This part two of the preview article for SCUBA Show 2002 will give you final details on what is called “THE Diving Event of the Year!” This is the largest scuba expo in the Western U.S. and will take place June 29-30 at the Long Beach Convention Center. All serious underwater enthusiasts should attend.

Film Festival
A film festival featuring underwater video films from around the world will run continuously all day Saturday and Sunday. Many of this films are premiere videos, shown for the first time at SCUBA Show 2002.

For the first time the underwater imaging team of Jack and Sue Drafahl have contributed a number of works for the film festival. This award winning team have created the fast paced Warp 9, a phenomenal digital presentation of colorful and spectacular underwater images from around the world. The Great Northwest Diver is a hilarious look at what it takes to enjoy the fantastic, but cold, underwater wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. Wrapping up their offerings is a beautiful underwater image presentation simply entitled Window in the Sea.

A "must see film" is Behemoths of Catalina Island. (Photo by D. Sheckler)

A favorite underwater cinematography team of past SCUBA Shows has been the pros Bill Macdonald and his wife Susan Ritman-Macdonald. This year they have contributed two films, one of great awe, Behemoths of the Catalina, and the other of great concern, Synthetic Sea. Conservation works. Documenting the return of the giant black sea bass off California is the film Behemoths of the Catalina. These huge fish were once nearly extinct. Now protected, they have returned in numbers — and in size! Some of the fish documented in this film are five feet long!

Flip side is the concern over the ocean choking in plastics. Synthetic Sea documents the evidence, and problems created by, the overwhelming of the ocean by plastics pollution — non-biodegradable and often mistaken by sea life as food.

Additional films have been contributed by talented marine imaging aficionado, many veterans of producing spectacular underwater video films. Excellent footage comes to us from around the world with inspiring images from such exotic locations as Bonaire, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Yap, Tonga, Cozumel, and Roataan. But a special emphasis has been placed this year on the great underwater adventures that are present right off our own coast. You will be treated to California sea lions, mating squid, rays, schools of fish dancing in kelp forests, and more.

SCUBA Show 2002 Continuous Film Festival Schedule
Saturday, June 29, 2002
11:00am Island of the Flamingos by Kevin Sullivan
11:20am, 3:05pm They Come... by Walter Marti
11:30am, 3:10pm Divin’ the Deep Green by Walter Marti
11:40am, 1:25pm, 3:15pm Warp 9 by Jack and Sue Drafahl
12:00pm, 1:55pm Synthetic Sea by Bill Macdonald
12:10pm, 2:05pm Behemonths of Catalina by Bill Macdonald
12:15pm Window in the Sea by Jack and Sue Drafahl
12:35pm, 3:35pm Channel Island Odyssey by Joe Pomento
12:50pm, 2:40pm, 3:50pm The Great Northwest Diver by Jack & Sue Drafahl
1:00pm, 4:00pm Bilikiki, Solomon Islands
1:20pm, 4:20pm Sea Lion Rapsody by Joe Pomento
1:35pm Nai’a, Fiji
2:30pm, 4:35pm Manta Ray Bay, Yap Island
2:50pm Diving with the Whales of Tonga by Nai’a
4:55pm Dive Paradise, Cozumel

Sunday, June 30, 2002
11:00am Island of the Flamingos by Kevin Sullivan
11:30am, 1:55pm Underwater by Brianne Berlin
11:40am, 1:25pm, 3:15pm Warp 9 by Jack and Sue Drafahl
11:50am, 2:15pm Turtle Paradise by Kevin Posey
12:05pm, 2:30pm Synthetic Sea by Bill Macdonald
12:15pm, 2:40pm Behemonths of Catalina by Bill Macdonald
12:25pm, 2:05pm Window in the Sea by Jack and Sue Drafahl
12:45pm, 3:10pm Night Life, La Jolla Shores by Mary Lynn Price
12:50pm, 2:50pm The Great Northwest Diver by Jack & Sue Drafahl
1:00pm, 3:25pm Nai’a, Fiji, Part 2
1:20pm, 3:55pm Channel Life by Mary Lynn Price
1:35pm, 3:45pm Anthony’s Key, Roataan
4:00pm Dive Paradise, Cozumel

Most films are 5-10 minutes in length. Films are shown in 20-30 minute blocks with 10 minute breaks between each block. Some films are promotional in nature. SCUBA Show 2002 in no way endorses any particular destination, resort or operation.

Exhibits
The biggest attraction of the SCUBA Show by shear volume is the exhibit hall itself. At over 57,000 square feet, it earned the title of the “Largest Dive Expo in the Western United States.” And by its contents it is called the “Diving Event of the Year.”

On the leading edge of the diving season, the SCUBA Show is when many manufacturers introduce new products to the public for the first time. This is your first chance to touch and handle these often revolutionary products. More importantly, you can meet face to face with designers direct from the factory to get advice, tips, and even give your feedback. This year has the highest volume of equipment manufacturers than ever before.

