Andy Lamb:
A regular contributor to Northwest Dive News, author/diver, Andy Lamb has explored the Pacific Northwest since 1967 and logged in almost 3,000 dives in our marvelous marine environment. Through his work at the Vancouver Aquarium and as an educator, he has focused on the outstanding marine life of the region and shared his curiosity and understanding with the dive community over this period. He continues a passion for this calling by hosting divers at his Thetis Island Home, Cedar Beach Ocean lodge.
Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest
Annie Crawley:
Dive Into Your Imagination was founded to change the way the next generation views the Ocean and themselves. By creating a series of books, DVDS and teacher lesson plans, Annie Crawley has developed tools and techniques you can use in a school, library or home near you! If we raise the next generation loving the ocean, they will grow up wanting to protect it!
Shoot, Edit and Make a Movie. Three Simple Steps to Get You Started in Video!
When speaking with visuals you must convey your story with images. Research, planning, anticipating and visualizing before getting wet will allow you to create better images no matter which camera and editing system you are using. Filmmaker Annie Crawley will help you learn the basics of video production and show you how easy shooting and editing go hand in hand. You will learn tips and tricks necessary to shoot, edit and make a movie! "Video has exploded and I want everyone to be able to use this powerful visual tool to become a filmmaker and share their vision with video!"
This is not just for video because underwater photographers and people who do not dive will benefit as you will learn the importance of shooting with a crew and a team. Every camera system now has video capabilities, this program will give you ideas of how to incorporate motion into your imaging mix!
Palau Shark Sanctuary the 8th Wonder of the World
Do you want to dive with Manta Rays? Sharks? Explore pristine coral reefs, Explore WWII wrecks, and have close encounters with jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake? Palau is a tiny island nation who values the Ocean and her resources. Palau is a shark and marine mammal sanctuary with marine protected areas. Every state has to have marine preserves because they realize the value of a healthy Ocean and tourism to their country. Annie Crawley will show you breath taking footage from the famous Blue Corner to Blue Holes, plus an interview with the President of Palau that will have you feeling wet right in your seat. Come experience a virtual dive at Our World Underwater right from your seat!
Barb Roy:
Barb Roy became a diver in 1979 while living in Alaska. She has worked as an outdoor adventure journalist for over 15 years, writing and shooting photography for both print and on-line publications around the world. Barb is based in British Columbia, Canada and works as a Marketing Consultant when not traveling for magazines while on story assignments. Her work has appeared in Skin Diver, Discover Diving, Sport Diver, PADI Undersea Journal, Diver UK, Diver Canada, Northwest Dive News, X-ray International magazine and many more outdoor publications. Barb is currently working with the Dive Industry Association of British Columbia and the Washington State Scuba Alliance.
BC's Marine Life in Photography-An Image Presentation
Please join Barb Roy from the Dive Industry Association of British Columbia as she takes you on a colorful photographic tour around Coastal and Interior BC for a look at our wondrous and unusual marine residence. Critters will include the giant Pacific Octopus, wolf-eel, rockfish, nudibranchs, anemones, sponges, crabs, fish and other invertebrates commonly seen at various dive destinations around British Columbia. The presentation will also include photographic tips on how many of the images were taken.
BC's Technical Dive Sites-An Image Presentation
As a member of the Maritime Documentation Society, a NAUI Underwater Archeology Instructor and a freelance photojournalist, Barb Roy has had the opportunity to accompany numerous technical dive groups in BC over the past twenty years. Join her now as she presents a compilation of images, gathered at many of the favored wrecks and walls around British Columbia.
Betty Orr:
Betty Orr is Vice President & Director of Insurance for DAN Services. She came to Divers Alert Network in 1991 as a customer services representative in the Membership Department and transferred into the Insurance Department in 1999. Prior to coming to DAN, she worked with the Florida Department of Regulation as an agent and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio as an Associate Professor of Biology. Betty has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology and has authored and contributed to many books and magazine articles in both scuba diving and biology.
Don't Drink the Water: Tips for Your Adventure Travel
This presentation is a compendium of travel tips and advice for your next big adventure – no matter how big or how small and includes discussions of how to prepare for all of those travel travails!
Jett and Kathryn Britnell:
Jett & Kathryn Britnell are an internationally published diving photojournalist team and Travel Editors for Dive News Network who specialize in underwater photography and scuba diving editorial. Based in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, they have pooled their creative talents and artistic vision to pursue their mutual interest in traveling off the beaten path on editorial assignments to far flung corners of the globe to craft compelling picture stories about diving destinations and the magnificent creatures that inhabit the ocean realm. Both are members of the BC Association of Travel Writers and apart from having over 50 magazine covers to his credit, Jett is also a member of the Ocean Artists Society (Photographer).
