About The Dive Otter and Tyler Allison

What Dive Otter Is and Why It Exists

Dive Otter is a practical, experience-driven resource for recreational scuba divers who want clear reasoning instead of hype. I built it because recreational diving is crowded with vague advice, recycled talking points, and marketing noise. Divers deserve information grounded in real training and real dives, written in plain language, and backed by field use. Every guide, skills explanation, gear review, and travel report on this site reflects that purpose. Nothing is sponsored, outsourced, or written for clicks. My goal is simple. I want divers to have information that works when they are actually underwater.

If I learn a better way to explain something, I update the page and note it in the public change log so you can see what changed and why. Diving evolves, and I believe honest writing should, too.

A Little About Me

My first dive was a resort experience in Hawaii in 1998, but I did not get certified until 2023. Since then, diving has become a serious focus with over 150 dives in the first 24 month period. I have trained with SSI, SDI, and GUE, and I am always working to improve. My professional background is in technical fields where risk management, systems thinking, and clarity are essential. That mindset shapes how I dive and how I built this site.

My Approach to Diving

I focus on control, efficiency, and staying present. Skills should work under real conditions, not only during a class. That means maintaining trim, managing buoyancy, tracking my team, and avoiding wasted motion.

I prefer diving in teams and keep my gear streamlined. My standard kit includes a compass on the left wrist, a computer on the right wrist, wet notes, a DSMB with spool, a cutting device, two dive lights, and a backup mask stored in a drysuit pocket or tech shorts. I do not clip on anything that does not serve a clear purpose.

I am not trying to look polished in the water. I aim to be useful, aware, and unproblematic. If something goes wrong, I want to be the person others are glad is there.

Why I Dive

I dive because it forces my brain to focus. For that hour underwater, everything else goes quiet. There is no room for distraction or overthinking, only the work of staying sharp, aware, and in control. That kind of peace is rare, and diving gives me access to it.

Who Helps Build Dive Otter

Most of the site is written and maintained by me. Some travel reports include contributions from my wife, Melissa Allison. She writes about the non-diver companion experience, including excursions, surface activities, resort amenities, and travel logistics. Her perspective fills a gap most dive sites ignore and gives couples a clearer picture of how a destination works for mixed diving and non-diving travel. Her contributions are noted directly on the pages where they appear.