Dive Fest Barbados: Scuba Diving Shipwrecks, Coral Nursery & the Island's Biggest Party 🇧🇧

What if scuba diving turned into a giant party? In Barbados, it did. Dive Fest Barbados is the annual scuba diving festival that has exploded. In this episode I’m bringing you right into the middle of it all.

In this video we sit down with Andre Miller of Barbados Blue after diving the coral nursery and the Carlisle Bay shipwrecks, including a WW1 AND a WW2 wreck you can dive on a single tank, right off the beach. There are 7 wrecks in the bay, and the shallow ones are good enough that snorkelers (and even mermaids) can join you on the same wreck. If you've got friends or family who don't dive, Barbados is the place to bring them. Andre says most of them end up doing a Discover Scuba after one look.

Also in this video:🐠 Diving the coral nursery with Barbados Blue.⚓ Carlisle Bay shipwreck diving: 7 wrecks, WW1 and WW2 on one tank🎙️ Scuba Radio at Dive Fest Barbados.🐟 The Oistins Fish Fry. Easily the best fish I've had in recent memory, cooked a thousand ways, with live music around every corner.🍹 Rum distilleries. Barbados is the birthplace of rum🎢 Harrison's Cave tram tour: It looked like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney, so good it looked fake.🐎 Racehorses swimming in the surf at sunrise on Carlisle Bay (support the actual groomers, not the photo solicitors…it's a thing 🤷‍♂️).

Dive Fest is put on by Barbados Tourism: www.visitbarbados.org with the Hilton Barbados and Atlantis Submarines all getting behind it. Barbados is alive, friendly, and we felt safe and welcome the entire trip.

▶️ WATCH NEXT: We went scuba diving on the Atlantis Submarine in Barbados → https://open.spotify.com/episode/0d7lynWUD5IMPFsnhMxAPe?si=bJckx87QRhOO2Z5hzaivrA

📢 Subscribe for more scuba diving destinations, dive travel, gear tips, interviews, and breakdown videos.

Kenny Dyal is the host of the Scuba Diving Podcast.

#DiveFestBarbados #Barbados #ScubaDiving #ScubaPodcast #ShipwreckDiving #DiveTravel #CarlisleBay #BarbadosBlue #CaribbeanDiving #WreckDiving #Snorkeling #HarrisonsCave #OistinsFishFry #TravelVlog

During Dive Fest Barbados, Atlantis Submarines and Barbados Blue pulled off something I've never seen anywhere else: divers hanging onto the top of a real submarine for a 10-minute ride down to the reef. Some divers think this sounds terrifying. For me it was a bucket-list dive and one of the most fun things I've ever done, diving or otherwise.In this video:How it actually works: clearing your ears on a moving sub, staying clear of the props, and the safety plan behind it.Mermaid Kristen's "money shot" rising from the water on the bow (with safety divers and Greg the Divemaster on air support).The moment I found out there was only ONE submarine ride and had to scramble into my gear.My interview with Andre Miller, and his son Ajhanii, freediving down to the submarine.How deep it really went (reef ~40 ft, top of the sub ~20 ft) - this varied depending on locations as well as the sub going up and down occasionally.Why Dive Fest Barbados is my new must-do: the Oistins Friday fish fry, WW1 and WW2 shipwrecks on a single dive, snorkeler-friendly wrecks, the caves, the coral nursery, and the rum distilleries. (Barbados is the birthplace of RUM!)Want to ride the sub on scuba gear? As far as I know, the only way is to work for Barbados Blue or Atlantis Barbados, but message them and let them know pro divers want a run at it next year.However, anyone can sign up to ride down inside.Huge thanks to Seymour and the team at VisitBarbados.org for the invite, Andre Miller (the mastermind on the radio coordinating three boats and a submarine captain), Ajhanii Miller, Logan the photographer, Mermaid Kristin and Greg the Divemaster from Scuba Radio and everyone at Barbados Blue and Atlantis Submarines Barbados.Video from inside the submarine courtesy of Jessica Todd: Eaves & Wine Travel Co.🎥 Watch or listen next here on this channel:Dive Fest Barbados full video, and how to dive and help outplanting and cleaning in their Coral Nursery.Dive Fest Barbados runs every August.More info and dates here:https://www.visitbarbados.org/dive-fest-barbadosSee you there next year.Subscribe, dive safe, and have a great day.!Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast.

Interview with Dr. Dawn Kernagis discussing living on the ocean floor in an undersea habitat.

Here we primarily discuss her NEEMO missions in previous habitats, with the new DEEP Vanguard being shown. It will be deployed fall 2026.

• Organization: DEEP.

• Location: Tennessee Reef, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

• Features: Dive center with moonpool entry/exit for scuba, rebreather, and hard-hat diving,

reconfigurable living chamber with bunks for four and communal lounge area, safety refuges,

emergency power, and breathing gas.

• Supporting infrastructure: Shore-based command center, watch desk, decompression chamber,

mission support vessels, and facilities for habitat diver training.

• Inhabitants: Crews of up to four aquanauts, living and working underwater for five+ days at a time.

• Mission types: Marine science research, coral reef restoration, long-term monitoring, climate impact

studies, human performance research, and training for extreme environments.

• Total installation weight of foundation, ballast, and habitat: 465 tons.

