Divers Alert Network

06/08/2026

Your lungs work harder underwater than you might think. 🌊🫁

Diving places unique demands on the respiratory system — from breathing denser gas at depth to working harder to eliminate carbon dioxide, the primary driver of breathing.

These physiological changes can limit how efficiently your lungs function underwater. That’s why divers should understand how pulmonary function changes at depth, and to recognize signs of hypercapnia.

This Alert Diver article explores increased “dead space,” the physiological effects of immersion, altered regulation of breathing, and more: dan.org/your-lungs-and-diving/

06/05/2026

We loved connecting with DAN members and the dive community at Long Beach’s Scuba Show!

Next up: Atlantic City. Join the DAN team at Booth 200 at this weekend’s Scuba Show.

✔️ Join or renew your DAN membership at the show and receive a complimentary T-shirt (while supplies last).
🎟️ Grab your tickets with promo code DAN_30 at ScubaShow.com checkout for 30% off.

06/04/2026

🫀 Did you know about 1 in 4 people have a patent foramen ovale (PFO)?

A PFO is a common, normal variation in the heart. In divers, a PFO can allow gas bubbles normally filtered by the lungs to pass from the right side of the heart to the left and into the arterial circulation. Under certain conditions, this may contribute to DCS.

The good news? Most divers with a PFO do not experience symptoms, and the overall risk of DCS remains low — even in those with a PFO. Risk can often be reduced by diving conservatively and consulting a physician with expertise in dive medicine. In some cases (such as recurrent DCS) PFO testing and a closure procedure may be considered.

This Alert Diver article provides a cardiologist’s perspective: dan.org/diving-with-a-pfo

✍️ Douglas Ebersole, MD

06/03/2026

Join us in welcoming DAN’s 2026 interns! We’re excited to introduce this year’s exceptional cohort:
• Trystan Cavitt, Dr. Glen H. Egstrom DAN/OWUSS Divers’ Health and Safety Research Intern
• Jacqueline Keleher, DAN/OWUSS Divers’ Safety Intern
• Juliana McKenna, Michael Menduno DAN Outreach Intern
• Alexa Rand, DAN Research Intern

Since 1999, DAN’s internship program has supported more than 100 emerging professionals, providing hands-on experience and helping build the next generation of leaders in dive safety.

Stay tuned throughout the summer for updates on this intern class’s activities and contributions. Read the full announcement at dan.org/dan-announces-2026-interns.

DAN is proud to introduce its 2026 interns: Trystan Cavitt, Jacqueline Keleher, Juliana McKenna, and Alexa Rand. DAN’s internship program has supported over 100 interns since its inception in 1999, providing qualified candidates with valuable experience in dive safety.

05/30/2026

Marina Inserra and Brittany Novick-Fischer, co-directors of Scuba Queen USA, join the podcast to discuss their mission to cultivate confident ocean ambassadors. This episode explores the organization's work providing young women divers with opportunities for advocacy, outreach, and skill development.

Marina and Brittany share their backgrounds in marine biology and conservation, and discuss diving safety — including their experiences with knowing one's limits and calling off a dive — as well as their goal to empower ambassadors from every U.S. state.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/SD0-ngDpoTk.

Marina Inserra and Brittany Novick-Fischer, co-directors of Scuba Queen USA, join the podcast to discuss their mission to cultivate confident ocean ambassado...

05/28/2026

The recent DAN Safety Seminars in Medellín brought together divers, instructors, medical professionals, and industry leaders from across Colombia. 🇨🇴

Hosted with support from DAN Business Members and partners, the seminars featured presentations from Dr. Jaime Aquiles Rincón, hyperbaric physician and researcher, and Francisco Ramos, DAN World Business Liaison. Attendees traveled from Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, and surrounding areas to engage in important conversations around operational safety, decompression theory, and accident prevention.

Visit the DAN World Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) YouTube channel to watch both presentations: youtube.com//videos

05/27/2026

Pop culture depicts drowning as a dramatic event filled with splashing, waving, and shouting for help. But as divers and water enthusiasts, we should know the truth: Drowning is often deceptively quiet.

Whether you are on a dive boat, at the beach or lake, or by the pool, be vigilant for signs of drowning:

• GLASSY OR CLOSED EYES | Unable to focus eyes; hair over eyes.
• VERTICAL POSTURE | Body upright in the water, head low, or head tilted back with the mouth open at water level.
• "INVISIBLE LADDER" CLIMBING | Arms extended laterally, pressing down on the water to lift the mouth up, with no supportive kicking.
• LACK OF HEADWAY | Trying to tread water, roll over, or swim but not making progress.
• HYPERVENTILATING OR GASPING
• QUIET | Physiologically unable to call out for help.*

🚨 Anyone who plans to go out on a boat or to participate in activities near a body of water should be familiar with the factors involved in drowning and with accepted rescue and resuscitation techniques. Read more at DAN.org/what-drowning-really-looks-like.

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*During the instinctive drowning response, the respiratory system prioritizes breathing over speech — usually rendering the person unable to call for help. Conversely, shouting indicates aquatic distress, a warning phase where the individual can still reach for rescue equipment, but which can quickly progress to full drowning if left unassisted.

05/26/2026

In this episode of The DANcast, Andrew Morgan, president of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) and marine operations / boating safety officer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, breaks down the task-focused world of scientific diving.

The conversation explores how AAUS establishes consensus on safety and standards to support reciprocity between universities, government agencies, and other institutions employing scientific divers.

Plus, Andrew shares an inside look at the role aquariums play in conservation, including how the Monterey Bay Aquarium uses field research to battle kelp forest decline and test the reintroduction of lab-cultured sunflower sea stars.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/dhLE96MUh3s.

What separates a scientific diver from a recreational one? Andrew Morgan, president of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), joins The DANcast ...

05/23/2026

The DAN Research team attended the 2026 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Undersea Medicine and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Deep Submergence Biomedical Development Program Review.

The event featured presentations from researchers, physicians, and military personnel. Key topics included atmospheric dive suits, dive support technologies, gas physiology, environmental protection, DCS, disabled submarine (DISSUB) response, diving technologies, oxygen toxicity, on-demand oxygen (GILS), and human performance.

The program review highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the undersea medicine and performance sector, and featured several researchers whose work is partially funded by or conducted in collaboration with DAN.

Learn more: https://dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/divers-blog/onr-undersea-medicine-navsea-program-review/

DAN recently attended the annual ONR Undersea Medicine and NAVSEA Deep Submergence Biomedical Development Program Review.

05/21/2026

Regular servicing of dive gear is an investment in its longevity and your own safety.

A recent DAN Annual Diving Report found that 11% of dive accidents result from equipment mishaps. Proper maintenance reduces the risk of these preventable incidents.

Read more about proper gear maintenance at https://dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/divers-blog/gear-maintenance-protect-your-investment-and-prevent-dive-accidents/.