Deadfoot Diver Podcast

The Deadfoot Diver Podcast hosts Glenn Butler, founder of Life Support Technologies and author of Bending Atmospheres, discussing his decades-long career in diving and hyperbaric medicine, from working with Bill Hamilton at Union Carbide’s Ocean Systems lab to developing nitrox applications (including NASA’s Hubble repair training) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Butler and host Curtis cover decompression sickness experiences, commercial “fourth day bends,” early nitrox and decompression table development, research using crude neon and rapid compression simulations to extreme depths, and military-driven deep-diving projects. The conversation also explains how hyperbaric oxygen works, approved medical indications (carbon monoxide poisoning, radiation injury, infections, diabetic wounds), safety concerns with unregulated home chambers, and Butler’s work using HBOT to help veterans and first responders with PTSD and brain injury. They also highlight Ocean Pals educational outreach supported by book sales and upcoming audiobooks.

00:00 Intro & Welcome

02:44 Getting Bent: Curtis's DCS Story

07:25 Working with Bill Hamilton at Ocean Systems

10:03 Neon Gas Diving Experiments

14:17 The 1,000-Foot Rapid Compression Dive

21:17 NASA & the Hubble Space Telescope Repair

28:49 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Explained

34:49 Dangers of Unregulated Home Chambers

41:30 PTSD Treatment for Veterans

52:04 Books: Bending Atmospheres & Ocean Pals

56:13 Outro

In this Deadfoot Diver Podcast episode, host Curt welcomes legendary diver and author Gary Gentile to discuss how his teenage sewer and Pennsylvania wild-cave exploring led him to scuba training, then a lifelong passion for shipwrecks, including iconic dives on the Andrea Doria and the Monitor. Gentile reflects on a career spanning more than 2,500 dives and 70-plus books, then focuses on his latest book, The House of Pain, about decades of chronic pain tied to combat injuries and years of difficult experiences with the VA medical system, including being dismissed by a doctor and struggling to obtain appropriate treatment. He describes diagnostic testing, ongoing nerve and orthopedic damage, eventual medication help after switching doctors, later surgeries, and his goal of showing other veterans and pain sufferers they are not alone.

00:00 Gary Gentile PT 2

01:08 Early Diving Days

06:29 From Caves to Shipwrecks

07:14 The House of Pain

16:45 A Decade of VA Suffering

35:19 Fighting for Proper Care

On the Deadfoot Diver Podcast, host Curtis interviews Canadian diving pioneer Doug Elsey, who shares how Jacques Cousteau inspired him to start diving in the 1960s, earn early NAUI certification, and use commercial diving to pay for engineering and ocean engineering studies. Elsey recounts joining Dr. Joe MacInnis’s Sublimnos underwater habitat project in Tobermory for $15 a week, running public and research programs, working with National Geographic photography, and meeting figures such as Philippe Cousteau and David Doubilet before the program ended after a University of Toronto student died under the ice. He describes Sublimnos’s later use as a training bell, its move to Picton where it now rusts in a field, and efforts to return it to Tobermory. Elsey also discusses Subigloo’s design and Arctic expeditions, including early deep helium/trimix under-ice dives, regulator anti-freeze improvisation, and the Rolex he earned for Arctic work.

00:00 Recording 1 - Sep 14, 4:21 PM

01:08 Introductions

03:50 Getting Started in Diving

10:50 The Sublimnos Project

25:36 Subigloo & the Arctic

31:04 Saving Sublimnos

48:05 The Rolex Story

53:17 Funny Joe McGinnis Stories

This Deadfoot Diver Podcast episode features cave diver and rescue/recovery specialist Edd Sorenson, who explains how he discovered cave diving in the 1990s and became known as the person called when recoveries are deemed impossible. He recounts early IUCRR involvement, his first unexpected recovery at Ginnie Springs, and multiple high-risk recoveries and rescues, including a difficult Dominican Republic operation and the Tennessee cave rescue where a diver survived 27 hours in an air pocket. Sorenson discusses the psychological toll on other divers, why he often works alone, and the dangers of panicked divers. He also covers rebreather diving (since 1997), being certified on about 15 units, his preference for the Sidewinder, his role in sidemount advocacy and training, and the support his wife Stacy provides on recoveries and with grieving families.

