Off Gassing: A Scuba Podcast

Most who participate in adventures beneath the surface would agree that every little bit helps when it comes to ocean conservation. Max Kushner earned a degree in Marine Science and is an active scuba instructor in Hawaii. Taking to social media, to inform, educate, and spread awareness about conservation efforts, he quickly gained an audience and has been using his platform for good. I sit down w...

With a schedule always on the move, I was grateful to Patrick Widmann for taking the time to sit down and join the podcast. Taking me through his journey of personal growth, from humbling moments to moments of great achievement. It was great to hear more about his early days in the industry, what keeps him motivated, past mentors, finding new passions, the beginnings of ProTec Tulum, exploration,...

Scuba diving is a sport but also at the end of the day, a business. In this episode, I sit down with Business Of Diving Institute Founder and Author, Darcy Kieran. I speak with him about his early days in the industry, the positives and negatives of owning a dive shop, the lack of data throughout the industry, advice for people getting into the business, why he founded the institute, and much more...

Falling in love with the sport from the moment she took her first breath underwater, in Turkey while on vacation, Caroline Massie started progressing through the sport. In January of this year, I sat down with her as she was at home in Belgium to hear more about her journey through the sport. Cold water diving, technical diving, cave diving, rebreathers, international travel, and much more. Please...

An episode full of laughs as I speak with April Weickert. The level of excitement she has for scuba diving is contagious. Scuba being the family business, it was only a matter of time before she would find herself taking breaths underwater. She tells me more about Torpedo Rays Scuba based within Nova Scotia, cold water diving, the local diving community, podcasting, “Jump In” The Series, and much...

A couple of months ago, I had the great pleasure of having a conversation with Megan Hassa. Leaving Michigan for Hawaii to pursue marine biology, she became a free diver and eventually a Scuba Diver. I speak to her about her journey as she found her confidence and passion for photography, recent travels, goals for the future, finding a community, and much more. Please enjoy. Instagram: https://www...

While on sabbatical from work, Stephen Aynsley went backpacking through Australia, and this is where he became introduced to the sport of scuba diving. After a few years, he would find himself working full-time in the industry. As he progressed through the sport, he would find himself in many locations throughout the world gaining experience. In this episode, I chat with Stephen about his path thr...

It was an honor to welcome back Jami Leslie Feldman to the podcast. Late last year she participated in a Round Table discussion about Photography. In this episode, I get a chance to catch up with her and hear more about her journey into the aquatic environment, her love of photography, some tips and tricks, capturing images of high-profile, prominent creatures with the work she does as The Underwa...

There is always an ongoing list of must-reads that I have compiled over the years since I started my journey into the underwater world. I am sure if you ask most divers, without skipping a beat, they could name at least three or four. I would be willing to bet that on the top of most lists would be Close Calls by Stratis Kas. It was an amazing opportunity to sit down with him and hear his thoughts...

You might know her as the Underwater Panda, you might know her for her underwater photography, or you might know her as technical diver Anastasia Schmuck. One of my first interviews this year was full of laughter and good times as I had the chance to sit down with her and hear more about her journey through the sport. Training with Global Underwater Explorers, underwater photography, plans for the...

I am not sure when I first heard about Human Factors in Diving. What I am sure of, is it was something I knew I needed to learn more about. In this episode, I speak with Gareth Lock, founder of The Human Diver. With a background in military aviation, he noticed a lack of human factors training within the diving industry, along with its resistance to incorporating it. He has made it his mission to...

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Mason, a Human Factors in Diving Instructor located in Australia. I first met Mike when I contacted him to enroll in the Level 1 course, a 10-week webinar series from HFiD. Along with his work with the Human Diver, Mike is an active DM, a rebreather diver, and works with the Australian Air Force. I speak with Mike more about HFiD, his previous diving experienc...

