Sources Q3-17

This is not going to be a deep, technical discussion on some arcane aspect of teaching people to dive — just one person’s experiences with a university scuba program. I still get excited when I think about the pleasure and good fortune of teaching and managing one for over two decades. My teaching scuba in a university setting began totally by chance. There had previously been a physical education scuba program at the University of Texas at Austin. It was run by a local PADI dive shop owner, but the relationship soured, and the university terminated it. His course was entry-level, and it strictly adhered to PADI’s modular system and so was very short. There were other problems, too, as I found out later. A few years after shutting it…

“NAUI: The Definition of Diving” — it’s a great slogan because it reflects NAUI’s history and values, but recently it got me wondering: What would be the response if we turned this statement into the question “How do you define NAUI?” In an increasingly commodified world, how do you define NAUI as a membership association and yourself as a NAUI dive professional? Are NAUI Instructors and dive leaders any different from other professionals, or are we all basically the same world over, regardless of the name on the card? Our collective answer will define NAUI and our future. For 57 years, NAUI has focused on one mission above all others: education. From the very beginning, NAUI Instructors were required not only to possess excellent diving skills and knowledge, but also…

NAUI has a long history of excellence. Since 1960, our Instructors have maintained a reputation for being the finest professional educators in the industry, and our members are leaders who define the sport of diving. Despite challenging times within the dive industry, a reinvigorated and dynamic NAUI is blazing a trail of industry leadership, innovation and growth. We are witnessing remarkable progress in our organization. Our Standards and Policies and Instructor Guides (IGs) are available to members as free downloads from naui.org. New Instructors can make a one-time IG license purchase to be authorized to teach either individual courses or all courses, providing lifelong access to the most up-to-date versions of these documents. New alliances with Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Performance Freediving International give our members access to industry-leading…

After nearly two decades of silence, the International Conference on Underwater Education (ICUE) re-emerged at the Long Beach Scuba Show with a loud and definitive statement that NAUI’s commitment to quality education for divers has not diminished. Spread over three days, ICUE 2017 offered everything from a connection with diving legends to engaging and informative presentations spanning topics as diverse as diving in Antarctica and creating a culture of diving leadership that produces positive growth. “The entire weekend was simply outstanding,” stated NAUI Executive Director Dallas Edmiston. “I think all those who attended came away with a renewed sense of pride in the accomplishments and contributions of NAUI to the diving community.” The conference kicked off with a reception aboard the Queen Mary, where more than 100 NAUI members, leaders…

James “Jim” Stewart, who served as diving officer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography (University of California San Diego) from 1960 until his retirement in 1991, died June 7 at the age of 89. Stewart was born Sept. 5, 1927, in National City, California. His diving career began before there was scuba. In 1941, in La Jolla Cove, he borrowed a friend’s mask, put his face underwater and was hooked on diving. He became an accomplished freediver and spearfisher. He later recalled that no one had fins back then: “We just swam up to the fish and stuck it.” In 1944, Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Nome, Alaska. Returning home after the war, he was invited in 1951 to join the San Diego Bottom…

“Hi, everybody, and welcome to NAUI’s Dive Team Report! I’m your host, Greg Martin.” For the last year and a half, I’ve opened the NAUI Dive Team Report podcast with those words. It’s been a wonderful trip, with each new guest bringing a new adventure. I’m honored to be a part of the NAUI team and to be able to use my talent for your enjoyment. I fell in love with radio and broadcasting at a very early age — actually, at about the same time I fell in love with diving. I was one of those kids who carried a pocket transistor radio with me (borrowed from my grandfather). I would climb trees at night to get better reception for those faraway stations like KOA in Denver, KOMA in…