Sometimes it’s not all puppies and ice cream! A lot of the time, the bad is swept under the rug, and I forget that there is a not-so-pleasant face within this industry. The double-edged sword that is social media, can at times, over-romanticize and lead individuals to believe diving is a fairy tale land where all is amazing and wonderful. Rushed courses, asshole instructors, lack of standards, sexism, underpaid, and overworked. In this episode, I speak with Nikki, an instructor in Spain. It was a rocky start, but she persevered through to find the love of this sport that so many of us share. I sit down with her as she brings me through the ups and downs, founding Blue Fin Divers, Mi Moana, and her plans for the future to continue to create the change she wants to see. Please Enjoy.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/scubanikky/
https://www.instagram.com/bluefindivers.es/
https://www.instagram.com/__mimoana/

Website:
https://bluefindivers.com/
https://mimoana.org/

Coming from a family of divers made it natural for Ben McCallum to earn his first certification and eventually find himself in a professional role. Preferring the fun side, he took a step back and combined his love of diving with his love of photography. With a background as a commercial photographer, he applied his unique skill set to capturing moments underwater. This passion led Ben to establish Molausk and create the Quadball Lite, a strong, lightweight, and compact action camera dive handle, designed and built in Australia. The importance of lighting, his love of liveaboards, getting the shot right the first time, progression with underwater photography, and much more. Please enjoy.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/molausk/

Website:
https://molausk.com/

 “There might be something more to this” These were thoughts Yvonne Press had while she would enjoy holiday diving from time to time in the early days of her journey. What started as a way to keep up on skills, ended up with her progressing through to eventually owning and operating Dark Horizon Diving. Before settling into Malta, where she works in affiliation with Gozo Technical Diving, Yvonne spent time throughout Southeast Asia honing and mastering her craft. It was great to sit down with her and hear more about the early days, the challenges of making a full-time move into the industry, a few love-at-first-breath moments, the walls of Bunaken, becoming a KISS Sidewinder Instructor, and much more. Please enjoy. 

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/yvonnepress/

Website:
https://darkhorizondiving.com/
https://kisssidewinder.pro/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCca6dklxao4M5IY4g94pUnA

Northern California has always held a place in my heart. I was born there, I have family there, I have roots there. Sadly, I have never explored the aquatic environment in the area, so I was excited to have a conversation with long-time native Ted Judah. Inspired by his father to become a diver, he eventually found his way to the underwater world. As it happens, Ted stepped away to raise a family. After an extended leave, Ted and his wife decided to rekindle the passion for the sport that brought them together. Early days of homemade wetsuits, local diving, volunteering at the California Academy of Sciences, surfing, but most of all, a message to get the dives in with the ones you love. Please enjoy!

Links:
https://www.inaturalist.org
https://calacademy.org
https://www.bodegabay.com
https://www.monterey.org

Email:
[email protected]

Every interview is a chance for me to learn and engage in fun conversations. For those that have been following the podcast, many of you know, I have been seeking advice and gaining knowledge on rebreathers. Speaking to Martin Splitt of Switzerland was no exception. Becoming certified in the Seychelles before continuing his path closer to home, it was great to hear his insights and thoughts about his journey. The benefits of learning from multiple instructors, going from Open Circuit to Closed, why he gravitated towards the Divesoft Liberty, and my reasons for choosing the Fathom Gemini. Please enjoy.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the_splitti/

Website:
https://tauchenmitsplitti.ch/

Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/087Wy8vimWknyqtSkXPOyI

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJiwpzoexEK7aHUW7rOZbgQ

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 with Max to hear about his Open Water Certification in California, the process of earning a Marine Science Degree, local diving, shark conservation, becoming an instructor, and much more. Please enjoy! 

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/maxconservation/
https://www.instagram.com/divewithbuddy/

Website:
https://linktr.ee/maxconservation

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, and much more. Please enjoy!

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/patrick_widmann/

Website:
https://protecdivecenters.com/
https://www.xdeep.eu/
https://www.kissrebreathers.com/
https://www.sealdrysuits.eu/

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. Please enjoy.

Website:
https://www.businessofdiving.com/

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 enjoy.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/carolinex8x8/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CarolineX8X8

Descent Technical Diving:
https://tecdiving-storms.webnode.be/

Divesoft:
https://www.divesoft.com/en

Xdeep:
https://www.xdeep.eu/

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 more. Please enjoy.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/aprilweickert/
https://www.instagram.com/seafoxes_/

Website:
https://torpedorays.com/

Jump In!
Episodes 1-8 on YouTube