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ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show – Day 3 Post-Show Report

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Day 3 of the first ADEX show in India organised by Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) happened on October 6, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

Speakers’ highlights

Jonah Skoles opened the last day of ADEX Mumbai Dive Show with a talk on the evolution of diving, especially regarding sidemount techniques. Sidemount diving stemmed from cave diving, wanted to go deeper. Therefore, there was a need for something on the side to explore the tight spaces. In 2000, it started to become a popular configuration.

Jonah then proceeded to shed some light on the question: “Why should one venture and try out sidemount techniques?”

While sidemount is not new per se, it’s a reinvention of what was before. Sidemount gives redundancy (extras), is easy to transport and streamlined, and allows one to explore deeper and dive in remote areas. Plus, the gear is more accessible and feels balanced. “You can just be…” he says, “No extra hassle!”

“It is an entirely new way of diving,” Jonah exclaims, “A way that feels like freedom.”

As your time underwater is determined by the amount of gas in your tank, a sidemount allows a diver to stay underwater longer thanks to its double quantity, allowing for longer and deeper exploration. Jonah started diving sidemount to do a one-hour wall dive in Pondicherry at 30m.

While the sidemount technique requires training as its technicality calls for guidance in its use, Jonah says, “There is no one way or the highway. And that’s the beauty of sidemount.”

Monica Chin, donned in a beautiful sari, spoke about her personal, and her company, ADRECC’s, hope for our ocean. With ADRECC, Monica and her team taught people about up-cycling fishnets, saving sharks and coral, and created a wider awareness about a clean ocean.

“Education is important as fishermen sometimes don’t even know that corals are animals!”

Monica and her team have bought sharks from fishing boats, then took care of them for a few months and released them into the ocean again, in hopes of making them not only live, but also thrive. She says, “There is a lot to do… but just don’t give up, keep trying!” She said in optimism.

Mark Strickland spoke about the amazing marine life behaviours by looking at the tiniest to the largest creatures in the sea. From clownfish to sharks, Mark talked about how they mated, laid eggs, and fed. He also mentioned how different marine creatures partner to form unique relationships that enhance each other, also known as symbiosis, and others that simply cannot get along.

Mark’s comical, engaging talk was refreshing and eye-opening, and its less technical nature truly brought a vast variety of topics to ADEX India.

Kanika Mohan Saxena from Orca Dive talked about three kinds of divers she sees and trains as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. These were the Facebook Divers, the people who want to try out a new sport, and those that do it because they have fears to overcome and triumph over. She talked about her approach to teaching, and how it is accessible to kids and adults alike. “ABCD,” she lulls, “Any Body Can Dive!”

Panel discussion

Ibrahim Naren, Elsie Gabriel, Monica Chin, Jackson Peter, Shaahina Ali, and Ahmed Gabr sat on a panel with moderator Mitali Dut Kakar to discuss The Single-use Plastic Conundrum.

In discussion about the challenges of single-use plastic in their respective regions, Ibrahim, regarding India, said that the challenge is very big but he firmly believes that a solution can be found. “But we don’t have to wait till it’s found, we just need policies to be made.” For example, the implementation of paper straws etc is great, but the government ultimately needs to do more.

Elsie, regarding Mumbai, mentioned that the biggest challenge we face today would be a collaboration between the municipality, government, ministry, and the citizens.

“Together with ADEX, if we can collaborate with these governing bodies, we can create divers that become agents of change.”

The second biggest challenge, she believes, is the enforcement of these rules. On 2 October 2019, the plastic ban in Mumbai was placed, but has been since retracted. “This should not happen,” she said firmly.

Monica pondered, “Plastic plastic plastic… Why plastic?” She wonders why people still create plastic waste. “It’s not so hard to start with small efforts, since we as people already started this entire mess of plastic pollution. It is my responsibility as a diver and as a human.” Monica has stopped using plastic bottle for 7 years, and questions, “Why can you give excuses when the ocean and nature never gives excuses and provides for us endlessly?”

She put eloquently: “There is no need to reuse, reduce, recycle. There should only be refuse!”

In the discussion in combatting plastic pollution, it was mentioned that while beach clean-ups are great, they should not be the idea of a solution, as ultimately, if plastic usage is not reduced, the sea brings waste back to land. ”It’s about stopping as an individual.”

Jackson told the audience to consider climate change and pollution as the biggest threats to humanity. “And plastic contributes to that,” he said. “This planet must not be known as Earth, that is only 30% of it, it should be known as Ocean.”

Shaahina believes that we have become used to and dependent on plastic. It has also become the norm and standards in businesses, imports and exports. ”But all you need to do is to reduce your footprint instead of thinking of completely avoiding plastic usage,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s necessary.”

Ahmed lamented that his children may not be able to grow in a great environment thanks to the effects of what we’ve done so far. ”We as people can voice things out but our ocean cannot. So it exhibits its problems in other ways, seen through dying corals and dirty beaches.”

“We need to set an example and standards for young generations,” said Elsie, “It needs to be in their curriculums to have ocean education and environmental sciences.”

Mitali expressed that plastic is not bad per se, but it’s how people use and manage it. For example, industry standards usually require plastic packaging, and if this is gone many people may risk losing their jobs. “That’s why the government can’t pass blanket policies.”

She also talked about her favourite way of eating since she was a child, on a banana leaf, which is also one of the most eco friendly ways to subsist. “We make the change,” she believes.

ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show conclusion

The diving industry is growing in India, and marine conservation and plastic pollution awareness around the region is an issue that is being talked about. At ADEX, these burning topics were spoken about in depth and the questions posed by the public showed that India is ready to plunge into the deep blue. We at UW360 would like to thank you for all your support at ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show 2019, and we look forward to seeing you next year!

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) was held from October 4-6 2019 atThe Bombay Exhibition Centre. Please visit adex.asia/india/ to learn more about the show.

ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show – Day 2 Post-Show Report

By
uw360
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Text: Shreya Acharya

 

The second day of the first ADEX show in India organised by Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) happened on October 5, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

Maldives’ Former President attends ADEX as a GOH

Former President and Speaker of the People’s Maljis Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, came to grace the event as a Guest of Honour at ADEX India about Maldives and the importance of healthy marine life.

“Maldives is not a small island state, it is a big ocean state.”

He says that Maldivians are the ocean people— people who live lives next to the ocean and grow up next to the sea. As such, the beach, sea, and underwater is intertwined with President Nasheed’s and also the lives of other Maldivians.

Maldives has a middle-income economy primarily thanks to the ocean. Therefore, he says, “It is in our interest that we maintain the beauty and health of the ocean.”

