For decades, the only way to visit a dive show was to attend in person, e.g. GO Diving (Coventry, UK), DEMA Show (various locations in the United States), Salon de la plongée (Paris, France), and Scuba Show (Long Beach, CA, USA). They have traditionally been live events that you could attend and meet with vendors to buy new equipment, talk about new diving holidays, and more. But did you know that there’s also an online version of a dive show which you can attend from anywhere in the world on our laptop, phone or tablet? Meet Scuba.Digital. In this blog post I’ll be discussing the differences between traditional and online / virtual dive shows as well as the benefits and disadvantages of each so that you can decide which one might work best for your needs!

When attending an online dive show such as Scuba.Digital you can do all of the same things that you would at a traditional one. You get to meet with companies, purchase new equipment, attend seminars and workshops about different diving techniques or learn something completely new! And while there are so many benefits for each type of event below I’ve discussed some pros and cons for each so that you can make the best decision for your needs.

Let’s dive into the differences between traditional and online dive shows:

Traditional Dive Shows – Pros & Cons

• + Vendors may have special deals or discounts only available at the show
• + Book your next diving holidays
• + You get to meet and speak with exhibitors and attendees face-to-face
• + Test diving equipment and try it on site
• + Live after show party/bar gathering
• +/- Stale air in exhibition halls (we have been told that some people miss this smell)
• – You have to pay for some seminars at some traditional dive shos
• – Can be expensive to attend, depending on where it is located
• – You can’t attend a traditional show from anywhere!
• – Expensive tickets
• – Attending in person means you’ll have to travel and pay for accommodations if necessary.

Online Dive Shows – Pros & Cons

• + Can be accessed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection
• + You get to meet and speak with vendors through live video chat, email or even on your phone
• + Exhibitors may have special deals or discounts only available online
• + You don’t have to travel and pay for expensive flights and accommodations!
• + All sessions are free to attend. As you don’t have to rush from one room to another, you can attend even more sessions.
• + One affordable ticket which is valid for the entire show
• + You don’t have to travel or pay for accommodations!
• +/- If you miss the stale air in exhibition halls you can try to reproduce the smell by not opening your window for a couple of weeks prior to the show
• +/- Social drinks in our dedicated aftershow session
• – Friends, colleagues and other attendees cannot be met live.
• – New diving equipment cannot be tested and tried on directly.

Verdict

So, what’s the verdict? I think it really depends on your needs and what you’re looking for. If you’re wanting to purchase the latest equipment, try it out and speak directly with the exhibitor (in person) then you should consider attending a traditional dive show. If on the other hand, your time is limited or you don’t want to spend money traveling to an event that’s located in another country or state then I would say go for an online dive show!

Both traditional and online dive shows have their own pros and cons that you may or may not find important. As mentioned above, the best way to decide is to determine which one will work for your needs! Which one do you prefer?