This is the amazing story of Joseph Bicanic's

decompression sickness (Bends) incident while cave diving at Boesmansgat or Bushman's Hole in South Africa. Joseph joined Richard "Harry" Harris and Craig Challen's "Dark Side of the Moon" expedition. While working on mapping the cave and also achieving a personal depth record of 210m, Joesph was "bent" and subsequently had to medevac to Johannesburg for hyperbaric treatment.

Big thanks to our sponsor XDEEP and the patrons of Speaking Sidemount for making this episode possible.

It's great to bring you Episode #101 with Gus Gonzalez, one-half of the dynamic duo behind the YouTube phenomenon, "Dive Talk".

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsor, XDEEP and episode sponsor, Seacraft along with the patrons of Speaking Sidemount for their support.

In this episode Gus and I discuss his journey from novice diver to prominent figure in the diving community through the YouTube Channel, "Dive Talk". We learn how Gus and Woody met, the evolution of Dive Talk, and the chemistry that makes their show unique. Gus shares insights into his diving experiences, the challenges of balancing a professional career with diving, and the importance of delivering value and the content his audience wants.

We discuss the challenges in delivering thoughtful reactions to incidents and respect for fellow divers. We explore dealing with criticism and haters, highlighting the significance of focusing on constructive feedback. We learn about the development of the Dive Talk Go rebreather with Mike Young, and the mission behind the Dive Talk Academy to ensure quality instruction in diving education. We continue discussing the success of the annual Dive Talk Meetup events, which have proved incredibly popular with over one hundred attendees. The conversation also touches on plans for diving events and opportunities for divers to connect and improve their skills.

Cheers

Steve

Hey, it's great to bring you... Episode #100!!! Six years, a lot of blood sweat, and tears as the saying goes but a huge amount of learning, growth, and fun... I've loved every moment.

I want to acknowledge the support of XDEEP who had the vision to join us early as the show sponsor and have been with us every step of the way. I am incredibly grateful to Piotr, Patrick, Bart, Magda, Barbara, and the wider XDEEP team for their support.

Other sponsors have also supported us... Shearwater, Seacraft, SEAL Drysuits, Fourth Element... and you'll hear it here first, Insta360. They are all fantastic brands that I love. Most of them I was diving before Speaking Sidemount and I'm very proud and thankful for their support.

And then there is all of you. Thank you so much for your support as patrons. You are the group that helps with production costs so you are part of this team and I appreciate the support :).

In this episode, sponsored by XDEEP and Seacraft, I catch up with one of the most interesting people I know... Josh Richards. Josh and I have known each other for five years and have knocked out some terrific dives together in some of the premier caves of Mount Gambier, South Australia... an area known as the "Limestone Coast".

Josh and I delve into his fascinating journey from military service to stand-up comedy, to being in line for a one-way trip to Mars, and ultimately to becoming a prominent figure in Australian cave diving exploration. We discuss the intricacies of diving, the importance of teamwork, and the skills necessary for technical diving, particularly sidemount diving. Josh shares his experiences in discovering new cave systems in the Mount Gambier region and the dynamics of his team, the Soggy Wombats. Josh's stories emphasise the collaborative spirit of exploration and the joy of sharing discoveries with the diving community.

Enjoy :)

Steve