it. 1015 01:20:30,470.2816327 --> 01:20:35,110.2816327 uh, we actually took a lot of heat for taking that course and getting certified in nitrox. 1016 01:20:35,940.2191327 --> 01:20:48,380.2181327 Yeah, it was, it was kind of a challenge for me because after, after I left Florida State and went to Dan in 1991, there was still a lot of discussion at Dan about the, the safety of using something other than air. 1017 01:20:48,930.2191327 --> 01:20:59,110.2191327 And so, uh, it may be, may be kind of an outlier because I was a Nitrox instructor and was still teaching it, uh, and being at Dan where they didn't necessarily embrace it in the very beginning. 1018 01:21:00,90.2191327 --> 01:21:03,670.2191327 Um, so that was, that was kind of, that was kind of a challenge. 1019 01:21:06,180.2816327 --> 01:21:09,135.2191327 So did you take a lot of heat over that? took a little bit. 1020 01:21:09,135.2191327 --> 01:21:19,275.2191327 Yeah, I took a little bit because again, they weren't really sure of, of the value of nitrox and what it would do in the long term or what it would do if something happened to you. 1021 01:21:19,385.2191327 --> 01:21:23,455.2191327 Um, and so, you know, we since found out that it really is a benefit. 1022 01:21:23,455.2191327 --> 01:21:26,855.2191327 It's not going to really cause any harm unless you could do deep diving or something like that with it. 1023 01:21:26,855.2191327 --> 01:21:37,635.2191327 But, um, but it's, it's not, uh, not something that they, that they now know is going to be an issue because it's, uh, it really is far safer than, than using air, I think, at least in the kind of diving that I do. 1024 01:21:38,760.2816327 --> 01:21:46,290.2816327 Yeah, I actually, um, when I started diving this year, cause my age and stuff, and cause I had nitrox cert, I started diving nitrox. 1025 01:21:46,855.2191327 --> 01:21:47,345.2191327 Good for you. 1026 01:21:47,545.2191327 --> 01:21:48,15.2191327 Good for you. 1027 01:21:48,40.2816327 --> 01:21:54,600.2816327 And yeah, I only dive it unless there's, I don't have an option and I have to dive air. 1028 01:21:55,100.2816327 --> 01:21:59,360.2806327 Um, which I've only when I was in Jamaica, I ended up having to dive air. 1029 01:21:59,360.2806327 --> 01:22:03,420.2816327 But Other than that, I pretty well dive nitrox all the time. 1030 01:22:04,400.2816327 --> 01:22:07,250.2816327 mainly safety benefits of it and cause my age. 1031 01:22:07,525.2191327 --> 01:22:07,785.2191327 Yeah. 1032 01:22:08,135.2191327 --> 01:22:11,555.2191327 Well, I think the last time I dived air was actually in 2018. 1033 01:22:11,965.2191327 --> 01:22:19,345.2191327 Uh, when I was on the first Antarctic trip that I was on, uh, because they didn't have the ability of doing nitrox on it, on a research ship. 1034 01:22:19,785.2181327 --> 01:22:20,935.2191327 So we had to breathe air. 1035 01:22:20,965.2181327 --> 01:22:40,285.2181327 And even then, Even then we, when you're diving, when you're diving in the Antarctic, you have to be extremely safe anyway, because you're at least two days away from any kind of help, even though there, even there is a hospital on the ship, uh, you know, it's very rudimentary and, and, and they don't really have the facilities of really dealing with a serious diving accident. 1036 01:22:40,285.2181327 --> 01:22:43,955.2191327 So, uh, we always made sure that everybody was very, very safe. 1037 01:22:43,955.2191327 --> 01:22:48,680.1191327 The, there was a hard limit at 60 feet and, uh, they had to do, uh, relatively safe diving. 