- 68
- Episodes
- Bi-weekly
- Cadence
- 2021
- First episode
About Dive Around The World
The podcast for all ocean lovers! Listen to inspiring stories about diving, freediving, swimming, lifeguarding, mermaiding and come explore the world's most amazing dive sites and dive travel destinations with us. We talk about our passion for the underwater world and about efforts to protect marine areas and the life in it. Monthly episodes sponsored by MyDiveGuide (powered by SSI), the world´s most amazing dive spot database connecting top dive sites and their potential wildlife encounters with the SSI Training Centers which can take you there.
- Publisher
- SSI International
- Category
- society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 23 Feb 2021
- Latest episode
- 5 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
68 episodes in the feed.
5 Oct 2026
Cavern and Limited Mine: Understanding SSI’s New Extended Range Overhead Training Pathway
Corinna Davids and Adam Wood walk through SSI’s new Cavern and Limited Mine programs, explaining how the overhead environment pathway fits into the broader XR progression. They break down who can enter these programs, what gear and skills are required, how cavern, mine, and cave training differ, and why overhead diving is safer and more accessible than many people assume.Adam also explains the logic behind the new naming, the certification progression, and how divers can move between configurations like side mount, twin set, and rebreather without rebuilding their whole training path.Key topicsThe XR pathway is built around choosing the diving you want to do first, whether that is open circuit, rebreather, or overhead environmentsSSI has redesigned the overhead pathway and this release is the first of several new manual releasesEntry requirements include at least 24 dives, nitrox certification, and either XR configurations, twin set, side mount, or rebreather trainingCavern diving stays in the daylight zone, while limited mine requires access to the surface but may use artificial light undergroundOverhead diving requires built-in redundancy, including backup breathing systems and backup lightsEssential gear includes primary and backup lights, reels and spools, and line markers such as arrows and cookiesCavern and mine environments are often much larger, clearer, and less claustrophobic than popular media suggestsGood buoyancy, configuration comfort, and awareness of fragile sediments are emphasized as foundational skillsExamples of limited mine and cavern sites around the world include the UK, Sweden, Missouri, Finland, Germany, South Africa, Majorca, Sicily, Florida, France, Hungary, Thailand, and the PhilippinesThe conversation closes by explaining how cave, cavern, mine, and full mine progressions work, including gas rules, navigation complexity, and configuration upgradesTimestamps00:00 - Reintroducing the podcast and the new overhead manual00:33 - The XR overhead pathway is now complete01:11 - How the XR pathway branches by diving style02:57 - Why SSI simplified technical prerequisites04:01 - Entry requirements for overhead training05:08 - Why the courses were renamed from extended range to limited06:35 - What cavern really means in diving07:19 - Daylight rules in cavern and limited mine08:37 - Why overhead environments vary so much09:47 - Choosing side mount, twin set, or rebreather for overhead diving10:19 - Redundancy as the core XR safety principle11:51 - The essential overhead kit: lights, reels, spools, and markers14:39 - The appeal of the overhead environment experience15:18 - Why cavern diving is not the same as squeezing through tight restrictions17:06 - The light-to-dark transition and why it feels intense at first18:27 - Core skills for new divers: buoyancy, trim, and configuration awareness19:23 - Beginner pathways into XR-style diving20:50 - How instructors qualify to teach cavern and limited mine22:44 - Notable mine diving sites around the world25:45 - Why mine diving requires local knowledge and caution26:56 - Cavern and cave destinations beyond Mexico28:42 - Why cave diving gets a bad reputation30:02 - What the new manual covers beyond training31:21 - The appeal of underground diving: beauty, geology, and exploration32:52 - How XR innovations filter into recreational diving35:20 - Examples of modern gear development influencing the sport37:57 - What comes after limited mine and limited cave41:13 - How configuration upgrades work across certifications43:33 - Upgrading between cavern and mine environments44:40 - Why SSI uses one combined manual for both environments45:28 - Using ScubaGo to research sites and book training46:13 - Closing thoughts and what listeners can expect next
22 Sept 2026
Why Dive Accidents Really Happen
Why human factors, gas planning, and panic matter more than gearCorinna Davids and Adam Wood dig into the real causes of scuba incidents and why the biggest risks usually come from human factors, not equipment. They cover the Swiss cheese model, gas management, CO2 buildup, panic, medical honesty, rescue readiness, and why extended range training can make even recreational divers safer.Adam brings experience from SSI professional development and extended range diving, while Corinna adds the quality and compliance perspective from incident reporting and instructor oversight. If you want a practical conversation about how divers get into trouble and how to prevent it, this one is packed with useful takeaways.Key topics In this episode, Corinna and Adam explain the Swiss cheese model and how a chain of small issues can turn into a serious incident. Adam shares that diving research is limited by funding, so much of the learning comes from incident reports, technical divers, and real-world experience. They discuss normalization of deviance and confirmation bias, including the danger of repeating a slightly risky dive until something finally goes wrong. They push back on the idea that gear is usually the main problem, noting that most