No filter. No script. Just real talk.Kenny Dyal and Myles Schwartz dive deep into the most controversial topics in the scuba diving world — from toxic competition between dive pros to the industry’s struggle to attract more women and young divers. And finally, the real reason is we all love scuba diving so much.

In this episode, two dive hosts face off on:🌊 Why the scuba industry can be its own worst enemy🤿 How to get more people excited about diving⚓ The truth about dive gear (specifically, if it’s really a good idea to wear a dive knife on EVERY dive) — and what actually matters underwater🐠 What scuba diving is really about at its core

Listen to the Free Descent Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1xsMzx1ya9qZBJO2ZL7PWi?si=7f916b989bc449a7

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-descent/id1677073474

Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyal⁠

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

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

LinkedIn:⁠ www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal⁠

Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal⁠

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Scuba Diving creates such an ecosystem of social activities that it is almost impossible not to be exposed to a different lifestyle and group of people.

It is so life changing that it has launched many careers, is a gateway to many other careers, and I’ve personally witnessed FOUR pairs of divers who got married after initially meeting on a dive.

It’s a cheat code to meet people, especially people who would have no chance of ever crossing paths… but for diving.

Finally, unlike school sports, scuba diving lasts a lifetime. It doesn’t end wit the season, or when school ends. This makes it a perfect investment in family for the long haul (and is often one of the only excuses for some to travel or meet up).

I spoke for an hour at Aggieland Scuba, during their Dive Expo last year while the festivities were going on. The topic was “community” created through diving. 

In this video I explain how scuba diving changed my life, launched my career, and how I’ve watched it change other people’s lives. 

This magic happens through the endless number of moving parts that lead up to and surround the actual dive. I compare the dive itself to a firework show, and the activities leading up to the big event are what fuels such a powerful community element that isn’t possible any other way.

Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyal

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

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

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www.sweetwaterscuba.com

I had way too much fun asking these renowned professional divers their opinions on some of those hot-button scuba diving topics.

Everyone was such a sport about this and went for it, even when they knew these were controversial in some circles. It’s also funny how different some of these opinions can vary from one diver to the next.

This took place at the 2025 Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA out on the showroom floor.

The Questions:

• Is it OK to pee in your wetsuit?

• What is the scariest animal for a scuba diver to encounter underwater? Triggerfish has been removed as an option since it is obvious

• What was the most beneficial scuba course taken, after completing their Open Water scuba certification?

• Should Scuba Certification have some kind of expiration date?

• Jacket style BC, Back Inflate BC, or Backplate and Wing?

• How do you keep your dive mask from fogging up?

• What one thing should be in every scuba diver’s save-a-dive kit?

• Do divers prefer clear mask skirts or opaque (black or solid color)?

Guests answering these questions include:

• Sarah Miller (Azul Unlimited)

• Steve Jamroz of Divers Alert Network / D.A.N.

• Dan Orr, Hall of Famer and renowned legend in diving.

• Greg Holt, host of Scuba Radio

• Myles Schwartz, host of Free Descent Podcast

• Jared Berg, owner and founder of NEX Underwater Products

• Alexis Jabbour, founder and CEO of Buddy App and Book with Buddy

• Brian Benton, owner of Dive Oahu

• Ed Rasmussen, NAVY SEAL and Scubapro rep

• Morgan Oughton and RJ, founders of Spacefish Army

• Therese Napier of Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, FL

• Jason Leggatt, CEO of Shearwater Research.

• Cliff Richardson, who was Director of NAUI, but is not the CEO of Divers Alert Network (DAN)

• And Red Sullivan, who wanted to be there but couldn’t make it.

Special thanks to everyone who answered these questions, and the staff and crew of Scuba Show for your continued support!

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Most divers (including me) have been calling scuba gear “Life Support” equipment since the beginning. However, when considering redundancies, dive buddies, and proper SESA (Simulated Emergency Swimming Ascents), is our life truly dependent on this gear. And if so, is it truly life support, whereas if the gear fails we die?

After a deep dive into this term we’ve all been using since the dawn of scuba diving, I believe Frank Degnan has a great point.

Frank has been a scuba instructor for over 40 years, former Dive Safety Officer at Universities, is active with three agencies (PADI, NAUI, and one other). And even holds the title of Course Director Trainer with NAUI. 

He has won awards, teaches adaptive curriculum, and remains active in his local diving community. 

This is a well-articulated approach to recreational scuba diving and labeling gear “Life Support”. 

It’s also a bit of a wake up call for how we train scuba divers and students how to properly execute Emergency Swimming Ascents, as well as knowing when it’s time for a redundancy system (such as a pony bottle, etc.)

I ran into Frank by happenstance while visiting the NEX Underwater Products warehouse in Monterey Bay, CA. This was neither scripted or planned, but we were already shooting content with the camera and mics when he walked in. His articulation of this topic stopped me in my tracks, and he was kind enough to let me record our conversation in virtually real time. 

