Day 3 of the first ADEX show in India organised by Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) happened on October 6, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

Speakers’ highlights

Jonah Skoles opened the last day of ADEX Mumbai Dive Show with a talk on the evolution of diving, especially regarding sidemount techniques. Sidemount diving stemmed from cave diving, wanted to go deeper. Therefore, there was a need for something on the side to explore the tight spaces. In 2000, it started to become a popular configuration.

Jonah then proceeded to shed some light on the question: “Why should one venture and try out sidemount techniques?”

While sidemount is not new per se, it’s a reinvention of what was before. Sidemount gives redundancy (extras), is easy to transport and streamlined, and allows one to explore deeper and dive in remote areas. Plus, the gear is more accessible and feels balanced. “You can just be…” he says, “No extra hassle!”

“It is an entirely new way of diving,” Jonah exclaims, “A way that feels like freedom.”

As your time underwater is determined by the amount of gas in your tank, a sidemount allows a diver to stay underwater longer thanks to its double quantity, allowing for longer and deeper exploration. Jonah started diving sidemount to do a one-hour wall dive in Pondicherry at 30m.

While the sidemount technique requires training as its technicality calls for guidance in its use, Jonah says, “There is no one way or the highway. And that’s the beauty of sidemount.”

Monica Chin, donned in a beautiful sari, spoke about her personal, and her company, ADRECC’s, hope for our ocean. With ADRECC, Monica and her team taught people about up-cycling fishnets, saving sharks and coral, and created a wider awareness about a clean ocean.

“Education is important as fishermen sometimes don’t even know that corals are animals!”

Monica and her team have bought sharks from fishing boats, then took care of them for a few months and released them into the ocean again, in hopes of making them not only live, but also thrive. She says, “There is a lot to do… but just don’t give up, keep trying!” She said in optimism.

Mark Strickland spoke about the amazing marine life behaviours by looking at the tiniest to the largest creatures in the sea. From clownfish to sharks, Mark talked about how they mated, laid eggs, and fed. He also mentioned how different marine creatures partner to form unique relationships that enhance each other, also known as symbiosis, and others that simply cannot get along.

Mark’s comical, engaging talk was refreshing and eye-opening, and its less technical nature truly brought a vast variety of topics to ADEX India.

Kanika Mohan Saxena from Orca Dive talked about three kinds of divers she sees and trains as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. These were the Facebook Divers, the people who want to try out a new sport, and those that do it because they have fears to overcome and triumph over. She talked about her approach to teaching, and how it is accessible to kids and adults alike. “ABCD,” she lulls, “Any Body Can Dive!”

Panel discussion

Ibrahim Naren, Elsie Gabriel, Monica Chin, Jackson Peter, Shaahina Ali, and Ahmed Gabr sat on a panel with moderator Mitali Dut Kakar to discuss The Single-use Plastic Conundrum.

In discussion about the challenges of single-use plastic in their respective regions, Ibrahim, regarding India, said that the challenge is very big but he firmly believes that a solution can be found. “But we don’t have to wait till it’s found, we just need policies to be made.” For example, the implementation of paper straws etc is great, but the government ultimately needs to do more.

Elsie, regarding Mumbai, mentioned that the biggest challenge we face today would be a collaboration between the municipality, government, ministry, and the citizens.

“Together with ADEX, if we can collaborate with these governing bodies, we can create divers that become agents of change.”

The second biggest challenge, she believes, is the enforcement of these rules. On 2 October 2019, the plastic ban in Mumbai was placed, but has been since retracted. “This should not happen,” she said firmly.

Monica pondered, “Plastic plastic plastic… Why plastic?” She wonders why people still create plastic waste. “It’s not so hard to start with small efforts, since we as people already started this entire mess of plastic pollution. It is my responsibility as a diver and as a human.” Monica has stopped using plastic bottle for 7 years, and questions, “Why can you give excuses when the ocean and nature never gives excuses and provides for us endlessly?”

She put eloquently: “There is no need to reuse, reduce, recycle. There should only be refuse!”

In the discussion in combatting plastic pollution, it was mentioned that while beach clean-ups are great, they should not be the idea of a solution, as ultimately, if plastic usage is not reduced, the sea brings waste back to land. ”It’s about stopping as an individual.”

Jackson told the audience to consider climate change and pollution as the biggest threats to humanity. “And plastic contributes to that,” he said. “This planet must not be known as Earth, that is only 30% of it, it should be known as Ocean.”

Shaahina believes that we have become used to and dependent on plastic. It has also become the norm and standards in businesses, imports and exports. ”But all you need to do is to reduce your footprint instead of thinking of completely avoiding plastic usage,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s necessary.”

Ahmed lamented that his children may not be able to grow in a great environment thanks to the effects of what we’ve done so far. ”We as people can voice things out but our ocean cannot. So it exhibits its problems in other ways, seen through dying corals and dirty beaches.”