Curt welcomes Ross Neil of Shearwater Research (head of global partnerships and business development) to discuss Ross’s unusual path from a childhood in the opera world and musical theater to 30 years as a professional diver and PADI course director. Ross explains how trying the Avelo system in Maui convinced him to stop using a traditional BCD, describing its comfort, streamlined feel, controlled ascents/descents, and advantages for drysuit diving and data review. They preview the Shearwater Jetpack upgrades over the standard Avelo unit, including a high-pressure port, integrated Swift transmitter, stronger/quieter pump, higher-power battery, carry handle, sizing options, and improved surface buoyancy via a flotation pad and newer, less-negative tank. The episode also covers Avelo’s potential benefits for adaptive divers, ongoing work on surface management, the ISO-approved Avelo diver course, and Shearwater’s new OLED-screen Perdix 3 with configurable dive profiles and praised customer service.

00:00 Ross Neill Shearwater

00:09 Ross Neill Shearwaterv Research

01:20 Ross's Opera Background

04:55 Discovering Avelo

09:13 Shearwater Jetpack Demo

17:34 Adaptive Diving

26:20 Perdix 3 & Shearwater Culture

28:33 Outro

Curt (Deadfoot Diver) interviews marine archaeologist Jim Sinclair about how Cousteau inspired his diving and how a Florida Keys underwater archaeology course led him to Mel Fisher and the Atocha/Margarita projects. Sinclair recounts starting broke, becoming a conservator, and managing the overwhelming lab workload after the 1985 “main pile” discovery—thousands of coins, heavy silver bars, and dozens of intact treasure chests—plus early computer inventory and coin imaging. He describes legal battles with Florida and the federal government, the Supreme Court ruling granting Fisher ownership, and later IRS tax issues and a randomized treasure division for investors and employees. Sinclair also discusses work on other wrecks, becoming the first archaeologist on a 2000 Titanic expedition, and recent Nova Scotia “Death Coast” dives with the McKinnons and the Nova Gold foundation to document at-risk wrecks and support veterans and first responders.

00:00 Podcast Introduction

01:27 Diving Origins

02:40 Florida Keys Field School

04:39 Mel Fisher Encounter

06:34 Joining The Crew

10:12 Conservation Lab Life

11:22 Atocha Main Pile

14:45 Treasure Chest Haul

18:04 Sorting And Early Tech

20:04 Treasure Division System

21:15 Court Battles Won

23:50 IRS And Taxes

26:37 Hard Times Key West

27:48 Beyond Atocha Projects

35:15 Trunk Shows On Road

37:12 Path To Titanic

42:02 Tampa Titanic Offer

43:07 Keldysh And First Dive

44:32 Mapping Stern Debris

46:42 Artifacts And Human Stories

49:05 Souvenirs And Shrink Cups

50:36 Atocha Coins And Values

54:50 Beads Medallions And Trade

59:34 Canadian Death Coast Dives

01:03:19 Preservation Versus In Situ

01:09:37 Family Diving And Shark Tales

01:13:39 Wrap Up And Dry Suit Talk

https://podcast.feedspot.com/scuba_diving_podcasts/

Curt hosts John from High Pressure Hooligans in Iroquois, Ontario, discussing how he built a high-tech fill station to address the lack of nearby air, nitrox, and trimix fills along the St. Lawrence. John outlines his setup, weekly fill volume, 7-days-a-week availability, and a mobile fill station supporting local fire departments. They talk about the local dive scene, including Fort Henry/Navy Bay artifact sites and roughly 275 shipwrecks within an hour, spanning 20–200 feet. The conversation covers tariffs and drysuit repairs, training with Mike Fowler for extended range trimix and advanced blending, impressions of the compact S7 sidemount rebreather, and plans for a technical liveaboard trip to Egypt to dive deep Red Sea wrecks. They also discuss artifact recovery practices, museum coordination, and notable finds like bottles, grenades, and a historic cannon.

00:00 Podcast Intro and Guest

01:17 Why Start a Fill Station

02:54 The Fill Gap Problem

05:09 Partner Support and Hours

06:24 High Volume and Mobile Fills

07:34 Tariffs and Drysuit Repairs

09:14 Local Diving and Wrecks

12:07 Plans and Centene Demand

14:58 Legendary Fill Stations

16:22 Diving at 79 and Staying Fit

18:55 Training With Mike Fowler

20:03 S7 Rebreather Impressions

21:27 Mexico and Future Trips

23:57 Egypt Tech Liveaboard Plans

24:36 Deep Red Sea Plans

25:59 Egypt Wreck Hit List

Richie Kohler on Deep Wreck Diving, U-Boat Mysteries, and the Meaning of Artifacts | Deadfoot Diver Podcast

