March 2, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of the Deadfoot Diver Podcast, host Curt welcomes Gus from the renowned Dive Talk podcast. They dive into Gus's journey from discovering scuba diving in icy waters to creating Dive Talk, a leading podcast in the scuba community. Gus shares insights on the Dive Talk Academy's comprehensive training programs and the revolutionary Dive Talk Go Rebreather, designed for affordability and convenience. They also discuss the acceptance of Dive Talk Academy certifications globally and the exciting Dive Talk meetups packed with workshops and giveaways. Tune in for an enriching conversation about scuba diving, rebreathers, and the vibrant Dive Talk community.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:38):
Hey, welcome to the Deadfoot Diver today, and I am pleased to have on my podcast One of the, actually the greatest, uh, podcast for scuba diving, dive talk, Woody, how's it going? I Well, mean, the Gus.
Yeah.
it's, uh, you got 50 50 chance.
(01:00):
So that's, that was good.
.999Um, but no, like that intro that you're listening to the deadfoot diver that was pretty awesome. 7 00:01:08,249.999 --> 00:01:09,780 I don't, we don't have an intro like that.
We got to work on getting something better, I, I was actually lucky because, um, David Lee, the guy who does all the super cross and monster jam commercials, I was actually, I became disabled, actually moto crossing. 9 00:01:23,999.999 --> 00:01:24,579.999 I know.
(01:24):
I, I saw your intro.
I'm like, I'm like, I heard that voice before.
Now I, I get it.
It's the motocross guy or the.
.999What's at the uh, the monster truck monster jam, yep.
He does both of those. 16 00:01:37,24.999 --> 00:01:40,845 So I reached out to him and he actually recorded the intro for me.
.999And then the music is actually, uh, another, a song called another man's gun.
(01:47):
Um, which is, uh, by a performer up here named Ray Lyell, he had about four or five albums out and he actually was my guitar teacher.
Wow.
Yeah. 21 00:01:56,435.1 --> 00:01:58,214.9 Yeah.
Good job.
.999So thanks man.
So I'm so glad to have you on today. 25 00:02:03,974.999 --> 00:02:09,955 Hopefully I'm going to get Woody on here at some point too, but, um, this is awesome to have you on.
(02:09):
So tell me, how did you first get into diving and then it progressed into this big dive talk boom? So yeah, so I got into diving in 2018 I was going on vacation to Iceland with my wife and I looked up things to do in Iceland and number one was scuba diving I couldn't believe it.
I'm like who's diving in Freezing waters, apparently a lot of people.
(02:33):
So I found Silfra, which a lot of people are familiar with is in every divers like bucket list and I went and got certified, you know, um, dry suit certified, all that stuff.
.999And I went and dove at Silfra and I just like fell in love with it.
And I started diving every weekend. 31 00:02:49,884.999 --> 00:02:54,015 You know, I think on that first year I did like 250 dives or something like that.
(02:54):
And I just haven't stopped ever since.
.9995Um, just keep learning and try new things. 34 00:02:59,774.9995 --> 00:03:01,115 And I just haven't found.
Kind of the end of it.
I haven't, I haven't gotten to a point where I'm like, you know what? I'm happy.
I'm satisfied with what I know and what I do.
.999I I'm always constantly just looking for things to do and to learn.
And, um, luckily in scuba diving, there's always someone better than you and more experienced than you to learn from.
(03:17):
So.
I've been very lucky to have a lot of people like Woody, you mentioned in my life that are, have been great mentors.
And that's why I'm here.
That's amazing.
.9995So what, what gave you the idea to start dive talk up? Yeah. 45 00:03:31,229.9995 --> 00:03:37,690 So dive talk was kind of a by product of something that I was doing before, which was doing podcasts.
(03:37):
I, for my professional life, I work in it and I had a podcast for years before dive talk.
.9So I already had all the equipment, everything you're seeing right now, the camera, like all this microphone and stuff.
Stuff.
And I was doing podcasts on my own.
And then when I started driving down to Florida with Woody and we were talking about diving, diving for hours, I said, look, I think like.
(03:58):
Some people will be interested in listening to these conversations or participating in these conversations and I already have the equipment, like, why don't we just record something and the first episode we recorded together was about dive agencies and it was one of those things where people are always asking, like.
Should I go PADI? Should I go SSI? Like what agency do you recommend? And the two of us kind of agree that the agencies are not as relevant as the instructors.
(04:25):
If you have a good instructor, it doesn't really matter what agency they have.
.999You're going to have a good class and a good experience and perhaps learn really good skills. 55 00:04:33,109.999 --> 00:04:39,270 So we kind of recorded that conversation, put it out there and like a hundred people listened to it.
And we were like, whoa.
Like we thought like four of our friends maybe would listen to some of it.
And then all of a sudden a hundred people listen to it.
(04:47):
.999So we recorded episode two and then episode three.
.9995And after a while, they were like a thousand people listening to it. 61 00:04:52,554.9995 --> 00:05:07,570 And we're like, what is happening right now? Uh, so it was, um, it was one of those things that just evolved over time, but it was just a, a coincidence that I already had the equipment and Woody had been in radio before he, he does, um, investment and stuff like that.
(05:07):
.999He had like a show about personal investment and retirements and stuff like that.
And so he enjoyed talking into a microphone. 64 00:05:14,90.1 --> 00:05:14,990 I enjoyed it too.
And the two of us just started getting after it.
And here we are.
I mean, you guys have expanded so much.
I mean, you guys, uh, all the merchandise that you have, you have the dive talk Academy now that you guys just started, um, which I guess, are you guys just doing the nitrox and the rebreather Well, So, the goal of Divetalk Academy is to be an agency like other agencies in the market with a few things that make it, I think, More compatible with what people expect from dive agencies.
(05:50):
You know, when we started doing the show, like everything we've done in dive talk and everything we have created after that, like you mentioned the merch and dive talk Academy and the go rebreather and the meetup that we do every year, all of that came from direct feedback from listeners, from people that watch the show.
We realized that the problems that people see with the current agencies, like PADI SSI and all these other agencies are not likely to be solved by the agencies that introduced the problems to begin with. 71 00:06:19,209.999 --> 00:06:21,810 So somebody else had to come in and do something about it.
(06:21):
.999And that's where Dive Talk Academy came from.
.999It's directly from feedback.
Uh, we're not doing everything just like every other agency is doing.
If that was the case, there will be no point on doing that.
The merchandise came from that as well.
People seeing us wearing, you know, t shirts and stuff.
Hey, you know, I want one.
And we do give away a lot of t shirts when we meet with people.
.999Like if you're a DEMA, for example, and you stop by our booth or if we're walking around more than likely, we have t shirts and we give them away. 81 00:06:46,904.999 --> 00:06:51,275 And if we're down diving in Florida and somebody say, Hey, are you guys? And we, yep, here's the teacher.
(06:51):
We, we give them away.
But obviously if you live somewhere else where you don't have access to events like that, we made it.
So.
You can buy merchandise and represent the show.
We sell them a cost.
We don't need to charge you to do marketing for us.
Right? So, you know, everything that we're doing, the meetup is another example of that.
People are like, how can I dive with you guys? I will travel anywhere to dive with you.
(07:12):
Well, great.
Let's get together somewhere one week a year and let's dive together for a week.
So we've been doing that every year now for, this will be our fourth.
.3Let me see Florida, Cozumel, Bonaire, and now it's Roatan where we get together Over a hundred divers. 94 00:07:26,133.3 --> 00:07:28,580 We had 135 last year.
So it's a big group of people diving all together for a week and we bring in speakers and stuff like that because people want to listen from people that are experts, uh, in the industry.
(07:38):
.999So we bring people in and, uh, yeah, it's been, it's been a great rollercoaster.
.999So I don't know what, what else is in the future of dive talk. 98 00:07:46,514.999 --> 00:07:50,435 Like I said, everything we do, we obsessed, we obsess over our customers.
We obsess over the people that watch the show and.
If you look at the videos that we make, like the reaction videos, they all come from suggestions from the audience.
(08:00):
Hey, I want to hear what you guys think about this.
And then they send us a video and we record our reaction to it.
So dive talk is driven by the community and the people that watch it.
.999yeah, no, it's an, it's an awesome show. 105 00:08:11,329.999 --> 00:08:13,390 I, I love watching your episodes.
So, and the stuff that you guys get into, um, I have, I remember, uh, the one I watched about the, uh, the girl that got crushed in the dry suit and I was like, Terrible.
(08:25):
Oh my God.
.9So, but yeah, no, that's, that's a, it's also a really good thing that you guys do because you diagnose all these incidents that.
You know, and let's face it almost every, unless you have a medical emergency, every incidents diver related from making a mistake.
(08:45):
Yeah.
Or, or, or oversight, obviously nobody's starting a dive thinking that they're going to have an incident or, or get hurt or whatever.
.999I'm sure, you know, you got hurt doing motocross. 113 00:08:55,284.999 --> 00:08:59,295 You didn't expect that that was going to happen, right? Uh, there's always a risk.
twice.
Twice.
Okay.
Um, but yeah, I mean, what we try to do is we try to learn from videos that we react to if there's something to learn from them.
(09:09):
Sometimes the videos that we watch are just, there's nothing to learn from it other than don't do it.
.999You know, like when people go inside a cave and they're not cave train or have the proper equipment to do it, even when they survive and nothing happened, like they didn't get lost, they didn't drown or anything like that. 120 00:09:25,569.999 --> 00:09:27,630 It's still Please don't do that.
Like they got lucky.
That doesn't mean that you should do it too.
(09:30):
That kind of thing.
And we've always said that we're not the best divers.
.999I were not on dive talk saying we're elite divers and Navy SEALs.
Like, no, we're like regular divers that have these skills that we learned from other people that are way better than us. 127 00:09:45,69.999 --> 00:09:50,170 And then allows us to do these dives safely or as safe as possible.
(09:50):
Right.
So that's, that's really the, the idea behind the reaction to these videos is to teach people from what we're seeing on, on the videos that we're reacting to. 130 00:10:00,289.999 --> 00:10:00,559.999 Yeah.
.999Which is awesome. 132 00:10:01,299.999 --> 00:10:03,79.999 I mean, I love your format for that.
You guys have, so, so tell me about.
Let's talk about your new rebreather that go talk, go rebreather.
(10:12):
Yeah.
.999I mean, I'm pretty fascinated about it, especially since the pictures, I've seen it with the size, uh, for one thing and the fact that you can basically stick it into a suitcase.
So tell me about, of all things, how did you get involved in designing a rebreather? Yeah.
.9995That, that's a, that's an interesting story. 139 00:10:32,254.9995 --> 00:10:37,4.999 So basically we, the, the rereader was designed by Mike Young.
(10:37):
Right.
He is the creator of kiss rebreathers, like the sidewinder, the spirit, you know, he sold thousands and has designed many, many rebreathers in the past.
So basically the idea came from the feedback that we hear from people watching our channel and they see us diving rebreathers and there's always like one of those comments, like, I wish I could do rebreathers.
(11:01):
I wish I could dive rebreathers, but.
Insert reason here.
The number one reason was the price is just way too much money.
I don't have 10000.00
.999to buy a rebreather and get trained and all that.
I just can't afford it. 149 00:11:15,144.999 --> 00:11:15,895 That's number one.
Number two, the rebreather is too big.
I can't, you know, put this thing in my back.
Some of these rebreathers are 80 pounds, right? When you, when you have a mall set up, like how.
(11:25):
Many people can go up on a boat with 80 pounds on their back.
I'm sure there's a lot and people watching and criticizing us for doing that.
.999They're like, Oh, that's easy.
I can do, I'll do two of them.
Right.
.999I get it.
Um, but you know, and, and the other one was, I'm not a cave explorer diving for 10 hours.
Why do I need a rebreather? All the dives that I do that I do are like.
(11:50):
60 feet, 20 meter dives, just in the ocean, looking at pretty fish or drifting in Costa Mela, Florida.
Like those are the dives that I do.
Why would I spend all that money on a rebreather? So we took all that feedback and we reached out to Mike and said, you know, it would be awesome if somebody created a rebreather that works for the 99 percent of people and divers out there, divers and dives out there, rather than.
(12:15):
I don't know why for some reason rebreather manufacturers are obsessed with like, Oh, the founder is a cave explorer.
.9So we made this rebreather for him like, well, no, we, we didn't set out to create the goal as what is the best rebreather for Gus and Woody or for Mike or Ed or like some of these legends that are.
Part of Dive Talk, the Dive Talk family is we set out to create a unit that works for the 99 percent of people that won't be doing the kind of dives that Mike Young does because he's a world class cave explorer.
