The Great Dive Podcast

Episode 252 - The Devil Is A Gentleman

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s week 3 of International Cave Diving Month and the boys are getting further into Wookey Hole. As the exploration gets deeper inside the cave sys...

Episode 251 - 30 Pounds of Grease & 4 1/2 Kgs of TNT or How To Cave Dive Old School in England

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys continue their deep dive into the history of cave diving in Jolly Olde England. From the mid 1930's our mates across the pond began...

Episode 250 - Swildon's Hole

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is the start of International Cave Diving Month and the boys make a trip across the pond to Jolly Ol’ England. This episode takes us on what may ...

Episode 249 - Ice Diving-What Could Go Wrong?

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys discuss an incident that occurred 15 years ago when 2 US Coast Guard divers died while ice diving in Antarctica. Trained by the US ...

Episode 248 - Diving To Tranquility

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The boys start off 2022 with an old school TGDP classic. Originally an article written in the UK and published in Watersport Magazine back in the 1960...

Episode 247 - Remembering 2021

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year People!!! As we dive into nearly completing our 5th year of podcasts, the boys celebrate by reminiscing over the past year at TGDP!! Th...

Episode 246 - There Ought To Be A Law

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys get into another roundabout discussion about the early days of scuba. A time where the government wanted to write laws against scuba divers. ...

Episode 245 - 2021 Photo Contest Winners Episode (aka "More Underwater Photography)

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Time for more underwater photography talk!! James and Brando review the 2021 winners from scubadiving.com 's 2021 Underwater Photography Contest. http...

Episode 244 - Diver of the Future

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jamesy and Brando go on a “Back to the Future” thrill ride. Traveling back in time they look into the future to see how far off we are ...

Episode 243 - Ganchero

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week on TGDP, it’s a “3 For the Price of One” special. Not only do you get to hear an exciting story of a “meat diver” but you also get...

Episode 242 -Our Annual Installment of The Gales of November

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For all our wreck diving listeners and friends (and especially Great Lakes wreck diving listeners and friends), here's our annual Gales of November sh...

Episode 241 - Oh The People You'll Dive With

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys read a story sent in by a listener. It tells the tale of a dive that doesn’t go quite as planned. Was it the buddy? Was it the d...

Episode 240 -E Mail Call!!

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, in honor of Veteran's Day yesterday, we begin with a flashback to Brando's good ol' days back when he was in service to our country.... and then...

Episode 239 - Putting Everything In Focus

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys sit down and have a conversation about underwater photography. As Ol’ Jamesy enters this new world he seeks out the wisdom of Old...

Episode 238 - Halloween 2021

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for the most terrifying episode of TGDP ever. You may never get back into the water after listening to this Trilogy of Underwater Terror. Th...

Episode 237 - A Snapshot Of A Fatal Dive

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In "light" of Jamesy's newly acquired underwater photography setup and pursuit of the "perfect shot", the boys focus this week on a true life tale of ...

Episode 236 - Letters From Our Listeners

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mail call!! This week the boys read a few of the many e-mails they receive every week. The boys also do a deep dive into tacos .... is it possible to ...

Episode 235 - The Illusion Of Communication

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the spirit of good communication we'll be direct and to the point. This week's episode is about communication and the illusion of communication. Ha...

Episode 234 - The Advanced Diver Part 2- Recreational 2

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Finally, the long awaited part 2 of our Advanced Diver discussion. The boys sit down with some recent student who completed their Essentials course an...

Episode 233 - TGDP's Top 10 Scuba Towns

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys sit down to discuss a few recent reviews, some good but one not so much…. This conversation really highlights what TGDP is all about. The f...

Episode 232 - Scuba Steve and the Point of No Return

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of Labor Day here in the USA, the boys give a shout out to all the moms out there who went through labor to have babies and talk about ...

Episode 231 - It's All About The Climb

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does Scuba Diving, the word "gitchigami", shipwrecks, icebergs, & Miley Cyrus all have in common? They were all part of this week's episode of Th...

Episode 230 - Take Five

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a conversation with a new diver about popping up to the surface, James retells the story to Brando. This discussion takes them back many years w...

Episode 229 - What Am I Doing This For

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is not an episode about quagga and zebra mussels. It was supposed to be about them and diving the shipwrecks of the Straits of Mackinac, however ...

Episode 228 - #MIETDTRTAHTDTWT: Human Factors In A Nutshell

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys stand on the shoulders of giants this week with a discussion about an article by Michael Menduno that he published in this month's DAN Blog. ...