“We need to set an example and standards for young generations,” said Elsie, “It needs to be in their curriculums to have ocean education and environmental sciences.”

Mitali expressed that plastic is not bad per se, but it’s how people use and manage it. For example, industry standards usually require plastic packaging, and if this is gone many people may risk losing their jobs. “That’s why the government can’t pass blanket policies.”

She also talked about her favourite way of eating since she was a child, on a banana leaf, which is also one of the most eco friendly ways to subsist. “We make the change,” she believes.

ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show conclusion

The diving industry is growing in India, and marine conservation and plastic pollution awareness around the region is an issue that is being talked about. At ADEX, these burning topics were spoken about in depth and the questions posed by the public showed that India is ready to plunge into the deep blue. We at UW360 would like to thank you for all your support at ADEX India Mumbai Dive Show 2019, and we look forward to seeing you next year!

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) was held from October 4-6 2019 atThe Bombay Exhibition Centre. Please visit adex.asia/india/ to learn more about the show.

Text: Shreya Acharya
 
The second day of the first ADEX show in India organised by Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) happened on October 5, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

Maldives’ Former President attends ADEX as a GOH

Former President and Speaker of the People’s Maljis Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, came to grace the event as a Guest of Honour at ADEX India about Maldives and the importance of healthy marine life.

“Maldives is not a small island state, it is a big ocean state.”

He says that Maldivians are the ocean people — people who live lives next to the ocean and grow up next to the sea. As such, the beach, sea, and underwater is intertwined with President Nasheed’s and also the lives of other Maldivians.

Maldives has a middle-income economy primarily thanks to the ocean. Therefore, he says, “It is in our interest that we maintain the beauty and health of the ocean.”

The Maldives is built on the coral reefs, and contains about 4500 square kilometers of reefs, or “farou”. The world has 800 species of coral and the Maldives boasts 250 of them. Maldives is also not only just for the rich— it is for everyone.

It is a new phenoma that humans have been able to observe the underwater. While the skies and stars are easy to see just by looking up, the sea shows blue but not what’s under it.

“When the Amazon burns we see it on TV and news. But when the reefs die we don’t see it.” He laments.

“In my view, this is why this exhibition becomes so important. You are the people that see it. We must tell the world about this.”

For 1000+ years we have had a clear definition and description of almost all our reefs, but haven’t been able to see them till recently.

“I come here as an advocate for protecting our environment. Our reefs are the first line of defense for our island. Without them, our island will face massive corrosion.”

It costs more than 750,000$ a metre to restore the reefs. As such, there is a need to preserve and save these reefs instead.

“The relationship divers have with marine biologists are very close, and this must be used.” The former president says.

There is a need to understand biodiversity and it’s conditions 50 years from now. “We are not willing to die.”

With climate crisis, humanity is at risk, but President Nasheed is optimistic.

“I believe we can save the planet. We can work against the odds and win it,” he says, “We want to survive. We must dream of a better world, and we will have a better world.”

India has taken upon herself, too, to realize that its reefs are important. India has a large shoreline; and has more reefs than mountains. “We are coming to a time where more and more Indians would go diving, to look at the world underwater.”

“The Environment must be an economic issue as well. You can’t just narrate it as a human rights and ethical issue. You need to get the message across.” He states.

“As politicians we can promise jobs, but green jobs. We can promise electricity, a good life, but the environment needs to be promised. This will be seen in the future of elections as well.”

He concluded by saying, “I may be a speaker and a former president, but I come here as a diver.”

 

Record holders shine at ADEX

 

Ahmed Gabr, Guinness World Record Holder in the Deepest Scuba Dive at 332.35 metres spoke about his venture and experience in breaking the record.

His companion had assured him, “If you go down and don’t come back up, it’ll be a movie. If you go down and come back up, it’ll be a record and a movie”

Ahmed believes that there is a huge difference between who you are and who you think you are. It took him 4 years to prepare for the deep dive, and every day of those 4 years he kept a goal and worked towards it.

Training was two parts for Ahmed: physical and mental preparation. Ahmed had no problem with the physical portion thanks to his history in the special forces.

“I actually had to reduce my physical activity!” He laughed.

The hard part was the mental aspect. “I had to remove the peer pressure. I had two options: if I focused with my main goal or if I waste time to think about what people think.”

“People thought I was an attention seeker. But I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t listen to these people.”

At the end of the day, Ahmed chose to reside in the sixth dimension. “I chose to isolate myself in a bubble. But the bubble is flexible, it grows. But nothing can penetrate it.” Ahmed stopped listening to negativity and worked towards his goal. He failed a lot, but said, “what is the opposite of success? Not failure, it is part of success. I learnt, I failed so much- equipment wise, team wise. But the show goes on.”

Ahmed’s dive lasted almost 14 hours, and his friend “Sharkie”, an actual shark, kept him company for six of those hours. After the successful dive and record, Ahmed talked about him losing a third of his lung capacity that took months to recover.

