Mike Young (cave diver)
Mike Young | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Rebreather designer |
| Years active | c. 1995–present |
| Known for |
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| Website | kissrebreathers |
Mike Young is an American cave diver and rebreather designer. He is known for record-breaking underwater cave exploration and is the former owner of KISS Rebreathers. Young designed the first production sidemount rebreather and the KISS Sidewinder, a sidemount rebreather popular among cave divers.
Early life
Young grew up in Colorado. He learned to scuba dive in the 1990s and worked as a machinery designer and builder.[1][2]
Rebreather design
Young has designed multiple rebreathers including the KISS GEM and Spirit. In 2012, he became the owner of KISS Rebreathers and moved production to Fort Smith, Arkansas.[2] The KISS Sidekick became the first production-made sidemount rebreather and won the TEKDiveUSA 2016 innovation award.[3] The Sidewinder is a popular sidemount closed circuit rebreather (CCR) used by cave divers.[4] Young sold the company in 2021 but continued to design rebreathers including the chest-mounted Dive Talk Go.[5][3][6]
Cave diving
Young has explored caves with the Advanced Diver Magazine Exploration team, US Deep Caving team, and KISS Rebreathers dive team.[3] In 2011, Young mapped the longest known underground river system, a 14 mile (23 km) long system in Puerto Rico.[3] In 2021, Young and Randall Purdy dove to 472 feet (144 m) in Roaring River Spring which was the deepest exploration of a US cave until 2023.[7][8] The Missouri senate recognized the dive team for their exploration of the cave.[9]
Young has participated in multiple body recoveries.[3] In 2019 Young, along with Edd Sorenson, recovered the bodies of two divers in the Domincan Republic who had been stuck in a cave for weeks.[10][11] Young also supported Sorenson's rescue of Josh Bratchley, a diver who had participated in the Tham Luang cave rescue.[12]
Young is a CCR instructor and instructor trainer. He is an advisory member of the Professional Scuba Association International (PSAI).[13]
In media
Young participated in diving Devils Hole Cave for the IMAX film Ancient Caves and to support research along with Brian Kakuk.[3] Young is also featured leading a cave exploration team in Jonathan Bird's Blue World.[14]
References
- ↑ "Mike Young 2025-04-30 Brand Ambassador". OrcaTorch. 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Mike Young". KISS Rebreathers. 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "No Solenoids, No Shortcuts: Mike Young on Building Rebreathers". InDepth. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Bowen, Curt; Bowen, Jennifer. "KISS Sidewinder Rebreather". Advanced Diver Magazine. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Darkwater Group officially acquires KISS". Divernet. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ Bowen, Curt. "Dive Talk "GO" mCCR Introduction". Advanced Diver Magazine. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ Bowen, Jennifer; Bowen, Curt; Purdy, Randall. "Exploring the Deepest Underwater Cave in the USA. Roaring River Spring". Advanced Diver Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Putthoff, Flip (29 September 2022). "Down deep at 472 feet". McDonald County Press. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Timeline of KISS (Keep It Super Simple) Rebreathers dive team's exploration of Roaring River Spring Cave". Cassville Democrat. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "About Edd Sorenson". TekDiveUSA. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "American Caving Accidents 2019-2020" (PDF). NSS News. National Speleological Society. June 2021. p. 21. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ Ortega, Veronica (19 April 2019). "Fort Smith man part of cave dive rescue team in Tennessee". 5News. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "KISS Rebreathers President Mike Young Joins the PSAI Advisory Board and the PSAI Professional Family". PSAI. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Mapping an Unexplored Cave for the first time!" (video). YouTube. Jonathan Bird's Blue World. April 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
