I finally had the chance to attend the DEMA SHOW, which is held every year in the USA. So, what I saw at DEMA Show 2024, what attracted attention, I will try to explain my observations for those who could not go.
DEMA Show is a 4-day event with the participation of companies in different fields that focus on diving, such as diving equipment manufacturers, training agencies and diving centers from around the world, especially in the USA. There are also various seminars within the show, and there are even more than one seminar that you can attend at any time. This year, DEMA made a difference. Until now, anyone could register and participate in the show. This year, only "diving professionals", equipment manufacturers, retail buyers, etc., were allowed to participate in the fair. Although this decision reduced participation, DEMA claims that the commercial efficiency of the fair was increased with more effective participants.
The first day of the show started very lively. A different excitement can be seen on everyone's face, the majority of the participants are from the USA. On the one hand, the show also became the meeting point of the diving community for US diving community. Everyone hugs each other, they ask how they are doing, and lots of photos are taken. However, the first thing that caught my attention was that the average age was quite high. In some seminars, the difficulties of Generation Z participation in diving were also discussed. It shows that one of the serious threats to the diving industry may be the aging of the industry.
As soon as we enter the show area, the first thing that greets us is the PADI, NAUI, OTS and BAUER booths. In general, you will appreciate that the booth size, location and design are an indicator of the size and investment of the company, so I will also present a comparison from this perspective in my explanations. In this context, all the booths that caught my attention are;
• PADI
• NAUI
• OTS
• BAUER
• DAN
• GARMIN
• TUSA
• XS SCUBA
• OCEAN REEF
• SSI
• BACKSCATTER
• FOURTH ELEMENT
• DIVESYSTEM / RATIO
• CRESSI
• AQUALUNG/APEKS
• SDI/TDI
Note: I did not include tour companies or diving resorts in this list. There were also booths in this field of diving with more interesting Balinese atmosphere :)
One of the factors that made the show very lively was the raffles held every day. Attendees were able to win valuable gifts thanks to separate raffles held by both the DEMA management and the exhibitors. While the raffles added excitement to the show, exhibitors also collected plenty of contact information during registration for the raffle. Among the raffles, GO PRO's Hero 13 Black set (including housing and backpack), OTS Full Face Mask and Aqualung/Apeks group's giving away valuable gifts such as BCDs, masks and fins attracted great attention. They gave the gifts right there and then, and the draws were repeated every day.
Top Topic of the Show: Garmin X50i
I think most attractive booth at the first moments of the show was Garmin. Because on the first day of the show, Garmin's new wrist type dive computer X50i was showcased for the first time. For the X50i, Garmin officials insistently say that it is the first computer that Garmin has released dedicated for diving. X50i also includes the messaging feature that is also available in the latest Mk3i smart watch style computers. I won't make it too long to avoid a detailed review of the computer, but in general terms, it is a product that appeals to everyone, from scuba to technical diving. You can enter your setpoint values in advance into the X50i, which also has a Closed Circuit (CCR) feature. The nice features of the computer, which also has touch features above surface, such as its screen, map features, and listing of dive locations, caught my attention. It also has a built-in flashlight, which could be interesting underwater. Retail price of the computer has been announced as 1,499 USD.
Dive Computer Brands;
As we mentioned about Garmin's X50i launch, other dive computer companies at the show were; Ratio, Shearwater, Atmos and Suunto. Of course, brands such as Cressi and Aqualung also exhibited the diving computers in their product portfolio. While Ratio and Shearwater were still interesting among these, Suunto was almost a disappointment. It had a very weak presence, both with its booth design and product line up, and was not attracting much attention. Shearwater was also identified as one of the booths that attracted interest due to its location right next to Garmin. Peregrine TX, Tern TX and Petrel 3 were the most reviewed products.
Tech Diving Products; CCRs and Scooters (DPV)
Many different brands such as Dive Rite, Halycon, Divesystem exhibited their technical diving-specific products such as BC, backplate and harness. On CCR side some of the popular brands like Subgravity (XCCR), Poseidon and Dive Rite were also showing their units. Apart from these, there were also smaller companies, among which the YouTube channel DiveTalk attracted attention with a model design that modified the KISS rebreather. In general, in the CCR world, interest has shifted intensely to chest mount products. Everyone complains about the weight of normal rebreathers, and chest mount products seem to have solved this problem for relatively shallow dives. The bail out cylinder and the diluent are the same, and the use of a 300 bar pressurized carbon fiber cylinders provides an advantage in terms of total weight. There were different products, from electronically controlled to manual. These chest mount units also have a travel-friendly design with their very small and simple structures. New CCR brands here are also trying to solve the problem of changing sensors annually and calibrating them before each dive by adding solid state oxygen sensors to their products. Of course, the initial investment costs of these are a bit painful, we don't think about how many years it will take to recover.
