Send us a text Quitting. It happens in every endeavor, but in diving it happens much more than it should. Why do people get certified and quit, or don't get certified and quit, or dive for 20 years and quit? In this episode Jeff and Ben explore quitting from a glass half empty and a glass half full perspective...which means why don't people quit diving? https://utdscubadiving.com/...
Send us a text Some of the most stressful dives – as related to nitrogen loading – are dives that are right up to the limits of no-decompression limits, like 100ft/30m for 20 minutes on air or 30 minutes on nitrox 32. So now we have created a solution for that – the UTD Oxygen Clean Up Course. Any diver who has complete the UTD Recreational 2 or 3 course can now add an oxygen bottle for one 10-minute O2 cycle at 20ft/6m at the end of a regular recreational ascent. There are countless benefits fo...
Send us a text Aging up. It's inevitable. But that does not have to stop us from diving. If you are working your way up to what we're calling Gen O/W, or Generation Older/Wiser, or you're diving with parents or grandparents or friends who have joined Gen O/W, then this episode is for you. Jeff (who is now officially Gen O/W) and Ben (who is getting closer) look at some of the options and ideas that will keep you diving well into your older years. Have questions about diving as you age up? Send u...
Send us a text How much risk are you willing to take on a dive? In this episode Jeff and Ben explore risk from all angles, particularly as it relates to your level of diving, your training, and your experience. Join us for this exploration of what you can do to make your diving, and your team's diving, safer and more fun. https://utdscubadiving.com/
Send us a text Primer UTD Scuba Diving Podcast en Español en el que los instructores Sergi Pérez y Alan Weinberg conversan sobre el curso UTD Cave 3 y cómo se llega a este nivel. Entran en detalle de los diferentes cursos que hay desde los inicios con el Overhead Protocols pasando por el Cave 1 y Cave 2 y cómo se comparan. Comparten impresiones sobre el último curso de Cave 3 realizado en Francia en Abril del 2022 y las salidas que ofrece este curso de cara a su aplicación en proyectos. Contact ...
Send us a text Do you have goals? In scuba diving? Sports? Work? In this episode Jeff takes a look at goals and goal setting and the process of training to reach those goals. If the point of the goal is just to get there, you run the risk of missing the most amazing parts of life. Listen to the episode, set some goals, and have some fun. If you'd like to talk to us about your goals, contact us here: https://utdscubadiving.com/contact/...
Send us a text The Spring 2022 UTD Scuba Skills Camp in San Diego, California, was a huge success. Three days of personal skills training, video reviews, happy hours, and tons of social time – unlimited learning and unlimited fun. In this episode Jeff is joined by UTD instructor James Mott and two of the camp participants, Dr. Dick Sadler and PADI instructor Steve Samoranski, as they take a look at the inside of a training event totally focused on skills, not on certification. Interested in part...
Send us a text Our first in a series of UTD Scuba Diving Podcasts in Italian with UTD Instructors Martina Carelli and Mattia Popesso. Ma la decompressione è davvero solo questione di tempo e profondità? Quali sono gli altri fattori che possiamo controllare e che influenzano l'efficacia decompressiva? Dovremmo davvero iniziare a parlare un po' di più di sforzo respiratorio e di densità dei gas? Iniziamo da qui, raccontandovi l'intervista fatta a Simon Mitchell e grazie all'aiuto del Dott. Stefano...
Send us a text Why are we doing yet another podcast about side mount? Good question. We now have the new system completed dialed in, new content online in the UTD Side Mount Mini and Essentials of Side Mount online courses, and we have lots of people diving the new system. So in this episode Ben and I go back over the journey to get to this new, amazing side mount system – some of the history, where we are today, how to set it up, where to source the parts, the pros and cons of side mount, and m...
Send us a text The UTD Scuba Coaching program has been running successfully for almost two years now so, it's time to meet some of the clients. In this episode Jeff sits down with Team Austin: Jay, Chris, and Xiangfei. Listen as they take an in depth look at their experiences in the coaching program, their recommendations for anyone considering coaching, and a look forward to see how coaching is helping each of them meet their personal scuba diving goals. For more information on the UTD Scuba Co...
Send us a text How many obscure, or not so obscure, questions can Jeff and Ben address in one episode? Tune in to find out as we tackle questions on weighting, SMBs, toxing diver recovery, rebreathers, gradient factors, rock bottom, emergency gas planning, and much more. This is our first "rapid fire" episode. Let us know if you'd like more! https://utdscubadiving.com/ Contact us – click here....
Send us a text We always get questions about Ratio Deco, and particularly about changes to Ratio Deco 3.0. In this Obscure Questions episode Jeff and Ben are joined by UTD instructor (and technical diver) Martina Carelli. Martina went through the complete Ratio Deco online course and created a list of real-world questions. We answered these, plus a few that came in from other students and podcast listeners. Check out the episode for answers to questions about surface intervals, oxygen windows, g...