The second largest group represented in the exhibit hall is dive travel representatives. Their exhibit booths are often galleries of spectacular underwater photography from their destinations. They come from around the globe. Many are natives and know their particular locales better than any body. Other individuals have traveled to dozens of locations and can tell you the destination that is right for you. But perhaps most important are the travel bargains offered at the show. Most offer “Show Specials” available only at the SCUBA Show. You can save hundreds, even thousands, planning your next vacation or two at the SCUBA Show.
Demo Tank/Pool

The demo tank/pool has been a popular attraction the last two years and its back with great programs for the young and old. Non-divers can jump into the heated demo pool and try scuba themselves—free. Free introductory scuba lessons will be given periodically throughout show hours. Older boys and girls can try, too. And for the little fish they can try SASY, a genuine scuba rig for surface breathing. It gives the small kids children a real taste of what scuba diving is all about.

Casino Party Benefit
Social highlight of the weekend is the Casino Party on Saturday evening. The party will begin immediately following the close of the show at 6 p.m. The party benefits the Catalina Conservancy Divers (CCD), a dedicated group of volunteer divers working to protect and preserve the Catalina Island marine environment. Eighty-eight percent of Catalina Island is under the private non-profit protection of the Catalina Conservancy. The CCD is the marine environment branch of this important group.

Participants in the Casino Party will enjoy “gaming” into the night, using “funny-money” to play black-jack, roulette, craps, and more. Cashing out at the end of the evening, the high-rollers will then turn in chips for opportunity tickets with the chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes, including dive gear, travel, and more. Also, during the evening will be a silent auction where participants can bid on gear, trips, etc., with all the proceeds benefiting the important projects of the Catalina Conservancy Divers. Contributors and sponsors to the Casino Party include Atomic Aquatics, Cramer-Decker Industries, Dacor, Deep Outdoors, DUI, Express Divers, Ikelite, Ocean Master, Island Diver, Pacific Wilderness, Torgny Design, Truth Aquatics, California Diving News, Aquarium of the Pacific, Catalina Scuba Luv, Uprising Ent., Aquaquest Publications, Aquatica Charters, Buddyboats™, Catalina Express, Dive Connections, Dive 44, DAN, Flamingo Hotel/Divi Resorts, Armor Bags, Historical Diving Society, IST Sports, JBL, JMJ Manufacturing, Kettenhofen Custom Wetsuits, La Jolla Cove Suites, Lois Ann Charters, Oceanic, Optiquatics, Pelican, Peter Hughes Diving, ReefNet, Rogest Art, Scuba Cat, ScubaPro, Sea Challengers, Sevylor, Dive Boat Spectre, Subsalve, Tektite, The Darkroom, Drysuit Hanger Co., TTSgift.com, Undersea Breathing Systems, Underwater Colours, and many others.

Entrance to the Casino Party is $20 and includes funny-money (more if you purchase your ticket in advance) and a raffle ticket. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at an additional charge.

California Scuba Service Award
Climax of the Casino Party is the presenting of the California Scuba Service Award (CSSA). This award was commissioned by Saint Brendan Corporation, parent company of the SCUBA Show and California Diving News, to recognize those who have made significant, long-term positive contributions to the California diving community.

2002 California Scuba Service Award recipients Billy Wright and Ken Kurtis

The recipients of the 2002 California Scuba Service Award is Billy Wright and Ken Kurtis—long term co-chairmen of the Chamber Day/Evening for the last 10 years. The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is an important safety net for divers. The Chamber relies of private fundraisers to be available to divers on a 24/7 basis. Chamber Day/Evening is the Chamber’s largest fund raising event.

Chamber Day was conceived a number of years ago by local boat owners serving Catalina Island as a way to help fund the Chamber. It was under their leadership, however, that Chamber Day proceeds more than quadrupled with such innovative concepts as Chamber Evening, and the Chamber Challenge.

Billy Wright, co-owner of Reef Seekers Dive Co. was “born” into diving as his parents (Bill and Jean Wright) owned Sunland Sports, Beverly Hills’ first dive shop. Billy got certified in 1970, and has made countless dives since. Billy’s active in the local dive community, serving for the past ten years as co-chair of Chamber Day, and specifically being the one who procures the fabulous raffle prizes for the event.

Ken Kurtis, co-owner of Reef Seekers Dive Co. was certified in 1978 as part of a radio station promotion to set a Guinness record for underwater broadcasting. He became a NAUI Instructor in 1980 and has taught thousands of people over the past 20 years. He’s logged almost 4000 dives and still actively teaches everything from entry-level on up. He’s served as chairman of Chamber Day for the past ten years, is a volunteer at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, shoots photos and writes for Skin Diver Magazine and California Diving News.

For complete SCUBA Show information, including advanced registration, visit http://www.saintbrendan.com.