Joel is headed out on a dive trip this week. As we’re both dive enthusiasts and its been a bit since our Editor-in-King has been underwater, I think he is a bit fearful.

I’m pretty confident about diving, but I always realize the risks. Nothing makes me sadder than being on a boat full of jock-headed morons pouring beer on their chests during a surface interval and yammering about who went deepest. I tend to try to dive very respectfully of the ocean and reef; take only photos and bring back only memories (or a scallop I harvested on the rock, with a license.)

A great book to read that gave me a much deeper understanding of why beer and cigarettes are dumb during a surface interval: Bove & Davis’ Diving Medicine. Its a bit technical but I found it to be a great source of the next-level-up in detail from most dive books.