As part of its ongoing initiative to encourage more women to take up diving, PADI has announced that its second-annual, global “Women’s Dive Day” will take place on July 16, 2016.
In an effort to narrow the gender gap, PADI Members, industry icons and recreational divers — male and female alike — will join forces at more than 300 events scheduled in more than 50 countries around the globe.
Kristin Valette, chief marketing and business development officer for PADI Worldwide, says:
“Last summer’s inaugural Women’s Dive Day proved to be a historic day for diving and women overall. We are thrilled to continue the celebration and the empowerment of women this year as we seek to strengthen and grow the female diver community. Recent studies show that woman account for only 35 percent of open water divers and just 23 percent of divers in continuing education courses. By coming together as an industry to celebrate women in diving, PADI hopes to cultivate the female diver community, attract new women to the sports of scuba diving and freediving, and motivate existing female divers to get back in the water and continue their dive training.”
Last year’s launch of PADI’s “Women in Diving” campaign resulted in an increase in PADI certifications among females. Additionally, women involved in the sport are launching and participating in impactful initiatives to create further awareness for diving and larger ocean conservation efforts, among them 10 notable female divers who are leading the Sedna Epic Expedition, which will translate its findings regarding the issue of disappearing sea ice into educational and awareness programs on climate change.
Additionally, dive enthusiast Jennifer Idol recently became the first woman on record to dive all 50 states to showcase the need to protect local waters.
Among the events scheduled for this year’s Women’s Dive Day are, according to PADI:
* Great Lakes, Michigan — Team Sedna will host a “Big 5 Dive Event” where they’ll dive all five of the Great Lakes in 24 hours
* Kamuela, Hawaii — Enjoy a deluxe dive boat experience complete with local foods, sparkling beverages and a two-tank morning dive
* Lutwyche, Australia — Explore the underwater world like never before with a night dive during high tide
* Juprelle, Belgium — All women are invited to enjoy a free Discover Scuba®Diving experience
* Davie, Florida — Learn about marine conservation from a PADI Course Director and end the day with a famous shark dive
* Larnaca, Cyprus — Advanced divers can explore the Zenobia Wreck while new divers can enjoy the abundance of marine sea life
* Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt — Embark on a female-only boat trip to dive two extraordinary sites in the Red Sea
For more information on Women’s Dive Day and to find an event near you, visit padi.com/women-dive.