I had way too much fun asking these renowned professional divers their opinions on some of those hot-button scuba diving topics.

Everyone was such a sport about this and went for it, even when they knew these were controversial in some circles. It’s also funny how different some of these opinions can vary from one diver to the next.

This took place at the 2025 Scuba Show in Long Beach, CA out on the showroom floor.

The Questions:

• Is it OK to pee in your wetsuit?

• What is the scariest animal for a scuba diver to encounter underwater? Triggerfish has been removed as an option since it is obvious

• What was the most beneficial scuba course taken, after completing their Open Water scuba certification?

• Should Scuba Certification have some kind of expiration date?

• Jacket style BC, Back Inflate BC, or Backplate and Wing?

• How do you keep your dive mask from fogging up?

• What one thing should be in every scuba diver’s save-a-dive kit?

• Do divers prefer clear mask skirts or opaque (black or solid color)?

Guests answering these questions include:

• Sarah Miller (Azul Unlimited)

• Steve Jamroz of Divers Alert Network / D.A.N.

• Dan Orr, Hall of Famer and renowned legend in diving.

• Greg Holt, host of Scuba Radio

• Myles Schwartz, host of Free Descent Podcast

• Jared Berg, owner and founder of NEX Underwater Products

• Alexis Jabbour, founder and CEO of Buddy App and Book with Buddy

• Brian Benton, owner of Dive Oahu

• Ed Rasmussen, NAVY SEAL and Scubapro rep

• Morgan Oughton and RJ, founders of Spacefish Army

• Therese Napier of Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, FL

• Jason Leggatt, CEO of Shearwater Research.

• Cliff Richardson, who was Director of NAUI, but is not the CEO of Divers Alert Network (DAN)

• And Red Sullivan, who wanted to be there but couldn’t make it.

Special thanks to everyone who answered these questions, and the staff and crew of Scuba Show for your continued support!

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Most divers (including me) have been calling scuba gear “Life Support” equipment since the beginning. However, when considering redundancies, dive buddies, and proper SESA (Simulated Emergency Swimming Ascents), is our life truly dependent on this gear. And if so, is it truly life support, whereas if the gear fails we die?

After a deep dive into this term we’ve all been using since the dawn of scuba diving, I believe Frank Degnan has a great point.

Frank has been a scuba instructor for over 40 years, former Dive Safety Officer at Universities, is active with three agencies (PADI, NAUI, and one other). And even holds the title of Course Director Trainer with NAUI.

He has won awards, teaches adaptive curriculum, and remains active in his local diving community.

This is a well-articulated approach to recreational scuba diving and labeling gear “Life Support”.

It’s also a bit of a wake up call for how we train scuba divers and students how to properly execute Emergency Swimming Ascents, as well as knowing when it’s time for a redundancy system (such as a pony bottle, etc.)

I ran into Frank by happenstance while visiting the NEX Underwater Products warehouse in Monterey Bay, CA. This was neither scripted or planned, but we were already shooting content with the camera and mics when he walked in. His articulation of this topic stopped me in my tracks, and he was kind enough to let me record our conversation in virtually real time.

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

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www.sweetwaterscuba.com

Captain Kevin was an extraordinarily laid back boat captain. He kept the boat fun, safe, and even sang Disney songs when underway. Not to mention, the Gilligan's Island theme song.

I ask him why they have such a good time, incredible enthusiasm, and retention in their mates, Divemasters, and other employees. He also lets us in on how they stay so friendly with their Guests in occasionally high stress situations, and what ultimately led him to this job.Finally, Captain Kevin was a police officer who went on dive vacations to escape the stress, and ultimately ended up doing that very thing he loves in retirement. He moved down to Key Largo after 20 years of stressful work, and took up a new career as a boat captain (and a father).

Look for Captain Kevin along with Captain G, and several other great Captains and Crew at the Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, FL, “the dive capital of the world”.

Amoray offered my viewers a 25% discount when staying with them. I’ve copy/pasted it below:sweetwater25https://www.amoray.com/104250 Overseas HighwayKey Largo, FL 33037Reservations: 800-426-6729Phone: 305-451-3595amoraydive@amoray.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoraydiveresort/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amoraydiveresort–Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_dyalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwater_scubaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realkennydyalLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kennydyalX: https://twitter.com/RealKennyDyalwww.sweetwaterscuba.com