The Great Dive Podcast

Join the boys as they continue their deep dive into the events surrounding Dave Shaw's fatal last dive!!

Welcome back to TGDP International Cave Month. This week the boys finally get into the subject of this series, David Shaw. In roughly 5 years, Shaw traveled the world earning advanced diving certifications and filling his logbook with almost 300 dives. Soon he will try to hit that number 300 in depth, in meters, in a cave.

This week the boys get into a discussion about the hazards of diving. Hazards that should not be there with certification cards, log books, or mentors but somehow we seem to still have tragedies like the one discussed here about Deon Dreyer.

Join the boys as they continue this deep dive into the world of deep cave diving. This epsiode centers on the dives conducted by Sheck Exley and Nuno Gomes in the Boesmansgat cave in South Africa. Reading through Sheck's personal journey detailing this adventure and his own accounts of the dives down into the 800 and 900 feet range of depth. And then to Nuno's own accounts of the same dives from his book. Have a listen!!

To get to the bottom of Bushman’s Hole and find out what happened to David Shaw, we first need to go back in time and learn a little more about this area of South Africa. This area known as the Cradle of Humankind has many caves, and with caves come cave tragedies.

Cave Week 2025 continues with this episode discussing a case study of a cave diving fatality. The incident involves an extremely deep cave dive on a rebreather with respiratory failure! Listen in as the boys discuss the details of what lead to this tragic dive! Have a listen!!

TGDP International Cave Diving Month is back. This week we start off the series with a little lesson from the cave, we learn what a cave is and also what a cave is not.

The boys are back and taking a break from the Dive Table series to discuss a "Lessons For Life Article". This week the story centers around a technical diving instructor that suffers a DCS incident. Was it avoidable? Listen to the ramblings of Ol' Jamesy and Older Brando as they discuss what happened to Trevor way back in the "almost 1900's"!

How confident are you in the decompression model you are using? Is it just assumption and trust? Because the data can be frightening. All dive tables come with a percentage of probable risk of DCS. What can we do to dial in that probability and reduce our risk?

This week the boys continue their talk on decompression and the evolution of dive tables and computer generated decompression algorithms based on decompression models. The discussion centers on an article from the late and great Dr Robert William (Bill) Hamilton where he discusses the changes undergone in the world of decompression theory and practice during the technical revolution in diving of the late 80's to 2000's. As we travel deeper into the rabbit hole of decompression Dr Bill Hamilton's contribution to diving cannot be understated. Learn what he had to say about the changing world of decompression and scuba diving!

This week the boys get back to work after a little Christmas break. Picking up where Haldane left off we get into more changes of the traditional dive tables. Hempleman and the Royal Navy start to look more at diffusion than perfusion, bubbles are discovered by doppler and new thinking emerges from Hawaii, new names like Hills, Yont, Spencer begin to evolve the game of decompression even more.

Enjoy this replay of the Cold Miser Quiz Show while Jamesy and Brando enjoy a holiday break with friends and family.

This Christmas don't get relegated to the "kid's table'... join Jamesy and Brando at "The Dive Table"!! We'll laugh and sing Dive Carols and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as we 'dive into" part 4 of our "in depth" discussion of dive tables!! This week we discuss the beginnings and evolution of the dive tables and decompression science! Have a listen!

In the mid-90’s everyone had a personal desktop computer and decompression software was the new tool for dive planning. This week, we discuss Bill Hamilton and George Irvine’s look at decompression software. The path for ascent was evolving, but we were still working with adapting the same old navy tables.

Join the boys as they continue their discussion on dive tables (and everything else!)! How important are the numbers? What role does ascent rate play in the development of the different tables?? And what effect does it have on the test results? Is it even addressed in those old days? How hostile are those tables?? Should I just buy the most expensive dive computer? Why can't you do the math? How old are these guys??? What about the tonic water?? Who brought the gin? Where's this all going?? Have a listen and find out!!

These are not your grandpa’s dive tables, anymore. What good are they for? Is it really necessary to know how to calculate dive profiles from a dive table? Listen as Jamesy and Brando talk tables and what the dive tables really symbolize.

Sit back and enjoy the soothing voice of Ol' "Sea Shanty Mott" as he regales you with tales of the shipping trade on the Great Lakes during a time when they were among the most treacherous waters to traverse!! YES!! WE ARE BACK! The boys from the Great Dive Podcast have returned and with tales of the Gales of November and just in time for... well....the Gales of November... Have a Listen!!

Enjoy this revisit of one of this years top shows, while Brando makes his return from Florida. The TGDP boys will be back next week for another exciting episode.

