Our oceans are under assault.

From the US withdraw from the Paris Agreement and the number of executive orders issued by President Trump we are seeing an all out pummeling of initiatives designed to protect the environment and the oceans.

On April 8, 2025 an executive order was signed to reinvigorate America’s beautiful clean coal industry. Another executive order looks to sunset environmental regulations. There is also a presidential memorandum targeting regulation related to the environment.

As the US moves away from environmental leadership, we will continue to see the planet get hotter, and ultimately the demise of the oceans through global warming, pollution, offshore drilling and overfishing.

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I recently attended one day of the Beneath the Sea Scuba Ocean Exposition, Dive and Travel Show.

This was their 46th show that was started by Zig and JoAnn Zigahn back in 1976. The show made its come back from the pandemic in 2023.

The show ran March 28 – 30, 2025 and featured seminars, conferences, dinners, receptions and of course the main exhibition hall. 

I had a chance to touch base with a number of folks and find some new travel options.

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The Boston Sea Rovers 71st International Ocean Symposium and Film Festival kicked off the Northeast dive season with a fantastic show March 15 and 16. As one of the worlds longest continuously running scuba diving shows, the 2025 edition lived up to its mission of Raising the Level of Knowledge of the Underwater World. The two-day event featured 39 daytime seminars with unique themes covering wrecks and maritime history, marine science and technology, photography and videography, dive travel and programs along with marine conservation, corals and animals. The signature event of the weekend was the 71st Annual International Film Festival. Nancy McGee, a member of the Women’s Divers Hall of Fame and an Explorers Club Fellow served as the master of ceremonies. The packed hall was treated to an outstanding program featuring work by Hergen Spalink, Eric Chang, Jennifer Selloitti, Rose Darlymple and Cristian Dimitrius. We were also treated to a surprise presentation by Dr. Bob Ballard and the incredible work he is doing with EV Nautilus.

While the show may be considered small, it is powerful with high profile attendance and offers an intimacy and energy that is difficult to get with large scale productions. This year the exhibit floor was packed with both returning and new exhibitors ready to engage with the multitude of attendees. What is very encouraging is the number of younger participants eager to learn and interact with some of the legends of the dive industry.

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As scuba divers we love adventure and exploring dive destinations around the world.

When I consider a dive destination and resort some of my criteria include:

Here are my top three dive destinations and resorts

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In November 2024, the EPA released the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. This strategy was developed in accordance with the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 of 2020 signed by President Trump on December 18, 2020.

This national strategy has six main objectives

Will this strategy ever be implemented given the current political environment of job cuts and funding freezes?

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The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is now 10 years old. For the second time in the ten years, the United States is withdrawing from a worldwide treaty to combat greenhouse gas.

On January 20, 2025 by executive order, the US is again abandoning the treaty and eliminating any funding addressing climate initiatives.

Do we really think this is in America’s best interest?

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Listen for my observations on the state of the scuba diving industry in 2025.

While there are several headwinds that are facing the industry there are two issues that are critical for the sustainability of the dive industry

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Welcome to 2025 – Happy New Year.

As we make our way into the new year – let’s take a look ahead at what is on our plate for 2025.

Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut will be offering two different scholarships in 2025:

Applications open February 1, 2025 and will be awarded on March 31, 2025

March is also when we have the Boston Sea Rovers clinic here in the northeast and I will continue to help them in the planning and execution of the show.

2025 is also my third year serving on the DEMA Board of Directors and I also will participate in DEMA’s Retailer Engagement Committee and the Show Committee.

Check out my initial reading list for 2025.

As for travel – we’ll be heading out to Indonesia with Dive Into Lembeh and then onto the Philippines for a stay at Atlantis in Dumaguete.

We are also planning a week on Cayman Brac with Dive Pirates working with divers with disabilities.

Finally, my work with Scuba Diving Industry Magazine and the Level Up podcast will continue.

Just need to fit all of this in with my work around the house and the sweetness of doing nothing.

On this episode, I take a look back at 2024, a year of change and great travel.

The big change for us was the sale of Scuba Shack – it was time for us to retire from the day-to-day operation.

But that didn’t stop our travel schedule with great trips to Little Cayman, the Sea of Cortez and Cayman Brac.

My work with DEMA continued along with a new gig writing for Scuba Diving Industry Magazine and participating in the new Level Up podcast from the magazine.

With the sale of the shop, it was time to end Scuba Shack Radio and start a new podcast supporting the Scuba Educational Alliance of CT.

Listen for the full recap of 2024.

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We are all familiar with the invasion of lionfish in the Caribbean but there is also another invasion that has been under the radar – pulse corals.

These corals are from the Indo-Pacific and have been introduced into the Tropical Western Atlantic most likely from someone trying to grow them for commercial purposes. They are favorite for aquariums because they grow rapidly, are very decorative and are resilient.

The invasion started in Venezuela but they have now been reported in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are also on alert. Florida is also concerned.

The coral polyps are always out and move open and close thus looking like they are pulsing.

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