Dive Industry News

Richard Moon, M.D., Named 2021 DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year

Dr. Moon is a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University and the medical director of the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology. He is also a former medical director of DAN.

Throughout his 40-year career in dive medicine and research, Dr. Moon has sought to gain a better understanding of cardiorespiratory function on the human body when subjected to environmental conditions such as being deep underwater or at high altitude.

DAN Welcomes 2021 Research and Safety Interns

Clockwise from top right: Grant Dong, Christine Tamburri, Gabriel Graf, Rhiannon Brenner, Benjamin Kistler

The DAN Internship Program was created more than 20 years ago to give qualifiedstudents valuable experience in dive safety research. While the program is still research-oriented, its scope has expanded over the years to include projects that focus on other facets of DAN’s mission to help divers in need of emergency medical assistance and to promote dive safety through education. 

Emperor Divers Recognizes 4th ‘Covid Diver Heroes’ Award

Nominated by David White, Phuong Cao wins a free liveaboard trip in the Maldives when she can finally take some time off, and here is her story:

I, David White, would like to nominate Phuong Cao (36) for her tireless efforts fighting this pandemic. Not satisfied with being a frontline hospitalist in New York she took a second job on the COVID team in Guam to treat patients under even tougher conditions on her weeks off!

Photo by Jesper Risløv
EUF Lavanchy Award was presented to X-Ray Mag founder Peter Symes.

EUF Lavanchy Award presented to X-Ray Mag's founder

Nowadays, digital publications are common, but back in 2003, when Peter Symes had the vision to establish and produce X-Ray Mag—the first digital dive publication—this was not the case. “Peter has created a publication that the whole world reads, because it covers the many aspects of our sport in depth: destinations, science, media, safety, research, equipment, people, places, etc,” stated the EUF in a press release.

Photo courtesy of Diveheart Malaysia
Diveheart Malaysia Ambassador Syed Abdul Rahman (third from the right) flashes the “OK” signal with participants in a Diveheart and adaptive diving program he conducted on Mabul Island, Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Diveheart Malaysia.

Diveheart partners with Tourism Malaysia for Moscow Dive Show 2021

The exhibition is an excellent opportunity to connect with divers in Russia and Eastern Europe and widen the adaptive diving community, according to Jim Elliott, founder of Diveheart.

“We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of scuba diving. There really are no boundaries to what we can achieve, and we have seen time and time again how educational scuba therapy has built confidence and transformed the lives of people with disabilities all over the world,” said Elliott.

New E-Book Available - 101 Tips for Underwater Photographers

The first book in the Wise Divers eBook series, 101 Tips for Underwater Photographers is written and photographed by longtime, professional underwater photographer, Marty Snyderman, and designed and edited by Eric Riesch.

The tips provide suggestions for underwater photographers of all experience levels and offer valuable reminders and guidance regarding a variety of concepts and techniques.

Master Liveaboards has announced a brand-new identity, website and e-commerce platform

Master Liveaboards has announced a brand-new identity, website and e-commerce platform. This is momentous news for their customers as they now accept live bookings 24/7 - with immediate confirmations.  B2B customers can also make bookings and place their selections on option via the company’s Diving Portal.

Fourth Element states it creates "products that perform in the world's most extreme environments"

Fourth Element is recruiting!

The candidate would join the current Marketing Team to help expand and develop the company’s online capabilities to support their continued growth.

We create products that perform in the world’s most extreme environments as well as working to minimise our impact on the planet and our oceans. — Fourth Element

The successful candidate should have an enthusiastic approach to driving sales through creative marketing, be a team player and share the company’s ambitions of sustainability and passion for the marine environment.

The dive industry is seeing seismic shifts in training, dive vacation habits and dive equipment purchasing patterns and consumer base.
The dive industry is seeing seismic shifts in training, dive vacation habits and dive equipment purchasing patterns and consumer base.

William Cline publishes survey on dive industry sentiments

In his introduction, William Cline writes:

We, as an industry, are experiencing tremendous change that started well before this current global pandemic. We are seeing shifts in training, dive vacation habits and dive equipment purchasing patterns that all point to seismic shifts in our dive consumer base. This survey seeks the industry’s assessment of where we are going by sector and what we can do to change or respond to some of the emerging trends.