Episode 227 - Checkin' For Bubbles With Dr. Feely

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys discuss an incident down in SoFlo that resulted in The Bends. Find out what may have contributed to the hit in a new diver and why ...

Episode 226 - Thrown Into The Deep End

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Find out what happens when shortcuts and speed become the priority with an Open Water certification course. The boys discuss posting in a Scuba forum ...

Episode 225 - 20,000 Lovely Legs Beneath The Sea

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1957, Carl Kohler wrote this article for Skin Diver Magazine, 20,000 Lovely Legs Beneath The Sea. It was an entertaining look at the growing partic...

Episode 224 - The Thunderballers

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As our story moves into the 1960’s, Jamesy and Brando discuss the American Pop Culture that is happening along with the evolution of the Voit Regula...

Episode 223 - Nelson's Choice

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week on TGDP, Jamesy and Brando get into a deep discussion about diving but also about religion, and politics, and sex. What do they all have in ...

Episode 222 - How To Open A Tank Valve (Or 69 Ways To Get Her Number)

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can a nearly fatal mistake underwater be the impetus for true love? Have a listen as the boys discuss one of the most beaten to death topics in the sc...

Episode 221 - Common Sense

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your favorite dive buddies, Jamesy and Brando, have a little chat about scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands. What do you do when faced with that inc...

Episode 220 - In Honor Of A Legend

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of the late great manfish, Monsignor Jacques Cousteau, Jamesy and Brando tell another tale from the pen of le Capitan. Rapture consumes the t...

Episode 219 - Laws of Learning

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the boys bring their series on education to a close by looking at E.L. Thorndike’s Laws of Learning. As an educator, it is important to u...

Episode 218 - This Episode IS About Harassment Training

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys talk about old school underwater harassment training. Taking a look at an article from 1972, Jamesy and Brando discuss the differen...

Episode 217 - On Excellence

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys piggy back their series on Mastery with a discussion guided by some wisdom from the book "Force of Nature", by Laird Hamilton. Laird's own li...

5 Keys To Mastery

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jamesy and Brando dive back into the book Mastery by George Leonard. The boys discuss Instruction, Practice, Surrender, Intentionality, and...

Episode 215 - This Episode Is Not About Harassment Training

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode the boys begin with a magazine article from "the good ol' days" discussing the ancient practice of "harassment training". This ...

Episode 214 - Get Your Dingos And Wallabies In Order Mate!

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

G'die mites! Croikey we've gawt a grite epeesode thiies wayk! We received a laettah frawm the Lahnd Daown Undah frawm ol' Crocodoile Chahlawtte! Chahl...

Episode 213 - You Can't Handle The Truth (About Air McDoodles)

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you can't handle the truth (about Air McDoodles)then maybe you're out of order!! This week the boys discuss an article from the DAN (Divers Alert N...

Episode 212 - Don't Be A Dick

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Dick. Dick considers himself an advanced diver with over 100 dives. Dick takes a 2 year hiatus from diving. Dick jumps back in the water on a dee...

Episode 211 - YouTube Academy of World Wide Technical Divers of America

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jamesy and Brando get back to the fan favorite of looking at tragic disasters. After a few weeks of looking at the state of education, the boys discus...

Episode 210 - It All Comes Down To Me

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a couple weeks of looking at the original US Scuba Training Program based out of Scripps, your buddies Jamesy and Brando take an updated look at...

Episode 209 - The First US Scuba Training Program Part 2

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Get your fix of the history of Scuba Diving in today with this part 2 of The First US Scuba Training Program at The Scripps Institute of Oceanography....

Episode 208 - The First US Scuba Training

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys sit down to discuss the very first established scuba training program in the United States. Based out of the Scripps Institution of Oceanogra...

Episode 207 - Scuba Pioneer Dottie Frazier

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of International Women's day, the boys celebrate one of the greats in diving, Dottie Frazier! Have a listen as they talk about her upbringing...

Episode 206 - Ice Diving Cold Miser Quiz

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys sit down and recap their recent trip up to Lake Charlevoix, Michigan to do an ice dive on the shipwreck Keuka. Along the way they start up a ...

Episode 205 -An Ice Diving Primer

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ice Ice baby!! It's that time of year gang and the boys are heading out to dive the ice covered waters of Northern Michigan. This week we'll discuss s...

Episode 204 - Lost In The Slough

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jamesy and Brando are back for the final week of the 2021 National Cave Diving Month, celebrated world-wide. This week, the boys dive into the world f...

