UTD Scuba Diving Podcast

Send us a textEn enero de 2023 hemos completado el Castilla Cave Tour. En este viaje hemos visitado algunas de las cuevas más icónicas del centro de España. Empezamos en el Pozo Azul que es actualmente la cueva con mayor desarrollo explorado en Europa con +13km de longitud. Fuente Azul es una de las cuevas más profundas con una cota de -130m. Fuentenavinahttp://www.espeleogaem.org/fuentenavina/s_fuentenavina.htm es una cueva bastante cerrada con un desarrollo de unos 700m a través de unos tubos con muchos zig zags. Finalmente, Fuencaliente es una surgencia que desemboca en un lago en un parque regional y es extremadamente ratonera. En cierto modo, para los que conocen los cenotes mexicanos, parecida al Cenote Minotauro.Este podcast lo grabamos a modo de conversación entre los miembros del equipo la última noche en el hotel. Muestra las opiniones de los diferentes miembros, desde los más noveles que recién empiezan a bucear cuevas tras el Cave 1 a los más experimentados que buceaban con CCR y torpedos.In January 2023 we have completed the Castilla Cave Tour which was a trip through some of the most iconic caves in central Spain. We started at Pozo Azul which is currently the longest cave explored so far in Europe with +13KM in length. Fuente Azul is one of the deepest caves at -130m. Fuentenavina is a tight cave with aprox 700m penetration through tight tubes with many zig zags. Finally, Fuencaliente is a surgence which feeds a lake in a Regional Park and it is extremely tight. In a way, for those familiar with Mexican Cenotes, like Cenote Minotauro in that sense.This podcast was recorded on the last night at the hotel as a conversation with part of the team in Spanish. It highlights the impressions from newer cave divers who joined this trip to more seasoned ones diving on CCR and Scooters.

Send us a textIn 2022 I was invited to speak at the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society's scientific meeting. This was in the ORCA project: Operational Resilience and Cognitive Awareness, quite a mouthful, but basically it was a meeting about human factors in scuba diving.In UTD we have been teaching human factors in our training programs since day one, but there is a secret. Listen to this short talk to learn the secret to teaching human factors in scuba diving.JeffAs always, let us know if you have comments:Click here to contact us:  https://utdscubadiving.com/contact/

Send us a textIncident and accident reporting. Is it good for scuba or terrifying for scuba? In this episode Jeff and Ben are joined by Diver Alert Network's Cat Harris. Cat manages DAN's incident reporting system.Should scuba take a page from general aviation, an industry that has consistently published accident data and analysis? Or should scuba continue to hide behind the idea that telling anyone there could be some danger associated with scuba is just bad for business.Also joining us is Andrej Gaspar, a UTD Instructor in Slovakia, whose student just created an reporting system for mountain incidents and accidents.What do you think?Let us know by clicking here.  https://utdscubadiving.com/contact/DAN's Incident Reporting websitehttps://dan.org/safety-prevention/incident-reporting/

Send us a textWhy no bungees? Why no double bladders? Do you need an STA? Why are they all black?In this episode Jeff and Ben tackle these questions and many more as they dig into the ins and outs, and ups and downs of BCDs, wings, dumps, and bladders.Questions? Comments? You can reach us by clicking here.  

Send us a textImmediately following the DEMA show in Orlando, Ben taught a Tech 1 course in the Florida keys. He was joined by three students and UTD Instructor James Mott, who flew down to co-teach with Ben. The team decided to record a podcast in three parts, one at the beginning, right after the first day, one in the middle, and one after the final dive. In this episode you will hear thoughts and insights from both instructors and all three students as they progress through their Tech 1 class.For more information on any of our training or scuba coaching programs:contact us by clicking here.

Send us a textDuring the 2022 DEMA Show in Orlando, Florida, Ben presented in the Technical Resource Area on how ascent strategies can and should change and how Ratio Deco has changed over the decades to become Ratio Deco 3.0. Plus a little history on decompression strategies and algorithms, along with a dose of how are bodies deal with inert gas at higher pressures. The audio is a bit rough as this was recorded on the trade show floor.Purchase the Ratio Deco 3.0 Online Course Materials, click here.Contact us, click here.

Send us a textWe are back at the DEMA Show, this year in Orlando, Jeff did a short presentation in the Technical Resource center about the UTD Scuba Coaching Program. This talk is a synopsis of scuba coaching – what it is, how it works, and, most importantly, the benefits for the students/clients.https://utdscubadiving.com/utd-scuba-coaching/

Send us a textThis episode is extracted from the UTD Instructor Meeting in Madrid October 21, 2022. Jeff in English, interpreted into Spanish by UTD instructor Alan Weinberg talks about new UTD courses – Advanced Diver vs. Rec 2, the new  Oxygen Cleanup Course, the UTD Scuba Coaching Program, and the new UTD Skills Camps.Then training director Ben Bos, also interpreted into Spanish by Alan, looks at the recent changes that were made to Ratio Deco 3.0.Huge thanks to Alan for coordinating the instructor and community meeting and for two solid days of interpreting!

Send us a textCuriosity Projects – for us these are fascinating diving projects that involve science, research, or some other socially conscious reason for being.In this episode, recorded during the 2022 UTD EU Instructor and Community Meeting in Madrid, Spain, we are joined by UTD instructors Alan Weinberg and Andrej Gaspar along with Martin Strmiska to discuss current and future curiosity projects.https://curiosity-projects.org/Contact UTD

Send us a textThis episode started as a deep dive (are we tired of that pun yet) into gas management, but quickly changed into an Obscure Question episode on managing your cylinders. Jeff and Ben look at diving steel tanks in side mount, diving double steel tanks in a wetsuit, why we do a valve drill, why not breathe from a tank that is slowly leaking, and much more.And, as a bonus, there is a riddle at the end of the episode...answer correctly and win cool prizes!Contact us anytime (and submit your answer to the riddle) by clicking here.