PDR 3.0: POD DIVER RADIO

SS United States Sinking: Eyewitness Coverage from Destin, Florida | Pod Diver TV Field Report Watch the historic sinking of the SS United States off Destin, Florida, from aboard the Stellaluna media boat. Pod Diver TV brings you eyewitness coverage of the legendary American ocean liner's final moments above the water as it becomes a massive artificial reef and future wreck-diving destination in the Gulf of Mexico. In this Pod Diver TV Field Report, Joe Cocozza joins journalists, photographers, and media crews aboard the Stellaluna for a front-row view of the SS United States sinking. What was expected to be a daylight operation became a long wait at sea. As sunset passed and darkness fell, the massive ocean liner slowly began flooding, listing to port, and settling by the stern. We were there to witness it. From our position inside the designated media viewing perimeter, we watched the final stages of the operation, including the ship's changing attitude, flooding through openings in the hull, and its eventual disappearance beneath the surface. This is not a studio interview or a polished documentary. It's a Pod Diver TV Field Report: real-time observations, conversations, and video from the scene of a historic maritime event. IN THIS FIELD REPORT Traveling offshore from Destin, Florida, aboard the Stellaluna media boat Conversations with crew and media representatives covering the sinking A close-up look at the SS United States before its final descent The preparation and safety perimeter surrounding the operation Why the sinking was delayed until after sunset The ship beginning to flood and list to port The final moments as the SS United States sinks stern-first What this historic ocean liner could mean for recreational and technical wreck diving FROM OCEAN LINER TO ARTIFICIAL REEF The SS United States was once the pride of American ocean travel, an engineering achievement that still holds the transatlantic speed record for ocean liners. Now, this historic ship begins a new chapter beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The artificial reef project, led by Destin-Fort Walton Beach, is intended to create a major marine habitat and an extraordinary new destination for scuba divers, wreck divers, marine researchers, and underwater photographers. As a technical diver and underwater videographer, I'm especially interested in what this enormous wreck will offer once underwater surveys establish its final position and safe diving conditions. The potential for recreational wreck diving, technical diving, underwater photography, and marine-life research is tremendous. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Pod Diver TV will continue following the SS United States artificial reef project, including future underwater coverage of the wreck. QUESTION FOR VIEWERS: Would you dive the SS United States? And what interests you most: its maritime history, the sinking operation, or exploring the wreck underwater? Leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd especially like to hear from wreck divers, technical divers, and anyone who remembers the SS United States during her years as an ocean liner. RELATED LINKS Pod Diver TV: www.poddivertv.com Pod Diver TV YouTube Channel: / poddiver ABOUT POD DIVER TV Pod Diver TV covers serious diving subjects for serious divers, including technical diving, cave diving, wreck exploration, underwater science, diving medicine, and the people and technology behind underwater exploration. Hosted by Joe Cocozza, broadcast engineer, technical diving instructor, and underwater videographer. Subscribe for future field reports, underwater expeditions, interviews, and coverage of the SS United States artificial reef project. Dive safe. #SSUnitedStates #SSUnitedStatesSinking #Shipwreck https://youtu.be/lVHEXG31oKc

Cave Diver and diving journalist Joe Cocozza discusses the recent Maldives dive accident from the perspective of a technical diver and cave diver. This is not about exploiting tragedy or pretending we know every final detail before the official investigation is complete. It is about asking why obvious red flags in deep diving, cave diving, gas planning, training, equipment, and rescue readiness need to be discussed while the public is still paying attention. Joe talks about why "we don't know all the facts" should not become a gag order on safety analysis, how expertise in one area does not automatically make someone qualified for advanced overhead-environment diving, and why the diving community needs to be more direct when lives are at stake. Key topics: Maldives dive accident, cave diving safety, technical diving, scuba accident analysis, dive planning, mixed gas diving, rescue diving, DAN Europe, rebreathers, DPVs, and the difference between compassion and silence. Chapters 00:00 — Why this Maldives dive accident needs to be discussed now 03:00 — Cave diving, technical diving, and the red flags experts saw early 09:30 — Politeness, ego, accident prevention, and why silence can cost lives Please leave a comment with your take. Agree, disagree, or challenge the analysis — the goal is to have the hard safety conversations before the next accident happens. Hashtags #MaldivesDiveAccident #ScubaDiving #CaveDiving #TechnicalDiving #DiveSafety #ScubaAccident #PodDiverTV