equipment is safe when assembled, checked, and used correctly. They identify out of gas situations as a major cause of fatalities and stress that gas planning should happen before the dive, not only during it. Corinna and Adam talk through how current, stress, colder water, poor trim, and depth can increase breathing rate and gas consumption much faster than divers expect. Adam explains how CO2 buildup can trigger panic, narcosis, and worse outcomes, especially when combined with effort, poor trim, or tiredness. They make the case that extended range training is not only for going deeper, but also for improving understanding, redundancy, and safer recreational diving. The conversation covers rescue realities, including how physically exhausting rescues and prolonged CPR actually are in real incidents. They stress the importance of honest medical disclosure, instructor awareness, and speaking up early when a diver feels uncomfortable, anxious, or unwell. Swiss cheese model - incidents usually happen when several small failures line up. Normalization of deviance - repeated rule breaking starts to feel normal until it catches up. Confirmation bias - assuming something is safe because it worked before. Rule of thirds - in overhead environments, one third out, one third back, one third reserve. “Nobody wakes up in the morning and says you know what I want to do today? I want to do the worst job possible and injure myself.” “It’s not the hard equipment, it’s the squishy bit in the middle.” “We need to realize that we can’t assume that we could be rescued.” Check gas earlier and more deliberately, not only once the dive is already underway. Do honest buoyancy and weighting checks in the actual conditions you dive in. Treat CPR, rescue drills, and emergency response as skills that need regular repetition. Disclose medical conditions clearly and get re-cleared after any significant health change. Speak up early if something feels wrong, uncomfortable, or panic-inducing. Consider extended range or foundations training to strengthen core diving judgment and control.
8 Sept 2026
Why Full Face Masks Are Changing Recreational Diving
Full Face MaskThis episode introduces SSI’s Full Face Mask specialty and explains why it matters for both recreational and professional divers. Corinna Davids and Adam Wood break down how the gear works, what makes it different from a standard mask and regulator setup, and why it can improve comfort, communication, and cold-water diving.Adam also covers where full face masks are already used in public safety, scientific, and commercial diving, plus what the new training program requires for divers and instructors.Key topicsIn this episode: a full face mask covers the entire face, including mouth, nose, and eyes, unlike a standard mask.Adam explains how the regulator and mask function as one integrated system, with either a built-in mouthpiece or an oral nasal pocket.The design helps reduce dead air space, so divers are not constantly rebreathing the same air volume.Air consumption can rise at first while divers adjust, but many divers settle into a more natural breathing pattern over time.Full face masks are far less prone to fogging because airflow keeps condensation moving away from the lens area.Fit is simpler than many people expect because the main variable is face size rather than the detailed shape of the nose, cheeks, and eye sockets.A slight positive pressure helps keep water out even if the seal is not absolutely perfect.The episode highlights why recreational divers use them for comfort, easier breathing, and reduced anxiety for people who dislike water on the face.Communication is a major advantage, especially for photographers, scientific divers, public safety teams, and other underwater workers who need to share information quickly.Adam explains why underwater communication systems use RF or ultrasonic transmission rather than Bluetooth, and why wires or surface-fed systems are often involved.The discussion also covers why full face masks help in cold water by keeping the face warmer and reducing lip and facial discomfort.Corinna and Adam outline public safety diving, including search and recovery, fire rescue, military, and specialist task-force work.The new underwater communications program builds on full face mask training and focuses on system use, discipline, and when communication is appropriate.Scientific diving benefits from the ability to talk during detailed research, long bottom times, and work in less clean water where extra face protection matters.The specialty manual covers the basics of the equipment, where it is used, how to dive it, emergency procedures, and continuation of full face mask diving.Timestamps00:00 - Introducing the Full Face Mask specialty00:56 - What a full face mask is and how it differs from a standard mask02:05 - How the regulator and mask become one system02:58 - Air consumption and breathing adaptation04:09 - Why full face masks do not fog like regular masks05:08 - Fit, sizing, and the slight positive pressure advantage06:53 - Why recreational divers are using full face masks more often07:23 - Communication benefits for divers, photographers, and teams09:11 - Comfort and warmth in cold water10:06 - How underwater communication systems work without Bluetooth11:36 - Wires, surface stations, and new phone-based underwater tech12:29 - Why some divers still want silence underwater13:33 - What public safety diving includes15:13 - The new underwater communications program16:24 - How scientific diving benefits from full face masks18:31 - Using communication for detailed ecology and behavior research19:35 - What the full face mask manual covers20:14 - Course prerequisites and training requirements21:20 - Why dedicated equipment specialties require confined water practice22:47 - Why instructors teach these specialties in a seminar format23:11 - Finding the course and why it benefits both divers and instructors
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