Many of us from Long Beach and surrounding coastal areas often take the ocean for granted. It’s there. It’s blue. It has waves. And while I take my hat off to surfers, sailors, kayakers and all oceangoers in between, it wasn’t until the first time I went deep under the surface and got a glimpse of the wonderment the rest of this planet offers that I came to truly appreciate the sea. The first thing I said to myself sums it up: It’s a whole other world.
The SCUBA Show 2010, which runs Saturday and Sunday at the Long Beach Convention Center, offers divers a host of gear and travel deals, and non-divers a chance to see what diving is all about. This is the 23rd year of the popular event, which entails 76,000 square feet of diving related exhibits filled with dive gear and travel and diving experts.
The show is a great place to get started in scuba. It’s where I signed up for scuba diving classes with Sports Chalet in Long Beach, saving myself about $100 by doing so during the show. Many other dive outfits, several of them from Long Beach, will be on hand offering discounts on lessons and gear.
The first 1,000 people in attendance on Saturday and Sunday will get free tote bags. Over $38,000 in door prizes will be given away throughout the day, according to event organizer Torrance-based Saint Brendan Corp., the parent company of show sponsor of California Diving News.
“We’ve sold more exhibit space than we ever have,” says Dale Sheckler, publisher of California Diving News. Sheckler says there are 324 exhibitors at this year’s show. Roughly 10,000 people attend the show in Long Beach each year, according to him.
“There’s lots of travel diving companies offering deals, deals on a lot of new dive gear,” he says. In fact, Sheckler says scuba gear manufacturers use the show as a venue to unveil new products in grandiose fashion. “Lots of dive equipment manufacturers actually introduce new gear at the show,” he adds. “They’re kind of secretive about it until the show, and they unveil the newest and latest gear at the show.”
For divers who love to travel, the show is also a great place to check out some great spots. Dive outfitters from exotic destinations like Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, Maldives and Sulawesi will be on hand, as well as representatives from popular US locales like Florida and Catalina Island.
In the exhibit hall on Saturday artist Wyland, the guy who painted the beneath the sea mural on the Long Beach Arena, will be interacting with attendees while painting a new piece of art. On Sunday he will paint with children and talking to them about conservation. “Wyland painting with the kids on Sunday afternoon is going to be really big,” say Sheckler.
Other big names headlining the event include underwater filmmaker Stan Waterman, who is part of a weekend of seminars that include dive experts from around the globe. Other presenters include Sheckler, Jack and Sue Drafahl, Bruce Watkins, Ken Knezick and Ken Kurtis. Subjects covered include underwater photography and video, marine life and dive travel.
A continuous underwater film festival will be running in the exhibit hall on a three-story high screen and will feature films from around the world by over a dozen underwater imaging experts.
Hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 and includes admission to the exhibit hall and film festival. Seminars are an additional charge. Discount coupons are available at dive stores, on dive charter boats and through dive clubs. Children age 13 and under get in free. For information call (310) 792-2333 or visit www.scubashow.com.