 

Faisal Jawad Hashim, Guinness World Record Holder for the Fastest 10KM Scuba Dive in 5 hours 24 minutes talked about his near-death experience 14 years ago. His surgeon declared to Faisal’s family that he couldn’t promise anything: Faisal may not have been able to live for even 5 more minutes.

“Everyone suffers from loss in life. Some people crumble but others see that being strong is the only option,” he says.

But the hardest question to Faisal is: Would you like to walk again or not?

Faisal displays two photos: one of him in the hospital and another diving in the sea. “I am in both this photos. And I like both. The one on the right reminds me of how strong I can become.”

Faisal first felt that he lost everything— His health, study, and life. From being a professional football player in Kuwait’s national team to spending a year in the hospital recovering, he emerged to be born again. He started by included himself in the society again.

When he heard the terms: disabled, unable, and other negative words, he worked to change all these words with his hands.

“My determination is bigger than my disability. My rule in life is planning, planning planning. Plan 80%, work 20%”

In 2008, Faisal got his first international diving license, and Sipadan island was started his diving journey.

Faisal dove like a turtle, because he just used his hands. In his first dive, a turtle swam alongside him for a great part of the way.

“In 2005, I watched my friends play football and couldn’t join in, but in 2014, my friends longed to dive with me.”

Faisal was scared of the sea and the water as a child, but is now a rescue diver.

He broke the world record for the fastest scuba dive 1 hour quicker than the previous, able bodied record holder, at 5 hours and 24 mins.

“Don’t look at my legs as a challenge for me. Look at my eyes and the passion burning in them to take on the challenge.”

Faisal didn’t just break the record, he smashed it, leading to his “superhuman” title in the Guinness articles.

Leading back to the question, regarding if Faisal would like to walk again, he says, “Yes. But only if I have the same determination and courage I have today.”

“In 2005, I was the patient Faisal.

Today I am the champion Faisal.”

 

Panel discussion

A discussion and debate on sustainable diving tourism ensued with our moderator Ibrahim Naeem and panellists Zoona Naseem, Paul Tanner, Mitali Dutt Kakar, Jonah Skoles, Abi Carnadie, and Neil Francis.

Neil started off by saying that one should not be afraid to name and shame unsustainable practices and practitioners. Companies have a responsibility as an agency to conduct an investigation, push for retraining or even expelling to keep up standards.

Ibrahim also said that naming and shaming actually works, but Mitali added that it is the responsibility of a diver to report bad behaviour and practices in an agency.

Jonah countered that it is also good to reward good behaviour. “Don’t just name and shame but name and praise people who do their best as well.”

He insisted that companies need to work together. “There are so many issues but we’ve just scraped the surface. But if we put our heads together we can make a difference.”

Adi said that consumers try and choose sustainable operators, so businesses should sell themselves as such and also practice it. Hence, it is good for businesses to follow these footsteps.

Zoona said that, ultimately, education is very important. “Don’t blame policy makers. People should know what to do. It starts from home.”

Neil also added, “It’s purely about education and awareness, from children all the way to any person in the world. We can all implement changes– in personal, workspaces, or anywhere and everywhere you go. It starts with you and it can only grow from that.”

The second panel discussed Diving into Professionalism, and it was moderated by crowd favourite, Ahmed Gabr, and panellists included Julien Fortin, Commander Vishwanath Rajan, Anand Sharma, and John Seddon.

Ahmed questioned the panel on the accessibility of technical and professional diving, in which Rob, PADI’s Course Director for 20 years, said, “Back in the day the route wasn’t a defined route and systems were not clear. Now it’s more accessible route to be a tekdiver or a professional.”

Commander Vishwanath noted that there was no instructor training in India 13 years ago. But in contrast, today, 3 course directors, instructor trainers, and advanced level and speciality courses are available to the masses.

The consensus was that as professionals, one should not stop asking questions, especially “stupid” ones.

On the topic of the impact created by social media, Julien’s argument was that he simply did not believe in it. People have traveled distances to see him, and this is because he didn’t have a Facebook account. Ultimately, professionalism is more important. “It’s not one aspect of the job. If you’re spending 99% of time looking good for social media, you forget to look at equipment, technical parts, etc. Reality is slightly warped when social media is abused.”

John added that while social media is a powerful tool, most people are not trained in its use.

However, Ahmed made the point that generational and age difference should be considered when talking social media. “If you talk about millennials you can’t just ignore social media.”

Thanks to its technical but also highly relevant nature of discussion, and the jovial conversation-like flow of the dialogue, the panel kept the audience engaged and was very well received.

Speakers’ highlight

Julien Fortin from Technical Diving shared his in-depth expertise and experiences on Tek Diving and cave diving. He then posed a question: What can be done in India? Julien highlights, “Tek Diving simply exceeding rec limit without proper procedures and training is not tek. It’s stupid!” He also said that taking a passion and pushing it further is all about applying the right mindset.