The Maldives is built on the coral reefs, and contains about 4500 square kilometers of reefs, or “farou”. The world has 800 species of coral and the Maldives boasts 250 of them. Maldives is also not only just for the rich— it is for everyone.

It is a new phenoma that humans have been able to observe the underwater. While the skies and stars are easy to see just by looking up, the sea shows blue but not what’s under it. 

“When the Amazon burns we see it on TV and news. But when the reefs die we don’t see it.” He laments.

“In my view, this is why this exhibition becomes so important. You are the people that see it. We must tell the world about this.”

For 1000+ years we have had a clear definition and description of almost all our reefs, but haven’t been able to see them till recently.

“I come here as an advocate for protecting our environment. Our reefs are the first line of defense for our island. Without them, our island will face massive corrosion.”

It costs more than 750,000$ a metre to restore the reefs. As such, there is a need to preserve and save these reefs instead.

“The relationship divers have with marine biologists are very close, and this must be used.” The former president says.

There is a need to understand biodiversity and it’s conditions 50 years from now. “We are not willing to die.”

With climate crisis, humanity is at risk, but President Nasheed is optimistic.

“I believe we can save the planet. We can work against the odds and win it,” he says, “We want to survive. We must dream of a better world, and we will have a better world.”

India has taken upon herself, too, to realize that its reefs are important. India has a large shoreline; and has more reefs than mountains. “We are coming to a time where more and more Indians would go diving, to look at the world underwater.”

“The Environment must be an economic issue as well. You can’t just narrate it as a human rights and ethical issue. You need to get the message across.” He states.

“As politicians we can promise jobs, but green jobs. We can promise electricity, a good life, but the environment needs to be promised. This will be seen in the future of elections as well.”

He concluded by saying, “I may be a speaker and a former president, but I come here as a diver.”

 

Record holders shine at ADEX

 

Ahmed Gabr, Guinness World Record Holder in the Deepest Scuba Dive at 332.35 metres spoke about his venture and experience in breaking the record.

His companion had assured him, “If you go down and don’t come back up, it’ll be a movie. If you go down and come back up, it’ll be a record and a movie”

Ahmed believes that there is a huge difference between who you are and who you think you are. It took him 4 years to prepare for the deep dive, and every day of those 4 years he kept a goal and worked towards it.

Training was two parts for Ahmed: physical and mental preparation. Ahmed had no problem with the physical portion thanks to his history in the special forces.

“I actually had to reduce my physical activity!” He laughed.

The hard part was the mental aspect. “I had to remove the peer pressure. I had two options: if I focused with my main goal or if I waste time to think about what people think.”

“People thought I was an attention seeker. But I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t listen to these people.”

At the end of the day, Ahmed chose to reside in the sixth dimension. “I chose to isolate myself in a bubble. But the bubble is flexible, it grows. But nothing can penetrate it.” Ahmed stopped listening to negativity and worked towards his goal. He failed a lot, but said, “what is the opposite of success? Not failure, it is part of success. I learnt, I failed so much- equipment wise, team wise. But the show goes on.”

Ahmed’s dive lasted almost 14 hours, and his friend “Sharkie”, an actual shark, kept him company for six of those hours. After the successful dive and record, Ahmed talked about him losing a third of his lung capacity that took months to recover.

 

Faisal Jawad Hashim, Guinness World Record Holder for the Fastest 10KM Scuba Dive in 5 hours 24 minutes talked about his near-death experience 14 years ago. His surgeon declared to Faisal’s family that he couldn’t promise anything: Faisal may not have been able to live for even 5 more minutes. 

“Everyone suffers from loss in life. Some people crumble but others see that being strong is the only option,” he says.

But the hardest question to Faisal is: Would you like to walk again or not?

Faisal displays two photos: one of him in the hospital and another diving in the sea. “I am in both this photos. And I like both. The one on the right reminds me of how strong I can become.”

Faisal first felt that he lost everything— His health, study, and life. From being a professional football player in Kuwait’s national team to spending a year in the hospital recovering, he emerged to be born again. He started by included himself in the society again. 

When he heard the terms: disabled, unable, and other negative words, he worked to change all these words with his hands.

“My determination is bigger than my disability. My rule in life is planning, planning planning. Plan 80%, work 20%”

In 2008, Faisal got his first international diving license, and Sipadan island was started his diving journey.

Faisal dove like a turtle, because he just used his hands. In his first dive, a turtle swam alongside him for a great part of the way.

“In 2005, I watched my friends play football and couldn’t join in, but in 2014, my friends longed to dive with me.”

Faisal was scared of the sea and the water as a child, but is now a rescue diver.

He broke the world record for the fastest scuba dive 1 hour quicker than the previous, able bodied record holder, at 5 hours and 24 mins.

“Don’t look at my legs as a challenge for me. Look at my eyes and the passion burning in them to take on the challenge.”

Faisal didn’t just break the record, he smashed it, leading to his “superhuman” title in the Guinness articles.

Leading back to the question, regarding if Faisal would like to walk again, he says, “Yes. But only if I have the same determination and courage I have today.”

“In 2005, I was the patient Faisal.

Today I am the champion Faisal.”

 

Panel discussion

A discussion and debate on sustainable diving tourism ensued with our moderator Ibrahim Naeem and panellists Zoona Naseem, Paul Tanner, Mitali Dutt Kakar, Jonah Skoles, Abi Carnadie, and Neil Francis.

Neil started off by saying that one should not be afraid to name and shame unsustainable practices and practitioners. Companies have a responsibility as an agency to conduct an investigation, push for retraining or even expelling to keep up standards.

Ibrahim also said that naming and shaming actually works, but Mitali added that it is the responsibility of a diver to report bad behaviour and practices in an agency.

Jonah countered that it is also good to reward good behaviour. “Don’t just name and shame but name and praise people who do their best as well.”

He insisted that companies need to work together. “There are so many issues but we’ve just scraped the surface. But if we put our heads together we can make a difference.”

Adi said that consumers try and choose sustainable operators, so businesses should sell themselves as such and also practice it. Hence, it is good for businesses to follow these footsteps.

Zoona said that, ultimately, education is very important. “Don’t blame policy makers. People should know what to do. It starts from home.”

Neil also added, “It’s purely about education and awareness, from children all the way to any person in the world. We can all implement changes– in personal, workspaces, or anywhere and everywhere you go. It starts with you and it can only grow from that.”

The second panel discussed Diving into Professionalism, and it was moderated by crowd favourite, Ahmed Gabr, and panellists included Julien Fortin, Commander Vishwanath Rajan, Anand Sharma, and John Seddon.

