Fit to Dive: Tech Diving Fitness & Mindset with PADI's Karl Shreeves

In this episode of Pod Diver Radio, Joe sits down with PADI Vice President of Technical Development Karl Shreeves to talk about the one piece of "equipment" tech divers too often ignore: their own bodies and brains. Karl draws on decades of experience—from deep wrecks like the Monitor to exploratory cave projects in Mexico and cold, dark Missouri systems—to break down what it really takes to be a safe, effective technical diver as you get older and busier with life. They dig into: Why fitness is a decompression variable and how strength + cardio training improve your margin for error How aging divers can rebuild capacity with resistance training, smart cardio, and sane nutrition The role of diet, body fat, and smoking in decompression stress and long-term dive health The crucial mental skill in tech diving: discipline—knowing when to say no to a dive, even after big travel and time investments Real-world stories of calling a 300 ft cave dive and shutting down a sketchy live-boat plan despite peer pressure Why every serious cave and tech team should live by "any diver can call any dive, any time, for any reason" Whether you're a cave diver pushing scooters and stages, or a wreck diver thinking about your first trimix course, this episode is a blueprint for keeping your head, heart, and muscles in the game for the long haul.