Julien also emphasised on education, exploration and conservation. “Protect by it by proper training and getting the right buoyancy.” After all, Having the proper training, proper team, proper mindset makes a good Tek diver. “Everything you can find in the world, can be found in India. It’s just not found yet!”

Day 2 conclusion

ADEX India – Mumbai Dive show, today, served as a hub for businesses, divers, non-divers, and individuals alike in terms of its presentations, talks, panel discussions, and also its exhibitor booths. Audience interested in diving, or even just marine biodiversity and life, came together to enhance, learn from, and grow this tight-knit industry, proving that diving in India is definitely a budding activity.

Stay tuned for the exciting exhibitions, line up of programmes and international dive brands ONLY on ADEX India Day 3!

Register now and redeem your FREE digital copies of Asian Diver & Scuba Diver magazines and showguide at: https://adex.asia/india/emagazines/

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) is held from October 4-6 in The Bombay Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit adex.asia/india/

Text: Shreya Acharya

The first ADEX show in India organised by Underwater 360 (International), Highrise (Sri Lanka and Maldives), and Events Solution (India) commenced on October 4, 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Underwater360 is proud to be co-organiser of this inaugural event.

The exhibition delivered a large turnout thanks to its engaging speakers and exhibitors that boasted a myriad of people in the industry and their experiences as dive travel and trade stakeholders, equipment manufacturers, National Tourism Organizations (NTO), distinguished VIPs, leaders, and influencers such as marine conservationists, underwater photographers, environmentalists, and even Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra. They came to meet, network, share stories, and exchange ideas.

Renowned speakers share their experiences, ideas, and thoughts

From 1030AM to 1330PM, distinguished local and international speakers alike spoke about topics close to the ocean, and their hearts.

The Dive Show opened with the “Godfather of Diving” in India, Mr Prahlad Kakar. He is also “The man who comes with a hidden talent: making the best soufflé omelette in the country”. Prahlad claimed to be an “accidental diver” as he first stumbled and discovered diving in Mauritius.

“We were in Mauritius, and my friends told me to sit while they dived. I was feeling so seasick, and I wanted to go back but the boat was unable to leave without the divers. The driver suggested that the best way was to put on a mask and get in the water. I did that and my seasickness was cured.I also discovered diving.”

During that dive, the experience for Prahlad was amazing. He chanced upon a Quran on top of a coral and it perhaps served as a sign, a divine intervention if you will, as 5 years later, Lacadives was born in Lakshadweep, a largely Muslim-populated area.

“Children should grow up in islands,” he believes, “and no place in the world that has as much biodiversity than in the Andamans.”

“The sea changed my life, it changed my children’s lives, and it touched the lives of everyone that dived with us.” His motto is to never fight the ocean because it is the mother and father.

Guest speaker and UN “Champion of the Earth”Adv Afroz Shah came together with Prahlad Kakar and John Thet to talk about his conservation and on-the-ground efforts at Versova beach. Afroz’s efforts led turtles to lay eggs on Versova beach again, after many decades of being unable to do so.

Afroz believes that in Indian culture, once seen and an example is set, people just do it. After cleaning the beach alone for 3 months, people started joining in thanks to his efforts and Door to door campaigns. He said to divers, “Why travel to Andaman or Thailand? Why not make Mumbai fit to be your dive site?”

He stated that while cleaning beaches does not mean clean beaches, it is the small steps that count.

“We talk a lot as a society,” Afroz notes. “like saying I love Mother Nature etc… but it’s not all 5 star hotels and conference halls, it needs to reach slums and small apartments. In Mumbai there’s a complete disconnect with the rich and the poor— so how will the poor be educated on recycling, cleaning, environment?”

Afros posed a solution: “We must, as a community learn, not only what to do in our lives but also for the community, the country, the environment.” There is no use just donating and tearing a cheque, you need to actually get down and do it!

As Afroz educates school and university students, he found success when a student said to him, “I like biscuits, but the packet goes in the sea. So I go to the bakery to buy the biscuits since it’s nude food.” It’s the small efforts that are huge efforts after all!

Afroz stated that what we’ve done as a society is to create a war against turtles and dolphins. But our role now is to mitigate and reverse this war.

John Thet, CEO of ADEX and Founder of Underwater 360, added that whether a diver or not, 60% of our air comes from the water. The ocean is supposed to be pristine, so if there’s no healthy ocean, there’s no life. “What’s diving without the ocean? Plastic pollution is a crisis and 7 out of the 10 most polluted water bodies are in Asia.”

“I played on that beach (Versova), John. I grew up there. But it’s gone. And it is depressing.” When Afroz goes to schools and colleges and apologizes. He says that he’s sorry that adults like him have polluted the seas.

“This stupidity must end,” Afroz said to conclude.

Neil Francis, SSI’s Business Development and Training Director, initially came to India to teach swimming to children in rural areas and cities alike, and he was surprised at the level of swimming ability some of the children had. He happily recounted, “I was treated like a celebrity in India with the kids!”