1038 01:22:49,440.2191327 --> 01:22:53,80.2191327 short dive profiles, uh, in order to be completely safe. 1039 01:22:53,100.2191327 --> 01:22:57,200.2191327 Cause again, you don't want anything to happen when you're far out that, that far out away from help. 1040 01:22:58,120.2816327 --> 01:22:59,740.2816327 Oh yeah, absolutely. 1041 01:22:59,880.2816327 --> 01:23:08,50.2816327 I mean, uh, it definitely, do you, do you notice a difference personally? less tired diving nitrox compared to air. 1042 01:23:08,350.2191327 --> 01:23:08,570.2191327 Yeah. 1043 01:23:08,570.2191327 --> 01:23:21,840.2191327 That's one of the, one of the things people talk about and, and a lot of, a lot of that is really kind of subjective, but you know, the diving research groups, uh, have understood that when you have a lot of nitrogen in your system, uh, that does cause some fatigue. 1044 01:23:22,455.2191327 --> 01:23:36,485.2181327 And so I think by breathing nitrox, uh, especially if you're breathing it using air limitations, then your body has absorbed far less nitrogen and therefore you're less likely to be as fatigued as you would be if you're breathing air. 1045 01:23:37,25.2191327 --> 01:23:41,65.2201327 So I do, I do think that, and most everybody I've talked to said they do feel a difference. 1046 01:23:41,115.2191327 --> 01:23:42,685.2191327 And I feel a little bit of a difference also. 1047 01:23:43,670.2816327 --> 01:23:52,420.2816327 Yeah, I, I actually did notice a difference, uh, when, between when I, uh, dove nitrox all year and then when I was in Jamaica. 1048 01:23:52,740.2816327 --> 01:23:57,470.2811327 That was actually one of the first things I said to my wife when I got back up after my first two dives. 1049 01:23:57,470.2811327 --> 01:23:58,315.2191327 It's like, Yeah. 1050 01:23:58,450.2806327 --> 01:24:00,40.2816327 yeah, I like nitrox better. 1051 01:24:00,60.2816327 --> 01:24:01,630.1816327 I feel less tired on it. 1052 01:24:02,95.2191327 --> 01:24:02,565.2191327 Well, good. 1053 01:24:02,565.2191327 --> 01:24:02,775.2191327 Yeah. 1054 01:24:02,775.2191327 --> 01:24:04,625.2186327 I mean, you really want it to be less tired. 1055 01:24:04,625.2186327 --> 01:24:07,790.2191327 I mean, And I think sometimes people lose. 1056 01:24:08,315.2191327 --> 01:24:11,625.2191327 I guess contact with the fact that diving should be tremendously enjoyable. 1057 01:24:11,635.2191327 --> 01:24:13,755.2191327 I mean, that's the reason we're doing it and having a great time. 1058 01:24:13,755.2191327 --> 01:24:18,495.2191327 And if you can do something that's going to make you less tired, then you enjoy it more. 1059 01:24:18,745.2191327 --> 01:24:19,555.2191327 So, you know, yeah. 1060 01:24:19,655.2191327 --> 01:24:23,605.2181327 And, and for one thing, I, my philosophy is I don't do a lot of work on a dive. 1061 01:24:23,605.2181327 --> 01:24:24,915.2191327 I don't want to do a lot of work on a dive. 1062 01:24:25,145.2181327 --> 01:24:27,725.2191327 If I'm doing some work, I really am doing something wrong. 1063 01:24:28,215.2191327 --> 01:24:33,555.2191327 Uh, so you want to make sure that you really enjoy yourself and really take advantage of all the benefits of scuba diving. 1064 01:24:34,820.2816327 --> 01:24:35,610.1816327 Oh, yeah. 1065 01:24:35,610.2816327 --> 01:24:38,30.2816327 And I mean, the medical benefits are huge. 1066 01:24:38,200.2816327 --> 01:24:43,940.2816327 When I actually did this in Jamaica, I did this the first night at the resort, actually. 1067 01:24:44,375.2191327 --> 01:24:45,545.2191327 Oh, did you really?. 1068 01:24:46,230.2816327 --> 01:24:49,760.2816327 I hadn't even, we'd been there, like, maybe two hours. 