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyal

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

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

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal

X: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Captain Kevin was an extraordinarily laid back boat captain. He kept the boat fun, safe, and even sang Disney songs when underway. Not to mention, the Gilligan's Island theme song.

I ask him why they have such a good time, incredible enthusiasm, and retention in their mates, Divemasters, and other employees. He also lets us in on how they stay so friendly with their Guests in occasionally high stress situations, and what ultimately led him to this job.Finally, Captain Kevin was a police officer who went on dive vacations to escape the stress, and ultimately ended up doing that very thing he loves in retirement. He moved down to Key Largo after 20 years of stressful work, and took up a new career as a boat captain (and a father).

Look for Captain Kevin along with Captain G, and several other great Captains and Crew at the Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, FL, “the dive capital of the world”.

Amoray offered my viewers a 25% discount when staying with them. I’ve copy/pasted it below:

sweetwater25

https://www.amoray.com/104250

Overseas HighwayKey Largo, FL 33037

Reservations: 800-426-6729

Phone: 305-451-3595

[email protected]

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

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

–Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwater_scuba

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realkennydyalLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal

X: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Amoray Dive Resort is considered the only true dive resort in the continental US, with it’s dedicated dive boat literally outside the door of some of the hotel rooms.I fell in love with this dive resort last year when I visited, so I returned a year later to interview the rest of their staff.With a fully staffed dive shop on site, gear, and even a filling station, it makes diving easy.I was asked so many times if this was “Amy Slate’s place?” that I thought it was important to show the renovated room interiors, and how well-kept the place was. They retained the old Keys charm, but upgraded the interior where it counts.The boat is ideal for easy, family-oriented diving that caters to newbies, snorkelers, and shallow scuba diving. But don’t be fooled, some of the best variety of shipwrecks are in the Keys and the Spiegel Grove is just offshore Key Largo, and Amoray does do dedicated trips for Advanced Divers.They offer scuba certification, dive guides, rental gear, and apparently are expanding into a live aboard catamaran option (I’ll have more details on that when I return in December for the boat parade!). I should also mention they let you take bicycles and snorkel gear offsite to places like John Pennekamp State Park, and even have SUP, Kayak, Jet Skis on site. They also do magical sunset cruises, which IMHO is one of the crown jewels of the Florida Keys.But the thing that intrigued me the most about this resort was actually the staff. Just like my last interview with the owner of the dive resort (Jeff Gneiser), I am fascinated with how they can keep the vibe going with the resort AND boat staff, and this time after even more time had passed. So many places lack customer service and experience staff burnout in this industry, yet this place seemed to be the contrary.The staff seemed happy, the boat captain and mates literally sang and danced on the way back in from the dive, and everyone was in a great mood every time I spoke with them, and were actually helpful. If you just want a comfy place to stay with a genuine Keys vibe, easy diving or snorkeling, and close to the major attractions, Amoray Dive Resort is it.

PS: They offered me a discount code for listeners:

sweetwater25

*I’m still working on that on-site Tiki Bar 🧉🏝️104250 Overseas HighwayKey Largo, FL 33037Reservations: 800-426-6729Phone: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amoraydiveresort/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amoraydiveresort–Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwater_scubaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realkennydyalLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyalX: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyalwww.sweetwaterscuba.com

After the wildly popular interview with the inventor of Avelo, I had to go and actually take this thing in the water for some real diving. 

My wife Katie and I tested the new Avelo Dive System and could not believe it. From a lighter walk down to the water (and less grunting during suit-up), to a natural, cleaner, and more streamlined dive, it was definitely an upgrade in the overall diving experience.

It did require a readjustment in the whole experience, but once we did it was one step backward, ten steps forward.

I was able to actually go and dive the Avelo system myself and take the Specialty course (the RAD class as it’s been dubbed), and experienced the equipment first hand. It became apparent that this was not only a more enjoyable dive experience, but the instructor in me could not help but notice the safety improvements across the board. As any seasoned instructor knows, a student that bolts or suddenly drops down uncontrolled is a constant task, and in this system it’s virtually eliminated.

Instructors and Divemasters also know that the bulk of the injuries we deal with are smashed fingers and toes from weights and tanks, bad knees and backs, and just the lugging gear to and fro cause a lot of trouble. Not to mention the hassle of sizing and weighting people in BCs they’ve never used -also fixed. There were more little perks the more we dug in.

While I am unabashedly a big fan of this, and I believe it is substantially superior to standard recreational scuba gear, here are the drawbacks I found:

1) Having to take an additional Specialty Course beyond the Open Water Scuba Certification. While the class is a simple, one-day course and we actually thought it was fun and easy, it does create a barrier. In an already-small industry, this puts Avelo in a position that makes it impossible to grow beyond existing scuba certifications. People that would otherwise thrive in diving using Avelo, might never get beyond (or even through) the Open Water course. I would like to see this have the option to do it in reverse (get certified with Avelo, then do standard OW as the specialty).

