News

DEMA is just around the corner, and after last year’s rather low-key edition due to the pandemic, the show is welcoming back many of its regular exhibitors and hosting its key events. Among the highlights is the Diving Community Champion Awards, which recognizes “DEMA-member companies that utilize their recreational diving businesses and positions in the community to make a difference locally or on a wider scale.” Platinum, Gold and Silver awards are bestowed upon the top three DEMA-member companies as voted by the DEMA membership.

The organizers have now announced the 2022 Diving Community Champions. The Platinum Award goes to the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) in recognition of the organisation’s effort to promote diving opportunities through its training grants and scholarships. So far this year, WDHOF has awarded $70,000 to almost 50 individuals, the vast majority of whom are women. The Gold Award goes to The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE) for its work on developing a global plastics treaty, while the Silver Award goes to the Dive Pirates Foundation, which worked with six dive centers to provide dive systems and training for seven people with disabilities.

See the press release below for more information.
 

PRESS RELEASE

DEMA Announces 2022 Diving Community Champion Awards Recipients

** Diving Community Champion Awards will be presented during the DEMA Membership Meeting held at DEMA Show 2022 **

DEMA’s annual Diving Community Champion Award recognizes DEMA-member companies that utilize their recreational diving businesses and positions in the community to make a difference locally or on a broader scale. The Platinum, Gold and Silver Diving Community Champion Awards are awarded to the top three DEMA-Member companies as voted by the DEMA Membership. DEMA is excited and proud to announce the 2022 Diving Community Champions! 

Congratulations to the 2022 Diving Community Champion Award Recipients:

 2022 Platinum Winner: Women Divers Hall of Fame

Part of the Women Divers Hall of Fame’s mission is to support the underwater world and its associated careers by promoting opportunities in diving through grants, scholarships, internships, and mentoring as well as a worldwide network of industry contacts. In 2022, 46 scholarships and training grants were awarded in the amount of $69,750 to individuals who are passionate about our water planet. 

2022 Gold Winner: The Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education (COARE)

As an internationally recognized ocean conservation organization, COARE remains deeply connected to the dive community. It informs and educates divers about plastic pollution through the Green Divers for Blue Oceans initiative. In the past year, COARE focused primarily on working to develop a global plastics treaty that will protect human, animal, and environmental health. It collaborated with a consortium representing all stakeholders within the United Nations Environment Assembly. 

2022 Silver Winner: Dive Pirates Foundation

The Dive Pirates Foundation is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization sharing adaptive diving with people with physical disabilities. The Dive Pirates Foundation’s 2022 “Unleash Your Inner Pirate” effort networked with six dive centers in four states to provide a life-changing experience for seven people with disabilities, five of them military veterans. The foundation provided full dive systems and training for the adaptive recipients as well as for their adaptive dive buddies. The experience culminated in a dive trip to Key Largo. For some of these recipients, this was their first-time navigating travel with their disability.

DEMA’s objectives in creating this program include recognizing DEMA Member companies who are giving back to their communities and society through recreational diving and making these community efforts known to the general public. DEMA Members could view the nominees, and cast their votes through DEMA.org.

The Diving Community Champion Awards will be presented during the DEMA Member Update and Annual Meeting held at DEMA Show 2022 on November 2, 2022.