The Great Dive Podcast

To quote George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." So listen and learn and keep your freedom! The boys continue their dive into Scuba history as they venture further into the true story of how Scuba was almost a government controlled police state dictatorship... Fill your head with some good stuff!

As divers, we've all been taught that here in the US, Scuba is a "self regulated" sport and the government does not really oversee how we train and dive in the recreational side of our beloved activity. But it wasn't always this way... in fact, it was a close call in 1975 when big government wanted to get their greedy hands in the pockets of divers and save us all from ourselves. Thankfully, a few of our wise predecessors fought to keep the government out. It wasn't easy but we enjoy these freedoms now because of their fight and their sacrifices. If we're not careful we could easily lose these freedoms we enjoy. Those who don't learn about history are doomed to repeat it... so keep yourself from being doomed and have a listen to this week's episode!

As Earth Day approaches, the boys try something different on TGDP. This week they look at the ecological side of diving; cleaning up the litter and saving our planet. Do they do it with government intervention, while wearing speedos, with the help of Narwhals? You’ll have to tune in to find out. So, take your Xanax and listen to this “Prescription for the Planet.”

The boys respond to a negative comment about TGDP and then they discuss the problems with the buddy system. Join them as they take a look back at nearly 50 years of the dive buddy.

The boys take a look at BSAC's very comprehensive "Safe Diver's Guide" on their website. Have a listen!!

James and Brando continue their dive into a few incidents included in the 2018 British Sub-Aqua Club Diving Incident Report. See what we can learn from the incidents about scuba accidents and how to avoid them or maybe bet yet, see what we can learn about how difficult it is to learn anything from these incidents and how there's more to a safety record than statistics!

James and Brando dive into some information from the 2018 British Sub-Aqua Club Diving Incident Report. We take a break from the nonsense talk and get into the deeper side of the reef. Join us as we talk statistics, diver qualifications, decompression incidents, fatalities, carnival rides like the Matterhorn and more.

There comes a time in every divers life that they'll confront at least one of these 7 types of inconsiderate diver behavior and sometimes civil discourse is just unable to get the message across. Join Ol' Jamesy and even Ol' -der Brando as they throw their "PG" ratings out the proverbial porthole and discuss an article that details how to express disapproval of rude and/or inconsiderate diver's behaviors. Warning: Language may not be suitable for children. Subject matter contains references to roofies, Bill Cosby, breaking kneecaps, and other nonsense that may be found offensive by the easily offended.

Ok, we've all been there... when your diving is bleeding into all aspects of your life. But when is it "too much"? Listen as James & Brando come to terms with this socially acceptable disease that can take over your life if you're not careful.

Join us as the true sons of the fathers of diving, Jamesy and Brando, explore the wide world of archetypical diving personas. Beware of the Buffoonus- Aquarius. This is not a politically correct show in today's world. But hey, we’re going back to 1961 when Skin Diver was trying to capture the real image of who a diver really was.

Join Ol' James and even Older Brando as they celebrate their 100th episode!! They'll pop the bubbly and share this momentous occasion with their 2 biggest critics...their wifeys!! It's a fun conversation as well as a way for us to say thanks for all the support from our fantastic listeners!

The boys look at another side of underwater tragedy. In 1991, in northern Florida, a cave was being explored. After a successful dive, deep and long, the grim reaper appeared. This is the story of Parker Turners last dive.

Right in the middle of our National Cave Diving Month, the boys find a story about two cave divers who died as the result of many bad decisions. Although tragic, it is a story that all new divers can learn a lot from. Jamesy and Brando bring you these lessons like only they can.

Cave diving is not for everyone. However, all divers can learn a lot from the lessons learned in the overhead environment. Whether you are ready to join the “Clan of the Cave Divers” or just want to improve your sport diving skills, TGDP is here to help understand what to do and what not to do.

This is an early look back into the first days of cave diving. A perspective from today and a particularly close look at one of the very first cave dives, made by candlelight. Join us as we get Gutsy, Ballsy, and little Crazy.

From Siebe to Scuba, the boys discuss the inventions and disasters all along the way. Self-Contained freedom was a dream for our early underwater adventurers. Hundreds of years and hundreds of inventions made their way into the thinking and refinement of the regulators we use today.

TGDP hits the old history books and brings you a historical look at diving, without the help of any research assistants. Lacking any unpaid interns, the boys had to do it themselves. Grab your big tanks, this is going to be a long dive as we descend a couple thousand years.

The boys get a Happy New Years gift in the mail and then take some time to discuss some Old School Diving Facts. Bridging the gap between the last 25 years, James and Brando have a fun discussion about DCI, Safety Stops, Tables and Dive Computers and a look at the gender issue in diving over the last few decades.

Are you an ice diver? A nice diver? Do you know the difference?? Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Are you a member of the NRA?? Your buddies Jamesy and Brando explore some of Mid-West America’s best Ice Diving locations for a nice diver… or an ice diver…. You decide.

