Round Table Discussion: Solo Diving 2

Joining The Round Table this week are guests Jill Heinerth, Mel Briscoe, James Mott, and Mike Gault. I sit down with this amazing group of divers and hear their thoughts about solo diving.

Jill Heinerth:
More people have walked on the moon than visited many of the places Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves to swimming through giant Antarctic icebergs, Heinerth has been the hands and eyes of climatologists, archaeologists, biologists, and engineers worldwide. She was named the first Explorer-in-Residence of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the inaugural recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, National Speleological Society, WINGS WorldQuest, and the Explorers Club, which recognized her work with the prestigious William Beebe Award for ocean exploration. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times have lauded Jill’s best-selling memoir Into the Planet. Dolly Parton selected Jill’s book, The Aquanaut, for her Imagination Library program. Running Cloud Productions of Australia is currently filming a feature documentary that will be released in 2024.

Mel Briscoe:
Mel Briscoe is a professional oceanographer (retired), has dived and taught all over the world, and has taught nearly all recreational scuba subjects and levels, and many tech levels. He especially enjoys teaching certified divers new skills and new ways to appreciate the ocean and the things that live in it. His experience and knowledge cover subjects from equipment to coral identification. His diving credentials include his certification as a Science Diver at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, personal diving certifications through Advanced Trimix, Full Cave with stage, and normoxic CCR.

James Mott:
James Mott is an instructor for Unified Team Diving International, a DIR-based training agency that is committed to building thinking divers. A veteran of the Great Lakes area diving community, James started working at Don’s Dive Shop in 1991 just two years after learning how to scuba dive, and has managed Sea The World Scuba Center since its opening in 1996. James’ heart lies beneath the cold waters of the Great Lakes along with the shipwrecks that he loves diving, in addition, he also has a newfound love for Florida’s cave diving and an occasional dip in shark-infested waters. Passionate about educating the diving community and sharing an underwater philosophical base, James’ instruction provides infinite possibilities and extends attainable excellence to all divers willing to reexamine their underwater behavior.

Mike Gault:
Mike began his diving career in 1990. He holds Instructor Trainer ratings in mixed-gas diving as well as several other technical diving programs. Other professional diver ratings include Public Safety Diving Instructor and Surface Supplied Diver from the Association of Diving Contractors. Participation in other exploration projects includes the Flower Gardens Brine Seep Expedition, the Woodville Karst Plain Project, and Jacob’s Well. Mike is a founding member of the Goodenough Springs Exploration Project and the Texas Underwater Survey Project. In 2020, Mike formed CTX Hyperbaric Solutions, a US DOT-licensed hydrostatic testing facility, and service center designed to better serve the technical diving community in the Central Texas area. Mike is actively engaged in developing technical divers and technical diving instructors. As a life-long diver, he continues his own personal development and in 2022 began his journey into rebreather training on the Fathom mCCR unit.