Dive Culture

Not everything in diving is covered by training materials. Some of it is learned through experience. Some of it is absorbed through group behavior. Some of it is just bad habits passed off as tradition. This section is where I attempt to explain what divers actually say, do, and believe — and what it all really means.

Insta-Buddy Checks: A Real-World Alternative to the Traditional Buddy Check

Most divers skip formal buddy checks. Not because they don’t care, but because the process doesn’t fit how people actually behave. This article breaks down the social reasons buddy checks fail in real life, especially with strangers, and offers a conversational way to protect yourself without making it weird. It’s not a checklist. It’s a real-world structure that actually gets used.

Calling the Dive: How to Speak Up and Support It

Calling a dive is a critical skill that many divers struggle to use. This article explains why hesitation is common, how to identify the early signs of a degrading dive, and what it takes to create a team culture where ending a dive is recognized as smart, not a sign of weakness. Learn how to speak up without shame, support others who do, and build psychological safety into every briefing.

Why Some Divers Quit and How to Stay Motivated

Many certified divers stop diving within the first year or two. It is rarely just about cost or access. This page explores the real reasons people drift away from diving, including long gaps, fear, gear frustrations, and lack of community. More importantly, it offers practical, experience-based strategies to stay engaged, schedule dives, and reconnect with the joy of being underwater. If you want diving to be a lasting part of your life, this is where to start.

Responsible Diver Code of Conduct

This personal code of conduct defines what it means to be a responsible diver. It covers everything from buoyancy, trim, and gear discipline to environmental respect, operator accountability, and diving with intention. These principles are not rules to preach at others, but habits to model through action. If you want to dive cleaner, sharper, and with less impact, this is where to start.

Dive Culture Decoder

Not everything divers say should be taken at face value. The Dive Culture Decoder is where we unpack the phrases, slogans, habits, and agency quirks that shape diver behavior, often in ways that don’t make sense underwater. Some of it is harmless. Some of it is dangerous. And some of it is just lazy thinking passed off as tradition.

The Diver Archetype Series

Some divers are loud. Some are reckless. Some just don’t realize how they affect a team. The Diver Archetype Series breaks down the common personality patterns seen in real-world diving. Not to shame anyone, but to recognize the habits that shape safety, communication, and group cohesion.

These aren’t jokes or throwaway labels. They’re built from hard-earned experience, honest reflection, and the patterns we’ve all seen. I’ve been a few of these myself.

Use this series to reflect, prepare, or even start a tough conversation. But most of all, use it as a reminder that growth starts with awareness.