From Opera to Avelo: Ross Neil on Shearwater’s Jetpack, Adaptive Diving Safety & the New Perdix 3

Curt welcomes Ross Neil of Shearwater Research (head of global partnerships and business development) to discuss Ross’s unusual path from a childhood in the opera world and musical theater to 30 years as a professional diver and PADI course director. Ross explains how trying the Avelo system in Maui convinced him to stop using a traditional BCD, describing its comfort, streamlined feel, controlled ascents/descents, and advantages for drysuit diving and data review. They preview the Shearwater Jetpack upgrades over the standard Avelo unit, including a high-pressure port, integrated Swift transmitter, stronger/quieter pump, higher-power battery, carry handle, sizing options, and improved surface buoyancy via a flotation pad and newer, less-negative tank. The episode also covers Avelo’s potential benefits for adaptive divers, ongoing work on surface management, the ISO-approved Avelo diver course, and Shearwater’s new OLED-screen Perdix 3 with configurable dive profiles and praised customer service.

00:00 Ross Neill Shearwater

00:09 Ross Neill Shearwaterv Research

01:20 Ross's Opera Background

04:55 Discovering Avelo

09:13 Shearwater Jetpack Demo

17:34 Adaptive Diving

26:20 Perdix 3 & Shearwater Culture

28:33 Outro