Members Guide

Dive Industry Association, Inc.
Membership Manual & Guide
By Gene Muchanski, Executive Director,
Dive Industry Association, Inc.
August 7, 2025

Chapter  1 – Welcome to our Network
Chapter  2 – Our Vision, Mission & Goals
Chapter  3 – Memberships
Chapter  4 – Specialty Stakeholder Groups within DIA
Chapter  5 – Member Benefits
Chapter  6 – Daily Blog
Chapter  7 – Weekly Press Releases – Weekly Dive News
Chapter  8 – Monthly Trade Magazine – The Dive Industry Professional
Chapter  9 – Trade Directory & Buyers Guide
Chapter 10 – Marketing
Chapter 11 – Websites & Blogs
Chapter 12 – Directories
Chapter 13 – Databases
Chapter 14 – Social Media
Chapter 15 – Dive Shows & Events
Chapter 16 – Consultancy
Chapter 17 – Dive Industry Foundation
Chapter 18 – Industry Research & Intelligence
Chapter 19 – DIVE LOCAL – Industry Program
Chapter 20 – Industry Programs
Chapter 21 – Summit Meetings
Chapter 22 – Undersea Showcase
Chapter 23 – Strategic Partnerships
Chapter 24 – Member Discounts
Chapter 25 – White Papers

CHAPTER 1 – WELCOME TO OUR GLOBAL DIVING BUSINESS NETWORK

Welcome to the Dive Industry Association.  On behalf of your fellow Dive Industry Association Members, Sponsors, Board of Directors and Volunteer Staff, I want to tell you how pleased we are that you decided to be a part of our Global Network of Dive Industry Professionals.  I admire the commitment you have made to make your business or organization more professional, productive, and profitable, which grows the industry as a result.

The Dive Industry Association is a Trade Association that focuses on the Business of Diving issues so that we can help you attain and maintain a competitive edge in our industry.  You will notice very quickly that we are extremely member-centric and everything we do is ultimately for your benefit.

This Membership Manual & Guide serves multiple purposes.  Primarily, it is for the benefit of our members who want to understand and maximize their member benefits, especially for new members and entrepreneurs that are new to the diving business community.

We will cover our history, mission, focus of attention, priorities, and vision for the future in the following pages.  Many of the topics we discuss in this manual are for your general knowledge and better understanding of the industry.  The Association took on this project to help us internally focus on who we are, what we do, and why.  It is the best way we know to organize our thoughts for a successful association.  We are committed, in writing, for all the industry to see, and then check to see if we are delivering on what we said we would.  Chapter Five (5) is all about your Member Benefits, what they will do for you and how you can go about taking advantage of them.  The remainder of the guide is about the industries and customers that make up our niche market, our understanding of the programs, products and services that are sold in the market, the sellers who offer them, and the buyers who purchase their products.

CHAPTER 2 – OUR VISION

Our Vision for a Better Industry: Since April 2001, the Dive Industry Association has been “Building a Better Industry, One Member at a Time.”  Our Vision remains the same today as it was twenty-four years ago – To Build a Better Industry.  Twenty-four years and 441 Members later, the association is considered the Premier Trade Association in the Diving Community.  This year marks our 24th Anniversary.  As a customer-centric, non-political, non-judgmental, and all-inclusive association, DIA is doing the things necessary to advance its members and grow the industry.  But it is more than just a set of goals and a slogan.  Find out why Dive Industry Association is winning the hearts and minds (and Memberships) of Dive Industry Professionals world-wide.  As a Trade Association, our job is to promote our members inside and outside of the diving industry.  We have a history of exhibiting at and supporting regional dive shows across the country.   For many years we supported the two Surf Expos and ten Travel & Adventure Shows, in an attempt to open new markets and opportunities for our members.  In Chapter 15 we discuss the successes and setbacks we experienced with these two non-diving shows and events.

Our Purpose: The purpose of our trade association is to build a unified Global Diving Business Network that works together to grow its sustainability, both individually and collectively.  By working together, we can establish industry norms, best practice procedures, and together we can accomplish projects that protect our environment and its inhabitants.  We are not in the business of selling Memberships.  We are in the business of building a Global Diving Business Network.

Our Mission: Our Mission is to bring Buyers and Sellers together.  The focus of our mission is to increase sales of diving equipment, training programs, travel services, and lifestyle products for our members.  Our message to our members is:  You become more Professional, Productive, and Profitable by focusing on the sale of diving equipment, training, travel, and lifestyle products.  Our message to the general public is: 1) Learn to Dive.  2) Buy Your Gear.  3) Go Diving.  4) Stay Active.