Their “Try Scuba Diver” course is conducted in confined spaces like swimming pools, and get one ready for the sea. Moving on to diving, education and skills are required as well. They make these skills accessible with a one-day course “Basic Diver”, and it is available to children too. From that qualification, the open water diving courses become available to all, and once Open Water certified, the opportunities are endless. A professional career may also await thanks to their extensive advanced courses.

What sets SSI apart, however, is their marine ecology programs. This is taught by SSI dive masters or higher and anyone determined and passionate about marine life is in for a treat! Their Blue Ocean program introduces global challenges to the environment and acts as a small stone that builds a large foundation.

As Maldives is also a famous diving destination around the region, and India, many speakers talked about their love for the island and its vast, beautiful underwater world.

Zoona Naseem, ADEX Guest Speakerfrom PADI, Maldiveswas the first female PADI course director and has been working as a dive instructor for the past 4 years. Diving for 24 years, she’s done more than 1200 dives thus far, and is not stopping anytime soon!

Her first goal is to convince parents that the ocean is a safe place for kids and her next is to get children to love the ocean. It is not just a place of “scary sharks”, but an open opportunity for a profession in diving and, if not, a massive awareness in marine conservation and health.

“We are the ones that need to educate the youth on the environment.” In Maldives, they made the first Dive club in a school. No phones, no internet, just the vast big blue. Zoona believes that smartphones are destroying the environment and the youth. Diving can prove to be an alternative, where phones definitely cannot be used.

Zoona believes that reefs and the ocean should not be studied just through diagrams, but in the flesh, and it is possible as they are blessed to be near the shores. “Everyone wants an A-grade child,” she says about parents’ extreme focus on academic grades. Zoona firmly thinks that the biggest challenge today is to change the minds of these parents, and to let their kids go beyond being a lawyer or doctor— whether girl or boy, children should open their minds beyond land, and become divers, or even professional divers, by venturing to sea.

Matt Wenger, Regional Manager of PADI, talked about his company, and his love for Maldives. He shared about PADI’s role in issuing more than 1 million certifications a year, and having certified more than 27 million divers worldwide to date. PADI is a global force for good, evident from their Project AWARE. Conservation is believed to be an integral part of diving, for divers and budding divers alike. Matt also professes his dedication to Maldives. He says, “It is as sustainable as it gets.” PADI has more than 200 dive centres in Maldives and offers great diving year round, for beginners to advanced divers.

Ibrahim Naeem, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maldivesstarted off by displaying the rich marine biodiversity of Maldives but broke off saying, “I’ll be brief because we’ve already heard so much about the Maldives. But there’s still so much to say.” As 90% of biodiversity comes from marine divers, protected area management in the Maldives is highly important. EPA rangers are at work and the organization works towards combating challenges against marine preservation, whether by pushing for constitutional laws or working as individuals doing their part.“There is often conflict with the divers and the fishermen,” Ibrahim said. This stemmed from the protection of dive sites, for divers, surfers, and the marine life. However, the large legal framework in the constitution enforces this responsibility of the state, as it is an environmental necessity.

Panel discussion

Panellists Matt Wenger, Faisal Jawad Hashim, Mark Strickland, Major Vivek Jacob, Jonah Skoles, and Neil Francis came together to discuss the diving industry in Asia.

The perspective of diving industry in Asia and compare it to diving in India

Neil stated that across Asia is an incredibly strong market for diving, especially over the past ten years. The industry has also become much more accessible for everyday people – It is not a just exclusive sport any more. “India is in its very early stages but has a lot of potential,” he notes.

Jonah notes that 5-10 years ago diving was just a hobby in India, but now it can be seen as a career and a matured sport that can be raised to a professional level. When Jonah started his dive centre, 80-90% of divers were foreigners. In contrast, he doesn’t see many foreigners at all now. Locals are finally enjoying the sport and taking the plunge.

Regarding the challenges of diving in India, Major Vivek Jacob noticed that people in India afraid of going underwater. “They think they’ll get eaten by a shark.” Diving is still the most accessible in India, and often reserved for the super-rich. His aim is to try to simplify it and break it down: how people can come together and crack this industry open. “That’s what we have to do!”

Jonah also speculated that India has the possibility to be a world class dive hub, but support and regulations by government bodies is needed. “Sink a few kingfisher planes in the sea! We will have our own wreck dives!” He joked.

Mark said that India can learn from diving mistakes of other nations. It can avoid too much diver interventions in sea and yet provide a healthy balance. Government regulations still restrict a lot of diving, And Faisal says that while India has great diving sites, it is not marketed. Locals and foreigners don’t know enough Indian dive sites!

Diving for the handicapped

When discussing handicapped scuba diving in terms of accessibility and challenges, Matt said that usually, no dive centre would deny handicapped divers. The challenge actually comes from getting around the city, the shore, the sand. Neil adds that the challenge lies in purely logistical cases of the location: too sandy, too inaccessible, etc.

