Women Who Tech Dive Dagny Jagielska -

Dagny Jagielska

Women beyond diving limits

Name
Dagny Jagielska

Country of origin
Germany

Where you live
Berlin

Dive club / dive center
Pro Divers

Highest diving certifications
TDI Advanced Mix Gas CCR

How was your first dive?

My husband tried to convince me for many years. We were invited to a Polish-Mexican wedding in Mexico, and I decided to give it a try so I could dive in the cenotes. I completed my first certification in Crete (Greece) in 2018 with the Ierapetra Diving Center, just a couple of months after the birth of our second daughter. I fell in love with diving after my very first dive.

What made you transition from sport diving to technical diving?

I love practicing skills and pushing them to perfection. Technical diving gave me the opportunity to constantly improve, challenge myself, and grow as a diver. Of course, it also allowed me to go deeper and stay underwater longer—to experience the vast, seemingly endless depths and explore beautiful wrecks.

What type of technical diving do you enjoy the most, and what draws you to it?

I enjoy deep and wreck diving the most. I love the feeling of free fall during descent and the chance to explore shipwrecks that are almost untouched. I’m drawn to the complete silence down there. No one disturbs me, and I can fully focus on myself. Everyday problems fade away and lose their importance in that environment.

Besides formal training, what other skills do you think are essential for technical diving?

I believe that having a reliable dive partner you can truly rely on is essential in technical diving. Once you’ve found someone you trust, it’s crucial to train all emergency scenarios thoroughly and repeatedly. In my opinion, practicing bailout procedures and handling lost gas situations are among the most important skills to master.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in technical diving?

Well, honestly? The P-valve and handling the she-pee system can be quite a challenge (laughs). You could probably write a whole book about that! But beyond that, the real challenge for me was the physical strength needed to carry all the equipment. I had to start lifting weights just to keep up and handle the demands of technical diving comfortably.

Why do you think technical diving is still a male-dominated sport?

I think it’s partly because many women still carry the larger share of caregiving and household responsibilities, which leaves them with less time and flexibility for a sport as demanding and time-consuming as technical diving. It’s not about ability—it’s about access and priorities, and those are shaped by society.

What message or advice would you give to other women considering technical diving?

Don’t let yourself be intimidated. You don’t have to be the strongest or the fastest. Find a good mentor or dive buddy, take your time, and enjoy the process. You’re more capable than you think, and the deep is waiting for you too.

Oh—and make sure you have fit, adventurous grandparents (or very patient in-laws) who are ready to babysit while you’re off exploring wrecks and decompression stops 😉.

What has been your most memorable dive so far?

Diving to 105 meters beneath the wreck of the Gulf Fleet 31, a sunken supply vessel near Hurghada, Egypt. The wreck is suspended between two cliffs, almost like it’s hanging in space. It was absolutely breathtaking

Have you faced any really difficult moments while technical diving? How did you overcome them?

Unfortunately, yes. The first one was definitely a CO₂ hit at a depth of 55 meters. I suddenly felt very dizzy, and the whole bottom seemed to start “waving” beneath me. Luckily, I reacted automatically and began the bailout procedure. With the help of my husband and dive partner, I was able to overcome it safely. The second was during a training dive for a 100-meter depth scenario. I experienced a free flow while practicing a bailout. Even though it was just a drill and I switched back to my CCR, it was shocking to see how quickly you can lose your gas from an 11-liter bailout tank at that depth.

That’s exactly why skills training is so important. When things go wrong, you need your reactions to be automatic.

What places in the world would you love to dive in, and why?

That’s a hard question. The list is very long! Truk Lagoon is definitely high on our list, with its incredible history and wrecks. But I also haven’t finished exploring all the amazing heritage wrecks around Malta, which are absolutely worth diving.

I’m also seriously considering doing a cave CCR certification so I can explore the stunning cenotes in Mexico and the famous cave systems in Florida. There’s just so much to see underwater. The deeper you go into the world of diving, the longer your bucket list gets!

Do you have a dive buddy you trust completely?

Yes! It’s my loving husband, the one who got me into diving in the first place.

What qualities do you look for in a great technical dive buddy?

It has to be someone you can rely on completely. You should be able to understand each other without speaking—a strong connection and mutual trust are absolutely essential.

What do you value the most about your dive buddy, both in and out of the water?

He’s always close by and always ready to help—I know I can count on him no matter what. We share those powerful moments of focus and silence underwater, and on the surface, we go through every detail of the dive together. And of course, the most special part is that he’s not just my dive buddy—he’s my life partner

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