Month: June 2016

Promoting Rebreather Safety for Professional and Recreational Divers

Divers Alert Network has published the Rebreather Forum 3 Proceedings in both print and electronic format that originated from the Rebreather Forum meeting held May 18-20, 2012 at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Two years in the planning and two years in the writing, the 324-page rebreather publication showcases state-of-the-art and science of rebreather diving through the experience and knowledge of some of the world’s leading specialists…

New Trip and Annual Plans Give Divers and Travelers the Opportunity to Travel Smarter

Divers Alert Network, the leader in dive safety, has introduced two new travel insurance plans to the scuba diving and travel communities. Based on DAN’s 30+ years of emergency travel assistance experience, these plans have been redesigned and offer enhanced levels of coverage to provide protection for unforeseen travel events. The introduction of these plans marks DAN’s return to the travel insurance business after a brief a hiatus…

Denoble selected to oversee DAN’s Medical, Research and Training Departments

Durham, NC – Divers Alert Network has appointed Dr. Petar Denoble to Vice President, Mission. In this new role, Dr. Denoble oversees DAN’s Research, Medical and Training departments, responsible for sustaining and enriching DAN’s Mission of keeping divers safe.

Dr. Denoble has been with Divers Alert Network for more than twenty years and previously held the positions of Research Director, Senior Director of Research and…

HPL chambers join DAN’s Recompression Chamber Network to enhance care

George Town, Grand Cayman (February 4, 2015) — Hyperbaric Partners, Ltd. (HPL) announced today that it has finalized an arrangement with Divers Alert Network (DAN) for the medical oversight and facilities management of the HPL network of hyperbaric chambers in the South Pacific and Caribbean. HPL was formed in 2010 to build, own and operate hyperbaric chambers and related medical facilities in dive destinations around the world. …

Durham, NC (March 11, 2015) — For the past 25 years, Divers Alert Network and Rolex have collaborated to award one of the most prestigious honors in scuba diving, the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award. This year, Simon Mitchell, Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand was selected by committee as the 2015 winner of this coveted award that recognizes excellence in diving and…

Durham, NC (April 22, 2015) – Divers Alert Network has appointed Peter Buzzacott, PhD., to the position of Director, Injury Monitoring and Prevention. In this role, Buzzacott will lead DAN’s research projects with a primary focus upon injury prevention for divers. Dr. Buzzacott will also continue to publish scientific diving articles, make presentations at leading dive industry conferences and trade shows and mentor post-graduate students working toward an advanced degree.
Before joining DAN, Buzzacott…

The DAN Diving First Aid for Professional Divers course is now officially approved by the US Coast Guard as meeting the CPR and first aid requirements for captain and mate licenses. The current approval period began December 1st 2014 and remains in effect until December 31st 2016.
“Any applicant who successfully completes the DAN’s First Aid & CPR course will satisfy the following requirements:

Elementary First Aid per STCW Code Table A-VI/I-3
Elementary First Aid per…

Funding supports important dive research projects in honor of prominent underwater researcher
Durham, NC (April 1, 2015) – In honor of underwater researcher, Dr. Bill Hamilton, Divers Alert Network has created the DAN / R.W. “Bill” Hamilton Memorial Scholarship that each year will award $10,000 to a deserving scientist to conduct dive medicine research. This Scholarship will be funded by The DAN Foundation and will be administered by the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF).
Born in 1930,…

Lobster season is an annual event that runs from August and October through March in Florida and California, respectively. Unfortunately, each season is marked by unexpected fatalities and the causes are not always clear. It appears that more deaths seem to occur closer to the beginning of the season, particularly during Florida’s mini season, potentially due to the greater activity as divers rush to get started. This, combined with the competitive culture resulting from restricted bag limits, could be encouraging a culture not focused on…

Durham, NC (July 8th, 2015) – Mini-season, also known as “sport-season,” is an annual event that attracts thousands of divers to Florida to hunt lobster. Tragically, the season is tarnished by deaths that could have been prevented with better dive preparation and execution.

In recent years, DAN has published research indicating an unexpectedly high incidence of diving deaths during the lobster mini-season. Most recently, a DAN study entitled Recreational Diving Fatalities; Harvesters versus…

Lifetime Certification and Provider Awards
Certification achievements recognitions were recently sent out. Congratulations to the following individuals for their outstanding contributions to diving first aid training.

2000 Certifications Issued

Donald Barthelmess (CA)
Michael Steidley (FL)

1000 Certifications Issued

Phillip Graf (WA)                                
Angela Moretti (WA)
Rachael Steidley (FL)             …

Durham, NC (November 4, 2015) – Durham, NC (November 4, 2015) – With a commitment to dive safety through education, National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) joins Divers Alert Network (DAN), the industry’s largest dive safety association, to promote and extend the reach of dive safety programs.
The centerpiece of this joint initiative will see DAN and NAUI come together to offer DAN’s first-aid training programs to NAUI divers and members.  This effort will include the full…

Durham, NC (February 3, 2016) – For decades, Divers Alert Network and Rolex have collaborated to award one of the most prestigious honors in scuba diving: the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award. This year, Kirk Krack, CEO and Founder of Performance Freediving International (PFI), was selected by committee as the diver who best exemplified DAN’s mission to promote dive safety.
Through his work at PFI, Krack is…

For some dive centers and instructors, February can be a slow month. This time of year is ideal to catch up on tasks and prepare for the upcoming dive season. February is also the month we raise awareness about heart disease. According to the Americ…

Durham, NC (March, 2016) – Beneath the Sea has announced that Divers Alert Network® President and CEO Bill Ziefle has been named the 2016 Diver of the Year for his outstanding service to the scuba diving industry through education. Ziefle, an avid scuba diver spanning over four decades, will join a long list of high profile industry figures including Sylvia Earle, Guy Harvey and Jean-Michel Cousteau.
Diver of the Year honors men and women whose presence in the dive industry has made significant…

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a PADI Pro, you might be wondering where it can take you. Well the answer is literally anywhere in the world – that’s the beauty of being a PADI Pro. PADI is an internationally recognised training organisation. So once you’re a PADI Pro, you can […]

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Former captain and athlete for the UK Freedive Team, Sam Amps is a leader in both the scuba diving and freediving worlds. She is a PADI Course Director and AIDA Instructor Trainer, and is founder of freediving center, Saltfree. As a key public figure and freediving safety advisor, Sam has also […]

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When they were little, simply spending a day at the pool or beach excited your kids. Now that they’re older and scuba certified, you have oceans to share as playgrounds — so make the most of it. Here’s how. Take a SeaSigns class Based on American Sign Language, the PADI Distinctive […]

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The buddy system is one of the first things we learn about as divers – and it’s something we practice on every dive. So what’s the best way to find a Dive Buddy to join you on your future adventures? 1. Ask your friends It may sound really simple – and […]

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The deepest known part of the world’s oceans is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. It lies under 10,994 metres/36,070 feet of water. Four times as many people have walked on the moon as have seen the sea floor here first hand. It’s not an easy place to visit. […]

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