{"id":11376454,"date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alertdiver.eu\/uncategorized\/divelocal-how-diving-is-getting-its-groove-back\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T12:43:42","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T11:43:42","slug":"divelocal-how-diving-is-getting-its-groove-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alertdiver.eu\/en_US\/articles\/divelocal-how-diving-is-getting-its-groove-back\/","title":{"rendered":"#Divelocal: How Diving Is Getting Its Groove Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Please note: the epidemiological and regulatory situation is constantly evolving, and we will do our best to keep you informed and updated of any changes at DAN Europe. Note that diving activities may be currently restricted in some countries\/areas. We suggest you stay up to date with the latest regulations and restrictions issued by national, regional, local, or administrative authorities in your country of residence. You can also check the PADI COVID-19 scuba diving\u00a0<\/em>status map.<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n

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There\u2019s something new, organic and not a little bit exciting happening in the diving world that has come about in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is arguably driven by our innate predisposition to explore. I speak of course, of the growing movement within the industry to focus on local diving \u2014 #divelocal<\/strong> \u2014 that is, to rediscover the joys of diving in your own backyard, be it your local quarry, river, lake, loch, beach, or if you\u2019re lucky, a water-filled cave.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to travel to have an adventure,\u201d explained DAN Europe\u2019s marketing director Cristian Pellegrini. \u201cIf you\u2019re not able to travel safely, concentrate on local diving. Your DAN team will join you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

This new found focus on local diving clearly provides a needed boost to help support and sustain our beloved sport during these challenging times. But it\u2019s also an opportunity for each of us to thrive and grow as divers, a chance to rediscover our roots. This is how sport diving began!<\/p>\n

When The Diving Stood Still<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s been seven to eight months since the pandemic began its sweep across the water planet sending much of the world into lock down, turning lives and businesses upside down. In response, DeeperBlue.com publisher Stephan Whelan and myself published an article examining the depth and breadth of Covid-19\u2019s early impact on the diving community, apocalyptically titled, \u201cThe Day The Diving Stood Still.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

At the time we had little inkling of what we were up against. Expectations were that the pandemic could possibly last into the summer, and we speculated if, and how, the industry could possibly survive a three, four or even a six-month shutdown, which would clearly be an existential threat. Now, more than a half a year later with the virus still spiking and travel analysts cautioning that international travel could be literally disrupted for years\u2014have you checked out airfares lately?\u2014we realise that our early expectations were painfully naive.<\/p>\n

Whatever else it\u2019s done, the pandemic has served to dramatically demonstrate just how much our diving life and culture had become dependent on dive travel, both domestic and international. Whether it\u2019s taking courses, attending dive camps, photographing wild life, or booking that holiday dive trip on a liveaboard or any number of exotic dive destinations, until the pandemic, good diving for the most part meant getting on a plane, more often than not bound for foreign soil.<\/p>\n

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The Urge to Submerge<\/h3>\n

Fortunately, divers are an indefatigable lot with irresistible propensity to submerge ourselves in water. It\u2019s not surprising then, that it was only a matter of time before divers began trekking to the nearest source be it a quarry or lake, beach or local sink hole as soon as local restrictions began easing, in order to satisfy their deeper urges. Their actions helped point the direction to set the industry back in motion.<\/p>\n

PADI, arguably the way most<\/em> of the world learns to dive, was one of the first organisations to identify the trend and realise its critical importance for the diving industry\u2019s recovery. Accordingly, it applied its formidable resources to support and amplify these efforts to get divers back in the water and gave it a hashtag to boot. In doing so it helped PADI business members along with the industry to begin to recover and survive.<\/p>\n

Beginning in March, PADI conducted over 400 \u201cBusiness Survival\u201d webinars for its members and expanded its eLearning offerings. They produced the \u00a0\u201cLove, Your Local Dive Shop,\u201d<\/a> video in April, a global Covid-19 dive status map<\/a>, and the PADI Adventure app<\/a> which helps users find local diving sites, in May. And they were just getting started. Throughout the summer PADI hosted webinars promoting local diving throughout Europe and parts of Asia. Try-dive anyone?<\/p>\n

