“VH1 You Oughta Know” Band ‘Rocks’ DEMA’s Upcoming Shark Finning Public Service Announcement (PSA)

Youngblood Hawke Delivers Shark Preservation Message

DEMA and Youngblood Hawke, a Los Angeles based band, are teaming up to film a Public Service Announcement (PSA) aimed at boosting awareness of the increased demand for shark fins and the devastating effect it is having on the global shark population.

Youngblood Hawke’s break-out single “We Come Running,” features the band underwater, playing music and scuba diving with sharks in the Bahamas diving with DEMA-Member operator Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas. Despite the playful feel of the video, the band delivers a deeper message of the importance of environmental conservation in the soon-to-be-released PSA.

“DEMA and the dive industry are committed to putting an end to shark finning in the U.S. and everywhere,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. The industry has already taken initiatives to assist several activist organizations in the U.S. in their effort to ban shark finning. Since Youngblood Hawke is known for using their celebrity status to advocate worthwhile causes, DEMA feels privileged to work with the band on this important endeavor. It is intended to reach all generations and make a lasting impression while reinforcing the value that sharks have and the vital role they play in our ecosystem.”

The 30-second PSA will inform consumers about this issue and emphasize the drastic effects that killing one of the top ocean predators for frivolous items, such as shark fin soup, has on the marine environment and beyond. It will encourage consumers to join the diving industry in their commitment to ban shark finning. The PSA was filmed Monday, September 16 in Los Angeles and will be launched later this fall.

More than 70 million sharks are killed each year, many simply so their fins can be taken for consumption. Primarily the fins are used to make shark fin soup and after the fins are removed the remainder of the animal is often discarded into the sea to die. Without the presence of this apex ocean predator, the entire ocean ecosystem is thrown out of balance. Taken to the extreme, this out-of-balance situation endangers the health of the oceans and everyone on earth. For more information on DEMA’s public service announcements visit www.dema.org.  

2014 DEMA Board of Directors Election Slate Announced

DEMA Member Write-In Petitions Must Be Submitted by October 11, 2013

DEMA has announced that its 2014 Board of Directors election will take place from December 13, 2013 to January 31, 2014. All 2014 DEMA Members are eligible to vote. DEMA's 2014 Board of Directors Election candidates are:

Category A1 – Manufacturers, Distributors and Affiliated Field/Sales Representatives:

• Scott Daley, Body Glove International
• Rick Hill, Catalina Cylinders

Category A2 – Diver Certification and Training Agencies, and Affiliated Field/Sales Representatives:

• Tom Leaird, Scuba Educators/PDIC International
• Jeff Seckendorf, Unified Team Diving

Category A3 – Dive Publishing, Media, Dive Industry Consulting, Associations & Non-Retail Service Providers:

• Bonnie Borkin, Bonnier
• Matt Weiss, Divephotoguide.com

Category A4 – Retail Distribution of Diving Goods & Services:

• Werner Kurn, Ocean Enterprises

Category A5 – Dive Travel Provider or Resort:

• Stuart Cove, Stuart Cove's
• Ronny Roskosch, Active Scuba Divers.com

Write in nominations for the 2014 Board of Directors election slate are currently being accepted by DEMA and to be valid must be received by 5:00 pm Pacific Time on October 11, 2013. There are two options for a write-in candidate to be included on the final election slate:

1. The nomination can be proposed by a petition of Members (renewed for 2014) holding two percent (2%) or more of the voting power of the Association; or
2. The candidate may be written in by a petition of at least ten (10) A-class Members (renewed for 2014). 

The write-in candidate may choose the petition option that best fits their circumstances. Those primary DEMA Member Voting Delegates interested in becoming a write-in candidate should contact DEMA at secretary@dema.org to request a write-in petition form.

All A-category DEMA Members who pay their 2014 dues by 5:00 pm Pacific Time on January 10, 2014 will be eligible to vote in this election. DEMA encourages Members to consider each candidate carefully and to vote for the candidate in each category that meets industry needs as perceived by the individual Member. There is neither a requirement in the DEMA Bylaws nor any obligation in the voting procedures which compels DEMA Members to conform to a “voting bloc.” For membership information please contact membership@dema.org or (858) 616-6408.

In accordance with the DEMA Bylaws, Directors serve three-year terms. For more information on DEMA's Board of Directors and Bylaws visit www.dema.org.

DEMA Submits Comments on Re-Establishing the National Marine Sanctuary Nomination and Designation Process

Association Supports Sanctuaries and Suggests Criteria for Nominations and Designations of these Important Environmental Areas 

The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) recently submitted comments in support of re-establishing the nomination process for National Marine Sanctuaries and for determining how sanctuaries are selected. The comments were submitted by Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA, on behalf of the Association.

