DAN Member Profile: Mandy-Rae Cruickshank

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank is an international freediving champion — and a DAN member. Read more about Cruickshank and why she loves DAN.

Female freediver heads straight down

Dive Slow and Think Small

Small critters can be hard to spot and photograph — but when you slow down your speed, you can see just about anything. Here are some best tips on locating cryptic critters.

Pregnant male pipehorse

Core Body Strength

A strong core is critical for all aspects of life — including scuba diving. A strong core improves balance and stability. Read more about core importance and glean some great ab exercises.

Man has knees on cement and is in a half-plank position

San Clemente Island, California

San Clemente Island, Calif., is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy but surrounding waters are open to divers. Learn more about diving San Clemente Island.

An angry Pacific rock crab stands in front of a red gorgonian

Closed-Circuit Rebreathers: A Different Way to Dive

Closed-circuit rebreathers provide a different way to dive — where the rebreather’s primary jobs are to remove carbon dioxide and replenish oxygen. Read more about closed-circuit rebreathers.

A diver on a closed-circuit rebreather floats near a reef

Emergency Ascents: Managing the Risks

Emergency ascents are used to avoid any adverse events during a dive. Divers are trained in standard emergency ascent procedures, but these skills must be routinely practiced. Read more.

Diver makes an emergency ascent with bubbles flying all about

Diving Dry

Drysuits offer a range of thermal protections that go far beyond wetsuits. They are an indispensable tool for divers, but do require additional trainings. Read more about drysuits.

Drysuit diver in blue gloves pokes head and arms out of icepack

Graduation Day

At a graduation ceremony, a scuba instructor, who is also a DAN member, had to unexpectedly put their skills into action. Quick thinking helped saved a life.

Three EMTs lead a stretcher into the back of an ambulance

Quick Comeback

A scheduled dive went horribly awry when the dive lost his weight belt midway through descent. Unable to find his belt, he ascending but had trouble controlling buoyancy. The uncontrolled ascent led to serious symptoms on the boat. Read more about the incident.

Two divers descend a yellow mooring line