The Great Dive Podcast
Grab your logbooks and gather around as James and Brando chat about your favorite subject and theirs, scuba diving. Each episode, these guys will share with each other an interesting and relevant story, tale, adventure or experience from under, in or on the water. It’s just like hanging out with a couple of cool buddies at the dive shop, on the dock or at the pub. Listen, learn and have fun with James Mott and Brandon Schwartz on The Great Dive Podcast.
Episodes
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 463 - Is it Cave Month
This week the boys sit down and talk about Jamesy’s recent visit to Florida for the NSS-CDS International Cave Diving Conference. So, I guess it is officially Cave Month. Ol’ Jamesy’s presentation was a philosophical look at the difference between cave diving and the rest of the scuba education.
Episode 462 - Final Thoughts on The Maldives Incident
The boys give their final thoughts on the Maldives Cave Diving Incident.
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 461 - Summer Splash
This week the boys take a week off from the Maldivian Death Cave, to bring you a special interview from this year’s Thunder Bay International Film Festival. Summer is heating up and Jamesy and Brando are busy living the scuba life. Enjoy these interviews with Andrew a Great Lakes boat captain and Kate from NOAA talking about the festival and why the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is so grea
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 460 - The Return of the Attack of the Revenge of the Quacking Maldivian Death Cave From Outer Space
This week Jamesy and Brando join the discussion about what happened to the 5 Italian divers inside the Death Cave of the Maldives. But, we don’t want to continue speculating as much as we are trying to move this conversation along. This story is about more than just those 5 divers.
Episode 459 - THE NO QUACK ZONE IS BACK
A recap of the past few months episodes and best of all.... NO QUACKING or HONKING! yes, you read that correctly.... there are no censoring beeps, quacks, honks or even Brando yapping about Manscaping. Just good old fashioned scuba diving talk! have a listen!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 458 - Good Divers Bad Decisions
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 458 - Good Divers Bad Decisions by Brando & James
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 457 - DeadlyAOW2
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 457 - DeadlyAOW2 by Brando & James
Episode 456 - Panic Underwater
Only one kind of panic is worse than bee panic, and that's underwater panic! This week the boys discuss a readers letter regarding a recent incident where panic played a role in the dive but the reason for the panic was unknown. How does this effect the way we, as divers, address the very real possibility of panic underwater. Have a listen!
Episode 455 - Do You See The Red Flags
This week the boys discuss an email from a bloke out in Jolly Ol' England that tells the tale of what can happen when taking unfamiliar and novice diver on even what most divers would consider a "simple" dive. Would you spot the red flags in time to prevent an issue? Have a listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 454 Deadly AOW Dive
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 454 Deadly AOW Dive by Brando & James
The Great Dive Podcast - A Force For Good
The Great Dive Podcast - A Force For Good by Brando & James
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 452 - DylanHarrison2
This week the boys dive back into the tragic topic of Dylan Harrison, and the death of a young girl on her open water certification dives.
The Great Dive Podcast-Episode 451- Dylan Harrison
This week the boys continue the discussion on scuba diving related incidents with the topic of Dylan Harrison. Dylan was a 12 year old girl who became separated from her instructor and class and later found deceased in the quarry where she was being trained. What can we learn from Dylan's tragedy and can we change the system so that it's less likely to occur again? Have a listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 450 - LinneaMillsWe'reBack2
This week the boys dive into the long awaited Linnea Mills tragedy. It's a topic you listeners have been asking about for awhile. This story is made up of a lot of the issues we talk about on TGDP every week, and here we see all the holes of the swiss cheese line up on this cold water, drysuit, dawn, deep dive at truly the worst possible time for them to line up.
Episode 449 - We're Back! Pt1
Finally!! We are back to normal day to day operations. Aaaaannd, we are back to tackle a highly requested topic as we begin an (as of now) innumerable part series to discuss both the Dylan Harrison and the Linnea Mills incidents. Swiss cheese, Jenga, and Bigfoot are just a small sample of the parts of the river that this topic leads us down.... Have a listen!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 448 - ItsSoColdOnTGDP
Warning! This episode is for TGDP True Fans ONLY! This week the boys have an unfiltered conversation about life in general, current affairs, diving, and other relevant topics. Don't go all, "FinsOnFeet" on us and start leaving bad reviews because we took the time to answer some questions, update our audience, and went off script for one episode. To our True Fan listener that's still reading this
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 447 - Juicy Deadly Ice Dive
Stop, Collaborate, and Listen... TGDP is back with a brand new Ice Dive. This Juicy tale will get you ready for another cold water disaster. Could this have been prevented?
