Divers Alert Network

The DANcast has reached 50 episodes! 🎙️🤿 What’s been your favorite episode so far?

Since launching in early 2025, DAN’s podcast has grown into a trusted platform for diving knowledge and storytelling, supporting our educational mission through conversations that combine practical safety insights with real-world experiences.

Check out some of The DANcast's most popular episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhr_YHqKReC_3iNYgYlRDv812C-3rifk-

• Michael Lang, UC San Diego Center of Excellence in Diving
• Patrick Widmann, KISS Rebreathers | Cave Diving Explorer
• James Blackman, Divers Ready
• Mike Dudas, Technical Wreck Diver
• Kenny Dyal, Sweetwater Scuba
• Howard and Michele Hall, Underwater Filmmakers
• Dr. Simon Mitchell, University of Auckland School of Medicine
• Armando Gonzalez & John Villareal, Bottom Dwellers Dive Shack
• Aviad Cahana, Avelo Labs
• Jason Leggatt, Shearwater Research

Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode with a dive buddy, or joined us as a guest over the show’s first two seasons.

To read the announcement and find links to listen, visit: https://dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/divers-blog/dan-podcast-50-episodes/

The DANcast The DANcast, the official podcast of Divers Alert Network (DAN), delivers safety insights through engaging conversations with divers from across the industry...

Guido Wätzig, CEO of Scuba Schools International (SSI) joined The DANcast to share his journey from teenage dive instructor to leader of one of the largest dive training agencies.

He discusses SSI's commitment to safety, education, and the principles behind the SSI Diver Diamond, including personal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and emergency preparedness.

The conversation also covers SSI's partnership with DAN through the Powered by DAN program, which integrates the skills and standards of DAN's first aid, CPR, oxygen administration, and basic life support courses into SSI's first aid training.

▶️ Watch the full episode:

Guido Wätzig, SSI Guido Wätzig, CEO of Scuba Schools International (SSI; ...

While preparing for a shore dive, Val Marino and her buddy, Larry Berlin, noticed another diver from their group signaling for help. Berlin immediately entered the surf to assess the situation, while Marino alerted a bystander to be ready to call 911 if needed. Moments later, Berlin called for help.

As Marino rushed through the waves, she realized this was far more than a tired diver needing a tow to shore. The diver was unresponsive, with unfocused eyes and yellow foam pouring from their nose and mouth. After Berlin removed the diver’s equipment, Marino helped bring the diver through the surf and onto the beach, where she shifted from rescue to emergency response.

Drawing on years of CPR, first aid, and DAN training, Marino assessed the diver’s responsiveness, breathing, and pulse before beginning CPR. After EMS was activated, a bystander who identified herself as a nurse stepped in to help, and together they provided continuous care until paramedics arrived. The diver was transported to the hospital and ultimately made a full recovery.

In the weeks that followed, Marino grappled with the emotional impact of responding to a dive emergency. As a DAN Instructor, she shares those lessons with other divers, and emphasizes that emergency preparedness is part of being a responsible diver and dive buddy. Staying current with first aid, CPR, and emergency response training builds the confidence and competence to act when the unexpected happens.

Read the full story, When Training Takes Over, in Alert Diver: dan.org/when-training-takes-over/

(Note: The photos accompanying this story recreate the sequence of events and were produced after the incident occurred.)

As you ascend to altitude, the surrounding atmospheric pressure drops. This reduction in pressure can cause residual nitrogen dissolved in your tissues from diving to form bubbles, increasing the risk of decompression sickness (DCS).

Keep these recommended minimum preflight surface intervals in mind when planning dive travel:
• Single-day, no-decompression dive → 12 hours minimum
• Multiple days of diving or repetitive no-decompression dives → 18 hours minimum
• Dives requiring mandatory decompression stops or using heliox or trimix → 24 hours minimum

Extending your surface interval before flying provides an additional safety margin and may further reduce your risk of DCS.

✈️🔗 For guidelines on flying after diving, visit dan.org/flying-after-diving/.

