A letter from America 

Simon’s been immersed not in water recently, but in the cutting edge of the diving world at the DEMA conference in the US. Here’s some of the highlights from the dive industry’s biggest forum. 

Greetings from Orlando, Florida, where I am currently at scuba’s largest annual industry-only show, the Diving Equipment Manufacturers’ Association conference at the Orange County Convention Center (their spelling, not mine!)
Once every year, industry professionals and other stakeholders join together to discuss what’s happening in our industry, where divers are telling us they want to go and how we can best assist in providing safe and navigable pathways to help divers attain their goals. It’s always an interesting forum, so here are a few highlights of what’s been discussed so far:

Skills and knowledge development
More than ever, modern divers are focussed on the personal contributions they can make to both their own safety and enjoyment, and that of others, by continuing to practice and develop their skills. Specialty programmes are therefore showing a continued popularity, as divers are recognising the benefit of engaging with trained industry professionals in preference to, shall we say, more ‘general’ opinion provided – albeit for free – by the ubiquitous ‘guy in the pub’. Divers receiving personal instruction know the advice they get will come from solid educational principles and industry research, rather than general speculation and personal opinion. This is not to say that individual opinion has no place – far from it, as this is how ideas are developed and refined, and some of the best ideas can be developed in post-dive ‘debriefs’ among experienced club members; rather, once distilled, this combined wisdom can be most effectively disseminated.

Leadership
Not surprisingly, given the above, Master Scuba Divers are on the increase, as you may have noted from the growing roll of honour of gold level Society members who have been recognised in this column. Naturally, one might expect the Society membership to demonstrate such leadership in this respect, having demonstrated a commitment to the sport and its future by joining together in this way. However, it is good to see that the message is being picked up across the diving spectrum.
Taking this direction one step further, the lifestyle of an industry professional continues to appeal to many who are seeking new directions in their lives, as shown in a recent competition for new PADI pros to make a short video or photo-montage to illustrate what exactly prompted them to take the step of joining the world’s largest family of diving educators. This competition generated some fascinating insights, as well as demonstrating that we have some extremely talented budding directors and producers out there, and I fully expect to see some of this work appearing on YouTube or the like some day very soon!

First Responders Recognised
If you are thinking about perhaps joining the ranks of industry professionals, one route you may wish to consider would be to look into becoming an Emergency First Response Instructor. The value of assistance from members of the public in increasing survival rates among accident victims has long been established, and is being more widely recognised all the time. Emergency First Response Inc. in concert with PADI, is taking this message forward and providing opportunities to become involved with this community spirit, with the aim of ensuring as many individuals as possible have the ‘confidence to care’.
The intention is not to train  people to perform surgery by the roadside, however it is a sad fact that many deaths or permanent injuries could have been prevented if the bystanders had possessed just a few basic First Response skills, together with the confidence to use them. Teaching these skills, and creating this confidence, can be financially rewarding, as well as deeply rewarding on a personal level. For more information on Emergency First Response, including their objectives and how you can participate in this growing and responsible industry, visit www.emergencyfirstresponse.co.uk or drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch.

Environmental Awareness
The other perennial message from the conference has been the abiding respect and concern shown by the global diving family for our fellow denizens of the deep; those who own the sub-sea world which we are privileged to visit. Project AWARE foundation recently announced further funding payouts in support of worthy environmental protection initiatives, and more is to come from this dedicated team throughout 2008.
Project AWARE has also embraced some very recent innovations to help spread the good word, including a partnership with PADI to bring the message into the virtual world of Second Life, where you will recall PADI recently became the first diver training organisation to have a permanent presence through the creation of Dive World. With the launch of Project AWARE on Second Life, the island will be enhanced with environmental activity options, an education centre where avatars can learn more about marine conservation issues, a social area where avatars can chat and share their dive experience, and an exhibition area. There is also the opportunity to join in an underwater cleanup activity, take underwater photos, learn about coral reef monitoring activities and so much more.  

Just Go Diving!
Lastly, and most importantly, the common conclusion is that just going diving is the best ‘medicine’! It’s the best way to keep your skills current and, let’s face it, it’s what we all love doing, and anything that generates a smile is good for the soul. The PADI Diving Society will continue to assist in this respect, with savings at PADI Dive Centres and Resorts worldwide, plus additional savings from industry and non-industry partners to help with hotel costs, car hire, equipment purchases etc. Of course, we have our own events which book up fast, including the Tahiti Dive Festival from 27 Feb to 6 March 2008, plus the usual Cayman madness and a further Bonaire trip also in the offing next year (drop us a line for further details). In summary, the message from the dive industry is very much business as usual, which means plenty of innovation tied to a solid background. I look forward to seeing you under the water soon!