Action All Round at DIVE 2012!

Visitors to this year’s Birmingham Dive Show will find things done a little differently to previous shows. By popular demand over recent years there have been more interactive experiences within the hall itself, and at DIVE 2012 this process will be taken a step further with the introduction of the DIVER Stage. This will allow many of the main guest-speaker presentations to take place closer to the exhibition space.


Combine these talks with what promises to be a packed programme of presentations in the PhotoZone and the PADI Village, and breath-hold, rebreather and entry-level experiences in the two pools, and this year’s Show promises to be livelier than ever.
And don’t forget that, once you’ve bought your ticket, all the attractions at DIVE 2012 are free!

As ever the Show, which is organised by DIVER Group, gives you the chance to socialise with friends from around the world; browse or buy diving equipment, training courses and holidays; and gain inspiration from finding out what other divers have been getting up to.

THE STARS ARE OUT


There will be no shortage of celebrity divers around for you to meet at DIVE 2012. Here are some of the names already confirmed:

• Mark & Gail Addison and their daughter Ella are big names not only in South Africa but to international adventure TV channel audiences. Sharks are their thing, and not only will their presentation be unmissable, but one or more Show visitors will win a shark-diving trip with Mark in his homeland next year.
• On the subject of TV presenters, no Dive Show would be complete without those hardy biannuals Monty Halls and Paul Rose – we’ll find out all about their latest diving projects over the weekend.
• Leading UK underwater photographer Alex Mustard, whose Be A Champ articles in DIVER have been causing a stir, will present a double-header with that other great luminary of the lens, Martin Edge.
• John Kean’s account of his epic motorbike-diving tour from the Red Sea to the White Sea begins in DIVER this month, and he will be at the NEC with the bikes. Get back safely, John!
• In this 100th year since the Titanic’s sinking, Rory Golden will be at the NEC to talk about his submersible dives on the iconic wreck.
• And talking of iconic wrecks, our very own John Bantin will be filling in the background to his new book, Amazing Diving Stories!
• Mark Dixon and Jeff Cornish will represent the Darkstar technical-diving team, which has been carrying out some of the most adventurous deep wreck dives around the UK in recent years.

ALL THAT SHINY KIT


Never let it be said that the Dive Show lacks for heavy hitters – the following diving equipment suppliers are already preparing their wares:


AP Valves, Ambient Pressure Diving, Atomic Aquatics, Beaver Sports, Blandford Sub-Aqua, Custom Divers, Fourth Element, Hammond Drysuits, Hydrotech, Intova, Metalsub, O’Three, Otter Watersports, rEvo Rebreathers, Robin Hood Watersports, Scubapro, Suunto Diving UK, TUSA, Typhoon International/Sherwood Scuba and Waterproof Wetsuits – and that was just the headliners booked by June!


Check out the latest kit in the New Products Showcase, then take to the aisles.


AROUND THE HALLS


In addition to the Try-Dive Pool (where the kids get to grips with regs and BCs) and the Technical Pool (where the grown-ups get to grips with rebreathers), in-hall features at DIVE 2012 will include:

• Photozone Latest gear, top speakers, Prints Gallery and Digital Clinic
• Asia-Pacific Showcase Growing each year as more divers head east
• British Isles Experience Dive centres, boats and Suunto computer giveaways
• BSAC Pods Branch stands feature on expanded British Sub-Aqua Club stand
• Caribbean Village Best of the diving around the sunshine islands
• No-Tanx Breath-hold demos in the pool and a 3D Simulator for you to try
• PADI Village Training, destinations and daily PADI Theatre presentations

JOIN MARK & THE SHARKS!

The winner of the DIVE 2012 Grand Draw – which is free to enter for all Show visitors – is set for a 12-day trip for two to South Africa – worth £7500! Mark Addison, a guest speaker at DIVE 2012, is South Africa’s Mr Shark, dedicated to understanding and protecting sharks from his base in Aliwal Shoal. Mark is a National Geographic favourite recently seen on Discovery’s Into the Shark Bite, but African Space is prising him away from the cameras to guide a 12-day trip to dive (with luck) with great white, mako, blue, seven-gill, raggie, Zambezi, blacktip and tiger sharks. And you can come too!

3 WAYS TO SAVE!

BOOKING your DIVE 2012 tickets in advance can save you money in 3 ways:

1. Advance tickets cost just £8.50 (saving £3 off the on-the-door price of £11.50)
2. Booking in advance also entitles you to one FREE Show Guide (worth £2.50) per ticket order
3. If you book 6 or more advance tickets together, you pay just £7.50 per ticket

There is no booking fee for e-tickets. Entry is free for children with an adult

Book tickets here