Ahmed questioned the panel on the accessibility of technical and professional diving, in which Rob, PADI’s Course Director for 20 years, said, “Back in the day the route wasn’t a defined route and systems were not clear. Now it’s more accessible route to be a tekdiver or a professional.”
Commander Vishwanath noted that there was no instructor training in India 13 years ago. But in contrast, today, 3 course directors, instructor trainers, and advanced level and speciality courses are available to the masses.
The consensus was that as professionals, one should not stop asking questions, especially “stupid” ones.
On the topic of the impact created by social media, Julien’s argument was that he simply did not believe in it. People have traveled distances to see him, and this is because he didn’t have a Facebook account. Ultimately, professionalism is more important. “It’s not one aspect of the job. If you’re spending 99% of time looking good for social media, you forget to look at equipment, technical parts, etc. Reality is slightly warped when social media is abused.”
John added that while social media is a powerful tool, most people are not trained in its use.
However, Ahmed made the point that generational and age difference should be considered when talking social media. “If you talk about millennials you can’t just ignore social media.”
Thanks to its technical but also highly relevant nature of discussion, and the jovial conversation-like flow of the dialogue, the panel kept the audience engaged and was very well received.

Speakers’ highlight

Julien Fortin from Technical Diving shared his in-depth expertise and experiences on Tek Diving and cave diving. He then posed a question: What can be done in India? Julien highlights, “Tek Diving simply exceeding rec limit without proper procedures and training is not tek. It’s stupid!” He also said that taking a passion and pushing it further is all about applying the right mindset.

Julien also emphasised on education, exploration and conservation. “Protect by it by proper training and getting the right buoyancy.” After all, Having the proper training, proper team, proper mindset makes a good Tek diver. “Everything you can find in the world, can be found in India. It’s just not found yet!”

Day 2 conclusion

ADEX India – Mumbai Dive show, today, served as a hub for businesses, divers, non-divers, and individuals alike in terms of its presentations, talks, panel discussions, and also its exhibitor booths. Audience interested in diving, or even just marine biodiversity and life, came together to enhance, learn from, and grow this tight-knit industry, proving that diving in India is definitely a budding activity.

Stay tuned for the exciting exhibitions, line up of programmes and international dive brands ONLY on ADEX India Day 3!

Register now and redeem your FREE digital copies of Asian Diver & Scuba Diver magazines and showguide at: https://adex.asia/india/emagazines/

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) is held from October 4-6 in The Bombay Exhibition Centre.  For more information, visit adex.asia/india/

ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show – Day 1 Post-Show Report

By
uw360
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Text: Shreya Acharya


The first ADEX show in India organised by  Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) commenced on October 4, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

The exhibition delivered a large turnout thanks to its engaging speakers and exhibitors that boasted a myriad of people in the industry and their experiences as dive travel and trade stakeholders, equipment manufacturers, National Tourism Organizations (NTO), distinguished VIPs, leaders, and influencers such as marine conservationists, underwater photographers, environmentalists, and even Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra. They came to meet, network, share stories, and exchange ideas.

Renowned speakers share their experiences, ideas, and thoughts

From 1030AM to 1330PM, distinguished local and international speakers alike spoke about topics close to the ocean, and their hearts.

The Dive Show opened with the “Godfather of Diving” in India, Mr Prahlad Kakar. He is also “The man who comes with a hidden talent: making the best soufflé omelette in the country”. Prahlad claimed to be an “accidental diver” as he first stumbled and discovered diving in Mauritius.

“We were in Mauritius, and my friends told me to sit while they dived. I was feeling so seasick, and I wanted to go back but the boat was unable to leave without the divers. The driver suggested that the best way was to put on a mask and get in the water. I did that and my seasickness was cured.I also discovered diving.”

During that dive, the experience for Prahlad was amazing. He chanced upon a Quran on top of a coral and it perhaps served as a sign, a divine intervention if you will, as 5 years later, Lacadives was born in Lakshadweep, a largely Muslim-populated area.

“Children should grow up in islands,” he believes, “and no place in the world that has as much biodiversity than in the Andamans.”

“The sea changed my life, it changed my children’s lives, and it touched the lives of everyone that dived with us.” His motto is to never fight the ocean because it is the mother and father.

Guest speaker and UN “Champion of the Earth”Adv Afroz Shah came together with Prahlad Kakar and John Thet to talk about his conservation and on-the-ground efforts at Versova beach. Afroz’s efforts led turtles to lay eggs on Versova beach again, after many decades of being unable to do so.

Afroz believes that in Indian culture, once seen and an example is set, people just do it. After cleaning the beach alone for 3 months, people started joining in thanks to his efforts and Door to door campaigns. He said to divers, “Why travel to Andaman or Thailand? Why not make Mumbai fit to be your dive site?”

He stated that while cleaning beaches does not mean clean beaches, it is the small steps that count.

“We talk a lot as a society,” Afroz notes. “like saying I love Mother Nature etc… but it’s not all 5 star hotels and conference halls, it needs to reach slums and small apartments. In Mumbai there’s a complete disconnect with the rich and the poor— so how will the poor be educated on recycling, cleaning, environment?”

Afros posed a solution: “We must, as a community learn, not only what to do in our lives but also for the community, the country, the environment.” There is no use just donating and tearing a cheque, you need to actually get down and do it!

As Afroz educates school and university students, he found success when a student said to him, “I like biscuits, but the packet goes in the sea. So I go to the bakery to buy the biscuits since it’s nude food.” It’s the small efforts that are huge efforts after all!

Afroz stated that what we’ve done as a society is to create a war against turtles and dolphins. But our role now is to mitigate and reverse this war.

John Thet, CEO of ADEX and Founder of Underwater 360, added that whether a diver or not, 60% of our air comes from the water. The ocean is supposed to be pristine, so if there’s no healthy ocean, there’s no life. “What’s diving without the ocean? Plastic pollution is a crisis and 7 out of the 10 most polluted water bodies are in Asia.”

“I played on that beach (Versova), John. I grew up there. But it’s gone. And it is depressing.” When Afroz goes to schools and colleges and apologizes. He says that he’s sorry that adults like him have polluted the seas.

“This stupidity must end,” Afroz said to conclude.

Neil Francis, SSI’s Business Development and Training Director, initially came to India to teach swimming to children in rural areas and cities alike, and he was surprised at the level of swimming ability some of the children had. He happily recounted, “I was treated like a celebrity in India with the kids!”

Their “Try Scuba Diver” course is conducted in confined spaces like swimming pools, and get one ready for the sea. Moving on to diving, education and skills are required as well. They make these skills accessible with a one-day course “Basic Diver”, and it is available to children too. From that qualification, the open water diving courses become available to all, and once Open Water certified, the opportunities are endless. A professional career may also await thanks to their extensive advanced courses.

