4q2010theunderseajournal.pdf

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the undersea journal fourth quarter 2010

Features

46l living seas: project aware Project aWare Foundation: long-standing organization thanks supporters and embraces Big Change by jenny Miller garMendia

Project AWARE Foundation steps into the future with a new set of programs and initiatives built for today’s world, while remaining firmly rooted in the organization’s core mission.

54 l business of diving Go Green, Make Green by ethan gordon

No longer is going green a drain on the coffers. PADI Dive Centers and Resorts around the world are embrac-ing the mantra and seeing big returns on their investments.

62 l training PadI dive-master Course revised by lori bachelor-sMith The bar is raised for dive-masters with the release of the most comprehensive and real-world-training divemas-ter course in the industry.

70 l travel eco travel to MPas by ty sawyer

Saving the sea has become cool, and all around the world the plethora of Marine Protected Areas are a vital testament to the ever rising trend in ocean stewardship. Here are on some of the top MPA destinations to explore around the world.

departments

6 l In the FieldPADI Worldwide President and COO Drew Richardson calls all divers to action: Get involved and help save our underwater world.

10 l PadI lifeThe ultimate dive and surf film returns – from bull sharks to big waves, The Drop Zone head to Fiji.

18 l PadI deMa sectionA look at DEMA Show 2010.

78 l risk ManagementHow many divers are there today? Al Hornsby shares models for estimating the diver population.

85 l training Bulletin

97 l Quality Management

98 l dive Industry newsPADI CEO Brian Cronin shares how we can help save the world through social media.

Cover Karl Shreeves

Corrections In the Second Quarter issue, Igor Yanovich was left off the PADI Member Milestone list. Yanovich has been a member of PADI for 10 years. Also, the photo on page 92 in the same issue was credited to Justin Lewis, but was taken by Olga Khoros-hunova. PADI apologizes for the errors.

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Contents

The Undersea Journal (ISSN 1740-1930) (USPS 025-042) is published quarterly by PADI Americas, Inc., 30151 Tomas, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 USA. Cost per issue $12.00 US. Periodicals postage paid at Trabuco Canyon and additional entry office. The Undersea Journal is the official publication of PADI Worldwide and is produced in association with Bonnier Enthusiast Group. For customer service and back issues, please call 800 729 7234 (US and Canada) or +1 949 729 7234, ext. 2495. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Undersea Journal, PADI Customer Service Department, 30151 Tomas, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-2125 USA.

Twenty-one years ago, Project AWARE began as the PADI organization’s commitment to preserving and protecting the underwater world for future generations. In 1992, the PADI organization recognized that there was much more work to be done to protect treasured underwater environments and divers were interested in

Tribal Thinking and New Beginnings

approaches to its mission. We will hear about these early next year. Beyond AWARE, though, all of us in diving need a new beginning in our roles in preserv-ing the world’s ecosystems. Like outdoor enthusiasts of all types, divers see what’s happening. We know the threat is real, and we know that the world’s dwindling pristine environments are worth saving.

That’s where you – the PADI Instruc-tor, Assistant Instructor, Divemaster, Dive Center or Resort Manager – come in. You are a tribal leader. Sociologists define a tribe as a group of people who are connected to each other, connected to a leader and connected to an idea. It only takes two people and a shared inter-est to make a tribe. Your dive operation’s culture is a tribe, as are dive clubs and the PADI family itself.

The power of a tribe goes well beyond simple word-of-mouth. Tribes grow because when people care about an idea, cause or activity, they recruit others, who become part of the tribe. Tribes are not new, obviously, but the power of the inter-net means that today, they can expand globally and rapidly.

The mission of everyone in the PADI family is to use our “tribal influence” to mobilize the world’s divers as a global force unified in protecting the oceans. As the leader of your local dive group, you have a voice and influence in getting divers active in protecting the underwater world.

Involve your tribe in a consistent stream of information and events (tribes thrive on knowledge and activity) that involve diving and underwater con-servation – seminars, cleanups, events, petitions, awareness campaigns – you name it. It’s not hard to recruit and involve divers, provided:

You care.• Caring about the future of the oceans is central to this tribal movement. When you recruit peo-ple, they first look to see if you really care.You’re optimistic and you believe.• It’s not enough to care. If you don’t believe a positive future is possible and believe that we can attain it, you won’t act.You’re passionate.• Passion is energy, action and enthusiasm fueled by your care, optimism and belief. We all exhibit passion differently – you don’t have to be over-the-top fren-zied. But, you can’t spread passion you don’t have or that you hide.You’re not afraid to fail.• Guess what – not everyone will care. Some of your projects or ideas won’t pan out. But, that’s not important. Perfec-tion isn’t required to make a difference. Thank goodness for that, consider-ing that none of us is perfect.

I doubt that in 1943, when Jacques Cousteau test dived the first open circuit scuba, that he foresaw an era in which divers would be at the forefront, with other outdoor conservationists, of sav-ing the world. Yet 70 years later, that’s exactly where we are, because saving the oceans isn’t simply about having cool places to dive. It’s about having a planet that supports life.

Good luck and good diving,

Drew Richardson, Ed.D.Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Guam[1] On a recent visit to Guam, PADI Worldwide President and COO, Drew

Richardson visited PADI Five Star Dive Resort Gently Blue Dive Center, and

met with owner Akiyoshi Matsumoto (to the right of Richardson) and staff

to discuss the Japanese dive market. [2] Richardson also joined the staff

at PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Micronesian Divers Asso-

ciation (MDA) along with local marine biology students for a lesson on the

benefits of Marine Protected Areas. The students dived a nonprotected

area in the morning and followed it up with an afternoon dive in a marine

protected area, then compared notes. [3] Later, during MDA’s 20th annual

awards banquet, Jim Miller, General Manager, accepted a 30-year member-

ship award from Richardson on behalf of MDA. [4] Celebrating 20 years

as a PADI Member, Richardson presented PADI Five Star Instructor Devel-

opment Center Guam Tropical Dive Station owner and operator, Yasuhiro

Maeda, with an award.

Florida, USA[5] Shown here [L-R]: PADI Americas Vice President, Training and Customer

Service, James Morgan, PADI Americas Regional Manager Mike Kurczewski,

PADI Course Director Joe Angelo, Richardson and PADI Course Director

Georgia Hausserman after diving on the Duane and Molasses Reef, Key Largo,

Florida, USA, with PADI Five Star Dive Center Ocean Divers. [6] Deptherapy

is a foundation founded by PADI Member Fraser Bathgate and is dedicated

to introducing wounded troops to scuba diving. Richardson, Kurczewski and

Morgan had the opportunity to meet several of the wounded warriors. Shown

here [L-R]: Richardson and Bathgate.th

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becoming more involved. So, Project AWARE Foundation was established as a registered nonprofit organization. Since then, Project AWARE has led and sup-ported conservation education, research, activities and advocacy that have helped conserve the underwater environments around the world.

Project AWARE has given the PADI family and divers a voice before govern-ments around the world, speaking up for responsible resource management, edu-cating divers and the public on aquatic issues, addressing marine debris, support-ing research and grassroots initiatives and nurturing young people’s interest in aquatic ecosystems. With your sup-port, Project AWARE has accomplished a great deal.

But things have changed in 20 years, and Project AWARE has, too. As I write this, Project AWARE Foundation lead-ership is developing new strategies and

deSKe d i T o r ’ S

6 T h e u N d e r S e a j o u r N a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0 7 T h e u N d e r S e a j o u r N a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

editorial

Drew Richardson Ed.D.publisher & editor-in-chief Theresa Kaplan production directorTodd Menzel, MEM managing editorKarl Shreeves, MA education & technical editorJulie Taylor Sanders training editorKristin Valette, MBA marketing & communications editor Jenny Miller Garmendia, MA environment editorAjá Renée Smith, MFA editorial assistant

staff contributors Lori Bachelor-Smith, Ania Budziak, Terry Cummins, Al Hornsby, Adrianne Miller, Julie Taylor Sanders, Jo Walters, Bob Wohlersspecial correspondentsDaryl Carson, Ethan Gordon, Joanne Marston, Neal W. Pollock, Myfanwy Rowlands, Dominic Ziegler international advisorsMark Caney, PADI International Ltd.; Terry Cummins, PADI Worldwide; Randy Giles, PADI Canada; Colin Melrose, PADI Asia Pacific; Takayuki Miyashita, PADI Worldwide; Jean-Claude Monachon, PADI Europe; Tatsuo Nakano, PADI Japan; Douglas Nash, PADI International Ltd.; Henrik Nimb, PADI Asia Pacific; Hans “Olle” Olsson, PADI Nordic; Trond Skaare, PADI Nordic; Jean-Michel Cousteau, Joseph MacInnis, MD; Michael R. Powell PhD

contract publishing publishingJeff Mondle advertising director/ associate publisher

editorialTy Sawyer editorial directorPatricia Wuest managing editor

artMonica Alberta designerPaul Love photo editor

production Jeff Cassell group production directorKelly Kramer Weekley production manager

Address all editorial inquiries to: Todd Menzel: [email protected]

Address all advertising inquiries to: Jeff Mondle; [email protected]; Tel: 760-433-5141

Policies and Submission Information:The Undersea Journal is the of ficial magazine of the PROFES-SIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DIVING INSTRUCTORS® (PADI). Published quarterly by PADI, The Undersea Journal presents information and ideas of value to PADI’s worldwide membership, including recreational diver training and education, retail business and education, the marine environment, hyperbaric science, dive safety and health, and industry and association news.

Views expressed do not necessarily ref lect the policies or recom-mendations of PADI or its employees. The publication of an article or advertisement does not necessarily constitute product or service endorsement by PADI. Throughout this publication trademarks may be used. We have not printed a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademark. We have used the marks only in a jour-nalistic fashion without af fecting trademark rights. Article and photograph submissions are welcomed. Articles must be submitted electronically, either on a disk or via email. All unsolicited contri-butions are on speculation only, and we assume no responsibility for loss or damage thereto, nor are we able to return unsolicited materi-als. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, The Undersea Journal and PADI obtain all rights, including electronic rights, to solicited submissions. Neither PADI nor The Undersea Journal offers com-pensation for unsolicited materials. It is also agreed that PADI has the right to reproduce in whole or in part, either in print or elec-tronically, unsolicited material to The Undersea Journal. Except for news releases, product releases or by prior agreement, only origi-nal works are accepted; contributor certifies that submissions have not been published elsewhere nor submitted simultaneously to other publications. Any material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary to meet the requirements of this publication.

© PADI 2010. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Keeping PADI Professionals Informed, Inspired and Involved


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“Bull sharks have that classic shark look,” blogged Holly Beck, professional surfer and avid diver. “Close your eyes and imagine a fat, scary shark, and that’s a bull shark. I had several swim right at me, our eyes locked, and came within a cou-ple of feet to my face before turning to make another circle. I wasn’t scared. I did feel a few moments of adrenaline as my body reacted to the sight of a big preda-tor headed straight at me, but it was fleeting.”

The Drop Zone: Fiji picked up where The Drop Zone: Tahiti left off. PADI, Body Glove, TransWorld Surf and Sport Diver magazine took a bunch of pro surf-ers and now devoted divers, including Holly Beck, Alex Gray, Cheyne Mag-nusson, Bebe Durbidge and Maria Del Mar Gonzalez, along with some cameras to document the action and adventure, and let them loose on the waves of Ta-varua — including the famous Cloud

Break, and on the denizens of Fiji’s un-derwater scene. The sharks of Beqa left as big an impression as the waves.

In the words of Alex Gray, “I had the craziest dive of my life today with nurse, lemon and bull sharks. The feeding sta-tion underwater was like being in the nucleus of a mosh pit.”

As the dive world seeks new ways to expand the dive tribe, these collective organizations are putting their support

behind The Drop Zone series because it lets the world – especially kids looking to get involved and branded in action sports – know that scuba diving is cer-tainly not the exclusive bastion of the older crowd. But even the older crowd was young once and remembers the thrill of diving and exploring beneath the waves for the first time. The Drop Zone crystallizes that feeling for the ac-tion-sports-crazed youth of today, and is

The Drop Zone: FijiThe Drop Zone crew kicks it up a notchBy Ty sawyer

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liFeP a D i

Alex Gray, a pro surfer from Lahaina,

Hawaii, USA, flies over a reef.

[L to R]: Maria Del Mar Gonzalez, Holly

Beck, Cheyne Magnusson and Alex Gray.

The group came face to face with

bull, nurse and white-tip sharks.

a great idea generator for anyone looking to find new ways to connect with tomor-row’s divers.

Of course, anything Body Glove is involved with means surf, too. The Meis-trell brothers, Bob and Bill, who founded their iconic Hermosa Beach, California, USA store, Dive & Surf, as well as the surf brand, Body Glove, practically pat-ented the below and above water connec-tion. And The Drop Zone: Fiji not only put these surfer/divers on some of the most famous descents in Fiji, but also the most famous — and dangerous — waves in the world, including Cloud Break, off

the small Fijian island of Tavarua.Tavarua came at the end of the trip,

and for these scuba diving surfers, it was like the cherry on the trip. “So we survived the shark dive and now we are headed to Cloud Break for our final surf of the trip. The heavens parted and the winds turned offshore and the waves started pumping! I got more sunburned than I have since living in Hawaii and it feels great. We all got tubed and slapped some high fives and it was a great trip ender. I’m super stoked and somewhat tipsy at the moment.”

PADI and Body Glove have developed an innovative program to inspire the next wave of divers, and you can check it out at dropzonedivein.com. And as Drew Richardson, President and Chief Operating Officer, PADI Worldwide, notes, “As the industry introduces a younger audience to the adventure and extreme thrill of breathing underwater, it will also align a generation following the Baby Boomers that is ready and will-ing to dive in.” To get inspired — and stoked — don’t miss the world premier of The Drop Zone: Fiji at DEMA Show 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The heavens parted and the winds turned offshore and the waves started

pumping! I got more sunburned than I have

since living in Hawaii and it feels great.”

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The Drop Zone crew meet some

local young people.

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P a D i l i F e DroP Zone: Fiji

The Drop Zone aims to show younger

thrill seekers the fun side of diving.

Maria Del Mar Gonzalez surfs the

legendary site Cloud Break.

There’s always something being unveiled on the mar-ket to introduce to your customers — whether it’s the latest fun, new toy or the most advanced technology in life-saving equipment. Here are six new products from Aqua Lung, Bonica, Ocean Reef, Olympus, Seal-ife and Sherwood that are definitely worth checking out — for you and your customers.

1 Bonica JVc HD HM550 JVC delivers an excellent price to perfor-mance ratio in their HM550 flash video camera. Capable of full 1080p video and 9.3 megapixel stills, it has 32 MB internal memory and an SD/SDHC card slot for additional storage. Bonica’s polymer hous-ing will take it to depths of 40 metres/131 feet and is ultra compact and is easily matched with the G8V15 video light.

2 SeaLife Dc1200 eLiteThis point-and-shoot camera is designed for underwater use from the ground up, including a unique system for accessing camera controls through the housing. Large “piano key” buttons are easily reached while a command lever at the base of the shutter button allows zooming and scrolling through the camera’s menu. cooL featUReS: 12 megapixel quality for stills » four underwater shooting modes » Elite package comes with Digital Pro Flash and wide-angle lens » accepts SD/SDHc memory cards » Lightweight travel case.WHY it’S Hot: A great system for new shooters, or those who want great images with the fewest possible distractions.sealife-cameras.com

3 SHeRWooD BRUt RegULatoRLegendary for its toughness, the Brut has been revamped to deliver greater comfort and performance without sacrificing any of its durability. A new first stage and a re-shaped second stage both contribute to easier breathing in all conditions. cooL featUReS: Balanced piston first stage for consistent performance » Sealed first stage better in cold water » Large diaphragm and exhaust valves ease work of breathing » full set of four LP and two HP portsWHY it’S Hot: Because as much as you want to take care of your gear, it’s good to know your regulator will do its job even if you forget to do yours. sherwoodscuba.com

4 ocean Reef nePtUne SPace DiVeRS MaSkThis full face mask and wireless under-water communication system is tailored for recreational use. A patented strap sys-tem and unique silicone skirt provide a light, comfortable seal while the low-profile communications unit allows for one- or two-way push-to-talk capability with other divers on the surface at dis-tances up to 250 metres/820 feet.cooL featUReS: Balanced integrated

The latest in new Gearinvest in the most advanced tools on the marketBy Daryl Carson

cooL featUReS: Advanced image sta-bilization » Super Lolux feature makes it ideal for diving’s low-light conditions » G8V15 video light pumps out 1500 lumens of light and is adjustable down to 10 per-cent brightness » Video light powered by eight aa ni-MH rechargeable batteries.WHY it’S Hot: Excellent HD quality at a price that shouldn’t break the bank.bonicadive.com

second stage regulator with inhalation adjustment » the air circulation system helps eliminate fogging and co and co2 buildup » 3-D Equalization System can be tailored to different nose shapes for easy ear-clearing » optional surface air valve allows divers to save breathing gasWHY it’S Hot: Whether leading a tour or working with student divers, the ability to communicate (and do it in comfort) maxi-mizes bottom time. oceanreefgroup.com

5 ULcS acceSSoRieS foR tHe oLYMPUS PenThe hot new EPL-1 puts high-end DSLR

technology in a compact camera body that feels more like a point-and-shoot. Swap lenses, record HD video and get the same 12.3 megapixel quality found in the Olympus E-series machines. Paired with an Olympus housing and tray and strobe arms from Ultralight Control Sys-tems, the system is compact and easy to manage in the water.cooL featUReS: New direct movie but-ton for instant HD video recording » 19 shooting modes » Housing rated to 55 metres/180 feet » ULcS tray and arms are aircraft-grade aluminum for strength and to reduce weightWHY it’S Hot: Compact, powerful and

highly portable, this system switches from high-end stills to HD video faster than your strobes can recycle. ulcs.com

6 aqUa LUng HotSHot finSThis compact new blade redefines the travel fin. Powerful enough for diving, these new fins are still less than 53 centimetres/21 inches long and fit inside a carry-on bag. It also has a new open-heel foot pocket that can be worn without booties.cooL featUReS: Silicone Power Bands provide maximum thrust on every kick and have a Twin-Speed Gear Shift for adjust-ments » Mid-foot flex Joint improves blade efficiency and reduces leg strain » Elastomer Comfo-Strap stretches to fit and eliminates the need for bulky buckles.WHY it’S Hot: Finally, a fin with enough muscle for diving that doesn’t have to be checked at the airline ticket counter. aqualung.com

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P a D i l i F e hoT new Gear

Welcome new PaDi international Resort and Retailer associations MembersCongratulations to these dive centers and resorts for becoming PADI International Resort and Retailer Associations members in the second quarter of 2010. Welcome to the PADI family. For a complete list of new members, visit the PADI Pros’ Site.