Send us a text The UTD Skills Camps are three to five day camps where you will hone your personal and dive skills while working with a team of UTD instructors. The next camp is March 31 – April 4, 2022 in San Diego, California. Your instructor are Jeff Seckendorf, James Mott, Tom Carr, and Kim Cardenas. In this episode Jeff, James, and Tom give you their take on the what, the why, and the how of UTD Skills Camps. These camps are for every level diver – from the newest open water certified diver ...
Send us a text ESM, or Extreme Scuba Makeover, the UTD Scuba Diving buoyancy and proper weighting course, has been game changing for so many divers. People come into ESM at every level but with the same goals...increase buoyancy skills and dial in their weights. From new divers with five dives to tech divers and instructors, everyone benefits. In this episode Jeff and Ben delve into ESM – its history, evolution, how it works, and how you can benefit, plus some exercises you can do in the pool or...
Send us a text We are back home and recovering from a long week at the DEMA scuba trade show in Las Vegas and, we think, it was a very successful show. Jeff and Ben sit down for a short podcast where we lay out our thoughts about the show, the future, and answer the one remaining question from the live "Obscure Questions" episode we recorded at the show. For those of you who missed the DEMA show this year, consider coming to see us in Orlando in November 2022. We will absolutely be there!...
Send us a text Recorded live at the DEMA show in Las Vegas, Jeff and Ben answer your questions with a standing room only live audience: Does the color of an SMB matter? Can you use an uncompensated regulator on your argon bottle? Why is the long hose on the right post? When should you ditch your weights? This, and much more, live from Las Vegas!
Send us a text Ben Bos, UTD Training Director, on the current state of side mount in recreational diving, presented in the Technical Diving Resource Center at the DEMA show in Las Vegas, November 16, 2021: Side mount has taken the scuba industry by storm over the past few years. At UTD we saw the potential of including this cave-born way of diving into our open water recreational and technical curriculum. However traditional side mount using independent cylinders is very difficult to integrate i...
Send us a text Jeff Seckendorf's presentation on Scuba Coaching in the Technical Diving Resource Center at the DEMA show in Las Vegas, November 16, 2021: Great scuba training does not have to be focused on the outcome. It can be about the process. If we take a page from coaching in almost every other discipline, coaches make athletes better. It is not just about making a runner or cyclist faster; it’s about making them better. Beyond just a training schedule, great coaching programs include all ...
Send us a text Because what happens in Vegas, shows up on Facebook. For the first time since Covid became our new normal, we're going back to the DEMA show. DEMA, or the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association, is an annual trade show for all things scuba. It alternates between Las Vegas and Orlando, so this year it's in Las Vegas. We will be talking about coaching and our new version of side mount, we'll be doing talks in the technical section of the show, we'll be drinking massive amounts of ...
Send us a text In our last episode – "The Most Obscure Questions in Scuba Diving, The Tech Episode," we specifically left out the questions about diving doubles. So now Jeff and Ben devote the whole episode to doubles...the good, the less good, and the really good. Lots of facts, and lots of opinions. If you dive doubles, or are considering it, this is your episode
Send us a text Jeff and Ben take on four obscure questions in technical scuba diving: Why nitrox 50 from 160ft/48m but oxygen from 130ft/39m? Why are all the deco and stage cylinders on the left? Why do we only carry one bottom timer? Why do we use SPG's, not electronic transmitters? This, plus dozens of tangents and shiny objects. Although the topics are founded in technical diving, they are appropriate to diving at every level, so regardless of your training or experience, there should be some...
Send us a text Well, maybe this isn't the most obscure question in scuba diving; actually, it might be one of the most common, and misconceptions run rampant. But we continue to hear about skip breathing so, here it is: Jeff and Ben on countless reasons why skip breathing is both a bad idea and a physiological non-starter. Plus, a look at why we train for multiple failures but only plan for one, a look back at Scubatics, and much more. If you have obscure questions about scuba diving (or not obs...
Send us a text Okay...the one we've all been waiting for. A deep discussion about deep stops with one of the world's foremost authorities, Dr. Simon Mitchell. In this episode, part two of our talk with Simon, we look at the objective, subjective, historical, and random concepts of deep stops during decompression.
Send us a text In this episode Jeff and Ben do a deep, deep deep deep dive into all things decompression with renowned technical diver Dr. Simon Mitchell. Breathing, gas density, CO2 issues, body temperature, and tons more in this first half of our talk with Dr. Mitchell. Stay tuned for the next episode where we take an equally in-depth look at deep stops. Watch the podcast on YouTube: PART 1, CLICK HERE PART 2, CLICK HERE Part 3, "Deep Stops," coming soon....
Send us a text A few months ago we did a podcast called Marginal Gains in Scuba Diving (episode 18). In that podcast we looked at the little, small things you can do that, when taken together, add up to bigger gains. For us, as scuba divers, the gains we are looking for include, reduced gas consumption, longer bottom times on the same amount of gas, etc. But we quickly discovered, after that podcast, that the marginal gains did not add up to much. So we pivoted, and now Ben and I take a look at ...
Send us a text For 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 ...
Send us a text Did 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...
Send us a text Jeff 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....
Send us a text Sometimes 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 unde...
Send us a text We 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.