(12:46):
So that's when we got together with Mike and he had been working on a unit that wasn't specifically for a 99 percenters.
He had some other, um.
Kind of mission profile that he had in mind.
But when we started seeing the features that he was building into it, we realized that, man, this rebreather will be really awesome for the average diver. 171 00:13:08,334.999 --> 00:13:26,575 The, the person that is really struggling, for example, with surface air consumption rates and, and struggling with the fact that they go down and they run out of air faster than everyone and, you know, things like that, this rebreather really gives people the opportunity to experience what it's like to dive for two and a half hours.
(13:26):
And to be able to go down to 60 meters or now with the extension that we introduced this week, now you can go to a hundred meters and dive for six hours long.
.999Like imagine spending six hours underwater.
Um, it's amazing.
And the fact that it's so small, you know, Woody traveled to Germany.
We went to the boat show in Dusseldorf last week and he traveled to Germany on a carry on.
(13:50):
So a small bag and he had two full rebreathers inside of it.
Right.
It's unbelievable.
So those things, how easy it is to, you know, travel with how easy it is to don, because it attaches to any BCD you own.
.95That's another thing people are like, you look, I don't want to, it's not just the 10, 000 that rebreather their costs.
It's all the other gear that I have to buy to be able to dive in.
(14:13):
With the go, it works with whatever you own already.
It doesn't matter what BCD you own.
It doesn't matter what configuration you dive.
.999You can just clip it into your stuff and go dive.
.999Um, so all of those things is what really makes the rebreather shine.
.9So it's less expensive than every other unit in the market starts at 3, 500.
(14:33):
Where's most rebreather start at 7, 500, 10, 000.
So you can buy two or three goes for the price of another rebreather.
And the work of breathing is almost second to none.
Like we reviewed the work of breathing studies and independent studies done in 30 different units.
And the only other unit that scored better than the Dive Talk Go was the JJ CCR, which is.
(14:59):
A lot more money, let's just say, and a lot bigger, uh, than they go.
.9995So, and we actually issued a challenge, you know, we, we told people like, look, if you, if you're open to it, send us your rebreather and we can run the same tests in all the units. 196 00:15:14,504.9995 --> 00:15:16,025 So we can then confirm.
In fact, which one is the rebreather breathes the best that has the best work of breathing.
(15:21):
.999So, uh, the go is a simple unit with the best work of breathing out there and definitely the best price.
that's amazing.
Yeah.
And your price is definitely a lot cheaper.
And to have a unit that you can throw in a carry on bag.
That's a huge advantage.
.999I mean, you know, And it is, it is cheaper than other units, but we did that by making some changes that you don't see in the industry. 205 00:15:47,164.999 --> 00:15:49,205 One of them is we make things in bulk.
(15:49):
We made a lot of units, which reduces the price by the manufacturers.
We make everything in the U S.
Uh, the second thing is we work direct to consumers.
.9995So you can order from dive talk, which eliminates middleman that will mark up the prices, right? So there are a lot of things that we have done to reduce the price as much as possible. 210 00:16:07,599.9995 --> 00:16:12,859.899 And to be honest, when we started thinking about the rebreather, I want it to be less than 3, 000. 211 00:16:12,859.999 --> 00:16:16,080 I'm like, can we make this thing for less than 3000? Unfortunately.
(16:16):
Obviously inflation, all those things came in to kick us and we had to go a little bit above 3000 as a starting price, but even at 3500.
There's nothing like that in the market.
Like even semi closed rebreathers that nobody should buy, by the way, are way more than 3, 500.
So, uh, fully closed rebreather that you can dive for six hours is unheard of for 3, 500 bucks.
(16:40):
yeah, exactly.
And so for 3, 500 bucks, does that get you like everything you need to basically go to your test, go to your cert and dive in the water? No, I mean, you still have to get the training, uh, like every other unit, you have to get certified and the cost of training varies depending on where you live, right? The cost of training in the U S is.
Different than in Malaysia, for example, or Philippines or wherever you are.
(17:02):
So the cost varies depending on that.
It's a full rebreather class.
.9995There's no shortcuts. 222 00:17:06,699.9995 --> 00:17:10,439.999 So you will take a full rebreather class in order to, in order to get certified. 223 00:17:10,879.999 --> 00:17:15,749.999 But there are other parts that you have to get in order to dive a rebreather, like a computer, for example.
So.
We use Shearwater standard computers that are four pin.
So we didn't build that into the price because we want to give people the choice to either use an existing computer, like every KISS rebreather, for example, that I own uses the four pin.
(17:30):
So I didn't have to buy an extra computer or you can buy it used for cheaper.
Or if you're a dealer, for example, we know that a lot of these rebreathers are bought by shops that are dealers just buy directly from Shearwater.
And safe, you don't have to buy from us.
Right.
So we wanted to give people the choice.
.9995You can definitely buy the computer from us for whatever the prices is dictated by Shearwater, or you can just pick it up somewhere else. 233 00:17:54,444.9995 --> 00:17:59,075 So we didn't, we didn't force people into the price to buy a computer. 234 00:17:59,75.001 --> 00:18:00,695 You can just pick that up separately.
(18:00):
Uh, the same thing with the O2 tank.
Some people have small O2 tanks they can use.
You don't have to buy from us.
We obviously offer one, a 10.
4 cubic foot tank you can buy from us.
.999But if you already have like a 13 cubic foot laying around, it will work with a go, so you don't have to buy from us.
So there are a few things that we added as an option just so people can decide if they want to buy it from us.
(18:21):
Or directly from the dealer down the street.
If you have a local dealer that you'd rather buy the Shearwater computer from go ahead and do that.
Right.
We gave you the option.
So, uh, the 3, 500 doesn't include those things.
Yeah.
.999Which that's still good though. 249 00:18:33,819.999 --> 00:18:36,970 Cause it gives you a lot of flexibility with it on what you want for your build.
So.
Yeah.
.999I mean, fully spec'd out.
.999Like if you add computer tank, everything, it's still cheaper than the starting point of the next rebreather up. 254 00:18:44,564.999 --> 00:18:46,495 I mean, it's, it's still inexpensive.
(18:46):
Um, no matter how you see it.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Um, I mean, what, what's it, what do you guys do as far as, uh, like how long's the, uh, training course and the, uh, how many dives and stuff do you guys do with it? Yeah, it depends on whether you're already rebreather certified or not.
.999If you're already certified on a rebreather, you have a crossover class, which is shorter than the regular class.
(19:10):
But again, this depends on the instructor and how they do it.
Some instructors will just do it four or five days in a row.
Uh, some instructors will do, you know, initially a couple of dives and then break it into like multiple weekends.
So it really depends.
On the instructor, we have minimums and our minimums are decided or designated by RESA, which is the rebreather education and safety association.
(19:35):
They set up the minimum standards for all rebreather manufacturers.
So we abide by them.
So we follow the same training and same minimum standards that all the manufacturers follow.
So it really depends on whether you're certified or not.
And whether you're doing a crossover or a full class.
And is your, because your unit's smaller, um, is it less maintenance on it as well? Like how long does it take you to like prep it and Uh, I wouldn't say it's less maintenance or more maintenance.
(20:06):
You know, you, you do have the yearly maintenance that you do in every unit.
And we actually introduced, uh, um, something that I've never heard of in the industry, which is as long as you do the regular scheduled maintenance every year, we will guarantee the unit for life. 273 00:20:20,304.999 --> 00:20:23,935 So it's lifetime warranty, uh, on the unit because.
Again, you know, one of the things that we wanted to eliminate is some of the reasons why people have in, even in some cases, fatalities with rebreathers, which is poor maintenance, right? So we're encouraging people like, please maintain your unit.
(20:38):
.999And as long as you do it, we will guarantee it for life.
So you own a go for five years and you're, I don't know, your MAD doesn't work right, or your ADD starts acting up.
We will replace it or fix it or whatever for free, as long as you maintain this unit.
You know, every year and, and stay on top of it.
Yeah.
So, um, I don't think it's more maintenance.
(20:59):
I would say perhaps it's more encouraged for you to do the maintenance because we want you to, you know, dive equipment that is following, uh, manufacturer specs, but, um, it's no, no more or less than other, uh, at least the way other equipment should be maintained.
.999Um, just because it's smaller now, it's still a rebreather.
(21:20):
You have to maintain it.
Yeah, that that's amazing though, that you guys have managed to, uh, get it down like that.
Um, you know, I definitely, I definitely want to try one of your rebreathers at some point, uh, especially, especially as far as, uh, cost.
Factor goes, um, cause like you said, you know, I, I know I'm actually going to try a rebreather for the first time in the next month or so.
(21:49):
.999So, um, yeah, a friend of mine, Matt at Dan's dive shop, he's going to actually do a pool session for me and we're going to video it cause.
When I started doing this whole thing, I was like, I'm not doing rebreather.
There's, I'm terrified on rebreathers, which is funny because when I was younger, it was when I was first into diving back in the nineties, like, Oh yeah, I'd try that right when it was like mega expensive and really hard to get training.
(22:15):
And then now when I started, it's like, okay, we'll see.
But now I actually do want to try them.
And I absolutely want to try yours at some point because.
First of all, the weight, which would be a huge difference for me because of my legs and stuff like that, um, We're talking about 22 pounds, 22 pounds fully assemble, right? With sorb, with everything.
(22:40):
The tank, the whole unit.
And actually, I was talking to Akim, who's our instructor in Europe, and he said that his unit, he hasn't been able to hit 22 pounds.
Uh, the most that he's he's gotten is about.
18 pounds fully assembled and filled with sorb.
Uh, again, in the water is neutral.
You don't, it doesn't wait anything, uh, in the water is only when you're getting from, let's say you're the bench on your boat to jump in the water.
(23:07):
I mean, having something that is 20 pounds on you versus 80 really, really helps. 301 00:23:13,994.999 --> 00:23:24,555 Oh yeah, especially when you're somebody like me who's pinned and plated up majorly and doesn't have that much flexibility, right? I mean, that's the whole reason I'm going to sidemount diving this year.
Is because of my legs and up here in Georgian Bay, where I do most of my diving, it's all, especially if I'm doing shore dives, it's all rock.
(23:34):
So it's not fun for me to get in.
.9995I do not look pretty when I get in. 305 00:23:38,999.9995 --> 00:23:42,695 I usually end up going a couple of steps, then Yeah.
.999down and then dragging myself towards deeper water. 307 00:23:46,189.999 --> 00:23:51,490 So 20 pounds would be amazing for me for anything.
Yeah.
It's only like 10 pounds when it's empty.
(23:54):
So like for travel and stuff, it's like super lightweight.
Uh, but I'm glad that you're doing a tried rebreather.
.999That's what I tell people.
Like, you know, don't, don't just judge any unit, not just the go, but any unit.
Don't judge it just by what you see or you read on the internet and advice from experts, uh, out in the internet, go and try it on your own, uh, schedule it, try rebreather, try it out and see if you like it or not.
(24:18):
Uh, the go is a very specific unit that blows people's minds when they try it. 316 00:24:24,405.1 --> 00:24:26,855 And it's one of those things that he's like, this thing is so tiny.
Like, how can it be good? And then you try it in the water and you're like, Whoa, this thing is amazing.
And I think it's a testament to the genius of Mike Young.
I think Mike is one of the most underrated, you know, um, engineers, uh, minds out in diving.
(24:42):
I mean, he can create anything.
He's unbelievable.
And I don't think people really, a lot of people don't.
Understand or appreciate what he's able to accomplish, not just with a go, but across his career.
I mean, he's been designing rebooters for decades at this point.
Yeah, I, I've heard that actually, I reached out to him the other day.
.999I'm hoping to get him on at some point to talk about his sidewinder and stuff like that.
(25:05):
Yeah. 328 00:25:06,684.999 --> 00:25:07,384.999 Hi, everyone. 329 00:25:07,384.999 --> 00:25:09,444.999 Thanks for tuning in to the Deadfoot Diver. 330 00:25:09,814.999 --> 00:25:10,904.999 Subscribe and share. 331 00:25:10,964.999 --> 00:25:12,654.999 Your support means the world to me. 332 00:25:13,194.999 --> 00:25:17,454.999 If you'd like to contribute directly, you can do so at the link in the description at buymeacoffee. 333 00:25:18,94.999 --> 00:25:31,914.999 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. 334 00:25:32,204.999 --> 00:25:34,984.999 Bringing you on even more exciting adventures. 335 00:25:36,394.999 --> 00:25:45,424.9985 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. 336 00:25:45,424.9985 --> 00:25:46,134.998 Keep you down. 337 00:25:46,517.999 --> 00:25:55,528 Um, so, cause I, I know rebreather still have a lot of, uh, negative connotations with a lot of people.