Episode 446 - TGDP Update
A quick update from the boys following a busy few weeks and right before a few more busy weeks.
Episode 445 - TBIFF2026
This week Jamesy and Brando sit down and talk with Stephanie Gandulla from NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Kevin Sheard from Warfighter Scuba about the upcoming Thunder Bay International Film Festival.
Episode 444- Shutter Speed Madness!
The boys continue their dive in to underwater photography with a discussion centered around the third leg of the photography triangle, shutter speed. Also, the listener should be warned that there may be humor of all types in this podcast. From high brow, intellectual, down to the juvenile, "Beavis and Butthead" humor. But this warning is not for the average diver/listener simply because we know
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 443 - Happy Holidays from TGDP
The boys sit down and wrap up the 2025 year for TGDP.
Episode 442- ISO Madness!
The madness continues with the discussion of underwater photography... and photography in general. This week the boys go insane with ISO! Have a listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 441 - FstopMadness
This week your buddies talk about underwater photography again. After joining a photo club to get better at taking pictures, Jamesy start asking questions about apertures and F/stops. Of course, the Sultan of the Shutter, Brando, shines the light of knowledge on the young photographer. Join us.
Episode 440-Divemastering the Ego
Join the boys this week as they examine an 'I Learned About Diving from That' article that tells the tale of what a Divemaster Candidate learned about his ego and the trouble that may come from letting it take hold of you and actually believing what it's telling you. Listen to the deadly incident and one diver's account of a real life encounter with the deadly regulator snatching rocks of the Car
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 439 - Public Safety DIving for Advanced Beginners
This week the boys finish their discussion about a Public Safety Diving fatality.
Episode 438 - Public Safety Diving For Beginners
This week the boys discuss public safety diving. A topic sparked by a recent social media post detailing the death of a public safety diver during a training evolution. Is this a common occurrence? Do most issues and incidents go unreported if there is no fatality or injury? What does have to do with recreational scuba? All good questions plus many more come up when discussing this topic and espec
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 437 Alotar
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 437 Alotar by Brando & James
Episode 436- The Gales of November
Does anyone know where the love of God goes when Jamesy and Brando turn the minutes to hours? Find out this week as the boys recant the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of it's tragic demise. Have a listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 435 - Haloween 2025
Get your tricks and treats out for another haunting episode of TGDP Halloween Spooktacular. This year the boys bubble up Brando’s hot tub with tales of ghosts, ghouls, and sea fiends from out of the deep.
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 434 - Safety First
This week the boys diving in a companion journal to AquaCorps called Technical Diver. They compare this 1992 article by Michael Menduno with the state of the scuba world today. "Safety is the first priority. This is not recreational diving." That is what this episode of The Great Dive Podcast is all about.
Episode 433 - Michael Menduno In Depth and Under Pressure
There's only one way to follow up that great interview with Rachel Lance, and that's with the boys paying tribute to the diving community's great ambassador and friend, Michael Menduno. Ol' Jamesy and Brando pull out aquaCORPS magazine, Issue Number One and reflect on Michael's very first article called "Under Pressure". Have a listen!
Episode 432 - Oxygen 8 Rachel Lance Interview
Join your buddies, James and Brando as they sit down and talk with Rachel Lance. She is the author of Chamber Divers, the story about J.B.S. Haldane and other scientists who changed special operations warfare during WWII. The story is fascinating and everything you think you know about nitrox and oxygen with diving might change after this episode.
You can get her book here:
https://www.penguinrand
Episode 431 - Oxygen 7
This week the boys are back with Kenneth Donald and his Admiralty Experimental Diving Unit. At 30 years old and knowing virtually nothing about diving underwater, he was given carte blanche authority to do whatever he wanted. The most important mission, a cool name.