As for scooter brands, unfortunately, we could not see any European brands at DEMA. I had the opportunity to examine the products of DiveX, a US-based company that produces scooters suitable for technical diving. Even though they had a relatively small booth, they were always attended by someone. Especially its product priced at around 2,000 USD attracted attention. Although this device, which has a depth limit of 100 meters, it certainly attracts attention with its price advantage of 7-10 thousand dollars. I had the opportunity to talk to someone who has been using the product for a year and a half, he said that he was very satisfied so far, and stated that the ability to purchase the battery from outside provides an advantage in terms of traveling to remote locations.
Underwater Imaging;
Backscatter and Nauitcam were very interesting structures with their booths side by side. Especially through Backscatter's ongoing seminars, they conveyed imaging techniques and introduced their products to underwater imaging experts. On the other hand, Sea and Sea announced that the housing for the Canon R5 mark 2 camera will be coming in January 2025. Sea Frog exhibited its aluminum housings. Isotta's housings were another brand that was showcased at the fair. The stand of Marelux, a US-based company, and the attention it attracted were personally disappointing. Apparently, Nauitcam is much more effective here too. I had the opportunity to examine brands such as Ikelite and AOI at the Backscatter booth. Backscatter's own products, such as Macro Wide video light, remotely triggered flash, and accessories such as snoot and light filters for these products, attracted attention.
In addition to the large companies that make underwater video lights or flashes such as Weefine, Keldan, Kraken, Bigblue, Xtar, there were also many small companies from the Far East at the show. Likewise, although there are companies that make housings especially for mobile phones, the brand that everyone talks about in this field is DiveVolk.
The general interest and products offered in this field at DEMA Show were mostly directed towards underwater photography. Even though underwater video was a little more in the background, brands such as Nauticam, Keldan and Weefine still had fun products.
Scuba Brands;
We were able to see Cressi, Aqualung/Apeks, Tusa, XS Scuba and Fourth Element, which are among the big brands that try to meet all scuba needs with their wide product range. While Mares was only included as a section within the SSI stand, we could not see any of the Scubapro or Beuchat brands.
Even though Fourth Element is a relatively new brand among these brands, I personally like its design line. At DEMA Show, the designs of its dry suits and fins were especially interesting with their very simple and pastel toned colors. Although I am not sure what value the UK-based company's products produced from sustainable recycled plastics see in the US market, the fact that it invests in a rising value in the European market makes us feel that we should follow this brand more closely. Of course, those who know, know that the price line is a sweet little bit higher.
Although we can not position them among these brands, we can also mention Poseidon and Sherwood here. Even though Sherwood tried to communicate with the SR3 regulator and attract attention with the American car they placed on their booth area, the participants seemed to have given up hope on Sherwood. I have wondered whether the disappointment they caused by pumping up the industry, especially with SR2, had an impact on this situation. Poseidon, on the other hand, could not go further than introducing its 1958 model Cyclon regulator, which is over 65 years old, and an old rebreather that they brought to the DEMA Show. Of course, I can't say much because Poseidon is one of my "love brands" at one point, but there are people who want to see something new.
Cressi and Aqualung/Apeks group continue to maintain their familiar lines. With its very crowded booths, they attracted the attention of the end user while making different business agreements. Apeks' military and technical diving group products attracted attention. Seac was one of the other brands in this field that also appeared at DEMA. Even though we couldn't see anything very new, it was at least pleasing that it was here.
What caught my attention the most in this area at DEMA were the new Asian brands such as Problue and IST Pro. It seems that we will see more and more examples of Asian brands' journey from being OEM manufacturers to end to end scuba brands, as in other sectors. The products of both seem to focus on achieving different designs and colorful product lines. When I talked to the managers of the two brands, they stated that especially the younger generation pays attention to design features such as patterns, colors and lines in the products, and that this differentiates their products at the point of purchasing decisions.