(25:55):
And I mean, when I first started diving again this year after being out of it for so long, cause I was out of it for like 26 years, basically.
And, um, I was, I was shocked at actually why, I mean, I think overall in general, I was shocked at the amount that sort of technical diving has progressed period.
And then how it's merging with recreational a lot more, like never in a million years did I ever think I would see PADI teaching rebreather courses or anything like that, you know? Yeah.
(26:27):
I mean, I think, I think it's becoming a lot more common and mainstream.
It really depends also.
Like I think, uh, you know, like I mentioned last week we were at the boat show in Germany and it seems like Europe is a lot more friendly and, and open to rebreathers, like, and even some countries within Europe seem to be a lot more common to find rebreather divers and others, maybe not as common.
(26:51):
But, uh, yeah, it's, it's becoming a lot more mainstream.
I think a lot more people are interested in and looking into it.
.999I always tell people that in my opinion, diving rebreathers is safer than diving open circuit, just because you carry open circuit for emergency.
So even if your rebreather completely fails, you have a full open circuit set up.
(27:12):
To fall back into, whereas when you have open circuit and your entire open circuit fails, your, uh, do you have your body and hopefully make it to the surface, you know? Um, so I think rebreathers are safer to dive and I've caught a lot of slack for this, for the statements.
I still believe it.
And, um, yeah, I mean, I think a lot more people are interested in, in, in looking into it and I encourage everyone to do it again, even if the go is not the right fit, because I don't think the dive talk go is the right fit for everyone.
(27:40):
There's people out there that are like, but I dive in super tight caves.
Well, the dive to go wasn't designed to go into super tight caves.
The sidewinder is a great unit for that.
.9995And other side Mount rebreathers are great units for that. 355 00:27:52,202.9995 --> 00:27:55,513 I think that there are tools for every situation.
.95The goal was designed for the 99 or 99. 357 00:27:59,572.95 --> 00:28:07,773 9 percent of divers who just jump off a boat or shore dive, go down, look at pretty fish for a couple hours and then come back out.
(28:07):
It's not.
You know, it's not one of those units that are designed for super tight cave exploration.
Now, having said that it's a full technical rebreather.
I mean, it can go to 330 feet for six hours.
So you can do some technical dives with the dive talk go. 363 00:28:24,547.999 --> 00:28:27,248 But again, it's not for everyone. 364 00:28:27,387.999 --> 00:28:32,748 Uh, there are some people out there that should find another tool and, and, um, it will work for them better.
(28:32):
And, and so be it.
.999Well, the, the other reason that I, I've started more taking more interest in rebreathers is because, um, I, when I got back into diving again, I was just getting out of technical diving when getting into technical diving, when I stopped diving back in the nineties.
And, um, I decided to probably about after about five or six dives this year, it's like, I know I'm going to end up doing some technical stuff.
(29:00):
I was, I, as soon as I put the tank back on, but, um, I think the thing with me with it was that, um, with the rebreather is.
I was, uh, chatting with, uh, Greg Hilliard, who owns, um, subsea propulsion systems up here, the DPV, uh, retailer is a friend of mine and he has a charter boat. 370 00:29:22,632.999 --> 00:29:24,263 That's like an hour north of me.
(29:24):
Actually, it's on my way to Tobermory.
.9995So he does a lot of technical stuff. 373 00:29:28,852.9995 --> 00:29:29,553 So I said.
Okay.
Here's a wreck I want to do on your boat.
What do I need for certifications? What do I need for gas? All that type of stuff.
Right.
And if I'm doing it on open circuit, so he gave me a list of the stuff.
And when we got to the gas, he's like, okay, are you sitting down? and hundreds of dollars every dive.
(29:48):
Yeah.
It was, it was literally for a 20 minute bottom time on this wreck was going to cost me like 350 to 400 bucks in gas.
Yeah.
Gassy, you're not going to get back, you know, you breathe it out and he goes away.
So he's, uh, and then, and then right in the next line, he's like, okay, now on my rebreather and he gave me the cost size rebreather, then he said, yeah, Yeah. 385 00:30:19,242.999 --> 00:30:21,173 that's a bit of a price difference there.
(30:21):
.9Even, even my wife is starting to harden, less harden her opinion on rebreathers.
After I told her that and the cost factor involved with, uh, gas and how much helium is like, I was stunned.
I was like, how does anybody even do open circuit try mix anymore at that I know it's, it's insane.
And, and again, it's, it's an, it's an investment upfront because you do have to buy a rebreather and you do have to go get certified.
(30:46):
I mean, there's some costs upfront, but over time, if you're doing trimix dives, then it's going to pay by itself.
But not only that, it's just the added, the added experience, even if you're in open circuit, you know, you're not doing a six hour dive in open circuit.
That would be thousands of dollars worth of gas, you know? So.
You get access to much more, uh, you know, doing a two hour drift dive.
(31:10):
That's easy with a go.
You don't even need the extension.
.999You can just jump in the water and do a two hour drift dive. 397 00:31:16,142.999 --> 00:31:19,693 Whereas before for you or for some people that was unheard of.
.9995It's like the best I can get is 30 minutes. 399 00:31:21,622.9995 --> 00:31:24,573 Well, now you can do two hours, two and a half hours, no problem.
So yes, there is money upfront.
It's going to cost you, but also you gain all these abilities and capabilities that you didn't have before with OpenCircuit.
(31:33):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And like you said, not only that, I mean, every person that I've interviewed so far for my podcast that, uh, teaches rebreathers. 405 00:31:42,847.999 --> 00:31:46,212.999 And I mean, I've had Jill Heinerthon, John Chatterton, saw that. 406 00:31:47,197.999 --> 00:31:47,858 I've had.
Uh, yeah, I've got a pretty, I've been lucky.
I've got a pretty stellar to line then, and then me, right here at the bottom, after I You come from that high and then crash.
(32:01):
Well, not only that's like that, after I said to my wife, I said, okay, this might be hard to keep up with this guest list after I'm starting off. 410 00:32:08,563.001 --> 00:32:09,282.999 So thanks. 411 00:32:09,283.099 --> 00:32:09,797.9 So.
Yeah.
.9995Uh, uh, Well, the good news is that whoever you has, whoever you have after me will be better, better diver, better everything. 414 00:32:18,857.9995 --> 00:32:19,578 So we're good.
So you're starting, you're, you're going on the way up again.
(32:22):
right, so I get to laugh again.
So, um, yeah, so I'm actually really looking forward to doing some rebreather stuff because Everybody I've had on has said that, no, you got to try this.
It's actually way safer than scuba.
.999So, uh, yeah, I am looking forward to actually trying it this year and see what's happening with it.
(32:47):
And, uh, you know, I probably, probably cost wise and stuff.
I'm more interested in your unit than a lot of the other units I've checked out for sure cost wise, but not only that, because of the weight and the portability of it.
Because I can just pick it up and take it anywhere with me, which is a huge advantage that you definitely cannot get on a scuba stuff. 423 00:33:09,528.1 --> 00:33:10,923 Not absolutely.
(33:10):
And I, like I said, I think the cost obviously is, is very attractive to people.
The fact that it costs sometimes half or a third of some of these bigger units, right? That's huge.
But it doesn't matter if it costs half, if the rebreather itself was terrible, right? If the work of breathing was horrible, if the rebreather was flooding or failing every time you try to go dive, if it was poor quality, then it just wouldn't make sense even for half the price.
(33:34):
But that's what we're telling people.
You just go and try it.
So you can see that, yeah, it's nothing like that.
that, you got a lifetime warranty on it, like nobody does that for stuff like that.
.999So like, I mean, right there, that's a big, that's a big thing for people, especially at the cost of a rebreather and how much the parts are and stuff like that for.
(33:58):
Correct.
So how many, uh, what's going to be up for Dive Talk Academy? Are you guys going to start doing like more different courses and stuff? Yeah.
I mean, eventually we think Dive Talk Academy is going to grow into a full fledged agency and it's always interesting where people ask us, so, well, are you a member of RSTC? The RSTC, which is the Recreational Scuba Training Council, um, is the group that is made by the large agencies, PADI, SSI, et cetera.
(34:31):
And this little club they have created, it's basically designing a way that doesn't really allow for easy access by new agencies.
.999For example, one of the requirements is that we have to be an agency for four years before we can even apply to become members of RSTC.
So even if we want it, even if we want it to be RSTC members, just like Patty and everyone else, uh, we can't do it for four years.
(34:58):
So, which is difficult because when you're trying to take training, they're basically discouraging people from taking training through agencies that are not RSTC members. 439 00:35:09,117.999 --> 00:35:18,028 So how, how are you going around and saying you shouldn't take training with agencies that are not members, but by the way, you cannot be a member for four years.
(35:18):
So it's like, well, now what do we do? Um, so what we did is from the beginning, Woody and I decided that we're going to follow and exceed.
All standards set by RSTC, ISO and RESA, which is the rebreather educational, uh, and safety, um, association, as we mentioned before.
So we're following all the standards.
(35:38):
.999All of our classes follow the standards that all these big agencies follow.
So the idea is when we get to.
Four years or whenever it is, if we decide to be members of RSTC, then we can become members with all of our classes.
So right now we have only two classes live, which are nitrox and the GO rebreather training course.
But, uh, we are getting very close to releasing the advanced nitrox and decompression procedures class, which people that are taking nitrox are asking for.
(36:07):
They want to how can I Take it to the next level using nitrox for decompression and doing longer dives and taking stages with me and whatnot.
So Woody, and I are working on releasing that and eventually yes, to open water, nine unlimited visibility rescue, like all the.
Uh, specialties, and we have partnered up with Interspace Explorers.
(36:30):
I don't know if you're familiar with them, but it's an agency that is a DIR agency is on par with, you know, GUE and Unified Team Diving and all of those other DIR agencies that teach the highest level of technical diving.
So we're partnering up with them to introduce technical classes through Dive Talk Academy.
The first one will be Dive Talk Fundamentals, which is.
(36:52):
You know, it's comparable with GUE fundamentals or the, uh, basis of exploration, the BOE class, which is part of inner, inner space explorers. 455 00:37:03,617.999 --> 00:37:11,608 So we're going to be introducing this class that is designed to take people's skills to the next level, right? Even if you're a diver, you've been diving for years.
.999You're going to come to this class and we're going to take it to.
(37:14):
Explorer level.
That's why it's called basis of explorations on their inner space explorer.
.999And then we will be able to, uh, help people gain even better and, and higher skills through the partnership that we will have with inner space explorers.
So one thing that we knew when we started the DIVE Talk Academy is that Woody and I are not gurus and experts on any of this stuff.
(37:37):
So we're partnering up with actual experts in the industry.
To create every class and to, you know, bring in instructors that have been doing this for a lot longer than us.
Um, so every class that you will see in dive talk academy will be on their heavy influence from industry experts. 464 00:37:54,712.999 --> 00:37:59,347.9 And obviously including the experience that Woody and I have had over the years.
(37:59):
I only started diving, you know, in 2018.
So it hasn't been as long as Woody.
.999Woody has been diving for 50 years and has been instructing for way longer than I've been a diver.
.999So there's definitely experience, but we're still bringing in expertise from other places.
And I think that is the biggest benefit of dive talk is that he has opened the doors for us to meet and work with literally the greatest people out there.
(38:23):
Uh, and they will influence everything we do as part of the academy.
Yeah.
Which, which is awesome.
I mean, that's the one thing I found about doing this podcast.
.999I mean, the amount of people I've met and who I've met has been incredible and who I now can bounce ideas off and like, Hey, what should I do for this? So, you know, it's, it's awesome that way. 475 00:38:46,337.999 --> 00:38:51,368 And that's really good that you guys are going to, um, expand that way and not expand too quickly.
(38:52):
Um, so do you think you're gonna have, have you, did you guys run in any flack about when you launched any of your certs about, well, we're not going to accept you as a new cert type thing with it? Well, we know that RSTC.
Agencies only accept each other's, you know, certifications in terms of reciprocity.
(39:16):
.999So like, if you are going to take a dry suit class through PADI and you're an open water from SSI, they will accept that and teach you the dry suit class.
Like we know that we, within agencies, there's reciprocity as long as you're a member of RSCC.
But when it comes to accepting the certifications and the cards, the agencies don't really.
(39:37):
Matter as much as the operators themselves, right? That when you go and you want to go diving, will this boat accept my go certification class or will this operator fill my tanks with nitrox if I have a dive talk academy card? And the answer is yes.
I, we haven't found any place in the world now, Woody and I have been diving all over the place where we have in question or denied our certifications.
(40:03):
And for me is awesome because I am dive talk academy diver number two.
