Whether you are planning a dive trip, your next dive gear purchase or consulting with scuba experts, there is no better place to do it than at THE Diving Event of the Year!™, SCUBA Show 2009. The size of the exhibit hall at 76,000 square feet makes this the largest consumer dive expo in America. Be at the 22nd annual SCUBA Show, May 30-31 (the weekend AFTER Memorial Day) at the Long Beach Convention Center.
EXHIBITS
Heart of the SCUBA Show is its massive exhibit hall. Perhaps of most interest to underwater enthusiasts is the flurry of new gear that will be first introduced at the SCUBA Show. Come to check out revolutionary fins, innovative dive computers, camera designs and much more. You will see new styles of wetsuits, dry suits, innovative regulators and BCDs. You better allow for two days as it may take you that long to see it all.
Heavily represented at this year’s show is photography and video equipment. With this ever-changing market, it is important you become completely informed before making your purchasing decision. Most of these underwater photography exhibitors are the actual makers of the gear so you can get your answers directly from their perspective. And many are offering show specials giving you substantial savings.
There is no better place to plan dive travel than at the SCUBA Show. Dive destinations representatives from nearly every place imaginable around the world will be there. Scores of destinations and live-aboard dive boats are represented, most offering show specials, saving you hundreds, even thousands of dollars. And many are presenting free drawings for special dive trips. Here you can talk to the destination experts directly and find out every detail of the resort or live-aboard of your interest. Pick up brochures, coupons and better yet book your next trip at the show itself for substantial savings. Bring your calendar and plan and save!
Rounding out the exhibits are a myriad of local dive centers (again, many offering specials and drawings) and dive boats, clothing companies, and miscellaneous companies that any diver would be interested in seeing.
SPECIAL EXHIBITS
New special exhibits will definitely enhance your SCUBA Show experience.
World famous marine artist Wyland will be appearing in person and showing off some of his finest work, meeting and greeting fans, and doing a live painting at the show.
Returning special exhibits include superb photos from local chapters of the Underwater Photographic Society, as well as expanded displays from the California Wreck Divers and Nick Icorn’s Museum of Diving History.
CONTINUOUS UNDERWATER FILM FESTIVAL
Using a mega-sized screen actually in the exhibit hall, the continuous underwater film festival is always a popular draw. Excellent and several premier video films from around the world will be screened. A different schedule of films will be screened each day. Most are screened twice each day so that you can schedule your SCUBA Show experience to see films and the exhibit hall as well as take in some seminars.
SEMINARS
A big part of the SCUBA Show is its extensive seminar programs; 33 seminars will be presented throughout the weekend. Subject material is quite diverse, with seminars ranging from underwater video and photography to dive travel smarts to local diving to marine life.
Featured speakers for this year’s show include photography and marine life expert Marty Snyderman, who will tell you how to get the most out of your underwater photography and insights on some of the ocean’s most interesting animals. Video pro Josh Kaye-Carr, local diving authority, Dale Sheckler, and diving celebrity Ken Kurtis are consistently a hit among attendees, so make sure to get a seat early as their rooms will fill up quickly. Don’t miss California fish expert and humorist Dr. Milton Love. Speaker Ken Knezick is an expert on dive travel and will be giving you some of his latest secret spots, travel tips, and an underwater photo talk. Bruce Watkins, contributing writer/photographer to California Diving News and other dive journals will be giving several talks. One low price covers admission to all the seminars for that day. See the insert in this issue for specific schedule, subject material and advanced registration information. Advanced registration is highly recommended for time and money savings.
DOOR PRIZES
Paid general admission attendees to the SCUBA Show will be eligible for multiple door prize drawings. Saturday’s prize is a signed and numbered Wyland limited edition print valued at $750. Grand Prize, to be drawn at the close of on Sunday afternoon, is a spectacular live-aboard dive trip for one on the luxury vessel Utila Aggressor with airfare to Honduras provided by Continental Airlines.
CASINO PARTY BENEFIT
Social highlight of the SCUBA Show is the Casino Night benefit party. This year the party will benefit the non-profit group California Ships to Reefs (www.californiashipstoreefs.org) program seeking to enhance the California underwater environment with the placement of surplus ships on the ocean floor as artificial reefs up and down the California coast.
Participants will “gamble” the night away playing Black Jack, Roulette, Texas Hold-em and Craps. At the end of the evening participants will “cash out” their chips for raffle tickets for a drawing for thousands of dollars in prizes. Also during the evening is a Silent Auction for thousands of dollars in dive gear, travel, and more.
CALIFORNIA SCUBA SERVICE AWARD
Culmination of the evening will be the presentation of the California Scuba Service Award. This prestigious award was instituted by Saint Brendan Corporation (parent company of California Diving News and the SCUBA Show) to recognize those who have made positive long-term contribution to the California diving community. This year’s recipient is Sal Zammitti, a fixture in California diving for over 40 years with his Central and Northern California “Bamboo Reef” dive stores.
ADVANCED REGISTRATION, HOTEL, PARKING, ETC.
To save time and money, register in advance online at www.scubashow.com or see the insert in this issue. Deadline is May 15th. Make a mini-vacation of your show visit. Nearby is the Aquarium of the Pacific, the new Pike entertainment and shopping complex, and dive-charter boats. The Hyatt Regency is next door to the Long Beach Convention Center and is offering a special rate for SCUBA Show attendees. Call 1-800-233-1234 and mention the SCUBA Show for the convention rate.
To reach the Long Beach Convention Center, Hall C, take the Long Beach Freeway South and follow the signs. You will be directed to abundant parking.
For complete details on the SCUBA Show, including online advanced registration, visit www.scubashow.com.
May 30-31, Long Beach Convention Center — THE Diving Event of the Year!™, SCUBA Show 2009 — Be there!
