Vancouver Aquarium’s 19th Annual Divers’ Weekend – January 27 & 28, 2018

Take your new calendar and boldly highlight the weekend of Jan. 27 and 28. This is your chance for adventure and the opportunity to get a glimpse into a fascinating subject — scuba diving — when Vancouver Aquarium, an Ocean Wise initiative, hosts its 19th annual Divers’ Weekend. The much-anticipated event attracts thousands of ocean enthusiasts and features fascinating exhibits, riveting dive demonstrations, and informative workshops that share the latest techniques for undersea exploration.

“We look forward to Divers’ Weekend every year,” says Jeremy Heywood, Vancouver Aquarium’s diving and boating safety officer and Divers’ Weekend organizer. “It really doesn’t matter whether our visitors are certified divers or if they are seeing an air tank for the first time, this event has something for everyone. Visitors will have the opportunity to investigate all things diving from more than 25 exhibitors, including public service dive teams, not-for-profit conservation organizations, dive stores, charter operators, underwater photographers as well as equipment manufacturers and distributors.”

Adding depth, visitors will learn the history of scuba diving through a historical gear diving demonstration by Heritage Hard Hat Divers. The youngest aspiring scuba divers can enjoy fun and engaging activities, such as diving-inspired crafts and face painting.

The theme for this year’s event is training, giving guests insight into exploration techniques through workshops from Ocean Wise and Vancouver Aquarium experts as well as local industry leaders.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, Stewart Sy of SLS Photography opens the workshop series. He will discuss how to visualize the perfect underwater shot well before clicking the shutter. Scuba diver, marine ecologist, and research scientist Jessica Schultz of the Ocean Wise Coastal Ocean Research Institute will lead a workshop on how to identify fish while diving in B.C., and, if something new is spotted, how to collect the right information. The first day will conclude with a workshop by Kelly Korol from DiveSafe International, an expert on occupational diving.

Vancouver Aquarium’s curator of fishes, technical diver, and underwater photographer Lee Newman starts the second day with a splash. On Sunday, Jan. 28, he will share insights on how to take a passion for photography to new depths safely and successfully. Experienced diver and instructor Liz Tribe will lead a workshop called Chasing the Elusive Fundamentals: Trim, Buoyancy and Propulsion and explores how achieving this delicate balance improves dive experience. The third workshop of the day and final of the weekend will be led by Vancouver Aquarium’s diving and boating safety officer Jeremy Heywood. During Save-a-Dive: Eight Helpful Techniques to Keep Your Gear Working, he will teach basic maintenance and instructs on what to do when scuba gear fails in the field.

Divers’ Weekend activities run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 27 and 28, 2018 and are included in the price of admission. Special to this weekend, Vancouver Aquarium offers 50% off admission and 10% off Aquarium membership with a valid diving certification card. To learn more about Divers’ Weekend, visit www.vanaqua.org/diversweekend.