What sets SSI apart, however, is their marine ecology programs. This is taught by SSI dive masters or higher and anyone determined and passionate about marine life is in for a treat! Their Blue Ocean program introduces global challenges to the environment and acts as a small stone that builds a large foundation.

As Maldives is also a famous diving destination around the region, and India, many speakers talked about their love for the island and its vast, beautiful underwater world.

Zoona Naseem, ADEX Guest Speakerfrom PADI, Maldiveswas the first female PADI course director and has been working as a dive instructor for the past 4 years. Diving for 24 years, she’s done more than 1200 dives thus far, and is not stopping anytime soon!

Her first goal is to convince parents that the ocean is a safe place for kids and her next is to get children to love the ocean. It is not just a place of “scary sharks”, but an open opportunity for a profession in diving and, if not, a massive awareness in marine conservation and health.

“We are the ones that need to educate the youth on the environment.” In Maldives, they made the first Dive club in a school. No phones, no internet, just the vast big blue. Zoona believes that smartphones are destroying the environment and the youth. Diving can prove to be an alternative, where phones definitely cannot be used.

Zoona believes that reefs and the ocean should not be studied just through diagrams, but in the flesh, and it is possible as they are blessed to be near the shores. “Everyone wants an A-grade child,” she says about parents’ extreme focus on academic grades. Zoona firmly thinks that the biggest challenge today is to change the minds of these parents, and to let their kids go beyond being a lawyer or doctor— whether girl or boy, children should open their minds beyond land, and become divers, or even professional divers, by venturing to sea.

Matt Wenger, Regional Manager of PADI, talked about his company, and his love for Maldives. He shared about PADI’s role in issuing more than 1 million certifications a year, and having certified more than 27 million divers worldwide to date. PADI is a global force for good, evident from their Project AWARE. Conservation is believed to be an integral part of diving, for divers and budding divers alike. Matt also professes his dedication to Maldives. He says, “It is as sustainable as it gets.” PADI has more than 200 dive centres in Maldives and offers great diving year round, for beginners to advanced divers.

Ibrahim Naeem, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maldivesstarted off by displaying the rich marine biodiversity of Maldives but broke off saying, “I’ll be brief because we’ve already heard so much about the Maldives. But there’s still so much to say.” As 90% of biodiversity comes from marine divers, protected area management in the Maldives is highly important. EPA rangers are at work and the organization works towards combating challenges against marine preservation, whether by pushing for constitutional laws or working as individuals doing their part.“There is often conflict with the divers and the fishermen,” Ibrahim said. This stemmed from the protection of dive sites, for divers, surfers, and the marine life. However, the large legal framework in the constitution enforces this responsibility of the state, as it is an environmental necessity.

Panel discussion

Panellists Matt Wenger, Faisal Jawad Hashim, Mark Strickland, Major Vivek Jacob, Jonah Skoles, and Neil Francis came together to discuss the diving industry in Asia.

The perspective of diving industry in Asia and compare it to diving in India

Neil stated that across Asia is an incredibly strong market for diving, especially over the past ten years. The industry has also become much more accessible for everyday people – It is not a just exclusive sport any more. “India is in its very early stages but has a lot of potential,” he notes.

Jonah notes that 5-10 years ago diving was just a hobby in India, but now it can be seen as a career, and a matured sport that can be raised to a professional level. When Jonah started his dive centre, 80-90% of divers were foreigners. In contrast, he doesn’t see many foreigners at all now. Locals are finally enjoying the sport and taking the plunge.

Regarding the challenges of diving in India, Major Vivek Jacob noticed that people in India afraid of going underwater. “They think they’ll get eaten by a shark.” Diving is still the most accessible in India, and often reserved for the super-rich. His aim is to try to simplify it and break it down: how people can come together and crack this industry open. “That’s what we have to do!”

Jonah also speculated that India has the possibility to be a world class dive hub, but support and regulations by government bodies is needed. “Sink a few kingfisher planes in the sea! We will have our own wreck dives!” He joked.

Mark said that India can learn from diving mistakes of other nations. It can avoid too much diver interventions in sea and yet provide a healthy balance. Government regulations still restrict a lot of diving, And Faisal says that while India has great diving sites, it is not marketed. Locals and foreigners don’t know enough Indian dive sites!

Diving for the handicapped

When discussing handicapped scuba diving in terms of accessibility and challenges, Matt said that usually, no dive centre would deny handicapped divers. The challenge actually comes from getting around the city, the shore, the sand. Neil adds that the challenge lies in purely logistical cases of the location: too sandy, too inaccessible, etc.

Jonah knows many disabled dive instructors, divers, especially in Pondicherry. “People in India have hearts of gold,” he says with gusto, “They’ll carry a wheelchair through the sands to help if needed!”

Vivek visited a clinic and 25-30 patients of various disabilities were there. None of them said no to diving. They’d travel a distance just to try it. This goes to show that India may be ready for handicapped diving, for both divers and new divers alike.

“When there is demand, there is supply, and that’s where the solution lies.”

Vivek says that the vision should be, “Money, money, money.” Business is not a bad thing, he noted, and the market needs to be cracked open. But it needs to be done slowly, sustainably. “It’s time for India to take charge of its own diving industry. Beyond boundaries and borders. “5 years from now, this country [India] can be the biggest market for diving!”

The challenge India faces in diving is its high cost. For example, an open water course in India costs about INR26000 in which INR7000 goes to out of the country. This cost needs to be reduced to make it more accessible. A solution is to make it a source of employment. “Make diving an employable sport! India is a land of water. If poorer people can be taught diving, the industry can grow!” Vivek exclaims.

 

Opening ceremony

To kick off the opening ceremony, a traditional dance was performed, where the dance group graced the stage in their beautiful shimmery red outfits and performed a classical and contemporary fusion act. ADEX India Ambassadorand Bollywood actress, Parineeti Chopra,graced the stage with her presence and talked about her love for diving. While not exactly the sporty type, Parineeti was pleasantly surprised when she discovered the sport. She first discovered and fell in love with with diving in Bali, Indonesia, and continues to enjoy diving around the region.

 

Everyone looked on with excitement and fans rushed to get her autograph and a photo as she exclaimed, “ADEX is a show I will come to every year!”

 

Over 40 media channels turned up from various organisations to cover the event today, transcending print and digital formats. The diving industry and scene in Mumbai, India is proven to be one that is growing and promises a huge success.

