Dive Psychology
FROM “SIMPLE DIVE” TO SEARCH AND RESCUE: When Plans Don’t Go According to Plan
It was a simple plan. A youth soccer team and their assistant coach, as part of a birthday celebration for one of the boys,…
The Good Stuff is Deep: Dispelling Common Scuba Myths
I remember from years past a particularly eager young diver who was seemingly obsessed with the desire to dive deeper. After all, he had…
Did You See That? The Art of Observing Marine Life
The fish, a spectacularly colored grouper, paused and opened its mouth. Finning only slightly to maintain its position just a foot (30 cm) or…
Scuba Q & A: Common Questions Asked By Nondivers
Beyond the Soda Bottle: An In-Depth Look at Decompression Illness
Like most divers, I have vivid memories of my basic scuba training. Perhaps the most memorable is the evening my instructor showed up for…
More Than Darkness: Human Factors and the Night Diver
“It’s like taking a stroll downtown at night,” said our instructor, Don. “Everybody is out — a really wild time.” Waving his arms in…
Learning to See, Seeing to Learn Part II More of What’s Going on Underwater
This tiny, well-camouflaged clingfish provides a classic example of commensalism. The clingfish gains protection by hiding on its host — a crinoid — while…
Learning to See, Seeing to Learn Part I: A Look at What’s Going on Underwater
Everywhere I looked I saw sharks — big hammerhead sharks — some close to 11 feet/3 m long. I don’t know how many sharks…
The Personal Limits of Fear – Mind and Body
It was one of the scariest dives of my life. The March winds were blowing over the chilling 50° (F, 10°C) waters of Narragansett…