Shoot Like A Pro - Tips & Tricks For Improving Your Underwater Photography
Searching for tips and tricks to improve your underwater photography skills? This informative seminar by internationally published diving photojournalists, Jett & Kathryn Britnell, is designed to teach you how to dramatically improve the quality of your underwater photography.
Christopher Chin:
Dr. Harvey-Clark:
Chris is a veterinarian, marine biologist, documentary film maker and host. His clinical experiences with marine life from sea turtles to sharks led to publication of over 40 research papers, review articles and book chapters. He illustrated and published a best selling marine life guide to Canadian Atlantic waters, Eastern Tidepool and Reef, and he was principal author of the Canadian Council On Animal Care Guidelines for ethical care and use of fish in research. He currently serves on the boards of several charities including the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Farm Animal Care Trust, the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of British Columbia, and has provided advice on marine issues to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He is perhaps best known for his discovery of, and research on a population of the little known Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus. He is a founding co- Director of the Greenland shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group, GEERG(www.geerg.ca).
Dreamless Sleepers; Unknown Monsters- the secret life of sleeper sharks
Imagine that you are looking out your front window and suddenly a 15 foot long predator strolls by. Thats exactly what happened to film maker and marine biologist Dr Chris Harvey-Clark, on a quest for a mysterious predator in the chilly waters of the St Lawrence River. Featuring rare footage that has not been broadcast, follow his saga of personal and scientific discovery, as he tells the story of unlocking the secret life of an Arctic enigma, the Greenland shark .
Coach Izzy Sanchez:
Israel "Coach Izzy" Sanchez is a fitness and strength author, speaker, educator, and writer. His love for scuba diving and his ability to help others eliminate chronic pain to reclaim an active lifestyle have turned him into the preferred strength and fitness coach for divers. Catch up with him at www.diver-fitness-with-kettlebells.com
How to become a fit and healthy diver once and for all Let's face it; scuba divers are not the most in shape individuals. Without even bringing the stats (7 out of 10 divers are overweight or obese in case you are curious) take an honest look around you. The safety of the diver (and their buddies) is severely compromised by the lack of fitness. Coach Izzy will change the way you think about health and fitness and get you started on a path that brings results. No wonder he received the thumbs up for his work from diving legend John Chatterton.
Jim Decker:
As the CEO of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo, Jim is one of the top experts in the world on underwater photo and video equipment and shooting technique. From SLRs to compacts and handycams to broadcast video, Jim has shot video and photo systems from all the major underwater manufacturers and has been a consultant on many of the designs seen in the water today. Jim has also consulted with many professional photographers, production companies, resorts, and magazines including Mythbusters, Discovery Channel, Sport Diver Magazine, Scuba Diving Magazine, Into The Drink, National Geographic, Freshwaters Illustrated, and many more.
How to Get the Most From Your Compact Camera
Learn about the cameras, accessories, and techniques needed to take great underwater photos and videos with your compact camera. From wide angle to macro, learn what camera features to look when selecting a camera and the right accessories you need to get the results you want. Techniques covered include strobe placement, how to judge your exposure, and video shooting techniques.
John Boyer:
John Boyer began diving in the early 1950's in a Mark V hard hat system with the Deerlodge County Search and Rescue in Anaconda Montana. After college John pursued, for 13 years, a management carrier in retail while doing commercial diving and dive training on the side. He operated his own "general merchandise" store, which included dive equipment, teaching and taking divers on tours in Polson Montana on Flathead Lake in NW Montana. After that John went to Florida and Alabama to manage two large retail dive stores and was recruited by PADI headquarters as the manager of the PADI Retail Association. John left PADI and became a partner in a dive resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a couple of years. In the early 90's John was hired as the sales manager at DUI and four years later decided to become an independent representative for the the company. While at DUI John developed and published the "Training at All Levels Of Diver Education in Drysuits program used by many dive stores today. Presently John represents, in the western third of the US, two western provinces of Canada, Hawaii and Alaska, DUI, Bonica Cameras and is the "Master Trainer" for Ocean Reef full face mask and underwater communications company. John is also considered an expert in Public Safety diving including black water and contaminated water diving and he trains Public Safety teams in these endeavors.
Why Dive Dry
The talk will focus on the advantages of diving dry versus wet, how to choose the best type of suit for yourself, selecting the proper divewear insulation since each person has a different metabolism and share the most important thing about drysuit diving. There will also be a Q&A to dispel "drysuit myths."
John Williams:
After 20 years of visiting most of the world's oceans on research vessels to create detailed maps the seafloor, John was concerned about what he saw happening in our oceans. In 2002 he started his own video production company, Still Hope Productions. Now he produces short documentaries about what's going on below the surface of our local waters. His work has been seen on broadcast, satellite, and cable TV, at science conferences, as well as at local and national film festivals. Since 2006, he has produced the award winning TV series: "SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest" about our underwater neighborhoods that airs on over 60 community stations.
