Divers Blog - Divers Alert Network

Better Boat Diving

Some of the world’s best dive sites are accessible only by boat. At some point in your diving career it’s likely you’ll board a boat for some diving. Here are a few tips to make your boat dives safer and more fun. Pay Attention The crew should brief you and your fellow divers before or […]

Rely on Your Emergency Planning

When a real emergency occurs, its already too late to think about how you’ll respond and whether or not your emergency action plan (EAP) is up to snuff. An effective EAP is critical to your ability to safely control and respond to emergency situations in, on, and off the water. As a busy dive professional, […]

Environmental Stewardship for Divers

Because we venture to it, witness it, and explore it, divers have a deep and abiding appreciation for the marine environment. But as we know, it is threatened by various human factors, including overfishing, pollution, acidification, invasive species, and more. Even diving activities can have detrimental effects on the underwater world. So to preserve the […]

Continuing Education Can Make You a Safer Diver

There are a lot of great reasons to continue your diving education beyond your open water course. Advanced training lets you explore new environments, gives you the opportunity to learn from new instructors, and allows you to master new equipment. Importantly, continuing your education is also a great way to become a safer diver. Inexperience […]

Skin Bends and Flying After Diving

Cutaneous decompression sickness — also known as skin bends — manifests as bruising or mottled skin, typically on the belly, buttocks, breasts, thighs, or upper arms. In some cases, there are no additional symptoms, but in others, the skin discoloration is accompanied by neurological symptoms. Because of this, it’s important that dive professionals take skin […]

Trouble With Skin Bends

Tricia and her buddy had been diving in Cuba twice a day for three days. The dives were between 60 and 104 feet deep, all on air. At the end of the third day of diving she experienced itchy skin and a rash, but she felt well enough to meet friends for dinner. When she […]

Teach Your Divers To Be Prepared

As a dive pro, you know that divers can get injured even when they do everything right. That’s why it’s important to ensure they’re prepared for anything. On a recent trip to Mexico, Brad’s first day of diving was enjoyable and relatively uneventful. On the second day, however, he experienced an odd sensation at the […]

Decompression Illness Can Happen To Anyone

Sometimes divers get injured even when they do everything right. That’s why it’s important to be prepared for anything. On a recent trip to Mexico, Brad’s first day of diving was enjoyable and relatively uneventful. On the second day, however, he experienced an odd sensation at the end of his first dive. “As soon as […]

Don’t Let Divers Deny DCS Symptoms

Dive professionals know that decompression sickness (DCS) is a fact of life. We invest significant time and effort in preventing it. What many divers — and even many dive pros — don’t know is that most cases of DCS occur after dives that were within the depth and time limits of the diver’s computer. DCS […]

DCS and Denial

Decompression sickness (DCS) can happen to any diver. In fact, in most cases it occurs after dives that were within the depth and time limits of the diver’s computer. And when out-of-the-ordinary symptoms occur, it’s not uncommon for divers to ignore them, hoping they’ll go away on their own. DCS is often unpredictable, but regardless […]

Delayed Evacuation Almost Cost Diver Full Recovery

During a dive vacation to a remote destination, June suffered from decompression sickness — but problems kept mounting, delaying her treatment. Read the story of how DAN helped assist in the evacuation.

Be a Great Dive Buddy

A good dive buddy is more than just a companion: They are an invaluable resource. Should something go wrong, you need a reliable dive buddy. Here’s how to get the most of the underwater partnership.