Episode 430 - Oxygen 6
Momma Always said breathing oxygen at a higher partial pressure than 1.6 was like a box of chocolates.... ya neva know what ya gonna git... Join the boys this week as they continue their discussion on oxygen and it's effect on the diver. This week they look into Kenneth Donald and his book, "Oxygen and the Diver". Find out how the diving community came to the conclusion that breathing oxygen at h
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 429 - Oxygen 5
In this episode, the boys introduce us to a British physician named Kenneth Donald. Around WWII time, most of the oxygen studies were focused on the medical uses for it. However underwater military operations uncovered a new threat to the navy divers. Oxygen Poisoning.
Episode 428 - Oxygen 4
What do the acronyms ConVENTID, VENTID and ASS all have in common? Well, have a listen and find out as the boys continue their journey down Highway O2 while avoiding the pitfalls of oxygen Toxicity. Have A Listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 427 - Oxygen 3
This week the boys dive deeper into oxygen breathing at depth.
Episode 426 - Oxygen 2
Shut that oxygen window!! It's getting hyperoxic in here! The boys continue their discussion of Oxygen and the role it plays in the diver's physiology!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 425 - Oxygen 1
The boys sit down and start a conversation about oxygen.
Episode 424-The Divers Bill of Rights
BOO-YAH! TGDP is back to the grind and we're getting back in the groove with a cool article from 1998 entitled "The Divers Bill of Rights". Do we have rights as a diver? Do we have responsibilities as a diver? Is it maybe both? Have a listen and find out!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 423 - Summer Vacation
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 423 - Summer Vacation by Brando & James
Episode 422- Valerie Taylor, Jaws, and The Meaning of Life
This week the boys continue their celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Summer blockbuster movie "Jaws"!! While examining the vital role Valerie Taylor played in obtaining the stunning film footage of much of the real shark action used in the making of Jaws, the boys learn of her decision to devote much of her life to helping reverse the "sharkphobia" that was created by the movie itself. Thi
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 421 - Jaws50
Jamesy and Brando celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, the movie. Tune in as the boys talk about sharks, their favorite parts, and differences between the book and the movie.
The Great Dive Podcast-Episode 420- Shark Attack!?
This episode the boys kick off shark quarter with a Lessons For Life tale of a near death shark attack.... well, almost... well... nobody died.... and no one was attacked... but it was nearly fatal! Find out who, what,why, and how in this week's episode of The Great Shark Podcast...er.. I mean The Great Dive Podcast!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 419 - Never Too Shallow
Did you know that you can drown in only a teaspoon of water? That’s right. That’s why Brando doesn’t have any teaspoons in his house. Look out people. TGDP is back to their old shenanigans again. We are partying like it’s 1999, because it is this week. Tune in and join us for this little dive that is the total opposite of our Dave Shaw series… or is it?
Episode 418- Dave Shaw The Final Chapter
FINALLY!!! It"s the end! Join us for the recap of the Dave Shaw story...!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 417 - Dave Didnt Come Back
This week we finally make it to Dave Shaw's last dive. Unfortunately, Dave does not come back. It's a sad story but offers all of us divers many lessons to learn from.
Episode 416-That's Diving Mate
What do you say when a diving project goes from bad to worse? I'll tell ya what I say... That's Diving mate! Join the boys as they continue to unwind the many little stories that is The Dave Shaw Story.
The Great Dive Podcast - Dave Shaw 7 That's Diving
This week the boys dive into Dave Shaw’s last dive. Risking your own life to do a world record dive is not as simple as it may seem, and it involves the lives and safety of many others. A team of divers, support divers, safety teams, medical team, a surface team. All of these need to come together, and all of them are at risk. But hey, That’s Diving.
Episode 414-Dave Shaw Part VI And So It Continues
Join us as we continue the saga of Dave Shaw and his fatal dive to 270 meters at Boesmansgat in South Africa!
Episode 413-Dave Shaw Part V Synchronicity And The Diver
What do deep cave dives, Mr T, the law, and synchronicity have in common? Find out in this weeks episode as the boys continue their deep dive into the continuing saga of the Dave Shaw Story! Have A Listen!!
TGDP - Episode 412 - Dave Shaw IV.5 Quote Unquote
James and Brando discuss a recent listener email regarding Cave Diving Speed Limits that were inspired by Episode 409. As we get deeper into the Dave Shaw story we see how his progress looks a lot like many divers’ journeys. What can we learn from Dave’s story and others? The boys try to answer the philosophical questions around Bushmans’s Hole.
