Round Table Rhetoric with Stratis Kas. Photo courtesy of Joram Menes. Collage by Stratis Kas. Welcome to THE TALKS—an immersive journey into the heart of tech diving, bringing together inspiring figures in the community to share their insights, engage in spirited debates, and challenge conventional wisdom. So, join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, courage, and camaraderie. Hosted by renowned cave instructor and author, Stratis Kas, each session explores a diverse array of topics from fresh, new angles. Just as he once brought these stories to you with his best-seller “Close Calls ..read more

PRESS RELEASE Addressing Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter from Abandoned Fish Farms: A  Comprehensive Mission of Clean-up, Education, and Community Engagement  May 29th, 2024 – Western Greece – Healthy Seas, in collaboration with Hyundai, has  successfully inaugurated an extensive clean-up operation targeting abandoned fish  farms along the Western Greece coast. This initiative, which began with a ten-day  intensive sea clean-up by Ghost Diving volunteers paralleled a land and coastal  cleanup by other volunteers, marks the start of a year-long commitment to ..read more

By Gabriel Pineda. Lead image collage by Rico Besserdich. Back in Oct 2023 I wrote an article about underwater navigation technology. It was meant to explain why electronic navigation technology is not as common underwater as it is topside. It was framed in the context of a snapshot in time. Some things have changed since.  Halcyon paired with Oxygen Scientific and launched the Symbios eCCR which uses optical O2 sensors and wireless handsets. KISS rebreathers followed suit announcing their intention to use optical sensors and wireless handsets. Greg Borodiansky made the Generic Breathing ..read more

Lead image: L2R: Rebreather divers at RF4 by Jason Brown, diver on the wreck of the Phoenician by John Wood, Malta harbor by Jason Brown, collage design by Jason Brown. Special thanks to Asutay Akbayir for his help. On the eve of releasing the Rebreather Forum 4 (RF4) Proceedings, we thought it important and fun to revisit the Republic of Malta, sometimes called the “Chuuk of the Mediterranean”—where we held RF4. Specifically, we dive into Malta’s rich underwater heritage—read shipwrecks and downed aircraft; explain how Malta became the scuba diving capital of Europe, and discuss the changes a ..read more

Made in Finland with 100% renewable energy, the Suunto Ocean is tailored for an active lifestyle, from exploring the depths below the surface to conquering the heights above. Featuring multiple dive modes, wireless tank pressure support, and an extensive set of alarms for scuba and freediving; more than 95 default sport modes, GPS, barometer, offline maps, and advanced training features for sports; and finally on-wrist heart rate with activity tracking for daily use, this device ensures you stay in tune wherever you’re exploring.  PRESS RELEASE VANTAA (June 18th, 2024).  Suunto Oce ..read more

by Douglas Ebersole, MD. Photos courtesy of Watson Clinic, Lakland, FL. Despite the advances in medicine over the past several decades, cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in the Western world. There are over 16 million Americans with cardiovascular disease and, contrary to the usual perception, the number of men only slightly outnumbers women. Unfortunately, the first presentation of the disease is often a heart attack or sudden cardiac death.  Approximately 1.2 million of us will suffer a heart attack each year and 300,000 will die before reaching medical attention. Sc ..read more

by Tara Burt. Photos courtesy of the author unless noted. ?Predive Clicklist: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Teach Your Children? Will Grindey, instructor and co-owner Mac’s who certified Braeden at age 12. Standing a mere 1.2 m/4 ft tall and barely weighing 36 kg/80 lbs, Braeden Burt was not your typical diver when he achieved his open water certification at 12 years old. His love of water shined through at an early age when he was caught skipping bedtime to plan out his fish store at three years old. As a homeschooler, his mom had made him a deal: if he found a passion, then he co ..read more

by Andrea Murdock Alpini. Translation from Italian by Cristian Pellegrini. Photos courtesy of Alexandre Legrix. Lead image: historic photo of the SS Burdigala. It was 1898 and at Ferdinand Schichau’s shipyard the hull of the SS Kaiser Friedrich was laid down. The vessel was to be launched during the same year for Norddeutscher Lloyd in Bremen as a ship for transoceanic transport of up to 1,350 passengers. The Kaiser Friedrich was equipped with a steam propulsion system generated by quadruple-expansion engines giving power to two propellers.  The ship was 183 m/600 ft long by almost 20 m/6 ..read more

By Skanda Coffield-Feith. Images by Alvaro Herrero aka Mekan unless noted. Lead image: The author (furthest) with Jake Buhlman descending down the slope to the deep section. In late 2020, I went to dive a cenote close to Playa del Carmen. A friend, Tristan Ternat, had dived there and said it was a deep sink hole but maybe there was a deep horizontal cave. Because of the limited gas he had with him, he wasn’t able to dive deeper to check. He said if I wanted to, I could go and take a look. Having recently been certified to use helium in the rebreather, I jumped at the chance.  Deep Caves i ..read more

In March 2018, retired underwater photographer extraordinaire Chris Newbert received an email from his photography agent, MINDEN PICTURES that the US Postal Service had selected one of his manatee photos as an art reference for one of their Forever stamps. The photo had appeared in his second book, “In a Sea of Dreams.” He signed an authorization form assuring the USPS that Minden had the right to sell usage rights to my photos.  Chris never heard back and forgot about the matter until this June (2024) when he visited his local post office and saw the US$0.68 Forever stamp! DIVE DEEPE ..read more