Boot Show 2025

Boot show is truly a unique beast. There is nothing like it. A behemoth, it is the planet’s biggest boat and water sports event by a wide margin, attended by over 200,000 visitors. Seventeen large exhibit halls are crammed with anything and everything related to water, from billionaire mega yachts with helipads—and, yes, they are on display in the hall, hoisted in from barges on the river Rhine that runs through the city of Düsseldorf—to wakeboards and swimwear. And, of course, diving, which is found in Halls 11 and 12. Boot is also the most prominent public dive show in the world and a show that keeps gaining importance as an international dive industry networking event.

Equipment news

In recent years, reporting from dive shows has become challenging, as interesting news, in regard to dive equipment, is few and far apart. Most gear has long since reached a level of technological maturity that only leaves minor refinements and new fashion styles to be applied. With a few exceptions, masks, fins, wetsuits, BCDs and more are mostly the same as last year, perhaps with new colours and different panels. The dearth of ground-breaking new inventions was also the case at this year’s Boot show. That said, there are some interesting ongoing developments in the electronics field, such as new computers, lights and photography gadgets, which we will mention in the new equipment section once we receive specs and some further information from the manufacturers. 

Dive travel news

In the dive travel department, I picked up on some notable trends among the usual blend of operators, mainly from the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Asia. First of all, there were several new liveaboards, and the vessels appeared to be getting bigger and more luxurious, with some being very spacious superyachts with interiors and services like five-star hotels. Wow! Liveaboard standards and amenities have come a very long way since I went on my first liveaboard trip to Egypt’s southern Red Sea in the 1990s, which was very basic in comparison. 

Several of these new liveaboards are also embarking on new itineraries in Asia and the Saudi Arabian part of the Red Sea, opening up new reefs for tourists.

After being a relatively closed country for many years, the Saudi Tourism Authority, which transformed into a ministry in 2020, has stated that tourism development is an essential driver of growth for the future of Saudi Arabia and one of the key pillars at the heart of the country’s Vision 2030 plan to help diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil. 

As part of this effort, the Saudi Red Sea Authority has been tasked with identifying areas, routes and maps for marine tourism and ensuring the protection of the marine environment in these areas. Both Saudi Arabian liveaboard operators we spoke to at the show stated that they were awaiting the last clearances and permissions and expected to commence itineraries in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea archipelago in late 2025 or early 2026.

Nicely designed booths

What also stood out was the Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park, which had arguably the best-looking and structured booth in the dive halls. The park features war wrecks from the famous battle around the Dardanelles during World War I. The Dardanelles is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in Turkey that forms part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe, connecting the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas while also allowing passage to the Black Sea by extension via the Bosporus.

For context, the Gallipoli campaign was a military campaign during WWI in which the Entente powers, Britain, France and the Russian Empire, sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by taking control of the Turkish Straits. In February 1915, the Entente fleet failed to force a passage through the Dardanelles. In January 1916, after eight months of fighting, with approximately 250,000 casualties on each side, the land campaign was abandoned, and the invasion force was withdrawn. 

More than 32 WWI wrecks, including dreadnoughts (a class of battleship), cruisers, destroyers, minesweepers, landing ships and cargo ships, have now been made available to diving enthusiasts as part of tourism efforts. Depths range from 7m to 90m, so there is something for every certification level. Link: Wikipedia Gallipoli Campaign

How to get there?

Fly into Istanbul, where dive operators can arrange a three-hour transfer. It is also worth noting that, as of this writing, Turkish Airlines, a five-star airline, is offering to check in dive bags free of charge.

Lots of dive operators

It is impossible to cover all the destinations or do justice to all the new operations at the show. Still, a couple of other destinations that caught my eye were Corsica and Sardinia. I have known for some time that these Mediterranean islands offer spectacular diving, clear waters and plenty to see on land in terms of picturesque landscapes, culture, historical landmarks and old towns, as well as exquisite cuisine. But it was nice to see a couple of operators at the show. Neither was big, but both were family-run and appeared well set up and professionally organised. I would love to pay both a visit.

Assessment

Coming full circle and back to the beginning, what is my general assessment of Boot’s 2025 edition? This expo was my 18th Boot, and it has started to grow on me. It is superbly well-organised and streamlined German efficiency at its best. The halls are nice and tidy, with well-designed and appealing booths made from proper materials. None of the ugly curtain dividers one sees at US trade shows here. The sheer size of the show can feel intimidating, however, and it is also quite impersonal, with all its hard surfaces and environment that is a tad harsh. 

A bit tough

My main complaint is that there is nowhere comfortable to retreat to for a quiet break during a long day at the expo. Granted, many booths have comfortable seating, but if you want to gather your thoughts on your own, you have to find a cafeteria, which tends to be quite crowded and noisy, or go to the press centre, which, however, requires press credentials, as I have.

Marathon expo

As a nine-day event, Boot must be utterly exhausting for exhibitors. Most of the expo is about the boats displayed in many halls, so it would not make sense to have such a big arrangement over one weekend. However, it is too long for the dive hall folks, who are forced to come along for the full ride. 

For a visiting dive industry professional like myself, the way to visit Boot is to come midweek, which is much quieter, and avoid the weekends when the public fills the halls. For this reason, even though Boot is a public show, it also functions as a trade networking event and one that is growing in significance year on year. I usually pop down for four days but might go for five next year.

The fun part

On the upside, Boot can also be quite a fun event—especially after 6 p.m., when the show officially closes, but not in practice. This is when the exhibitors let loose, get out the beer and wine, crank up the boom boxes and party a little. 

Nobody gets shooed out by overzealous guards, and you can hang out until 11 p.m.—that is, as long as the cloakroom stays open. This is not to say that the drinking and socialising go on for that long. Most gatherings dissipate after an hour or two, and people drift off to the parking lot or, in my case, to the U-Bahn terminal connected to the expo complex. 

The U-Bahn is a hybrid tram-subway, with the U78 line connecting downtown Düsseldorf to the expo complex. I like the 15-minute daily commute to and from the city centre, where I usually stay in one of the many excellent mid-range hotels that can be found within walking distance of the central station. As for fares, you just download an app, enter credit card info or a PayPal account and then swipe the app when you board and at the end of the trip. Super easy. ■