store name location1.Dive ishikawa, japanabenteuer & wassersport Plau am see, germanyadventure Dive shop negros oriental, Philippinesakvalang novosibirsk, russiaalfa-Dive egmond, netherlandsancient Blue Diving club Hiroshima, japanaqua Marine st Thomas st. Thomas, virgin islands, united statesaqua systems Mississauga, ontario, canadaaquatic frontier songton, south Koreaass. club amphibious Porto sant’elpidio, italyatlantis Diving center sithonia, Halkidiki, greeceazmi Dive centre sdn Bhd johor Darul Takzim, Malaysiaazurtekdive roussay, franceBel remaitha Diving club Dubai, united arab emiratesBlack Bottle Diving surat Thani, ThailandBlu infinito Diving center san Teodoro, italyBlue lagoon Beach resort yasawa group, fiji islandsBlue lagoon Diving centre causeway Bay, Hong KongBlue reef scuba llp singaporeBorneo speedy Dive & Tour sdn Bhd semporna, sabah, MalaysiaBucea en Marbella Marbella, spainBuceo agua castro urdiales, spaincalvi Plongee(2b) calvi, francecap camarat Plongee ramatuelle, francecapo skino Diving center gioiosa Marea, italycentro sub faenza faenza, italychina Dive resort Hainan, chinacoiba Dive expeditions Panama city, Panamacorfu Dive club Kerkyra, corfu, greececrouesty Dive center arzon, franceDcp-Dive center Paradise e.k. Muenchen, germanyDetay Diving centre fethiye, TurkeyDeuce Diving s’gravendeel, netherlandsDive in sports el Quesir, red sea, egyptDive rutland ashwell, rutland, england, great BritainDivexpress Heinkenszand, netherlandsDiving & resort nettuno Massa lubrense (na), italyDiving Bayrisch Muenchen, germanyDiving careers airlie Beach, Queensland, australiaDiving center saracen vulcano, italyDiving college Tartaruga osaka, japanDiving Matrix st. julians, MaltaDiving Plaza sydney, new south wales, australiaDiving stones Benidorm, spainDsm lombok Desa Krandangan, indonesiaeasy Divers singaraja, Bali, indonesia

eko-asia Pacific Holdings Pte ltd singaporeelysub asd anzio (roma), italyenjoy Diving sealand Brouwershaven, netherlandsevergreen Dive service everett, washington, united statesexplorasub-jean Marc frere cargese, franceextreme Marine scuba falmouth Harbour, antigua and Barbudafish island crew Tokyo, japanfocasub s.l. Madrid, spainfrontier scuba center Manhattan, Kansas, united statesfun & sun Development corp. Daanbantayan, cebu, Philippinesgili Divers lombok, indonesiaglobal Divers Bavaro, Dominican republicgo Dive sharm el sheikh, egyptgo Dive scuba Brantford, ontario, canadagulf Diver group jeddah, saudi arabiaH2o Diving center Palamos, spainHawaii nautical Kapolei, Hawaii, united statesil grande Blu santa Margherita ligure (ge), italyimpian & garden Dive resort Koh Tao, Thailandindepth watersports grand cayman, cayman islandsindia scuba explorers andaman & nicobar islands, indiajc scuba swindon, wiltshire, england, great Britainjust add water sports Hadfield, Derbyshire, england, great BritainKamala Dive center co, ltd Phuket, ThailandKawanua Divers north sulawesi, indonesiaKembali Diving ltd Pissouri, cypruslambert D.o.o. rabac, croatiale Beaba De la Plongee courbevoie, francele Plongeur subaquatique coteau-Du-lac, Quebec, canadale vieux Plongeur-aquadomia Marseille, franceles Marins Plongeurs romanel sur Morges, switzerlandlet’s Dive Bochum Bochum, germanylorenzo sub Mantova, italyM.g.h spicheren, franceMacKerel islands Pty ltd onslow, western australia, australiaMarea okinawa ginowan okinawa, japanMarine servise famille okinawa, japanMarlin lodge Benguerua island, MozambiqueMaties underwater club stellenbosch, south africaMayan Triangle Bali, indonesiaMic21 shinjyukuminamiguchi Tokyo, japanMike rapu Diving center isla De Pascia, chileMilano in Blu giussano, italyMistral-yamal Muravlenko, yamalo-nenetskiy a o, russianakagi Marine center shizyoka, japannakia resort & Dive Taveuni, fiji islandsnautica Hvar-nerejida starigrad, croatia

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New PADI International Resort and Retailer Associations members from 1 April to 30 June 2010

nemo Dive center aqaba, jordanno limits watersports & Dive centre Kastro ilias, greecenorthern Michigan Dive center cheboygan, Michigan, united statesoceandive Karaganda, Kazakhstanocean-Pro Dive Team Helengeli north Male atoll, Maldivesocean-Pro Dive Team lily Beach south ari atoll, Maldivesocean-Pro Dive Team Mirihi south ari atoll, Maldivesocean-Pro Dive Team veligandu rasdhoo atoll, Maldivesoceans 5 lombok, indonesiaodyssee chartres, francePacific islands university Mangilao, gu, united statesPalmes Beach Menton, francePlanet nomadas sanur, Bali, indonesiaPlongeurs Du Monde Tours, franceProgetto sub 2 vieste (fg), italyProline Diving Dortmund, germanyPunta Planka Diving razanj, croatiareef To see-adventure cook islands rarotonga, cook islandsrichmond Dive and Travel richmond, virginia, united statesrussian club Moscow, russiasaipan Dive academy saipan, MP, united statessako Diving adeje, Tenerife, canary islandssan Diego scuba center Bonita, california, united statessandals emerald Bay farmers Hill, exuma, Bahamasscuba & sail adventures reggio emilia, italyscuba 0.76 Das, spainscuba adventures rutherford college, north carolina, united statesscuba north Traverse city, Michigan, united statesscuba Point Palau, italyscuba rak imc ras al Khaimah, united arab emiratesscuba surface repentigny, Quebec, canadascubaxcursion scottburgh, south africasea Pro-s.a. Punta cana, Dominican republicseapark Diving inc. Malay, aklan, Philippinesseguin’s scuba center albany, new york, united statessky Blue scuba Diving fu Zhou city, chinasunrise reef Divers Panglao island, PhilippinesTauchperle Percha Bei starnberg, germanyTauchschule Dive world stockenboi, austriaTauchschule neptun Diving wien, austriaTauchschule yachtdiver weissensee weissensee, austriaTech Diving Team isthmia, Korinthos, greeceTimeout scuba cresta, randburg, gauteng, south africaTranquility Bay resort ambergris caye, BelizeTranquilseas roatan, Hondurasunder Hundred san vito lo capo (Tp), italyundersea adventures Kennewick, washington, united statesus water rescue Billings, Montana, united statesvilla Diving fun island south Male atoll, Maldivesvilla Diving sun island south ari atoll, Maldiveswater sport Diving club Tortona (al), italywatercolours Dive school sliema sliema, Malta


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“Tribes that work better when they’re big-ger get bigger.” This quote from author Seth Godin’s book, Tribes, could have been written with the tribe of Microne-sian Divers Association (MDA) in mind. With a high transient rate due to the two United States military bases located on the island, you wouldn’t expect Guam to be a place where a large, highly active dive club would thrive; nor would you expect the temporary residents to rally around any local causes. And yet, in spite of mili-tary personnel comings and goings, MDA has created a following thousands of div-

ers strong – and growing – that repeatedly comes together to protect Guam’s reefs.

The key to any tribe’s success lies in leadership and MDA’s general manager, Jim Miller, leads with passion. Miller’s personal passion is aquatic preserva-tion, and he and his tribe are working to ensure it is there for future generations. Earlier this year, the Guam Chamber of Commerce and Project AWARE Founda-

tion recognized the MDA tribe for their efforts in removing more than 1900 kilo-grams/4100 pounds of trash from the Manengon River. In June 2010, MDA divers joined together again to raise more than $2200 US in funds for Proj-ect AWARE Foundation during their 20th annual Underwater Treasure Hunt and Awards Party. Good, clean fun seems to simply be a part of the MDA culture – just visit the company’s Facebook group and you’ll count eight environmental efforts in the past six months.

Is all this clean living good for business? Miller knows it is. Not only does it keep divers diving, he says, “The MDA cleanup crew has grown to include nondivers, many of which are now taking up snorkeling and diving. While MDA is accomplish-ing their primary goal of improving the health of Guam’s reefs and raising com-munity awareness, the company has also increased their customer base.”

More than 200 MDA customers attended the Project AWARE fundraiser in June – many of whom first visited the dive center to purchase or rent equip-ment. Making the environment a priority means MDA can provide a constant flow of activities to attract and retain custom-ers. This is one of the secrets to MDA’s business success, with the aquatic envi-ronment being the true benefactor.

mDa’s Tribe makes Clean living Good Business By THeresa Kaplan


P a D i l i F e leaDershiP

MDA’s tribe is made up of divers of all ages.

Strong, passionate leadership is the key to its

success.

During the company’s annual treasure hunt and

fundraiser, hundreds of divers came together to

have fun and support the environment.

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three decades, many thousands of div-ers enjoyed camaraderie, friendship and safe, exciting diving in the hands of this extremely capable dive boat captain and divemaster.

National Geographic photographer David Doubilet and Hall of Fame Aus-tralian Naturalist Neville Coleman also have fond memories of discovering Lord Howe Island with Deacon’s assistance.

Deacon was a dive industry profes-sional who led by example. He created, then lived, the dive dream. He will be missed by all who knew him.

wes skiles1958-2010I picked the worst thing on the planet to love,” photographer Wes Skiles told the Orlando Sentinel in 2007, referring to Florida’s caverns, “the deathly hollows of narrow underwater spaces where my friends go to die.”

The Jacksonville boy who spun a leg-endary career from his teenage love of those caverns went out at the top of his game: His work on Bahamas Blue Holes was featured on the cover and inside National Geographic’s August issue,

which hit newsstands within days of his death in July while diving off Boynton Beach, Florida, on a National Geographic project. At the time of this writing, the cause of death was still unknown.

For the last several years, Skiles made preservation of Florida’s underground freshwater systems his focus, making pre-sentations across the state.

“Wes showed us that the springs are the canaries in the coal mine, showing us how we are damaging our natural resources,” Annie Pais, a Gainesville art-ist who worked with Skiles on the Florida Springs Task Force, told the Gainesville Sun after his death.

His family has asked that memorial donations be made to Alachua Conserva-tion Trust, which protects the areas he loved best, at alachuaconservationtrust.org.

alfred alton Franklin, jr.15 December 1947 - 10 May 2010The PADI Family expresses condolences to the family and friends of Al A. Frank-lin from Sarasota, Florida, USA.

Franklin was raised in a small rural town outside of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Growing up, he had many accomplish-ments such as becoming an Eagle Scout, graduating from Georgia Military Acad-emy (now called Woodward Academy) and winning the state championship while on the swim team. Franklin received a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiol-ogy from the University of Georgia and Masters Degree with honors from the Uni-versity of South Florida in microbiology. Franklin was very studious and dedicated, which paid off as he won research hon-ors and awards and published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as fea-tures in diving publications.

Also a family man, in 1971 Franklin married Melodie Ann Gaffney of Tampa, Florida, USA, and one year later they had a son, Alfred Alton Franklin, III, born 20 January 1972. He is now a PADI Master Instructor.

When it came to the water, Franklin excelled. He was a member of the East Atlanta Freedivers club. He was the Grand Champion for several years in the South-eastern Council of Skin-diving Clubs competitions. He was a PADI Instruc-tor, cave diver and a certified PSI cylinder inspector.

It is without a doubt that Franklin will be greatly missed by a host of family and friends.

melvin “mel” F. jones10 april 1964 – 14 May 2010It is with deep sadness that the PADI family announces the passing of PADI Divemaster Melvin “Mel” F. Jones from Ellenburg Depot, New York, USA, on 14 May 2010. He was 46.

Jones was born in Plattsburgh, New York, USA. Upon graduating from Platts-burgh High School in 1982, Jones served

in the United States Navy and later grad-uated from Clinton Community College with a degree in nursing. Jones worked for the New York State Department of Cor-rection as a registered nurse at Upstate Correctional Facility, Clinton Correctional Facility and Altona Correctional Facility.

Jones had passion for diving, which he shared with his brother Archie Jones, Jr. He was scheduled to complete his Instructor Development Course (IDC) this year and had plans to open A & M Dive Education Center in his hometown with his brother (Archie). PADI Course Director Rich Morin conducted the IDC

course that Jones and his brother planned to attend together. Archie Jones, Jr. did attend and successfully completed his IDC to keep his brother’s dream alive.

Jones is survived by two brothers, Archie Jones, Jr., and his wife Charlotte of Ellenburg Depot and Joseph Jones; and two nieces, Jennifer and Charlotte A. Jones; and nephew, George Jones; and four grandnieces and nephews. Jones will be sorely missed by all.

jeff Deacon29 october 1949 – 10 May 2010PADI Divemaster Jeff Deacon was a rec-reational diving pioneer in Australia and, together with his brother, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Kevin Deacon, was

instrumental in establishing and operating dive expedi-tions, dive tours, dive centers and

dive resorts throughout Australia and the South Pacific. Among his accomplish-ments were organizing projects for other notable pioneers, including Jean Michel Cousteau. Cousteau considered Deacon a valuable team member and a dear friend.

Deacon’s career led him to Australia’s Lord Howe Island as the operator of Pro Dive Lord Howe Island. Over the past


P a D i l i F e in memoriam

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must-have Treatise on women in Diving and aerospacean authoritative compendium is publishedKarl sHreeves

Although once seen as a “male” sport, women have been part of diving since its inception. PADI certification data and National Sporting Goods Association sur-veys show that just over one-third of divers are female, with the proportion on a gradual, steady growth curve since the early 1990s. During this time, questions have come up regarding what differences, if any, women have as divers compared to men due to physiological and psychological differences. Over the years, different data, theories and hypotheses have been proffered, but there has never been an authoritative compen-dium on these issues.

Best Publishing in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, filled this gap with the release of Women and Pressure: Diving and Altitude. Edited by Caroline E. Fife, MD, presently with the University of Texas Health Sci-ence Center, Houston, Texas, USA, and Marguerite St. Leger Dowse, presently with the Diving Diseases Research Center (DDRC) in Plymouth, England, Women and Pressure brings together the expertise of 35 authors from the worlds of diving and aerospace. In addition to Fife and St. Leger Dowse, contributors included

Dr. Drew Richardson, PADI President and COO, who authored the chapter on women in recreational diving.

Divided into 27 chapters covering three primary topics – decompression ill-ness, human factors and the workplace

– Women and Pressure examines issues such as the differences in DCI risk, the design of dive gear, dive accident data and the roles of women as professionals under-water (military, commercial and science) and in aerospace. Topics include health and safety standards and legal issues that apply to females as employees in diving or aerospace, as well as individual case stud-ies of key women divers, combat pilots and astronauts. This is perhaps the only work in existence that, in one place, provides physicians, physiologists and other inter-ested dive and aerospace professionals with what’s broadly known about the subject of women in diving or aerospace. For more information, visit bestpub.com.

Interesting Bits from women in Diving

are women at greater risk of DCI? The data vary, but most con-tributors writing about this topic conclude that if there is a risk differ-ence between males and females, it is not significant or is overshadowed by other individual variables that affect risk. However, there are issues worth examining.

Does the menstrual cycle affect DCI risk? a case can be made for advising caution early in the men-strual cycle, but the data are not firm.

Data sets show that women are proportionately represented in non-fatal dive accidents, but under-represented in fatal acci-dents. in the Dan data cited, there were no female cave or ice diving fatalities – only male.

There are still few hard data on the risk of diving to a fetus. Physi-cians remain cautious due to the lack of empirical testing, although jap-anese ama divers continue to work (breath-hold diving) while pregnant.

women make up a greater pro-portion of recreational diver certifications in asian countries. in most of the world, females account for approximately one-third of recre-ational divers. in asian countries, the proportion is just over 40 percent.

a lower proportion of women choose to enter the professional levels of recreational diving. among PaDi Members worldwide, approximately 20 percent are female. also, male instructors certify propor-tionately more divers.

ContributorsPeter atkeyMichael Bennett, MD, cert DHM (anZca), fanZcanoemi Bitterman, DScc, MScSteven D. Brown, MDtamara BrownMaide cimsit, MDDr. eugenie clarkJohnny conkin, PhDBrian cummingBobby J. Delise, BS, JD, LLMMarguerite St. Leger DowseDr. Sylvia earlenigel eatonglen H. egstrom, PhDcaroline e fife, MDWilliam P. fife, PhD (posthumously)Dottie frazierMartha Watkins gilkeskarl e. Hugginstatsuya ishitakekiyotaka kohshi, MD, PhDJohn Leach, PhD, MSc, BScVivienne Lee, PhDBasil Long, DVMYoshihiro ManoSimon Mitchell, MB, chB, PhD, cert DHM (anZca), fanZcaDave Moranconnie Lynn MorganMarshall L. nuckols, PhD, PeZale Parrycemal Pulak, PhDDrew Richardson, BSc, MBa, PhDBobbie Scholley, cmdr, USn (ret)Steffie SchwabePaul J. Sheffield, PhD, casP, cHt, faSMa, col. USaf, BSc (ret)Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn- Piper, capt. USnHideki tamakiMaida Beth taylor, MD, MPH, facogMerryl tengesdal, Major USafDonna Uguccioniashley Van Meter, BS, JDRichard D. Vann, PhDHillary Viders, PhDWilbur t. Workmannobuo Yamami

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P a D i l i F e owu scholarshiP winner

Each year, the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Soci-ety (OWUSS) awards three Rolex Scholarships to young people who are pursuing a career in an underwater-related discipline. Each scholar recipient spends a year working alongside current leaders in underwater fields. The 2009 North American Scholar, Myfanwy Rowlands, reports on her yearlong experience.

The Best opportunity in the world

The first thing you should know about me is that as the 2009 North American Rolex Scholar, I’m old news. The 2010 Scholar, Joshua Stewart, is off and run-ning, and I encourage you to follow his blog at owussnorthamerica.org. The sec-ond thing you should know about me is that when the Queensland Tourism Board advertised for the Island Caretaker

By myfanwy rowlanDs

The rolex scholarships (there are three: north america, europe and

australasia) are something special in the dive world. I might be old news – but

thanks to the scholarship, I’m working hard on my

next edition.

with tiger sharks in South Africa taught me confidence; getting paired with experts in underwater fields worldwide taught me humility. Presented with numerous exam-ples, I learned what it means to be a good host and mentor. When tagging striped bass in New England, USA alongside fish-ermen who have seen fishing economies built and destroyed in their lifetimes, I learned history and understood the stakes

when it comes to balancing conservation and livelihood. In an age when young people are harder and harder to impress, I found myself astounded time and again at what my elders in the dive world had to show and teach me. The Rolex Schol-arships (there are three: North America, Europe and Australasia) are something special in the dive world. I might be old news – but thanks to the Scholarship, I’m working hard on my next edition. Frankly, the “Best Job in the World” didn’t stand a chance.

Application deadlines are rapidly approach-ing for 2011. To find out more about the OWUSS, visit www.owuscholarship.org.

job in January 2009 (a.k.a. “The Best Job in the World,”), about 30 of my friends and family sent me the link to apply. I had a reputation for flitting around the world scuba diving at this point; I guess they all just figured the next logical step would be for me to actually get paid for it. I didn’t apply for that job, but I did apply for and was awarded the North American Rolex Scholarship of the Our World-Underwater Society, which is equivalent to winning the lottery for a person with as many bubbles on the brain as I have. I spent a year traveling the world as a sponsored scuba diver and pursuing my passions: marine biology, scuba diving, conservation and photography.

Practically speaking, the scholarship pre-pared me beautifully for a career in marine biology and scientific diving. I now have my rebreather certification, am a PADI Instructor and have enough underwater field experience to rival a Ph.D. candidate. But putting all the professional advantages aside, consider what a year like the one I had does for a young person. I acquired financial responsibility because I had to budget and plan my entire year. Diving

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Bonus coverage on the web Did you know?

Large Antarctic icebergs help foster •marine growth?Tiny crabs defend coral against star-•fish attacks?Scientists are mapping the genetic •codes of some tropical species?