Curt interviews technical diving legend Richie Kohler about his 50+ year diving career, how mentors (including his father, Atlantic wreck divers, and John Chatterton) shaped his wreck-diving approach, and how early deep wreck diving lacked formal training yet focused on risk-averse methods and physiology. Kohler discusses transitioning from open circuit to rebreathers, close calls while exploring a submarine wreck, and the emotional impact of encountering human remains, which pushed him to prioritize respect over recovery. He explains lawful artifact salvage, why artifacts act as “time machines,” and how a small plastic identification tag from the “Yoohoo” submarine became his most significant find by providing closure and leading to documentary and Titanic expeditions. He also recounts attending the 70th anniversary Andrea Doria reunion and highlights John Moyer’s preservation-focused collection and documentary work.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:42 Meet Richie Kohler

01:44 Origins and Mentors

04:47 Atlantic Wreck Divers

07:40 Chatterton and Rebreathers

12:37 Andrea Doria Plate Talk

14:22 Artifacts and Meaning

19:42 Mystery Sub Tag

25:23 Close Calls and Remains

30:38 Andrea Doria Reunion

34:57 Wrap Up and Thanks

Curt welcomes legendary diver and explorer Gary Gentile, who recounts how teenage sewer and wild-cave exploration led him to scuba training, then a lifelong passion for shipwrecks and roughly 2,500 dives. Gentile describes suing the U.S. government and NOAA for access to the USS Monitor, winning after eight years to open diving to everyone, and then facing repeated IRS audits. He explains how combat wounds left lasting disabilities—especially sciatic pain and reduced lung capacity—that affected his diving and ultimately ended his career after a severe sciatica attack on a 200th Andrea Doria dive in 2009. Gentile details early deep wreck diving on air and later trimix, open-circuit gear for dives to 420 feet, artifact recovery on the Monitor, extensive Doria exploration, china and ceramic panel recoveries, and rivalry-driven antics between Doria dive boats.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:13 Sewer Exploring Origins

02:16 Wild Caves and Raft Trip

06:13 Scuba Training and Wreck Bug

08:16 Winning Access to Monitor

08:50 IRS Audits After Lawsuit

14:15 Combat Wounds and Limits

17:54 Wheelchair Recovery Stories

22:41 Monitor Expeditions Artifacts

28:06 Deep Wreck Tables and Gear

36:17 Career Ending Doria Injury

40:12 Pain Relief and Life After

47:58 Poconos Hiking Pivot

49:06 Andrea Doria Obsession

51:40 First Doria Trips

56:18 Finding the China Hole

59:54 600 Foot Swimthrough

01:04:03 Gift Shop Treasures

01:05:32 Ceramic Panel Trade

01:13:53 Boat Rivalries and Secrets

01:18:48 Sealed Gate Prank

01:24:33 Jackpot Third Class China

01:30:25 More Panels and Dive Jokes

01:33:41 Closing Thoughts

Curt (the Deadfoot Diver) interviews Andy Fox of Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions about his family’s legacy in great white shark cage diving, from Rodney Fox’s 1963 survival and the early influence of film crews to the first underwater great white footage using a cage and the operation’s recent 60th anniversary. They discuss today’s surface and bottom cage experiences at South Australia’s Neptune Islands, typical depths, safety systems, and Andy’s claim of zero shark-related fatalities and no stitches in 60 years. Andy addresses misconceptions about great whites, changes in shark sightings linked to upwellings, toxic algal blooms, runoff, climate effects, and regulated fisheries, plus public pressure for culls and how drones/social media affect perception. He also describes testing shark repellents and bite-resistant wetsuits, and shares a standout dive identifying 19 sharks.

0:00 Podcast Intro Guest

01:27 Shark Encounter Story

02:32 Family Legacy Cages

05:36 Rodney Fox Still Diving

07:47 Like Subscribe Break

08:15 Environmental Changes Sharks

10:24 Population Shifts Perception

13:48 Fear Stats Free Diving

16:43 Surface vs Deep Cages

19:52 How Big Great Whites

22:51 Misconceptions Safety TV

26:21 What The Expedition Is

28:31 Insurance Safety Record

29:40 Safety Record Reality

30:20 Cage Rules And Risks

31:03 Viral Cage Incident

32:21 Cage Design Details

33:12 Most Memorable Dive

36:14 Tour Costs And Itinerary

38:44 Redundant Safety Systems

39:41 Liveaboard Fire Safety

41:41 Do Shark Repellents Work

44:21 Bite Resistant Wetsuits

48:36 Chainmail Suit Story

51:48 Expeditions And Jaws Legacy

54:25 Shark Diving Boom

57:44 Final Thanks And Signoff

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