So it was, it's so much easier now when I go to like Ginny Springs or whatever, and he says certification number, and I just put number two.
It's awesome. 486 00:40:17,197.999 --> 00:40:19,977.999 Uh, it's been, it's been great to memorize that.
So we haven't caught any flack from anyone.
Um, however, we do remain open minded to the fact that, you know, you go dive in, in Turkey or some other place where they don't even know Dive Talk exists.
(40:33):
.9They may be like, wait, is this legit or whatever? And we make it easy for people to reach us out so we can, you know, talk to dive centers that may.
Find an issue with it or whatever.
We just have it.
Uh, we've been lucky and I get it.
You know, Dive Talk Academy is not that big.
.9995We only have a little over a hundred people certified so far. 495 00:40:53,182.9995 --> 00:40:55,063 We only launched last year in August.
(40:55):
.9995So, you know, once that goes into the thousands or whatever, perhaps we will start seeing more reports. 497 00:41:01,402.9995 --> 00:41:02,573.0105556 But as of now, we've been pretty lucky. 498 00:41:02,573.0105556 --> 00:41:05,753 We have someone who has dived the go in like.
I don't know, like four different continents, like 20 countries or whatever.
And they've had no issues, uh, Egypt, like, Oh, just all over the place.
.999And, uh, dive talk, uh, academy certification is accepted by, by agents, by sorry, operators all over the world.
(41:22):
.2904762Again, I think it really helps that we have from day one, followed all the standards that all the other agencies follow, even though we didn't have to, because we're not members of RSTC.
We decided to do it anyway.
And, um, that has paid off.
.9995Yeah, I know. 506 00:41:36,267.9995 --> 00:41:44,178 I was impressed when I was looking at the Dive Talk Academy website, cause you guys even have your rebreather manuals right up there for anybody to go through and look at.
(41:44):
Which is really good.
So, um, yeah, I, I definitely, definitely want to try one of your rear rebreathers at some point.
So maybe we can set something up.
I am in Florida for DEMA or something.
And we'll, uh, Yeah.
We actually have a shop.
Uh, one of our, our, um, instructors in Orlando is doing a try rebreather, I believe this week, and they have over 20 people coming in and, and trying it out.
(42:09):
.9995So, uh, we're very, very excited. 515 00:42:11,337.9995 --> 00:42:19,718 And, uh, I know that we're about to set one up in Europe with Akim leading in Germany, I think two or three locations after the show,boat show, we had like.
Over 40 people that wanted to try it.
So yeah, it's all, it's all like, it's just words.
And I get it.
I agree with you.
This is all just words.
Oh yeah.
The degree is so great.
Whatever.
The rebreather is awesome.
(42:30):
Go try it.
Right.
Once you try it, you'll want to get one.
.999Uh, yeah, that was my experience with Mike. 529 00:42:37,793.001 --> 00:42:38,952.999 Let me try the prototype.
It wasn't even called the go.
Then he didn't even have a name and I just jumped in a pool and I tried it on a pool for the first time.
It was the very first one ever made.
And it was amazing.
I was in love with it immediately.
(42:50):
It was the easiest work of breathing I've ever felt.
It was just so great.
And I still feel it when I jump in the ocean or in a cave, because I've taken to go cave diving too. 538 00:43:00,602.999 --> 00:43:02,772.999 And it's just awesome.
It, there's nothing easier to breathe out there.
.9It's so good.
So yeah, if you have a chance, go try it.
(43:10):
yeah, absolutely.
I'm, I'm definitely going to put it on my list.
Um, especially if I do end up looking at a rebreather as well, cause I mean, yours will be the top on the list because of a price for sure. 545 00:43:23,602.999 --> 00:43:26,243 Uh, that definitely opens it up to a lot of people.
Also saves a lot of marriages, I would say.
(43:31):
So, so does your wife scuba dive? No, No.
she's not, she's not interested.
Uh, my wife is, and I'm sure a lot of, a lot of people identify with this. 550 00:43:43,937.999 --> 00:43:49,177.999 She's, she prefers to lay in the sun, reading a book than actually being in the ocean.
Like, it's always funny because we've been on vacation.
Like I remember we went on a vacation to Antigua, which is an Island in the Caribbean.
(43:55):
Like the water looks photoshop.
It's like the bluest water I've ever seen.
And like, I've been all over the world and Antigua is still number one for me in terms of the beauty of the water.
.9995And she never got in the ocean. 557 00:44:06,412.9995 --> 00:44:10,043 I'm like, what we could have, you could have laying the sun at home in Atlanta.
Like it's the same sun.
Like, why are, why are we here in this Island? Uh, whereas for me, like I, I am attracted to the water.
(44:18):
I've been like that since I was a kid, I started competitive swimming when I was five.
I, you know, play water polo.
Like I was always in a pool.
.999I love it. 564 00:44:27,287.999 --> 00:44:29,447.9995 Uh, but she is not like me. 565 00:44:29,447.9995 --> 00:44:31,968 She's, she has never been really super interested.
Um, I wish she was, but at the same time, if she was, then I have to carry twice the equipment and dealing with twice a tank.
(44:39):
So.
I don't know.
It's like pros and cons, you know, yeah, yeah.
But see, I, I'm in sort of an opposite situation to you.
My, my wife used to be a diver.
She's actually done all kinds of cave diving and stuff like that before we met.
And then, uh, she ended up getting COVID.
She no longer, she's got asthma now, so she can't dive.
(45:01):
Um, yeah, I know, I know it sucks.
.9995Cause I'd have a built in dive buddy anytime I wanted. 577 00:45:07,537.9995 --> 00:45:07,627.999 Right.
I know.
But, um, but I'm at, she's living vicariously through me and supporting all of this stuff, crazy stuff.
So I'm lucky that way.
But what, what does your wife think about you doing all this technical diving? She's not I know that once shes not a big fan esspecially whenwhen we go in, you know, cave exploration trips and things.
(45:34):
You know, the, the whole thought of me going into a hole that no human has ever been into that could collapse, you know, on top of me and bury me alive like that.
I mean, she understands that that's always a risk and.
You know, fortunately, that's not something that happened from day one.
It's one of those things where it's like you dial it little by little, you know, uh, where you became, you become a cavern diver and you do that for a while.
(46:00):
.001And then you start doing some cave diving and it's very, you know, in big caves and, you know, that kind of thing. 587 00:46:05,778.001 --> 00:46:11,048 And little by little, you just keep dipping your toes into, you know, more advanced things.
And, you know, now, for example, we're about to go into my fifth.
Uh, exploration trip where we're going to be mapping and diving in virgin caves, which is pretty cool.
(46:21):
So, uh, at this point I've laid line in, you know, thousands and thousands of feet of line in caves.
And, you know, I, I really, really love it. 592 00:46:29,317.999 --> 00:46:39,77.9 So it's one of those things that I think every time I go on a trip and I come back and come back with nothing but positive and great stories, you know, she's getting more used to it.
But, um, the other thing is, you know, she has had the opportunity to meet the wives of people like Mike Young, for example, Sherry, who, you know, they have the opportunity to talk.
(46:48):
And like, when you compare the dives that I do with the dives Mike has done, obviously he's a world class elite cave explorer.
.999I'm not.
Uh, so she has the ability to talk to people like Sherry and, and understand her perspective.
And I think that has really helped, but she's not a huge fan.
.999Like if I stopped diving tomorrow, I think she would be happy.
Uh, but she supports me.
(47:09):
You know, and she's able to stay at home with the kids.
We have three kids here at home.
And, uh, so she supports that at the same time.
I don't abuse it.
You know, I'm not diving every weekend out the way I used to, when I learned how to dive, I've, I've, uh, kind of cut down a lot. 605 00:47:23,72.999 --> 00:47:31,163 I do it once a month, but, uh, every time a month, Just once a month, but every time I do it, I go for it.
(47:31):
You know, I really try to do something big, something good.
And, um, I really enjoy it. 608 00:47:36,892.999 --> 00:47:39,993 And people enjoy it too, because we put it out on dive talk and they get to watch.
Oh yeah, no, that's awesome.
I mean, plus you work full time it still, right? I do.
Yeah, unfortunately.
And I can say, I can say that openly because I, I own my own company.
(47:52):
It's not like I'm my own boss.
I'm not going to get fired by myself.
So I, I can, I can say that I wish I could just dive full time and do YouTube full time, but, uh, yeah, we're nowhere near that. 616 00:48:02,383.1 --> 00:48:06,228 Well, No, but that's still awesome.
I mean, I do it as well, so I hear you there.
(48:12):
So yeah, no, that's amazing.
Well, I would really like to thank you for coming on today, Gus. 620 00:48:18,487.999 --> 00:48:22,788 It's been an awesome pleasure to catch up to you and dive talk and stuff.
And have you, have you guys got any big events planned coming up by the way, before I forget.
we have the meetup coming up, uh, which is in July.
(48:33):
It's going to be in Roatan.
We will have over a hundred people there.
Hopefully we get to 200 people going there.
We have amazing speakers.
We have tons of giveaways.
.999Last year we gave away four rebreathers, by the way, uh, 4 rebreathers.
four rebreathers, yeah, as part of 71 prizes. 630 00:48:49,922.999 --> 00:48:51,983 The other prizes were also very cool.
We gave away dive watches and all kinds of stuff over 5, 000 in Orca torch lights we gave away as well.
(48:59):
Uh, so we.
Yeah, we gave a lot of stuff away last year and this year will be the same thing.
We're already, we're already have some cool stuff lined up, uh, to give away.
.999So that is the next big thing that we have.
We always have, you know, little things here and there opportunities to go into awesome dives.
.999Like I mentioned, we're about to go into our fifth expedition trip to Mexico and.
(49:21):
We, uh, we have more stuff coming in April and may and, and whatever.
There's always, like I said, once a month we have something going.
Uh, but the next big thing will be the meetup in July, which we're really looking forward to.
Wow.
That's really cool.
I'll have to check and see if I can catch one of those.
.9995Maybe I'll win a rebreather yeah, that's amazing. 645 00:49:40,427.9995 --> 00:49:49,238 It's every time people are like, you know, they, they, uh, they go to the meetup and then they end up, you know, coming back with thousands of dollars worth of prices, which is, which is pretty cool.
(49:49):
Oh yeah, that's, that's definitely awesome.
Cause let's face it, dive stuff is not cheap these days.
Yeah.
And from day one, you know, we, we have sponsors like Orca torch has sponsored the meetup, um, you know, um, deep six, uh, we've had sponsored the meetup.
.9995We've had kiss rebreathers, sponsored the meetup. 651 00:50:06,872.9995 --> 00:50:13,132.999 And all we do is we go to all these companies and say, we want you to sponsor this meetup, but don't give us any money, just give us stuff to give away.
(50:13):
That's all we ask for.
So we have never taken a single dollar from any company to sponsor the meetup.
All we ask for is give me stuff to give away and we'll give it away to the attendees.
So that's how we're able to get some of the price, not all of them.
.999Some other ones we just pay for it ourselves.
.9Like obviously our rebreathers that we gave away.
Nobody's going to buy those, right.
(50:33):
There are dive talk rebreathers and we've given away several kids rebreathers last year, for example, we gave away a sidewinder too.
.999So whenever that's released, we're the winner.
We'll get a sidewinder too.
.999Um, so yeah, I mean, some of these units are not sponsored.
.9995We pay for it, but I think it's all part of the experience. 664 00:50:50,737.9995 --> 00:50:58,208 You know, the dive talk meetups are a week of just amazing workshops, amazing speakers and giveaways every day.
(50:58):
There's something going on within a treatment buoyancy workshop.
Uh, or masterclass.
I think we call it where we got one on one me and Woody and others experts, you know, that were there jumping with you on the water and help you get your trim and buoyancy.
Let you know, you look like a cave diver, no matter how new you are in the sport or not.
.999Uh, so we work with everyone to help them with their gear and everything to be set up and be in proper trim and buoyancy.
(51:22):
We did some, uh, practicing on SMB deployment or DSMB deployments.
Uh, this year we have.
Mike doing clinics about equipment maintenance, for example, regulator maintenance and stuff like that.
.9995All of that, all of those workshops are included as part of the trip. 674 00:51:38,102.9995 --> 00:51:41,723 So it's not a regular dive trip where you just go and dive and go to sleep.
.999This is every day.
(51:43):
.999There's something, and it's all a celebration of the dive talk community.
So Woody and I look forward to this week, like for months, like as soon as the meetup is over and we pick the next destination, all we do is like, man, I wish the meetup was next week.
I always admit like we're.
Always looking forward to it because we get to spend a week diving with the people that watch our channel and we love it.
.999Yeah, which is awesome.
(52:05):
That's super cool.
