By Christine Tamburri. Header image by SJ Alice Bennett

InDEPTH’s Guide To Non-print Oral Diving Media

27 JUNE 2023—We’ve added linked to Nick Hogle’s new podcast Off Gassing: A Scuba Podcast. Find the link below.

In the May issue of InDEPTH, we discussed essential reading materials that all tekkies should have on their library bookshelves. Gone are the days of excuse after excuse surrounding the time commitment needed to read a book cover-to-cover. Today, tekkies far and wide are turning to podcasts, webinars, and YouTube Channels to feed their heads on all things diving. From personal storytelling by some of the biggest names in the industry, to discussions on military diving, and everything in between, these resources have become so mainstream that some tekkies have even taken to watching and listening to them on long deco hangs! 

You are invited to the next generation of learning materials and to build that tekkie playlist one podcast, webinar, and YouTube channel at a time. 

The Oral Dive History Collection

Merriam-Webster defines “oral history” as a recording containing information about the past obtained from in-depth interviews concerning personal experiences, recollections, and reflections. There are several podcasts that exist to preserve stories of the greats while providing a wealth of knowledge and entertainment to divers of all abilities and backgrounds:

• The League of Extraordinary Divers (Host: Tec Clark)
• DeeperBlue Podcast (Host: Stephan Whelan)
• The Big Deep (Host: Jason Elias)
• Dive In: The Podcast (Hosts: Justin Miller, April Weickert, Amit Parasram, and Nic Winkler)
• PADI Dive Stories (Host: Allison Albritton)
• Are you a Scuba Diver – Fancy a brew? (Host: Andy the Northern Diver)
• POD Diver Radio (Host: Joe Cocozza) 
• Dive Immersion (Host: Carlos Lander-podcasts and blogs)
• Scuba Goat (Host: Matt waters)

These are just a few examples of oral history podcasts. Guests include Andy Torbet, Cristina Zenato, Brett Seymour, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Phil Short, and Jill Heinerth with topics ranging from wildlife encounters to cave diving and exploration projects. Regardless of individual interests, there is something for every tekkie within these podcast series! Some podcasts revolve around a common theme, which is the case with National Geographic’s Into the Depths (Host: Tara Roberts). This six-part series follows one woman’s journey to document and preserve the history of slave ships in the Atlantic Ocean. For the tekkie looking for a standalone podcast to listen to on the drive to the dive site, Mentors for Military (Host: Robert Gowin) recorded an episode that discusses the process of becoming a Diving Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy, while an episode from TEK.95 (Host: Fred Garth) relives a presentation given by Dr. Bill Hamilton and John Cera on mixed gas diving from aquaCORPS Tek.95 conference.

From Sidemount Tweaks to Freedive Geeks & Everything in Between

Despite being weightless while immersed, divers gravitate toward a plethora of special interests within the community and, thankfully, there are podcasts for almost everyone—new divers, experienced divers, and even those that are uncertified. Learn all about what it takes to dive from a physiological perspective by listening to Fitness in Diving (Host: Dr. David Charash); The Dive Locker (Host: Tec Clark) takes an in-depth look at teaching techniques, risk management, and the dive business.

For those who love to challenge the status quo and get their cylinders off their back, Speaking Sidemount (Host: Steve Davis) is a fantastic resource for tips and tricks from some of the best sidemount divers in the world. If wearing no cylinders is of interest, Freedive Café (Host: Donny Mac) discusses all things breath holding from world records to everyday training. 

One unique podcast series surrounds an even more unique subsect of diving. The Bottom Dwellers (Host: Armando Gonzalez) is the only podcast created by commercial divers for commercial divers, but those of all backgrounds are welcome to join in and learn from the discussions. Note that the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI), Houston, Texas just announced (8.19.22) that they plan to debut their first-ever podcast—THE DOWNLINE—soon, where ADCI Executive Director Phil Newsum and Gary Jones, Board of Directors, will discuss relevant industry topics and association news. Listen up hardhat divers!

Another unique sector of diving is rooted in the military, and there are several resources available. Deep-Sea Stories (Host: Ross Garcia) is an in-depth series that covers a variety of topics about the U.S. Navy, while standalone podcasts from Fair Winds (Host: Petty Officer Nathaniel Romeo), The 18^th Airborne (Host: Joe Buccino), and Canadian Army Podcast (Host: Captain Adam Orton) cover the United States Coast Guard Dive Program, the training required to become an Army diver, and the nature of work undertaken by combat divers, respectively. 

Podcast Mixtape

If boredom by repetitive topic after repetitive topic comes easily, fear not! There are several podcast series that cover all things diving (and even non-diving). The Dive Table (Hosts: Jay Gardner and Nick Hogle) is a short but impactful series that discusses everything from destination diving to controversial training philosophies. The Scuba Diving Podcast (Host: Kenny Dyal), The Great Dive Podcast (Hosts: James Mott and Brandon Schwartz), The BiG Scuba Podcast (Hosts: Ian Last and Gemma Kemp) and the newly created Into the Overhead (Hosts: Dene Ulmschneider and Joshua Underwood) are all extremely diverse and cover a range of topics like ecology, photography, and rebreather diving. These podcasts have it all! 

OZ Dive Show Podcast (Host: Dean Laffan and Michael Menduno) focuses on specific accomplishments and areas of expertise for several guests, including Dr. Dawn Kernagis, Professor Simon Mitchell, and Dr. Neal Pollock. 

Into the Planet (Host: Jill Heinerth) recounts the life of one of the most prolific female technical divers in the industry; the hosts discuss cold water diving and women’s empowerment, among other topics. 