"Improving the Health of Puget Sound by Improving your Underwater Images: Telling Stories that Matter"
Sure your family and friends politely sit through your underwater slide and video shows, but when was the last time they were eager to see more? Who else gets to see your work? Did you ever want to see your images on KOMO TV or PBS? Now that you've mastered the technical aspects of underwater photography and video, take the next step to telling stories that matter. Underwater filmmaker John F. Williams will talk about why stories are important and show lots of examples of how stories are incorporated into photos and video. He'll also show examples of how even simple stories can help preserve the health of the marine ecosystem we spend so much time in. If you have short examples you'd like to share, contact John by April 1, 2012 to have your work included in the seminar.
Mike Hughes:
Mike Hughes has worked for the airlines for 30plus years. He has traveled around the world and worked as a Russian, Spanish, and Japanese interpreter. He is a PADI Master Instructor and holds a degree in Marine Biology. He has written for Dive News Network for the past 10 years and in 2009 he wrote The Northwest Dive Guide by Harbour Publishing. He currently has over 230 dive related videos on YouTube under mikehughesscuba and you can see some of his other work including dive articles and cartoons at www.mikehughesscuba.com
Dive Travel 101
From Passports, Dive and Travel insurance, TSA, airline baggage limits and sizes, to what and how to pack, traveling can be a breeze or a series of category 5 hurricanes. Make your next trip the easiest and most fun trip yet by being prepared and ready to go.
Mike Lever:
Captain Mike Lever is the builder and operator of the Nautilus Explorer and pioneer of "natural diving with white sharks".
Diving with the friendliest giant mantas in the World.
Watching stunning HD footage taken at Socorro Island off the luxury liveaboard diveboat Nautilus Explorer. The interaction between divers and both giant and black mantas at Socorro is unique in the world. These giant animals actually choose to come in close and interact on an intimate level with divers. Added bonus: dolphins and sharks
Diving with great white sharks? Is it for everyone??
Real diving or cage diving with great white sharks at Guadalupe Island? what's the right way to do it? what gives the best experience for scuba divers. watching stunning HD footage taken at Guadalupe Island off the luxury liveaboard diveboat Nautilus Explorer. You'll see the firsthand view from submersible cages at 40 feet. and even see footage of a sealion attacking a great white shark (not a misprint).
Nicolle Pratt:
Nicolle Pratt is an avid Pacific Northwest diver, active PADI Course Director, and the Director of Training and Marketing of Seven Seas Scuba with dive shop locations in Vancouver, WA and Monterey, CA.
Intro into Tides and Currents Presentation & Workshop
Interested in learning about tides and currents in Puget Sound and Hood Canal? Then join us for this presentation as we explore the basics of where to find tides and current information and then participant in a mini dive planning workshop.
Peter Den Haan:
Peter is a full time Scuba professional and Manufacturer's rep.
He has been training divers & instructors on rebreathers for the past 16 years starting with the Drager and including the MK 15series, Megalodon, KISS, Inspiration and Evolution. He's a Workshop Director for N AUI & NAUI Tec and conducts most of NAUI's technical training in the US. Peter is an avid videographer shooting High Definition exclusively with the Sony EX1 with Gates Housing and beliefs that the rebreather gives him many of the special encounters he's gotten on film.
The Future of Rebreather designs and Training
With Closed Circuit Rebreathers becoming main stream there is plenty of confusion and misinformation re design, features, perceived features and testing. This seminar will clarify the future of Rebreather design such as Rear mounted Counterlung versus Over the Shoulder Counterlung, mCCR versus eCCR, Axial versus Radial Scrubber, and many more design considerations without being Manufaturer specific
Peter Luckham:
Peter has spent a lot of his youth exploring the coastal waters of British Columbia as a Kayaker and sailor from Victoria to Haida Gwaii. A lot his exploring the waters of the Salish Sea was done in a Kayak around Cowichan Bay and Saltspring Island, until he moved to the "centre of the play ground" in the late 80's to seriously begin exploring the Salish Sea from Thetis Island. It was not until the late 90's that a prospective trip to Cuba opened the doors to exploring under the surface of the of his beloved Salish Sea. 14 years later and almost 1000 dives under his belt, he still finds it hard to believe that he never discovered scuba diving before. In the intervening years Peter has established a dive charter business operating from Chemainus on Vancouver Island and Thetis Island in the middle of the Salish Sea. It was the communities support and interest for having an Artificial reef in their backyard that allowed Peter to take on the Boeing 737 Artificial reef project which he believes needs to be on every divers bucket list.