Sanctuary officials solicited comments in the Federal Register, Volume 78, No. 125, asking for comments on the proposed amendments to the rules for nominations and for evaluating sites to be designated as National Marine Sanctuaries.

“As an Industry, the diving community supports the concept of having criteria-driven proposals and designation procedures which ensure that local communities and interested parties are a part of the overall process for these environmentally important areas,” commented Ingram. “The Diving Industry depends on sustainable interaction with the marine environment as well as with certain submerged cultural resources for its very existence, and is aware of the need for long term sustainability of these resources for all citizens of the U.S.”

DEMA’s comments emphasized:

• Having a clean and healthy environment in which divers can easily participate in the recreation contributes to the economy of the community which is local to the Sanctuary.   By some estimates recreational diving contributes more than $11 billion to the US GDP overall.
• The interest of snorkeling and scuba diving participants in protecting and respectfully using the marine environment while keeping it clean and healthy.
• The interest of snorkelers and scuba divers in protecting and observing historical and cultural resources.
• Suggestions for criteria to be used in the Sanctuary nomination and designation process, to include; the need for input from all user groups, the need for a clear balance between access and use by interested parties, and the health of the resource, recognizing that diving and snorkeling are NOT inherently consumptive activities, and the need to avoid unnecessarily restricting non-consumptive activities.
• DEMA’s continuing interest in participating with the nomination re-establishment and designation processes.

Ingram concluded, “DEMA and the Dive Industry look forward to working with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) to provide data and input from the recreational diving community so that decisions can be better made regarding sanctuary area nominations and designations.”

For more information, see National Marine Sanctuaries and the official comments submitted by DEMA.

Wounded Warriors Complete Scuba Certification With Help From DEMA & DEMA Members

Veterans and Their Families Hosted for a Week-long Dive Trip to Bonaire

From August 17-24, a group of twelve “Wounded Warriors” completed their scuba certifications during a fully-sponsored trip to the Caribbean island of Bonaire. Now in its 8^th year, DEMA first reached out to Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA) and the Wounded Warrior Project in 2006 to bring the therapeutic use of recreational diving to these veterans of the U.S. military who sustained severe injuries while serving their call of duty. DEMA Members and many others sponsored this event.

“The fact that DEMA and various DEMA members could unite to positively impact these brave men, women and their families through learning to Be A Diver is both inspiring and a significant accomplishment in our mission to raise awareness for the sport of diving and the health benefits it provides,” said Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “The unifying and empowering effect that diving together had on the Warriors and their families clearly illustrates the equalizing power and three-dimensional freedom that the underwater environment offers.”

These Wounded Warriors sustained life-altering injuries while serving in the military. The Warriors and their family members kicked off their week-long trip by completing their open water dives to earn their PADI and Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) sponsored certifications. After becoming certified, they continued diving throughout the week with several shore and boat dives, sightseeing excursions, shopping, dining and participating in a multitude of activities arranged especially for them. A highlight of the trip took place when these extraordinary individuals and their travel companions took part in a parade where they were greeted warmly by the island citizens and later treated to a reception held in their honor.

The certification trip was the culmination of the efforts of a number of DEMA Members including local dive centers, manufacturers and travel providers.

Sponsors of this year’s 8^th Annual Be A Diver-Bonaire Wounded Warrior Scuba Certification Trip included: 9Line LLC, Air Hogs SCUBA, Adams Unlimited Public Relations & Marketing, Bistro de Paris, Bonaire KFC, BonPhoto, BonaireTalk.com, Bonaire Quad Tours, Bonaire Guided Motorcycle Tours, Bonaire Tours & Vacations, Budget Rent A Car Bonaire, Captain Don's Habitat Bonaire, Caradonna Dive Adventures, Care Coalition, Chat & Browse Bonaire, Chesapeake Bay Diving Center, CIEE Bonaire, Destinations Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine, Disabled Sports USA, DEMA/Be A Diver, DiveNewswire, Dive Training Magazine, Elements Bonaire, Enchanted Florist, Femme Fatales Women Motorcycle Club (Ffwmc), Henderson, H.S.A. International Training Center of New Jersey, Innovative Scuba Concepts, Inc, Iron Order Motorcycle Club Bonaire (Caribbean Pirates Crew), Islands Magazine, Jack Chalk, Jewel of Bonaire, Joe’s Grill House, LeisurePro, Maspeth Lion’s Club, Mountain Bay Scuba, Inc., NetTech, N.V., OCEANIC, Ocean Enterprises, Omnicomm Media Group, PADI, Paradise Moon Bar & Restaurant, Patriot Dive Center, Princeton Tec, Rum Runners, Scuba Diving Magazine, Scuba Toys, Sport Diver Magazine, Tourism Corporation Bonaire, and the Wounded Warrior Project.