Joe Cocozza sits down with Dr. Nicholas Bird, hyperbaric physician, former Air Force flight surgeon, former DAN Chief Medical Officer, and current hyperbaric department leader at Virginia Mason in Seattle, for a deep discussion on hyperbaric medicine, diving injuries, and the expanding role of hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Dr. Bird explains how hyperbaric medicine applies to decompression illness, including decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE), and why divers need to understand the difference between the bends, pulmonary barotrauma, pneumothorax, and other lung overexpansion injuries. He also breaks down how hyperbaric chambers are used to treat diving injuries, why oxygen first aid matters, and why not every chamber is equipped to treat injured divers. The conversation also explores current and emerging research into hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT / HBO2) for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological conditions, including the work being done internationally and what it may mean for veterans, military personnel, and future patients. PDTV is working with the Paragon Dive Group online dive shop. Use code PODDIVER and save 5% of order. https://www.paragondivestore.com/ LINKS: 1. Print Magazine Article about Naval Experimental Dive Unit http://traffic.libsyn.com/poddiver/PDMAG-05_NEDU1998.pdf 2. Fitness to Dive: A Scuba Doctor's Checklist. https://youtu.be/IeE5Yp6vdiY Hyperbaric medicine is: DCS vs AGE Pulmonary barotrauma, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum Why ascent rate is only part of the decompression equation US Navy tables vs dive computers and gradient factors Oxygen first aid and treatment priorities Why dive insurance and emergency planning matter Hyperbaric oxygen research for PTSD and TBI If you are a technical diver, recreational diver, commercial diver, public safety diver, military diver, dive professional, or diving medicine nerd, this is an important conversation. #HyperbaricMedicine #DCS #AGE #DecompressionSickness #DivingInjuries #HyperbaricOxygenTherapy #ScubaDiving #TechnicalDiving #DiveMedicine #NicholasBird #DAN #MilitaryDiving #PublicSafetyDiving #UnderseaMedicine #PodDiverTV Chapter markers 00:00 Introduction and Dr. Nicholas Bird's background 03:15 Hyperbaric medicine, DCS, and AGE explained 11:30 Lung overexpansion injuries, bolting, and barotrauma 19:06 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for PTSD and brain injury 24:32 Dive planning, oxygen first aid, and finding the right chamber

In this episode of Pod Diver TV, Joe Cocozza sits down with Luis of IANTD to tackle one of the biggest questions in modern scuba: what actually counts as technical diving today? From the early days of IAND and nitrox training to modern trimix, cave diving, decompression diving, and closed circuit rebreathers, this conversation breaks down how the definition of "tech diving" has evolved — and why different agencies, instructors, and divers still see it differently. We get into: • the IANTD view of technical diving vs. "Tech Lite" • whether cave and overhead environments are always technical • why depth alone does not tell the full story • recreational trimix and progressive diver development • the controversy around recreational CCR / rebreather training • bailout philosophy, checklists, and risk management • helium costs, narcosis, and why more divers are looking at rebreathers • where technical diving may be heading next Pod Diver TV in a conversation amongst divers who are passionate about diving. If you are interested in technical scuba, cave diving, rebreathers, decompression procedures, Rrimix, or the future of diver training, this episode is for you. Please like, subscribe, and turn on notifications. It helps support Pod Diver TV and allows us to keep producing serious long-form conversations for serious divers. PDTV is now working with Paragon Dive Group. Shop for dive gear, use code PODDIVER and you will save 5% To save money and help support the channel. goto: https://www.paragondivestore.com/ LINKS: Pod Diver Radio episode on Nitrogen Narcosis with Dr. Richard Vann: https://poddiver.libsyn.com/pod_diver... IANTD: https://iantd.com/ Pod Diver Lodge: https://www.poddiverlodge.com/ Pod Diver TV: https://www.poddivertv.com/ CHAPTERS: 00:00 What is technical diving in 2026? 01:40 IANTD history: from IAND to tech diving 05:00 What counts as "technical" — depth, deco, caves, and overheads 09:15 Tech Lite, recreational trimix, and diver progression 14:10 Recreational CCR, bailout philosophy, and safety culture 21:00 Helium costs, narcosis, rebreathers, and the future of tech diving