More From Asia
Asian companies, large and small, had a place at DEMA in almost every field. While some brands such as Problue, Ist Pro, Weefine, Xtar and even Nauiticam and Seafrog have already created a product line up and managed to become a brand, many different companies have tried to gain a place for themselves with new products and innovations. We saw different Far Eastern diving products at the DEMA 2024, from underwater lights to standard scuba products, from specialized free diving suits to a strange hooded rebreather prototype.
It seems that new brands may enter our lives in near future, the brands mentioned above may increase their power and we may see more stylish and attractive diving products on the shelves.
Dry Suit World;
Everyone I talked to here complains about the high cost of dry suits. Even Americans have difficulty buying drysuits On the other hand, as I mentioned above, a few Far Eastern brands have stepped into this field. They are also focusing more on design and customizability in their products. In fact, when you start talking not only to Far Eastern brands but also to other brands, most of them state that they have "fully customizable" products.
Dive System has a sweet claim in this field with its neoprene neck-sealed dry suit, and they say that they produce a much more successful production than latex or silicone-sealed suits. They stated that the secret is that it should be the right size for your neck. For this reason, they specifically ask for this information from users when producing. Dive System also reflects Italian design elegance to its dry suits as much as possible. This is my favorite among the dry suit brands.
I can say that DUI and Fourth Element come in second place. Of course, DUI has attracted a lot of attention here as a US company. During DEMA Show, they offered the opportunity to try all of their products, both dry suits and undergarments. As I mentioned above, Fourth Element featured the Aquanut product, which looks very high quality in pastel tones and has an SI Tech valve system. In general, the dry suit manufacturers and users I talked to expressed that they were satisfied with SI Tech products. Waterproof was another notable brand in the dry suit field.
No Innovation No Growth
One of my impressions at DEMA Show 2024 was that companies that try new things with various innovations in their products continue to grow or show growth potential.
I think the ones that impressed me the most among the brands we know in terms of innovation were XS Scuba and Dive System. I mentioned the innovations of XS Scuba above, while Dive System continues to develop its much-loved BCs.
Apart from these brands, one of the products that caught my attention the most and attracted attention throughout the DEMA was Avelo. Avelo claims that it eliminates the BCDs with the system they developed. While the diver stores the gas he breathes through a special bladder placed inside the tank, buoyancy can be achieved by pumping in and out water between the tank and the bladder, in their own words, almost like a submarine. To do this, it contains two large batteries and a pumping mechanism. In this way, they say that once you achieve neutral buoyancy, your buoyancy does not change even if your depth changes. Of course, in order to use this system, dive centers must also have tanks with the system. I don't know exactly how it will happen, but there are already dive centers around the world that have switched to the Avelo system. Even though it does not seem like a very applicable product to me, it is pleasing to see such innovation in the industry and it is worth examining it in a little more detail. Finally, the retail price is 4,000 USD, which is quite expensive even for USA.
The brand named FogX was another brand that caught my attention among the innovative products. They claim that they have completely solved the fog problem in diving masks with a material similar to the screen protector they developed. They say that just wetting the mask a little before diving will be enough, without the need to spit or use any spray or detergent. Of course, the demo they made at the show was very successful, so I bought it and we'll try it, I'll write the results here later.
Apart from these products I mentioned above, we were able to see innovative products such as accessories produced by Asian companies for action cameras such as GO Pro or different underwater light solutions. At the same time, there were many companies producing scuba knives at DEMA Show 2024. I didn't have the opportunity to examine it in detail, but as far as I could see, there was no major innovation. I didn't understand whether there was such a high demand for scuba knives, or I thought it was probably one of the most reasonable products to produce.
Training Is Also Slave To Capitalism
I saw that training agencies also took an important place at DEMA Show 2024. The highlights of these are; PADI, NAUI, SDI/TDI, SSI were the agencies. Apart from these, there were also many agencies that were relatively smaller, less institutional and trying to develop. There are even those who act as if 3 people gathered together and founded an agency. Among these newly developing agencies, Unified Team Diving deserves high attraction I think. We should follow these guys and see what will they do in near future. Of course, all of them here boast of having received ISO standards, but this situation made me question the structure, future and existence of training systems. We can go into details at a different time.
As far as I can see, the big agencies I listed above are focused on digitalization. When I talked to representatives from agencies and attended their seminars, I realized that they were aiming for digital transformation at every point possible in terms of training and materials. They have converted most of the trainings that are accessible through digital channels, to the point where "hands-on" practical training is needed in training. In fact, it has been possible to carry out some trainings that do not require practical training completely digitally.