.999Well, thank you very much, Gus, for coming on today. 683 00:52:11,102.999 --> 00:52:12,323 I really appreciate it.
It's been amazing to talk to you and remember everybody, thanks for watching.
And, uh, Gus's links to Dive Talk are going to be down below.
And thanks everybody.
And remember to like share and subscribe.
Hey, welcome to the Deadfoot Diver today, and I am pleased to have on my podcast One of the, actually the greatest, uh, podcast for scuba diving, dive talk, Woody, how's it going? I Well, mean, the Gus.
Yeah.
it's, uh, you got 50 50 chance.
(01:00):
So that's, that was good.
.999Um, but no, like that intro that you're listening to the deadfoot diver that was pretty awesome. 7 00:01:08,249.999 --> 00:01:09,780 I don't, we don't have an intro like that.
We got to work on getting something better, I, I was actually lucky because, um, David Lee, the guy who does all the super cross and monster jam commercials, I was actually, I became disabled, actually moto crossing. 9 00:01:23,999.999 --> 00:01:24,579.999 I know.
(01:24):
I, I saw your intro.
I'm like, I'm like, I heard that voice before.
Now I, I get it.
It's the motocross guy or the.
.999What's at the uh, the monster truck monster jam, yep.
He does both of those. 16 00:01:37,24.999 --> 00:01:40,845 So I reached out to him and he actually recorded the intro for me.
.999And then the music is actually, uh, another, a song called another man's gun.
(01:47):
Um, which is, uh, by a performer up here named Ray Lyell, he had about four or five albums out and he actually was my guitar teacher.
Wow.
Yeah. 21 00:01:56,435.1 --> 00:01:58,214.9 Yeah.
Good job.
.999So thanks man.
So I'm so glad to have you on today. 25 00:02:03,974.999 --> 00:02:09,955 Hopefully I'm going to get Woody on here at some point too, but, um, this is awesome to have you on.
(02:09):
So tell me, how did you first get into diving and then it progressed into this big dive talk boom? So yeah, so I got into diving in 2018 I was going on vacation to Iceland with my wife and I looked up things to do in Iceland and number one was scuba diving I couldn't believe it.
I'm like who's diving in Freezing waters, apparently a lot of people.
(02:33):
So I found Silfra, which a lot of people are familiar with is in every divers like bucket list and I went and got certified, you know, um, dry suit certified, all that stuff.
.999And I went and dove at Silfra and I just like fell in love with it.
And I started diving every weekend. 31 00:02:49,884.999 --> 00:02:54,015 You know, I think on that first year I did like 250 dives or something like that.
(02:54):
And I just haven't stopped ever since.
.9995Um, just keep learning and try new things. 34 00:02:59,774.9995 --> 00:03:01,115 And I just haven't found.
Kind of the end of it.
I haven't, I haven't gotten to a point where I'm like, you know what? I'm happy.
I'm satisfied with what I know and what I do.
.999I I'm always constantly just looking for things to do and to learn.
And, um, luckily in scuba diving, there's always someone better than you and more experienced than you to learn from.
(03:17):
So.
I've been very lucky to have a lot of people like Woody, you mentioned in my life that are, have been great mentors.
And that's why I'm here.
That's amazing.
.9995So what, what gave you the idea to start dive talk up? Yeah. 45 00:03:31,229.9995 --> 00:03:37,690 So dive talk was kind of a by product of something that I was doing before, which was doing podcasts.
(03:37):
I, for my professional life, I work in it and I had a podcast for years before dive talk.
.9So I already had all the equipment, everything you're seeing right now, the camera, like all this microphone and stuff.
Stuff.
And I was doing podcasts on my own.
And then when I started driving down to Florida with Woody and we were talking about diving, diving for hours, I said, look, I think like.
(03:58):
Some people will be interested in listening to these conversations or participating in these conversations and I already have the equipment, like, why don't we just record something and the first episode we recorded together was about dive agencies and it was one of those things where people are always asking, like.
Should I go PADI? Should I go SSI? Like what agency do you recommend? And the two of us kind of agree that the agencies are not as relevant as the instructors.
(04:25):
If you have a good instructor, it doesn't really matter what agency they have.
.999You're going to have a good class and a good experience and perhaps learn really good skills. 55 00:04:33,109.999 --> 00:04:39,270 So we kind of recorded that conversation, put it out there and like a hundred people listened to it.
And we were like, whoa.
Like we thought like four of our friends maybe would listen to some of it.
And then all of a sudden a hundred people listen to it.
(04:47):
.999So we recorded episode two and then episode three.
.9995And after a while, they were like a thousand people listening to it. 61 00:04:52,554.9995 --> 00:05:07,570 And we're like, what is happening right now? Uh, so it was, um, it was one of those things that just evolved over time, but it was just a, a coincidence that I already had the equipment and Woody had been in radio before he, he does, um, investment and stuff like that.
(05:07):
.999He had like a show about personal investment and retirements and stuff like that.
And so he enjoyed talking into a microphone. 64 00:05:14,90.1 --> 00:05:14,990 I enjoyed it too.
And the two of us just started getting after it.
And here we are.
I mean, you guys have expanded so much.
I mean, you guys, uh, all the merchandise that you have, you have the dive talk Academy now that you guys just started, um, which I guess, are you guys just doing the nitrox and the rebreather Well, So, the goal of Divetalk Academy is to be an agency like other agencies in the market with a few things that make it, I think, More compatible with what people expect from dive agencies.
(05:50):
You know, when we started doing the show, like everything we've done in dive talk and everything we have created after that, like you mentioned the merch and dive talk Academy and the go rebreather and the meetup that we do every year, all of that came from direct feedback from listeners, from people that watch the show.
We realized that the problems that people see with the current agencies, like PADI SSI and all these other agencies are not likely to be solved by the agencies that introduced the problems to begin with. 71 00:06:19,209.999 --> 00:06:21,810 So somebody else had to come in and do something about it.
(06:21):
.999And that's where Dive Talk Academy came from.
.999It's directly from feedback.
Uh, we're not doing everything just like every other agency is doing.
If that was the case, there will be no point on doing that.
The merchandise came from that as well.
People seeing us wearing, you know, t shirts and stuff.
Hey, you know, I want one.
And we do give away a lot of t shirts when we meet with people.
.999Like if you're a DEMA, for example, and you stop by our booth or if we're walking around more than likely, we have t shirts and we give them away. 81 00:06:46,904.999 --> 00:06:51,275 And if we're down diving in Florida and somebody say, Hey, are you guys? And we, yep, here's the teacher.
(06:51):
We, we give them away.
But obviously if you live somewhere else where you don't have access to events like that, we made it.
So.
You can buy merchandise and represent the show.
We sell them a cost.
We don't need to charge you to do marketing for us.
Right? So, you know, everything that we're doing, the meetup is another example of that.
People are like, how can I dive with you guys? I will travel anywhere to dive with you.
(07:12):
Well, great.
Let's get together somewhere one week a year and let's dive together for a week.
So we've been doing that every year now for, this will be our fourth.
.3Let me see Florida, Cozumel, Bonaire, and now it's Roatan where we get together Over a hundred divers. 94 00:07:26,133.3 --> 00:07:28,580 We had 135 last year.
So it's a big group of people diving all together for a week and we bring in speakers and stuff like that because people want to listen from people that are experts, uh, in the industry.
(07:38):
.999So we bring people in and, uh, yeah, it's been, it's been a great rollercoaster.
.999So I don't know what, what else is in the future of dive talk. 98 00:07:46,514.999 --> 00:07:50,435 Like I said, everything we do, we obsessed, we obsess over our customers.
We obsess over the people that watch the show and.
If you look at the videos that we make, like the reaction videos, they all come from suggestions from the audience.
(08:00):
Hey, I want to hear what you guys think about this.
And then they send us a video and we record our reaction to it.
So dive talk is driven by the community and the people that watch it.
.999yeah, no, it's an, it's an awesome show. 105 00:08:11,329.999 --> 00:08:13,390 I, I love watching your episodes.
So, and the stuff that you guys get into, um, I have, I remember, uh, the one I watched about the, uh, the girl that got crushed in the dry suit and I was like, Terrible.
(08:25):
Oh my God.
.9So, but yeah, no, that's, that's a, it's also a really good thing that you guys do because you diagnose all these incidents that.
You know, and let's face it almost every, unless you have a medical emergency, every incidents diver related from making a mistake.
(08:45):
Yeah.
Or, or, or oversight, obviously nobody's starting a dive thinking that they're going to have an incident or, or get hurt or whatever.
.999I'm sure, you know, you got hurt doing motocross. 113 00:08:55,284.999 --> 00:08:59,295 You didn't expect that that was going to happen, right? Uh, there's always a risk.
twice.
Twice.
Okay.
Um, but yeah, I mean, what we try to do is we try to learn from videos that we react to if there's something to learn from them.
(09:09):
Sometimes the videos that we watch are just, there's nothing to learn from it other than don't do it.
.999You know, like when people go inside a cave and they're not cave train or have the proper equipment to do it, even when they survive and nothing happened, like they didn't get lost, they didn't drown or anything like that. 120 00:09:25,569.999 --> 00:09:27,630 It's still Please don't do that.
Like they got lucky.
That doesn't mean that you should do it too.
(09:30):
That kind of thing.
And we've always said that we're not the best divers.
.999I were not on dive talk saying we're elite divers and Navy SEALs.
Like, no, we're like regular divers that have these skills that we learned from other people that are way better than us. 127 00:09:45,69.999 --> 00:09:50,170 And then allows us to do these dives safely or as safe as possible.
(09:50):
Right.
So that's, that's really the, the idea behind the reaction to these videos is to teach people from what we're seeing on, on the videos that we're reacting to. 130 00:10:00,289.999 --> 00:10:00,559.999 Yeah.
.999Which is awesome. 132 00:10:01,299.999 --> 00:10:03,79.999 I mean, I love your format for that.
You guys have, so, so tell me about.
Let's talk about your new rebreather that go talk, go rebreather.
(10:12):
Yeah.
.999I mean, I'm pretty fascinated about it, especially since the pictures, I've seen it with the size, uh, for one thing and the fact that you can basically stick it into a suitcase.
So tell me about, of all things, how did you get involved in designing a rebreather? Yeah.
.9995That, that's a, that's an interesting story. 139 00:10:32,254.9995 --> 00:10:37,4.999 So basically we, the, the rereader was designed by Mike Young.
(10:37):
Right.
He is the creator of kiss rebreathers, like the sidewinder, the spirit, you know, he sold thousands and has designed many, many rebreathers in the past.
So basically the idea came from the feedback that we hear from people watching our channel and they see us diving rebreathers and there's always like one of those comments, like, I wish I could do rebreathers.
(11:01):
I wish I could dive rebreathers, but.
Insert reason here.
The number one reason was the price is just way too much money.
I don't have 10000.00
.999to buy a rebreather and get trained and all that.
I just can't afford it. 149 00:11:15,144.999 --> 00:11:15,895 That's number one.
Number two, the rebreather is too big.
I can't, you know, put this thing in my back.
Some of these rebreathers are 80 pounds, right? When you, when you have a mall set up, like how.
(11:25):
Many people can go up on a boat with 80 pounds on their back.
I'm sure there's a lot and people watching and criticizing us for doing that.
.999They're like, Oh, that's easy.
I can do, I'll do two of them.
Right.
.999I get it.
Um, but you know, and, and the other one was, I'm not a cave explorer diving for 10 hours.
Why do I need a rebreather? All the dives that I do that I do are like.
(11:50):
60 feet, 20 meter dives, just in the ocean, looking at pretty fish or drifting in Costa Mela, Florida.
Like those are the dives that I do.
Why would I spend all that money on a rebreather? So we took all that feedback and we reached out to Mike and said, you know, it would be awesome if somebody created a rebreather that works for the 99 percent of people and divers out there, divers and dives out there, rather than.
(12:15):
I don't know why for some reason rebreather manufacturers are obsessed with like, Oh, the founder is a cave explorer.
.9So we made this rebreather for him like, well, no, we, we didn't set out to create the goal as what is the best rebreather for Gus and Woody or for Mike or Ed or like some of these legends that are.
Part of Dive Talk, the Dive Talk family is we set out to create a unit that works for the 99 percent of people that won't be doing the kind of dives that Mike Young does because he's a world class cave explorer.
(12:46):
So that's when we got together with Mike and he had been working on a unit that wasn't specifically for a 99 percenters.
He had some other, um.
Kind of mission profile that he had in mind.
