Dive Into Your Imagination

***MatiB Reporting

Our World Underwater was amazing this year! With thousands of people pouring in, and over 260 vendors showcasing the best in scuba, art, education, entertainment, and more, the 39th Our World Underwater was the place to be. I can’t wait for the 40th anniversary next year. It's going to be bigger and better than ever.

All weekend long the show was non-stop. I didn’t expect to see many people coming in Friday night, but boy was I wrong. Right from the start, people from all over were coming to the show. I met people from France, Indonesia, Australia, and all over the rest of the world. There were people that bought plane tickets just to fly to the show for one day! I knew Our World Underwater was one of the best dive shows around, but I guess I didn’t know just how big it was. One of the best events I saw this year was the kids exhibit. Truly kids are our future and they will protect what they love, so why not get them to love the ocean! The exhibit had everything from kids getting to paint with famous Ausi painter Ron “Rogest” Steven, to educational arts and crafts to artificial spray on tattoos. There was even a giant indoor pool so people who have never been scuba diving could try breathing underwater for the first time. Take it from me, one breath underwater on scuba and you’ll be loving it for life!

By Saturday, the show was so packed I had trouble walking from one end to the other. There were so many amazing things to see. Mares was there this year with the latest in masks, snorkels, BCDs and more. There were booths with the newest in re-breather technology, full face masks, fins, and camera housings. I even saw a scuba mask that had an underwater computer in the corner of the mask! I felt like a kid in a candy store.

That night I was exhausted, but it wasn’t over yet, there was still the film festival. And what a film festival it was. I was blown away by the quality of the work this year. Of course, Annie and I had a humorous piece on cuttlefish mating in the film fest this year, but there were many other fabulous films. Stan Waterman had a great video on the macro world of the Philippines. Richie Kohler was diving face to face with sperm whales, and Death of a Deity by Bill Fisher and Joe Romeiro really touched the hearts of the audience as they talked about the danger facing sharks around the world. In the end, it had been a great day, but there was still one more day of fun!

By Sunday, I expected things to be winding down, but nope. The festivities were in full swing right until the very end. There were even ladies from St. Croix that were beading people for Mardi Gras. The entire show was amazing. With so much to do and see, it could have gone on for several more days, but it was time to go home. If you missed this incredible experience this year, I’m sorry you missed out, but I hope to see you next year at the Our World Underwater 40th anniversary. It’s going to be the best show yet. See you there!

-MatieB

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