Northwest Dive Club

Last year the H2O show was.......not good
(From what I hear I didn't go sounded like it was tiny)

Do you think this year will be better?

I don't know why we have to have such a poorly run show in this part of the country.
Now maybe we can't match the Scuba Show in Long Beach in terms of numbers but we certainly have a lot of passionate active divers in this area.

Since the Dive news decided to go online only, change its name and expanded to a bunch of watersports it feels that scuba diving got the shaft.

2 cents....

Here is the way I see it. If we want to continue to have a NW Dive
Expo we need to participate. If we do not participate the vendors will
quit participating. Yes last year was small and that will continue
if we do not as a dive community participate. If you want to continue
to have an event were the dive community can come together once a year
then there is a responsibility as a community member to participate.

My 2 psi

Sorry but the photo and video contest rules/prizes have pissed a lot of people off. And the presentations have often been very uninteresting or waaaay too basic/introductory. Hence the demise of the PNW show was pretty much a done deal 3 or 4 years ago.

If new management decides to come in, clean house and organize a professional show, I would consider going again. It does not need to be big, it does not need to be in a fancy venue. It does need to be well organized, with interesting presenters about a variety of topics. Presentations should not be spread over 3 days with 6 per day, sorry but that's just way too drawn out. I'm not spending multiple days there sitting around for one 30min talk in the morning one day and another at 2pm in the afternoon of another day.

There needs to be a keynote speaker each evening and there needs to be a happy hour with beer afterwards, each entry ticket comes with a 1 free beer (or wine). Additional beers at your own expense. And it better be good beer.

That's what it would take for me to go again. I don't think its too much to ask.

So?
PBR or Miller?

PBR, of course. It won a blue ribbon!

+1 on everything that Richard and Selkie said.

I went to the show every year when it was down in Tacoma. It was fun to meet NWDC folks that I don't personally know and go to some interesting and informative sessions. I ended up missing the show for a couple of years but went to this last one it was a shadow of it's former self.

I wish that they could get their s#@t together and put on a decent event. There are enough divers in the area to support medium sized expo/conference, but it would take a complete reworking of the event.

Penopolypants wrote:PBR, of course. It won a blue ribbon!

Jeesh don't you know anything. Jenny was a diver.














(That's Genesee Cream Ale those not PA savy :p)

Soooo... I just learned of this year's "ScubaH20Show" from a DAN email (I would think it would have crossed my radar by now thru some other means than that).

Is anyone else planning to attend? I would like to and it certainly helps that it's in Seattle as it'll be much easier to get to for me.

Yeah I'm planning on going, mainly because I had planned on attending the DUI Demo tour already but later learned they didn't update there site and April 11-12 was last years dates. So I now have no other plans

I've had a chance to travel to a number of dive shows with REEF, and I have to say my most favorite show of all is the Boston Sea Rovers. It's also the smallest show of all the ones I've ever been to. Our fellow cold water divers in the Northeast have done an amazing job with this show.

http://www.bostonsearovers.com/

It's put on by an all-volunteer non-profit organization (the Boston Sea Rovers). It's quite the honor to be inducted as a full member into the organization, and you have to work your way as a volunteer for several years to be accepted as a member. The money from the show goes toward scholarships, putting on the next year's show, etc. Admission to the show floor is free. Only the seminars and workshops cost $$.

They hold it at the Doubletree hotel about 45 minutes north of Boston.

There are a few of the usual dive show circuit exhibitors, but by and large it's local groups, a big dive club section, and a lot of very friendly people. So it has a very local feel to it, instead of some of the dive shows that are just the same old travel booths you see at every show.

- Janna

Tangfish wrote:Soooo... I just learned of this year's "ScubaH20Show" from a DAN email (I would think it would have crossed my radar by now thru some other means than that).

Is anyone else planning to attend? I would like to and it certainly helps that it's in Seattle as it'll be much easier to get to for me.

Yes I will attend. While there is plenty I wish it could be, I still concur with what Selkie said in January. (See earlier post this thread).