Note: These recommendations apply to divers who are not experiencing DCS symptoms and who will be flying at typical commercial aircraft cabin altitudes of 2,000–8,000 feet (610–2,438 m). If you experience any signs or symptoms of DCS, avoid flying and seek medical evaluation immediately.

The DANcast recently welcomed NAUI Worldwide representatives Beth Postell and Victoria Gonzalez. Together, they discuss NAUI’s history as the oldest recreational scuba training agency and its mission of "Dive Safety Through Education.”

Beth and Victoria explain the agency’s "Loved One Concept,” a philosophy that encourages instructors to train divers to a standard they would trust with their own family members. They also discuss skill mastery, effective communication, NAUI’s collaborations with DAN, and practical advice for new and returning divers.

▶️ Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/w2Q1aQ_Ebfg. (Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.)

Beth Postell & Victoria Gonzalez, NAUI Worldwide The DANcast welcomes NAUI Worldwide representatives Beth Postell, v...

Running out of air is rarely about air alone.

Gas management is a fundamental skill, and every diver is trained to understand air consumption, monitor tank pressure, know the limits of their available supply, and maintain adequate reserves. Yet running out of breathing gas remains a surprisingly common dive incident and a leading cause of diving fatalities. Out-of-air emergencies rarely stem from a single cause.

📉 Take depth, for example: Gas consumption increases dramatically as a diver descends, reducing available bottom time and increasing the gas needed for a safe ascent. Combined with exertion, extended dive times, or missed pressure checks, a manageable dive can become an out-of-air emergency faster than many divers realize.

Often, an emergency results from the accumulation of small factors, such as depth, exertion, anxiety, procedural oversights, and equipment issues that increase gas consumption, rather than one critical mistake. Even experienced divers can find themselves in these situations.

Review the most common causes of out-of-air emergencies at dan.org/most-common-causes-of-out-of-air-emergencies.

The AUAS/DAN Dive Medicine Research Scholarship supports student researchers whose work can improve dive safety worldwide. The scholarship encourages early-career investigators to explore critical questions in diver health and expand our understanding of human physiology in the underwater environment.

Applications are open through September 30, 2026. For more information, visit dan.org/auas-dan-dive-medicine-research-scholarship/.

AUAS/DAN Dive Medicine Research Scholarship Explore the AUAS/DAN Dive Medicine Research Scholarship and its role in advancing diver health and safety through innovative research.

DAN and Garmin have announced the integration of the DAN Emergency Hotline with Garmin’s inReach® emergency response pathway for DAN members.

The new integration connects Garmin’s global satellite-based emergency coordination capabilities* with DAN’s dive medicine expertise, strengthening support for divers in remote environments.

🛰️🤿 For more information, visit dan.org/dan-garmin-collaboration.

*Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit satellite communication devices; it is the user’s responsibility to know and follow all applicable laws.

DAN and Garmin Work Together to Enhance Remote Diving Emergency Response DAN and Garmin announced the integration of the DAN Emergency Hotline into Garmin’s inReach® emergency response pathway for DAN members, strengthening support for divers in remote environments.

After completing 11 dives over seven days, a diver began experiencing dizziness 40 minutes after surfacing.

At first, the symptoms seemed easy to explain away as fatigue and exertion.

The diver initially declined an ambulance and was reluctant to go to the hospital, saying they felt much better. But when they attempted to leave the boat, they could not walk without assistance.

The diver's condition worsened as hours passed, leading to seizures and admission to the ICU. The diver was not diagnosed with decompression sickness (DCS) until two days after the last dive.

The diver ultimately recovered after three hyperbaric chamber treatments, but this incident is a reminder that delays in recognizing DCS can significantly affect outcomes.

When DCS is suspected:
✔ Administer 100% oxygen immediately.
✔ Seek prompt medical evaluation.
✔ Call the 24/7 DAN Emergency Hotline (+1-919-684-9111) as soon as possible for assistance with your care.

When it comes to DCS, time matters. Don't dismiss symptoms after a dive.

Read the full story at dan.org/denial-and-delayed-treatment.