Find out how scuba diving technology is helping scientists answer these ques-tions and more with a summary of the Research and Discoveries: The Revolution of Science through Scuba symposium sponsored by the National Science Foun-dation and hosted by the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washing-ton, DC, USA. Go to the PADI Pros’ Site and look for The Undersea Journal Bonus Coverage to read more.

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Here’s a quick synopsis on what’s new and what’s coming in the fourth quarter of 2010.

new PaDi elearning® Programs and seminars to Grow By By lorI BaCHelor smITH

paDI rescue Diver online // launcheD // Prepare your PADI Advanced Open Water Divers for their next step with Rescue Diver Online. Similar to PADI Open Water Diver Online, this new PADI eLearning® program covers knowledge development, including knowledge reviews and the final exam. PADI eLearners will show up with their completed eRecords, ready to take a short eLearning Quick Review and com-plete the inwater portion of the course. For detailed information about this new knowledge option, refer to the Training Bulletin in this edi-tion of The Undersea Journal.

paDI Divemaster Course online// launch DaTe: 4Q 2010 // As part of a complete PADI Dive-master course revision, PADI Divemaster Online launches in late November as a knowledge development option for new dive-

master candidates. Similar to the Instructor Development Course Online, this PADI eLearning program covers most of the knowledge development for the course. Instructors will continue to conduct the first presentation

– The Role and Characteristics of a PADI Divemaster – and administer the final exams. For details about the entire divemas-ter course revision – including the online portion – refer to the Training Bulletin in this edition of The Undersea Journal.

Business Track mini-seminar series at Dema show 2010// launch DaTe: 4Q 2010 // The PADI miniseminar series at DEMA Show 2010 provides spe-cific tools and tactics you can use

to grow your business. There are three tracks specifically tailored to instructors, retailers and resorts that cover topics like maximizing PADI eLearning, risk man-agement, sales training, marketing and advertising. PADI Members can stick to a single track or attend all applica-ble seminars. For a complete list of each business track, refer to the DEMA Show section in this edition of The Undersea Journal. For complete details, visit the PADI Pros’ Site.

The Undersea Journal is available in digi-tal format. You’re able to enjoy immediate digital delivery and can archive every issue into a searchable digital collection for easy reference. The digital format also helps the environment by reducing paper and energy use. To request future issues of The Under-sea Journal digitally, visit the My Account section at the PADI Pros’ Site.

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The Deptherapy Foundation is a new charity that supports the Deptherapy program created by Fraser Bathgate, Adaptive Techniques Adviser for PADI International Lim-ited. The program assists injured and disabled peo-ple with their rehabilitation through diving.

PaDi lifenew foundation emerges for adaptive scuba

The immediate aim of the Deptherapy Foundation is to finance and organize reg-ular therapeutic trips to warm-water dive destinations for former servicemen and servicewomen with disabilities. The foun-dation is now raising funds to help badly injured and disabled war veterans from British armed forces. Currently, the pro-gram occurs semiannually in Key Largo, Florida, USA. The foundation hopes to run annually by 2011. It is essential that it take place in warm water because this has proven to supply the best results.

The foundation hopes to make the pro-gram permanent and regular and raise money so Bathgate can work with more dive instructors and make the program more widely available to British veterans in general.

Expert United States Armed Forces medical staff evaluated Deptherapy and provided a positive report. So far, sev-eral dozen American service personnel and a number of former British service-men have taken advantage of Bathgate’s Deptherapy program.

Eventually, the foundation hopes to expand the program globally to bene-fit people with disabilities and injuries everywhere. In addition, the foundation is in contact with various potential spon-sors, including PADI, Oceanic, Rotary International, Breitling and Virgin Atlantic. View the foundation’s interim website at www.deptherapy.co.uk for more information.

3

PhoToGraPher: jo allard, Master scuba Diver Trainer - # 498928where: shell Diving, Phuket, Thailandcamera: sony cybershot Dsc-n1

Master Scuba Diver Trainer Jo Allard took this excellent photo of a peacock mantis shrimp in the waters off Racha Yai Island, Thailand. She took the image with a Sony Cybershot DSC-N1, a clas-sic point-and-shoot camera, in a Sony Marine Pack housing. In its housing, this camera doesn’t allow many manual options. The photo was taken in a total automatic mode – auto exposure, white balance and focus.

You can learn two compelling photo tips from Allard’s image. First, be patient

Patience and Knowing your camera’s limitations can equal Great PhotosPhoto of the QuarterBy BoB woHlers, InsTruCTIonal DesIGn anD DevelopmenT exeCuTIve, paDI amerICas

when photographing marine creatures. Patience is any photographer’s best friend – especially if you take images of shy, but active marine creatures like a mantis shrimp. This type of bot-tom-dwelling creature will often initially recoil back into a lair or safety hole. Patience means calmly and quietly waiting for the crea-ture to reemerge. Breathe slowly (but never hold your breath) while maintain-ing neutral buoyancy and position your camera using your best guess as to how the creature will emerge. Obviously, Allard correctly felt that turning the camera vertically would render the most complete photo.

Second, learn your camera’s strengths and

limitations. Photographers, not cameras, take good images. In the right hands, any digital camera produced today can render superb images. Even a simple point-and-shoot camera like Allard’s can take stunning images if you know how to use it properly and practice regularly. Without fancy external strobes, Allard stayed shallow (10 metres/33 feet) to use ambient light and turn on the camera’s small internal flash to render a colorful, well-lighted image. Internal strobes work great in clear water for close-up images like this one. Since she can’t add fancy or expensive close-up lenses on her camera, she dialed in the camera’s macro mode so the camera would focus appropriately on smaller objects.

Want to see your photo published in the next issue of The Undersea Journal? Have a pressing question that you want to ask a photo pro? Contact Adrianne Miller at [email protected] with your images, photo tips or questions.


P a D i l i F e accessiBle scuBa P a D i l i F e PhoTo corner

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above and BeyondPaDi Professionals leave their mark on the community

remarkable Dedication — I recently took the Instructor Development Course (IDC) and Instructor Examination (IE) and became an Open Water Scuba Instructor. When I took the IDC, Mr. Jim Guido was my Course Director, and the IDC was co-taught/audited by Mr. Robert Frichtel, who has since become a Course Director.

Mr. Guido is a great instructor, as is Mr. Frichtel, and I thank them both for a great experience and excellent preparation for the IE. They committed to do what-ever was necessary to see that we were totally prepared for the IE, and they did. They told us that once passing their IDC, we would be completely prepared for the IE, and not to worry about it. Easier said than done! When I got to the IE, however, it was a breeze, just as they said it would be. I and my six co-students all passed the IE the first time around. We owe that to Mr. Guido and Mr. Frichtel.

Mr. Guido and Mr. Frichtel were a remarkable instruction team and I cannot say enough about either of them. I would like to specifically thank Mr. Frichtel and comment on his assistance, skills, and commitment to diving and his students in this letter. Robert has a natural talent for instruction, and remarkable diving skills. He seems to know intuitively how to analyze a struggling student’s problem and present the material/skill in a way that makes the information clearly under-standable. Additionally, his patience and enthusiasm are endless.

I was one of those struggling students, and had doubts whether I could pass the IDC or the IE. I attended all class and pool sessions, and in addition, Rob-ert made time for one on one sessions with me to resolve problems I was hav-ing. His commitment to his students goes far beyond preparing students to pass the next hurdle (i.e., IE), to mak-ing his students the best instructors they can become.

During the IDC, I also took the Master Scuba Diver Trainer program, and have since taken additional specialty courses from Robert. It was a whirlwind learn-ing experience from my perspective. In the process of taking these courses and

studying for the IE, there were a few fine points in some of the specialties I didn’t think I really got.

Robert holds a policy of open invita-tion to dive with him and learn from him. Since finishing the courses I had signed up for, I have dived with him on several occasions in hopes of fine-tuning certain weak points I felt I had. I have not been disappointed.

The door has always been open, even though I may not have been signed up in a formal course. I continue to dive with Robert and to learn from him, as do many of my IDC cohorts. He is truly a fount of diving information and a good friend.

How many people have this kind of selfless commitment to help another real-ize their aspirations? Robert is a credit to PADI, to the diving industry, and to the ranks of PADI Course Directors. It is peo-ple like Robert that make PADI the leader that it is. So again, I cannot say enough for Robert — I owe him much. — Jim Guido CD-161555 San Clemente, Califor-nia, USA, and Robert Frichtel CD-183548 Santa Ana, California, USA

Inspiring role model — Christine Loew (PADI # 944801) has been my instructor at Yucatek Divers, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and since then is one of my scuba diving mentors.

When I first started my divemaster course, I thought that it was going to be the ultimate point of my training. I had no intention of working in the industry, and was only seeking the title that might impress other divers. In no more than six weeks, she turned me into a profes-sional, seeking every single opportunity to improve my skills and attitude.

She did that by being a role model and by really investing herself in my train-ing. It wasn’t at all a student/instructor relationship, but definitely a mentor/apprentice one.

I became aware of security and safety, I understood the importance of follow-ing and complying to the standards and I trusted myself that nothing was more rewarding than the happy face of an alive diver. I am a recreational diver and a tec diver. I have already organized sev-


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eral scuba diving trips (on one of them I took 11 friends into Discover Scuba Div-ing). Before planning every dive, I hear [Loew’s] voice: “You have to know your limits!” and once in the water, it is still there. I dive my plan and make sure that those with whom I am diving also enjoy their dive with the maximum of security. Today, some people see me as a role model and a good buddy to dive with.

Under her influence, I built confidence but also invaluable skills that I don’t only

(IE) with the aim of becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

As I enter this new direction my thoughts go to her and how much she was a part of this very obvious journey I am now on. I still don’t know my lim-its, but I understand that safe diving is the limit. I have also that I have no limits in my desire to dive and share that with others.

Thank you, Christine, for everything.I note that PADI follows up on struc-

tured feedback and I trust that PADI has something in place to reward people and businesses who are exceptional, an enor-mous asset to PADI and the dive industry in general. — Christine Loew IDCS-944801, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

natural Teacher — Over the holi-days I had the good fortune to receive my knowledge development and con-fined water scuba training from trainer Don Johnson at Breezeway Bubbles in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. I am writ-ing you this note to let you know what a credit this trainer is the PADI System. Mr. Johnson took the time to drive the PADI learning materials over to me on a Sunday morning so I could get right to studying and fit into a class that he had scheduled for that week. His manner of instruction was one of clarity in speech and examples for the students. He took his time and made sure we were comfort-able with all the material before we went on to the next chapter. He took a real interest in our learning; it was apparent he enjoys his job as an instructor. In the pool he was understanding of the foibles of a beginner and did not rush anyone. He would slowly show us how to do it, and then calmly have each of us do the same. His manner calmed you and truly allowed you to be relaxed as you fum-bled through beginner jitters. I can not tell you how much that is appreciated by a beginner. It made me enjoy the sport even in the training. I have to tell you his pool instruction really prepared me for my open water dives. I was a referral to SeaSaba on the Isle of Saba in mid-Janu-ary. Not only did I feel very comfortable going through my open water testing with my instructor — in extremely rough seas I might add — but when I received my certification after my time with the Saba instructor I went on to do 10 dives, dives which I will remember forever. The

apply to my diving but to any activities I engage in, both in the water and also out-side of it. It soon became obvious I came with a small infatuation (I loved scuba diving) and I left with an obsession (I was addicted to scuba diving and willing to share that with others). A little bit more than a year and a half after we met, I am about to make another big step into the dive industry as I am about to start an Instructor Development Course (IDC) followed by an Instructor Examination



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thing that really surprised me was just how well prepared I was for the open water dives in the various conditions and at varying depths. Whether descending, ascending, swimming into a current, clearing my mask, adjusting my weight belt, or just cruising along the bottom, I was constantly going back in my head to what I learned and how I learned it. And it all came back to the instruction from Don Johnson at Breezeway Bubbles.

By comparison, I do have other trainer experiences by which I can make these comments. Four years ago I took the knowledge development, night classes and all the confined water time from another instructor. I was terribly dis-appointed in his approach to teaching, his sometimes snide remarks in the pool, and his seemingly cavalier “don’t worry about that you’ll figure it out or it’s not that important” comments and attitude. He had a very “devil may care” atti-tude about it all. After taking the entire course I showed up the night of the test, told him that I felt he rushed the course and did not seem to want to take the time to make sure we all understood certain topics, and that I would not be taking the exam. This experience soured me on pursuing diving until I gave it a go with Mr. Johnson.

So, there you have it. I thought you might appreciate knowing that you have a very capable instructor in Don John-son. I have already referred two people to him who want to take the courses over this next year.

And in my job I have the ability and desire to refer more. This is the type of instructor that represents PADI well.

I have to add that Sea Saba is one heck of an outfit. I have heard many stories of dive locales and the varying degrees of professionalism and safety concerns one can experience. SeaSaba was top flight all the way. From setting up your equipment for you between dives, all equipment being on the boat when you show up in the morning, to the uber-friendly and knowledgeable staff and instructors. This staff of instructors and crew took the time to make sure all were on the same page and made the beginners in the group comfortable and made sure we knew that they had our backs. And every morning as our van took the eight of us from our hotel to the boat, we would stop outside the Sea



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With a new host and a new lineup of destinations for Season Two, Into the Drink is shaping up to be the favor-ite dive travel television show in North America. By the end of Season One, Into the Drink – the dive and travel show that takes viewers off the beaten path to exotic destinations

– has been picked up by five channels and networks reaching anywhere from 25 to 60 million households on each channel. The growth and popularity of the show has rapidly spread on both television and online. Season Two is already wrapping up production with a new host, Nick Lucey.

“I’m stoked to host Into the Drink’s second season,” says Lucey. With a back-ground in journalism, Lucey spent more than 15 years at Scuba Diving magazine and has logged thousands of dives around the world. “As a dive magazine editor, I could only express myself with static words and still photos. Now I get to take divers with me as I explore the sublime under-water world.”

Into the Drink continues to expand dis-tribution and Season Two kicks off Spring 2011. Check padi.com to find out the air dates. Visit www.intothedrink.tv for more details.

sneak Peek into season Two of into the DrinkBy ajá reneé smITH

Saba dive shop. A Sea Saba representa-tive would come out, stick her head in our van, take a count and ask us if there is anything they could do for us and ask if we were all having a good time. This was just a very pleasant greeting in the morning. Also, the boats were clean as was the beautiful dive shop on the island. Big kudos to SeaSaba! One heck of an outfit! Don Johnson of Breezeway Bub-bles/Madison, Wisconsin, USA, and The Gang at Sea Saba have sold me on diving. My first experiences could not have been any better. I am hooked. — Donald Johnson MSDT-178188 Madison, Wisconsin, USA, and Sea Saba Advanced Dive Center S-1941, Windwardside, Saba, Netherlands Antilles

Dream Come True — Last Thanksgiv-ing, I was just another girl who dreamed about scuba diving but could not even swim. I joined Dolphin Scuba Center in Sacramento, California, USA, and kept hearing from my swim instruc-tors about Steve Ramirez and how he was the best scuba instructor around. It quickly became my obsession to get into

Steve’s class. I trained and trained to be able to make the swim test and finally got into Steve’s class. It was so worth it. Knowing that I was new to the water, Steve did everything he could to put me at ease. He never left me out or gave me any slack. That showed how much respect and confidence he had in me. He was constantly encouraging and made learning and acquiring the new skills so enjoyable. The entire class was sorry when he wrapped up each class. He lit-erally had to drag us out of the pool. Eventually when I got my open water certification — all thanks to Steve — I was very confident of my diving abilities and was looking at scuba in a completely new way.

During my first ocean dive, my dive buddy’s tank slipped. He did not even notice it. I saw and my brain freaked. But only for a nanosecond. I heard Steve’s voice in my head saying, “Just be calm and think, you can handle any situation.” So, I calmed down, swam to my buddy, signaled him to stay still and refastened the tank. We success-fully finished our dive on this beautiful

reef teeming with fish and it was one of the best days of my life. When I went to Steve and thanked him for helping me realize my diving dreams he just laughed and said it was all my effort and he was proud to have me as his student. That is just one example of the generous and kind person Steve always is. He is always thinking of students and helping us per-form at our peak potential.

As this year’s holiday season approaches, I look back at the past year and realize how much I depend on Steve for my dive abilities/needs/questions. He also encouraged me and trained me for my advanced level certification. Recently, I moved from Sacramento to Florida, USA, for my job and Steve got me in touch with a dive group here so I can keep diving and make new friends.

I really hope to get more opportuni-ties to dive and learn from Steve. He is such a great person and in him, I have found an instructor, friend and a great dive buddy.

Finally, as Steve says, “Stay wet.” — Steven Ramirez MI-17559, Sacramento, CA, USA

Congratulations to new PADI Instructors, Course Directors and Divemasters from around the globe. Welcome to the family.

Family additionsnew instructors, dive clubs and lots of awards

1 l paDI Instructor exam in the netherlands Four PADI Dive Cen-ters hosted an Instructor Examination around the Oostvoorne Lake in the Netherlands. PADI Five Star Instruc-tor Development Centers Sub-Lub of Rotterdam and Dive Center Capelle of Oostvoorne, along with PADI Five Star Dive Center Discovery Diving of Dordrecht and PADI Dive Center Deuce Diving of ‘s-Gravendeel, worked together under the direction of PADI Course Director Bart den Ouden. Pic-tured: [back row, L-R] Roland van Laere, Thijn van der Schoot, René Fortes, Taco Blok, Sandra Weber, Arend Wolters and Rob Bangma. Also here [front row, L-R] Remco Wijnings, PADI Examiner René

Bos, PADI Course Director Bart den Ouden and Jacqueline van Diest. Not pictured: PADI Master Instructor Rinus Kenters and IDC Staff Instructor Wil-lem de Kreek.

2 l member social in the maldives The PADI Europe Member Social in the Maldives saw PADI Europe Exec-utive Director Jean Claude Monachon and Regional Manager Thomas Sobotta presenting PADI Dive Centers with spe-cial awards for their dedication to diver training and education. Shown here [L-R] Thomas Sobotta and Jean Claude Monachon present the first place award to Mohamed, the Base Leader for PADI Five Star Dive Resort Sun International

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Diving School Irafushi, and General Manager for Sun International Diving School, Koen Zuurbier.

3 l Twenty-five years and Going strong PADI Canada Regional Man-ager Randy Giles presents PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Scuba 2000 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, the award for 25 years of PADI International Resort Retailers Associa-tion membership. Shown are Scuba 2000 owner Alec Peirce and Randy Giles.

4 l new paDI Instructors Congrat-ulations to the new group of PADI Instructors who successfully completed their Instructor Exam in Bonaire; Mary Lou Hildebrand, Rycelle Hamblin, Rob-ert Santaella, Lauren Saulino, Breno Lobo, Vincent Klouwens and Michelle Walker. Special thanks to PADI Course Directors Thomas Kurz and Pepe Mas-tropaolo, PADI Examiner Gary Newman, PADI Staff Instructor Christina Woot-ton, Five Star Instructor Development Resorts Dive Friends Bonaire and Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire.

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Mi Casa es Su Casa...

Manta Diving College invites you and your students to Complete your diving education at the Red Sea

Ideal Diving Conditions

Advanced College facility

Accommodation at Isrotel Yam Suf - Beach and Diving four stars Resort

Tourist attractions: shopping (tax free area), Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Petra within easy reach

For further information & reservations: Manta Diving College, Coral Beach Eilat,Israel.

