Haley Mermaid explains exactly how she became a full-time Mermaid Performer and tips for other merfolk to break into those paid gigs. We cover a lot in this sit-down interview, from training tips to tail making pointers, plus safety concerns for parents with kids who want to learn to be a mermaid. She also lists specific steps to getting jobs as a mermaid. Finally, the big reason Scuba Certification is the biggest asset in mermaid training. We get into the real reasons why Scuba is more...

This was the perfect dive convention between the DEMA Show and The Scuba Show, and was much bigger than I expected. Loaded with vendors ranging from Tusa to Aqualung, Stream2Sea to Fourth Element, and even Huish Outdoors (Atomic, Zeagle, Suunto, Oceanic and others). They also gave out prizes, had mermaids on the scene, and even free food trucks! Aggieland Scuba has outdone themselves in creating something that has become an instant staple, and probably too big to contain in College Station,...

Jennifer Opiela-Miksch is a co-owner of AggieLand Scuba, a full-service retail dive shop in College Station, Texas. She’s running a success story of financial AND personal growth, with the simple ingredient to growing the store and enjoying the job revealed here in this interview. Jennifer has also helped launch the Dive Expo for their 10 year anniversary. This is a community of scuba retail, equipment service, liveaboard charters, mermaid schools and of course scuba training and trips. The...

Finally, you can find somebody to dive with. Even better, you can find divers in your area that have similar interests and skills! Kenny jumps on a video call with Alexis to discuss exciting new technology that links divers up with each other. The new “Radar” feature notifies you of divers in your area. You can chat, dive together, just ask questions about the area… but it’s divers talking to divers, and this is incredible. This is worth talking about because it has officially been...

Epic underwater photography and videography are some of the incredible accomplishments of Kewin Lorenzen. He’s a shark conservationist, cave diving explorer, tech diver, artist, and above all, an underwater photographer. He’s shot several renowned videos and photos for TV programs and sits on the board of directors for “People of the Water”, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening human understanding of our oceans. Finally, he works together with his spouse, Cristina Zenato, who is famously...

Captain G was the most popular boat captain I have ever seen. Guests would arrive like old friends calling him by name. So after visiting the Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo for another interview, I just had to interview the famous Captain G. Before the interview, I had the opportunity to go out on two dive drive trips, totalling 4 dives in a single day. He was our captain for both trips, and was fantastic. He had the boat laughing at briefings, never missed a beat, and was approachable. He...

Amoray Dive Resort is the only dedicated dive resort in the Florida Keys.  In fact, Key Largo is considered the “Scuba Diving Capital of the World”. Jeff Gneiser (and his wife, Cynthia) own the PADI 5 Star Dive Operation that operates with the resort. Jeff sat down with me to tell the story of how they’ve renovated and expanded the facility, and what it takes to be a 2023 and 2024 award-winning dive operation. They took us to the reefs and the famous Spiegel Grove shipwreck, and we stayed a...

Liz Parkinson is, in my humble opinion, the world’s greatest underwater stunt performer, athlete, and real-life Aquaman (and by Aquaman I mean Aquawoman!) You might be shocked how she ended up in movies, and what led her to being the “go to” in-water trainer for A-list celebrities. If you’re James Cameron and you need the best person in the world to perform your underwater stunts for a billion dollar movie franchise, you’d better call Liz.  If you don't think being involved with waterspouts...

In this episode we go inside the hyperbaric chamber, and ask everything you’d ever want to know about actually going in! Or, as owner and operator Mitch Hall puts it, “going down”. The hyperbaric chambers are used not only to treat scuba diving related injuries, but heal wounds and have other benefits to your health. He explains what it all means, how they work, and has some very surprising stories about some past divers that got into trouble (and a cautionary tale to those cavalier divers...

Divers Alert Network’s (DAN) marketing director Steve Jamroz gives us a peek behind the curtain of the world’s most famous SCUBA organization. DAN helps develop treatments, preventions, best practices and insurance for diving related accidents, illnesses, and even trip or business losses. They research prevention on everything from equipment safety to Decompression Sickness (DCS), as well as new training techniques. DAN also has a free Medical Services department you can call anytime to ask...

In this showcase episode of the Buddy App, we go after the CORE reason the dive industry struggles to produce income earners: connection. The top question I get is “where do you suggest I go?” or “where can I learn to dive in my area?” or “who has dive trips around that area?” Despite all of the search engines on our smartphones and apps, this question is still going strong. This feature of the buddy app let’s dive shops, charters, resorts and even Independent Scuba Instructors create their...

There’s been a longstanding rift between Technical Diving and Recreational Diving in some circles, but does it have to be like that? Not according to Chris Foisey aka "The Modern Diver" -host of one of the largest scuba equipment review channels on the internet. He explains the importance of learning proper finning, trim and buoyancy, but also gets the value of fun (HINT: It’s the whole reason we do this) Chris is easily the most relaxed, educated, and easy-to-listen-to gear critic out there,...