Jonah knows many disabled dive instructors, divers, especially in Pondicherry. “People in India have hearts of gold,” he says with gusto, “They’ll carry a wheelchair through the sands to help if needed!”

Vivek visited a clinic and 25-30 patients of various disabilities were there. None of them said no to diving. They’d travel a distance just to try it. This goes to show that India may be ready for handicapped diving, for both divers and new divers alike.

“When there is demand, there is supply, and that’s where the solution lies.”

Vivek says that the vision should be, “Money, money, money.” Business is not a bad thing, he noted, and the market needs to be cracked open. But it needs to be done slowly, sustainably. “It’s time for India to take charge of its own diving industry. Beyond boundaries and borders. “5 years from now, this country [India] can be the biggest market for diving!”

The challenge India faces in diving is its high cost. For example, an open water course in India costs about INR26000 in which INR7000 goes to out of the country. This cost needs to be reduced to make it more accessible. A solution is to make it a source of employment. “Make diving an employable sport! India is a land of water. If poorer people can be taught diving, the industry can grow!” Vivek exclaims.

 

Opening ceremony

To kick off the opening ceremony, traditional dance was performed, where the dance group graced the stage in their beautiful shimmery red outfits and performed a classical and contemporary fusion act. ADEX India Ambassadorand Bollywood actress, Parineeti Chopra,graced the stage with her presence and talked about her love for diving. While not exactly the sporty type, Parineeti was pleasantly surprised when she discovered the sport. She first discovered and fell in love with with diving in Bali, Indonesia, and continues to enjoy diving around the region.

 

Everyone looked on with excitement and fans rushed to get her autograph and a photo as she exclaimed, “ADEX is a show I will come to every year!”

 

Over 40 media channels turned up from various organisations to cover the event today, transcending print and digital formats. The diving industry and scene in Mumbai, India is proven to be one that is growing and promises a huge success.

 

Day 1 Conclusion

 

ADEX India – Mumbai Dive show proved a success on its first day, showing the rapid growth and potential of diving in the Indian market. In conjunction with World Animal Day, Rajan, the swimming elephant and the ADEX India symbol was honoured alongside the vast, thriving life underwater.

 

Tomorrow, on Saturday, 5 October 2019, Afroz will be leading a second beach clean-up from 8.30AM-10.30AM. Interested parties can register at https://adex.asia/india/beach-clean-up/.Please report at the entrance of Versova Beach, where gloves will be provided and bonds will be made. We, alongside Afroz, look forward to your participation.

 

Stay tuned for the exciting exhibitions, line up of programmes and international dive brands ONLY on ADEX India Day 2!

 

Register now and redeem your FREE digital copies of Asian Diver & Scuba Diver magazines and showguide at: https://adex.asia/india/emagazines/

 

ADEX Mumbai 2019, the inaugural Dive Expo in India hosted in partnership of Events Solution (India) and High Rise (Maldives) is held from October 4-6 in The Bombay Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit adex.asia/india/

The ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta

 

ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta officially kicked off on 5 July 2019 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in conjunction with ISPO Shanghai, multi-segment summer trade show that provides a platform for innovation, marketing, networking and communication for China’ sports market. Lovers of all kinds of sports gathered in Hall N2 for the opening ceremony that sees sports stars such as the football star Fan Zhiyi and sports industry leaders convening together to make the opening speeches on the massive growing popularity of outdoor sports in China as well as ribbon cutting. The opening ceremony ended with a “ISPO X Tmall Sports fashion show”, showcasing renowned brands such as Columbia and The North Face.

Patrick Stueber speaking at the ISPO Opening Ceremony

 

ISPO has strong presence in China for 15 years now, and ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta partners for the first time with ISPO on its 5th run in Shanghai to promote diving as summer sport in China. Renowned international brands in the dive industry such as PADI, SSI, SDI TDI EDI, DAN, Problue, Mola Mola Liveaboard, Infiniti Liveaboard, Sea Safari Cruises, Leaderfins and more are present at the Diving Section to promote the latest diving courses, diving gears and liveaboard experiences in this B2B-centric platform.

The PADI China booth at ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta

 

The Problue International booth at ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta

 

The SDI-TDI-ERDI booth at ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta

 

The SSI booth at ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta

 

Here are some words from diving brands on why they choose to join ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta. Stay tuned for more.

“I always heard Chinese people are not swimming. Well I think there are more swimmers in China than there is a population in Switzerland. Having said that, I see a very positive trend in the professionalism of Chinese instructors, I see a lot of people interacting in the diving industry, and also the snorkeling and mermaid programme.” – Jean Claude Monachon, SSI

“In Bunaken Island, we have many European people coming. So it’s very funny sometimes because the people from far they come to Bunaken, but the people from Asia, some of them don’t know Bunaken at all. So I want to follow ADEX, when I follow ADEX I got more benefits, like I got more guest and travel agents who want to work with me also.” – Elryc Mosal, MC Bunaken Dive Resort

Throughout the day, the activities and performance by SSI Mermaid and ADEX Mermaids at the Water Sports Village garnered a lot of attention from diving and non-diving visitors who came from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and more around the region.