Tel: +972 8 6382240 | Fax: +972 8 6370655 | [email protected] | www.redseasports.co.il

Special offer for PADI members with their students: 50 Euro per person per night (in a shared room for 4 people), on BB basis with unlimited diving

BN_023295_USJ4Q10.indd 1 8/20/2010 5:10:55 PM

5 l new emergency first response® Instructors Five officers of the Malé International Airport fire and rescue team completed the Emergency First Response (EFR®) Instructor Course under the supervision of EFR Instructor Trainer Giuseppe D’Amato. Congratulations to Ahmed Junaid, Ahmed Waheed, Ali Sha-kir, Ali Ikram and Mohamed Fazeel.

6 l fifteen years of outstanding service PADI Americas Regional Man-ager Gary Joyce presented PADI Five Star Dive Center Tri-State Scuba Water Acad-emy, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, with the award for 15 years of PADI International Resort Retailers Association membership. Shown here are Tri-State Scuba Owners Mary Ann Burgoyne and Joly Fryer.

7 l underwater army reenlistment After reading about Master Sergeant Jermey Kitzhaber’s underwater reenlist-ment in The Second Quarter edition of The Undersea Journal, United States Army Staff Sergeant (SSG) and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Francis Freeman remembered his underwater reenlistment from October 2008. SSG Freeman reen-

listed indefinite status for the Army in Hawaii, USA. 8 l Instructor exam in malta Congrat-ulations to the two new PADI Instructors who completed their training with PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Selkies under the direction of PADI Course Director Georges Van den Abeele.

9 l malta Tourism authority award Each year Malta Tourism Authority awards The Special Thanks And Rec-ognition (STAR) Awards to those who work directly or indirectly in the tourism industry. This year PADI Staff Instructor Martin Hall [left] of Malta’s PADI Five Star Dive Resort Paradise Diving School won the award for Best Instructor. PADI Staff Instructor Edward Corrin, also of Paradise Diving School, was a runner-up.

10 l Ten years of outstanding service PADI Americas Regional Manager Gary Joyce presents PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Blue Water Divers, Arnolds Park, Iowa, USA, with the award for 10 years of PADI International Resort Retailers Association membership. Shown

are Blue Water Divers Owner Patt Swan-son and Gary Joyce.

11 l paDI Instructor exam in Baja California PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Cortez Explor-ers hosted its first Instructor Exam in Mulege, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Shown: [L-R] PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Danya Gunnell, PADI Course Director Mick Chapman, Instructor Examiner Heather Goodwin-Robinson, PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors Sara Cartwright and Juvenal O. Chavez.

12 l more new paDI Instructors Con-gratulations to the successful candidates from the May 2010 PADI Instructor Exam with PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Sail Caribbean Divers in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Pictured [L-R] Holly Robson, Marco Pesciarelli, Jennifer LeBlanc, Graham Benton, PADI Examinar Gary Newman, PADI Course Director Mike Rowe, Lor-raine Birkner, Willem Kerkvliet, Hege Bye-Borresen, Philip Krukowski and David Hunsinger.

13 l paDI staff in Brazil While attend-ing the Brazil Dive Festival in June 2010, PADI Americas staff visited a few PADI Dive Centers and Resorts. Shown here [L-R] PADI Americas Director, Training, Johnny Wetzstein, PADI Latin America Regional Manager Claudio Brandileone, Owner of PADI Five Star Instructor Devel-opment Center Scuba Point, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ricardo Meurer, PADI Americas

Vice President of Operations Dana Stewart and PADI Examiner Fernando Martins.

14 l paDI Instructor exam in roa-tan Congratulations to the new group who successfully completed their Instruc-tor Exam in Roatan, Honduras. Pictured: [Front, L-R] PADI Course Director Ever-ette Ingram, Hunter C. Hickox, Sean P. Branch. [Second Row, L-R] PADI Course Director Gary Miller, Instructor Exam-iner Gary Cruea, Jason Prine, Zeina Saad,

Ricardo Ramos, Ginette Valin. [Back, L-R] Francois L’Ecuyer, Paul Quiggle, Jonathan George, PADI Course Direc-tor Will Wellborne and Michael Phillips.

15 l paDI rescue Course in Iceland Congratulations to the newly certified PADI Rescue Divers in Iceland. The course was conducted by PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Finni Finnbjorns-son, who is also the owner of PADI Dive Center Scuba Iceland.

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16 l new Instructors from seattle Congratulations to the new group who successfully completed their Instructor Exam in Seattle, Washington, USA. Pic-tured: [L-R] Jon Robinson, Kate Clark, Jonathan Halama, Alex Peterson, PADI Examiner Gary Cruea, Sergey Derkachev, Alex Schumer, Justin Rochefort and Tom Larson.

17 l another successful Ie Con-gratulations to the new group of PADI

Instructors who successfully completed their Instructor Exam in Tobago. Pic-tured are [L-R] Yannick stan Bachelot, Leon Kerr, PADI Course Director Ever-ette Ingram, Instructor Examiner Gary Cruea, Paul Hendershott and Jan Walde.

18 l more new paDI Instructors Con-gratulations to the new PADI Instructors who completed their Instructor Exami-nation in Vancouver, Washington, USA, with PADI Five Start Instructor

Development Center Seven Seas Scuba. Pictured are [Front, L-R] Todd Miller and Dan Vaughn. [Second Row, L-R] Richard Anderson and Nikki Chap-pelle. [Back Row, L-R] PADI Examiner Gary Cruea, PADI Course Director Nicolle Pratt, Troy Knabe, PADI Course Director Mike Allen and Jason Miller.

19 l The Dream lives on Congrat-ulations to PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Archie Jones who completed his Instructor Development Course in honor of his brother, PADI Divemaster Melvin Jones, who passed away May 2010. Melvin and Archie planned to complete the IDC together and open a dive center. Archie completed his exam at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, and car-ried on the dream of two brothers.

20 l pay It forward In 1982, Lindy May (OWSI-15833) certified her little brother as a PADI Open Water Scuba Diver. Twenty-eight years later, Chris May (MSDT-198317) returned the favor by certifying Lindy as a PADI Enriched Air Diver.

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P a D i l i F e PaDi liFe

Project

AWAreFoundAtion:

Longstanding Organization Thanks Supporters and Embraces Big Change

BY jennY Miller GArMendiA

After 21 years, the aquatic conservation organization is redefining its future vision

or the first time in its 21-year history, Proj- ect aWare foundation is poised for big changes. Project aWare, together with thousands of PaDi Professionals and dive volunteers worldwide, has built an effective, unique group of underwater activists over the past two decades. Building on this success, Project aWare plans include a redefined, clear,

positive vision for underwater conservation in the future. “aWare Divers and PaDi Professionals around the world have a long-

standing history of ocean protection. Collectively, this network has the power to achieve big outcomes for our ocean future and together, affect real change,” said Dr. Drew richardson, Chairman, Project aWare founda-tion. “Project aWare and its volunteer divers are gearing up for a new movement to shift the downward trends of ocean health and abundance.”

Project aWare Board and operational re-visioning meetings in april 2010 were just the beginning of new plans for the nonprofit organization. Discussion included the future of the organization and identification of new strategies taking protection efforts to the next level.

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Project AWARE Foundation’s con-servation efforts span the globe.

46 t h e u n d e r s e a j o u r n a l f O u r T h q u a r T E r 2 0 1 0

livinG seAs: Project AWAre

ith this conservation issue of The Undersea Journal, Proj-ect aWare thanks all who have passionately supported the preservation of our ocean planet. Project aWare hon-ors all the professionals who

organized aWare conservation activities, the volunteer divers who gave time, the families and communities who helped, as well as the sponsors, partners and individuals who collaborated and/or donated to make these efforts possible. Whether it involves removing harmful debris from underwater, collecting data on coral, debris or sharks, working to support marine Protected areas, closing loop-holes on shark protection, supporting management practices and legislation, or helping to educate our

fellow divers, kids and neighbors – thanks go to all of you who have made a difference.

Project AWAre’s HistorY

1989 | an environmental ethic is Bornoriginally established by PaDi as an environmen-tal ethic in 1989, Project aWare (aquatic World awareness, responsibility and education) set out to enlist millions of divers in conservation. scuba divers around the world began to join forces under the Project aWare banner, speaking out, tak-ing charge and taking action for the underwater world.

as PaDi cofounder john Cronin once said, “if divers do not take an active role in preserving the aquatic realm, who will?”

1992 | Project aWare Foundation Makes Wavesas the environmental ethic grew, so did the synergy between aWare and the PaDi family. special-ties like Peak Performance Buoyancy were born to improve divers’ skills and teach them to minimize their effect on the environment.

it quickly became clear that much more work was needed to help protect the underwater world, and in 1992, Project aWare foundation become a regis-tered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in California, Usa. This was followed over the years by registered charities in the United Kingdom, switzerland and australia with a volunteer office in japan. The part-nership continued with PaDi Worldwide provid-ing critical in-kind support to the foundation and, most important, access to dive professionals who help spread education and awareness information and organize conservation activities.

as the news of coral reef decline and overfishing effects became headlines and topics of concern to conservationists, the attention and support from active divers grew. These issues became primary focus areas, driving the organizational strategies in the following years.

MArine deBris And underWAter cleAnuPsone of the most visible and pervasive problems in our underwater environments is marine debris. it was also one of the first, most successful conserva-tion issues tackled by Project aWare foundation. Project aWare, together with dive professionals,

began to organize and support underwater clean-ups around the world. in 1994, Project aWare foundation partnered with the Center for marine Conservation (later renamed the ocean Conser-vancy) to contribute data collected as part of In-ternational Cleanup Day each september. Divers are particularly active during this event and con-tinue underwater cleanup efforts year-round. in 2009, nearly 11,000 divers and 20,000 nondiving volunteers in 92 countries collected 252,000 kilo-grams/555,000 pounds of debris.

The return of cleanup data is critical to efforts to help decision-makers around the world learn the ex-tent of the marine debris problem. These data help affect policy and behavior change. much interest in recent years has come from the discovery of marine debris in the major ocean gyres – often referred to as an ocean “garbage patch.” Divers have long led the way to increased local community aware-

ness of the debris problem and efforts at removal. Cleanup organizers have diligently increased their data return over the years, from 40 to 65 percent, contributing to efforts to bring about long term so-lutions. This information contributes to global un-derstanding and has been included in publications such as the UneP (United nations environment Program) marine Litter report in 2009.

sHArk conservAtionsometimes it seems the only friends sharks have are scuba divers. When studies of serious declines in shark populations became known, the founda-tion launched the Protect the Shark campaign in the year 2000. This campaign included a public

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2007, aWare divers contributed to the collection of more than 20,000 signatures. in 2009, they con-tributed to the collection of 100,000 signatures that were presented to the German and UK ministers as part of the european shark Week efforts.

in 2008, Project aWare foundation became a member of iUCn (international Union for the Conservation of nature), the oldest environmental body made up of government and nongovernmen-tal organization members. During the 2008 World Conservation Congress, aWare represented the interest of divers in negotiations with governments on the protection of vulnerable shark species and co-sponsored a resolution calling on member na-tions to protect coral reefs and the people whose lives depend on them.

The launch of the Cites outrage petition “Give sharks a fighting Chance” in june of 2010 is the most exciting step yet that involves divers. The peti-tion will be used to show governments around the world that there is a large constituency – in terms of numbers and economic clout through tourism – in-terested in maintaining healthy shark populations. to date, 40,000 divers have signed their support and the work to gather signatures will continue through 2011. (Be sure to add your name and pass it on if you haven’t done so already. see the website www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance for up to date information.)

corAl reeF conservAtionremarkable to divers for their beauty and diver-sity, coral reefs cover less than one percent of the earth’s surface, yet are home to approximately 25 percent of marine species. The severe global bleach-ing event of 1997 – 1998 resulted in the loss of approximately 16 percent of the world’s coral reefs. in 2001, Project aWare launched the Protect the Living Reef campaign, which included the public service announcements narrated by acad-emy award nominees ed harris and salma hayek. By 2005, the announcements had more than 600 million impressions in 22 countries. The year 2001 also saw the launch of the aWare Coral reef Conservation specialty course through PaDi and the publication of the A.W.A.R.E. Our Water, Our World manual.

in late 2007, aWare joined forces with Coral-

service announcement shown in dive centers and on television in several countries, as well as edu-cational materials for divers and advocates. it was

easy to see divers’ affinity for sharks. Divers quickly took to the cause, spreading awareness about seri-ous threats to shark populations and the health of ecosystems.

in 2002, the Whale Shark Project launched as part of the Protect the shark Campaign for this incredible species that had been listed for two years earlier as Vulnerable on the iUCn red List of Threatened species.

to effect change in fisheries management, in 2006 Project aWare foundation joined the shark alli-ance, and in 2008, became a member of the steering Committee. The alliance is a coalition of nongovern-mental organizations dedicated to securing fishing limits based on scientific advice by working through international management and trade regulations. for three years, the focus was on europe because spain is one of the major shark fishing nations. in o

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Calling all Shark Advocates! Your voice is being heard.Thanks to support from AWARE Divers around the world, Project AWARE Foundation is giving critical shark populations a voice.

Over the past few months, Project AWARE has collected nearly 40,000 signatures for the Help Give Sharks a Fighting Chance petition, which protests the results of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endan-gered Species (CITES) meeting held in March 2010. Proposals to restrict trade of eight shark species failed to pass. At this writing, Project AWARE is gearing up to deliver the first set of signatures to the key governments that are parties to CITES.

“The response from the dive community has been overwhelm-ing,” said Jenny Miller Garmendia, Director of Project AWARE Foundation. “One thing is clear: divers are uniting under a com-mon goal, to ensure increased protection for threatened shark populations.”

What are the actions AWARE Divers are campaigning for?Project AWARE, divers and activists worldwide are calling on CITES representatives to take the following action between now and the next Conference of the Parties in 2013:

» Heed the available scientific advice that shows limiting catches protects sharks.

» Fully protect shark species listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature

» Set precautionary shark fishing limits [where no advice exists] » Ensure all sharks are landed with their fins attached » Work with other countries to prepare and promote shark listing

proposals for the next CITES conference» Improve shark trade data collection by taking national action to

list all species proposed at CITES 2010 on Appendix III

Take two minutes to go online and join thousands of divers who are helping give sharks a fighting chance. Visit www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance. Then share the news: Post the link to your website, blog and social networking sites and encourage divers and instructors to sign their support.

Project aWare’s shark Petitionhelp give sharks a fighting chance.BY joAnne MArston, MAnAGer, Project AWAre

Divers work with Project AWARE on its coral-monitoring pro-gram (below). The project allows scientists to monitor reef health and coral bleaching [R] over time.



Grant Program designed to support local grassroots education, research and environmental programs. Grants have contributed to a wide variety of proj-ects. for example, one involved tagging of sharks, including great whites (one named nicole surprised researchers by swimming from australia to south africa and back). others include education pro-grams and films such as Empty Oceans, Empty Nets, a groundbreaking documentary on overfishing, and school conservation projects around the world. The Grant Program supported projects such as training in ecotourism and alternative livelihoods, support for major coastline and waterway cleanup projects, funding for basic research and critical reports like

the Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2008 and the pending Reefs at Risk Revisited, programs for youth from inner cities and island nations that teach kids about the ocean and its inhabitants. in 2005, the Project aWare tsunami relief fund supported 29 projects in the affected areas totaling more than $61,000Us.

along with the Mooring Buoy Planning Guide published in 1996 as a resource for dive centers and marine Protected area managers, grants have helped to protect coral reefs and other fragile ecosys-tems from anchor damage. in the period of midyear 2008 – 2009, more than 14 mooring buoy projects in 11 countries were funded. as of 2009, just over three million U.s. dollars has been distributed to projects around the world.

A look to tHe Futurehuman threats facing our ocean are ever-increasing. never before has there been such a culmination of so many environmental pressures – from oil spills to climate change, coral bleaching, species declines, the effects of overfishing and the growing problem of marine debris. But aWare’s 21-year history demonstrates that divers continue to respond to ocean issues, pushing forward in the effort to be-come involved in new solutions.

so, what is the new Project aWare about? it’s about combining the unique efforts of global divers with new, innovative tools. it’s about collaborating for changes and focusing on critical issues to deliver measurable positive outcomes for tomorrow’s ocean planet. By leveraging new technology, eliminating geographical barriers and providing the right tools, and focusing on desired changes in the environ-ment. Project aWare is looking toward a new vi-sion for change.

“We only have three choices regarding protect-ing the ocean’s future: lead, accept the status quo of whatever someone else does, or do nothing at all,” says richardson. “Project aWare chooses to lead. We choose a new ocean future – a future of healthy seas for a healthy global environment. We know that PaDi Professionals, divers, and other advocates and supporters are with us, ready for the work ahead – our future depends on it.”

Look for upcoming issues of The Undersea Journal, as well as announcements from Project aWare foundation, to learn more about future strategies and how you can take part in the next two decades of underwater conservation.

Watch, a nonprofit research organization of austra-lia’s University of Queensland, to involve divers and snorkelers in monitoring coral health. The use of a color chart representing different stages of bleaching and recovery of coral allows the collection of data to be used to track the condition of reef locations over time. to date, there are more than 1300 Proj-ect aWare CoralWatch organizers worldwide. as divers contribute information collected online, they can see the updated results instantly.

otHer ProGrAMsa number of Project aWare programs have also contributed to conserving underwater environ-ments through increasing divers’ and public aware-ness. efforts to increase divers’ education included the release of PaDi specialty courses, including aWare fish identification, Project aWare spe-cialty, Underwater naturalist and the Whale shark awareness Distinctive specialty. The year 2003 saw the launch of the Go ECO program with a compo-nent to increase divers’ behavior as eco-tourists and to help align dive centers to be eCo operators.

in 2004, the AWARE Kids program provided dive professionals and teachers with marine sci-ence and stewardship activities for the kindergar-ten through sixth grade level. With 70 percent of the world’s fish stocks considered depleted, the Sustainable Fisheries campaign launched in 2005 has helped to distribute information on sustainable seafood around the world and supported advocacy for better fisheries management and the establish-ment of marine Protected areas.

GrAnt ProGrAManother important focus of the foundation is the

Behind the scenes of Project AWARE Foundation, there are those that drive environmental successes and pos-itive outcomes. Project AWARE Foundation Board of Directors member Roger McManus joined the team in 2004 and his contributions helped to forge the Founda-tion’s next decade of growth and conservation work.

McManus brings a strong record of conservation accomplishments in both the private and public sectors. He has championed the science needed for underly-ing conservation work and advocated sound policies for effective stewardship. He has taken a lead role in establishing marine sanctuaries and implemented con-servation measures that have saved tens of thousands of sea turtles and marine birds. He served for 20 years as President, CEO and Vice Chair for Ocean Policy of the Center for Marine Conservation, now called the Ocean Conservancy. In addition, he has served in the Executive Office of the President of the United States and acted as Senior Advisor for Oceans in the Office of the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior.

As the Vice President for Global Marine Programs at Conservation International for six years, he led the expansion of the program into one of the largest non-governmental marine conservation efforts. He was instrumental in establishing the Global Marine Species Assessment program with World Conservation Union/IUCN and implementing Conservation International’s Seascape Program, which aims to establish large marine management regimes in the Coral Triangle and Eastern Tropical Pacific. His current projects include marine ini-tiatives in the wider Caribbean and the South China Sea, and assisting the IUCN Species Survival Commission in its efforts to recover species threatened with extinction.

As an experienced dive professional with a divemas-ter rating and sailor, McManus has seen the magnificence of the underwater world firsthand. He’s excited that fel-low divers around the world are poised to become a major force for change in the environment. And he steps for-ward with Project AWARE Foundation, helping implement even stronger strategies for the organization’s ocean pro-tection efforts.

