Jake and Myles just got back from DEMA and are JAZZED (bad New Orleans joke) to tell you about it! Also hear about Myles' most recent GIRL DIVES (she jumped back in the water as soon as she got home). Finally, hear the tell-all about the DEMA show floor, the after parties, and DEMA 2025 HERE! Bonus: listen to short interviews from some of the amazing people and organizations we had the pleasure of meeting!

This week's episode is exclusively about the Modoc, the ship of the Earthrace conservation that ventured among the Chinese Overseas Fleet of squid fishing vessels to film documentary footage highlighting the global overfishing problem.  We interview Jack Bundle and Josh Martin, two crewmembers of the Modoc, about how they got involved with Earthrace, their experiences working on the boat, and what life was like day-to-day. (0:30-36:30). We then talk to Captain Pete Bethune, the captain of the...

Jake is in Hawaii for a wedding and diving all over Oahu! Jake has also been made a Dive with Buddy ambassador. We also talk about Myles' most recent dives, and what we're looking forward to at DEMA! (0:35-13:40) Then, Scuba Queen CA Alysha Acosta joins us to talk about her journey, the importance of bringing equity to diving, and what she's looking forward to as Miss Scuba International kicks off in a couple weeks! ~Reminder~Free Descent is intended only as entertainment, and should not...

Just in time for Sharktober, we chat with David McGuire about the race to save sharks and what sharks mean to our oceans and our above-water world (0:36-24:40). We then sit down with shark attack survivor Maria Korcsmaros, who tells us her story of attack, survival, and advocacy (24:45-53:10).  RESOURCES:  Shark Stewards: www.sharkstewards.org Run4Sharks: www.run4sharks.org Maria's Story: https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-maria-korcsmaros-of-newport-beach-long-beach/ ~Reminder~ Free Descent...

Jake is back! He shares his thoughts on his amazing trip, including how he got through some of his jetlag, changing money, the benefits of a liveaboard trip, and how adjusting to time zones is going. If you haven’t listened already, this is a great complementary episode to Dives 14 and 15, so check those out as well! ~Reminder~ Free Descent is for entertainment, and not intended to replace formal dive instruction. Always listen to your divemasters and instructors, and remember to dive...

Jake and Myles have a more casual discussion about how diving makes them feel during fun dives, classes, and solo dives. End of the story, diving probably isn't cheaper than therapy, but it's still our preferred way to process life!  **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and not as a replacement for formal dive instruction. Always follow the instructions of your divemasters and instructors, and remember to dive within the limits of your training and experience. Be safe, and...

We've crossed the six-month mark of Free Descent, and to celebrate, Myles and Jake talk about the trips they've been on and are planning for. Myles just got back from Hawaii, and Jake is headed for a liveaboard trip in Indonesia. We talk packing, prepping, gear to bring or leave at home, and Myles' tragic tale of woe at the Tijuana Airport. If you've got travel tips, tricks, or stories, share them at @freedescentpodcast on Instagram! **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and...

Myles and Jake talk all things dive theory and dive medical knowledge with Seth Tufvesson, a commercial diver, hyperbaric chamber operator, and PADI Course Director. He tells us his favorite dive theory facts, how hyperbaric chambers are used for more than just diving, and why he keeps learning new things! **Reminder** Free Descent is intended only as entertainment, not as a replacement for formal dive training. Always listen to the instructions of your divemasters and instructors, and dive...

Jake and Myles talk everything divemastering - helping out with classes, working on boats/ in dive shops, what we love about DMs, what we wish they'd do better, and why we need them! *Reminder* Free Descent is intended as entertainment only and not to replace formal dive instruction. Always follow the directions of your divemasters and instructors, and dive within the limits of your training and experience. Stay safe, and have fun out there!

Jake and Myles chat about healthy habits, healthy routines, and how diving fosters both mental and physical health. We also talk about how we prepare for dives physically and mentally, to make sure we stay healthy! Reminder: Free Descent is intended to be entertainment, and is not intended to replace formal dive instruction. Remember to listen to and obey your divemasters and instructors, and always dive within the limits of your training and experience. Most importantly, have fun out...

Join us in welcoming Stream2Sea to the Free Descent community! We interview Autumn Blum and Mike Malterre on their work to improve sustainable cosmetics and bring us truly reef-safe products. **Reminder** Free Descent is not intended to replace formal dive instruction, so always follow the directions of your divemasters and instructors. Remember to dive within the limits of your training and experience, and have fun out there!

Welcome to SHARK WEEK with Free Descent! We start by chatting about the dive myths we hear most often, and some submitted by our listeners. Next up to celebrate this very important week, we've got an interview with Fins Attached. Listen with us as we learn about this research organization that is dedicated to preserving and fighting for the existence (and survival) of sharks, turtles, and other endangered or overfished species. Without sharks, the whole ocean suffers, and it's up to us to...