 

Day 1 Conclusion

 

ADEX India – Mumbai Dive show proved a success on its first day, showing the rapid growth and potential of diving in the Indian market. In conjunction with World Animal Day, Rajan, the swimming elephant and the ADEX India symbol was honoured alongside the vast, thriving life underwater.

 

Tomorrow, on Saturday, 5 October 2019, Afroz will be leading a second beach clean-up from 8.30AM-10.30AM. Interested parties can register at https://adex.asia/india/beach-clean-up/.Please report at the entrance of Versova Beach, where gloves will be provided and bonds will be made. We, alongside Afroz, look forward to your participation.

 

Stay tuned for the exciting exhibitions, line up of programmes and international dive brands ONLY on ADEX India Day 2!

 

Register now and redeem your FREE digital copies of Asian Diver & Scuba Diver magazines and showguide at: https://adex.asia/india/emagazines/

 

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) is held from October 4-6 in The Bombay Exhibition Centre.  For more information, visit adex.asia/india/

Our Planet, Our Life: Cleaning Up Versova Beach

By
uw360
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Text: Shreya Acharya

Instead of revelling in a much sought-after public holiday by having breakfast in bed or catching up on daytime TV, about 4800 Indians gathered at Versova Beach on Wednesday, 2 October 2019 to pick up trash.

On Gandhi Jayanti this year, Mahatma Gandhi’s Swachh Bharat (“Clean India”) campaign was reignited and swarms of people – rich and poor, young and old, students and professionals – came together to bring Bapu’s vision to life.

Led by Adv. Afroz Shah, an Indian lawyer, and leader of the world’s largest beach clean-up which subsequently gave him the title of United Nations “Champion of the Earth”, the beach clean-up started at 8.30AM and ran all the way through to 10.30AM. This was his 207th week of his regular routine, and plastic bags, cement sacks, shard of glass, cloth seeped in water and sand were uncovered by the hands of these people that stood by him, then swept up by trucks and strategically recycled by collaborative efforts through a circular economy.

Afroz works with more than 100 schools to educate students on the importance of marine health and ocean plastic pollution, and makes it clear that passion is his driving force. These beach clean-ups have also expanded to Shillong, Manipur, and Kolkata.

Heading the event, Afroz’s team of volunteers gave safety briefings and instructions, manned booths that gave out masks and gloves for hygiene purposes, and got down and dirty to complete their intended mission: Doing a small bit to create a large impact.

Prime Minister Nahendra Modi, who had also been named “Champion of the Earth” after Afroz, had also announced the ban of single-use plastics in Mumbai today. PM Modi had also tweeted a year before, “My friend Afroz and his team have been diligently working towards cleanliness for a long time. We are proud of your efforts and hope you will continue to play a vital role in fulfilling Bapu’s dream of a Clean India.”Needless to say, Afroz has been performing up to, and beyond, expectations.

Afroz believes that passion and profession to him were important yet separate entities, and he ran the beach clean-ups solely because of his love for, and dedication to, the environment. He is excited and hopeful about the new policies put into place, and believes that law needs to extend beyond written documents. “After all,” he says, “a skeleton should be given flesh and blood.”

After the activities, Afroz, although drained from the heat and exertion, welcomed volunteers into his home, and treated his guests with utmost hospitability.

In his Japanese-themed abode, he shared his experiences and thoughts, and chatted to his visitors about their morning over fresh mugs of chaiand piping hot vadas. He spoke about his next mission: Learning how to dive, and extending his reach and efforts to the depths of the sea itself. In his apartment overlooking Versova Beach, it was apparent: The shoreline and its adjacent water body may have once been dirty, but the clean, pure hearts of Afroz and his team volunteers shined across the landscape and beyond the sea.

Afroz will be leading a second beach clean-up on Saturday, 5 October 2019 from 8.30AM-10.30AM. Interested parties can register at https://adex.asia/india/beach-clean-up/.

Please report at the entrance of Versova Beach. Gloves will be provided. We, alongside Afroz, look forward to your participation!

In collaboration with Adv. Afroz Shah, we, Ocean Citizen, are fusing two synergies together to promote sustainable ocean management, habits, reducing single-use plastic usage, and enforce the mission of ADEX: To love and protect our oceans.

Philippine International Dive Expo 2019 – Day 3

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uw360
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A resounding success on the final day of the first (1st) Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX)!

 

PHIDEX Dive Travel Exchange (TRAVEX)

Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) is the only dive show in the region to organize a Dive Travel Exchange (TRAVEX). On the final afternoon of PHIDEX, the C-Lounge of Conrad Manila was bustling with business-to-business meetings. For the second time in PHIDEX, fifty international buyers representing top dive operators from 21 source markets and forty local sellers of dive tourism products and services from top and emerging destinations in the Philippines engaged in meaningful networking discussions to create cross-border partnership opportunities.

PHIDEX 2019 Day 3 TRAVEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspirational Talk

The panelist and the audience were engaged during the Inspirational Talk, where the subjects ranged from initiating awareness in protecting the marine life, educating and attracting non-divers about plastic pollution by opening up more diving courses, and inspiring everyone about the underwater world through art. John Thet (Singapore), CEO of Underwater360, is the moderator of the panel. The panelist included Ahmed Gabr (Egypt), Guinness World Record holder from Egypt for the deepest dive 332.35 metres, Hidy Yu (Hong Kong), ADEX Ambassador for Marine Conservation, Yolanda Yao (China), director and lead actress in her all-underwater film ‘Snake Sisters’, Valentine Thomas (Canada), certified lawyer and freediving conservationist, and Odessa (Philippines), a professional mermaid, scuba and freediving instructor.

 

Technical Diving Panel Discussion

The Technical Diving Panel Discussion catered to subjects that ranged from the technicality in tekdiving, heightening the current conservation effort on the open waters, adrenaline in cave diving, bolstering individual’s responsibility and proper training for the advancement of technical diving in the Philippines. Alex Santos (Philippines), co-founder of  PHILtech and a member of the Filipino Cave Divers, is the moderator of the panel. The panelist included Ahmed Gabr (Egypt),  Guinness World Record holder from Egypt for the deepest dive 332.35 metres, David Strike (Australia), one of the first Field Editors of Asian Diver magazine, an Stéphane Dugast (France), a Reporter and Secretary General of the Society of French Explorers, and Filipino technical divers Juan Naval and James Omac.

 

International Speakers

Yolanda Yao, an SSI Mermaid Instructor, director and lead actress in the largest Chinese underwater film “Snake Sisters” in 2019, showcased her second underwater film, Mermaid Fantasy, pioneering the world of underwater mermaid film. She aims to spread the Chinese culture through this unique underwater medium. Yolanda herself wrote and sang the original song in the film. Many were inspired by this magnificent film and created their own line of products including a 24-carat gold necklace costing about $3000, a hand-painted bag costing about $2000, which took 2 months to be completed and many more.

