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This year's Dive Show at the NEC will house over 300 suppliers of the very latest diving equipment, dive leisurewear, training courses, holiday resorts, destinations plus much more. Packed full of ideas and inspiration, the show will give both seasoned divers and those new to the sport the chance to see what's hot, what's on the cards for next year and where to go for the best dive thrills.

The show's two Try Dive pools will again provide the opportunity for visitors to get hands-on experience and, for divers who want to listen to some of the sport's biggest names, there's a packed programme of free talks and presentations. Underwater photographers will also have the chance to have their images reviewed and critiqued in the Digital Clinic, and the Historical Diving Society will be on hand to impart fascinating facts about our diving heritage.

This year's free presentation programme is bursting with diving celebrities. Many of this year's speakers have been working on projects for TV, so look forward to sneak previews of some shows. Monty Halls will be showing footage from his next Great Ocean Adventures series, which airs next spring. The second part of the BBC blockbuster Planet Earth starts in November, and ace cameraman Peter Scoones will bring with him some new HD footage.

Miranda Krestovnikoff has spent the summer working on the next series of Coast, with an emphasis on sharks in UK waters, while shark specialist Mike Rutzen has been touring the world to film with various species. Innes McCartney, meanwhile, has been working on a new series called Deep Wreck Mysteries.

Rounding off the seminar programme are cave diver Rick Stanton, wreck experts Leigh Bishop, Teresa Telus and Jack Ingle, as well as manta specialist Anne-Marie Kitchen-Wheeler.

Tickets to the show cost £7.50 each if booked in advance (£10.50 on the door) and children under 14 go free. Visit www.diveshows.co.uk to buy tickets online or call the advance booking line 020 8977 9878.

ENDS

Note to editors:
For images please visit the Gallery Section

Press contact:
Liz Scriven, LSPR Ltd, tel: 020 8398 3327

Email: liz.scrivenpr@ntlworld.com

5 September 2006

GETTING STARTED IN SCUBA DIVING

If you are thinking of having a go at scuba diving this year, then a visit to this year's Dive Show at the NEC on 14 and 15 October is the best place to start.

In addition to over 320 exhibiting companies offering the latest dive kit, holidays, training options and dive leisurewear, there is a 'Try Dive' pool and a packed programme of free presentations from exhibitors and some of the sport's most famous names.

The first question most people ask when thinking of taking up the sport is 'how good a swimmer do I need to be'. Well, surprisingly, as long as you know how to swim and are happy in the water the only other thing you need is good health. A lot of formerly poor swimmers have become quite proficient after learning to scuba dive.

Breathing under water is also another major concern but, thanks to the invention of SCUBA equipment by Jacques Cousteau, all you have to do is breathe normally and the 'regulator' in your mouth supplies air at the same pressure as the water surrounding you.

The fearsome reputation of the Great White Shark also features high on the list of FAQS, but in reality it is unlikely that you will see any sharks at all on your dives. Sharks are very shy and avoid contact with humans. In fact, sharks are now an endangered species with more than 100 million being killed by fishermen every year.

Age and fitness also appear on the list of questions. There are people still diving who are well into their 80s, so this shows that experience counts for more than strength in scuba diving. In fact, it's a salutary experience for some macho men to find that women can be better divers, as they are more likely to think through a problem rather than fight it.

Another myth is that it is dark and gloomy under water. Of course, this depends on where you are diving, but in places like the Red Sea, the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef, the visibility can be crystal clear even at depths as great as 40 metres (over 120 feet below the surface).

If you would like tickets to this year's Dive Show visit www.diveshows.co.uk or call the advance booking line 020 8977 9878. Tickets cost £7.50 each if booked in advance (£10.50 on the door) and children under 14 go free.


ENDS

Note to editors:
For images please visit the Gallery Section

Press contact:
Liz Scriven, LSPR Ltd, tel: 020 8398 3327

Email: liz.scrivenpr@ntlworld.com