The Great Dive Podcast

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?

This week the boys begin a multi episode discussion of the legendary diving book, "The Last Dive" by Bernie Chowdhury. Even if you haven't read it (do you even dive bruh?) you'll gain fabulous insight into the history & evolution of diving in the early 1990's and technical diving in particular. This is the true story of the Rouses and their tragic demise wreck diving off the US East Coast. As a tech diver himself, Bernie does a fantastic job of portraying the atmosphere of the technical (both cave and wreck) diving community in it's infancy during the late 80's and early 90's. Bernie's excellent telling of the story combined with his explanation of the nuances and details of diving make the book a great read for divers and non-divers alike!

The boys enjoy a little lesson for life, eventually. First, they spend some time recapping cave month and solo diving. What lessons can a beginner open water diver take from all that cave diving talk?

The boys wrap up Intergalactic Cave Diving Month (IGCDM) with a discussion of a 1973 cave dive in South Australia that resulted in the death of 4 divers. In hindsight, the reason for the the fatalities is quite clear. But in 1973, the cardinal rules of cave diving were not yet developed and it would take even more deaths for them to come to fruition and yet, although infrequent, cave diving deaths still result from divers ignoring what was learned the hard way. Learn what caused this fatal outcome as well as how and what open water divers can learn from incidents like this that happen in cave diving world.

In week 3 of 2024 Cave Diving Month, Jamesy and Brando take an interesting look at Solo Diving. What are the special things to consider if you must do it? What does it really mean to be alone? Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code TGDP at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod

This week the boys look at traditional scuba education and how it developed in comparison to cave diving education. The concept of Accident Analysis versus the mainstream scuba idea of, “Don’t Say The ‘D’ Word.”

This week the boys kick off the 2024 International Cave Diving Month Special with a look at a fatality that occurred on a solo cave dive. Was it a medical problem? Did he forget to monitor his gas? Could a buddy have helped him? These questions and more are discussed. Join us.

Is there anything you cannot do in California? Join the boys as they kick off ice diving season with an article on ice diving in the Sierra mountain range in California. Have a listen!

This week the boys bring you a special 2 hour double episode, live from the 2023 Thunder Bay International Film Festival. As TGDP prepares for attending the 2024 show we look back at a few interviews we did last year. All the talks seem to come back to the feature film last year, David Ruck’s “The Erie Situation.”

The boys ring in the New Year with a review of the top dive destinations for 2024!! Have a listen!

Happy New Year from Jamesy and Brando. Here is a look back at our very first New Years Resolutions show.

In 1913 the Great Lakes were devastated by a Great Storm. But after all the death, destruction, and chaos of that white hurricane one ship tried to bring some Christmas joy back home to Chicago. The Rouse Simmons. Locked, loaded, and overloaded with fresh pine and Christmas carols… she was soon to be resting on the bottom of Lake Michigan instead of being safe in Chicago.

Join the boys the week as they reveal the answer to the "Who is it?" Episode of last week and it is.... the impeccable Stan Waterman of course!! The boys recap a story of his from his book "Sea Salt: Memories and Essays" where Stan waxes poetic on the joys of working with "Jacqui B." on the set of "The Deep" back in 1977. The dive world (and the "world" world) will most certainly miss Stan Waterman who passed away this year on August 10th at the age of 100. Doing his last dive in The Caymans at 90 years old he has been an incredible ambassador for the diving community!

The is week the boys look at a DCS hit that took place in Bora Bora. In many ways it is a rather typical incident. Warm tropical location, daily repetitive diving, pushing the limits, and it finally catches up with you. But this story comes from a diving legend. Can you guess who it is?

Join the boys this week as they discuss what one underwater photographer calls "The 10 Worst Pieces of Advice For Underwater Photographers".

The Wah-Wah continues. Join us as we talk the truth about diving deep on regular old air with Bob Raimo and Michael Menduno. Last week we mentioned how Bob almost died, this week we go through his personal memoir of the dive.

Join the boys this week as they continue their series dedicated to diving pioneer Bret Gilliam. This week they discuss quite possibly the most controversial article about Bret Gilliam and without question the most controversial dive ever done by Bret Gilliam! Have a listen as the boys dive into the topic of personal responsibility vs. personal freedom in the dive world!

The boys continue their look back on the life of the legendary Bret Gilliam and read one of his most controversial articles. Not only that but they also revisit the comments from an online discussion board at the time. A fight had started for what technical diving was and deep air was the first battle. Is it Technical Diving just because we are beyond recreational limits or was that term going to mean we did something different?

The dive community has lost more than a couple notable figures this past month. This week the boys pay homage to one of those legendary figures that left an indelible imprint on many of us that were around for the birth of technical diving, Bret Gilliam. Have a listen!

This year for the TGDP Halloween Special, the boys harken back to Jamesy’s old days on an underwater habitat in the Baltic Sea. Germans, French women, a Brit and unfortunately no bathrooms… but they did have a moon pool. Wait… what was that???

This week the boys discuss Paulette's "event" off the coast of Northern California in Carmel. Unusual hypothermia symptoms throw Paulette and Dennis a curve ball. Have a listen and find out what the confusion is all about!

This week the boys go back in time to learn a lesson from a warm water diver who wanted to try a cold water dive on his vacation to Norway. Cold water, dry suits, dark water, overweight… it all comes together in an exhausting and dangerous experience for Jeffrey. Don’t forget to tip your dive guides.

This week the boys continue more cold water chat with an episode addressing some of the considerations for underwater photography in cold water. Have a listen!

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but, this week the boys learn 4 tips for staying warm in cold water. Pour yourself a cup of Hot Jolene because its time to dive with Jamesy and Brando.

As summer comes to an end and the cold weather diving season returns, TGDP prepares to answer some cold-water diving questions that have been coming into our emails. As the boys prepare a new fall season of TGDP, join us as we revisit our first TGDP Quiz Show. We will talk to you next week.

IIiiiit's time for your favorite diving Game Show.... The Great Dive Podcast Quiz Show.... with your host, Ol' Jamesy and the sole contestant Brando! Have a listen as the boys reminisce about the old game shows while they share a buoyancy quiz from Ol' Dennis Graver!!

This week the boys take a jittery dive to far limits of recreational diving. What could go wrong when a diver with not enough experience, takes not enough gas, to a deep wreck dive where he has never been? Join us and find out.

This week the boys wrap their 2 part discussion on panic and the diver. This is the conclusion of last week's article written by a UCLA Professor and DSO back in 1971 that examines the readiness of the new diver and what is needed to prepare them for confidence and competence underwater. Have a listen!!

This week Jamesy and Brando visit a paper written by a UCLA Professor and DSO. It examines the readiness of the new diver and what is needed to prepare them for confidence and competence underwater. You may be surprised to find out that the answer is NOT shorter and faster classes.