NEW Alert Diver Magazine

Hi All - A new and massively redesigned DAN Alert Diver begins arriving member mailboxes this week. I'd love to hear what our Wetpixel friends think of our new direction.

The magazine is sent free of charge to DAN North America members. DAN members outside our territory can log onto http://www.alertdiver.com to get a sense of content, but to understand concept you need to actually see it.

Also available at DAN booth at DEMA next week.

Thanks.

Hi All - A new and massively redesigned DAN Alert Diver begins arriving member mailboxes this week. I'd love to hear what our Wetpixel friends think of our new direction.

 

The magazine is sent free of charge to DAN North America members. DAN members outside our territory can log onto http://www.alertdiver.com to get a sense of content, but to understand concept you need to actually see it.

 

Also available at DAN booth at DEMA next week.

 

Thanks.

You beat me to it. In fact I sent an e-mail to Keith today congratulating him so I'll extend that to you here. I think the new mag is amazing! Great stories and photos and your interview with Paul Nicklen is great. I also liked Wepixel's own Eric Cheng's parting shot - very cool. It's as good a book as anything out there IMO. Great job all.

Stephen,

I got my Alert Diver yesterday in the mail and as I was flipping through it I stopped twice to look at the cover to see if it was the same magazine. What a difference! So many great images and I actually read the articles unlike the old version. A truly remarkable transformation. My only problem is I haven't been able to find out who made the great dolphin image on the cover.

Super job!

Steve

Stephen,

I got my Alert Diver yesterday in the mail and as I was flipping through it I stopped twice to look at the cover to see if it was the same magazine. What a difference! So many great images and I actually read the articles unlike the old version. A truly remarkable transformation. My only problem is I haven't been able to find out who made the great dolphin image on the cover.

 

Super job!

Steve

Thanks to Steve and Andy for your very kind words. One of the principal architects of the transformation is Keith Phillips, my friend and mentor from our days together at Scuba Diving Magazine. He is now the editorial director for the new Alert Diver; and between him, the design art team, my prepress gurus, and the production staff at the Durham DAN headquarters we had a lot of talent and passion to throw at the new project. Not to mention the commitment of DAN to do something different with Alert Diver, delivered as a free benefit of membership to 165,000 households.

As for the cover, sorry to have omitted the photo credit on that one. An oversight for sure, but as it was my photo, that photographer can't get TOO mad at us. Here is the uncropped image, taken in September at White Sand Ridge on an afternoon off from shooting the tigers and lemons at Tiger Beach.

I got it yesterday and was blown away by it. I said to my son "Alert Diver joins the 21st century." He had no idea what I was talking about so I dug up an old issue and showed him the difference. He was quite impressed. Maybe he'll even read it now.

Congrats to Keith (whom I know and love from Scuba Diving mag and the D2D message board) and to Stephen for a remarkable transformation. The layout looks much easier to read too, though I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm wondering if you were always the publisher, Stephen. I'll have to look at the masthead of an older issue. If this is a new gig for you...you've done a remarkable job.

I got it yesterday and was blown away by it. I said to my son "Alert Diver joins the 21st century." He had no idea what I was talking about so I dug up an old issue and showed him the difference. He was quite impressed. Maybe he'll even read it now.

 

Congrats to Keith (whom I know and love from Scuba Diving mag and the D2D message board) and to Stephen for a remarkable transformation. The layout looks much easier to read too, though I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm wondering if you were always the publisher, Stephen. I'll have to look at the masthead of an older issue. If this is a new gig for you...you've done a remarkable job.

Thanks for the kind comments. No, this is my first stab at publishing Alert Diver, and I'm very pleased you saw a positive improvement in the magazine. For our friends overseas, or those without DAN membership (although if you'd been bent as many times as I have you would definitely be a DAN member), here is a virtual view of the magazine:

http://tinyurl.com/AlertDiver-flip

Great stuff online. I meet Paul when we was working his first big assignment. Hardworking guy.