I will be there with the Northwest Diving History Association.

We will be collecting oral histories from local divers that started diving in the 50's and 60's or before.

I think I have 6 one hour interview slots left. If you know anyone in the Seattle area we should interview pm me their contact information.

Check out some of our videos and histories

http://divinghistory.org/

Here's the list of exhibitors. As you can see, it's pretty much all warm water travel booths. Looks like there's very little in the way of Pacific Northwest diving, shops or clubs (which is the part I loved about the show years ago when it first started):
Aggressor Fleet
American Canoe Association
Aqua Lung
Atlantis Philippines Dive Resorts
Bellevue Divers
Bendetti Optics
BEQA Lagoon Resort
Blue Water Travel
Boy Scouts of America
Buddy Dive
Cane Bay
Cocoview Resorts
Consulate General of Indonesia
Deep Blue Adventures
DIABC
Dive for a Cure
Dive Into Your Imagination
Dive Paradise
Dive Provo
Divers Alert Network - DAN
Divi Resorts
DUI
Eugene Skin Divers
Fly and Sea Dive Adventures
God's Pocket Resort
Historical Diving Society
KATO Shoes
Kosrae
Laliti Resort
Lighthouse Diving
Liquid Diving Adventures
M/V Caribbean Pearl II
Mango Inn/Utila Dive Center
Manthiri Maldives
Maritime Documentation
NAUI
Northwest Diving History Assoc.
Nuvair
Ocean reef
Ocean Wide Expeditions
Olympic Outdoor Center
OMS
Optical Ocean Sales
Orca Oceanic by Barb Roy
Outdoor Adventures
Paddle Clubs
PADI
Palau Pacific Resort
Pinnacle Aquatics
Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire
Poseidon Lembah
Quest Dive Adventures
Roatan
Rocio Del Mar
Scuba Club Cozumel
Scuba Diving Fitness
Scuba Travel Ventures
Sea Shepherds
Sealife Cameras
Seasoft Scuba
Silent Auction
SLS Photography
South Pacific Island Travel
Still Hope Productions
Sunset House
Taveuni
Tourism Malaysia
Travel by DAN
TUSA
Underwater Sports
USIA
Villa Candi Matahari
VOYA Financial
Wakatobi
Whites
Worldmark By Wyndham
Worlds Best
WSA
X-Ray Magazine
YAP

I heard that last year's show was combined with other "watersports" like boating and stuff. Is that the case again this year or is it back to diving only?

From my understanding, the organizer has done a pretty good job of alienating the local businesses... thus the poor local turnout.

nwscubamom wrote:Here's the list of exhibitors. As you can see, it's pretty much all warm water travel booths. Looks like there's very little in the way of Pacific Northwest diving, shops or clubs (which is the part I loved about the show years ago when it first started):

You missed a few of the local outfits:

DIABC ( Dive Industry Association of British Columbia)
Historical Diving Society
Maritime Documentation (MDS)
Northwest Diving History Assoc.
Olympic Outdoor Center
Scuba Diving Fitness (Coach Izzy from Bremmerton)
Optical Ocean

Missing majority of manufacturers.

How was the show? Any cool things/gadgets you saw or attended any informative sessions?

did anyone go?

Show was not bad. About the same as last year. I spent about 5 hours there Saturday, hit a couple seminars, found the mack and jacks ale....more than once...., and ended up giving Jack at Optical Ocean some of my hard earned cash for a great deal on the Oly OMD M5 package. I always enjoy talking with the vendors about the travel options, never hurts to dream a bit...
We are glad we went.

Sooo disappointing. We talked to just about everybody that came by but sold NUTTIN! Every year costs us a TON to show and, if we don't sell at least one compressor, we lose. For the last two years it has stunk for us. At least this year I was able to use my demo compressor to show again instead of bringing a new one in. Anyone want a deal on a 2013 with a few show scratches?

What's the deal?

Show special pricing ($2995) on the MCH6 gasoline powered compressor less $200. If I can sell eight at that price I just might break even for the two years of very sad shows.