Shocking Misconceptions About AEDs

The automated external defibrillator (AED) was developed as a portable medical device and released for public use in the 1960s. The operation of AEDs has gotten simpler over the years, and the devices are now widely available for use by lay providers with basic training.

The DAN O2 Cardiac Complete unit

Feeling Groovy in Little Cayman

I was in Little Cayman this past May, and a lyric hit me on the first dive: “Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last.” I had been invaded by Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 hit “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).” 

Divers explore the sponge-encrusted aft gun emplacement on the wreck of the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts

DAN-UHMS CME Course Expands to Two Weeks

DAN reached a significant milestone in the accredited DAN–UHMS Continuing Medical Education (CME) program in May 2024: the debut of a two-week, dual-course format.

50 physicians and other health care professionals from around the world attended the spring CME

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.

Great Expectations

People expect recreational diving to be an enjoyable experience of adventure and fun. Divers are explorers and retain a sense of optimism regardless of how many dives they have done. While we dive with great expectations, incidents do occur — often when we least expect them.

Beyond the Acrylic

There is a moment in every dive — after the gear is checked, the team gives the final OK, and your body slips below the surface — that everything else fades.

A diver swims along Ocean Voyager’s tunnel at Georgia Aquarium

A Near-Fatal Blister

I have been a diver for about 35 years and a dive instructor for about 30 years. Some instructor friends and I run the Buzos del CAE and Paraná Divers dive schools.

Dancing in the Dark

Fish completely enclose me. Their tiny, silvery bodies twinkle in the half-light as I float suspended in the center of a sphere of clear, warm water. I feel like I am inside a disco glitter ball. 

A diver swims through a school of silversides sheltering in a cave

Guardians of the Deep

The allure of underwater exploration is undeniable, drawing individuals into a realm of profound discovery and quiet, majestic beauty. For many divers, this fascination extends beyond vibrant marine life to the captivating remnants of human history hidden beneath the waves. 

A HADS diver photographs the coral-covered Mandalay

Jump Rope Training

Jump rope training is a powerful full-body cardiovascular workout that builds muscular endurance, coordination, and breathing efficiency. Jumping rope strengthens calves, stabilizes ankle joints, and improves core stability, allowing finning with greater ease. It also requires focus and stimulates your brain.

man jump roping