Hidden Killer: Understanding Carbon Dioxide Toxicity

Hidden Killer of Scuba Divers: Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) isn’t discussed in many recreational scuba diving classes. Many scuba divers are not aware of the dangerous gas their bodies are creating. Divers are either oblivious of, or just plain ignore the presence of this gas all together. However, CO2 may have a detrimental effect if a diver accumulates an excessive amount of CO2. We must understand how this gas is produced and how we can minimize it’s effects in order for us to become safer divers. [Read more...]

Confessions of the Scuba Anti-Hero: Part 1

Your Scuba Anti-Hero

Many people haven’t been able to get to know the real me. Many have accused me of being egotistical and other nonsense. Unless you’ve been around me for quite some time, you may not know a few truths about my diving and views on diving. In this series, I want to give a few “confessions” to help people get to know me a little more better. Check back often for more of my confessions. [Read more...]

Going Above the Standards: The Fallacy

Like many people, I like to waste my non-diving time by going on various scuba on-line forums and reading scuba diving blogs. As I try to evolve as a scuba diving instructor, I like to read about what other instructors are doing. You never know, someone may have some good ideas about how to run specific drills or how to handle students in a particular way. When I read through a lot of this, much of what people advertise about their classes is that they go above and beyond what the training agency standards say. Heck, I’ve even said this about my own classes and I’m sure it’s written somewhere on my web site. As I’ve grown as an instructor, one thing has become obviously clear, going above the training standards just isn’t enough. [Read more...]

How to Prepare for a Technical Diving Class

Duane Johnson - Tech Instructor

Duane Johnson - Tech Instructor

As a technical diving instructor, I get asked many times how people can prepare for their technical diving classes. Certainly there are skills that one could practice. However, there are certain things that people really need to think about prior to signing up for that technical diving course. Below is a quick list of a few topics that I tell people. I give two lists, one for in-water skills and the other more mental skills. [Read more...]