It also launched a massive global public relations blitz promoting local diving and learning to dive while at home. The results? The campaign generated hundreds of stories in premier outlets like The BBC, Forbes, The Guardian, National Geographic, MSN Singapore, The Sun, USA Today, The Washington Post, Women\u2019s Health<\/em>. An example? How about, \u201cDuring the Lockdown Why Not Learn to Scuba Dive from Home?<\/a>\u201d Get the idea? Here\u2019s another: \u201cHow the scuba community is navigating the pandemic\u2019s uncharted waters.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

PADI was soon joined by other major diving brands like Cressi, DAN Europe, Fourth Element, Girls that Scuba, Mike Ball Expeditions, RAID, Scubapro, Shearwater and SSI to name a few, and the #Divelocal movement was born!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPADI has led the way<\/span> and we\u2019re happy to join them along with our industry partners and agencies; we\u2019re all on the same wavelength,\u201d Pellegrini pointed out. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few movements we can all agree on. Local diving is clearly the way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Think Global, Dive Local<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s useful to acknowledge that diving began as a strictly local activity. In the beginning, there was no organised dive travel, no liveaboards or destinations and as often as not, much of the very early equipment including masks, fins, exposure suits, lights, reels, backplates and buoyancy devices (remember the belly bag?) were homemade.<\/p>\n

I still remember my open water course in the mid-70\u2019s. Call it\u00a0\u201cColdwater One!<\/em> We were diving at a local site called \u201cThe Breakwater,\u2019 a gravelly beach bordered by an L-shaped breakwater, several hundred meters long. That\u2019s where instructors usually took their new students. Visibility was less than two meters and it was all I could do to keep my teeth from chattering in the 9\u00baC ocean water despite my 7mm neoprene renta-suit. \u201cI promise it gets better than this\u201d our instructor offered as we negotiated our way back through the surf. Fortunately, as I later learned, he was telling the truth.<\/p>\n

Now in the midst of the pandemic, we have a new opportunity to spend some time revisiting and exploring our local dive sites, and hopefully discovering some new ones. There are several potential benefits. First, it\u2019s an opportunity to explore<\/strong> sites that you may have not visited for a while, or local sites that you\u2019ve never been to. Be adventurous, try diving somewhere new.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also an opportunity to try some new kit<\/strong>. You say, the local waters are a bit chilly for your tastes. How about investing in a dry suit to keep your warm, along with a dry suit specialty course? You wouldn\u2019t be alone. Dive ware manufacturer Fourth Element told me they were experiencing a surge of dry suits sales in China, something they had not seen before. Or throw down some cash for a couple of diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) so you and your dive buddies can motor out from the beach to that local outer reef. Can you see the possibilities?<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you could expand your diving education<\/strong> by taking a course locally. In fact, most training agencies have expanded their online learning courses to supplement their local instructors. Some like RAID even offer free online learning. Been wanting to take that nitrox class, dive theory, dry suit, DPV, freediving, learn underwater photography or improve your buoyancy and trim? There\u2019s a plethora of knowledge awaiting; feed your head! Even better, this may be an ideal time for your partner or other family members to learn to dive. You get the point.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps you’re interested in saving the planet? How about getting involved<\/strong> in your local clean-up and conservation efforts? PADI\u2019s Project Aware<\/a> anyone? Or become a citizen scientist, and begin exploring, documenting and protecting your local habitat through Project Baseline<\/a>. By all means: Think global! Dive local!<\/p>\n

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Your #Local DAN is Here<\/h3>\n

Ironically, DAN Europe began in the early 1980s as dive travel was just beginning to take off and destinations like Sharm El Sheikh, Malta and the Maldives were booming \u2014 see \u201cNecessity, The Mother of Invention.\u201d<\/a> Now the organisation is refocusing its efforts to help celebrate and support local diving.<\/p>\n

In fact, the DAN Europe team recently teamed up with marine biologists to survey<\/a> the autochthonous freshwater crayfish living in the nearby Pescara Springs<\/span> Natural Reserve in Popoli, PE, Italy, a little more than a half an hour drive from DAN’s Continental Operations office. The survey will help scientists better monitor the types, distribution and health of crayfish that populate the reserve. This is the first of several local projects that the team plans to participate and support going forward.<\/p>\n