1069 01:24:49,760.2816327 --> 01:24:53,890.2826327 I hadn't even, like, had more than two drinks, I don't think. 1070 01:24:54,225.2816327 --> 01:25:04,315.2806327 The entire day and I was walking along this dark path and of course, me being blind in my left eye and then on top of it, I, oh, I have glaucoma. 1071 01:25:04,315.2816327 --> 01:25:05,915.2806327 I forgot to mention that as well. 1072 01:25:06,285.2816327 --> 01:25:09,245.2816327 So dark and me don't really like each other. 1073 01:25:09,245.3816327 --> 01:25:29,420.2816327 Yeah, and then on top of it, so I'm walking along this dark path and all of a sudden there's a, I tripped on a rock had, or, uh, uneven, uh, stone on the path, went flying forward and my leg brace, the strap actually broke at the same time. 1074 01:25:29,550.2191327 --> 01:25:30,60.2191327 Oh no. 1075 01:25:30,380.2191327 --> 01:25:30,830.2191327 Oh, no. 1076 01:25:31,110.2806327 --> 01:25:36,960.2816327 So it was, and I just went down like that I'm like, Oh, I think I need to get this checked out. 1077 01:25:36,970.2806327 --> 01:25:39,280.2816327 My wife's like, no, they won't let you dive all week. 1078 01:25:39,330.2816327 --> 01:25:40,90.2806327 And I'm like, yep. 1079 01:25:40,120.2806327 --> 01:25:40,760.2806327 Good point. 1080 01:25:41,460.2816327 --> 01:25:48,60.2191327 So not, not to mention the fact they want like 10, 000 on a credit card, just even Oh yeah. 1081 01:25:48,185.2191327 --> 01:25:48,605.2191327 Oh yeah. 1082 01:25:50,890.2816327 --> 01:25:56,430.2806327 So, and I hadn't been diving in like 25 years in the ocean. 1083 01:25:56,430.2816327 --> 01:25:58,980.2816327 So there was no way I was about to miss diving for the week. 1084 01:25:59,635.2816327 --> 01:26:03,775.2816327 So I, I sucked it up, hid my injury from while we dove with it. 1085 01:26:04,225.2816327 --> 01:26:12,110.2191327 And, uh, it actually was way better the entire week when I was No, you wonder, than when I got back yeah. 1086 01:26:12,110.2191327 --> 01:26:13,645.2816327 Took, it in a cast. 1087 01:26:13,810.2191327 --> 01:26:14,710.2191327 some of that weight off. 1088 01:26:14,770.2191327 --> 01:26:15,580.2191327 Yeah, I think so. 1089 01:26:15,580.2191327 --> 01:26:15,790.2191327 Yeah. 1090 01:26:15,790.2191327 --> 01:26:16,420.2191327 I think you're right. 1091 01:26:17,340.2191327 --> 01:26:17,820.2191327 Being neutral. 1092 01:26:18,635.2816327 --> 01:26:21,310.2191327 It was a lot less swollen too, No, that's good. 1093 01:26:22,960.2191327 --> 01:26:31,290.2191327 Hopefully you told your buddy that you had the injury hell yeah, yeah, yeah, I told, I did, I did tell my buddy that, Good idea. 1094 01:26:33,215.2816327 --> 01:26:38,330.2191327 so, but, uh, but yeah, it was a good time, so, Good. 1095 01:26:38,785.2816327 --> 01:26:49,815.2191327 um, what else do you have planned coming up for 2025 with your expeditions and stuff? Well, um, you know, we do what we do, but actually my wife helps on the expeditions too. 1096 01:26:49,815.2191327 --> 01:26:56,535.2191327 She does a lot of the paperwork for blue, blue, green expeditions, but, um, we volunteer to help, uh, run some of these. 1097 01:26:56,535.2191327 --> 01:27:01,955.2191327 I helped lead some of them along with Faith Ortins and her business partner, Paul Holbrook. 1098 01:27:02,325.2181327 --> 01:27:04,165.2181327 Uh, they're the ones that actually created the company. 1099 01:27:04,195.2191327 --> 01:27:08,725.2191327 So whenever they have a need for somebody to help on a trip, they'll contact us. 1100 01:27:08,725.2191327 --> 01:27:17,390.2191327 And so, um, this past year, Um, we helped on the, uh, citizen science program, as I mentioned, to the Antarctic in February, March. 