But when we started seeing the features that he was building into it, we realized that, man, this rebreather will be really awesome for the average diver. 171 00:13:08,334.999 --> 00:13:26,575 The, the person that is really struggling, for example, with surface air consumption rates and, and struggling with the fact that they go down and they run out of air faster than everyone and, you know, things like that, this rebreather really gives people the opportunity to experience what it's like to dive for two and a half hours.
(13:26):
And to be able to go down to 60 meters or now with the extension that we introduced this week, now you can go to a hundred meters and dive for six hours long.
.999Like imagine spending six hours underwater.
Um, it's amazing.
And the fact that it's so small, you know, Woody traveled to Germany.
We went to the boat show in Dusseldorf last week and he traveled to Germany on a carry on.
(13:50):
So a small bag and he had two full rebreathers inside of it.
Right.
It's unbelievable.
So those things, how easy it is to, you know, travel with how easy it is to don, because it attaches to any BCD you own.
.95That's another thing people are like, you look, I don't want to, it's not just the 10, 000 that rebreather their costs.
It's all the other gear that I have to buy to be able to dive in.
(14:13):
With the go, it works with whatever you own already.
It doesn't matter what BCD you own.
It doesn't matter what configuration you dive.
.999You can just clip it into your stuff and go dive.
.999Um, so all of those things is what really makes the rebreather shine.
.9So it's less expensive than every other unit in the market starts at 3, 500.
(14:33):
Where's most rebreather start at 7, 500, 10, 000.
So you can buy two or three goes for the price of another rebreather.
And the work of breathing is almost second to none.
Like we reviewed the work of breathing studies and independent studies done in 30 different units.
And the only other unit that scored better than the Dive Talk Go was the JJ CCR, which is.
(14:59):
A lot more money, let's just say, and a lot bigger, uh, than they go.
.9995So, and we actually issued a challenge, you know, we, we told people like, look, if you, if you're open to it, send us your rebreather and we can run the same tests in all the units. 196 00:15:14,504.9995 --> 00:15:16,025 So we can then confirm.
In fact, which one is the rebreather breathes the best that has the best work of breathing.
(15:21):
.999So, uh, the go is a simple unit with the best work of breathing out there and definitely the best price.
that's amazing.
Yeah.
And your price is definitely a lot cheaper.
And to have a unit that you can throw in a carry on bag.
That's a huge advantage.
.999I mean, you know, And it is, it is cheaper than other units, but we did that by making some changes that you don't see in the industry. 205 00:15:47,164.999 --> 00:15:49,205 One of them is we make things in bulk.
(15:49):
We made a lot of units, which reduces the price by the manufacturers.
We make everything in the U S.
Uh, the second thing is we work direct to consumers.
.9995So you can order from dive talk, which eliminates middleman that will mark up the prices, right? So there are a lot of things that we have done to reduce the price as much as possible. 210 00:16:07,599.9995 --> 00:16:12,859.899 And to be honest, when we started thinking about the rebreather, I want it to be less than 3, 000. 211 00:16:12,859.999 --> 00:16:16,080 I'm like, can we make this thing for less than 3000? Unfortunately.
(16:16):
Obviously inflation, all those things came in to kick us and we had to go a little bit above 3000 as a starting price, but even at 3500.
There's nothing like that in the market.
Like even semi closed rebreathers that nobody should buy, by the way, are way more than 3, 500.
So, uh, fully closed rebreather that you can dive for six hours is unheard of for 3, 500 bucks.
(16:40):
yeah, exactly.
And so for 3, 500 bucks, does that get you like everything you need to basically go to your test, go to your cert and dive in the water? No, I mean, you still have to get the training, uh, like every other unit, you have to get certified and the cost of training varies depending on where you live, right? The cost of training in the U S is.
Different than in Malaysia, for example, or Philippines or wherever you are.
(17:02):
So the cost varies depending on that.
It's a full rebreather class.
.9995There's no shortcuts. 222 00:17:06,699.9995 --> 00:17:10,439.999 So you will take a full rebreather class in order to, in order to get certified. 223 00:17:10,879.999 --> 00:17:15,749.999 But there are other parts that you have to get in order to dive a rebreather, like a computer, for example.
So.
We use Shearwater standard computers that are four pin.
So we didn't build that into the price because we want to give people the choice to either use an existing computer, like every KISS rebreather, for example, that I own uses the four pin.
(17:30):
So I didn't have to buy an extra computer or you can buy it used for cheaper.
Or if you're a dealer, for example, we know that a lot of these rebreathers are bought by shops that are dealers just buy directly from Shearwater.
And safe, you don't have to buy from us.
Right.
So we wanted to give people the choice.
.9995You can definitely buy the computer from us for whatever the prices is dictated by Shearwater, or you can just pick it up somewhere else. 233 00:17:54,444.9995 --> 00:17:59,075 So we didn't, we didn't force people into the price to buy a computer. 234 00:17:59,75.001 --> 00:18:00,695 You can just pick that up separately.
(18:00):
Uh, the same thing with the O2 tank.
Some people have small O2 tanks they can use.
You don't have to buy from us.
We obviously offer one, a 10.
4 cubic foot tank you can buy from us.
.999But if you already have like a 13 cubic foot laying around, it will work with a go, so you don't have to buy from us.
So there are a few things that we added as an option just so people can decide if they want to buy it from us.
(18:21):
Or directly from the dealer down the street.
If you have a local dealer that you'd rather buy the Shearwater computer from go ahead and do that.
Right.
We gave you the option.
So, uh, the 3, 500 doesn't include those things.
Yeah.
.999Which that's still good though. 249 00:18:33,819.999 --> 00:18:36,970 Cause it gives you a lot of flexibility with it on what you want for your build.
So.
Yeah.
.999I mean, fully spec'd out.
.999Like if you add computer tank, everything, it's still cheaper than the starting point of the next rebreather up. 254 00:18:44,564.999 --> 00:18:46,495 I mean, it's, it's still inexpensive.
(18:46):
Um, no matter how you see it.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Um, I mean, what, what's it, what do you guys do as far as, uh, like how long's the, uh, training course and the, uh, how many dives and stuff do you guys do with it? Yeah, it depends on whether you're already rebreather certified or not.
.999If you're already certified on a rebreather, you have a crossover class, which is shorter than the regular class.
(19:10):
But again, this depends on the instructor and how they do it.
Some instructors will just do it four or five days in a row.
Uh, some instructors will do, you know, initially a couple of dives and then break it into like multiple weekends.
So it really depends.
On the instructor, we have minimums and our minimums are decided or designated by RESA, which is the rebreather education and safety association.
(19:35):
They set up the minimum standards for all rebreather manufacturers.
So we abide by them.
So we follow the same training and same minimum standards that all the manufacturers follow.
So it really depends on whether you're certified or not.
And whether you're doing a crossover or a full class.
And is your, because your unit's smaller, um, is it less maintenance on it as well? Like how long does it take you to like prep it and Uh, I wouldn't say it's less maintenance or more maintenance.
(20:06):
You know, you, you do have the yearly maintenance that you do in every unit.
And we actually introduced, uh, um, something that I've never heard of in the industry, which is as long as you do the regular scheduled maintenance every year, we will guarantee the unit for life. 273 00:20:20,304.999 --> 00:20:23,935 So it's lifetime warranty, uh, on the unit because.
Again, you know, one of the things that we wanted to eliminate is some of the reasons why people have in, even in some cases, fatalities with rebreathers, which is poor maintenance, right? So we're encouraging people like, please maintain your unit.
(20:38):
.999And as long as you do it, we will guarantee it for life.
So you own a go for five years and you're, I don't know, your MAD doesn't work right, or your ADD starts acting up.
We will replace it or fix it or whatever for free, as long as you maintain this unit.
You know, every year and, and stay on top of it.
Yeah.
So, um, I don't think it's more maintenance.
(20:59):
I would say perhaps it's more encouraged for you to do the maintenance because we want you to, you know, dive equipment that is following, uh, manufacturer specs, but, um, it's no, no more or less than other, uh, at least the way other equipment should be maintained.
.999Um, just because it's smaller now, it's still a rebreather.
(21:20):
You have to maintain it.
Yeah, that that's amazing though, that you guys have managed to, uh, get it down like that.
Um, you know, I definitely, I definitely want to try one of your rebreathers at some point, uh, especially, especially as far as, uh, cost.
Factor goes, um, cause like you said, you know, I, I know I'm actually going to try a rebreather for the first time in the next month or so.
(21:49):
.999So, um, yeah, a friend of mine, Matt at Dan's dive shop, he's going to actually do a pool session for me and we're going to video it cause.
When I started doing this whole thing, I was like, I'm not doing rebreather.
There's, I'm terrified on rebreathers, which is funny because when I was younger, it was when I was first into diving back in the nineties, like, Oh yeah, I'd try that right when it was like mega expensive and really hard to get training.
(22:15):
And then now when I started, it's like, okay, we'll see.
But now I actually do want to try them.
And I absolutely want to try yours at some point because.
First of all, the weight, which would be a huge difference for me because of my legs and stuff like that, um, We're talking about 22 pounds, 22 pounds fully assemble, right? With sorb, with everything.
(22:40):
The tank, the whole unit.
And actually, I was talking to Akim, who's our instructor in Europe, and he said that his unit, he hasn't been able to hit 22 pounds.
Uh, the most that he's he's gotten is about.
18 pounds fully assembled and filled with sorb.
Uh, again, in the water is neutral.
You don't, it doesn't wait anything, uh, in the water is only when you're getting from, let's say you're the bench on your boat to jump in the water.
(23:07):
I mean, having something that is 20 pounds on you versus 80 really, really helps. 301 00:23:13,994.999 --> 00:23:24,555 Oh yeah, especially when you're somebody like me who's pinned and plated up majorly and doesn't have that much flexibility, right? I mean, that's the whole reason I'm going to sidemount diving this year.
Is because of my legs and up here in Georgian Bay, where I do most of my diving, it's all, especially if I'm doing shore dives, it's all rock.
(23:34):
So it's not fun for me to get in.
.9995I do not look pretty when I get in. 305 00:23:38,999.9995 --> 00:23:42,695 I usually end up going a couple of steps, then Yeah.
.999down and then dragging myself towards deeper water. 307 00:23:46,189.999 --> 00:23:51,490 So 20 pounds would be amazing for me for anything.
Yeah.
It's only like 10 pounds when it's empty.
(23:54):
So like for travel and stuff, it's like super lightweight.
Uh, but I'm glad that you're doing a tried rebreather.
.999That's what I tell people.
Like, you know, don't, don't just judge any unit, not just the go, but any unit.
Don't judge it just by what you see or you read on the internet and advice from experts, uh, out in the internet, go and try it on your own, uh, schedule it, try rebreather, try it out and see if you like it or not.
(24:18):
Uh, the go is a very specific unit that blows people's minds when they try it. 316 00:24:24,405.1 --> 00:24:26,855 And it's one of those things that he's like, this thing is so tiny.
Like, how can it be good? And then you try it in the water and you're like, Whoa, this thing is amazing.
And I think it's a testament to the genius of Mike Young.
I think Mike is one of the most underrated, you know, um, engineers, uh, minds out in diving.
(24:42):
I mean, he can create anything.
He's unbelievable.
And I don't think people really, a lot of people don't.
Understand or appreciate what he's able to accomplish, not just with a go, but across his career.
I mean, he's been designing rebooters for decades at this point.
Yeah, I, I've heard that actually, I reached out to him the other day.
.999I'm hoping to get him on at some point to talk about his sidewinder and stuff like that.
(25:05):
Yeah. 328 00:25:06,684.999 --> 00:25:07,384.999 Hi, everyone. 329 00:25:07,384.999 --> 00:25:09,444.999 Thanks for tuning in to the Deadfoot Diver. 330 00:25:09,814.999 --> 00:25:10,904.999 Subscribe and share. 331 00:25:10,964.999 --> 00:25:12,654.999 Your support means the world to me. 332 00:25:13,194.999 --> 00:25:17,454.999 If you'd like to contribute directly, you can do so at the link in the description at buymeacoffee. 333 00:25:18,94.999 --> 00:25:31,914.999 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. 334 00:25:32,204.999 --> 00:25:34,984.999 Bringing you on even more exciting adventures. 335 00:25:36,394.999 --> 00:25:45,424.9985 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. 336 00:25:45,424.9985 --> 00:25:46,134.998 Keep you down. 337 00:25:46,517.999 --> 00:25:55,528 Um, so, cause I, I know rebreather still have a lot of, uh, negative connotations with a lot of people.
(25:55):
And I mean, when I first started diving again this year after being out of it for so long, cause I was out of it for like 26 years, basically.
And, um, I was, I was shocked at actually why, I mean, I think overall in general, I was shocked at the amount that sort of technical diving has progressed period.
