Over the past decade, PADI Dive Centers and Instructors have created a powerful movement that has inspired more women of all ages to discover the transformative power of diving.
The Board of Directors of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) and the Cayman Islands Ministry and Department of Tourism are pleased to announce and celebrate the new members of the ISDHF on International Women’s Day.
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame was founded in 2000 by the Ministry of Tourism of the Cayman Islands. Since the Cayman Islands is a leading pioneer in dive travel and is a premiere world destination for divers, it seemed only natural that the Cayman Islands should be home to a hall of fame honoring those people who have contributed the most to the sport of Scuba diving.
I am chuffed to bits that Roz has finally received the recognition she truly deserves for her many years of dedicated service to the dive industry. Now lost in the fog of history, the day we first met was at some dive industry function; I believe it was a dive show in the United Kingdom around the turn of the new millennium. Roz has had such a long and storied career in the industry and, despite our long acquaintance, I don’t know the half of it.
Since its debut in 2006, MIDE has grown into a key event in the international dive event calendar, drawing over 250,000 attendees during its first 18 editions. It serves as a cornerstone for promoting the dive industry, fostering community connections and showcasing innovations in the underwater and watersports sectors.
We will once again be holding this event on the campus of Hofstra University. And in keeping with the spirit of the season, there may even be a few Halloween-themed surprises!
This year’s event will feature a slate of great speakers and accomplished photographers and videographers who will present their incredible work highlighting adventures under the sea.
The monumental Cordoaria Nacional in Lisbon will once again host Diving Talks, the most anticipated diving event of the year, from October 17–19, 2025.
The award acknowledges Diveheart’s groundbreaking initiatives, including its adaptive scuba programs that transform lives by helping individuals with disabilities discover their potential beneath the surface. Diveheart’s relentless dedication to promoting accessibility, training instructors, and fostering a supportive community continues to inspire divers and non-divers alike.
We will take them in chronological order. Diving Talks, held in late October, has quietly become one of my top favourites. This year’s event was the fourth in a row, and since I have reported extensively on the previous editions here in the magazine, which you can easily go back in the archive and fish out this time, I will limit myself to an update and not repeat all the premises and characteristics of this unique event.
November 13, 2024, Downers Grove, IL — Diveheart proudly presents The Legend of the Statue, a moving documentary now available on YouTube. Award-winning filmmaker David Marsh, and other leaders in the dive industry explore the inspiring journey of Gabe Spataro, a Korean War veteran and adaptive diver whose life was profoundly connected to the iconic Christ of the Abyss statue.
The divers became separated from their boat during an excursion, leading them to cling to each other for survival. Camila Storchi and her husband were sailing from Kaneohe to Honolulu when they heard the desperate cries. Storchi recounted to local station Hawaii News Now, “We were passing Hanauma and going around China Walls. He heard screaming for help and he started scanning the ocean and we saw five little dots.”