 

Roni Ben-Aharon, a conservation speaker,  shared about the causes of shortage of fish and the efforts in conserving the marine life in various Philippine islands like Apo Island and Sumilon Island. The Marine Management Council, established in 1986, alongside the community in these island, led the placement of marine protected area (MPA). Apo Island MPA is the largest consecutive, most successful community-managed MPA in the Philippines. Dr Rene Abesamis did a study on the reproduction of fish larvae which proved that larvae produced in the well-managed MPA island of Apo have a stronger chance of recovering the fish population of other MPAs within 85km.

 

Aaron Wong, ADEX Ambassador of Photography (International),  presented his expertise in the technicalities of underwater photography. His works were mostly crafted from dark photography, with the use of contrast, separation, and negative space and environment.

 

Prahlad Kakar, founder of India’s first Scuba Diving school – the Lacadives Diving School, showcased his underwater photographs from the waters of India. After which, he presented the adventures that can be done at Lacadives Maldives.

 

Hidy Yu, ADEX Ambassador for Marine Conservationist, unveiled the destruction left by the recent typhoon in Hong Kong, where citizens found plastic bottles scattered the city streets, including some from 20 years ago. Therefore, she began beach and ocean clean-up initiatives, particularly cleaning up ghost nets and plastics. At the same time, she urges everyone to reduce consumption and to be dedicated to plastic-free ocean. She joined Bling Bling Ocean Limited to continue her efforts in cleaning up the ocean.

Odessa Bugarin, a Professional mermaid, advocated for the public to be strong ocean warriors in ocean conservation. One of her notable campaign was a shoot with a crocodile – to reduce the use of crocodile skin and meat for luxury bags and exotic food. In 2017, she used her artistry in mermaid to produce a plastic pollution music video, Gunaw, to promote awareness and conservation.

 

More Sessions by Award-Winning Underwater Photographers

Mike Bartick, an underwater photographer, shared his experience with blackwater diving, Originally, he was a bluewater photographer previously. However, he moved to blackwater photography after seeing inspirations from a friend. He covered about his photographs on wunderpuss, diamond squid, paper nautilus, and blanket octopus.

Songda “Wowie” Cai, an award-winning underwater photographer, presented his photographs in a blackwater galaxy. His passion in blackwater photography proves that there is more to discover underwater, including incredible marine creatures and ghost nets. In 2018, he partnered with a marine conservation group in China to use plastic to make new bicycles.

 

Bo Mancao is an underwater photographer who believes that variety in photography is what diving lacks. One of the signature dive site he likes to go to is Moalboal, Malapascua and Tubbataha. It’s reef is beaming with colourful corals, sea creatures. At the same time, Paul Partridge joined him to share about a resort in General Santos that provides an experience like what Bo had. He was shocked during the expedition to an island near Cebu, where he discovered the trash originating from outside of the Philippines. “It is not just one country’s problem, it is our problem”.

 

Underwater photographer, Ram Yoro shared his journey into the underwater cave in Paglugban Island, where his dive took more than 2 hours to reach from one end to the other. Meanwhile, the expedition into the cave included the discovery of turtle carapace, fish skull, and a skeleton of a giant grouper.

 

Lynn Funkhouser, an underwater photographer, fell madly in love with her first dive at Anilao, Philippines. Through her photographs the audience saw a stunning shipwreck and an underwater cross monument which is now inhabited by corals. Similarly, her photographs from Puerto Galera, Apo Island, Oslob, Malapascua, as well as Tubbataha were equally stunning. She was amazed by the pristine waters and the lush corals when she first visited Tubbataha in 1978, which were protected and well-maintained till the present. Therefore, Funkhouser is grateful that there is no blaspheme fishing that happened throughout the years.

 

Daily Lucky Draw

The lucky winners got to walk away with amazing prizes sponsored by renowned dive brands such as SSI, Mares, ScubaStudio, Seacurrent, and Bohol Beach Club, on the last highlight of PHIDEX Day 3.

Prizes and Winners:
SSI Enriched Air Nitrox Specialtu Course – Benjamin Omac
SSI Try Basic Freediving Course Certificate x2 – Eduardo Effendy and Abi Mullens
Mares (PH) Ergo Splash Snorkel – Heim Chris
Mares (PH) Avabti Quattro+ – Ivan Del Valle
ScubaStudio Crest CR-4 – Maria Bollerup
M203 Black Seacurrent Mask – Mohan Thanabalan
M2071 Black Seacurrent Mask – James
FZ02 Diving Fins – Frankie Real
4Days 3Nights at Bohol Beach Club – Apolonio Matipag

Thank you for all your support and see you next year at Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2020!

Underwater360 is proud to be the Official Media Partner of PHIDEX 2019, the inaugural Philippine International Dive Expo hosted by The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) from September 20-22, 2019 in Conrad Manila.

For more information, visit www.phidex.asia

 

See PHIDEX 2019 Day Two

PHIDEX 2019 – September 21 Day Two Report

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uw360
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The second day of the first (1st) Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) was packed with an impressive line up of international and celebrity speakers, TRAVEX Dive Travel Exchange B2B Meeting, Underwater Photography Panel Discussion, and many more.

 

Star strucked by Sarah Lahbati in PHIDEX

PHIDEX Sarah Lahbati

Celebrity Sarah Lahbati and her husband Richard Gutierrez arrived at Forbes Ballroom of Conrad Manila at 5pm. She is the Philippine star who landed on the Asian Diver magazine cover with a shot taken by renowned underwater photographer Martin Zapanta. Here and ONLY in PHIDEX, she shared about her passion in freediving, her future plans to take on dive safety courses,  and encouraged everyone to take care of the ocean that connects us all.

Sarah Lahbati at PHIDEX

 

International Speakers

Visitors to the second day of PHIDEX can find a line up of diverse dive related stage programmes. First up was Juan Naval, a Philippine technical diver, who shared on several tools that will help everyone understand the buoyancy, propulsion and conservation efforts in personal diving space. With these knowledge, one can be more ecologically sane as a diver without being overly focused on the technical skills.

 

Next on stage was Stan Gonia, a cartoon artist from Germany. He painted humans in the light of hunted endangered wildlife in his series of Evil Cartoons to highlight the plight that marine life and the earth are facing because of humans. His impactful artworks make it easy to reflect and understand the urgent care planet Earth needs from everyone.

