UTD Scuba Diving Podcast

Send us a textFor decades the second step in most people's scuba training is the advanced class. But is that the best training path? In this episode Jeff and Ben look at the reasons the advanced class exists, both from a marketing and a diving standpoint. We talk about a course progression that includes the advanced class, but also some other options.Primarily, we look at the benefits of slowing down training so you not only get the most out of it, but also retain the most information and new skills. This is a candid discussion about "advanced" training – yours and ours.Have thoughts or comments? Please let us know, and be sure to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.  Click here to contact Jeff and Ben.Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textDid we mention fun? In this episode Jeff and Ben are joined by UTD instructor Kim Cardenas as we take a deep dive into everything scooters – some of the history with UTD including Scubatics (underwater acrobatic competition) and Monkey Bash (one of the craziest games you can play underwater), along with the pros, the cons, the costs, and more.Here are links to some of the resources we mention during the podcast:SCUBATICS Promo Video (1:20)Sample Diagrams from Scubatics Handbook (turns)Jeff and Kim Monkey Diving the Catalina Kelp Beds (2:00)Kim's crazy Russian Monkey Diving c-cardFor More Info About Any of This, Contact Us HereAlso check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textJeff and Ben are joined by UTD instructor James Mott. James was one of the original 10 UTD instructors and has The Great Dive Podcast, one of the greatest dive podcasts out there. In this episode we explore the process of training, the idea of mastery in scuba diving and mastery in life, and take a close look at how we learn. Please join us for this exploration and let us know your thoughts. Contact us by clicking here.You can also check out our YouTube channel by clicking here.Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textSometimes it's the simplest things that can be the most interesting. As we head toward winter and  water temperatures decrease, the thickness of dry suit undergarments tends to increase. In this episode Jeff and Ben look at all aspects of why dry suits keep you warm, how to choose proper undergarments, and how these suites actually work to insulate you from the cold water.Also, click here to check out our YouTube channel where Ben just released a video on how to choose proper undergarments.Have questions? Click here to contact us.Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textWe talk failures, computers, checklists, and much more. This time we have a special guest, Gareth Lock from the www.thehumandiver.com about human factors in diving and what we can do to make our dives better and safer.Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textIt is the little things that matter. Ask any performance athlete or engineer. Whether you are trying to squeeze the most speed out of your bicycle or motorcycle, or the best aerodynamics out of your Formula 1 car, the small things add up. The "marginal gains" movement has taken hold in performance sports over the past decade like never before, and now Jeff and Ben bring these concepts to scuba diving.What are the performance gains in diving? Less air consumption which leads to more time in the water. How do we accomplish that? Clean up all the little things that cause drag and imbalance in the water. From body position to dangling equipment, everything is fair game.Do you have thoughts and ideas about other marginal gains in scuba diving? Contact us, let us know, and we'll do the research. Click here to leave a comment about the show or ask us anything.Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textImagine yourself 100 meters underground, tucked into a little trolly, racing down rail tracks in an abandoned mine – bullets flying, snakes biting, the heroine captured, and time running out. That's mine diving. Except for the bullets, snakes, and heroine. But the rest of it is still there, sitting as it sat when the mine was closed and flooded years, sometime decades, ago.In this episode Jeff and Ben talk with UTD Instructor Casper Dreiøe and Marcin Wojturski, the head of the Tuna Hästberg mine in Sweden. Join us for this amazing journey through history and learn what it takes to dive these fascinating abandoned mines.Links:The Tuna Hästberg Mine: https://aventyrsgruvan.se/en/Ben's and Casper's recent dive at the mine:  https://youtu.be/UisaQxKZlmUEverything UTD: https://utdscubadiving.com/Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textThe other day Ben and I were talking about upcoming podcasts, particularly the Obscure Questions episodes, then five minutes later we were talking about a student's question regarding flow checks – the process of confirming, both before and during the dive, that all your scuba tank valves are in the proper position – open or closed – as appropriate. That led to the idea that we could probably do a complete podcast episode on flow checks. So here you go. Everything you ever wanted to know about the hows and whys of checking that your valves are either on or off. Volume 4 of The Most Obscure Question in Scuba Diving – not "questions" this time, just "question." Let us know what you think.JeffAlso check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textWhat's it like to coach scuba divers to meet their goals and aspirations? In this episode Jeff and Ben talk with UTD instructor and scuba coach Mike Brennan. Mike was one of the first UTD instructors to start coaching divers and has a unique and fascinating perspective on using coaching to train divers as opposed to a traditional short-term class.Unified Team Diving continues to break new ground as we develop new and better ways to train divers at every level – from the first open water course to the most complex deep, technical, cave dive.https://utdscubadiving.com/utd-scuba-coachingAlso check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving

Send us a textAs we approach six months into the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, Jeff and Ben take a look at how UTD has modified in-water training to accommodate good public health practices while maintaining the core principles of Unified Team Diving's training. Also check out our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnifiedTeamDiving