Divers Alert Network

Divers Alert Network Divers Alert Network (DAN) is the world's leading dive safety association. Join the DAN community or learn more at DAN.org.

It is our mission is to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance and to promote dive safety through research, education, products and diving services. The world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization, Divers Alert Network (DAN) has remained committed to the health and well-being of divers for 40 years. The organization’s research, medical services and global-response p

rograms create an extensive network that supports divers with vital services such as injury prevention, safety and educational programs and lifesaving evacuations. Every year, hundreds of thousands of divers around the world look to DAN as their dive safety organization.

08/31/2026

What’s behind a safe tank fill?

DAN staff visited a local dive shop to ask about their fill station safety practices and the actions they take to help maintain breathing gas quality.

Questions to ask the next time you get a fill:
• How often do you test your air quality?
• Can I see your latest air-quality test certificate?
• How often is the compressor serviced?
• Do you test for carbon monoxide (CO)?

Divers have a role to play, too. Conduct a predive gas check on every cylinder and analyze your gas. If the gas smells or tastes off, or if testing detects carbon monoxide (CO), don’t dive it.

Learn more about breathing gas safety at DAN.org/breathing-gas-safety-basics.

“In the end, I want to tell a good story. I need the technical dive skills to do it safely, and I want to be visually cr...
08/28/2026

“In the end, I want to tell a good story. I need the technical dive skills to do it safely, and I want to be visually creative to communicate differently.”

Throughout her career, Jill Heinerth has ventured into underwater environments few people will ever see. Driven by curiosity and supported by the preparation and technical skills such dives demand, she has spent decades in underwater caves and other remote environments, sharing discoveries made along the way.

Through photography, film, and writing, Heinerth brings audiences into these hidden places, illuminating the science, conservation, and human stories beneath the surface.

Revisit this 2020 Alert Diver profile of Jill Heinerth: dan.org/shooter-jill-heinerth/

📷 Jill Heinerth
✍️ Stephen Frink

Decompression stress begins to take shape long before the descent. While divers often focus on depth and bottom time, pr...
08/26/2026

Decompression stress begins to take shape long before the descent. While divers often focus on depth and bottom time, pre-dive physical states also influence decompression outcomes.

Everyday factors such as sleep, illness, hydration, exercise, and alcohol consumption can interact with decompression physiology. When sources of physical stress are present, especially when multiple stressors occur at the same time, the cumulative effects may reduce a diver's physiological reserve and potentially narrow safety margins.

Part 1 of this new Alert Diver series, A Timeline of Decompression Stress, covers how the physiological conditions you bring to a dive can influence decompression stress and dive safety.

Read the article at DAN.org/a-timeline-of-decompression-stress.

✍️ Matias Nochetto, MD, and JoAnn Perry

08/22/2026

On The DANcast, Morgan Oughton of Spacefish Army shares her journey from New York fashion designer to scuba diving professional and entrepreneur. She discusses the inspiration behind her high-visibility, ocean-inspired dive apparel and the lessons she's learned as a dive instructor, including the value of honest self-assessment and clear communication.

Watch the full episode on DAN's YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/-buHvh-eN-8), Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Photos/videos courtesy of Spacefish Army.

When Thomas Powell witnessed two separate dive incidents involving instructors nearly a decade apart, he noted a common ...
08/21/2026

When Thomas Powell witnessed two separate dive incidents involving instructors nearly a decade apart, he noted a common factor: both divers' symptoms improved after pressure from their drysuit neck seals was relieved.

This Alert Diver Incident Insight examines how excessive pressure from an improperly fitted neck seal may stimulate the carotid sinus reflex, a physiological response that can reduce heart rate and blood pressure and potentially contribute to dizziness, confusion, lightheadedness, vision changes, or loss of consciousness.

A properly fitted drysuit neck seal should keep water out without restricting breathing, swallowing, head movement, or circulation. If a seal feels tight or restrictive on land, it should be adjusted before diving.

Read the full article: DAN.org/check-your-neck-seal

✍️ Thomas Powell, PhD
📷 Jill Heinerth

(Note: Unexplained loss of consciousness or altered mental status always warrants medical evaluation, even if symptoms resolve quickly. Responders should not assume relieving a tight seal fully explains the event.)