The women are taking over for this special Women's Dive Day episode! We chat about recent and upcoming classes and interview 3 amazing women in the dive industry: Scuba Cindy, founder of Scuba Women, Emily Strand, our shop manager and PADI MSDT, and Lydia O'Connor, our colleague and PADI Open Water Instructor. Listen in to hear 4 female perspectives on women in the dive industry and how we can encourage more women of any age to start (or keep) diving! **REMINDER** Free Descent is not intended...

Jake started teaching classes and asks Myles for tips, tricks, and advise for his ocean dives. We welcome on Jim Elliott and Tina Marie Hernandez from DiveHeart. We learn all about the adaptive diving techniques that he has crafted over the years, and his successes through his time working with divers from all walks of life. Last but not least: What should Jake name his dive float? Tell us in the comments and on social media! **REMINDER** Free Descent is not intended to replace formal dive...

Myles and Jake spent a weekend as volunteers, learning and working with Life Waters (www.lifewaters.org) as they introduced disabled veterans to scuba diving as a way to heal from their injuries and remain active through disability. Teaching adaptive divers was an incredibly motivating and humbling experience, and we want to thank the Life Waters team for having us as part of the weekend. This episode features interviews with five veterans, and three of the Life Waters team. To get involved...

Dive 7 is all about independence! Jake is done shadowing and started teaching his first independent classes this week, and Myles is fun-diving with her former students and seeing cool stuff. One of Jake's IDC instructors, Jason Watters, stopped by to talk about running an independent shop and all the pros and cons of working outside of a large dive shop/retail store. **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal dive instruction. Remember to...

Jake went to Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA last weekend to see the latest in greatest in scuba gear and tech, meet new friends and see old ones again! Here are some sneak peeks at the content we've got lined up all summer as we continue the amazing conversations we started at the show! Buddy App - 2:10 to 5:25 Palau - 5:25 to 8:35 Costa Rica - 8:35 to 9:45 Scuba Queen USA 9:45 to 24:00 If you missed us at Scuba Show, hit us up on Instagram! We'll also be at DEMA in the fall, so we hope to see...

Jake had a dive with the Wounded Warriors program in San Diego, Myles had an awesome Open Water Class, and Jake got his drysuit back (eye roll). Listen in to hear some of their biggest pet peeves about other divers, as well as why Myles and Caleb need to get an apartment with a garage (more eye rolling). Bonus: Jake gets a bit technical about underwater photography (so interesting)! Want to know more? Meet him at Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA on June 3rd 2023! **Reminder** Free Descent is...

In this Surface Interval, Jake gets to dive and chat with US Marine Corps veterans Sergeant Brandon Jeffrey, Sergeant Jonathan West and Lance Corporal Jeff Roberts, who are using diving to heal from their physical, mental, and emotional wounds from military and post-military life. This side of diving is something we want to explore more, so send us your reactions on Instagram! @freedescentpodcast NOTE: this episode contains mentions of PTSD and traumatic injuries sustained in combat. To...

The one our adventurers have been waiting for: TRAVEL! Myles tells all about Bali, Gili Trawangan, and Nusa Penida. Jake describes his experience with an Advanced Open Water class. Jake and Myles discuss their travel diving dos and don'ts from gear to dive buddies. Tell us your bucket list dive locations in the comments below or on our instagram @freedescentpodcast ! - **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal dive instruction. Remember...

Dive 4: Jake has been out of the water too long; Myles had a private lesson; Producer Caleb is certified. We talk about what makes a good dive shop, and Store Manager Emily from Ocean Enterprises comes on to talk about running a dive shop in San Diego. **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal dive instruction. Remember to always follow the directions of your instructors and divemasters, and dive within the limits of your training and...

Caleb passed his Open Water class and is now a certified open water diver! We talk about how his class went, the bucket list he's already planning, and his upcoming trip. Check out our Instagram, @FreeDescentPodcast, to see some clips of Caleb's diving adventures!  **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal dive instruction. Remember to always follow the directions of your instructors and divemasters, and dive within the limits of your...

We talk about Jake's first class as an instructor, a scuba review; diver discretion and cancelling dives as a dive professional; and the different styles that divers use while staying within our training standards.  **Reminder** This podcast is not intended to substitute or supplement formal dive instruction. Always dive within the limits of your training and experience, and always follow the directions and instructions of your instructors and divemasters.

For our first Surface Interval, Myles and Jake talk to our friend Caleb as he prepares for his pool and ocean sessions of the PADI Open Water Diver class. We talk about class orientation, eLearning, skill preparation and general thoughts about the process. We’ll check back in with him after the class!  **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal dive instruction. Remember to always follow the directions of your instructors and divemasters,...

Jake passed the Instructors Exam and is now a full Open Water Dive Instructor, Myles went to Hawaii and (didn't go scuba diving but) did a Dive Against Debris while snorkeling. We talk about some of your suggestions and our misses on last episode's Favorite Dive Moments podiums, and talk dive routines and traditions (including some very fun ones). We wrap up with suggestions for our 300th dive. **Reminder** Free Descent is intended as entertainment, and should not be used to replace formal...