The boys finally make the move to Closed Circuit Rebreather. Tune into this discussion with Ben Bos from UTD Scuba Diving. They talk about rebreathers in general, different units, different thinking, why they chose philosophy over a particular machine, and the TGDP class overall. Join us for some fun.

Gather ‘round ghosts and ghouls and listen to the terrifying tales from Jamesy and Brando. This week we dive into haunted shipwrecks. If you ever encounter these ghostly creatures, just keep swimming.

This week the boys discuss what happened to Choralll when he runs into problems 200 ft down and discovers he's not adequately prepared for basic failures. Of course the boys can't help but pay homage to the Choral memes and it quickly gets out of hand... have a listen!

Get in the ring with Jamesy and Brando this week as they go a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson and discuss the psychological aspects of diving. What can boxing teach us about scuba? How do you react when anger, ego, and frustration enter your mind underwater? Even positive emotions can give us problems while diving. Let’s go diving.

So you've done your Scuba course and it's time for the final exam....But wait!!!!.... is this truly the "final exam"??.... find out what the aich eee double hockey sticks we're talking about here... have a listen to this weeks episode!!

This week Jamesy and Brando continue talking about dive bodies and some of the inherent flaws in the buddy system. To find some support for this discussion they dig up an old article from DAN’s Alert Diver magazine. After knowing and reporting of all the breakdowns in the buddy system, traditional scuba still doesn’t teach a model that supports the buddy team.

We all learn in Open Water 101 that diving uses a 'buddy system" for several reasons. These reasons include equipment redundancy in case of failure, enjoyment of the dive, and sharing the experience. BUT, is a "buddy" enough? Too often the "buddy" is nothing more than a "body" and the asset that the system proclaims to be is actually a liability. Find out what happens when two divers become paired up randomly at the spur of the moment on a pretty routine recreational dive. How can the dive community work towards improving and avoiding this all too common occurrence? Have a listen!!

The first rule in assisting a panicking diver is knowing that panicking is an asymptote. This week Jamesy and Brando discuss rescue training and what to do if your buddy is in trouble.

So you decided to get certified.... you did the course... you got your certification... but now what do you do? Go diving? Take more classes? Take up scrapbooking? Today the boys discuss considerations to to consider (lol) after you're certified. Have a listen!!

This week the boys are, "more back." Jamesy and Brando returned from a trip up to Lake Huron’s beautiful Presque Isle and then a freak storm took out our power and internet services. But, the boys are back again. And they some some wonderful news to share with all of you wonderful listeners. Tune in and enjoy.

To quote Thin Lizzy, "the Boys are back in town!"...and if the boys want to interview on the big lake they call Gitcheegumee, you better let 'em! This week the boys return from a week on lake Superior at Isle Royale diving on Captain Ryan Staley's fine ship "The Discovery" and while they were there being treated like royalty and diving some fantastic Great Lake shipwrecks, in true TGDP fashion (and never off the clock) they did manage to get an interview with the good Captain as well as first mate Steve Stauch and the rest of the divers... John, Kyle , Rob, and Stan Thee Man. Have a listen!!

This week the boys get ready for their upcoming trip to Isle Royale. To get ready for taking more shipwreck pictures, they discuss Nine Tips To Improve Your Wreck Photos, an article written by Jason Brown for the Shearwater website blog, go check it out over at https://shearwater.com/blogs/community/nine-top-tips-to-improve-your-wreck-photos

How do you follow an episode with a story about diving from Stratis Kas's book "Close Calls"? Easy, publish yet another story from Stratis Kas's book "Close Calls"!! Join the boys as they engage in discussion detailing the account of an out of gas situation that The Michael Menduno experienced on the Speigel Grove shipwreck in the Florida Keys. What we learn is that even the most well trained and experienced divers make mistakes that result in close calls or worse... and if it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone. Have a listen!

This week Jamesy and Brando take a look at Close Calls, a book by Stratis Kas. This collection of stories by some of the diving communities most influential divers, shows how bad things can happen to anyone. We all make mistakes, even the best of us. Diving is inherently dangerous and thankfully these divers were humble and open enough to share these stories. Join us as we dive into a Really Close Call.

This week the boys celebrate Women's Dive Day with their friend and dive buddy Stephanie Gandulla from NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Join us as we look back at this conversation and congratulate her for being featured on a PADI live show, celebrating the same thing.

It’s Shark Week everybody. This week, Jamesy and Brando talk about one of the most gruesome shark attacks to have ever been documented. Imagine being in deep water in the Virgin Islands when your dive buddy is attacked. Join us for this very graphic, “Shark Attack!”