Episode 411-Dave Shaw IV Send Nudes
We're talking about Nudibranchs you dirty minded listeners! In recognition of Testicular cancer awareness month, we've joined our sole corporate sponsor, Manscaped, in their efforts to raise awareness of Testicular cancer as well as Nudibranchs. What does this have to do with Dave Shaw's depth record story? Maybe nothing... maybe everything! But you won't find out unless you listen to Part IV of o
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 410 - David Shaw 3 Batman and Robin
Holy Logbooks, Batman! We are into April and still on Cave Month. This week, Dave breaks the Inspiration in over 180 Meters, not feet, of water. We are getting deeper, we are getting new machines, we are getting bent…. But nothing will stop us from the world records we are going to set in Bushman’s Hole.
Episode 409-Like A Rhinestone Diver (Dave Shaw Part 2)
Join the boys as they continue their deep dive into the events surrounding Dave Shaw's fatal last dive!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 408 - David Shaw 1
Welcome back to TGDP International Cave Month. This week the boys finally get into the subject of this series, David Shaw. In roughly 5 years, Shaw traveled the world earning advanced diving certifications and filling his logbook with almost 300 dives. Soon he will try to hit that number 300 in depth, in meters, in a cave.
The Great Dive Podcast - Epsisoe 407 - Deon Dreyer
This week the boys get into a discussion about the hazards of diving. Hazards that should not be there with certification cards, log books, or mentors but somehow we seem to still have tragedies like the one discussed here about Deon Dreyer.
Episode 406 - Boesmansgat Dives From Sheck's Journal And Nuno's Book
Join the boys as they continue this deep dive into the world of deep cave diving. This epsiode centers on the dives conducted by Sheck Exley and Nuno Gomes in the Boesmansgat cave in South Africa. Reading through Sheck's personal journey detailing this adventure and his own accounts of the dives down into the 800 and 900 feet range of depth. And then to Nuno's own accounts of the same dives from h
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 405 - Ariadne's Thread
To get to the bottom of Bushman’s Hole and find out what happened to David Shaw, we first need to go back in time and learn a little more about this area of South Africa. This area known as the Cradle of Humankind has many caves, and with caves come cave tragedies.
Episode 404-A Case Study of Respiratory Failure During Cave Dive
Cave Week 2025 continues with this episode discussing a case study of a cave diving fatality. The incident involves an extremely deep cave dive on a rebreather with respiratory failure! Listen in as the boys discuss the details of what lead to this tragic dive! Have a listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 403 - Lessons From The Cave
TGDP International Cave Diving Month is back. This week we start off the series with a little lesson from the cave, we learn what a cave is and also what a cave is not.
Episode 402 - Reservations For One At Table Six Please
The boys are back and taking a break from the Dive Table series to discuss a "Lessons For Life Article". This week the story centers around a technical diving instructor that suffers a DCS incident. Was it avoidable? Listen to the ramblings of Ol' Jamesy and Older Brando as they discuss what happened to Trevor way back in the "almost 1900's"!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 401 - Dive Tables 7 Bendsopaloza
How confident are you in the decompression model you are using? Is it just assumption and trust? Because the data can be frightening. All dive tables come with a percentage of probable risk of DCS. What can we do to dial in that probability and reduce our risk?
The Great Dive Podcast-Episode 400 - The Changing Landscape of Decompression by Bill Hamilton
This week the boys continue their talk on decompression and the evolution of dive tables and computer generated decompression algorithms based on decompression models. The discussion centers on an article from the late and great Dr Robert William (Bill) Hamilton where he discusses the changes undergone in the world of decompression theory and practice during the technical revolution in diving of
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 399 - Dive Tables 5 Diving Deeper Into Decompression Science
This week the boys get back to work after a little Christmas break. Picking up where Haldane left off we get into more changes of the traditional dive tables. Hempleman and the Royal Navy start to look more at diffusion than perfusion, bubbles are discovered by doppler and new thinking emerges from Hawaii, new names like Hills, Yont, Spencer begin to evolve the game of decompression even more.
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 336 - ColdMiser ReRelease
Enjoy this replay of the Cold Miser Quiz Show while Jamesy and Brando enjoy a holiday break with friends and family.
