In Praise of the Humble Safety Stop

Scuba diver looking at wrist gauge

Safety stops are a critical part of scuba diving safety. We all learned about them in our Open Water Diver course. The concept was reviewed and reinforced in every course after that. Yet I can’t help but feel most divers don’t truly appreciate the importance of the humble safety stop. Let’s take a look at how safety stops reduce risk and […]

“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

There’s an old joke that goes something like, “The absent-minded maestro was racing up New York’s Seventh Avenue to a rehearsal when a stranger stopped him. “Pardon me,” he said, “can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” “Yes,” answered the maestro breathlessly. “Practice!” For technical divers, practice is no joke. It may be cliche to say that sharp skills can […]

Two is Company, Three’s a Crowd?

Two scuba divers underwater.

From the first days of our Open Water Diver course, we are told to always dive with a buddy. Sound advice. Furthermore, we are told that a buddy team should consist of two divers. We are specifically cautioned against diving in a three person buddy team. It’s simply too difficult to keep track of two other people while underwater. Invariably, the […]