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Divers Alert Network

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Divers Alert Network

Divers Alert Network (DAN) is the world's leading dive safety association. Join the DAN community or learn more at DAN.org.

It is our mission is to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance and to promote dive safety through research, education, products and diving services. The world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization, Divers Alert Network (DAN) has remained committed to the health and well-being of divers for 40 years. The organization’s research, medical services and global-response programs create an extensive network that supports divers with vital services such as injury prevention, safety and educational programs and lifesaving evacuations. Every year, hundreds of thousands of divers around the world look to DAN as their dive safety organization.

03/29/2026

When flying after diving, the ascent to altitude increases the risk of DCS due to the additional reduction in atmospheric pressure. ✈️

Remember the recommended minimum preflight surface intervals when planning dive travel:
• Single day no-deco dive → 12+ hours
• Multi-day diving or repetitive no deco-dives dives → 18+ hours
• Mandatory deco dive → 24+ hours

Longer preflight surface intervals will further reduce DCS risk. For more information on flying after diving, visit dan.org/health-medicine/health-resources/diseases-conditions/flying-after-diving/

Note: These guidelines apply to air dives followed by flights at cabin altitudes of 2,000-8,000 feet (610-2,438 meters) for divers who do not have symptoms of DCS.

03/27/2026

While assisting a fellow diver during a shore exit at Bonaire’s Karpata dive site, Tony Pietrantonio, a dive professional and U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, injured his leg on a pocket of coral.

The minor discomfort turned out to be a serious Vibrio infection, but he couldn’t fully feel its effects because a prior combat injury had reduced sensation in his leg. His experience is a powerful reminder not to dismiss a dive injury.

Read the full story in Alert Diver magazine: dan.org/alert-diver/article/dodging-a-bullet/

✍️ Article by Tony Pietrantonio
📸 Photo courtesy of Tony Pietrantonio

03/25/2026

What’s your favorite way to equalize your ears? Answer in the comments — we’re all ears!👂

Ear equalization techniques are all ways of opening the Eustachian tubes to reduce the pressure differential between the outer and inner ear:

• Voluntary tubal opening: Tense your throat and push your jaw forward and down.
• Toynbee maneuver: Pinch your nostrils and swallow.
• Frenzel maneuver: Pinch your nostrils while contracting your throat muscles, and make the sound of the letter “K.”
• Lowry technique: Pinch your nostrils, and gently blow air out of your nose while swallowing.
• Edmonds technique: Push your jaw forward, and use the Valsalva maneuver or the Frenzel maneuver.
• Valsalva maneuver: Pinch your nostrils, and gently blow through your nose. Valsalva has a few disadvantages: It does not activate muscles that naturally open the tubes, which can make it ineffective if the tubes are already locked by pressure. Also, blowing too forcefully can cause damage.
• Passive: Requires no effort, and typically occurs during ascent.

Equalize early and often. If your ears begin to hurt, ascend a few feet until the pain stops before attempting to equalize again. Safely end the dive if you are still unable to equalize or if you experience vertigo or hearing loss.

Source: dan.org/health-medicine/health-resource/smart-guides/beat-the-squeeze-equalize-like-a-pro/6-methods-to-equalize-your-ears/

03/23/2026

From the DAN Medical Line: Is it harmful to p*e in a wetsuit? 🤔

As immersion diuresis shifts blood into the central circulation and increases urine production, many divers feel the urge to relieve themselves during a dive. Holding it can be uncomfortable, distracting, and may increase the risk of bladder irritation or UTI.

Urinating in a wetsuit is common and generally not harmful when exposure is limited.

A few considerations before you answer nature's call:
• Prolonged contact with urine can disrupt the skin's protective barrier and pH, potentially causing redness, itching, or rash if not rinsed off promptly.
• Very tight wetsuits may prevent full bladder emptying, increasing UTI risk.
• Urine can activate small hydroids, larvae, or jellyfish fragments — which may be present from past dives or enter through gaps in a poorly fitted suit — causing irritation or welts.
• Compounds in urine can gradually degrade neoprene if the suit is not thoroughly cleaned.

Read the full article: dan.org/alert-diver/article/wetsuits-and-urination/

✍️ Article by Leandra Lynn, AEMT
📸 Photo by Frazier Nivens

03/19/2026

🤿 Mask squeeze, also called facial barotrauma, is a common but preventable dive injury. It occurs when the pressure inside your mask doesn't match the ambient pressure during descent.

If a diver fails to equalize the air space in their mask during descent, air trapped inside the mask causes it to press inward and pull on the soft tissues of the face. Small blood vessels around the eyes and eyelids can break, resulting in petechiae and bruising. The same effect on the eye’s surface can cause subconjunctival hemorrhages and mild swelling of the conjunctiva. (If there are vision changes, severe eye pain, major swelling, or any bleeding inside the eye, seek medical evaluation.)

Fortunately, prevention is simple: Gently exhaling through your nose during descent adds enough air to balance the pressure. (Skip diving if you’re congested and can’t breathe easily through your nose.) Make sure your mask is properly fitted and not overtightened. Take your time on the way down to equalize all air spaces.

Read more about preventing mask squeeze in the new issue of Alert Diver magazine: dan.org/alert-diver/article/preventing-mask-squeeze/

✍️ Article by Janet Reyes, EMT-P
📸 Images by Esther Boehmer ( #1); Melissa Eremkofer ( #2)

03/17/2026

James J. Harvey of The Reef-World Foundation joins The DANcast to share his journey with Green Fins, an international initiative dedicated to protecting coral reefs through sustainable marine tourism. 🌊🤿

Green Fins promotes environmentally friendly standards and practices by working with local operators, communities, and governments — and by engaging divers as part of the reef protection solution.