Strong opinions, confusion, and being overwhelmed with getting started are all part of this beast… The good news is we have an absolute GAME CHANGER: Once and for all, the dive gear dilemma of not knowing where to go, who to talk to, or where to even start is OVER. Alexis Jabbour, founder of The Buddy App, talks about how dive gear is now connecting people through sharing. Anyone can add gear to their dive log (even if it’s rental) so nothing gets lost. Dive buddies can see what their...

Alannah Vellacott is truly a creature of the Caribbean Waters, in every possible sense. She's been famously dubbed "The Real Life Little Mermaid" by many notable figures, and for good reason. Aside from freediving, scuba diving, working on several Shark Week episodes, and simply living the Island Life we all dream about… she actually works to preserve and rebuild the very world that sustains her lifestyle (and the planet, for that matter!) Land Based Coral restoration with Coral Vita is a...

Ellie is as charming as she is talented, with more big scuba names under her belt than… maybe anyone. Known by her screen name as “Scuba Ellie”, she’s responsible for connecting Scuba Diving with the rest of the world in profound way. She works using brilliant visual photography, videography, editing, and just being awesome at diving. She creates content for the dive industry full-time, she’s a Scuba Instructor, and dives everything from the tropics to drysuits, aluminums to doubles. Ellie...

Ed Rasmussen is part of the Scubapro Team, including the Deep Elite Global Team, a Scubapro global government manager. Ed was also an active Navy Seal, who went on regular deployments. He is now a Divemaster, helping to liaison the recreational dive industry with defense departments, law enforcement, and emergency services. Ed is a big supporter of those who served in the Armed Forces. He’s received an avalanche of subscribers to his now-iconic Instagram page @ ecrazz -loaded with facts and...

Kenny sits down with the founder of Deeper Blue, the world’s largest community for scuba divers. Stephan is larger than life, throwing the number one party to be at during the number one scuba diving gathering on the planet. His love of the ocean flows like a perfect cocktail. Always upbeat, hilarious, and seems to be close friends with the entire worldwide scuba industry (I’m kind of not kidding). He explains what DeeperBlue does, how it got started, the future, and what he would love to...

Chef Anton is an Award-winning magician who can actually teach and certify a PADI scuba specialty course using underwater magic! He uses magic to help make scuba diving concepts easier to understand, relieve anxiety, and foster better learning. Further, it helps paint a better picture of concepts like nitrogen buildup, compression and expansion, and all those core fundamentals that can be tough to grasp for new divers. Aside from making learning easier, underwater magic makes everything a...

A fixture in the Daytona Beach area, Don Bouer has one of the most unusual takes on just about anything water related. He’s a master of aquatics, spending decades protecting swimmers & tourists in one of the busiest beaches in Florida, which also happens to be the home of the shark attack capital of the world, New Smyrna Beach (Ponce Inlet). It’s also known as a dangerous area for swimmers due to the currents, waves, rip tides and tidal changes, combined with such a high number of annual...

This is the only app that verifies and works for ALL agencies. So any active professional can verify any diver, on any dive. The other big thing that caught my attention was the fact that in books- a signature or stamp leaves with the diver or student- so there’s no way for that professional to show how many logs they’ve verified, and they both lose contact as soon as that book closes. I’m 100% all for these, vs paper that can get lost, destroyed, and doesn’t keep that connection on both...

"OMGitswicks" tries scuba diving with Kenny and the Sweetwater Crew, and lives to sit down and talk about it! Not only do we talk about that first experience scuba diving, but what it’s like running a social media personality with millions of followers, and making content everyday. In fact, some swimmers down at a remote freshwater spring in Florida immediately recognized him while we were getting ready to dive. Wicks is just as funny in person as he is with his sketch comedy, and wild...

Kenny was invited in-studio to interview the host of Scuba Radio, Greg “The Divemaster” Holt. Founded in 1997, Scuba Radio is the oldest (and only) nationally syndicated terrestrial radio show for scuba divers (that’s like OG radio on the dial!) His interpretation of why people go scuba diving gives some serious food for thought. We discuss motivations for going scuba diving, why people tune into his show, golf vs scuba, some issues facing the dive industry, and even the late Jimmy...

In my continuing showcase series of the Buddy App, we talk about Social Media and the integration of the “Sharebuilder” feature. While the app’s ability to integrate with social media accounts might seem like a meager topic on the surface - social is now the bloodline of Scuba Diving interest, and is indispensable for attracting new divers. We discuss the importance of social (for all its flaws) in diving, due to its visual nature. Alexis and her Buddy team did not overlook this critical...

After reading a highly compelling blog by Independent Scuba Instructor Taylor Schott, I had to have her as a Guest on the show.  We’ve seen this argument before, but not so eloquently explained. In fact, her blog was so well-written that I tracked her down and actually convinced her to come talk to me about it.  The pros and cons are laid out in an unbiased, friendly way, and nobody is being “put down” or lambasted for having a different opinion than Taylor. That vibe (and temperament) is...