🧬🧪 Download audio podcast with Dr Vann about the science of HPNS: https://youtu.be/T9hUkwgKGfE?si=G3vH47Nn5No-wb8O 📚 Recommended Reading: The Physiology and Medicine of Diving – Bennett & Elliott The Terrible Hours – Peter Maas U.S. Navy Diving Manual (Rev. 7) 👥 Featured in This Episode: Joe Cocozza – Tech Diver, Underwater Videographer, Host Terrence Tysall – NAUI Worldwide Director of Training ⚠️ Why This Matters There's a growing trend of misinformation in technical diving content online. This episode cuts through the noise and emphasizes: Going back to source material Understanding real physiology Respecting the history of diving pioneers 🔔 Support the Channel If you value serious, in-depth diving discussions: 👍 Like📺 Subscribe🔔 Turn on notifications It helps us continue producing high-quality, no-BS scuba content. 🌊 About This Series This is part of our Technical Diving Myth-Busting Series, where we break down: 1️⃣Common misconceptions: 2️⃣Bad training carryovers 3️⃣Misinterpreted science 00:00 – Intro: HPNS Myths Revealed ! 01:00 – Welcome to NAUI Headquarters 02:00 – The Salvage of the Submarine USS Squalus 02:09 – Helium doesn't cause HPNS. 04:04 – What is HPNS? 06:04 – Support the podcast: Subscribe and tell a dive buddy. 08:05 – Sheck Exhley 10:08 – Deep Bounce Tech Dives. 13:42 – Why is it important to know about the pioneers of tech diving? 17:00 – Final Thoughts

Retired Master Chief Petty Officer and U.S. Navy Master Diver Rick Bettua joins Joe Cocozza on Pod Diver TV for a powerful, story-driven interview about what it takes to become a Navy Diver and the mindset that keeps you alive when everything goes sideways. Rick shares how a Super Bowl halftime "Navy Divers" ad sparked his dream, how he literally got himself to dive school, and why Navy diving is as much leadership and mental toughness as it is underwater skill. We cover Navy Diver training, mission realities (ships husbandry, submarines, salvage, security operations), and the hard lessons that forged Rick's career plus the principles he wants every diver to remember: STOP • THINK • ACT and Never Ever Quit. If you're a scuba diver, tech diver, or current/former military, this episode is packed with motivation, history, and real-world dive culture. Featured: Rick Bettua Author of Breathe: A Survivor's Tale (Navy Master Diver stories + the events that led him to write the book) Order a copy of Rick's book at: https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Master-Divers-Survival-Tales/dp/1637898215 When scuba diving in North Florida come stay with us at the Pod Diver Lodge: www.poddiverlodge.com Chapters: 01:34 Introduction to Rick's Journey 03:20 The Inspiration to become a Navy Diver 04:26 Joining the US Navy at 17 05:35 First Ship… not a diver yet. 07:29 A Deal is a Deal ! 10:00 The Dream Begins. Attending Second Class Diver School 13:57 Swimming against the Frogmen 16:28 First Assignment as a Navy Diver 21:03 Duties of a US Navy Diver 23:25 The dangers of diving on Submarines 27:34 Making Master Chief Petty Officer 29:30 What does it take to be a USN MASTER DIVER 33:00 LEADERSHIP: Diving is the FUN part. 38:09 Surviving a SHARK ATTACK. (Warning Graphic Content) Keywords / SEO: U.S. Navy Diver, Navy Master Diver, Technical Diving, Navy diving, Navy diver training, ND pipeline, dive school, ships husbandry, submarine diving hazards, salvage diving, shark attack, military diving, leadership, mental toughness, stop t

Using the toilet can kill you… at least if you're living for weeks inside a saturation chamber. In this Pod Diver TV episode, Joe Cocozza sits down in Lisbon, Portugal with former Portuguese Marine and commercial saturation diver João Rainho to unpack what life is really like as a sat diver. João walks us through his path from spearfishing Marine to IMCA-certified commercial diver, North Sea contractor and finally saturation diver working worldwide. He explains how sat systems work, why divers spend 28+ days pressurized instead of bounce diving, and how an entire vessel—from cooks to life-support techs—exists to keep a handful of divers alive around the clock. João breaks down the pay and danger myths around saturation diving: which sectors actually pay well (North Sea, Norwegian, Dutch, UK), where safety slides (Gulf of Mexico, Persian Gulf, parts of Africa), and why some new divers quit after a single sat. He talks candidly about long hitches away from family, the psychological strain of living in a steel tube, and the strange realities of everyday life under pressure—including how flushing the toilet the wrong way can be fatal. We also hear about his dream expedition: crossing the Atlantic from Lisbon to New York underwater in saturation mode. If you're curious about commercial diving, offshore oil and windfarm work, deep decompression, or what sat life is really like beyond the movies, this interview is for you. To watch video goto: https://www.youtube.com/@poddiver