Check out the full episode: https://youtu.be/X2mDZD9iaUw

03/16/2026

Never assume you are visible in the water. To help prevent propeller and vessel strikes, divers and boaters should stay vigilant and proactively watch for one another.

🚤 Steps divers can take to stay safe around boats:
• Follow briefings and dive boat procedures, including instructions for entering and exiting the water.
• Remain clear of propellers, even when they’re disengaged.
• Fly a diver-down flag and/or alpha flag, and surface within the required proximity. (Check and comply with local regulations.)
• Scan for boat traffic before surfacing, and consider deploying an SMB.

Learn more at dan.org/safety-prevention/diver-safety/psa/safe-boating-guidelines

03/13/2026

Last weekend, SCUBAnauts International's young underwater explorers took part in hands-on dive safety training, building emergency response skills needed for scientific diving. 48 teens and their parents completed the DAN Diving First Aid (DFA) course, while additional members participated in an off-year challenge to practice key skills. ❤️‍🩹🤿

Congratulations to these dedicated young divers! Safety is a core focus of SCUBAnauts International, a nonprofit marine science education program that teaches teens ages 12-18 through underwater exploration, research diving, and conservation projects.

Learn more about SCUBAnauts here: dan.org/alert-diver/article/scubanauts/

03/10/2026

Decompression illness (DCI) encompasses two diseases, decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE):

🫧 DCS ("the bends") results from inadequate decompression. A scuba diver's body absorbs nitrogen (and/or other inert gases in the breathing mix) in proportion to the ambient pressure. If the inert gas load exceeds tissue capacity, it can come out of solution and form bubbles in the tissues and bloodstream.
• Signs/Symptoms: Usually appear within 15 minutes or up to 12 hours after surfacing, and may include joint pain, numbness and tingling, skin rashes/itchiness, headache, and unexplained fatigue; however, the presentation of DCS can be idiosyncratic.
• Prevention: Dive conservatively, follow proper ascent procedures, and be cognizant of no-decompression limits, especially when deeper than 100 feet, in cold water, and/or under strenuous conditions. Avoid flying or other exposure to altitude too soon after diving.

🫁 AGE typically results from lung overexpansion, often caused by a scuba diver holding their breath while ascending (as might occur during a panic-induced rapid ascent). If the diver fails to exhale sufficiently, the expanding air may rupture lung tissue (pulmonary barotrauma) and release gas bubbles into arterial circulation. These bubbles can restrict blood flow and cause damage in the brain and other tissues.
• Signs/Symptoms: Typically occur within 15 minutes of surfacing and may include loss of consciousness, confusion, convulsions, bloody froth from the mouth or nose, and weakness or paralysis in the extremities.
• Prevention: Breathe normally and avoid breath-holding during ascent. (Certain lung conditions may predispose a diver to AGE; in these cases, the diver should consult a physician.)

⚠️ Several factors can increase the likelihood of DCI occurring, including deep or long dives, cold water, heavy exercise at depth, and rapid ascents. However, many factors — both known and unknown, including individual susceptibility — influence DCI likelihood.

🚑 If you suspect any form of DCI, immediately call local EMS — and call DAN for assistance once EMS is activated. The immediate first aid protocol is emergency oxygen administration. In most cases, a diver with AGE or severe DCS will require stabilization at the nearest medical facility before transport to a recompression chamber facility.

For more comprehensive information about DCS and AGE, visit: dan.org/health-medicine/health-resources/diseases-conditions/decompression-illness-what-is-it-and-what-is-the-treatment/

03/03/2026

Stratis Kas is the editor-in-chief of InDEPTH Magazine and the creator of Close Calls, a collection of near-miss stories from prominent divers that shows even the most experienced divers make mistakes — and learn from them.

In the latest episode of The DANcast, Stratis joins Frauke Tillmans, vice president of research at DAN, to discuss his experiences with safety as a technical diver and storyteller in the diving community.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Vitd0Ty3rc0

03/01/2026

Women earn approximately 40% of open-water certifications, according to DEMA. Yet health considerations particularly relevant to women, from endometriosis to breast cancer recovery, are often overlooked in diving. Understanding women's health in diving makes our sport safer and more inclusive for women and those who dive with them.

Learn more: dan.org/health-medicine/health-resources/diseases-conditions/womens-health-and-diving

02/25/2026

What’s a safety tip you wish you knew at the start of your diving journey?

DAN’s Giant Stride guide helps new divers enhance their safety knowledge. Designed as a companion to any entry-level course, it covers dive planning, physiology, gear, etiquette, and more.

🔗 Giant Stride: https://issuu.com/divers-alert-network/docs/dan_giant_stride_new_divers_guide

If you know a diver in open-water training or who’s newly certified, consider sharing Giant Stride as a resource for safe and responsible diving.

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6 W. Colony Place
Durham, NC
27705

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Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

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http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/

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The world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization, Divers Alert Network (DAN) has remained committed to the health and well-being of divers for almost 40 years. The organization’s research, medical services and global-response programs support an extensive network capable of reaching divers with vital injury-prevention initiatives, educational programs and lifesaving evacuations. Every day, hundreds of thousands of divers around the world look to DAN as their dive safety organization. To learn more or to become a DAN member, visit DAN.org.