PHIDEX Stan Gonia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lynn Funkhouser, an underwater photographer and resident in Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, presented on her adventure to Ticao Island, a dive paradise where she felt closest to being back in nature. As the islanders do not have easy access to processed food, they make their own bread and ice cream. The care provided for their guests are extremely welcoming. The trash pickup comes at 8am every morning in the form of pull cart. There are no cars on the island! That’s why LAMAVE team, volunteers and scientists, are there to research on the rich mantis and whale sharks populations.

Lynn Funkhouser PHIDEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yolanda Yao, an SSI Mermaid Instructor, director and lead actress in the largest Chinese underwater film “Snake Sisters” in 2019, along with co-star Gina Lee from China, premiered their film based on the Chinese legend of a snake demon fighting 18 bronze monk for the love of her life. She talked about the challenges faced and her dream of sharing the Chinese culture and legends through the unique underwater cinematography.

Yolanda PHIDEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Strike, a veteran technical diver from Australia, shared about the advancement of technical diving over the decades, discovery of compressor for deeper diving, limitations of gas, upcoming atmosphere suit with tools such as life support and automated power, and the future of deep sea exploration.

PHIDEX David Strike

 

 

 

 

 


Alex Santos, a veteran technical diver from PHILtech of the Philippines, revealed that cave springs near some Philippine towns are accidentally polluted by leaky sewage pipes. He urged everyone to protect the Philippine springwaters before undiscovered species became extinct.

PHIDEX Alex Santos

 

 

 

 

 


Faisal Hashim, Guinness World Record holder for the fastest 10 km scuba dive with an amazing time of 5 hours and 24 minutes in Hurghada Egypt, talked about his triumph over his disability from a car accident in 2005 that has rebuilt his confidence and made him a motivational speaker and trainer. His favourite achievement this year being a father. He said “passion is the secret for success”.

PHIDEX FaisalPHIDEX Faisal Hashim

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahmed Gabr, Guinness World Record holder from Egypt for the deepest dive 332.35 metres into the Red Sea, shared on his six year material and psychological preparation to break the world record in 2014 under 13 hrs and 15 minutes. It took him 2h 50 minutes to get back to surface. He could not go deeper than 324m due to decompression. He also trained Faisal Hashim, Guinness World Record holder for fastest scuba dive for 5 months. He mentioned Jacques Cousteau, who pioneered modern diving gears. The audience were treated to his video that documented his process of breaking record.

 

Stéphane Dugast is a reporter, speaker and author from France. He is an amateur diver who was inspired by Jacques Cousteau to share his 3 expedition to the island of Clipperton and the geographic of the island. The island is a kingdom for birds, crabs and rats. He has been there in 2001 for the first time. Now, they discovered a lot of plastic on the island.

 

A team from Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur (PGIS) Dive Center showcased their best coastlines, beautiful diving spots and underwater photography heaven.

PHIDEX Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur (PGIS) 2 PHIDEX Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur (PGIS) b

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine Thomas, a conservation speaker, shared that she used to choose her fish in the grocery store the cheapest and freshest, because that was all she knows. But while we eat sushi and the fishes, big corporations keeps depleting the ocean population. After her first harvest, she finally understood her place in the environment. “We are not on top of the world, we are in the middle.” She is looking for sustainable consumption. We need discussions on realistic and viable solutions. With almost 8 billion people on earth soon, there needs to be a reduction in the consumption of seafood. She looks into 3 ways on how we can consume seafood sustainably. She shared that more than 15% of fish in the market are caught illegal. Not just in Asia, but it is a global problem. The presentation is filled with researched statistics to educated the audience. She urged everyone to choose local seafood to minimise carbon footprint and be aware of self-proclaimed certifications on fish products.

 

PHIDEX Dive Travel Exchange (TRAVEX)

The first ever B2B speed matching took place as part of PHIDEX Dive Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), where over 50 international dive and liveaboard brands came to create business opportunities with the local Philippine dive market.

TRAVEX Day 1 Collage

 

Underwater Photography Panel Discussion

Underwater Photography Panel Discussion was an interactive session with the panelist and the audience. It was moderated by Lynn Funkhouser (USA), Women Diver’s Hall of Fame. The panelist included commercial and award-winning underwater photographers like Aaron Wong (Singapore), Cai Songda (China), Ram Yoro (Philippines), Scott Tuason (Philippines), and Bo Mancao (Philippines).

underwater Photography Panel Discussion

The subjects discussed ranged from protecting marine critters, social media in photography, ethics in manipulating the natural environment to achieve certain effects, role of dive operators, blackwater photography, to tips on getting the shot as close to perfect.

 

Daily Lucky Draw

Prizes and Winners:

  • 4D3N Atlantis Philippines B&B Dive Voucher – Anna
  • Mares (PH) Trilastic Long Sleeve DC Rashguard – Rico
  • Mares (PH) X-vision 14 Mask
  • M101 Black Seacurrent Mask – Ephejoy Dinglasan
  • M210 White Seacurrent Freediving Mask – Alexander Luz
  • SSI (PH) Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty Couse – Kathryn
  • TUSA Mask, Snorkel and Fins – Bebot

Island Dive Party

The PHIDEX Island Dive Party started at 8pm. The guests enjoyed the evening company of like-minded leaders and professionals of the dive industry over a cocktail dinner and beautiful ocean film screening.

PHIDEX Island Dive Party Collage b

 

Underwater360 is proud to be the Official Media Partner of PHIDEX 2019, the inaugural Philippine International Dive Expo hosted by The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) from September 20-22, 2019 in Conrad Manila.

Redeem your FREE digital copies of Asian Diver & Scuba Diver magazines and showguide when you register HERE.

For more information, visit www.phidex.asia

 

See PHIDEX 2019 Day Three

Philippine International Dive Expo 2019 – Day One Report

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uw360
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The first (1st) Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) commenced on September 20, 2019 at the seaside complex of Conrad Hotel. Underwater360 is proud to be the official media partner for PHIDEX.

Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) saw the participation of dive travel and trade stakeholders, equipment manufacturers, and National Tourism Organizations (NTO), and distinguished VIPs, leaders, and influencers from across the globe such as renowned scientists, marine conservationists, and underwater photographers and videographers to meet, network, share stories, and exchange ideas.

PHIDEX Day 1 crowd


Dive Trade Seminar

At 11am to 3pm, international dive brands such as NAUI, SSI/Mares, Scuba Studio, Solitude Liveaboard, RAID, Scubapro, Defibtech Lifeline, Garmin, PADI and Scuba Equipment shared their extensive products courses and service range to the local Philippine business in Philippine Internation Dive Expo.