I can say that I felt much more closely here that training systems are strong commercial entities. Everything is based on creating more financial input into the system, of course, this is normal and necessary to maintain their existence. But I have some doubts on if this system may cause loosing the spirit of diving. Because one of the problems in these systems is the younger generations' perspective on diving and their inability to participate in the system is seen as a problem for the future. We talked about how the age of divers is increasing and that the most frequently asked questions from young people are training fees and training duration. Young people are especially looking for cheaper training in a shorter time. Exactly according to the dynamics of capitalism, it forces the market to provide lower quality training for faster consumption, and instructors believe that we should not fall into this trap and convey the spirit and philosophy of diving. Otherwise, divers who join the industry leave the industry just as quickly and this creates problems in terms of sustainability. It makes it harder to earn profits in the long run.
DEMA Show 2024 Seminars
DEMA Show 2024 boyunca sürekli, her saat diliminde girebileceğiniz birden fazla seminer mevcut. Bu nedenle elbette hepsine girmek mümkün olmuyor. Gerçi bazıları biraz daha tanıtım amaçlı seminerler olsa da özellikle Resource Center alanında gerçekleştirilen seminerler fuar boyunca öne çıktı. Katıldığım seminerlerden öne çıkanları özetlemeye çalışayım;
1. Hazards in Rebreather Diving (Neal Pollock)
Canadian researcher Neal Pollock gave a very impressive 1-hour seminar about the hazards of rebreather diving within the scope of DAN seminars. The seminar focused especially on gas density. The possibility of hypercapnia due to the increase in the density of inhaled gases, especially during rebreather dives, was also discussed through case examples.
2. The Making of "Secrets of the Octopus" (Maxwell Hohn)
Maxwell Hohn shared information about making of the mini-series documentary, which is published on the Disney+ platform and has an 8+ rating on IMDB. He mentioned what difficulties were experienced, and what equipment was used. He stated that they used the benefits of the Nauticam EMWL product. On the other hand, it was discussed that although there was a story before taking the shhotage, the story differed with what nature brought. During the dives, rebreather diving systems were used to stay underwater for long periods of time. He stated that after a while, they really bonded with the octopus they managed to shoot in this documentary.
3. AI Post Production on Underwater Imaging (Erin Quigley)
It was one of the interesting seminars in the Resource Center area supported by Backscatter. Erin Quigley showed how to remove the backscatter problem in photographs with new AI features on Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. In addition, how to remove unwanted elements such as divers, bubbles or any other thing in the photo frames with the help of AI features. In fact, you should definetely check it out the Backscatter Xterminator by Erin Quigley if you are interested in underwater imaging. Those who are curious can find detailed information on the website www.goaskerin.com
4. Bikini Atoll Dives (Dirty Dozen Productions)
Dirty Dozen Productions shared information about the wrecks in the Bikini Atoll region. Wrecks here were Japanese military ships captured after World War II and they were sunk with nuclear bombs by US forces. While the region could be very enjoyable, especially for rebreather and technical divers, difficulties in diving operations in the region, transportation and resource difficulties were mentioned. Unfortunately, due to transportation difficulties in this very interesting region, diving costs are around 8-10 thousand dollars..
Frankly, as I first mentioned, many seminars and topics were discussed in this section. I tried to convey what I found particularly interesting from those I attended. One of the interesting topics discussed during the seminars was that the "white old male" hegemony in the diving industry is still active and why people with different demographic characteristics cannot be included in diving.
4 Days Not Enough
DEMA Show 2024 was awsome in every sense for 4 days. In fact, four days is barely enough to get the full benefit from the show. I did not have the opportunity to visit the diving resort sections of the show very much. In this area, there were many diving centers and liveaboard boats from different and exotic regions such as Bali, Maldives and Japan. Even though they mostly made B2B business deals, they managed to attract the attention of visitors. I was able to chat in detail with the representatives only at the Xplore Saudi Arabia booth, where the underwater beauties of Saudi Arabia were explained. I can say that the waters on the Saudi Arabian side of the Red Sea are waiting for divers as untouched waters. It may be one of the locations that can keep the spirit of diving alive.
One of my conclusions after my observations during the show was that rising average age in the diving industry.
I am returning from the DEMA Show 2024, which I have been dreaming of for a long time, with great gains. I hope I can attend the fair again next year, which will be held in Orlando between 11-14 November 2025. I realized that, above all, such events are the meeting point of the diving community and exact medium to start business relationships.