Your favorite dive buddies from TGDP try to get to the bottom of the first dive up at the North Pole. Turns out, it’s 14,000 FSW. With the help of a couple other Hosers, a couple brewskies, and a lot of flannel, eh… we figured out it was the Canadians back in 1974, eh. Please enjoy this very Canadian 12 Days of Christmas with a couple of our teenage idols as well as some good old regular Canadian guys doing some amazing dives in their day, eh.

If this is the first episode you’ve heard from us, we’re sorry about the graphic nature of this week’s podcast. It is not politically correct and sometimes it is downright inappropriate. But, so is nature sometimes and that is what we are talking about. Eventually we get to some great health benefits of diving, you can skip the first 15 minutes if you’re easily offended. Listener discretion is advised.

LMAO! You need to listen to this episode ASAP. Jamesy and Brando get into a real SNAFU talking about BPW's. Are you still diving a BCD? BCV? BCJ?? LOL! SMH:)

Do you feel like you may be "that guy" on the dive who just doesn't seem to be able to see all those cool critters that the other divers are seeing? If so, this episode is for you!! (it's for you if you aren't that guy too!!) So have a listen as we discuss the how's and why's of diving with those incredible underwater creatures!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Thanksgiving is over and Black Friday is upon us and as with tradition here at TGDP, we have a review of The Scuba Holiday Wishlist giving our thumbs up (abort the dive on that gift!) or thumbs down (Heck Yeah!! I'll dive it!!)just in time for your loved ones to have for you for your holiday!

More Zenny Diving talk from your favorite dive podcasting duo. James & Brando discuss a book called "Zen Guitar" by Philip Toshio Sudo and how it's approach to guitar playing and mastery can be extrapolated to diving and mastery of diving.

Is it for the C-card, the recognition and admiration, the ego or do we dive to make us more human? To return us to the elements and to learn something about ourselves. Your buddies Jamesy and Brando know what it is. The it, the zone, that missing human element that takes technique beyond technology.

It’s 7 something in the morning and your favorite dive buddies are deep into a philosophical conversation that most people rarely enjoy this early in the day. Except maybe for that small group of old guys at the coffee shop at 6 in the morning. The problems of the world, we discuss them. How to make the world a better place, we figure it out. https://www.tdisdi.com/the-world-would-be-a-better-place-with-more-scuba-divers/

James and Brando dive into a classic Great Lakes ghost story. This story about the Erie Board of Trade is chockablock full of skullduggery. So hold on to your halyards and mizzen up your main stays, this tale will have you warming up your wetsuits.

The boys take on a touchy subject this week that most shops and instructors are hesitant to discuss. It involves the F word! Yes, the one you’re thinking of and also others like Fathers and Fatality and Float and another one that is not very PC today. But it’s important, so of course they make jokes about it to lighten the mood.

What do you get when you mix 2 cups of Jamesy, 2 parts Brando, 3 tablespoons of Skin Diver Magazine and a dash of Near Death Experiences? BAM! You get, Disaster Lasagna!

The boys get back to some serious talk about helping you prepare to be a better diver. They found a Smart Guide to Safe Diving, put out by the Divers Alert Network. Listen in as they discuss how to avoid 7 God DAN Mistakes that divers make.

Hey all You Sexy Thangs! It's getting a bit chilly out there and may be time for some Hot Chocolate!! If you're interested in underwater photography (or not) we are sure you'll dig this week's episode of TGDP! Have a listen... have a chuckle or two... learn a bit about underwater photography as the boys from TGDP examine an article from the 90's from one of the greats...Marty Snyderman!

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of fateful diver. That started from an Open Water course, then he wanted to dive a mighty ship. The boys back-roll into the summer of 2001 and find an instructor who wrote an article in Scuba Diving Magazine that sounds like it could have come right from the lips of your little buddies. Was that a Gilligan’s Island reference? Yes, it was. Enjoy the show and make sure you check out the excellent rendition of that classic showtune from Nick Spitza on his YouTube page and be sure to leave him a comment and tell him you heard it on TGDP! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEHCOHE4mU

In Part 2 of Menduno’s interview with Cronin, we get into who he was when he first started diving. The frustration with the industry, a vision of the future and how to put scuba on every home computer. Join us as we learn more about this tough son of a bitch. No, this honest son of a bitch, John Cronin.

In a time where scuba was a bunch of sporting goods shops that started selling a new toy, The Aqualung, John Cronin had a vision of making it mainstream. The overbearing military approach to education was a roadblock in getting the masses into scuba classes and what would happen next was going to be the largest scuba diving education company, PADI. In 1995 aquaCORPS magazine published a cover story and interview with the scuba giant, John Cronin, titled “King Cronin- PADI Chief Bent on Acquiring New Divers” written by Michael Menduno. TDI has recently rereleased many of the old aquaCORPS interviews written by Michael in a collection of diving pioneers. You can find them here, including the Cronin interview: https://www.tdisdi.com/aquacorps/ Michael is still an active diver and writer. You will see him contributing to numerous sources in the dive community still as well as on facebook. We featured another article of his “Blueprint For Survival 2.0” back on our episode 15- Actually 14.1.