Project AWARE sup-ports local grassroots outreach programs, including its AWARE Kids program [L] and underwater cleanup projects (below).

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into the next decade With conservation and Project aWare FoundationA profile of roger mcmanus tiFFAnY leite, MAnAGer, coMMunicAtions And outreAcH, Project AWAre FoundAtion



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business of diving

Go Green – Make Green

Padi dive centers and resorts are making environmental awareness work for them.

by ethan gordon, Padi Msdt 42714

When a dive business steps up its conservation

efforts, it’s good news for the environment and the

company’s bottom line.

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The walkways and structures at Maho Bay Resort on

St. John in the US Virgin Islands were built on stilts

so that the natural vegetation was not disturbed.

Many dive centers and resorts have been taking steps to protect the environment for a while, including installing moor-ings at dive sites to protect reefs from boat anchors, developing education and out-reach programs, hosting beach and dive site cleanups and recycling, among others. Then, there are those who elevate their con-servation efforts, integrating them into the core of their brands. What they’re doing is good for the planet and their bottom lines. Here are some inspiring stories.

Walk the Walk

“You not only have to ‘talk the talk,’ you have to ‘walk the walk,’” says Erik Stein,

owner of Extended Horizons in Maui, Hawaii, USA. He’s at the forefront of conservation in a conservation-minded region. “Maui has some of the best, classi-est dive operators in the world. We’ve been raising the bar out here for a long time,” he says. Stein has built his brand around being “Maui’s Top Green Dive Operator.” In 2006, he backed up this statement by converting his boat to become Maui’s only dive boat to run entirely on biodiesel. “I wanted to do something more to give back to the environment,” says Stein. “Switch-ing to 100 percent biodiesel was the least I could do.”

The switch to this locally made, environ-

mentally friendly fuel wasn’t a trivial task. They made some necessary infrastructure improvements, such as installing an on-site 1900 litre/500-gallon storage tank with filtration system and replacing the boat’s rubber fuel lines with stainless steel. Although the average cost of biodiesel is typically more per unit than petrodiesel, switching has had its upside too.

Because Extended Horizons has its own storage tank, fueling up at the end of the day has become a 10-minute job instead of the hour-long ordeal it was when they fueled up in Lahaina Harbor every third day or so. This saves both time and labor expenses.

There are also mechanical benefits that translate to savings. Biodiesel lacks sulfur, a component of petrodiesel. The sulfur in petrodiesel forms acids when burned. These acids cause premature breakdown of engine components and a smell that cus-

tomers don’t like. Since biodiesel burns much cleaner, Stein has found that they only need to change engine oil every 300 hours as compared to every 100 hours with petrodiesel. In addition, without the harmful acids formed by sulfur, engine parts don’t break down as fast. The boat’s current set of engines currently has only run on biodiesel and, while Stein isn’t sure how long they’ll last, it looks like they’ll significantly outlast previous petrodiesel engines.

Stein admits that if you look only at the monthly costs, biofuel appears to cost a bit more than traditional fuel. The higher cost, however, is more than offset by the

One of the biggest misconceptions in the dive industry is that “going green” costs money, but you may discover the opposite.

Above left: Erik Stein, owner of Extended Horizons

and “Maui’s Top Green Dive Operator,” aboard his

biodiesel boat. At right: Thanks to strong conser-

vation efforts, Maui’s reefs and marine life, like

this hairy hermit crab, will continue to thrive.


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added business from customers selecting them specifically because they use this green fuel. “At the end of the day, you can’t just save the planet,” he says. “You have to make enough money to survive too.” Using a unique marketing angle, he has taken something he wanted to do for the environment and leveraged it into addi-tional business.

outreach is good for business

Located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast in the small town of Quepos, Oceans

Unlimited has made its mark through its outreach efforts. As part of its PADI Dive-master course, Oceans Unlimited requires that divemaster candidates produce a talk on any subject that promotes conserva-tion and awareness – sharks, mangroves, a particular creature, etc. Then, candidates present their work to local kids at nearby schools. The program has become so pop-ular that divemaster candidates average two presentations per month. “The schools love it and so do our students,” says Kath-erine Evans. “We didn’t start this program

with the intention of it becoming a mar-keting tool, but it certainly has turned out that way.”

Oceans Unlimited has gained about 25 percent more Divemaster candidates through the increased popularity of the divemaster program. “We attract a dive-master/backpacker crowd. If they can do their divemaster training and perform community service at the same time – well, that’s icing on the cake to them. Quite a few divemaster candidates choose us because they love the idea of going into local schools and promoting awareness.”

Evans points out that dive centers should exercise care when promoting awareness. “Conservation can be a polit-ically sensitive subject, so you have to be careful not to ruffle the wrong feathers. It’s no secret that we try to promote marine conservation, and though we can’t just go and check local fishing boats for things like shark fins, we can educate the youth. If you can get your message out there in a peaceful manner, things will eventually improve.” The benefit: Oceans Unlimited is succeeding in its conservation efforts – and this has led to business success.

Another dive center making outreach

Clockwise from top: At Costa Rica’s Oceans Unlim-

ited, divemaster candidates participate in local

school outreach efforts; a healthy reef; in Spain,

divers collect data on Posidonia sea grass for the

SILMR Project, thanks to Kenna Eco Diving.

59 t h e u n d e r s e a j o u r n a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 058 t h e u n d e r s e a j o u r n a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

There’s no question that, for the first time in history, the world is facing myriad global environmental issues including oil spills, climate change, overfishing and more — all at the same time. While that news can be depressing, rather than being discour-aged, environmental dive leaders are leaning in, leading the charge and finding innovative and proactive solutions to envi-ronmental challenges in their communities.

brendon sing “shark guardian,” Padi course director #609564

Over the past four years, Brendon Sing has traveled throughout Thailand and Indonesia, delivering his “Shark Guar-dian” presentation to hundreds of people. The free seminar focuses on shark evo-lution, anatomy and reproduction, shark behavior and attacks, sharks in danger and conservation.

“My presentation explores many emotions of fear, excitement, curiosity, humor, amazement, dread and deep sadness,” says Sing. “But it’s not all doom and gloom; there is hope at the end of the tunnel. The audience leaves with a changed perspective of sharks, an inspiration to care and a duty to protect through education, conservation and action.”

He believes PADI Professionals have a responsibility to inspire divers. “We serve as role models and mentors,” says Sing. “We have not just a duty, but a responsibility to the envi-ronment that we depend on. We have a great deal of influence on our students and customers to make positive and influential changes. Act on views that you feel deeply passionate about and share that with everyone you can.”

Visit sharkguardian.org for a list of upcoming seminars. Sing is supported and funded by Project AWARE Foundation.

katharine evans, Padi Master instructor #625983Eight years ago, PADI Master Instruc-tor and biologist Katharine Evans helped establish PADI Five Star Instructor Devel-opment Center Oceans Unlimited in Quepos, Costa Rica. Evans is passionate about the ocean and protecting it — which is why she made it a priority for both her-self and the dive center.

“Since moving to Costa Rica eight years ago and helping set up Oceans Unlimited, I wanted to make a difference on a local level and improve the environment while increasing awareness of these wonderful, but fragile, natural habitats. Costa Rica is renowned as a ‘green’ country, but we still see trash dropped in the street or on the beach,” says Evans. “We run many local conservation projects, including regular underwater and beach cleanups with Oceans Unlimited staff and divers. But, most important, we involve members of the community and youth groups, welcoming anyone who will get

involved,” adds Evans.Evans also regularly visits local schools and youth groups

to talk about important environmental issues such as shark finning, sustainable fishing, local marine environments and their protection. She proactively pursues local changes that can make a difference – including saving energy and trash man-agement. She has even helped establish recycling programs in local schools.

“I think that all these efforts really have made a difference in our community. It is rewarding when local teachers ask for more information and ideas. I get a buzz from schools doing their own trash collections – especially when I see local kids telling adults to pick up their trash,” says Evans. “At Oceans Unlimited, we have made teaching in the local community part of our divemaster training program, because as PADI Professionals, we need to promote awareness of local and marine environments to our future dive generations. It’s a rewarding and fun experience too!”

kim langridge, Padi Master instructor #641705Since its inception on the Isle of Wight five years ago, PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Island Divers has become a Project AWARE official partner and expanded its conservation involve-ment and fundraising year by year.

“Project AWARE is integrated into our business planning. First, because we are

all passionate about diving and second, as a dive business, we want as many people as possible to experience our seas. If they are polluted and devoid of marine life, why would anyone want to dive them?” says Langridge.

“Our social activities (and we have quite a few) are all linked to Project AWARE, both in raising awareness and funds — over $2500 US to date! All our special events, such as pub quiz, fancy dress barbeque, underwater pumpkin carving and Christmas dinner, mean that our divers can have fun and make a difference.”

Langridge and Island Divers incorporate sustainable business practices wherever possible and are always looking at ways — from recycling to sharing automobile trips whenever possible

— they can reduce the effect of their business on the environ-ment. They also host marine protection meetings at the dive center, bringing together all the dive clubs on the island. “This not only promotes awareness, but firmly places us in the center of our dive community. This makes good environmental sense and very good business sense,” says Langridge.

To read about more Environmental Dive Leaders to Follow, head to the PADI Pros’ Site and look for The Undersea Journal Bonus Coverage.

To learn how you can help protect the aquatic environment in your area, visit projectaware.org.

in the sPotliGht: environmental dive leaders to FollowPadi Professionals find innovative and Proactive solutions BY tiffanY leite

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and education part of its core brand is Kenna Eco Diving located on the Mediter-ranean Sea in L’Escala, Spain. Kenna Eco Diving attracts about half of its custom-ers by offering inexpensive dive holidays to people wanting to make a difference. Its dive vacations are inexpensive because they’re subsidized. Divers volunteer their time to collect data for the SILMAR Project – a large-scale national project that collects vital data on local marine environments.

Kenna’s co-owner Gaynor Rosier has turned her passion for preserving the del-icate marine ecosystem revolving around a certain species of sea grass, Posidonia oceanica, into a steady stream of busi-ness. Volunteers from across Europe and the United States flock to this beautiful corner of Spain on the Costa Brava to par-ticipate in the program. The minimal cost of the trip covers unlimited diving, accom-modations in a bunkhouse, transfers, etc.

In exchange, divers immerse themselves in a program about the ecology of coastal Spain that teaches them how to count and measure all kinds of marine species. Spe-cifically, they are responsible for recording data around one of the SILMAR Project’s transects – a 100-meter long, five-meter wide by five-meter tall/328-foot long, 16-foot wide, 16-foot tall plot of ocean. Volunteers then spend countless hours in the water recording their findings. It’s a win-win-win. The divers get a holiday that they can feel good about, the dive center gets customers and the SILMAR Project gets its data.

Armed with this data, Rosier has also supported other causes like Ocean2012 – a nonprofit organization whose mission it is “to ensure that the 2012 reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy stops overfishing, ends destructive fishing practices and delivers fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks.” Rosier is yet another

example of someone who doesn’t just “talk the talk.” She “walks the walk.”

off the grid

Another approach that turns considerable conservation efforts into a solid business plan is the eco resort. There are a few select dive resorts around the world that ‘walk this particular walk,’ and, as a result, they experience some of the highest year-round occupancy rates. A certain clientele seeks out eco-minded resorts and it seems once they experience it, they keep com-ing back. Two examples are the Maho Bay Camps on the United States Virgin Island of St. John and Matava, Fiji’s pre-mier eco-adventure resort.

Stanley Selengut founded Maho Bay about 34 years ago. He was ahead of his time when he constructed a resort that minimally affected the property’s beauti-ful natural scenery. Building on one of St. John’s pristine hillsides and surrounded by national park, Selengut refused to clear-cut the vegetation. Instead, he built everything on stilts – walkways and rooms alike. By leaving the hill-side vegetation intact, he eliminated the byproduct of most construction – runoff

from soil erosion that can kill coral reefs while ruining topside habitat. The orig-inal site – with glorified tent structures

– has grown to more than 114 tents and is overseen by a dozen eco-friendly studios on the hillside above.

Conservation of resources is practiced all around the resort. For example, glass waste is recycled on the premises – both in the glass-blowing studio that turns out beautiful ocean-inspired art and glass tiles, but also results in crushed glass and concrete countertops used at its newer sis-ter resort, Estate Concordia Studios. One thousand recycled bottles go into the pro-duction of each studio.

Selengut has experimented with many eco-friendly practices and materials over the years. Although many of these prac-tices were ahead of their time, others didn’t work out too well. “This one time Mr. Selengut invested in a sun oven for baking,” recounts George Kramer, owner of the dive concession that services Maho Bay. “The thing would take all day to bake a pan of cookies. Maybe if you lived in a desert the thing would work. Here, it was a total flop, but hey, he tried it! That’s what kind of a guy he is.”

Kramer has been at Maho since the beginning and has witnessed its incred-ible evolution. He has also seen his share of changes within the dive industry.

“Thirty-five years ago, when I started in this business, I used to throw my anchor on the sand, but then the boat next to me would drop an anchor with 9 metres/30 feet of chain right on the coral. You don’t see that too much any more – people have been educated. PADI has been a big part in promoting these common-sense practices through programs like Project AWARE,” says Kramer. Healthier reefs make for healthier dive businesses.

Nearly a world away on the island of Kadavu, Fiji, Matava blazes its own path as an eco-friendly resort. “We’re entirely off the grid,” says resort co-owner Stuart Gow. “We have a couple of small gen-erators onsite in case of an emergency, but we never have a need to use them. Our solar panel arrays generate all of the electricity the resort needs. We even run power tools off of our solar, but the rooms don’t have air conditioning, refrigerators or hair dryers in them. That said, those kinds of amenities aren’t what our cli-entele are looking for. They come to us because of the kind of resort we are.”

When asked if it costs more to run such an eco-friendly resort, Gow answers cat-egorically, “We can actually document that it doesn’t cost us more to run our resort. It takes more effort from the staff, especially training them to do things dif-ferently, but economically it definitely saves money.” For example, 30 percent of the resort’s produce is grown organically on site and another 30 percent is grown in the local villages. It’s not only ‘greener’ to grow produce locally, it’s cheaper.

Teaching the local villages how to farm organically is just one of Matava’s many outreach efforts. Working with neighbor-ing villages, they have helped establish two marine reserves. “We do a lot of work organizing beach cleanups and teach-ing local children about the underwater world. This is a long-term, generational project – generations down the line will make the difference,” says Gow.

Among other efforts, Gow cites that switching to four-stroke engines on their dive boats not only saves the environment, but also saves a small fortune. “They don’t leave an oil slick on the water, they’re far more fuel efficient, and they’re quieter,” states Gow. “In fuel savings alone, the four-strokes pay for themselves in just nine months of operation. That’s not just green, that makes perfect business sense.”

Learn more about the eco practices at both resorts by visiting www.maho.org and www.matava.com.

helP raise the bar

There’s no doubt that it takes some effort to go green. It may take capital, elbow grease, someone with the unwavering determination to make a difference or any combination of the above. Despite any hurdles, these dive businesses have proven that it’s not just good for the planet, it’s also good for the bottom line.

“People are finally starting to think about real consequences to the environ-ment,” says Gow, “Beyond doom and gloom, the world is changing its views on conservation. Businesses are starting to make decisions based not just on the bottom line, but what’s also good for the environment.”

So what are you waiting for? Follow the example set by these environmen-tal dive leaders, help raise the bar and you may find your bottom line will follow.

Clockwise from top left: Beautiful glassware made

from recycled glass at Maho Bay Resort on St. John

in the US Virgin Islands; the eco-friendly garden at

Matava resort in Kadavu, Fiji; Fiji’s reefs benefit

from conservation measures.


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Marine Protected Areas, such as the Maldives, have helped pro-tect some of the world’s top dive destinations.


eco travel to

MPasPlanning a group dive trip? Consider one of the world’s marine protected areas and experience green travel. By ty sawyer

If you’re looking for some of the best diving on the planet, focus on three letters: M P A. This abbrevia-tion for Marine Protected Area should come with a halo of diver down and blue and white alpha flags because many of the top dive destinations in the world come with this mark of excellence. MPAs shine a bright light upon

regions of significant biodiversity, and once this coat of legal pro-tection falls over a region, the marine life seem to sense it, relax and start to appear in greater and greater numbers throughout the habitats and ecosystems that comprise the MPA. In short, MPA status allows marine life to get back to the daily dance of predator, prey, hide, eat, preen, spawn — all of which happens right in front of our eyes as divers. Plus, planning a dive trip to these destinations helps support the sustainability of the natural heritage we all want to experience. Support the planet; give your clients experiences of a lifetime; go with an MPA-based trip.

cocos Island natIonal Park

In 1978, Cocos Island became a national park. This 47-square-

kilomtetre/18-square-mile island, along with its satellite islets, sits 580 kilometres/360 miles off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. For most live-aboards that visit Cocos, that’s a 36-hour adven-ture across open ocean. This island’s isolation made it a favored pirate hideout during the 17th and 18th centuries. There’s even some pirate graffiti carved into a rock and a legend of buried Henry Morgan treasure. But most of that becomes superfluous once you hit the water. Here, schooling hammerheads rule, whale sharks are commonplace, and the spectacle of watching gangs of blacktip reef sharks hunt at night is an everyday occurrence off Manuelita Island. Marble rays roam the water column in such numbers they’re like giant carpets drifting through the wind and manta rays prowl the bays.

Strong current washes nearly every site here, so large schools of jacks gather in the moving water off the corners of the islands and islets in huge numbers. Surface intervals are spent roaming the open ocean in search of baitballs, which attract a host of pred-ators, including sailfish, and whale sharks pass the island with frequency. Most small critters get lost in the electric, nonstop

the Galapagos Islands – a Diver’s Dream, and No Longer a World heritage Site in DangerdoMInIc ZIeGler, ManaGer, Project

aWare FoundatIon, MeMBer oF the

Board oF the sWIss assocIatIons oF

FrIends oF the GalaPaGos Islands

World-famous for its pristine terrestrial flora and fauna, and with numerous endemic species, Gala-pagos marine ecosystems are also unique. At the confluence of three ocean currents, this marine reserve is home to a diversity of species that include sea turtles, marine iguanas, sea lions, numerous pelagic fishes and various shark species ranging from whale sharks to large groups of hammerheads.

When Charles Darwin developed his famous theories based in part on his Galapagos Islands experiences 175 years ago, he probably couldn’t have imagined that these fascinating islands would ever be in danger. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, the United Nations Educational, Scien-tific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided in 2007 to add the Galapagos to the List of World Her-itage Sites in Danger. This was due to threats that included the introduction of invasive species from increased air and maritime traffic, illegal fishing and heavy tourism.

On 29 July 2010, UNESCO released the following statement: “The Committee decided to remove the Galapagos Islands from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The Committee found that significant progress had been made by Ecuador in addressing these problems. It welcomed the Government’s con-tinuing efforts to strengthen conservation measures, especially in dealing with introduced species.”

Divers are the first to understand what it means to enjoy intact ecosystems.

action of the marquee big-boys, but you can usually find large frogfish under the mooring. Cocos tops most divers’ all-time wish lists, and is the exclusive bastion of live-aboards.

