Tim & Adam from Bluewater Travel at the show
The largest combined watersports show on the west coast featuring outdoor adventures, destination travel, lifestyle, and apparel is taking place this weekend in Seattle at Pier 91. This event features outdoor adventures, destination travel, lifestyle, and apparel, and brings the worlds of surf, stand up paddle, scuba diving, kayaking, waterski and wakeboarding together under one roof.
California Diver visited the show at its new location at Pier 91 on Saturday (until 2014, the show was held in Tacoma). The show features many local dive retailers, such as Underwater Sports and Lighthouse Diving Center, along with certification agencies, equipment manufacturers, travel agencies and resorts, non-profit organizations, and more.
Here’s a look at a few people we saw at the show this weekend (click to enlarge):
Tom & Linda Hemphill with the Northwest Diving History Association
Tom and Linda Hemphill were on hand to share the Northwest Dive History Association. The NWDHA is currently developing the museum to feature our Northwest Diving History. They will feature the people and their stories, as well as exhibits of vintage diving equipment, books, magazines, photos and other memorabilia. Throughout the region, there are many diving pioneers that have not gained notoriety in the industry, however their contributions to the diving community have been invaluable.
For more information on the Association and their plans to preserve diving history, click here.
Jim Larsen and NAUI Instructor Kevin Kay at the NAUI booth
We stopped the NAUI booth and had a great discussion with Jim Larsen regarding training standards and the importance of training great entry-level divers. If you’re a past NAUI instructor who is not current, they have an update and renewal process that makes it easier now to get active again. For more information, visit the NAUI website here.
Our friends from Scuba Club Cozumel
The team from San Diego-based DUI
Notably, this year’s show is honoring two trailblazers in the scuba industry: Annie Crawley and Jim Willoughby.
Annie Crawley
Annie Crawley was chosen this year for the PNW Diver of the Year Award. She instills passion for the aquatic environment and everything in it, cares deeply for people while inspiring all to love, understand, and protect our blue planet. As an award winning author, photographer, filmmaker, inspirational speaker, professional PADI Master Scuba Instructor, and educator, Annie is committed to bringing a voice to the ocean. She works as the Director of Beach Camp at Sunset Bay.
Jim Willoughby is a true pioneer in diving: an extraordinary leader, teacher, mentor, and storyteller, and will be the recipient of this year’s Pioneers Award. Over the decades, he has trained thousands of diving students in basic, advanced, instructors, and underwater photography; started the Vancouver Pescaderos dive club; worked with other pioneers such as Stan Waterman, Ron and Valerie Taylor, and John Stoneman. His work in training handicapped people to enjoy the blue world, service as the first to teach a NAUI diving instructor course, and producer of TV’s “Diver’s Den” further cements his legacy in the annals of the scuba industry.
The Scuba demo pool (currently occupied by kayakers)
The Scuba and H2O Adventure show features 150 exhibitor booths and a heated “demo” pool where attendees can paddle, scuba, and test drive gear. Offsite parking with bus transportation to the show is $10 per vehicle and admission to the show is $10 per person.
For more information on this year’s Scuba and H2O Adventure show please click here. The 2015 show concludes Sunday evening.