From a very early age, Neal Pollock knew he wanted to be a diver. Having developed a love for the aquatic environment, it was only natural for him to find his way to diving. A love for teaching was discovered through his aquatic hobbies. This has developed into a distinguished career, having participated in multiple studies all over the world. It was amazing to have Neil back on the podcast to hea...

It can be a daunting task to decide where to go on your next diving adventure, especially when it comes to Latin America. I was excited to sit down and chat with Melanie and Kathleen, co-founders of Dive The Americas, a boutique travel company offering a more personalized diving adventure. Different destinations throughout the Americas, liveaboards, building friendships, custom diving trips, The G...

In October of 2023, I participated in a Fundamentals Course with Global Underwater Explorers. I had many ideas of what I thought this course would be. I had many misconceptions going in, and the goal of this series is to highlight the misconceptions one might have about GUE and their standard of training. I sit down and speak with five instructors across the globe to hear their stories and gain so...

In October of 2023, I participated in a Fundamentals Course with Global Underwater Explorers. I had many ideas of what I thought this course would be. I had many misconceptions going in, and the goal of this series is to highlight the misconceptions one might have about GUE and their standard of training. I sit down and speak with five instructors across the globe to hear their stories and gain so...

In October of 2023, I participated in a Fundamentals Course with Global Underwater Explorers. I had many ideas of what I thought this course would be. I had many misconceptions going in, and the goal of this series is to highlight the misconceptions one might have about GUE and their standard of training. I sit down and speak with five instructors across the globe to hear their stories and gain so...

 In October of 2023, I participated in a Fundamentals Course with Global Underwater Explorers. I had many ideas of what I thought this course would be. I had many misconceptions going in, and the goal of this series is to highlight the misconceptions one might have about GUE and their standard of training. I sit down and speak with five instructors across the globe to hear their stories and gain s...

In October of 2023, I participated in a Fundamentals Course with Global Underwater Explorers. I had many ideas of what I thought this course would be. I had many misconceptions going in, and the goal of this series is to highlight the misconceptions one might have about GUE and their standard of training. I sit down and speak with five instructors across the globe to hear their stories and gain so...

When did it sink? How did it sink? Where was it built?  When was it built? Were lives lost? Behind every unidentified shipwreck is a story waiting to be told. In this episode, I speak with Callum Girvan and Alex Aberle-Leeming, two members of WreckSploration. A team of divers based out of Western Australia with a goal, to explore, preserve, educate, and promote a culture of safety in the technical...

Just before Christmas of last year, I had a chance to sit down and speak with Brett Eldridge, a technical wreck diver based in Southern California. After years of enjoying recreational diving, Brett found his way into the technical world and eventually found his love for deep wrecks. I spoke with Brett about his journey as a diver, his blog Wrecked in My rEvo, photogrammetry, rebreathers, and the...

What started as a family activity soon turned into a passion for Scott RG. As one who always welcomes a challenge, technical and overhead diving soon came into his sights. Relaxation and meditation are some of the words he uses when describing his time in the overhead environment. I sit down with Scott and speak with him about his motivation for exploring, the importance of taking your time, his l...

I have always had a fascination with history. As a kid, watching movies or reading stories about past events is something that has always piqued my interest. Late last year, I had the opportunity to speak with Adventure Historian, Jeff Maynard, Through Jeff's writings, he brings diving history to life with titles such as Divers in Time: Australia’s Untold History, Niagara's Gold, and The...

After graduating with a degree in journalism Eric Douglas found himself enrolling in a scuba course. Like most people at the start of their scuba career, he had no idea the opportunities and memories that would be created. Countless articles across multiple publications, Author of the Mike Scott Thriller novels, a career in journalism that has brought him all over the world, his writing process, a...

Regardless of the depth, whether five meters or fifty meters, there is always a level of risk when it comes to scuba diving. The question is, how, as individuals, are we assessing and evaluating these situations? What steps can we take to improve and mitigate? In the aftermath of an incident, how do we create a community where an individual feels empowered to speak about the experience? Why have w...