The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) this year held its
20th anniversary show in New Orleans.
The show was well attended by groups of dive store owners from all parts
of the United States and Canada as well as from overseas. Some highlights
of the show for industry personnel included a dinner with Ted Danson, chairman
of the American Oceans Campaign, and a symposium with Dr. Sylvia Earle.
DEMA is not a public event in that it caters to members of the trade.
But it does concern the public in that it is an event at which dive shop
owners have the opportunity to learn about new products and diving destinations
and return to their retail stores to present their new knowledge to their
customers.
At some booths, there was an emphasis on rugged and advanced equipment to
cater to the needs of technical divers. Buoyancy compensators featured widely
in this category and most new BCs showed stronger materials and additional,
stainless steel D rings for the attachment of extra and heavier equipment.
New suits, dry and wet, were displayed by manufacturers and Canada had a
strong contingent in this category. Canada's Bare (Fitzwright), Oceaner,
Whites and Atlan, for instance, showed their complete line of suits for
a cold water market, as well as items suitable for travel. Scubapro's developed-in-Canada
suits were displayed for a very receptive US and Canadian audience while
other manufacturers including Viking, Seaquest and Aqualung showed a line
of universally available suits that have managed to keep their competitors
on their toes.
Some of the rebreathers that appeared last year were generally not shown
and will not be promoted for a while because of some registration or copyright
hitches that have to be sorted out.
There is a move afoot to enhance the presence in diving of the awareness
of the need to conserve the oceans for future generations and for the wellbeing
of the planet. This awareness needs to be extended more also to the general
public and to that end Ocean Futures as a wing of DEMA has undertaken to
introduce a program of fund raising that is intended to general revenues
to meet a target for the organization's aims. The program, known as Ocean
2000, hopes to acquire 2000 donations of $2000 each by the year 2000. This
was kicked off at a special DEMA dinner in which 
Ted Danson was
a guest of honour. Ted Danson's role in working with an environmental group
is well known in the diving industry. As an ambassador for the cause, Danson
stands to influence many members of the public to be aware of the need for
protecting the environment.
The Oceanus award was presented to Danson and Robert Sulnick for their role
in environmental awareness through the American Oceans campaign during a
reception at the DEMA show.
For those unfamiliar with Ocean Futures, readers will have seen the numerous
ad messages published in this magazine over the past few years. That message
will appear again, and readers are urged to acquaint themselves with its
contents, for Ocean Futures is the organization that is going to make a
difference in what we as divers know and do about taking a leading role
in preserving and improving the condition of the earth's environment.
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