1101 01:27:17,390.2191327 --> 01:27:23,320.2191327 And then we, there was an expedition to, uh, India, which was a non diving expedition that I led. 1102 01:27:23,830.2191327 --> 01:27:28,610.2181327 Um, and then there was a trip to Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic. 1103 01:27:29,15.2191327 --> 01:27:44,505.2191327 In the summer that I, uh, I led and then, um, this trip to Cuba and then, um, next year we, we're doing at least two, one of them is another trip to the Norwegian Arctic, which is another citizen science trip. 1104 01:27:44,875.2191327 --> 01:27:46,625.2181327 That's going to be in August. 1105 01:27:47,165.2191327 --> 01:27:48,925.2191327 That's going to again, go to Svalbard. 1106 01:27:49,295.2191327 --> 01:27:51,645.2191327 Svalbard again is a Norwegian Arctic. 1107 01:27:52,30.2191327 --> 01:27:58,230.2191327 And then we're going to go from there to Greenland, and then there's an add on if people want to it to do a trip to Iceland. 1108 01:27:58,270.2191327 --> 01:28:01,330.2191327 So we're actually going to do all three of those. 1109 01:28:01,340.2181327 --> 01:28:06,650.2181327 So I'm going to be helping Faith lead that trip to Svalbard and then to Greenland, and then we're going to. 1110 01:28:07,15.2191327 --> 01:28:08,465.2191327 Help on the Iceland trip. 1111 01:28:08,905.2191327 --> 01:28:14,195.2191327 Uh, and I'm especially looking forward to Iceland because even though I've been there before, I've never done any diving or snorkeling there. 1112 01:28:14,195.2191327 --> 01:28:18,765.2191327 And I want to snorkel at Silfra, which is the crack where the two tectonic plates. 1113 01:28:18,949.9079963 --> 01:28:20,625.2181327 what gonna I'm gonna snorkel that. 1114 01:28:20,772.5448145 --> 01:28:27,995.2191327 be doing then right after that, about 10 days after that actually is a trip to Madagascar, which is not a diving trip. 1115 01:28:27,995.2191327 --> 01:28:30,875.2191327 It's a land based trip that I'm going to be helping on to. 1116 01:28:31,275.2191327 --> 01:28:32,65.2191327 So those are the two. 1117 01:28:32,630.2191327 --> 01:28:43,70.2191327 We have photography generally, like we did in India, India was photographing, you know, the land landscape there in the landmarks and then also photographing tigers. 1118 01:28:43,360.2191327 --> 01:28:46,960.2181327 So we had an opportunity to to photograph tigers in the wild. 1119 01:28:46,970.2191327 --> 01:28:49,840.2191327 We're actually we're seeing as many as 4 Bengal tigers at a time. 1120 01:28:50,420.2191327 --> 01:28:57,510.2191327 So, it was, it was, it was pretty cool and I, I post those photos actually on my Facebook page that I have and then. 1121 01:28:58,375.2191327 --> 01:29:06,915.2181327 With Madagascar is going to be similar because a couple of years ago, she also did one, which was a land based trip also to Tanzania and Rwanda. 1122 01:29:07,255.2191327 --> 01:29:13,255.2191327 So Tanzania to go to the Serengeti and then to Rwanda to do the mountain gorillas that we did on with that. 1123 01:29:13,255.3191327 --> 01:29:14,305.2181327 And we helped with that trip. 1124 01:29:14,815.2191327 --> 01:29:19,5.2191327 And then, um, and so those are the 2 trips that I'm doing with her this this year. 1125 01:29:19,450.2191327 --> 01:29:22,950.2191327 Uh, also did a couple of other trips this year, which were not with her. 1126 01:29:22,950.2191327 --> 01:29:25,730.2191327 I did one to Birmingham, England. 1127 01:29:25,730.2191327 --> 01:29:29,960.2191327 I was asked to be the keynote speaker for the British Subaqua Club's annual conference. 