Chumming the Waters

Getting to the wreck of the Caribsea off the coast of North Carolina can take up to an hour and a half. While traveling to the dive site, I regrettably ate a prepackaged lunch with an indecipherable expiration date I had purchased the night before.

diver clearing regulator

Do Something!

Even if your skills aren’t perfect, you can still make a difference. Read a first-person story about how basic first-aid skills came in handy in saving a life.

A male and female diver pose for the camera. Silver fish are in the background.

You Never Know

A vacation on a cruise ship, was littered with jellyfish run ins. But thanks to quick thinking, a DAN member’s training were vital in preventing serious injuries.

Two snorkelers surface outside their cruise ship

A Tourniquet Saves a Diver’s Life

A recent dive trip changed the lives of everyone involved, and I hope this story might help save another life.  About 30 days before the trip, I was talking to […]

applying a tourniquet

Proactive & Prepared

When emergency response is made as accessible and efficient as possible, it’s much easier for divers to embrace the culture of dive safety. Divers are more apt to remind each other to be cautious and to watch out for each other with increased vigilance.

Quarry full of divers

Right Place, Right Time, Right Skills

A newly certified Diving Medical Technician started a new job at a resort and their skills immediately came in handy. Read more about how the skills learned were used.

Diver has a bloody mouth and an oxygen mask on face

Aquatic Adaptability

Recreational diving is a fun and relaxing sport meant to be enjoyed. But what happens when things don’t go as planned: Your mask comes off, your regulator gets knocked out, or someone in your group runs out of air?

All courses at the NDSTC are rigorous

Remote But Ready

A research team experienced a small issue that turned into a big emergency, but DAN provided much-needed support. Read more.

Diver swims over fan corals

Surviving Triple Dangers in the Maldives

A diver didn’t heed the divemaster’s warning and was lost at sea. Deploying his large surface marker buoy helped with his rescue. DAN recommends that divers always listen to the dive briefing and follow all directions and always carry an SMB and reel. If your breathing-gas supply is critically low, get to the surface at a safe ascent rate, and then monitor for signs of decompression illness. It is better to deal with DCI on the surface than to run out of breathing gas at depth.

Having the appropriate safety gear with you on every dive and knowing how to use it are integral parts of being prepared, as are remembering your training and following the dive briefing instructions.

Training Turns Incidents Into Inconveniences

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

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