I look forward to receiving the magazine and applaud the elevation of the magazine content. Something I will give more than a fleeting glance to now.

Cheers

Todd

Excellent, and glad you gave cold water diving some tips and tricks!

Jack

Here is a virtual view of the magazine:

http://tinyurl.com/AlertDiver-flip

The magazine looks great in the virtual viewer - wow a fantastic achievement visually and plenty of meaty articles too. Looking forward to a longer delve through the pages.

Alex

Congratulations Stephen. Mine came Tuesday and I couldn't believe it was Alert Diver. Not that the older version wasn't a great read but the photo print quality in this issue is outstanding. It was nice to read Dan uses an enviromentally conscious approach to it's paper and printing process.

A huge improvement and makes it one of the top visually stunning diving magazines out there. The stories were great and the lack of Ads every other page is refreshing.

Rand

Still haven't gotten mine

Wow, I'm actually looking forward to checking it out this month, now.

I let my DAN Membership expire this past summer as I'm between dive trips so I didn't receive the issue

Guess I'll have to reactivate my membership sooner than I'd originally planned.

Ellen

great job Steve; congratulations.

I came home to find mine waiting for me on the coffee table. It literally *feels* more professional. Not only that but some usual columns such as 'encounters' are greatly expanded in this format. They even added an Imaging/Shooter and Imaging/Techniques column that I hope will make a return next quarter. All in all, this is a clean and well authored periodical.

Once I am done with it, this one is going to get passed on to one of my recently certified friends.

Great work DAN!

Hey Stephen, the new Alert Diver looks great. I just got it today so I haven't had time to read through it but I did glance through and it looks like there is a good deal of useful information. It appears very professional and it's good to see your using ecologicaly sound practices in producing the mag. keep up the good work!

Mike

I let my DAN Membership expire this past summer as I'm between dive trips so I didn't receive the issue

 

Guess I'll have to reactivate my membership sooner than I'd originally planned.

 

Ellen

Aha Ellen - Our master plan is revealed ... to get you back into the DAN family

I was getting ready to go to work yesterday and came across the mail-lady dropping off my personal copy of Alert Diver. I asked her to re-enact the moment for my P&S, as it really was a pretty big event for me:

Thanks to you all for your very kind words! We are already busy working on #2!

I let my DAN Membership expire this past summer as I'm between dive trips so I didn't receive the issue

 

Guess I'll have to reactivate my membership sooner than I'd originally planned.

 

Ellen

Even if I don't dive regularly, I like to keep my membership active to support DAN and all of the great things that they do. If finances are a little tight, you could just be a member and forgo the insurance portion until you are ready to dive again. I believe that by just being a member, you will still get Alert Diver, but I'm not sure. I did that for my son since he hadn't gone diving in 2 years. DAN member services is very supportive and understanding. When I wanted to renew his insurance again for a trip we are taking in December, they pro-rated his insurance and a family membership until our regular renewal in January. As I said, DAN is very accommodating.

Great to hear about the newly designed Mag, too bad mine goes to Canada though as i would love to have a look at it

Is Steve Mehan still involved?

Even if I don't dive regularly, I like to keep my membership active to support DAN and all of the great things that they do. If finances are a little tight, you could just be a member and forgo the insurance portion until you are ready to dive again. I believe that by just being a member, you will still get Alert Diver, but I'm not sure. I did that for my son since he hadn't gone diving in 2 years. DAN member services is very supportive and understanding. When I wanted to renew his insurance again for a trip we are taking in December, they pro-rated his insurance and a family membership until our regular renewal in January. As I said, DAN is very accommodating.

The insurance is so valuable. I got bent in 2007. Suprisingly my primary health insurance paid for 80% and my DAN insurance picked up the rest. And let me tell you, 20% of three chamber rides is costly. I will forever be a DAN member.