PHIDEX Trade Seminar Collage

 

Press Conference

PHIDEX Press Conference on September 20 at 3pm was officiated by Benito C. Bengzon, Undersecretary for Tourism Development, Department of Tourism, Rowena Sorioso, OIC Executive and Head of the DOT Office of Product and Market Development’s Dive Team, Bo Mancao, award winning underwater photographer and commissioner of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, Lynn Funkhouser, internationally-published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, adventurer, and leader in dive travel who has been living and photographing over 260 islands in the Philippines since 1975. Lynn was named “Diver of the Year” 2014 in Arts at Beneath the Sea.

PHIDEX Opening Day Press Conference Crowd

The press conference revealed plans of dive tourism for the upcoming years, with PHIDEX as a platform to promote emerging destination in the Philippines and provide opportunity to showcase sustainable tourism effort under the strong leadership. While there were similar dive events in the Philippines, PHIDEX is the first show organised by the government, focusing on the B2B trade meetings, with an impressive list of local and international speakers, including Guinness World Record holders, Snake Sisters underwater film premiere, and more.

PHIDEX Opening Ceremony Question

The floor was opened to questions, which included subjects on safety logistics and training between islands and mainland, visitor capacities to valuable dive destinations, regulations and awareness on sustainability and quality diving, supporting certain practices and livelihoods of local communities as well as world initiatives of tackling plastic pollution and climate change.

 

Opening Ceremony

The PHIDEX Opening Ceremony at 4pm commenced with a paper-braided ribbon cutting ceremony symbolising the theme of plastic-free ocean, which was graced by Sec. Nancy Binay, Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr., Undersecretary Edwin Enrile, Assistant Sec Verna Buensuceso, Assistant Sec Roberto Alabado III, and Lynn Funkhouser, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame.

The ceremony was followed by a dynamic modern Philippine performance against a backdrop of emerging dive destinations and sustainable lifestyle.

The opening speeches in PHIDEX Opening Ceremony on September 20, 4.30pm was filled with pride and emotions.

PHIDEX Opening Ceremony Speech

The speeches were led by Senator Nancy Binay, followed by Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr., Undersecretary Edwin Enrile, Assistant Sec Verna Buensuceso, Assistant Sec Roberto Alabado III, Asec Leila Rivera, Head for Dive Product and Market Development and OIC, Ms Rowena Sorioso, Tourism Promotion Board COO, Ms Marie Venus Tan, General Manager, Phil Retirement Agency, Attu Bienvenido Chy and PCSSD Commissioner Bo Mancao.

They welcomed the audience to the Philippines, aware of the 7.1 million tourist arrivals in the latest year and expressed pride in 25 identified dive sites in the Philippines. They urged all of us to be guardians of the beauty that around us, that organisations must be committed to keeping sustainable marine tourism, which comes with a change of perspective in all of us.

VIP speakers included Lynn Funkhouser, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, Conny Jeppson, PADI Regional Manager in the Philippines and Mark de Burgh, MARES/SSI General Manager.

PHIDEX Opening Ceremony VIP Speech

They expressed pleasure and sentiment diving in the pristine waters and alongside beautiful marine habitat of the Philippines, with many places unexplored and adventures awaiting.

PHIDEX Opening Ceremony SSI Mark

Guests who are on the mission for the betterment of marine health that were mentioned included John Thet, Founder and CEO of Underwater 360, Jessica Labaja of LAMAVE, Cesar Cruz of PHILTOA, Rabbi Ang, Guide to the Philippines, Marissa Nallana, Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corporation

Finally, the opening ceremony ended with heartwarming group photoshoot.

PHIDEX Opening Ceremony Group Photo

 

Sustainable Marine Tourism Panel Discussion

A highlight for PHIDEX Day 1 is the Sustainable Marine Tourism Panel Discussion.It was moderated by Richard Woulfe (USA). The panelist included Ahmed Gabr (Egypt), Guinness World Record holder from Egypt for the deepest dive 332.35 metres, Valentine Thomas (Canada), a certified lawyer and freediving instructor, Prahlad Kakar (India), founder of India’s first scuba diving school – the Lacadives Diving School, Roni Ben-Aharon (Philippines), representative of Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboard Philippines, Shannon Fuller (USA), Assistant Director of Conservation Travel at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Conny Jeppson (Sweden) PADI Regional Manager in the Philippines, and Gordos Gojunco (Philippines), an SSI Instructor Trainer.

The topic was regarding the latest and best sustainable tourism practices, casualties and hope of biology and aquatic creatures, lifestyle choice of choosing sustainable operators, plastic pollution, community resources to make a change, nurturing the next generation, and national success stories. The panel interacted with the audience in the Q&A session.

 

Noel Guevara Urges Everyone to Not Quit Their Day Job

Noel Guevara, a Manila-based conservation wildlife photographer and director, is the last speaker for the day PHIDEX Day 1.

He shared various knowledge, from the art of dialogues-starting photography, to identifying each whale sharks with their unique spots. His image of of a crab stuck in a plastic cup from Zagu intentionally created discussion juice brand to create discussion on plastic usage among public. He revealed that a shocking 41% of plastic in the ocean is still made up of ghost nests. He shared that a farmer invented rice that can survive in seawater, thus sustaining livelihood even when sea level rises.

Lastly, he urged everyone not to quit your day job to join the tribe in the centre of certain forest for the fight against deforestation, but instead start from our everyday conscious choices of consumption for a sustainable lifestyle.

 

Underwater Film ‘Snake Sisters’ World Premiere

Producer and lead actress Yolanda Yao, a SSI Instructor, was in the Roosevelt Room for the media launch of her ‘Snake Sisters’ film premiere, and together with her co-actress shared on the challenges faced during the journey of the all-underwater film with strong acting cast and action director who had worked with Jacky Chan before. ‘Snake Sister’ is inspired the Chinese legend of snake demon battling with holy bronze monks for her lover.

PHIDEX Snake Sisters

 

Welcome Dinner ‘Under the Moonlight”

PHIDEX 2019 Day 1 Under The Moonlight

‘Under the Moonlight’ is a welcome dinner for invited VIPs of PHIDEX, where leaders and professional of dive, film and tourism industry enjoy a buffet dinner with one another alongside stage performance of string ensemble and beautiful songs, as well as live sand art spectacular.

PHIDEX Under the Moonlight Dinner

As PHIDEX Day 1 closes on a high note, look forward to the exciting programme line up and international dive exhibitions on PHIDEX Day 2!

 

Redeem your FREE digital copies of ScubaDiver & AsianDiver magazines and show guide when you register HERE.

 

See PHIDEX 2019 Day Two

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