 

The second day of ADEX Shanghai Ocean Fiesta on July 6th will see the start of diving seminars on stage, by representatives of diving industry leading brands such as Lou Yan from PADI China, Jean Claude Monachon from SSI, Andrea Salomi from CETMA Composite, as well as underwater photographer James Zhu.

The oceans regulate our climate, absorbs carbon dioxide and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people on Earth. Asia is home to incredible green bio-diversity but all across the entire Asia Pacific, there are lots of threats to marine life such as bomb fishing, plastic and waste pollution. With the growth of marine tourism and the increasing consumption of seafood all across the world, the fishing industry and marine tourism industry both depend heavily on healthy marine eco-systems.

Organized by Asian Geographic Magazines in cooperation with Reef World Foundation (Green Fins), the Sustainable Diving Dialogue is an unprecedented panel discussion moderated by Ms Natalie Harms from United Nations Environment that saw some of the most influential people in the global diving industry gathered together to discuss how to combat marine pollution and the current and future direction of sustainable marine tourism across the entire Asia Pacific region. Held on April 13 2019, 10 a.m at ADEX Singapore 2019, the panelists shared the problems and solutions they encountered from implementing sustainable solutions while valuable insights and help were offered by sustainable manufacturers to the other panelists in the forum.

Co-moderated by Ms Chloe Harvey from the Reef World Foundation (Green Fins), the panel consisted of Ms Rosie Cotton (Owner and General Manager of Tioman Dive Centre), Mik Jennings (Commercial Manager of Blue O Two / Worldwide Dive and Sail), Cassian Bellino, (Sustainability Management Trainee from Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas), Adam Broadbent (CEO of Zublu), Jim Standing (Director of Fourth Element), Paul Tanner (Territory Director, PADI Asia Pacific) and John Thet (Publisher of Asian Geographic Magazines).

The Challenges of Sustainability

According to Natalie, the UN is working with governments to improve ocean governance by starting regional marine programmes to reduce plastic pollution. One of the main challenges addressed in the discussion was the practical implementation of sustainable solutions.

Case Study: Tioman Dive Centre

Awarded the Green Fins Award for having the lowest environmental impact overall, the Tioman Dive Centre had put in place a series of small changes recommended by Green Fins that put them on their way towards sustainability. Rosie Cotton, owner and General Manager of Tioman Diver Centre, was grateful to Green Fins for the considered actions recommended to them which promoted change without disrupting her business. By transmitting the correct sustainability mindsets and behaviour to her staff, the Tioman Dive Centre staff were in turn able to pass on this wisdom to customers. Being consistent was key to effective change.

Case Study: Blue O Two/Worldwide Dive and Sail

Having been working on the greening of liveaboards for Blue O Two/Worldwide Dive and Sail as its Commercial Manager, Mik Jennings addressed the greatest threat to the environment – humans. With our footprint on the environment increasing proportionately with our numbers, marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential. Although a lot of governments have MPAs, the strict policing of these MPAs is key to the proper protection of the marine life in these areas.

Mik also shared that while one little company can do very little by itself, trying to get strength in numbers is also a challenge. One of the biggest roadblocks to being sustainable is obtaining the eco-friendly products. With a footprint of 15 resorts all over the world, Mik shared his difficult experience of obtaining sustainable products for all of Blue O Two’s resorts. As distributing products from a central source to all 15 resorts would lead to a bigger carbon footprint, the only option left to him was to source items in all 15 locations separately from local sources.

With audiences encouraged to join in the dialogue, Bruce Dudley, Senior Vice President of Globe Series, ADEX Singapore’s partner in the Ocean Partnership Summit in Singapore next year, posed a question to the panelists about whether any of the panelists had seen tangible rewards from being sustainable.

“We find it very mixed,” replied Mik to the question. He pointed out that while some chose holidays based on which holiday resort is sustainable, some people just don’t care. When Blue O Two put an announcement on its facebook about not throwing plastic bottles into the Red Sea, they received backlash about the move. But if they did not do this, they would lose money in the end.

Case Study: Zublu

In response to Bruce Dudley’s question, Adam Broadbent from Zublu replied that it was indeed hard to reward companies for being green as being sustainable is a process that is hard to scale up. Although it might just be a marketing benefit for now, Adam is of the opinion that “eventually it will become the status quo and you’ll get left behind if you don’t do the same”.

In response to Natalie about the demand and growth of sustainable dive tourism, Adam revealed that on the Zublu platform, they try to showcase sustainable liveaboards and dive resorts. Being “in the inspiring stage and discovery stage, Zublu plays an important role in showing consumers what is available”.