And then how it's merging with recreational a lot more, like never in a million years did I ever think I would see PADI teaching rebreather courses or anything like that, you know? Yeah.
(26:27):
I mean, I think, I think it's becoming a lot more common and mainstream.
It really depends also.
Like I think, uh, you know, like I mentioned last week we were at the boat show in Germany and it seems like Europe is a lot more friendly and, and open to rebreathers, like, and even some countries within Europe seem to be a lot more common to find rebreather divers and others, maybe not as common.
(26:51):
But, uh, yeah, it's, it's becoming a lot more mainstream.
I think a lot more people are interested in and looking into it.
.999I always tell people that in my opinion, diving rebreathers is safer than diving open circuit, just because you carry open circuit for emergency.
So even if your rebreather completely fails, you have a full open circuit set up.
(27:12):
To fall back into, whereas when you have open circuit and your entire open circuit fails, your, uh, do you have your body and hopefully make it to the surface, you know? Um, so I think rebreathers are safer to dive and I've caught a lot of slack for this, for the statements.
I still believe it.
And, um, yeah, I mean, I think a lot more people are interested in, in, in looking into it and I encourage everyone to do it again, even if the go is not the right fit, because I don't think the dive talk go is the right fit for everyone.
(27:40):
There's people out there that are like, but I dive in super tight caves.
Well, the dive to go wasn't designed to go into super tight caves.
The sidewinder is a great unit for that.
.9995And other side Mount rebreathers are great units for that. 355 00:27:52,202.9995 --> 00:27:55,513 I think that there are tools for every situation.
.95The goal was designed for the 99 or 99. 357 00:27:59,572.95 --> 00:28:07,773 9 percent of divers who just jump off a boat or shore dive, go down, look at pretty fish for a couple hours and then come back out.
(28:07):
It's not.
You know, it's not one of those units that are designed for super tight cave exploration.
Now, having said that it's a full technical rebreather.
I mean, it can go to 330 feet for six hours.
So you can do some technical dives with the dive talk go. 363 00:28:24,547.999 --> 00:28:27,248 But again, it's not for everyone. 364 00:28:27,387.999 --> 00:28:32,748 Uh, there are some people out there that should find another tool and, and, um, it will work for them better.
(28:32):
And, and so be it.
.999Well, the, the other reason that I, I've started more taking more interest in rebreathers is because, um, I, when I got back into diving again, I was just getting out of technical diving when getting into technical diving, when I stopped diving back in the nineties.
And, um, I decided to probably about after about five or six dives this year, it's like, I know I'm going to end up doing some technical stuff.
(29:00):
I was, I, as soon as I put the tank back on, but, um, I think the thing with me with it was that, um, with the rebreather is.
I was, uh, chatting with, uh, Greg Hilliard, who owns, um, subsea propulsion systems up here, the DPV, uh, retailer is a friend of mine and he has a charter boat. 370 00:29:22,632.999 --> 00:29:24,263 That's like an hour north of me.
(29:24):
Actually, it's on my way to Tobermory.
.9995So he does a lot of technical stuff. 373 00:29:28,852.9995 --> 00:29:29,553 So I said.
Okay.
Here's a wreck I want to do on your boat.
What do I need for certifications? What do I need for gas? All that type of stuff.
Right.
And if I'm doing it on open circuit, so he gave me a list of the stuff.
And when we got to the gas, he's like, okay, are you sitting down? and hundreds of dollars every dive.
(29:48):
Yeah.
It was, it was literally for a 20 minute bottom time on this wreck was going to cost me like 350 to 400 bucks in gas.
Yeah.
Gassy, you're not going to get back, you know, you breathe it out and he goes away.
So he's, uh, and then, and then right in the next line, he's like, okay, now on my rebreather and he gave me the cost size rebreather, then he said, yeah, Yeah. 385 00:30:19,242.999 --> 00:30:21,173 that's a bit of a price difference there.
(30:21):
.9Even, even my wife is starting to harden, less harden her opinion on rebreathers.
After I told her that and the cost factor involved with, uh, gas and how much helium is like, I was stunned.
I was like, how does anybody even do open circuit try mix anymore at that I know it's, it's insane.
And, and again, it's, it's an, it's an investment upfront because you do have to buy a rebreather and you do have to go get certified.
(30:46):
I mean, there's some costs upfront, but over time, if you're doing trimix dives, then it's going to pay by itself.
But not only that, it's just the added, the added experience, even if you're in open circuit, you know, you're not doing a six hour dive in open circuit.
That would be thousands of dollars worth of gas, you know? So.
You get access to much more, uh, you know, doing a two hour drift dive.
(31:10):
That's easy with a go.
You don't even need the extension.
.999You can just jump in the water and do a two hour drift dive. 397 00:31:16,142.999 --> 00:31:19,693 Whereas before for you or for some people that was unheard of.
.9995It's like the best I can get is 30 minutes. 399 00:31:21,622.9995 --> 00:31:24,573 Well, now you can do two hours, two and a half hours, no problem.
So yes, there is money upfront.
It's going to cost you, but also you gain all these abilities and capabilities that you didn't have before with OpenCircuit.
(31:33):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And like you said, not only that, I mean, every person that I've interviewed so far for my podcast that, uh, teaches rebreathers. 405 00:31:42,847.999 --> 00:31:46,212.999 And I mean, I've had Jill Heinerthon, John Chatterton, saw that. 406 00:31:47,197.999 --> 00:31:47,858 I've had.
Uh, yeah, I've got a pretty, I've been lucky.
I've got a pretty stellar to line then, and then me, right here at the bottom, after I You come from that high and then crash.
(32:01):
Well, not only that's like that, after I said to my wife, I said, okay, this might be hard to keep up with this guest list after I'm starting off. 410 00:32:08,563.001 --> 00:32:09,282.999 So thanks. 411 00:32:09,283.099 --> 00:32:09,797.9 So.
Yeah.
.9995Uh, uh, Well, the good news is that whoever you has, whoever you have after me will be better, better diver, better everything. 414 00:32:18,857.9995 --> 00:32:19,578 So we're good.
So you're starting, you're, you're going on the way up again.
(32:22):
right, so I get to laugh again.
So, um, yeah, so I'm actually really looking forward to doing some rebreather stuff because Everybody I've had on has said that, no, you got to try this.
It's actually way safer than scuba.
.999So, uh, yeah, I am looking forward to actually trying it this year and see what's happening with it.
(32:47):
And, uh, you know, I probably, probably cost wise and stuff.
I'm more interested in your unit than a lot of the other units I've checked out for sure cost wise, but not only that, because of the weight and the portability of it.
Because I can just pick it up and take it anywhere with me, which is a huge advantage that you definitely cannot get on a scuba stuff. 423 00:33:09,528.1 --> 00:33:10,923 Not absolutely.
(33:10):
And I, like I said, I think the cost obviously is, is very attractive to people.
The fact that it costs sometimes half or a third of some of these bigger units, right? That's huge.
But it doesn't matter if it costs half, if the rebreather itself was terrible, right? If the work of breathing was horrible, if the rebreather was flooding or failing every time you try to go dive, if it was poor quality, then it just wouldn't make sense even for half the price.
(33:34):
But that's what we're telling people.
You just go and try it.
So you can see that, yeah, it's nothing like that.
that, you got a lifetime warranty on it, like nobody does that for stuff like that.
.999So like, I mean, right there, that's a big, that's a big thing for people, especially at the cost of a rebreather and how much the parts are and stuff like that for.
(33:58):
Correct.
So how many, uh, what's going to be up for Dive Talk Academy? Are you guys going to start doing like more different courses and stuff? Yeah.
I mean, eventually we think Dive Talk Academy is going to grow into a full fledged agency and it's always interesting where people ask us, so, well, are you a member of RSTC? The RSTC, which is the Recreational Scuba Training Council, um, is the group that is made by the large agencies, PADI, SSI, et cetera.
(34:31):
And this little club they have created, it's basically designing a way that doesn't really allow for easy access by new agencies.
.999For example, one of the requirements is that we have to be an agency for four years before we can even apply to become members of RSTC.
So even if we want it, even if we want it to be RSTC members, just like Patty and everyone else, uh, we can't do it for four years.
(34:58):
So, which is difficult because when you're trying to take training, they're basically discouraging people from taking training through agencies that are not RSTC members. 439 00:35:09,117.999 --> 00:35:18,028 So how, how are you going around and saying you shouldn't take training with agencies that are not members, but by the way, you cannot be a member for four years.
(35:18):
So it's like, well, now what do we do? Um, so what we did is from the beginning, Woody and I decided that we're going to follow and exceed.
All standards set by RSTC, ISO and RESA, which is the rebreather educational, uh, and safety, um, association, as we mentioned before.
So we're following all the standards.
(35:38):
.999All of our classes follow the standards that all these big agencies follow.
So the idea is when we get to.
Four years or whenever it is, if we decide to be members of RSTC, then we can become members with all of our classes.
So right now we have only two classes live, which are nitrox and the GO rebreather training course.
But, uh, we are getting very close to releasing the advanced nitrox and decompression procedures class, which people that are taking nitrox are asking for.
(36:07):
They want to how can I Take it to the next level using nitrox for decompression and doing longer dives and taking stages with me and whatnot.
So Woody, and I are working on releasing that and eventually yes, to open water, nine unlimited visibility rescue, like all the.
Uh, specialties, and we have partnered up with Interspace Explorers.
(36:30):
I don't know if you're familiar with them, but it's an agency that is a DIR agency is on par with, you know, GUE and Unified Team Diving and all of those other DIR agencies that teach the highest level of technical diving.
So we're partnering up with them to introduce technical classes through Dive Talk Academy.
The first one will be Dive Talk Fundamentals, which is.
(36:52):
You know, it's comparable with GUE fundamentals or the, uh, basis of exploration, the BOE class, which is part of inner, inner space explorers. 455 00:37:03,617.999 --> 00:37:11,608 So we're going to be introducing this class that is designed to take people's skills to the next level, right? Even if you're a diver, you've been diving for years.
.999You're going to come to this class and we're going to take it to.
(37:14):
Explorer level.
That's why it's called basis of explorations on their inner space explorer.
.999And then we will be able to, uh, help people gain even better and, and higher skills through the partnership that we will have with inner space explorers.
So one thing that we knew when we started the DIVE Talk Academy is that Woody and I are not gurus and experts on any of this stuff.
(37:37):
So we're partnering up with actual experts in the industry.
To create every class and to, you know, bring in instructors that have been doing this for a lot longer than us.
Um, so every class that you will see in dive talk academy will be on their heavy influence from industry experts. 464 00:37:54,712.999 --> 00:37:59,347.9 And obviously including the experience that Woody and I have had over the years.
(37:59):
I only started diving, you know, in 2018.
So it hasn't been as long as Woody.
.999Woody has been diving for 50 years and has been instructing for way longer than I've been a diver.
.999So there's definitely experience, but we're still bringing in expertise from other places.
And I think that is the biggest benefit of dive talk is that he has opened the doors for us to meet and work with literally the greatest people out there.
(38:23):
Uh, and they will influence everything we do as part of the academy.
Yeah.
Which, which is awesome.
I mean, that's the one thing I found about doing this podcast.
.999I mean, the amount of people I've met and who I've met has been incredible and who I now can bounce ideas off and like, Hey, what should I do for this? So, you know, it's, it's awesome that way. 475 00:38:46,337.999 --> 00:38:51,368 And that's really good that you guys are going to, um, expand that way and not expand too quickly.
(38:52):
Um, so do you think you're gonna have, have you, did you guys run in any flack about when you launched any of your certs about, well, we're not going to accept you as a new cert type thing with it? Well, we know that RSTC.
Agencies only accept each other's, you know, certifications in terms of reciprocity.
(39:16):
.999So like, if you are going to take a dry suit class through PADI and you're an open water from SSI, they will accept that and teach you the dry suit class.
Like we know that we, within agencies, there's reciprocity as long as you're a member of RSCC.
But when it comes to accepting the certifications and the cards, the agencies don't really.
(39:37):
Matter as much as the operators themselves, right? That when you go and you want to go diving, will this boat accept my go certification class or will this operator fill my tanks with nitrox if I have a dive talk academy card? And the answer is yes.
I, we haven't found any place in the world now, Woody and I have been diving all over the place where we have in question or denied our certifications.
(40:03):
And for me is awesome because I am dive talk academy diver number two.
So it was, it's so much easier now when I go to like Ginny Springs or whatever, and he says certification number, and I just put number two.
It's awesome. 486 00:40:17,197.999 --> 00:40:19,977.999 Uh, it's been, it's been great to memorize that.
So we haven't caught any flack from anyone.
Um, however, we do remain open minded to the fact that, you know, you go dive in, in Turkey or some other place where they don't even know Dive Talk exists.