6 years after the sinking over a 120 species have been recorded on the reef and Thousands of divers have enjoyed "Cruising aboard her at 90FSW"
ETDS will be hosting a PSI Visual Cylinder Inspection Class as well as a Valve Repair Technician Class on Sunday, April 22 in conjunction with the Tacoma Dive and Travel Expo. This is a one day seminar for anyone that handles high pressure cylinders. The class is a combination of lecture, discussion and lots of hands on learning. Cost of the VCI is $275 for new students and $225 for Refresh and VRT is an additional $175. Contact 206-618-3096 to enroll.
Scott Evans:
Rule number 6 – Dive like a fish
Similar to learning to ride a bicycle, learning buoyancy control it is challenging at first; however, the more you practice, the easier it becomes.
Learn the 3 A's of buoyancy control Awareness, Anticipation and Action
Discover how these simple steps will increase your comfort, decrease your air consumption and most importantly help preserve the fragile marine environment.
Scott West:
Before joining Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), Scott West worked for the US EPA as a criminal investigator. He retired as the Special-Agent-in Charge of the Seattle Area Office in October of 2008. For over 20 years, he was a supporter of SSCS, a marine conservation organization, and now puts his investigative and law enforcement skills to work in a new and rewarding way. Scott is the coordinator for the Cove Guardian campaign in Taiji, Japan; and has spent the past two seasons on the ground raising awareness and documenting the dolphin slaughter as seen in the Academy Awarding winning film The Cove. He has also worked with SSCS in the Galapagos Islands, the Faeroe Islands (Operation Ferocious Isles 2011) campaign against the pilot whale slaughter, crewed on the Steve Irwin in Antarctica 2009 (Whale Wars Season 3), and was on the ground in Otsuchi, Japan in March 2011 documenting the Dall's porpoise slaughter when Japan was rocked with a massive quake and tsunami.
Sherri Ferguson
Sherri is the Director of the Environmental Medicine & Physiology Unit at Simon Fraser University. Her lab investigates both hyper and hypobaric conditions and the affects on people and equipment. Sherri has a long history with diving; an instructor trainer for TDI/SDI and an occupational diver, she is also the Diving Safety Officer for the research diving programs at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia. She presently serves as vice-president for the Canadian Association for Underwater Science and is on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Chapter of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: On Guard Protecting The World's Oceans
From Antarctica to Namibia, Japan to the Galapagos, the Faeroe Islands to the Mediterranean Sea, SSCS has been around the world fighting on the front lines to protect sea life. SSCS is a non-profit marine conservation organization. Their efforts in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary have been documented on the Animal Planet series Whale Wars for the past 4 seasons. Season 5 is currently in post-production and will air this summer.
Join Scott West, SSCS Department of Intelligence and Investigations for a look at the efforts to protect whales, dolphins, seals, and more throughout the world over the past year. Come see and learn about the plight of marine mammals, ocean ecosystems, and threats to the world's oceans. Scott has worked on a variety of SSCS campaigns and will share his experiences and answer questions. www.seashepherd.org
TRUX & LAVONNE TERKLA owners of TL Sea Travel, have successfully led extraordinary travel experiences all over the globe for the past 16 years. Specializing in blending both land & sea, each of their adventures offers a complete cultural travel experience. Having visited over 75 destinations in 35 countries around the world, they understand the problems that can occur when travelling to a foreign country and formed TL Sea Travel to help others avoid such pitfalls, providing them with spectacular memories to last a lifetime!
How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Dive Travel
You save up all year to go on an once-in-a-lifetime vacation – only to discover the trip you were sold, didn't match the brochure! You end up wasting your time & money, returning home with a sour taste in your mouth. Our 1-hour presentation will focus on common travel problems and show you how to overcome them in order to get the most value from your dive adventure.
Pamelia Bertrand:
Why the Challenge?
Six years ago, I began the adventure of creating the Ultimate Diver Challenge! My enthusiastic passion for Scuba Diving, coupled with my addiction for reality television shows, inspired the idea of "The Ultimate Diver Challenge." Well, I am the crazy mom and nurse from Kansas City, MO that dreamed up this concept years ago while watching one of my favorite reality TV Shows, Survivor. I took the plunge to get certified in 1987 and have been addicted to scuba diving ever since. Unfortunately, my love for diving took a long vacation after discovering my 22 month old daughter had leukemia in 1992. My diving adventures resumed in 1995, after many years of Alicia's successful cancer treatments. With the return of scuba in my life, I decided to infect everyone I know with the joy of scuba starting with my family.
Ultimate Diver Challenge in the DIVE COMMUNITY
Although diving is typically seen as a buddy reliant, non-competitive sport, each of us are obligated to maintain and improve scuba skills that will not only keep ourselves and others safe, but help protect the reefs and marine life from human harm. How does UDC, your dive training and your dive shop change, inspire and impact the sport of Scuba.