• Structure footprint (including foundation): 14 meters (46 ft) x 12 meters (39 ft).

• Liveable area of the habitat: 10.7 meters (35 ft) long x 2.5 meters (8 ft) wide.

• Ocean floor installation depth: 17 meters (56 ft).

• Habitat living pressure depth: 13 meters (43 ft).

• Partners: DEEP’s partners on the Vanguard project include Unique Group, Bastion Technologies, Triton

Submarines, and Resolve Marine.

On its mission to make humans aquatic, ocean engineering firm, DEEP, is developing subsea habitats, systems, and training to enable a continuous human presence in the ocean. Vanguard, its prototype habitat, is the first step in a long-term infrastructure program. Next comes Sentinel – a modular habitat system designed for scale.

www.deep.com

Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast.

Scuba World Record holder and Hall of Fame legend Neal Watson joins me to talk about the world's longest scuba swim on record:What it actually took, how a critical equipment malfunction forced him to drink warm salt water mid-swim, how he stayed hydrated and fed underwater, and exactly how far he went.But Neal's resume doesn't stop there. He also holds the record for the deepest dive on regular compressed air, is inducted into the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, and pioneered shark diving at what is now Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center.He's been diving since the 1950s. Long enough to have strong opinions about where the sport is headed, and something very specific that's been lost along the way.We talked about all of it with no notes or prep, this was completely impromptu on the dock at Marinelab Undersea Park. 🛟 Topics covered:World record scuba swim: Distance, logistics, and what went wrongDeepest dive on compressed airThe origins of modern shark divingOld school vs. modern scuba divingScuba Diving Hall of Fame

What if the scuba diving industry has been missing something critical — and two people just figured out how to fix it?Dr. Calina Ouliaris and Simon Lugan, cofounders of Journey Underwater, have developed a groundbreaking wellness framework that’s reshaping how divers learn, breathe, and reconnect with their minds underwater (and on land). Their approach — the “Dive In” Framework (also an official PADI specialty course) — challenges the dive industry to go beyond physical safety checklists and finally address the mental and psychological well-being of both students and instructors.In this full-length interview with Calina, we explore:Why traditional dive training is leaving a critical gap in diver wellnessHow the “Dive In” framework transforms learning environments and the significance of pre/post-dive briefings.The role of pace, mindfulness, and internalized safety in building a sustainable dive community.Why this movement could literally save scuba diving🗺️ Filmed entirely on location at Fitzroy Island, off the coast of Cairns, Australia — one of the most stunning corners of the world, and along the Great Barrier Reef. It was a personal bucket-list destination. Nearly all the clips were shot in the field, with real participants going through the program. The little bit of wind you’ll hear, the waves, the reef — it’s all real.If you care about the future of diving, diver mental health, or wellness-integrated adventure sports, I think you’ll love this episode.https://www.journeyunderwater.com/—Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:www.sweetwaterscuba.com

I got a first-hand look at divers entering the water wearing a REAL WW2 Mark V dive helmet and suit! Local expert and guru "Sharky" paused for an impromptu interview right on the deck of the Marinelab habitat in Key Largo, FL. This is home to Vintage Dive Day, and Jules Undersea Lodge.

Sharky walks us through the experience of diving in historical gear, why he does it, and some key reactions of divers who didn't know what to expect!

Sharky (Mark Alexander), runs the "Dive a Mark V" experience, owns Trident Surface Supplied Diving, and contributes to the History of Diving Museum.

Interview and video by: Kenny Dyal

Is there anything wrong with giving away the online scuba training for free? RAID doesn't think so. They’re a major presence in the UK, and an ubiquitous logo around the 2026 UK Go Diving Show. “RAIDers” are taking the scuba world by storm with a very different approach to learning.

Director James Rogers took time to explain to me the learning culture behind RAID, which is an international scuba certifying agency.

https://diveraid.com/

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast:

www.sweetwaterscuba.com

This new breakthrough version of a hyperbaric chamber is making it much safer to dive! The technology has been around for a while, but making it THIS lightweight, compact, easy to transport and setup (with just two people!) is a big deal in my book. This allows dive operators to bring along hyperbaric chamber treatment almost anywhere in the world (it can fit in the back of a pickup truck). It is called the “Hyperlite 1” Portable Hyperbaric Chamber.

And the fact that two guys can set it up in 15 minutes is wild.

When divers get “the bends” underwater (decompression sickness), they need to quickly be transported to a hyperbaric chamber for treatment. This often involves a long time between the emergency call, EMS, and the drive (or quite often, a life flight) to a hyperbaric treatment facility. It also requires the facility to be open, unoccupied, and ready.

Having a portable hyperbaric chamber that can pack up and deploy is a big deal. While the price tag is high for an individual diver, the cost-benefit for a busy dive center or remote tourist destination seems worth it.

Follow the Dive 1st Aid YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dive1stAid

www.dive1staid.com

Special Thanks:

SOS Group

Underwater scooter video footage supplied by Rotinor GmbH

Rebreather footage provided by SIEL srl

Photo Credits:

Original Hyperlite 1 Prototype - By John Selby

Hyperlite 1 in Aircraft - By Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey, USAF

Hyperlite 1 in Stryker INF - By Bradley Peterson, Former USN

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Kenny Dyal is the host of The Scuba Diving Podcast

www.sweetwaterscuba.com