1128 01:29:30,295.2191327 --> 01:29:30,855.2191327 in Birmingham. 1129 01:29:30,995.2191327 --> 01:29:36,775.2191327 And I did that and also gave, I did one of the lectures on the mistakes divers make is my keynote address. 1130 01:29:36,775.2191327 --> 01:29:41,215.2191327 And then I did a breakout session on the safety issues for the older diver. 1131 01:29:41,215.2191327 --> 01:29:47,525.2181327 And then I was asked to be a keynote speaker for the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman. 1132 01:29:47,645.2181327 --> 01:29:55,725.2191327 Um, and I gave a keynote speech there and that that one was really about older divers when they reach the point that they no longer dive. 1133 01:29:56,5.2191327 --> 01:30:13,335.2181327 And no longer want to dive or even snorkel, uh, what should they do? And in my opinion, they then should be mentors because there are a lot of people that would like to know the things that they, that they know, the things they've learned over their diving career and get been involved in like podcasts like this, for example, to, to tell stories, most of which are true. 1134 01:30:13,335.2191327 --> 01:30:13,855.2181327 I'm sure. 1135 01:30:14,225.2191327 --> 01:30:15,555.2181327 Uh, hopefully. 1136 01:30:15,735.2191327 --> 01:30:17,555.2191327 Hopefully all of mine are true, but you never know. 1137 01:30:17,585.2191327 --> 01:30:46,775.2191327 But, um, uh, but, uh, those are the couple of things that I did this year that were not along with faith, but, uh, we're here to help her anytime she needs help and anytime anybody else needs help, um, you know, we're always available to help So, how, if somebody wants to sign up for one of these excursions with you, whereabouts do they go to get the information for that? well, they can go to, uh, the blue green expeditions website, which is www dot blue green expeditions with an S expeditions. 1138 01:30:46,785.2191327 --> 01:30:46,815.2191327 com. 1139 01:30:48,15.2816327 --> 01:30:53,835.2816327 And, and those trips are listed there, or if they, if they can't find that, then just, uh, drop me an email. 1140 01:30:54,105.2816327 --> 01:30:57,125.2816327 Uh, I'll be happy to connect them with, with faith on these things. 1141 01:30:57,125.2816327 --> 01:31:00,565.2816327 And, and there are some trips that I go on, there's some trips that other people lead. 1142 01:31:00,565.2816327 --> 01:31:03,55.2816327 For example, a lady named Nancy McGee leads some trips. 1143 01:31:03,55.2816327 --> 01:31:06,775.2816327 Uh, Diana Hollingshead leads some trips and there are others that lead trips as well. 1144 01:31:06,785.2816327 --> 01:31:12,325.2816327 And, and on this trip to Cuba, we actually had a special guest, which was, uh, Christina Zanotto. 1145 01:31:12,625.2816327 --> 01:31:15,535.2816327 You know, the lady who deals with sharks, uh, in the Bahamas. 1146 01:31:15,575.2816327 --> 01:31:15,895.2816327 yeah. 1147 01:31:15,895.2816327 --> 01:31:16,175.2816327 Yeah. 1148 01:31:16,705.2816327 --> 01:31:20,255.2816327 And her husband, Kevin, uh, Lorenzo, he, or Lorenzo, and he was there. 1149 01:31:20,255.2816327 --> 01:31:22,125.2816327 And so they were our special guests on this trip. 1150 01:31:22,125.2816327 --> 01:31:29,225.2816327 And so they gave a couple of lectures about, uh, how to, how to do photography and videography underwater and how to deal with sharks underwater. 1151 01:31:30,495.2816327 --> 01:31:30,775.2816327 Wow. 1152 01:31:30,775.2816327 --> 01:31:31,165.2816327 Cool. 1153 01:31:31,555.2816327 --> 01:31:31,785.2816327 Yeah. 1154 01:31:31,835.2816327 --> 01:31:33,25.2816327 be, that'd be awesome. 