Not for everyone, but I know specific cases where this would help people like crazy.

2) Cost: It does cost more than a high-end recreational scuba rig, but the price is coming down quickly, while regular scuba keeps creeping up.

*I should mention the rental cost is only slightly more, and in some places the same. There is a hidden benefit here and that is renting is going to be the same gear everywhere you go (with the Jetpack and Hydrotank) so you don't have to relearn new gear or worry about fit. You can just bring your own regulators, mask, fins, wetsuit, etc (or whatever you prefer), but this ditches the suitcase stuffing BC, which is kinda nice IMHO.

3) Not everywhere has it yet. They have a facility lookup on their site, and to be fair that list is growing fast. It is already gaining a foothold in the big spots like Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii, Florida, and other destinations. 

While there will always be a place for traditional scuba (at least for now), the Avelo System is already changing the future of scuba diving, cutting the hassle and improving the overall sport for new divers and pros. I’m always going to promote new technology, new ideas, methods, or anything that takes this industry forward. That is what we do here on this channel.

I hope you love this video discussing my first-hand experience diving the new system.

Also, big thanks to the people from NAUI, PADI, Shearwater and Scuba Show for the time and contribution in putting me through the course and sitting down with me!

https://diveavelo.com/

—

Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyal

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

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

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal

X: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Find out what it takes to be a Scuba Queen, and compete in the Miss International Pageant, as well as gain a sense of community in the scuba diving world!The National Director of Scuba Queen USA, Marina Inserra, has a talk with Kenny Dyal about the purpose of Scuba Queens, The Scuba Queen USA Pageant, and the Miss Scuba International Pageant.The world competes in multiple talent presentations for multiple titles, while cultivating a mentorship for young women who wish to become scuba divers and leaders in their communities.Scuba Queen USA builds confidence, teaches dance and performance, and empowers women to become ocean advocates.They are strengthening the dive community by building up women in the underwater world and beyond.

https://www.scubaqueenusa.com/

🎙️ How to Make a Living in Scuba Diving | Interview with Kenny Dyal | Scuba Business & Marketing Tips

In this interview, James Carbary, CEO of Sweetfish Media sits down with Kenny Dyal — seasoned safety diver, NAUI Course Director, and founder of Sweetwater Scuba — to break down how you can build a successful career in scuba diving. Whether you're a dive instructor, shop owner, or just curious about turning your passion into a profession, this conversation is packed with insights.👉 Topics Covered:How to start a career in scuba divingTips for teaching independently or owning a dive shopMaking money through social media and visual contentControversial topics in the dive industryFixing what's broken in the scuba worldMarketing tips for dive businessesHow to get consulting help for your dive shop or brand🧠 About Kenny Dyal:Kenny began diving in 1998, became a Disney safety Divemaster in 2006, and started teaching independently in 2009. He has spent nearly a decade as a NAUI Course Director and in 2016, sold his dive shop to focus on consulting, marketing, and content creation for scuba-related businesses. Today, his company Sweetwater Scuba offers social media services, podcasts, children’s book signings, and private consulting to help dive businesses grow.🌊 Learn More:📌 Website: www.sweetwaterscuba.com👇 Drop your questions for Kenny in the comments!🔔 Subscribe for interviews, dive industry tips, and more!

The Last Breath is based on the unbelievable true story of a diving accident. Kenny speaks with movie Director Alex Parkinson and Producer David Brooks to better understand the thought process behind the movie. Both Guests are co-writers of the 2025 movie, and give an inside look at some of the behind-the-scenes challenges and obstacles. 

Spoiler Alert: This is an early review and discussion of plot points and questions about the Last Breath. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I’d definitely recommend it!

Our interview discusses how actors Fin Cole, Simu Liu and Woody Harrelson were able to capture the true emotion of being trapped in a dangerous rescue mission deep underwater. 

This movie has a realistic, visceral feel to it. Aside from a little (visually stunning) creative license, it follows the real story of Chris Lemons, the commercial saturation diver who got stranded in a heavy dive suit on the seafloor of the North Sea. If that wasn’t enough, it was during a storm, and at night.

We got to discuss the set pieces, where it was filmed, and the challenges the producer and directors faced, and ultimately overcame.

They also discussed how much scuba training the actors had to undergo, the screening process, and how they handled being underwater during filming. 

Finally, we discuss the ending, the theories on how he was able to survive, and the strength to get back out there and dive.

It’s a movie about human survival, the life of a commercial deep saturation diver, and the drive to return to work after going through such a harrowing life-or-death situation.

Finn Cole stars as Chris Lemons, Woody Harrelson as Duncan Allock, and Simon Liu as Dave Yuasa.

Directed by Alex Parkinson (co-writer)

Produced by David Brooks (co-writer)

https://www.focusfeatures.com/last-breath/

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyal

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

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

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal

X: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal

www.sweetwaterscuba.com