Episode 397 - Dive Tables 4 The Lexicon of Dive Tables
This Christmas don't get relegated to the "kid's table'... join Jamesy and Brando at "The Dive Table"!! We'll laugh and sing Dive Carols and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as we 'dive into" part 4 of our "in depth" discussion of dive tables!! This week we discuss the beginnings and evolution of the dive tables and decompression science! Have a listen!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 396 - Dive Tables 3 A Hard Look
In the mid-90’s everyone had a personal desktop computer and decompression software was the new tool for dive planning. This week, we discuss Bill Hamilton and George Irvine’s look at decompression software. The path for ascent was evolving, but we were still working with adapting the same old navy tables.
The Great Dive Podcast-Episode 395 - Dive Tables 2 (Revenge of The Tables)
Join the boys as they continue their discussion on dive tables (and everything else!)! How important are the numbers? What role does ascent rate play in the development of the different tables?? And what effect does it have on the test results? Is it even addressed in those old days? How hostile are those tables?? Should I just buy the most expensive dive computer? Why can't you do the math? How
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 394 - Dive Tables 1
These are not your grandpa’s dive tables, anymore. What good are they for? Is it really necessary to know how to calculate dive profiles from a dive table? Listen as Jamesy and Brando talk tables and what the dive tables really symbolize.
Episode 393 - Twenty Thousand Fathoms of Sea Shanties
Sit back and enjoy the soothing voice of Ol' "Sea Shanty Mott" as he regales you with tales of the shipping trade on the Great Lakes during a time when they were among the most treacherous waters to traverse!! YES!! WE ARE BACK! The boys from the Great Dive Podcast have returned and with tales of the Gales of November and just in time for... well....the Gales of November... Have a Listen!!
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 392 -DIR Revisit
Enjoy this revisit of one of this years top shows, while Brando makes his return from Florida. The TGDP boys will be back next week for another exciting episode.
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 391 - TGDP Goes CCR
The boys finally make the move to Closed Circuit Rebreather. Tune into this discussion with Ben Bos from UTD Scuba Diving. They talk about rebreathers in general, different units, different thinking, why they chose philosophy over a particular machine, and the TGDP class overall. Join us for some fun.
The Great Dive Podcast - Episode 390 - 2Halloween Spooktacular 2024
Gather ‘round ghosts and ghouls and listen to the terrifying tales from Jamesy and Brando. This week we dive into haunted shipwrecks. If you ever encounter these ghostly creatures, just keep swimming.
The Great Dive Podcast-Episode 389 - It's A Podcast Karrll
This week the boys discuss what happened to Choralll when he runs into problems 200 ft down and discovers he's not adequately prepared for basic failures. Of course the boys can't help but pay homage to the Choral memes and it quickly gets out of hand... have a listen!
Episode 388 - Diving With Mike Tyson
Get in the ring with Jamesy and Brando this week as they go a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson and discuss the psychological aspects of diving. What can boxing teach us about scuba? How do you react when anger, ego, and frustration enter your mind underwater? Even positive emotions can give us problems while diving. Let’s go diving.
Episode 387 - The Final Exam
So you've done your Scuba course and it's time for the final exam....But wait!!!!.... is this truly the "final exam"??.... find out what the aich eee double hockey sticks we're talking about here... have a listen to this weeks episode!!
Episode 386 - Together or Alone?
This week Jamesy and Brando continue talking about dive bodies and some of the inherent flaws in the buddy system. To find some support for this discussion they dig up an old article from DAN’s Alert Diver magazine. After knowing and reporting of all the breakdowns in the buddy system, traditional scuba still doesn’t teach a model that supports the buddy team.
Episode 385 -Choose Your Dive Body Wisely
We all learn in Open Water 101 that diving uses a 'buddy system" for several reasons. These reasons include equipment redundancy in case of failure, enjoyment of the dive, and sharing the experience. BUT, is a "buddy" enough? Too often the "buddy" is nothing more than a "body" and the asset that the system proclaims to be is actually a liability. Find out what happens when two divers become paired
Episode 384 - Could You Save Your Buddy?
The first rule in assisting a panicking diver is knowing that panicking is an asymptote. This week Jamesy and Brando discuss rescue training and what to do if your buddy is in trouble.
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