The Scuba Diving Podcast

Haley Mermaid explains exactly how she became a full-time Mermaid Performer and tips for other merfolk to break into those paid gigs.

We cover a lot in this sit-down interview, from training tips to tail making pointers, plus safety concerns for parents with kids who want to learn to be a mermaid. She also lists specific steps to getting jobs as a mermaid.

Finally, the big reason Scuba Certification is the biggest asset in mermaid training. We get into the real reasons why Scuba is more helpful than freediving for mermaid safety and character performance (but also why freediving is still extremely valuable).

@HaleyTheMermaid has MILLIONS of followers, makes and sells mermaid tails, jewelry, tops, and accessories. Haley can also be hired for character performance events, shows, mermaid training courses, and even personalized videos.

How to contact & follow Haley Mermaid:

https://haleymermaid.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@haleymermaid

https://www.instagram.com/haleymermaid

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOXdy8FV2pRRGfChsvO0f-A

https://www.facebook.com/haleymermaidofficial

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeByAMer

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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

This was the perfect dive convention between the DEMA Show and The Scuba Show, and was much bigger than I expected. Loaded with vendors ranging from Tusa to Aqualung, Stream2Sea to Fourth Element, and even Huish Outdoors (Atomic, Zeagle, Suunto, Oceanic and others). They also gave out prizes, had mermaids on the scene, and even free food trucks!

Aggieland Scuba has outdone themselves in creating something that has become an instant staple, and probably too big to contain in College Station, TX. Join me as I cover the Dive Expo from start to finish, setup to teardown, interviewing staff, vendors, and speakers throughout the event!

Special thanks to Aggieland Scuba for putting such an incredible community together for the entire underwater world! (and inviting me out)!

The crowds never thinned out and the energy remained at a constant 110% throughout the entire day. The inaugural event has already outgrown itself, so I'm looking forward to seeing where next year's event goes!

Be sure to check out their website for updates on the next Dive Expo!

Also a big thanks to the incredibly kind staff, including co-owners Nathan Blanchard, Jennifer Opiela-Miksch, as well as Megan Blanchard who helped orchestrate my trip out.

And finally a big thank you to Becca Ziegler, who was helping keep the cameras rolling, keeping me organized, sane, and hydrated!

*I will update that info here when the 2025 event date and location are announced.

To contact Aggieland Scuba:

2151 Harvey Mitchell Parkway

Suite #109

College Station

Texas 77840

https://www.aggielandscuba.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@aggielandscuba

https://www.instagram.com/aggielandscuba

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnaxodLj7dbpYhJfQQReqw

https://www.facebook.com/aggielandscuba

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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

Jennifer Opiela-Miksch is a co-owner of AggieLand Scuba, a full-service retail dive shop in College Station, Texas.

She’s running a success story of financial AND personal growth, with the simple ingredient to growing the store and enjoying the job revealed here in this interview.

Jennifer has also helped launch the Dive Expo for their 10 year anniversary. This is a community of scuba retail, equipment service, liveaboard charters, mermaid schools and of course scuba training and trips. The Dive Expo is quickly growing into the “stop gap” between the Scuba Show and DEMA, with the convenience of being in the middle of the country. 

The DIVE EXPO is Saturday, August 24th, 2024 from 9am-5pm at Aggieland Scuba:

2151 Harvey Mitchell Parkway

Suite #109

College Station

Texas 77840

https://www.aggielandscuba.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@aggielandscuba

https://www.instagram.com/aggielandscuba

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnaxodLj7dbpYhJfQQReqw

https://www.facebook.com/aggielandscuba

—

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

Finally, you can find somebody to dive with. Even better, you can find divers in your area that have similar interests and skills!

Epic underwater photography and videography are some of the incredible accomplishments of Kewin Lorenzen. He’s a shark conservationist, cave diving explorer, tech diver, artist, and above all, an underwater photographer.

He’s shot several renowned videos and photos for TV programs and sits on the board of directors for “People of the Water”, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening human understanding of our oceans.

Finally, he works together with his spouse, Cristina Zenato, who is famously known for her underwater work with sharks.

We discuss tricks to becoming a better underwater photographer, videographer, cave diving, and of course, the challenges of working together as a couple.

Kewin is originally from Denmark and now lives and works with Cristina in the Bahamas.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kewin.lorenzen/

Kewin Lorenzen Website: http://kewinlorenzen.com/

People of the Water: https://pownonprofit.org/

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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 G was the most popular boat captain I have ever seen. Guests would arrive like old friends calling him by name. So after visiting the Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo for another interview, I just had to interview the famous Captain G.