Episode 203 - Indian Repeat

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Due to some unforeseen family emergencies, we are re-releasing our favorite cave diving episode. We will be back next week to finish Cave Diving Month...

Episode 202 -A Lesson from Larry

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join the boys as they continue to celebrate Worldwide Cave Diving Month!! This week we get schooled from 2020's Pandemic Madness Champion, world class...

Episode 201 - The Lure of Cave Diving

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we jump into Brando’s Hot Tub Cave Diving Time Machine for a look back at underwater education. The pivotal change in the mid-1970’s. Wa...

Episode 200 - Flatten The Curve

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Its National Cave Diving Month, once again on TGDP. Your buddies, Jamesy and Brando, start it off talking about Flattening The Curve. No, not that cur...

Episode 199 -A French Lesson

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sacrebleu!! It's Friday again and time for another episode of The Great Dive Podcast!! Don your béret and grab a baguette Mes chères for we are vent...

Episode 198 - Keep It Fluid Y'all

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jamesy and Brando dive into 2021 with high hopes and a deep understanding of where 2020 left us. With the help of a positively buoyant article from Di...

Episode 197 - 2020 Year In Review

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The boys sit down and recap the crazy year that was 2020. Life before the pandemic, the coming of Covid-19 and what it did to the year and how TGDP gr...

Episode 196 - Saint Brando's Naughty List

25 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Saint Brando and Krampus James sit down and discuss the Do’s and Don’ts of scuba diving to see who gets put on Saint Brando’s naughty list.

The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 195 - Waka Waka Scuba Jokes

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, a priest and a rabbi and two podcasters walk into a bar… True story! So there I was… Jamesy and Brando ...

Episode 194 - What Level Diver Are You?

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys take a quiz to find out exactly what level diver they are.... follow along and see where you rank... Expert? Novice? Take a quiz an...

Episode 193 - Salvamar

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys have a talk about deep sea commercial diving. Brando get nostalgic about hard hats, DDCs and the Grem-Bird. While talking about a n...

Episode 192 - 2020 Ocean Gift Guide

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hey everybody, it’s Black Friday and you know what that means. It’s time to get that special scuba diver in your life some holiday presents. Not s...

Episode 191- Jimmy Sneakers

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys get back to the business of diving. We love to get listener email and we love it even more if we can turn it into an episode where ...

Episode 190 - November's Fury

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Friday the 13th and the winds are howling, because the November Witch is stealin’. Join the boys as they take another looks at the source of ...

Episode 189 - Going Pro Pt II

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever thought about going pro? The boys continue their discussion about going the instructor route with your diving. What to expect and what should be ...

Episode 188 - Halloween 2020

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you believe in ghosts? Well it is Halloween time and this week Jamesy tells Brando a horrifying tale. Ghosts, ghouls and candy bars. Underwater ser...

Episode 187 - Go Pro 1

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After two weeks of looking at arguments about the necessity of a diving certification, the boys take a closer look at what it means to actually “Go ...

Episode 186 - Pandora's Dive Bag

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of Is Certification Really Necessary, James and Brando try to work their way to the bottom of this controversial thread. Like many discussio...

Episode 185 - Is Certification Really Necessary?

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While mourning the loss of Rock Guitar Legend Eddie Van Halen, the boys came across a discussion about the validity and necessity of dive certificatio...

Episode 184 - Are you really diver material?

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week Jamesy and Brando try to lighten up the current political tension in the country with an old scuba magazine quiz. What kind of lover are you...

Episode 183 - Push Button Diving

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys examine an article that addresses the increasing dependence on technology in the SCUBA community. Ol' Jamesy and Brando discuss the...

Episode 182 - Diving is Like a Box of Chocolates

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever dived a, “Dive of a Lifetime?” What is a dive of a lifetime? Jamesy and Brando have a little bit of free talk about diving the not s...

Episode 181 - Hoot's law

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Two things you never want to hear your dive buddy say are, "Uh, oh...." In today's episode the boys discuss a couple laws of knowledge. Like Brando's ...

Episode 180 - Pride and Glory Zoom Party

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you become one of the irresponsible idiots that you routinely make fun of? Am I talking about 2 divers from this weeks story or the ...

Episode 179 - Opinions Are Like Assholes

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody's got one....but listen in as we address a discussion by two divers at an airport VIP lounge. Both have very strong opinions about controver...

Episode 178 - Let's Not Make An Ass Out of You or Me

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is assuming anything with diving bad? We don't think so... after all, momma always said, "diving is like a box of chocolates....ya never know what you...