1155 01:31:33,85.2816327 --> 01:31:46,665.2816327 I, I will, uh, by the way, all the links to, uh, of Dan's stuff is going to be down below here so And also they can also for my articles, they can actually go to the scuba diving industry magazine. 1156 01:31:46,955.2816327 --> 01:31:51,225.2816327 Website, uh, because I do a monthly article on diving safety in their magazine. 1157 01:31:52,185.2816327 --> 01:31:52,865.2816327 oh, awesome. 1158 01:31:52,895.2816327 --> 01:31:53,255.2816327 Okay. 1159 01:31:53,255.2816327 --> 01:31:53,395.2816327 Yeah. 1160 01:31:53,395.2816327 --> 01:31:59,515.2816327 I'll make sure that I put that in there as And if they want to, they can subscribe to scuba diving industry magazine because it's a free subscription. 1161 01:31:59,575.2816327 --> 01:32:01,515.2816327 I mean, they don't have to pay for it and it's a great magazine. 1162 01:32:02,685.2816327 --> 01:32:03,335.2816327 Even better. 1163 01:32:03,595.2816327 --> 01:32:04,995.2816327 Yeah, it is free is always good. 1164 01:32:07,595.2816327 --> 01:32:09,55.2806327 And there aren't a lot of things that are free. 1165 01:32:09,195.2816327 --> 01:32:10,575.2816327 Yeah, free with diving's good. 1166 01:32:11,235.2816327 --> 01:32:11,805.2806327 that's right. 1167 01:32:14,965.2816327 --> 01:32:17,975.2806327 Every time I walk into a dive store, it's like, Oh my God. 1168 01:32:17,975.3806327 --> 01:32:20,70.2816327 I, I know. 1169 01:32:20,225.2816327 --> 01:32:23,315.2816327 I, it used to be bad when I was racing motocross. 1170 01:32:23,335.2806327 --> 01:32:24,405.2811327 Cause it'd be the same thing. 1171 01:32:24,405.2811327 --> 01:32:28,285.1816327 You know, I go in and it'd be like, okay, yeah, well I need this, this, this, this, this. 1172 01:32:28,285.3816327 --> 01:32:29,255.1816327 Yeah. 1173 01:32:29,460.2816327 --> 01:32:29,810.2816327 I know. 1174 01:32:29,885.2816327 --> 01:32:31,125.2816327 takes it to a whole nother level. 1175 01:32:31,700.2816327 --> 01:32:32,380.2816327 I know how it is. 1176 01:32:32,570.2816327 --> 01:32:34,930.2816327 Every time you get involved in anything, diving is the same way. 1177 01:32:34,930.2816327 --> 01:32:36,970.2816327 I mean, when I first got involved diving, I wanted everything. 1178 01:32:36,970.2816327 --> 01:32:39,490.2816327 I bought everything and I still buy it by things. 1179 01:32:39,490.2816327 --> 01:32:41,430.2816327 And, uh, and I do a lot of photography now. 1180 01:32:41,430.2816327 --> 01:32:43,450.2816327 So I'm buying all kinds of photography equipment. 1181 01:32:43,450.2816327 --> 01:32:47,480.2816327 Every time you turn around, there's always some new innovation, new piece of equipment that you have to buy. 1182 01:32:51,205.2816327 --> 01:32:52,15.2816327 Of course. 1183 01:32:53,495.2816327 --> 01:32:55,475.2816327 Well, thank you very much, Dan. 1184 01:32:55,485.2816327 --> 01:32:58,885.2816327 It has been an absolute pleasure having you on today. 1185 01:32:59,30.2816327 --> 01:33:00,100.2816327 Well, Curt, thank you very much. 1186 01:33:00,190.2816327 --> 01:33:01,650.2816327 It has been a pleasure for me as well. 1187 01:33:01,790.2816327 --> 01:33:02,140.2816327 Thank you. 1188 01:33:02,865.2806327 --> 01:33:03,825.2816327 Well thank you. 1189 01:33:03,845.2816327 --> 01:33:06,485.2816327 And uh, remember guys, thanks for tuning in. 1190 01:33:07,195.2816327 --> 01:33:13,175.2816327 Thanks for watching the Deadfoot Diver Podcast and remember to like, subscribe donate.

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