Before the interview, I had the opportunity to go out on two dive drive trips, totalling 4 dives in a single day. He was our captain for both trips, and was fantastic. He had the boat laughing at briefings, never missed a beat, and was approachable. He always seemed to be enjoying himself, and the crew loved him as well.

The boat captain plays a major role in ocean diving, especially with new divers and even classes. Keeping your cool in tense situations with lots of people doing different things from a large dive boat… and for decades on end? That is an art.

I also watched him load and unload several other trips just below my balcony the days following, and it was always entertaining. One of the most memorable elements of our stay at Amoray Dive Center was watching the boat come and go twice a day, and third time when they had a sunset cruise or even a night dive. 

You can find him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/captg.rio

From my previous interview with Amoray Dive Resort, they sent me a code to put in the description for a discount when staying with them. I’ve copy/pasted it here into this description as well:)

Rate code: sweetwater10

Booking link: https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/o1m6rL#promo=sweetwater10

104250 Overseas Highway

Key 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_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

Amoray Dive Resort is the only dedicated dive resort in the Florida Keys. 

In fact, Key Largo is considered the “Scuba Diving Capital of the World”. Jeff Gneiser (and his wife, Cynthia) own the PADI 5 Star Dive Operation that operates with the resort. Jeff sat down with me to tell the story of how they’ve renovated and expanded the facility, and what it takes to be a 2023 and 2024 award-winning dive operation. They took us to the reefs and the famous Spiegel Grove shipwreck, and we stayed a few nights at the resort. After seeing some of the local sites like The History of Diving Museum (and feeding the tarpon at Robbie’s) we even had dinner with the two of them at what is now our new favorite waterside dive.

This is someone who has it together and loves his work. If you want a peek into what the dream looks like, this is it.

For a discount offered directly by the resort:

Rate code: sweetwater10

Booking link: https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/o1m6rL#promo=sweetwater10

104250 Overseas Highway

Key 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_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

Liz Parkinson is, in my humble opinion, the world’s greatest underwater stunt performer, athlete, and real-life Aquaman (and by Aquaman I mean Aquawoman!)

You might be shocked how she ended up in movies, and what led her to being the “go to” in-water trainer for A-list celebrities. If you’re James Cameron and you need the best person in the world to perform your underwater stunts for a billion dollar movie franchise, you’d better call Liz. 

If you don't think being involved with waterspouts like free diving and scuba diving will never open any big doors, just remember this: Liz was Oscar-nominated for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in 2023 for Avatar: The Way of Water

She’s worked on documentaries (such as the Netflix mini-series Thai Cave Rescue) as well as movies ranging from Black Panther to Fast and Furious F9 Saga and beyond. She professionally conducts in-water safety, instruction, performances, and stunts for stars such as Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, and Hugh Jackman (to name a few). If Shaq needs someone in the water for the next Shark Week, he calls Liz Parkinson.

If there was ever a true Jedi Knight of the underwater world, you have found her.

We were both at the literal very end of the DEMA show but managed to link up and talk for a few minutes about how she does what she does.

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Liz Parkinson IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4433884/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizparkinson1/

PADI Profile: https://blog.padi.com/living-large-with-padi-pro-liz-parkinson/

—

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

In this episode we go inside the hyperbaric chamber, and ask everything you’d ever want to know about actually going in! Or, as owner and operator Mitch Hall puts it, “going down”.

The hyperbaric chambers are used not only to treat scuba diving related injuries, but heal wounds and have other benefits to your health. He explains what it all means, how they work, and has some very surprising stories about some past divers that got into trouble (and a cautionary tale to those cavalier divers out there!)

He gave me a tour of the entire facility, and we had way too much fun doing it!

Website: https://www.hyperbaricstaugustine.com/

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HyperbaricStAugustine

—

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

Divers Alert Network’s (DAN) marketing director Steve Jamroz gives us a peek behind the curtain of the world’s most famous SCUBA organization.

DAN helps develop treatments, preventions, best practices and insurance for diving related accidents, illnesses, and even trip or business losses. They research prevention on everything from equipment safety to Decompression Sickness (DCS), as well as new training techniques. DAN also has a free Medical Services department you can call anytime to ask about potential conditions that could prevent you from diving. Their medical professionals can also offer guidance to your own doctor, whereas they may be unfamiliar with diving-specific health considerations.

Steve and Kenny have a casual discussion about life at the DAN organization, workplace culture, marketing their product, and of course, the DEMA after-parties they’ve become famous for.

Follow or contact them on all major social channels listed on their website below:

https://dan.org/

Medical Services:

+1-919-684-2948

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ET

Phone: Option 4

Online: Ask a Medic

Divers Alert Network customer service:

+1-919-684-2948

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ET

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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

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyal

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyal

www.sweetwaterscuba.com