(40:33):
.9They may be like, wait, is this legit or whatever? And we make it easy for people to reach us out so we can, you know, talk to dive centers that may.
Find an issue with it or whatever.
We just have it.
Uh, we've been lucky and I get it.
You know, Dive Talk Academy is not that big.
.9995We only have a little over a hundred people certified so far. 495 00:40:53,182.9995 --> 00:40:55,063 We only launched last year in August.
(40:55):
.9995So, you know, once that goes into the thousands or whatever, perhaps we will start seeing more reports. 497 00:41:01,402.9995 --> 00:41:02,573.0105556 But as of now, we've been pretty lucky. 498 00:41:02,573.0105556 --> 00:41:05,753 We have someone who has dived the go in like.
I don't know, like four different continents, like 20 countries or whatever.
And they've had no issues, uh, Egypt, like, Oh, just all over the place.
.999And, uh, dive talk, uh, academy certification is accepted by, by agents, by sorry, operators all over the world.
(41:22):
.2904762Again, I think it really helps that we have from day one, followed all the standards that all the other agencies follow, even though we didn't have to, because we're not members of RSTC.
We decided to do it anyway.
And, um, that has paid off.
.9995Yeah, I know. 506 00:41:36,267.9995 --> 00:41:44,178 I was impressed when I was looking at the Dive Talk Academy website, cause you guys even have your rebreather manuals right up there for anybody to go through and look at.
(41:44):
Which is really good.
So, um, yeah, I, I definitely, definitely want to try one of your rear rebreathers at some point.
So maybe we can set something up.
I am in Florida for DEMA or something.
And we'll, uh, Yeah.
We actually have a shop.
Uh, one of our, our, um, instructors in Orlando is doing a try rebreather, I believe this week, and they have over 20 people coming in and, and trying it out.
(42:09):
.9995So, uh, we're very, very excited. 515 00:42:11,337.9995 --> 00:42:19,718 And, uh, I know that we're about to set one up in Europe with Akim leading in Germany, I think two or three locations after the show,boat show, we had like.
Over 40 people that wanted to try it.
So yeah, it's all, it's all like, it's just words.
And I get it.
I agree with you.
This is all just words.
Oh yeah.
The degree is so great.
Whatever.
The rebreather is awesome.
(42:30):
Go try it.
Right.
Once you try it, you'll want to get one.
.999Uh, yeah, that was my experience with Mike. 529 00:42:37,793.001 --> 00:42:38,952.999 Let me try the prototype.
It wasn't even called the go.
Then he didn't even have a name and I just jumped in a pool and I tried it on a pool for the first time.
It was the very first one ever made.
And it was amazing.
I was in love with it immediately.
(42:50):
It was the easiest work of breathing I've ever felt.
It was just so great.
And I still feel it when I jump in the ocean or in a cave, because I've taken to go cave diving too. 538 00:43:00,602.999 --> 00:43:02,772.999 And it's just awesome.
It, there's nothing easier to breathe out there.
.9It's so good.
So yeah, if you have a chance, go try it.
(43:10):
yeah, absolutely.
I'm, I'm definitely going to put it on my list.
Um, especially if I do end up looking at a rebreather as well, cause I mean, yours will be the top on the list because of a price for sure. 545 00:43:23,602.999 --> 00:43:26,243 Uh, that definitely opens it up to a lot of people.
Also saves a lot of marriages, I would say.
(43:31):
So, so does your wife scuba dive? No, No.
she's not, she's not interested.
Uh, my wife is, and I'm sure a lot of, a lot of people identify with this. 550 00:43:43,937.999 --> 00:43:49,177.999 She's, she prefers to lay in the sun, reading a book than actually being in the ocean.
Like, it's always funny because we've been on vacation.
Like I remember we went on a vacation to Antigua, which is an Island in the Caribbean.
(43:55):
Like the water looks photoshop.
It's like the bluest water I've ever seen.
And like, I've been all over the world and Antigua is still number one for me in terms of the beauty of the water.
.9995And she never got in the ocean. 557 00:44:06,412.9995 --> 00:44:10,043 I'm like, what we could have, you could have laying the sun at home in Atlanta.
Like it's the same sun.
Like, why are, why are we here in this Island? Uh, whereas for me, like I, I am attracted to the water.
(44:18):
I've been like that since I was a kid, I started competitive swimming when I was five.
I, you know, play water polo.
Like I was always in a pool.
.999I love it. 564 00:44:27,287.999 --> 00:44:29,447.9995 Uh, but she is not like me. 565 00:44:29,447.9995 --> 00:44:31,968 She's, she has never been really super interested.
Um, I wish she was, but at the same time, if she was, then I have to carry twice the equipment and dealing with twice a tank.
(44:39):
So.
I don't know.
It's like pros and cons, you know, yeah, yeah.
But see, I, I'm in sort of an opposite situation to you.
My, my wife used to be a diver.
She's actually done all kinds of cave diving and stuff like that before we met.
And then, uh, she ended up getting COVID.
She no longer, she's got asthma now, so she can't dive.
(45:01):
Um, yeah, I know, I know it sucks.
.9995Cause I'd have a built in dive buddy anytime I wanted. 577 00:45:07,537.9995 --> 00:45:07,627.999 Right.
I know.
But, um, but I'm at, she's living vicariously through me and supporting all of this stuff, crazy stuff.
So I'm lucky that way.
But what, what does your wife think about you doing all this technical diving? She's not I know that once shes not a big fan esspecially whenwhen we go in, you know, cave exploration trips and things.
(45:34):
You know, the, the whole thought of me going into a hole that no human has ever been into that could collapse, you know, on top of me and bury me alive like that.
I mean, she understands that that's always a risk and.
You know, fortunately, that's not something that happened from day one.
It's one of those things where it's like you dial it little by little, you know, uh, where you became, you become a cavern diver and you do that for a while.
(46:00):
.001And then you start doing some cave diving and it's very, you know, in big caves and, you know, that kind of thing. 587 00:46:05,778.001 --> 00:46:11,048 And little by little, you just keep dipping your toes into, you know, more advanced things.
And, you know, now, for example, we're about to go into my fifth.
Uh, exploration trip where we're going to be mapping and diving in virgin caves, which is pretty cool.
(46:21):
So, uh, at this point I've laid line in, you know, thousands and thousands of feet of line in caves.
And, you know, I, I really, really love it. 592 00:46:29,317.999 --> 00:46:39,77.9 So it's one of those things that I think every time I go on a trip and I come back and come back with nothing but positive and great stories, you know, she's getting more used to it.
But, um, the other thing is, you know, she has had the opportunity to meet the wives of people like Mike Young, for example, Sherry, who, you know, they have the opportunity to talk.
(46:48):
And like, when you compare the dives that I do with the dives Mike has done, obviously he's a world class elite cave explorer.
.999I'm not.
Uh, so she has the ability to talk to people like Sherry and, and understand her perspective.
And I think that has really helped, but she's not a huge fan.
.999Like if I stopped diving tomorrow, I think she would be happy.
Uh, but she supports me.
(47:09):
You know, and she's able to stay at home with the kids.
We have three kids here at home.
And, uh, so she supports that at the same time.
I don't abuse it.
You know, I'm not diving every weekend out the way I used to, when I learned how to dive, I've, I've, uh, kind of cut down a lot. 605 00:47:23,72.999 --> 00:47:31,163 I do it once a month, but, uh, every time a month, Just once a month, but every time I do it, I go for it.
(47:31):
You know, I really try to do something big, something good.
And, um, I really enjoy it. 608 00:47:36,892.999 --> 00:47:39,993 And people enjoy it too, because we put it out on dive talk and they get to watch.
Oh yeah, no, that's awesome.
I mean, plus you work full time it still, right? I do.
Yeah, unfortunately.
And I can say, I can say that openly because I, I own my own company.
(47:52):
It's not like I'm my own boss.
I'm not going to get fired by myself.
So I, I can, I can say that I wish I could just dive full time and do YouTube full time, but, uh, yeah, we're nowhere near that. 616 00:48:02,383.1 --> 00:48:06,228 Well, No, but that's still awesome.
I mean, I do it as well, so I hear you there.
(48:12):
So yeah, no, that's amazing.
Well, I would really like to thank you for coming on today, Gus. 620 00:48:18,487.999 --> 00:48:22,788 It's been an awesome pleasure to catch up to you and dive talk and stuff.
And have you, have you guys got any big events planned coming up by the way, before I forget.
we have the meetup coming up, uh, which is in July.
(48:33):
It's going to be in Roatan.
We will have over a hundred people there.
Hopefully we get to 200 people going there.
We have amazing speakers.
We have tons of giveaways.
.999Last year we gave away four rebreathers, by the way, uh, 4 rebreathers.
four rebreathers, yeah, as part of 71 prizes. 630 00:48:49,922.999 --> 00:48:51,983 The other prizes were also very cool.
We gave away dive watches and all kinds of stuff over 5, 000 in Orca torch lights we gave away as well.
(48:59):
Uh, so we.
Yeah, we gave a lot of stuff away last year and this year will be the same thing.
We're already, we're already have some cool stuff lined up, uh, to give away.
.999So that is the next big thing that we have.
We always have, you know, little things here and there opportunities to go into awesome dives.
.999Like I mentioned, we're about to go into our fifth expedition trip to Mexico and.
(49:21):
We, uh, we have more stuff coming in April and may and, and whatever.
There's always, like I said, once a month we have something going.
Uh, but the next big thing will be the meetup in July, which we're really looking forward to.
Wow.
That's really cool.
I'll have to check and see if I can catch one of those.
.9995Maybe I'll win a rebreather yeah, that's amazing. 645 00:49:40,427.9995 --> 00:49:49,238 It's every time people are like, you know, they, they, uh, they go to the meetup and then they end up, you know, coming back with thousands of dollars worth of prices, which is, which is pretty cool.
(49:49):
Oh yeah, that's, that's definitely awesome.
Cause let's face it, dive stuff is not cheap these days.
Yeah.
And from day one, you know, we, we have sponsors like Orca torch has sponsored the meetup, um, you know, um, deep six, uh, we've had sponsored the meetup.
.9995We've had kiss rebreathers, sponsored the meetup. 651 00:50:06,872.9995 --> 00:50:13,132.999 And all we do is we go to all these companies and say, we want you to sponsor this meetup, but don't give us any money, just give us stuff to give away.
(50:13):
That's all we ask for.
So we have never taken a single dollar from any company to sponsor the meetup.
All we ask for is give me stuff to give away and we'll give it away to the attendees.
So that's how we're able to get some of the price, not all of them.
.999Some other ones we just pay for it ourselves.
.9Like obviously our rebreathers that we gave away.
Nobody's going to buy those, right.
(50:33):
There are dive talk rebreathers and we've given away several kids rebreathers last year, for example, we gave away a sidewinder too.
.999So whenever that's released, we're the winner.
We'll get a sidewinder too.
.999Um, so yeah, I mean, some of these units are not sponsored.
.9995We pay for it, but I think it's all part of the experience. 664 00:50:50,737.9995 --> 00:50:58,208 You know, the dive talk meetups are a week of just amazing workshops, amazing speakers and giveaways every day.
(50:58):
There's something going on within a treatment buoyancy workshop.
Uh, or masterclass.
I think we call it where we got one on one me and Woody and others experts, you know, that were there jumping with you on the water and help you get your trim and buoyancy.
Let you know, you look like a cave diver, no matter how new you are in the sport or not.
.999Uh, so we work with everyone to help them with their gear and everything to be set up and be in proper trim and buoyancy.
(51:22):
We did some, uh, practicing on SMB deployment or DSMB deployments.
Uh, this year we have.
Mike doing clinics about equipment maintenance, for example, regulator maintenance and stuff like that.
.9995All of that, all of those workshops are included as part of the trip. 674 00:51:38,102.9995 --> 00:51:41,723 So it's not a regular dive trip where you just go and dive and go to sleep.
.999This is every day.
(51:43):
.999There's something, and it's all a celebration of the dive talk community.
So Woody and I look forward to this week, like for months, like as soon as the meetup is over and we pick the next destination, all we do is like, man, I wish the meetup was next week.
I always admit like we're.
Always looking forward to it because we get to spend a week diving with the people that watch our channel and we love it.
.999Yeah, which is awesome.
(52:05):
That's super cool.
.999Well, thank you very much, Gus, for coming on today. 683 00:52:11,102.999 --> 00:52:12,323 I really appreciate it.
It's been amazing to talk to you and remember everybody, thanks for watching.
And, uh, Gus's links to Dive Talk are going to be down below.
And thanks everybody.
And remember to like share and subscribe.
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