The boys get back to the early 90's in the scuba diving industry. A time where breathing Nitrox was pure evil. The Devil's Gas was banned by many and the scuba giant PADI did not embrace it. Ol' Jamesy tries to stay on course, Brando gets fired up... it's everything you've come to love about TGDP.

The Sandusky is a wooden sailing brig that wrecked in the Straits of Mackinac in 1856. Still lying on the bottom mostly intact with beautiful bowsprit and figurehead, it is a magical sight for divers. But diving a wreck like this is so much more than just blowing bubbles and taking pictures. James and Brando talk about the real essence of being in the moment underwater. The Zen of diving on this shipwreck and the perspective of the guy who discovered it, Chuck Feltner, and what it meant to him. Don't mess with the Great Lakes.

In a world where anyone can sue anyone else for virtually anything, is it a good idea to hold a Scuba Instructor responsible for a diving accident based on the "image" that instructor may have created for him/herself based on both his on duty and off duty behavior? Should Jamesy portray Jethro or Ellie May in the upcoming remake of "The Scuba Hillbillies"? Will Brando ever figure out what the heck he is ranting about now? Find out the answers to these and many more burning questions in this episode of The Great Dive Podcast!

The Deeper we go underwater the greater the risk begins to climb. Unlike other sports where pushing the limits is encouraged, with diving we are given a list of limits to begin with. James and Brando discuss whether diving should be considered a sport or an art. What is the difference? No two dives are the same, but what if you are twins?? https://www.scubadiving.com/why-is-130-feet-depth-limit-for-recreational-scuba-diving

In the fall of 1995, Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine published the most controversial article ever to hit the scuba industry, Cayman Cowboys. This article chronicled the secret life of your favorite dive masters living in island paradise. Well, your buddies, James and Brando dug it up and had a blast rereading it. So, stop checking your 401k report, who cares about your IRA, join us in our Big Escape from it all because nobody gets out alive. Oh, and don’t forget to tip your Dive Masters.

James and Brando take on the very touchy subject of “Sexism and Scuba Diving” just as the world celebrates International Women’s Dive Day. The boys found an article written by Jill Heinerth for Diver Magazine, “Sexism, Alive and Well in Scuba Diving!” The Hot Pink cover was hard to miss! With a little bit of the TGDP humor you’ve come to enjoy and a few “middle-schooler” jokes they eventually discuss and enjoy this well-written and intelligent “piece.” http://divermag.com/sexism-alive-and-well-in-scuba-diving/

The boys ramble on in an "off the cuff" conversation while rustling through Brando's library of ancient dive mags!! The more things change, the more they stay the same! A look into the future from 20+ years ago, before there was an Air McDoodle there was an Air Whopper and an Air Quarter Pounder! Diving Personal Ads looking for friendship, fortune, and love!! All part of this week's episode of The Great Dive Podcast!! Have a listen!!

Gather 'round fellow divers and shutterbugs as the boys once again get together and discuss the fine art of underwater photography! The tables have turned though as Jamesy takes on the role of Photographer (kind of... ya see, it's just a GoPro) and Brando is the model (kind of.. ya see he's an old man with a face for being behind the camera, not in front of it.) This episode we'll tackle wide angle photography underwater and also discuss a great article by Nirupam Nigam at www.underwaterphotography.com . Check out the article at http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/wide-angle-photography-low-light-conditions .

Is 500 feet the psychological and physical wall for air diving? Watson, Exley and Gilliam made that push beyond 400 feet and all realized their limitations on air. Join us a we wrap up our adventure.

It’s January of 1955 and Frederic Dumas, our beloved Didi, has denounced the quest for the depth record as “imbecilic.” The push beyond 300 ft has the next wave of record seekers shouting, “J’ai frole la mort!” and “Hoooooooo!”

As the men aqualungers begin to compete for depth, it doesn’t take long until we get our first fatality. What is it that lies in 50 Fathoms that we men yearn to see? Ah, but wait. It is not just the men that long for the deep.

What do you get when you mix Nitrogen, Oxygen, Jacques Cousteau, Fargues, Shatner, Picard and a little dash of Hope Root? Answer, the Deep Air World Record. Was it the guts? Was it the glory? Was it for science or for ego? Save your comments for later, Insults like that are only effective where emotions are present. Is this confusing? Don’t worry, Brando will explain.

What happens when you are so desperate for dive buddies that you decide to teach your wife to scuba dive? No, not us! We take a trip back in time and look at the ways women were viewed a few decades ago. Also, we have a special guest host this week!

Have you ever been caught whacking your mask off? Seriously? Have you ever seen a Gator? In the water? What does all this mean? It’s a metaphor. A metaphor for diving. Specifically, the Laws of Diving.

Brando and James catch up on life, Madagascar, Paris and a host of other off-topic topics. Eventually they discuss a few things in the scuba world that Brando missed while he was off traveling. AI’s… Artificial Intelligence? Alternate Inflators?? Tune in to find out.