Cocos Island is a perfect place to plan a trip for your more expe-rienced divers or well-traveled divers. If they haven’t already been there, they’ll probably already have this on their list. If they have, they probably want to go again. I know I do.

seychelles: aldaBra atoll sPecIal reserve

The world’s second-largest coral atoll, Aldabra encompasses 224 square kilometres/86 square miles of lagoon, which has dozens of small islets. The outer ring includes four main islands, Grand Terre, Malabar, Polymnie and Picard. It’s a nature lover’s dream. This UNESCO World Heritage site has evolved in this remote corner of the Indian Ocean almost untouched by humans. Above the water, you’ll find more than 150,000 Aldabra giant tortoises, and a host of endemic species such as the Aldabra rail, the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean.

You don’t come to Aldabra by accident. It’s more than 1127 kilometres/700 miles from Mahe, the capital of the Seychelles, so, like Cocos, it’s live-aboard country. You may need to char-ter a boat yourself for your group because operators don’t always

Facing page: Gangs of whitetip reef sharks hunt at night off Manuelita Island,

a small uninhabited islet off Cocos. Top: Hawksbill sea turtles have been pro-

tected in the Seychelles since the 1990s. Above: Manta rays in Cocos.

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offer regularly scheduled trips and it takes a fair bit of planning to organize a trip to Aldabra. The payoff, however, is huge.

Beyond the obvious bragging rights of diving a destination such as this, the outer reefs are home to manta rays, several spe-cies of shark and sea turtles that use Aldabra’s beaches to nest. The reefs teem with marine life, such as circular batfish, honeycomb morays, and hordes of humpback snapper. Giant hand-sized nudibranchs roam the reef, as well as large potato cod, grouper and angelfish. Inside the lagoon, they practice shark wrangling and shark calling. At dusk, if you tap your hand on the surface, small blacktip reef sharks will respond with curiosity, and dur-ing the day, the sharks roam the shallows.

This will be a trip of a lifetime, with plenty to do for nondiv-ers who want to immerse themselves in a unique ecosystem. And don’t miss the sunshine recorder (you’ll have to go to see it).

PhIlIPPInes: tuBBataha reeFs natural Park

In the middle of the Sulu Sea in the southern Philippines, the two atolls that comprise Tubbataha Reefs Nat-ural Park pack a punch when it comes to biodiversity. From whale sharks

to clownfish to pristine coral reefs and crowds of nudibranchs, everything under the tropical sea seems to have found a home

here. Also a UNESCO World Heritage site, there’s even a team of rangers whose sole job is to protect this natural wonderland during the dive season, which runs from approximately March to June when the seas are calm and flat.

Most divers launch from Puerto Princesa City, and the only way to see this part of the coral triangle is by live-aboard, so you’ll be able to explore to your heart’s desire. Color predominates the reefs here, from regal purples to vivid reds, yellows and oranges. More than 600 species of fish roam among more than 350 species of hard and soft corals. You’ll rub shoulders with such unique spe-cies as thresher and leopard sharks and whale sharks, and the top dives — Shark Airport, Seafan Alley, T-Wreck, and Triggerfish City, among others — don’t hide the focus of the site experience in their names. In fact, sharks, rays and sea turtles can be found on almost every dive, and if you’re into macro, you will run out of fingers and toes quickly just by counting the endless variety of nudibranchs you’ll find here. You’ll love the wild colors of the soft corals, the easily approached turtles and spending time in the cyclones of Pacific barracuda that roam the reefs.

If you have divers who want a little bit of everything, from lush reefs to intriguing wrecks to sharks and the small stuff, this is the place. And, during the season, there are plenty of live-aboards to book. Above the water, the southern Philippines looks like a

Maldives» Cost: The Maldives is a high-end desti-nation, so you’ll want to plan accordingly.» Visa: Maldives issues a 30-day visa upon arrival; visitors from India, Paki-stan, Bangladesh or Nepal, get a 90-day stamp.» Best Time to Go: Dry season is Decem-ber to March; wet, May to November. » Water Temperature: Hovers around 30°C/86°F year-round.» Tipping: A 10 percent service tax is added to every bill, but additional tips are expected when you stay at resorts. For dive staff: Definitely. In Male, no tipping is necessary for restaurants or taxis.» Cultural/customs/travel tips: The Mal-dives is a Muslim democracy and nudity is prohibited. You should wear clothes that cover your thighs and upper body when traveling away from your resort.» Travel: All flights enter the Maldives via the Male International Airport.

Costa Rica/Cocos Island» Cost: For your transition days on land, Costa Rica is a fairly inexpensive place to visit. » Visa: No visa required for visitors from Argentina, Canada, Panama, United States, Japan, Israel, Austra-lia, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela. All other countries, check with vis-itcostarica.com.» Best Time to Go: Dry season for Cocos is November to May, which brings calmer seas, and large schools of mobula rays. June to November brings larger schools of hammerheads, but rougher seas and more rain.» Water Temperature: 25-27°C/78-82 °F in dry season; 24-26°C/76-80°F in Winter» Tipping: 10 percent of the cost of your liveaboard. » Cultural/customs/travel tips: A safety sausage is required, there will be lots of current and you can expect a fair bit of physical exertion in keeping up with the wide variety of critters found here. If you’re prone to seasick-ness, bring medication for the rough crossing to Cocos. » Travel: For travel to Cocos your flight will arrive in San Jose and the liveaboard companies will organize transpor-tation to Puntarenas to meet the boat.

Tubbataha, Philippines» Cost: Tubbataha Reef sits approximately 180 kilome-

tres/98 miles from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, which makes it an exclusive liveaboard destination and costs will vary by live-aboard. » Visa: Check with the Philippine embassy, but most countries do not need a visa to enter the Philippines, and will be given a 21 day visa upon arrival. » Best Time to Go: You can only visit Tub-bataha during the dry season, mid-March to mid-June. But travel during Easter and Golden Week (peak Asian region holi-days), books years in advance.» Water Temp: 28-30°C/82-86°F, with average visibility in excess of 40 meters/130 feet.» Tipping: 10 percent of the cost of your liveaboard.» Cultural/customs/travel tips: The div-ing is primarily wall and the best diving is deeper. » Travel: Live-aboards originate from Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The cross-ing to Tubbataha takes approximately 10 hours, as is usually rough. Book through a

reputable agency as the quality of live-aboards varies.

Aldabra Seychelles» Cost: Travel to Aldabra requires a five day voyage from Mahe by chartered yacht. It won’t be inexpensive, so plan accordingly.» Visa: You don’t need a visa but a valid return ticket is required. A visitor’s permit extension can be purchased.» Best Time to Go: The tradewinds define the travel sea-son in the Seychelles, and they are usually calmer from October to March. But, the months best for diving are April to May, and October to November.» Water Temp: 29 °C /84°F in peak season, with average visibility of 30 plus meters/100 feet.» Tipping: 10 percent of the cost of your charter.» Cultural/customs/travel tips: Seychelles are French- speaking country, so try brushing up or learning a few French phrases.» Travel: Getting to Aldabra requires a good deal of plan-ning, and will likely require a unique charter built around the needs of your group and your budget. The distance from Mahe is 1126 kilometres/700 miles. Occassionally, boats will depart from the Comoros, which are 442 kilo-metres/275 miles away. An alternative is to charter a three-hour flight from Mahe to meet the charter.

travel GuIde

If you want vivid swaths of color and a tremendous amount of biodiversity,

then the deep walls of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park will keep your traveling

divers enthralled, especially when each day is punctuated by great sunsets.

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tropical dream come to life with uninhabited palm islands, glassy water and soft white sand beaches.

MaldIves: lhavIyanI atoll

If you look at the Maldives from the air, it looks like a wonderful jewel, studded with gems that stretch across the horizon of the Indian Ocean. If there’s a measuring stick for the per-

fect island world, the 26 atolls, lustrous blue lagoons and 1192 coconut palm-crowded islands are it. Much as been made of the Maldives in the eco worlds of global warming, as its high-est point is about 2.3 metres/7.5 feet above sea level, with most of the country in the under 1.2 metre/4.0 foot region. What that really means is that the major action that takes place in this island nation happens underwater. There are underwater restau-rants, spas, rooms, and, of course, miles and miles of aquamarine

lagoons, beaches and an abundantly active reefscape. Great div-ing exists throughout the archipelago, but for nonstop action in a fully protected region, head to Lhaviyani Atoll, which is stacked wall to wall with world-famous dive sites. Top of the heap off this atoll, you’ll find schools of mantas, gray reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, blacktip reef sharks and sea turtles, as well as large aggregations of snapper. Currents can rip here, which is what brings in so many of the top players in the water column, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spend a little time with whale sharks. If you want to spoil your palette right away, slip into the power-house diving at the Kuredu Express where almost all the players come in heaps in this one spot. But, you can’t really go wrong in this MPA that literally ripples with marine life.

When you’re planning a Maldive trip, emphasize both the romance (overwater bungalows and island spas) and the adventure (sharks, pelagics and currents) of the diving. You can explore the Maldives by land or live-aboard. You can focus on the Lhaviyani Atoll, but great adventures exist throughout this island nation. Every resort exists on its own island, and even the live-aboards emphasize luxury, pampering, tropical bliss and romance.

For a database on MPAs worldwide: wdpa-marine.org.

Clockwise from top: The Maldives are world-famous for close encounters

with manta rays; Palm trees, white sand and tropical romance make the

Maldives a perfect diver paradise. Huge schools of marine life are common.

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COSTA RICA^ Unique Sports Of Aruba Oranjestad, Aruba (297) 586-0096 www.visitaruba.com/uniquesports

< Costa Rica Adventure Divers Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica (800) 317-0333 www.costaricadiving.com

^ Diving Safaris Costa Rica Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2672-1259 www.costaricadiving.net

^ Rich Coast Diving Co.IDC Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2670-0176 www.richcoastdiving.com

\ Resort Divers De Costa Rica Playa Panama, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2670-0421 www.resortdivers-cr.com

^ Deep Blue Diving Adventures Playas Del Coco,guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2670-1004 www.deepblue-diving.com

< Reef Runner Divers Limon, Costa Rica (506) 2750-0480 www.reefrunnerdivers.com

< La Paloma Lodge Heredia, Costa Rica (506) 2239-2801 www.lapalomalodge.com

< Pirate Cove Puntarenas, Costa Rica (506) 2393-9449 www.piratecovecostarica.com

< Aqua Center Diving Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 8877-7420 www.aquacenterdiving.com

< Agua Rica Diving Center Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica (506) 2653-2032 www.aguarica.net

^ Oceans Unlimited Costa Rica S.A.IDC Quepos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica (506) 2777-3171 www.oceansunlimitedcr.com

< Summer-Salt Dive Center Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2670-0308 www.summer-salt.com

^ Crocodive PacificIDC Ojochal, Costa Rica (506) 786 5118 www.madaboutdivingcr.com

< Herradura Divers Ltda Puntarenas, Costa Rica (506) 2637-7123 www.herraduradivers.com

< Turismo Curu Pontarenas, Costa Rica (506) 2641-0014 [email protected]

< Costa Rica Dive And Surf Dominical, Puntarenas, Costa Rica (506) 8319-5392 www.costaricadiveandsurf.com

^ Crocodive CaribeIDC Puerto Viejo, Talamanca, Costa Rica (506) 2750-0919 www.crocodivecaribe.com

< Punta Uva Dive Center Punta Uva De Talamanca, Limon, Costa Rica (506) 2759-9191 www.puntauvadivecenter.com

5 Divingmania Dive CenterIDC Rohmoser, San Jose, Costa Rica (506) 2291-2936 www.divingmania.net

5 Ocotal Resort Playas Del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 2670-0321 www.ocotaldiving.com

< Aguila De Osa Inn Osa Peninsula Puntarenas, Costa Rica (506) 2296-2190 [email protected]

5 Scubacaribe Guanacsate, Costa Rica (506) 2670-2264 www.scubacaribe.com

< Pacific Coast Dive Center Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (506) 8827-4525 www.pacificcoastdivecenter.com

GALAPAGOS\ Galapagos Sub-Aqua Galapagos, Ecuador (593) 4-2305514 www.galapagos-sub-aqua.com

< Scuba Iguana Galapagos, Ecuador (593) 5-2526497 www.scubaiguana.com

< Tip Top Fleet, Galapagos Galapagos Island, Ecuador (593) 2-2526938 www.tiptopfleet.com< Dive Center Silberstein Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador (593) 525-26028 www.divingalapagos.com

DC Red Mangrove Dive Center Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador (888) 254 3190 www.redmangrove.com

MALDIVES^ Palm Beach Diving CenterIDC Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives +960 662 0084 [email protected]

5 Pro Divers Komandoo Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives +960 662 1010 www.prodivers.com

^ Sun Dive Center Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives +960 662 0044 [email protected]

5 Pro DiversIDC Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives +960 662 0343 www.prodivers.com

SEYCHELLES< Blue Sea Divers Mare Anglaise, Seychelles (248) 526051 www.blueseadivers.com

^ Cote D’Or OctopusIDC Praslin, Seychelles (248) 232602 www.octopusdiver.com

< Desroches Island Dive Centre Amirante, Seychelles (248) 229003 [email protected]

< Azzura Pro Dive Center La Digue, Seychelles (248) 292535 www.ladigue.sc

^ Big Blue Divers Mahe Anglaise, Mahe, Seychelles (248) 261106 www.bigbluedivers.net

\ Silhouette Cruises Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles (248) 514051 [email protected]

^ Seychelles Underwater CentreIDC Mahe, Seychelles (248) 345445 www.diveseychelles.com.sc

^ Eco Center-Watersports & IDC Nature Tours Silhouette Island, Seychelles (248) 527022 www.eco-center.com

< Fregate Island Private Resort Fregate Island, Seychelles (248) 324545 [email protected]

^ Angel Fish Dive Center Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles (248) 344133 www.dive-angelfish.com

< North Island Company Ltd North Island, Seychelles (248) 293100 www.north-island.com

^ Dive Resort Seychelles Baie Lazare, Mahe, Seychelles (248) 717272 www.seychellesdiving.net

eco travel to MPas — Padi dive centers and resorts

LEG EnD

Fo r a co m p l e t e l i s t o f PADI Dive Ce n t e r s a n d Re s o r t s , vi s i t t h e Dive Shop Lo c a to r a t p a d i .com

*PA DI Dive Centers and Resorts renewed for 2 010 as of 16 June, 2 010

DC PADI Dive Center 5 PADI Five Star Dive Center < PADI Dive Resort\ PADI Dive Boat^ PADI Five Star Resort

PADI Recreational Facility

^ IDC PADI Five Star Instructor Development Dive Resort 5 IDC PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center 5 CDC PADI Five Star Career Development Center ^ CDC PADI Five Star Career Development Resort

The Divemaster Final Exam is •administered by the course instruc-tor, not online.

Change: Dive theory knowledge develop-ment restructured and better integrated into course content. Why and How: Previously, the most intense part of divemaster training for many candidates was acquiring dive theory knowledge by studying a variety of materials, such as The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving, Diving Knowledge Workbook, RDP Instructions for Use Booklet, Dive Theory Online, etc.

These resources are still relevant to divemaster training and some are still required; however, the foundational dive theory concepts are now contained in the PADI Divemaster Manual and in Dive-master Online. This clarifies and better focuses candidates’ study efforts. Another issue was that the dive theory step in the course was, essentially, from Rescue Diver to the PADI Instructor level. This large step interfered with the learning for some candidates. The revised course uses a more instructionally appropriate intermediate step that builds upon prerequisite knowl-edge, setting the stage for continuing development at the instructor level.

Change: Greater focus on awareness of the dive environment. Why and How: PADI Divemasters need to be knowledgeable about the biologi-cal and physical properties of the aquatic

realm, because of the importance of inter-acting responsibly with aquatic life and planning dives based on environmental awareness. There is a new chapter in the Divemaster Manual and in Divemaster Online – Awareness of the Dive Environ-ment – devoted to the aquatic realm.

Change: Exams test concepts based upon the knowledge development revision. Why and How: The revision of the knowledge development section made it appropriate to revise the exams corre-spondingly. As with the course itself, some topics have little change, but others, such as dive theory, have many exam revisions.

Also, as diving has spread to the far cor-ners of the world, there are many people who take PADI courses using materials that aren’t in their primary languages, and many others who may not have a lot of formal education. To reduce difficul-ties with these, the new Divemaster Final Exam tests course concepts, but as much as possible uses straightforward language to reduce language-related confusion. As an example, a buoyancy-related question may ask the candidate to choose a lift bag of the correct size to raise a large object, rather than calculate the exact volume of air needed inside a lifting device.

The IDC and IE Exams remain the same, so PADI Divemasters still need to prepare for those exams by using Dive Theory Online along with the Diving Knowledge Workbook and The Encyclope-dia of Recreational Diving.

A divemaster course revision following the release of the revised Instructor Devel-opment Course (IDC) is a logical step because it’s also a good time to take a look at the course that transforms divers into dive leaders.

As with any course revision, the process started by analyzing what still works well, what was outdated and what new top-ics or approaches would be necessary for training PADI Divemasters in the com-ing years. Overall, the analysis showed that the course content was solid, but needed a few updates; with opportunities to expand the practical application portions to better prepare candidates as PADI Divemasters.

To fully understand the revised course, review the new materials (discussed a little later). Here’s a quick look at what changed, and why and how it was revised:

Change: Prerequisite raised to 40 logged dives from 20. Why and How: One request by PADI Members was to decrease the gap between the entry and exit requirement for logged dives. The rationale was that a candidate with a few more logged dives entering the course has a better foundation and will be more likely to meet the exit requirement of 60 dives during the course. The candi-date also has a more solid experience base to build upon during the course.

Change: Online study option. Why and How: PADI eLearning® has proven an effective independent-study tool that is convenient for many people. Decreasing formal classroom meeting time frees up time to devote to knowledge assessment, skill development and practi-cal application.

The course now has three knowledge •development options: 1) Complete PADI Divemaster Online; 2) read the manual, watch the video, com-plete the Knowledge Reviews and prescriptively review material in class; and 3) attend instructor-led knowledge development presenta-tions in class. No matter what study option can-•didates and the instructor choose, the first topic – The Role and Characteristics of a PADI Dive-master – is delivered or reviewed by the course instructor to set the attitude, direction and philosophy for the training to follow.t

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by LoRi bacheLoR-smith

The PADI Divemaster Course has been revised to

better prepare candidates, including increasing

the minimum requirement for logged dives.

The revised divemaster course offers

more comprehensive training and a

greater emphasis on the programs

they’re authorized to conduct.


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Change: Four skin diving skills added to the Dive Skill Workshop Why and How: Since divemasters can independently teach the PADI Skin Diver course, they now practice develop-ing role-model skin diving skills during the workshop.

Change: Practical application segment restructured to include more specific, hands-on practice and application. Why and How: Previously, every can-didate’s internship could differ slightly depending on what Open Water Diver or continuing education courses were avail-able to assist with, how many student divers there were in each course, etc.

The new structure retains this flexibil-ity, but ensures that candidates specifically apply the knowledge and skills they acquire during the course. For example, candidates practice skills like setting a float for a class, using a surface marker buoy, conducting briefings and solving prob-lems that occur during various programs. Candidates also practice implementing the programs they are authorized to conduct independently, like Scuba Review and Dis-cover Local Diving. Here’s what’s included in the Practical Application:

Practical Skills•Skill 1 – Dive Site Set Up and ManagementSkill 2 – Mapping ProjectSkill 3 – Dive BriefingSkill 4 – Search and Recovery ScenarioSkill 5 – Deep Dive Scenario

A candidate who has a PADI Search and Recovery Diver certification may earn credit for Skill 4. A candidate who has a PADI Deep Diver certification may earn credit for Skill 5. This allows you to promote these specialty certifications before or during the divemaster course.