Episode 177 - DCS Blues

14 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know any crazy divers? Are they crazy because they are divers? Or, did diving make them crazy? Jamesy and Brando are getting the band back toge...

Episode 176 - Don't Judge Us Until You've Swam A Mile In Our Fins

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Thank you to everyone of our fans, this show wouldn't be possible without you. We've been here for 175 weeks straight. Well ok, a couple filler episod...

Episode 175 - Sinking Like A Stone

31 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As everyone always knows for certain truth, Brando never likes to use absolutes, ever. This week the boys discuss the absolute rules of scuba, and the...

Episode - 174 -Divers on the Barbie

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to The Great Dive Poddy, mate! This week the Billabong Buddies, Jamesy and Brando take a little trippy down-under to revisit a few shark ...

Episode 173 - Shark Pickles

17 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in as the boys jump back into the shark cage and get ready for some prime-time television viewing. Hands off your pickles, everyone. But first th...

Episode 172 - Tragedy Tortellini

10 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Michigan continues to broil in the grip of a heat wave, Ol' Jamesy loses his AC and yearns for the days of cooking inside without overcooking the r...

Episode 171 - Covid-19 Meters Below

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the 45th Anniversary of releasing the movie Jaws, Jamesy and Brando dive into the original summer movie blockbuster hit! The boys talk about diving...

Episode 170 - A Lesson For Life with Ann and Bill

26 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys go back to a Scuba Diving Magazine Lesson For Life that ends bad for a diving couple. It shows how important our foundational train...

Episode 169 - Audrey Asks A Question

19 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Father’s Day to all you dad divers out there, hopefully your kids remember all the hard work you’ve done for them. This week, James and Bran...

Episode 168 - Jacques Cousteau, Why He Matters

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jamesy and Brando, dive back into the life of Jacques Cousteau. On the anniversary of what would be JC’s 110th birthday, the boys spend some time re...

Episode 167 - Check Out Stephanie Gandulla

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brando and James had so much fun talking with Stephanie Gandulla from the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This fresh water marine sanctuar...

Episode 166 - Incident Reports 3

29 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the boys wrap up their look at the 1992-1996 technical diving incident reports. Once again we see problems with deep air, ego and arrogance,...

Episode 165 - Incident Reports 2

22 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our deep dive into the early days of technical diving accidents with the “aquaCORPS” Incident Reports. Re-released earlier this year t...

Episode 164 - Incident Reports 1

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve dove into the DAN Annual Report. We submerged into the BSAC reports. This year we are going to plunge into the early days of technical diving ...

Episode 163 - Buying Dive Gear

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spring is in the air and that means love is in the air too... and if there is one thing that we at The Great Dive Podcast truly love, it's Dive Gear! ...

Episode 162 - Dudley and Vanessa. A Love Story For All Time.

01 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Their affair was doomed from the start. But neither one of them could turn away from a forbidden love. Ed knew but wouldn't say a word to Vanessa, for...

Episode 161 - Flow

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all can remember diving one of those “Great Dives” where everything seemed to click. A time when you were in the zone, your buddy was in it wit...

Episode 160 - Taking A Break

17 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One of the costs of Flattening The Curve is that divers are being forced to take a break from their sport. Regardless of what side you are on of the S...

Episode 159 - You Might Be An Expert, If....

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a statewide extension of our Stay-At-Home order here in Michigan, Jamesy and Brando get back to what you love about your favorite dive buddies. ...

Episode 158 - Covidive19

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you still out diving during the Coronavirus quarantine? Or, are you staying at home and watching a marathon of Tiger King? Jamesy and Brando meet ...

Check Out Larry Green - Interview 2

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This interview with cave diver and instructor, Larry Green, is one that will be sure to please divers of all levels. Larry shares many old stories, ex...

Episode 156 - I Ain't Got Nobody Blues

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

BREAKING NEWS!!! BREAKING NEWS!! Scientists have found that listening to The Great Dive Podcast may reduce your chances of getting the dreaded Coronav...

Episode 155 - Failure Points

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join your TGDP buddies as they discuss one of Brando's favorite preaching points. Failure Points. How many of these little plastic problems are you we...

Episode 154 - How Deep Is Too Deep?

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's quite a philosophical question that is more appropriate for Yoda to answer than Ol' Jamesy & Brando.... but have a listen as we attempt to break ...

Episode 153 - Ice Diving Underwater Photography

29 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!! Let's go ice diving AND take some photos!! Join the boys as they discuss taking your underwater photography ...