Join me on the show floor at DEMA for two rapid-fire interviews on underwater lighting for videography. We talk beam quality, color accuracy, CRI/TLCI, wide vs. spot beams, diffusion, battery management, burn times, mounting, and how to build a travel-friendly rig that still looks cinematic. First up is Keldan on color science, filters, and matching ambient light; then Ultralight walks through arms, clamps, and buoyancy to position lights precisely (and keep your rig neutral). If you shoot wrecks, reefs, or macro, this is a compact masterclass in getting better results underwater. Gear & topics mentioned Underwater video lights, high-CRI LEDs, color filters, domes/diffusers, arms & clamps, buoyancy floats, cable vs. onboard power, action cam vs. mirrorless rigs. 👍 If this helped, please Like, Subscribe, and drop your favorite lighting tip in the comments. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:24 – Keldan Interview 05:26 – Ultralight Interview Hashtags / SEO tags #DEMA #UnderwaterVideo #ScubaDiving #UnderwaterLighting #Keldan #Ultralight #Videography #WreckDiving #MacroVideo #CinematicDiving #CRI #TLCI #Backscatter #DiveGear

In this special episode, host Joe Cocozza sits down with veteran cave explorer and former Navy diver Brian Kakuk to talk about a remarkable PTSD program based at Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas. The nonprofit, founded by Brian's friend Kevin James, is called PTSD – Progress Through Scuba Diving, and it uses guided scuba dives as a powerful tool to help veterans and other trauma survivors work through PTSD. Brian explains how a week of simple, supported dives in the calm, deep waters of Dean's Blue Hole — combined with daily check-ins and recorded interviews — has led many participants from anxiety, insomnia, and even suicidal thoughts to feeling calmer, more present, and genuinely hopeful again. We also touch on why the underwater environment can be therapeutic, how pressure and weightlessness may affect the brain, and why the program now urgently needs sponsors, donors, and word-of-mouth support to bring more veterans to the Bahamas.

Episode 234 of PDR 3.0: POD DIVER RADIO, host Joe Cocozza takes you to the show floor at DEMA in Orlando for a live presentation by Alex Fogg, Chief of the Okaloosa County Natural Resources team. Alex walks us through how Destin–Fort Walton Beach, Florida has turned decommissioned vessels into a world-class artificial reef program—and why their newest project, sinking the legendary SS United States, is about to create the largest artificial reef in the world. You'll hear the full story arc of the SS United States: from record-breaking transatlantic ocean liner, to asbestos-ridden "ghost ship" tied up in Philadelphia, to a carefully remediated, 1,000-foot artificial reef planned for ~180 feet of water in the Florida Panhandle. Alex breaks down the environmental cleanup, Coast Guard and EPA approvals, and $10.1M project budget, plus the nerve-wracking tow under the Walt Whitman Bridge and the final site selection about 21 miles offshore of Destin–Fort Walton Beach. Along the way, you'll also learn how Okaloosa County has worked with the U.S. military, ship owners, and mapping experts to create reef sites like the Mark Countess and Spirit of Norfolk, pioneered 3D photogrammetry for dive planning, and laid the groundwork for long-term research and dive safety on the SS United States—including partnerships with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, LSU, and efforts to improve hyperbaric chamber access for Gulf divers. In this episode you'll hear about: How Destin–Fort Walton Beach built a modern artificial reef program using retired vessels and military "target" ships The history, specs, and Cold War role of the SS United States and why she still holds the transatlantic speed record The remediation checklist: fuel tanks, PCBs, wiring, and why prior work in Turkey/Ukraine saved millions of dollars Stability tests, hull inspections, bitts analysis, and the Coast Guard's "Captain of the Port" requirements before the tow How the team chose the final deployment site on clean sand, away from natural reefs and live military test ranges Plans for a land-based museum using the funnels, radar mast, and recovered artifacts—and "pop-up" SS United States exhibits around the region Long-term monitoring of the wreck, fish tagging, and what this project means for dive tourism and local economics If you're a wreck diver, tech diver, Florida Panhandle regular, or just a maritime history nerd, this episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to turn a legendary ship into a safe, exciting dive site. inks & Resources (add to your Libsyn show notes) Pod Diver Radio – home & archives: https://www.poddiver.org/ Pod Diver Radio PDR 3.0 on Libsyn: https://poddiver.libsyn.com/ PodDiver Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pdr-3-0-pod-diver-radio/id270165444 Apple Podcasts Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2k8DNUwVPwinXUzODaMASe Spotify Pod Diver TV (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@poddiver YouTube Pod Diver Lodge – Cave-country Airbnb for divers: https://www.poddiverlodge.com/