Representatives of the United States NEDU Navy Experimental Diving Unit visited DAN Headquarters this week to discuss on...
08/19/2026

Representatives of the United States NEDU Navy Experimental Diving Unit visited DAN Headquarters this week to discuss ongoing research collaboration in diving and hyperbaric medicine.

Learn more about NEDU’s pioneering work in this Alert Diver feature: dan.org/deep-in-the-science-of-diving/

08/18/2026

The Andrea Doria rests 250 feet below the surface in cold, current-swept waters off Nantucket, well beyond the limits most of us will ever dive. The knowledge and practices developed there remain relevant to far more than deep wreck exploration.

In this episode of The DANcast, technical wreck diver Mike Dudas discusses the history of diving the Doria and how decades of exploration helped shape many of the safety practices divers benefit from today.

🤿 Listen to the full episode: youtu.be/xk7vIpbQRNY

Immersion Pulmonary Edema (IPE) occurs when fluid leaks from the bloodstream into the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs du...
08/17/2026

Immersion Pulmonary Edema (IPE) occurs when fluid leaks from the bloodstream into the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs during immersion, impairing normal gas exchange. 🫁

Symptoms may include the rapid onset of shortness of breath, coughing, respiratory distress, and, in some cases, blood-tinged or frothy sputum. While IPE can resemble drowning, the fluid originates within the body rather than from inhaled water.

Researchers believe IPE is multifactorial. During immersion, blood shifts from the extremities to the body’s core, increasing pressure within the pulmonary circulation. Combined with factors such as exercise, breathing resistance, denser breathing gas, and thermal stress, these changes may contribute to IPE.

Well-supported risk factors include age over 50, NSAID use before diving, physical exertion before or during a dive, increased work of breathing, tight-fitting suits or equipment, cold-water exposure, and arterial hypertension. Overhydration has also been proposed as a possible risk factor.

Because IPE can resemble other dive-related conditions, recognizing the signs and symptoms is essential. Even if symptoms improve after exiting the water, sudden shortness of breath, a persistent cough, or other breathing difficulties warrant medical evaluation.

08/12/2026

Before his first dive on the Andrea Doria, Mike Dudas had already explored countless shipwrecks. So what made this one different?

Mike, a technical wreck diver, reflects on the moment he understood the mystique surrounding the "Mount Everest of scuba diving" and shares his family's deep connection to the Doria. From the pioneering recreational expeditions of the 1960s to the evolution of wreck diving techniques and safety practices, the Andrea Doria has shaped generations of divers and influenced the way we dive today.

▶️ Watch the full DANcast episode to learn more about the history of one of the most iconic wrecks in diving, 70 years after its sinking: https://youtu.be/xk7vIpbQRNY.

🔪 The dive knife is an iconic piece of dive gear. In scuba diving's early days, 12-inch knives strapped to the thigh wer...
08/10/2026

🔪 The dive knife is an iconic piece of dive gear. In scuba diving's early days, 12-inch knives strapped to the thigh were commonplace, both in practice and in cinematic depictions of divers.

Over time, divers found that fishing line, nets, and other entanglement hazards posed a greater threat than the underwater villains and dramatic shark encounters portrayed on screen. The dive knife evolved accordingly, becoming a more practical tool.

Designs evolved to become smaller and easier to handle, while features such as blade-embedded line cutters improved functionality and blunt tips reduced the risk of accidental injury or damage to equipment. Divers also adopted compact line cutters, trauma shears, and other cutting devices designed for specific environments and hazards.

Just as the tools changed, so did the way divers carried them. Modern configurations, such as placement on a waist belt or in a pocket, help reduce snag risks and keep a cutting device within reach when it matters most, even if one arm is restricted or entangled.

Today, whether you carry a dive knife, line cutter, trauma shears, or a combination of tools, the principle remains the same: be prepared. Know your gear and know how to use it if needed. Most importantly, no piece of equipment can replace experience and good judgment underwater.

Read more at DAN.org/dive-knives-and-cutting-devices/.

✍️ Kyle Kray (Q3 2023 Alert Diver)

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