“People are making choices based on sustainability. Price still trumps for now but there are some very exciting places in trek in Borneo,” added Adam.

“Zublu is seeing demand from customers who want to get involved in conservation work while they are travelling.

“In terms of pre-travel – for us, sustainable travel starts from home. That’s where you have the biggest impact. By choosing a Green Fins member, you make sure you have a smaller carbon footprint,” Adam added.

Adam also shared what Zublu would like to do: which is to try to encourage more of their guests to be activists when they are at the destination and rewarding them for that so that they will book through Zublu again. Adam added that “rewarding people is the best way to engage people to do conservation work”.

Case study: Fourth Element

In response to the need for manufacturers and marine tourism business to be sustainable and green, Fourth Element founder, Jim Standing said, “Frankly we have to do it. If we don’t, the future is incredibly stark. We’ve accepted the higher cost and some of the kickback of making our product more expensive. If we don’t do this, the legs of the stool will fall off until you’re standing on the floor. We have to do this until consumers have no choice but to be green.”

In response to a question from Natalie about whether he felt sustainable dive tourism has an edge already, Jim answered affirmatively.

“There is a competitive advantage for sustainable businesses. We should be making something from our waste – ocean positive swimwear line, leggings from sustainable materials. Once you look into the rabbit hole, you can’t come back out.”

Jim added that committing to building sustainable products “fundamentally changed the DNA of Fourth Element to one where we make the product that is better for the ocean”. For Fourth Element, they’ve embarked on a journey where they will eliminate single use plastic by the year 2020. More of Fourth Element’s product line will be built with recycled material.

“We’re just a tiny company,” added Jim. “This is going to become important to everybody. We decided to make mission 2020 an aim. We want to make the whole industry committed to this. As a community, we can present our own pledges like a 70% reduction of plastic. Individual dive centers all over the world, we can all make changes . That can inform divers all around the world to follow and make changes – that will make a change that is positive for the ocean. I would encourage everybody to please join Mission 2020. There are phenomenal resorts out there who are doing great things. There are many conservation models that reward the poor villages to make enough money for their families.”

When asked about what support was needed, Jim laughingly added, “Just vote with your wallet and buy our stuff.” As a parting note, Jim reiterated his promise to share where his company sources their sustainable raw materials.

He revealed that his company working with other manufacturers who want to find out where Fourth Element sources their sustainable raw materials. He added that not only is there no sacrifice of performance for sustainability, the products they are making now, a lot of them perform better than non-sustainable versions.

Case Study: PADI (Asia Pacific)

Responding to a question from the public about the path forward when only one resort out of a handful in an area are sustainable, Paul Tanner from PADI was truthful.

“I don’t think there’s answer for it. It depends on what level the company is on the ladder to becoming sustainable. The dive centres here are the ones who are keen, the ones who are successful. Those dive centres who are not investing in this will die out. They’ll either destroy the community they’re in and they won’t have business or the other liveaboards who are green are going to take their business,” said Paul.

“The most successful ones, the ones who are charging more are the ones who are sustainable. It’s very difficult to do on a large scale, it always comes down to the community level. Guinea islands – they’re limited to two boats per expedition on one dive site. It all comes down to the local level.”

Paul further emphasised the importance of education, community and comunication to driving the movement. “From three to four years ago, we implemented a sea change in how we approach our teaching,” said Paul. “We are putting out materials and encouraging divers to drive sustainability and combat climate change. We are collecting as much data as we can. We are talking to manufacturers about BCDs that can tell us what kinds of environment we’re diving in. We’re using our reach – 5 million reach on social media – trying to push our message through our network. You’ll see a lot more change through this in two or three years.”

ADEX: The Road Ahead

Natalie also asked John Thet, CEO of ADEX Singapore about how he sees ADEX supporting issues on sustainability.

“I think we are not doing enough,” replied John. “That’s why next year we are repeating our theme. We used to change our theme every year but it’s not enough time to finish everything so we are repeating our theme next year. We want to give back to the ocean. There are many ways to do this. Plastic is a problem that’s hard to resolve. People only recycle 9% of their plastic. Making new plastic is cheaper than recycling an old one. Business wise it’s a tough choice to turn down.” “That’s why next year , we are talking about policy on a government to government basis, John added. “We need to talk to governments to ban plastic. We have to start with our own mission. We have to start with ourselves first. We have to stop using plastic so that the problem will be reduced. I don’t believe it’s only for us. It’s for the young generation. We should really promote the young generation to promote more voices from the young. That is what we need. We want to do more. Next year, we want to have combined announcements about companies announcing their bans and pledges for sustainability.”

“Yesterday, we saved the usage of thousands of plastic bottles by not using them. Like Paul said, if there’s more divers, there will be more ocean lovers. But we have to educate divers, or else more divers will lead to more damage to the environment. Content is very important for us to educate others.”