Wait... What?? Find out what Maslow's Hierarchy of Scuba needs and the solo diving class/diver have to do with each other... maybe nothing at all... maybe something interesting and noteworthy... you be the judge!

This week Jamesy and Brando look at some of the listener mail they received about the Shadow Divers episodes. One upset listener who did not like the Exposed episode. One this is for sure, that series got people thinking and sharing their opinions with us.

This week the boys pay tribute to the better half of the Haas duo, Lotte Haas. One of the first female SCUBA divers , Lotte started diving in 1949 on a Drager CCR and was soon taking part as one of the crew on Hans Haas' underwater exploration team! Tune in to this week's episode to learn more of Lotte's contribution to diving!

This week we go deep into the history of Han Hass and Jacques Cousteau. They were both pioneering scuba at virtually the same time. Were they in competition? Who really was the first? Who would win in a Death Match? Only you can decide. Go to our facebook page and vote or send us an email to [email protected]

So the boys go deep this week with the first of a multi-episode series on diving legends, Hans & Lotte Haas. This week we'll get to know Hans with a reading of a short piece he wrote about being underwater and staring into the abyss..... have a listen!

After 10 weeks of East Coast Wrecking, the boys get back to some classic TGDP. Anyone can learn to scuba dive. The skills are relatively simple, so what is it that really separates someone with a certification card from a diver? Know thyself and use your scuba to teach yourself how to answer to yourself.

Wait...WHAT?? TEN EPISODES of East Coast wreck diving... heroic deeds....noble virtues and grand character... all shot to hell? Surely our sacred realm of Scuba diving is a bastion of relief from the world's ugliness of greed and want of fame? Perhaps not! Have a listen as we examine yet another book detailing the East Coast wreck diving community and in particular the search for the identity of the U-Who (aka the U-869), listen to what deep shipwreck diving legend Gary Gentile has to say about "Shadow Divers" as we dive into his book, "Shadow Divers Exposed. The Real Saga of The U-869".

The boys finally make their way to the end of the U-Who and discover the true identity of the U-869. Dive by dive, Jamesy and Brando go back to the beginning and revisit the dives made on the mystery sub. Through triumph and tragedy, John and Richie finally get the clue they needed.

First off, thank you all for allowing us a week off... it was much needed and really helped with both of our "10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag" lives.... :-) .... This week we continue our dive into Robert Kurson's "Shadow Divers" with a look at the third main character, Richie Kohler. He's a quiet, studious boy that grows into the iconic Atlantic Wreck Diver and becomes partners with John Chatterton to help unearth the mystery of the this newly discovered WWII era sunken U-boat.... Join us as dive even deeper into the mystery of the "U-Who".

This week the boys dive into the next great character in Shadow Divers, John Chatterton. Commercial diver, scallop fisherman, army medic, deep wreck explorer, boat captain, and submarine researcher, John has done it all. Join us as we learn more about how he came to discover the answer to the U-Who.

This week the boys dive into the New York Times Bestseller ‘Shadow Divers’ by Robert Kurson. It’s another look at the U-Who but this time from the perspective of John Chatterton and Richie Kohler. We are first introduced however to Captain Bill Nagle, a legendary diver himself once, but now on a course of self-destruction. He was a diver’s diver, and we explore who really deserves the title of, “a diver.”

This week the boys prepare for another deep dive into scuba storytelling, another book about the U-Who. It’s part recap, it’s part teaser for the next series, it’s part thank you, it’s a little bit of everything that TGDP is all rolled into one little episode.

Join the boys as the wrap up their discussion of Bernie Chowdhury's, "The Last Dive". It's only fitting to allow this wrap up to serve as a transition from the story of The Rouses and their demise on the newly discovered German U-Boat dubbed, "The U-Who" into the inevitably intertwined story of John Chatterton, Richie Kohler, Bill Nagle, and a host of other well known East Coast wreck divers as they relentlessly pursue their noble mission to identify this mystery submarine.... the story only gets better gang!

The boys continue their discussion of the true story of the Chris and Chrissy Rouse, the father & son diving team and their fatal last dive on a German U-Boat in part 3 of a multi part series of Bernie Chowdhury's novel, "The Last Dive". Have a listen!

Join the boys this week in part 3 of their multi-episode discussion of Bernie Chowdhury's epic dive novel "The Last Dive". This week we learn of Bernie's own bout with DCS. What he thought would be a bump in the road was almost a dead end and definitely was a detour in his life. Have a listen!!

This week the boys dive deeper into The Last Dive. The main story of the book is about the relationship between the father and son dynamic of Chris and Chrissy Rouse. The Bicker Brothers. Two men who were constantly attacking each other in public and on the dive boat. Was it jealousy? Was it ego? Was it love?