Divemaster-Conducted Programs •Workshops

Workshop 1 – Scuba Review in Confined WaterWorkshop 2 – Skin Diver Course and Snorkeling SupervisionWorkshop 3 – Discover Scuba Diving Program in Confined WaterWorkshop 4 – Discover Scuba Diving Program – Additional Open Water DiveWorkshop 5 – Discover Local

Diving in Open WaterThis ensures candidates practice conduct-

ing the programs they can conduct or assist with.

Practical Assessment•Practical Assessment 1 – Open Water Diver Student Divers in Confined WaterPractical Assessment 2 – Open Water Diver Student Divers in Open WaterPractical Assessment 3 – Con-tinuing Education Student

Divers in Open WaterPractical Assessment 4 – Certi-fied Divers in Open Water

Candidates work with student divers during Practical Assessments 1-3, unless this isn’t feasible, then role-playing is acceptable. Candidates work with certified divers during Practical Assessment 4. This gives candidates experience working with students and certified divers, but allows flexibility for role-playing if necessary.

New and Revised Materials The new or revised materials available for you and your divemaster candidates are:

Divemaster Manual – rewritten to include nine chapters:

The Role and Characteristics of a •PADI DivemasterSupervising Diving Activities •Assisting with Student Divers •Diver Safety and Risk •Management

Manual (English version) matches its online counterpart.The PADI • Rescue Diver Video has some updated footage to help div-ers prepare for the skills they will demonstrate in open water. The • Rescue Diver Video, profes-sional edition, includes an updated portion intended for PADI Dive-masters, Assistant Instructors and Instructors.The Rescue Diver cue cards reflect •the standards changes announced in 2009.The Rescue Diver Prescriptive •Lesson Guides are updated to cor-respond with the revised manual, and have a new look.

Make sure your Rescue Diver eLearn-ers get the Rescue Diver Enhancement Pak, so they’ll have what they need to complete the inwater portion of the course.

resCue DIver Goes onlInePaDI launches the online version of the most pivotal course in a dive leader’s career.JuLie tayLoR sandeRs, inteRnationaL tRaining executive, Padi WoRLdWide

Rescue diveR goes onLine

Upon reflection, PADI dive leaders often single out the PADI Rescue Diver course as the turning point in their careers. The most common comment the PADI Offices receive about the course is that taking Rescue Diver turns diving into a lifelong passion.

In August this year, PADI Rescue Diver Online (English) launched, offer-ing your divers a second independent study option for this pivotal course. Res-cue Diver Online shares key features with other PADI eLearning programs:

eLearners affiliate with a PADI •Dive Center or ResortGift Passes are available for gifting, •or for instructors to allow divers access to the programAfter completing eLearning seg-•ments (including knowledge reviews and final exam), student divers complete a knowledge

assessment and a Quick Review and all practical components of the course with an instructor. Divers have 12 months to com-•plete the eLearning program, and have perpetual access to the PADI Rescue Diver Manual Online.

Like the Open Water Diver course, the PADI Rescue Diver course has a strong theory component. Because students can choose to begin and complete eLearning (all the way through to the final exam) at their own convenience, both instructors and student divers benefit by focusing their interactive time together on more fun, rescue-skill-building time in the water.

Revised mateRiaLs

Rescue Diver course materials have been updated to match the 2010 Rescue Diver Course Instructor Guide.

The revised PADI • Rescue Diver

The skills learned in Rescue Diver help

prepare students for real-life emergen-

cies. At left: The course is often the

turning point in a dive leader’s career.

The new Divemaster Online is similar to other

PADI eLearning programs.

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Divemaster Conducted Programs•Specialized Skills and Activities•Business of Diving and Your Div-•ing CareerAwareness of the Dive •EnvironmentDive Theory Review •

Divemaster Video – all new footage, including a bonus feature – Demonstra-tion Quality Skills – where role-model demonstrations of all 20 scuba skills and four skin diving skills are shown.

Divemaster Online – includes eight sections (Chapters 2-9 from the manual). Similar to other PADI eLearning® pro-grams, candidates enroll and affiliate with a PADI Dive Center or Resort, or enroll by buying a Gift Pass from a PADI Instruc-tor. Candidates complete the Knowledge Reviews online, but take the final exam with their instructor.

Divemaster Course Lesson Guides and Presentation Notes – This is the standard lesson guides and the prescriptive lesson guides integrated into one instruc-tional tool. Full sections can be used for in class delivery of material. The presenta-tion notes are included for your reference. Knowledge Review sections can be used to review candidate understanding and then prescriptively link to the lesson guides as necessary to elaborate for clarity.

Instructor Cue Cards for Divemaster Course – New slates for the instructor to have in the water that outline inwater skill exercises, practical application skills, work-shops and practical assessments. There’s also a roster and requirement checklist to help you keep track of candidate scores and completion dates.

Divemaster Slates – revised slightly to match course content.

Divemaster Final Exam – new exam booklet, answer sheet and answer key

The revised Divemaster Course Instruc-tor Guide and the Divemaster Course section of PADI’s Guide to Teaching, which includes teaching tips and scheduling sug-gestions, are available for download from the Pros’ Site. These sections will be incor-porated in the respective paper and digital products in 2011.

The program will launch at DEMA Show 2010 and you can start teaching the revised PADI Divemaster course as soon as you have the new materials. Please refer to the Fourth Quarter 2010 Training Bulle-tin for more information about the revised PADI Divemaster Course.


their enthusiasm and helps them enjoy the dive.

It is impossible, before certification, to train divers for every possible variable they may encounter while diving in all of those conditions. A local orientation is the logi-cal solution. It helps divers recognize their limitations and helps them enhance and apply what they know to a new environ-ment. This practice has served the dive community well. However, it depends upon both the diver seeking out the ori-entation, and you providing it.

PointeRs

Take a close look at your local environment – what are the key safety-related points div-

teaching tiPs: loCal area orIentatIonsJuLie tayLoR sandeRs, inteRnationaL tRaining executive, Padi WoRLdWide

Site variety is a good thing, because it keeps things interesting. With diver safety in mind, PADI courses emphasize the significance of gaining new dive site orientations when diving in areas outside the limits of your training and experience. Common sense suggests that following this established safety practice helps div-ers gain confidence and experience, while reducing the risk incurred by those who venture out on their own to new areas and unanticipated conditions.

The local area orientation, then, is an expected extension of diver training. The fact is, divers are certified in a broad vari-ety of locations and conditions. PADI courses clearly inform divers that there will be new variables to manage when they explore new and exciting sites – with the assumption that they will want to explore and experience diving to the fullest.

Think about places people routinely dive and the differences between these types of dive sites: mountain lakes, flooded rock quarries, sinkholes, lagoons, open ocean, aquariums, cenotes, crystal springs, rivers, ponds, seamounts. Consider how each of these sites differs in terms of dive entry/exit techniques, potential hazards and points of interest. Factor in the diversity of conditions one can encounter at these sites – crystal-clear water, turbidity, walls and ledges, flat sand bottom, surface chop, rocky outcrops, silt, thermoclines, cold or warm water, surge, surf, current, kelp, aquatic life. While some sites are suitable for nearly every age and ability, others are arduous and demanding.

Orientation to the local environment also includes making divers aware of the local underwater habitat and how to dive

with care regarding the environment. This is a good opportunity to remind div-ers about maintaining neutral buoyancy, watching where they put their hands, feet and knees and to treat all animals with respect. Divers are also very curious about what they will see and a good orientation also covers the unique and interesting life they will see. This also serves to increase

tRaining: back to basics

ers should know to dive there? What local techniques do you use? What points are important to care for the local environ-ment and conserve it?

Look at it this way: If you were new to the area, what would you want to know? For example:

Explain local entries/exits, water •conditions and how to prepare for them, equipment used locally, best time of the day to dive, use of moor-ing buoys, rules for marine-protected areas, anti-silting techniques, etc. Alert divers to potential hazards such •as caves and caverns, especially those who don’t have the training and equipment to enter them. Outline local emergency plans •

– diver recall and accountability procedures, emergency equipment location, etc. Describe what is special in the area, •what is unique or unusual to note in the logbook and photograph. People appreciate hearing these things. It not only makes your area stand out among others, it makes the whole dive experience richer and more rewarding. Reflect the level of preparedness •one needs to dive comfortably if your local environment is rigorous. Though it may be a sensitive subject, it is also quite appropriate to discuss personal limitations if local diving requires a high degree of fitness. Alert divers to local endangered spe-•cies, techniques to avoid disturbing aquatic life; and how they can learn more about the local biological diversity.

To spur your thinking, here are some things likely to rate high on the “I wish

I would have known that before I got in” scale:

Describe the protocol for identify-•ing that divers are in the area. Do you use a float ball, surface marker buoys, towed flag/float or maybe surface signal tubes? Demonstrate it and explain its value in terms of diver safety.Discuss the protocol for control in •drift environments. Explain tech-niques for entering the water, and staying together both on the sur-face and underwater. Describe the local technique for •wall diving. Cover gaining atten-tion underwater, going no deeper than the divemaster, a description of changes in marine life from shal-low to deep, emphasis on out-of-air emergency procedures, along with the usual depth and time limitations, and buoyancy control and trim. Tell where the invertebrates con-•gregate. Provide tips such as what to do if you find yourself surfacing amidst jellyfish. Discuss unpredictable conditions •such as dense fog. Remind divers to set return compass headings. Tell divers about finding local •inhabitants and how to respect them. This provides focus and challenge to the dive.

You are in the best position to help divers compare their skills and experience with the local dive conditions, and to make rec-ommendations on equipment and training useful to diving locally. Your experience also helps divers discover the highlights of what makes your dive sites unusual or exceptional.

Local area orientations integrate nicely

Location, location, location. Just like the real estate mantra, diving is all about the site –the view, the flora, fauna, and how energized or comfortable you feel when you’re there. Each dive site is unique, often requiring specific diving techniques and skill level.

into any dive briefing. PADI Discover Local Diving is purpose-built for local ori-entations. Many PADI specialty courses and Adventure Dives inherently teach div-ers about the environment and conditions (think drift, ice, cavern, deep and wreck). Regardless of the dive objective, train-ing or guided dive, provide a local area orientation.

Though no course can prepare a diver for all environments, PADI courses and related materials help ensure that divers understand the need to prepare for dives in new areas by seeking out your advice and leadership as the local expert. Take that lead and evaluate what types of orienta-tions you are doing now, and what might improve them. Likewise, encourage your divers to seek out similar guidance as they travel and expand their diving horizons.

ty

sa

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)

keeP in mindDiver safety and responsibility is the cornerstone of the PADI Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding div-ers sign at the beginning of PADI courses. As it relates to diving within the diver’s experience, divers agree to:

be familiar with my dive sites. If not, obtain a formal diving ori-entation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving conditions are worse than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience.

listen carefully to dive brief-ings and directions and respect the advice of those supervising my diving activities. Recognize that additional training is rec-ommended for participation in specialty diving activities, in other geographic areas and after periods of inactivity that exceed six months.

The local dive site orientation — which should

include information such as entry and exit tech-

niques — is essential for ensuring diver safety.

In giving a dive briefing, keep in mind what you

would want to know — such as what is unique about

the site — if you were diving it for the first time.


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)

teCNeWSJamie Macleod with Lieutenant Com-mander Jeff Davies [L] and Rear Admiral Jeffery B. Cassias [R].

Jamie macleod offers UniqUe mUlti-level trainingAn interview with Jamie Macleod #49341, TecRec Instruc-tor Trainer, Thailand

Jamie Macleod is an energetic and unique personality who owns and operates a dedicated technical diving facility from Koh Tao, Thailand. The island of Koh Tao sits east of Thailand’s third-largest Island of Koh Samui and is bathed by the warm southern waters of the Gulf of Thai-land. Macleod has carved a niche for himself as a PADI Course Director conducting PADI TecRec training from his dedicated live-aboard the MV Trident. Equipped to meet technical diving requirements with full on-board blending capabilities, Macleod can be found prospecting for new wreck sites in the southern gulf when not teaching – in fact, a compo-nent of many of his courses is how he and his team go about systematic searches for new wreck sites. As an experienced PADI TecRec Instructor Trainer, Macleod has certified more than 25 PADI Tec Deep Instructors and more than 60 PADI Tec Deep and PADI Tec Trimix Divers. Aboard the MV Trident, Macleod employs a multi-level training technique so new technical divers rub shoulders with neophyte technical instructors – all under the watchful eye of the technical staff. This environment of total

immersion breeds a competent, practical diver and instructor well versed in the discipline necessary to be a proficient technical diver. From the deck of MV Trident as the sun rises over the gulf, it often looks as if the whole world has gone Tec.

Although dedicated to technical training, Macleod still finds time to run exploration charters aboard MV Trident for closed circuit and open circuit groups alike – including renowned technical divers and wreck hunters like John Chatterton and Richie Kohler.

Arguably one of Jamie’s more celebrated achievements is the discov-ery of the USS Lagarto wreck’s location in the Gulf of Thailand and the recognition he consequently received from the United States Navy and Veterans Association.

What is your current involvement in diving?Owner/operator of MV Trident, a dedicated technical diving live-aboard running exploratory deep wreck expeditions in the Gulf of Thailand. We offer tec training to any level, open circuit and CCR. I’m also involved in cave exploration and training on Thailand’s mainland.

69 t h e u n d e r s e a j o u r n a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 068 t h e u n d e r s e a j o u r n a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

How long have you been involved in tec diving?I started diving deep soon after I learnt to dive in 1988, but it was hardly tec – we clipped a spare tank on, shared a computer, jumped in and waited to see what happened.

How did you get into tec diving?My diving customers started to turn up with proper tec kit, deco theory and procedures, and I learnt from them. As soon as DSAT released the TecRec program, I wanted to teach it.

do have any specialized areas of interest?I’ve always had an interest in World War II, so WWII wrecks are my very favourite wreck dives. The research and mid-ocean searches are as challenging as the dives themselves, and there’s nothing like finding a specific wreck you’ve been trying for.

What do you think are the greatest challenges are in this kind of diving?Our Gulf of Thailand wrecks are between 40 to 80 metres/130 to 260 feet, quite straightforward, but they are a long way out – as far as 200 nautical miles from port. The logistics and emergency planning are quite complicated for a typical week’s diving, and very important to get right. There’s no Coast Guard or Royal National Lifeboat Insti-tution in Thailand.

What are the most important attributes of a tec diver for the type of diving you do?You need to be well organized. When you have a set procedure pre-dive and give yourself lots of time to get it right, it saves you loads of inwater hassle. If you have to be dragged out of your bunk in the

morning, forced to analyze your gases, then spend 10 minutes on the surface getting your hair/mask just right, tec is maybe not for you.

What are the most likely mistakes a tec diver can make in your kind of diving?1. Trying to do too much on one dive2. Carrying too many unnecessary gizmos

How do you prepare for a demanding technical dive?I prepare for every dive, even the 10-metre/30-foot training dives, in exactly the same way, and it becomes a habit and frees you up to think about the actual dive. This becomes even more important in CCR diving. If you think the dive is easy and don’t prepare properly, it’ll get you. Our two serious accidents have both occurred on ‘easy’ warm up dives.

What were your best and worst tec diving experiences?1. Seeing the USS Lagarto for the first time.2. Calling the wife of a diver who drowned.

What influences your selection of dive gear?Reliability. We don’t have a great selection in Thailand, so some-times I manage to persuade our overseas divers to leave some lovely kit on-board.

What kind of person do you want diving in the same team as you?Well organized and able to follow a plan, but also able to make deci-sions quickly under pressure. A lot of divers seem to get hung up on tec diving folklore and can only do things one way.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of get-ting into tec diving?There’s no such thing as cheapie tec diving, so be prepared to spend some serious money on training, and then spend more tec diving in various places, preferably not just deeper/lon-ger at recreational sites, you’ll learn as much diving as you did during your training.

The USS Salvor (pictured) in the southern Gulf of Thailand. The U.S. Navy was able to confirm the iden-tity of the USS Lagarto. A plaque on the Lagarto commemorates the 86 crewmen who lost their lives.

AbstrAct

The debate over the diver population in the United States is a significant and dif-ficult issue, especially as it relates to the establishment of a reliable fatality rate for diving. The primary cause of this dif-ficulty is the lack of a unified model in place for consistently discussing such a population. Part of the problem is that even the definition of this popula-tion varies; it has also been made even more difficult through arguments that the diver population has been overstated by the dive industry. The publication of such positions and the various assump-tions supporting them have been more frequently (but not necessarily more appropriately) referenced in medical and scientific literature concerning the diver population and fatality rates. The pur-pose of the assessment reported by this paper was to compare the assumptions of the debates questioning the historical U.S. diver population estimates to the empiri-cally derived population model developed by NUADC – McAniff, from which the estimates were originally derived. The goal was to determine which estimate methodology is the most credible for

sure Trends “Track on Scuba” found that 14 percent of the diver population had been diving from 10 to 19 years.

The application of these empirically derived data to diver certification num-bers over the years would support a sizeable, long-term diver population, and contradicts an 80 percent first-year ero-sion rate.

2 Claims of significant duplication among certifications. Another asser-tion has been that divers hold significant numbers of “dual” or multiple train-ing organization certifications for the training, thereby inflating the estimated number of divers. However, the ongoing DEMA Certification Census appears to negate this contention. The current Cer-tification Census is a third-party source for diver certification data, with present participation by PADI, SSI and SDI, but which has included NAUI in the past. Its process identifies and removes duplicate names and addresses across all organi-zations (and within each organization’s reports) and has found the total dupli-cation rate to average approximately one percent. These data show that dual certifi-cations do not appear to exist in sufficient numbers to significantly overinflate diver population estimates.

3 The contention that only “active divers” should be counted. Another confusing element has been the argument that only “active divers,” with some min-imum number of dives per year, should be counted in a population model, result-ing in a further debate about what level of activity an “active diver” must have. While this is a legitimate area of inquiry for other purposes, it has no applica-tion in establishing a population figure to be used as the denominator for over-all diver fatality rates. In any fatality rate study, if an individual can be counted as a fatality, that same individual must be part of the population. For this rea-son, population models that count only those with some specified level of activity are inherently inappropriate for deter-mining fatality rates that count all diver

fatalities. When considering introductory scuba experiences, for example, (partici-pants are not certified and therefore are not normally counted in diver popula-tion models), this is a significant omission. Based upon the results of a 2003 study by the Flexo Hiner & Partners research firm, PADI can estimate approximately 220,000 introductory scuba participants (those with US residence addresses) annu-ally within its program alone. This large group of diving participants (whose num-bers refresh annually on an ongoing basis), while not typically counted in diver pop-ulation estimates, are typically included in diver fatality counts when the unfor-tunate occurs. The result is a statistically invalid rate (with the fatality rate being overstated).

The overall result of applying these common, empirically flawed assump-tions to U.S. diver population models has been the publication of estimates as low as 700,000. Obviously, the result-ing effect on estimated fatality rates is significant.

the NUADc – McANiff

PoPUlAtioN MoDel

The most commonly referenced diver population figure historically used by the dive industry puts the U.S. diver popu-lation in the range of 2.7 to 3.5 million participants. This estimate number was based on supporting and corrobora-tive empirical elements. It was initially derived from recreational diving’s longest-term diver fatality study, the University of Rhode Island, National Underwater Accident Data Center (NUADC) pro-gram carried out by Mr. John McAniff (from 1970 through 1994). McAniff established both a population model and fatality rate (summarized in “An Analysis of Recreational, Technical and Occupa-tional Populations and Fatality Rates in the United States, 1970 – 1994,” July 1995). Over the course of the NUADC program, McAniff –whose seminal work is frequently referenced in the literature regarding historical dive accident data

– published a report annually, which included both fatality numbers and, as

of 1980, rates calculated upon an ongo-ing diver population model of his design (retroactive to 1970).