There is something for divers of all ages and backgrounds, and boredom will surely be avoided by diving into these captivating podcast series!

Saltwater Stories About Protecting the Planet

Building an engaging and educational tekkie playlist is rooted in variety. Divers may wish to expand their boundaries into the non-diving world with a few podcasts inspired by responsible boating, coral protection, and conservation education. Dockside (Host: Diana Fu) is a new series dedicated to safe and sustainable boating practices, and it hosts discussions on oil spills and lifeguard rescues. 

For nerdy divers who love science, check out Meet the Ocean (Host: Paul North)—a student-led podcast conveying stories from scientists and explorers. One final series that divers may find interesting is OceanPoddy (Host: Madeline St Clair), which discusses shark fin training, ocean physics, and even drone crashes!

For tekkies with packed schedules, a standalone episode by Blue Frontier (Host: David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein) interviews explorer Don Walsh as he describes his journey seven miles underwater. 

It is important to remember that without clean, healthy waters, the dive industry cannot thrive and the hobby that we all enjoy could be put into jeopardy. Diving podcasts are an excellent way to learn more about how divers can make a positive impact on the planet!

For Our International Friends

Divers from around the world love to listen to and learn from podcasts of all varieties so, of course, a few international series need to be included for our friends far and wide! For Spanish-speaking divers, there are several choices. Full podcast series include Bajo las Olas (Host: Ester “Garcela” Moreno), which covers wreck diving, cave diving, and more, and BRAVE Divers (Host: Gisela García et al.), which is both a podcast and a YouTube Channel. 

For our Spanish-speaking friends who do not have the time to commit to listening to a full series, there are few standalone episodes that are worth diving into. Journey Sports (Host: Óscar Garza) has two relevant episodes, one about ocean exploration in Mexico and the other about the Great Mayan Aquifer Project. For those looking for chats about going deeper for longer, Radio El Respeto (Host: Félix RodrÍguez) interviewed Miguel Lozano who, as of February 2021, was one of only six freedivers to ever descend to 120 m/393 ft.

A Visual Learner’s Playlist

As the world of technology continues to develop, more and more resources are becoming available for tekkies hoping to feed their head with all things diving. Webinars and YouTube channels are becoming popular mechanisms to learn everything under the sun and under the sea.

Webinar-savvy tekkies may want to dive into content from Divers Alert Network , and Divers Alert Network Southern Africa, which cover topics ranging from hyperbaric chambers, to diving safety and environmental stewardship. Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) offers a deep dive into all manner of (paid) diving content in GUE.TV. They also offer free diving content on the GUE YouTube Channel

One outstanding byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic was an extremely diverse series of more than 70 webinars from The Diver Medic (Host: Chantelle Newman). These cover public safety diving, cave conservation, accident investigations, and so much more, and they are an incredible source of information from some of the biggest names in the industry. 

Informative YouTube channels are also a great resource divers can use to build their skill sets and to learn new things about the industry, gear, and training. Setting the standard in edutainment is Jonathan Bird with his BlueWorldTV (Host: Jonathan Bird) YouTube channel. These 10- to 15-minute episodes cover topics like diving in aquariums and crawling through the mud in tiny caves. Jonathan also recently directed an IMAX film, Ancient Caves, which dives into the importance of karst geology and STEM education. With over one million subscribers on YouTube, tekkies of all ages and experience levels will find joy in the cinematography of BlueWorldTV.

Divers Ready (Host: James Blackman) combines education with humor to deliver a wealth of information to knowledge-hungry divers. Time-traveling tekkies may find interest in the Alec Peirce Scuba (Host: Alec Peirce) YouTube channel as he discusses tech tips and vintage scuba in an enthusiastic, yet informative manner. Alec covers cylinder inspections, scuba gear developed in 1955, and other diving history topics, and this channel will always leave viewers coming back for something new, interesting, and unique. 

Rounding out this dynamic list are two educational YouTube channels that keep things lighthearted and exciting. Scuba Jake (Host: Jake Koehler) is a modern-day treasure hunter who takes viewers along on his underwater adventures to find lost phones, wallets, and keys. For his efforts, Jake even won the “Visionary Award” at Beneath the Sea in 2019! DIVE TALK (Hosts: Woody Alpern and Gus Gonzalez) is a newer YouTube channel that also keeps things lighthearted, even while discussing serious topics. Through their infamous “Cave Divers React” videos, Woody Alpern and Gus Gonzalez take viewers along on their adventures into growing as divers and instructors, and through their major success on YouTube, people from around the world are becoming inspired to either start diving or to continue their dive education.

Whether a tekkie chooses podcasts, webinars, or YouTube channels as their educational secret weapon, it is important to continue to learn and grow as a diver. These platforms streamline education and provide ample entertainment along the way. So, on your next long deco hang or drive to the dive site, tune into one of these resources. You never know what you might discover!

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Listen Up Divers: 49 Channels and Counting!

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Dive Deeper

InDEPTH: How Deep Is Your Library by Christine Tamburri

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Christine Tamburri is the Risk Mitigation Coordinator at DAN. She began diving in 2016 and never looked back, spending her weekends diving and meeting industry leaders along the way. After graduating from Penn State University in 2020, she decided that a full-time job in the industry was her calling, and she became a summer intern at DAN. Later that year, she was hired into her current role where she develops e-learning courses, assists first aid instructors worldwide, and designs risk assessment tools for dive operators and professionals. Christine is an avid cave and technical diver who spends every spare moment of her free time either cave diving or planning to go cave diving.