This work continued until the program was absorbed by Divers Alert Network (DAN); the population model and fatal-ity rate calculations were not carried forward by DAN.

For the U.S. diver population esti-mate, McAniff used direct certification reporting from the major diver training organizations (YMCA, NAUI and PADI cooperated with the NUADC study at various times; PADI, for example, con-tributed U.S. entry-level certification numbers annually throughout the pro-gram). He also used other data, including an early study titled, “An Analysis of the Civil Diving Population of the United States” (approx. 1975); insur-ance and membership information from the Underwater Society of America; and other sources. He also derived and applied an erosion curve. By maintaining the same approach over the 25 years of his study, he established, at least within the parameters of his data and assumptions, a consistently based, empirically derived population model.

In 1995, as referenced in “An Analysis of Recreational, Technical and Occupa-tional Populations and Fatality Rates in the United States, 1970 – 1994,” McAn-iff took the additional step of applying the 1987 DRI Diver Erosion Study data to his population data history to estab-lish a new population range model. His original model was consistent with the new, and fit within the new range. He subsequently estimated the population of scuba divers in the U.S. as of 1995 at 2.7 to 3.5 million. This has been the industry’s most frequently quoted diver population figure.

Editor’s note: This paper was developed for and presented at the DAN Fatality Workshop, held from 8-10 April 2010 in Durham, North Carolina, USA. The workshop brought together an international panel of authorities on the topic. DAN will release proceedings from the event in the coming months.

Models For Estimating the Diver Population of the United States: An AssessmentAl horNsby, seNior Vice PresiDeNt, PADi WorlDWiDe

application in medical and scientific lit-erature. An examination of the common debates, arguments and assumptions found that they typically lack empirical bases and apply flawed assumptions; the NUADC model, by contrast, was found to have strong empirical bases and inde-pendent empirical support.

the DiVer PoPUlAtioN DebAte

Various contentions that the U.S. diver population has been overstated draw upon arguably erroneous assumptions, which have been quoted popularly within the dive community over the past 25 years. These include:

1 That divers in the U.S. “drop out” of diving (i.e., cease participation in diving) at a rate of 80 percent in the first year following entry level certifi-cation. This assumption enjoys an “urban legend” level of acceptance within the dive industry, despite a lack of established empirical or statistical basis. Two, inde-pendent, large-scale and highly credible research studies (the Diagnostic Research Inc. [DRI] 1987 “Diver Erosion Study” and the Daniels and Roberts [D&R]

2006 “Profile of the Most Active Divers in the US: Lifestyle and Demographics Study,” both commissioned by DEMA) contradict it.

The 1987 DRI study found divers becoming inactive (“dropping out”) at a rate of 15 percent after 12 months from certification; 23 percent after 24 months; 33 percent after 36 months and 53 per-cent after 48 months (to remain in the population required the participant to have dived within the previous 12 months). D&R’s 2006 findings, nearly 20 years later, were similar. It found a “half-life” for divers of five years, “meaning that 50 percent of the people certified in any given year will have stopped diving by the end of the fifth year.”

A more recent study, the Tauch-sport-Industrieverband (tiv) 2010

“FVSF-Research Report No. 31, Diving in the Future,” further supported these findings, concluding that the erosion rate for divers in Germany was 10 per-cent per annum for divers who did not own their own equipment, and 8.5 per-cent per annum for divers who did own their own equipment.

Further, the 2006 D&R study found that approximately one-third of divers had been certified prior to 1995; can be traced back for 20 years; and can be considered

“vestigial” divers. Similarly, the 1998 Lei-

McaNiff estiMated the populatioN of

scuba divers iN the u.s. as of 1995 at 2.7 to 3.5 MillioN.

various coNteNtioNs

that the u.s. diver populatioN has beeN overstated draW upoN arGuablY erroNeous assuMptioNs, Which have beeN Quoted popularlY over the past 25 Years .

78 t h E U n D E r S E A j o U r n A l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

rISKM A n A G E M E n t


McAniff’s U.S. diver population esti-mate has performed remarkably well relative to other ongoing empirical diver population studies and reports: National Safety Council 1991 Accident Facts – 2.6 million; National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) 1994 “Sports Par-ticipation Study” – 2.378 million (but excludes Hawaii and Alaska); NSGA 1998 “Sports Participation Study” – 2.558 million; American Sports Data, Inc. 1999

“Superstudy of Sports Participation” – 3.2 million; Media Mark Research, Inc. 1999

“MRI Sports Trends: Total Scuba Diving Participation” – 2.5 million; Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) 2006 “USA Sports Participa-tion Study” – 2.96 million; SGMA 2008

“USA Sports Participation Study” – 3.216 million.

the stAtUs of the McANiff

MoDel siNce 1995

With McAniff’s retirement, the updat-ing of his diver population and fatality rate model ceased. However, the empiri-cal data available through ongoing dive population studies continue to support the model’s last (as of 1995) population estimate. Further, also given U.S. entry-level diver certifications since 1994, based on the DEMA Certification Census and PADI’s entry-level diver certification his-tory, it does not seem unreasonable to expect that the U.S. diver population as of 2010 remains within or close to the 2.7 to 3.5 million range estimated through McAniff’s model in 1995.

coNclUsioN

While there have been varying opinions and assertions regarding estimates of the U.S. diver population, many of these lack empirical support and appear flawed with respect to using them in estimating diver incident and fatality rates. By con-trast, the model created by McAniff is based on credible data and methodology, and is empirically supported by a con-tinuing series of independent, credible diver population estimates and corrobo-rations of critical assumptions. Therefore, it appears that McAniff’s estimate is cur-

rently the most suitable figure for use in scientific and medical analyses that require a diver population estimate. Fur-ther, it appears that the effort to update the model through the addition of the applicable diver certification data for the years since 1994 would be an important step in deriving an accepted diver popula-tion model and estimate for the U.S.

biogrAPhicAl

The author’s experience on these issues includes a 25-year involvement with PADI’s and DEMA’s research, as well as active involvement with PADI’s risk management and incident monitoring. He participated directly in all of the DEMA studies applicable to this subject over the years, and in the establishment of the DEMA certification census pro-grams, the first one launched in the mid-1980s (which eventually failed) and the program currently in place that has been operating since 2002. Additionally, he was PADI’s direct contact with Mr. John McAniff and the URI NUADC program from 1981 through the time the program was taken on by DAN, and had frequent interactions with Mr. McAniff, the program, its data collec-tion and subsequent findings over those many years.

refereNces:

“An Analysis of Recreational, Tech-1

nical and Occupational Populations and Fatality Rates in the United States, 1970-1994,” John McAniff, July 1995

“Scuba injury death rate among 2

insured DAN Members,” Diving

and Hyperbaric Medicine, 2008; 38: 182-188 “How Many Divers Are There?” 3

UndercurrentsDiagnostic Research Inc. 1987, 4

“Diver Erosion Study”Daniels and Roberts 2006, “Profile 5

of the Most Active Divers in the US: Lifestyle and Demographics Study”Leisure Trends 1998, “Track on 6

Scuba”John McAniff 1995, “An Analysis of 7

Recreational, Technical and Occupa-tional Populations and Fatality Rates in the United States, 1970 – 1994”National Sporting Goods Associ-8

ation, 1994 “Sports Participation Study”National Sporting Goods Associ-9

ation, 1998 “Sports Participation Study”American Sports Data, Inc., 1999 10

“Superstudy of Sports Participation”Media Mark Research, Inc., 1999 11

“MRI Sports Trends: Total Scuba Diving Participation”Sporting Goods Manufacturing 12

Association, 2006 “USA Sports Par-ticipation Study”Sporting Goods Manufacturing 13

Association, 2008 “USA Sports Par-ticipation Study”Tauchsport-Industrieverband (tiv), 14

January 2010 “FVSF-Research Report No.3.1 Diving in the Future”Flexo Hiner & Partners, “2003 15

PADI Member Survey: Discover Scuba Diving and Discover the Reef Participation Estimate”

“The Editor’s Offering,” 16 Diving And Hyperbaric Medicine, Volume 37 No. 2, June 2007Richardson, D. “Mortality for Rec-17

reational Scuba Diving,” Bennett and Elliott’s Physiology and Medicine of Diving, 5th Edition, 2003 Richardson, D. “Ref lections on 18

Diver Fatality and Safety Statistics,” SPUMS Journal Vol. 24 No. 3, Sep-tember 1994Accident Facts (1991), National 19

Safety Council

McaNiff’s estiMate is curreNtlY the Most suitable

fiGure for use iN scieN-tific aNd Medical aNalYses that reQuire a diver populatioN estiMate.


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PADI norDIcGullbergs Strandgata 36E, S-411 04, Göteborg, SwedenPhone: +46 31 808 840, Fax: +46 31 153 200, Email: [email protected] Diver Certifications [email protected] +46 31 808 848Industry Relations [email protected] +47 9052 4148Insurance [email protected] +46 31 808 842Marketing [email protected] +46 31 808 842Member Services [email protected] +46 31 808 847Project AWARE [email protected] +44 117 300 7310International Resort & Retailer Association [email protected] +47 9052 4148Training & Quality Management [email protected] +47 9052 4148 Sales [email protected] +46 31 808 842

Regional ManagerMikael Mox Moberg [email protected] +46 (0) 70-777 66 32

PADI cAnADA107-1680 Broadway Street, Port Coquitlam, B.C. V3C 2M8Phone: 1 800 565 8130 (US & Canada), +1 604 552 5969Fax: +1 604 552-5921See PADI Americas for all other services. Insurance: HUB International Barton Insurance Brokers (excludes Quebec)299 3rd Ave., Kamloops, BC V2C 3M4Phone: +1 250 372 3155 Toll Free: 1 800 661 6194 Fax: +1 250 372 1962Email: [email protected] Website: www.barton.ca/group/padi_home.htm P. Morin, Courtier en Assurances, Inc. (Quebec only) Phone: +1 514 634 7115 Fax: +1 514 634 7118 EXT.Sales [email protected] ext. 224

Regional ManagerRandy Giles [email protected] ext. 223 +1 800 603 7234 +1 604 221 7231

PADI euroPe, ltD.Oberwilerstrasse 3, PO Box 45, CH-8442 Hettlingen, SwitzerlandPhone: +41 52 304 1414, Fax: +41 52 304 1499, Email: [email protected] Services Department Germany, Austria, G-Switzerland [email protected] +41 52 304 14 23Netherlands, Spain [email protected] +41 52 304 14 26Individual Members: Italy, Maldives, Israel, Croatia, Slovenia, LAOs,I-Switzerland [email protected] +41 52 304 14 21IRRA Members: Italy, Maldives, Israel, Croatia, Slovenia, LAOs, I-Switzerland [email protected] +41 52 304 14 20France, Belgium, Portugal, F-Switzerland, FWI [email protected] +41 52 304 14 22

Sales Department Italy, Maldives, LAOs [email protected] +41 52 304 14 44Germany, Austria, Croatia,G-Switzerland [email protected] +41 52 304 14 42France, Belgium, FWI, F-Switzerland [email protected] +41 52 304 14 43Spain, Portugal, Netherlands [email protected] +41 52 304 14 41 Training & Quality Management German, English, Italian [email protected] +41 52 304 14 32Spanish, German, French [email protected] +41 52 304 14 24

Regional Managers [email protected], I-CH Anna-Maria Mencatelli +39 329 699 56 25 Italy, Egypt-Sinai Massimo Zarafa +39 388 322 23 70Austria, Germany South, G-CH Connie Gohdes +49 173 327 96 06Germany North, Netherlands Michael Elbeshausen +49 172 569 62 99Spain, Portugal David Perea +34 690 354 533Canary Islands Christian Marret +34 6 3975 63 10Maldives Thomas Sobotta [email protected] Egypt - Red Sea Reto Moser +41 52 304 14 15 Croatia Tamara Kalanj +38 599 2169 442 France, Belgium, F-CH, French West Indies Pascal Martinie +33 6 8337 9040 Israel David Vered +972 8 638 22 46

Project AWARE Foundation [email protected] +41 52 243 32 32

82 t h e u n D e r s e A J o u r n A l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0 83 t h e u n D e r s e A J o u r n A l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

PADI offIces WorlDWIDe

Quality ManageMent StatiSticS S e c o n d Q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

Members Expelled .................................................................... 10Members Suspended .................................................................. 7Members Requiring Retraining or Reorientation ...................... 5Members Terminated ................................................................. 5

Breakdown by Type of Retraining/Reorientation RequiredIDC/IE ....................................................................................... 0OWSI/IE .................................................................................... 2IDC or OWSI ............................................................................ 1Status Update ............................................................................. 2Members placed in Review Status* ............................................ 5Members required to sign Standard Compliance Agreement* ..160Members requiring counseling ............................................... 123Members whose cases were closed with no further action ...... 185

Second Quarter 2010 Total ............................................ 500

Members EXPELLED From PADI: April - June 2010Alejandro Fervenza, Maceio, Brazil Miryam De Jong, Hurghada, EgyptGytis Leonavicius, Hurghada, EgyptAhmed Saleh (aka Magdy) Oswald, Zurich, Switzerland/Hurghada, EgyptDallas Weston Dive Center S-15764, Chester, Virginia, USAMike Luter, San Antonio, Texas, USABenjamin Momo, Lapu Lapu City, PhilippinesElhorry Zunino, Chaussee St Victor (Blois), FranceKatharina Dohmann, Flic-en-Flac, MauritiusMichael Mahy, Holetown, Barbados

Members SUSPENDED From PADI: April - June 2010Paul Tucker # 41633, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - 29 April 2010 to 29 July 2010Randy Piper #15302, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - 4 May 2010 to 4 August 2010Hubert Borg #630926, Mellieha, Malta - 3 June 2010 to 3 September 2010Franca Seebek #947859, St. Paul’s Bay, Malta - 3 June 2010 to 3 September 2010Raymond Jenkins #268385, Birzebbuga, Malta - 3 June 2010 to 3 September 2010Sea Shells Dive Center S-35069, Mellieha, Malta - 3 June 2010 to 3 September 2010Johannes Keioranto #251094, Banten, Indonesia - 17 June 2010 to 17 September 2010

SPECIAL NOTICES: Ahmed Sandoub, Port Said, Egypt: Is no longer a PADI Member.Derick Wilson, Elfers, Florida, USA: Is no longer a PADI Member.Herry Norman, Pamplemousses, Mauritius: Is no longer a PADI Member.Richard Allway, Ely, England: Is no longer a PADI Member.Patrick Cepeda, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, USA: Is no longer a PADI Member.

Aquatrophics, USA – Please note that neither David Holt, Aquas-trophics, SDA (Scuba Divers of America), nor onlinescubalessons.com have been PADI Members at any time. Please also note that the academic program offered by these three entities is not valid for PADI Open Water Diver referrals or certification.

According to a 3 April 2006 World Recreational Scuba Train-ing Council posting:At a recent meeting, the members of the Recreational Scuba Train-ing Council (RSTC) determined it was important to provide collective clarification regarding agency-neutral online training programs. Over the past two or three years, a number of web-sites not affiliated with a training agency have launched online scuba-training programs. On these sites, the customer is led to believe that all training agencies will accept these programs to meet their academic requirements for scuba training. This is not correct. Because of concerns about the educational validity of these programs and the inability to monitor the quality of education and services, as well as liability and insurance issues, each RSTC mem-ber organization has independently determined it cannot accept these non-affiliated training programs to meet its academic require-ments. Before customers sign up for any online training program, they should first check with the retail store, instructor or training agency they wish to receive certification through to verify if that online program is acceptable for meeting the training agency’s requirements.

* A single Quality Management complaint may require more than one correc-tive measure, e.g., a member might be required to sign a Standards Compliance Agreement, as well as be placed in Review Status, require counseling, etc. To avoid counting each member more than once in this report, only the most severe measure taken against that member is counted.

For further information regarding these statistics, please con-tact Linda Van Velsan, Supervisor, Quality Management, PADI Americas, extension 2413

Each quarter, PADI Worldwide publishes its quality manage-ment activities in the Quality Management Report. This feature reports the number and types of quality management investi-gations and actions conducted by the Quality Management Department and Committee. It publicizes the names of indi-

viduals who have been expelled from PADI membership due to gross violations of PADI Standards or ethics. (See the listing on padi.com for PADI Members who are presently suspended.) The following statistics reflect the worldwide membership, including Local Area Offices and international territories.

97 t h e u n d e r S e a j o u r n a l f o u r t h q u a r t e r 2 0 1 0

The last edition of Dive Industry News, “Give the Lady What She Wants,” generated a lot of favorable reader com-ments. Thank you to everyone who took the time to let me know what you think. Many of you noted that while Marshall Field’s concepts are timeless, the power of social media makes them even “righter.” We have the power to share our experiences – good or bad – far more quickly and far more widely than ever before.

Much of this edition of The Undersea Journal looks at the environment and what we need to do to protect it. It’s an intimidating topic – I wouldn’t sug-gest for a moment that I know how to save the world. But, perhaps, you do – or more properly, we do.

Let me explain. Building on last month’s Dive Industry News, I suggest that social media have powerful roles to play in not just business but in tackling global environmental problems.

Here’s why: At this writing, the PADI organization, via various means, reaches just over 140,000 people directly – the individual PADI Members. We can add to this PADI Dive Center and Resort owners and managers who aren’t also individual members, as well as PADI Divers in PADI Diving Society, on

ideas – big and small, being shared and used – that can make a substantial dif-ference: Switch to biodiesel – engine wear reduction offsets the added fuel cost. Participate in this event and make your dive holiday part of research that helps manage marine resources. Feed the grid with solar panels and save money at the same time.

Replace your two stroke outboard with a four stroke – cleaner, cheaper and more efficient in the long run. Sign this online petition to protect sharks.

When millions of people change their seafood consumption, switch to brands that manufacture using renewable energy, make their voices heard by gov-

ernment – and a hundred other things – it will change the world. Many, many people care enough to do these things – they just need to know to do them.

So, what do you know that the rest of us need to know so we can, collectively, save the world?

Tell us. Pass it on.

Sincerely,

Brian P. CroninChairman and CEOPADI Worldwide

Give the Lady What She Wants – But Give the World What It Needs

Facebook or other established online social media groups.

If we accept the common theory of six degrees of separation (this refers to the idea that everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of “a friend of a friend” statements can be made to connect any two people in six steps or fewer), the PADI family web imprint is a poten-tial 7.529 quadrillion impressions. That works out to about 1,200 impressions per person on Earth, with the power to pass these impressions along leveraged with social media.

While it would be naive to think we could hit everyone 1,200 times with a

message, this shows that it doesn’t take much to reach many. And that means that a little adds up to a lot, fast. Suppose, for example, that you have an idea that allows you to save an average of one litre of fresh water weekly. Not much? That’s 52 litres per year, or just about 200 gal-lons for us Yanks. That’s a good bit, but now you share your idea through social media. Even it had only .0001 percent penetration, and of that only .1 percent of those who see your idea actually put it into practice, you would have helped save a staggering 3.9 million litres/1 mil-lion gallons of water a year.

This means that the PADI family’s grassroots network has what it needs to do more than its part to save the world. It’s not someone’s big ideas, but the power of all our simple, action-oriented

It’s not someone’s bIg Ideas, but the power of all our sImple, actIon-orIented Ideas

— bIg and small, beIng shared and used — that can make a substantIal dIfference.

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dIveI N d u S t r y N e W S

4q2010theunderseajournal.pdf

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