Our Goals:  The goals of the association have not changed since our beginning.  They are to; 1) Unite the industry in a common purpose and foster the spirit of cooperation.  That common purpose is to grow the industry.  2) Help our members become more Professional, Productive and Profitable.  Only when our members are successful in their own business will the industry grow.  3) Generate maximum exposure for our members.  Marketing and advertising is expensive, and it takes experienced and formally trained Marketing Professionals who understand the various diving markets and industries that compete in them.  An organization that markets on behalf of its members is more effective than companies that only utilize their own limited budgets for their own purposes.  4) Increase business opportunities in the industry for our members and open new markets for them.  There are many business opportunities that dive companies can take advantage of.  The purpose of a Trade Association is to help its members discover opportunities, not to capitalize on opportunities for themselves.

Why Are We Better Than Other Associations: Dive Industry Association charges its members an annual fee to belong to an Industry Network that brings them marketing exposure, customers, and opportunities.  Our focus is to help our members become more Professional, Productive and Profitable.  We work to help you increase your sales and revenue.  We are not an Association that charges you an annual membership fee so that you can buy products from us.  We are your industry partner, not your product vendor.  You are a Member of our Global Diving Business Network, not a customer.  As a member you get special promotions and business referrals from us.  That puts money in your pocket, not take it out.

Board of Advisers: Dive Industry Association is looking to have a more formal Board of Advisers, elected from each industry stakeholder group represented in our membership.  Different industries have different customer bases, different goals & objectives, and different agendas.  To better understand their needs, DIA relies on Industry Advisers who represent the needs of their industry sector to the Board of Directors.  Advisers serve for one year.  If you are interested in serving as an industry sector advisor, please let us know.

Voting: Each Member has one vote, regardless of the size of their company.  One Member – One Vote.  Members vote within their own industry sector. Manufacturers vote on manufacturing issues.  Retailers vote on retail issues.  Voting is used to prioritize issues that are important to each sector, not to control the organization or to push one’s own stakeholder agenda on the rest of the membership.

Our Communication Vehicles: Dive Industry Association stays in constant communication with its members.  We do this on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.  Members can opt-in to the amount of communication they wish to receive from DIA Worldwide.  Our weekly communication vehicle is DIA’s Weekly Dive News.  We publish press releases relevant to the diving industry every Tuesday.  We do this as a public service for our members and the community.  Subscription is free and is by opt-in only.  Members receive 24 FREE Press Releases during their 12-month membership period.  Chapter 7 covers Weekly Dive News in detail.  Next is our Monthly Trade Magazine, The Dive Industry Professional.  Over 5,000 Industry Professionals receive this publication every month, powered by one of our Business Partners, Constant Contact.  Monthly issues are posted to social media and listed on participating websites.  Our estimated monthly reach is over 150,000 Dive Industry Professionals each month.  Details about our Monthly Trade Magazine can be found in Chapter 8.

Our Web Sites:  The Dive Industry Association has numerous websites and Blog websites.  We build our own websites in-house and maintain them ourselves.  We designed separate websites for the Trade Association, the Non-Profit Foundation, and the General Public.  It’s better to think in terms of company addresses instead of web sites, because websites can be linked, parked, integrated, hidden, etc.   The URL address is the identifying address that takes you to the content (website / blog).   1) The Dive Industry Association uses the URL address  www.diveindustry.net   The Association is an Industry Trade Network of Member Dive Companies.  This is the Association you belong to.  2) The Dive Industry Foundation uses the URL address www.diveindustry.org  The Foundation is our non-profit, 501(c)(3), tax exempt, educational and charitable organization.  The Foundation is the Association’s educational division, focusing on educational programs, marketing promotion, industry intelligence, primary research, and Trade Shows and Events.  Our current marketing project is called DIVE LOCAL and its URL address is www.divelocal.org   Dive Local is our worldwide digital dive industry directory for the general public, including the dive trade.  DIVE LOCAL is how we segment the Global Diving Business Communities into local diving regions and territories.  Chapter 11 covers our websites in detail.

 CHAPTER 3 – MEMBERSHIP

Membership in Dive Industry Association is open to businesses and individuals working in the diving and watersports industries.  Industry Sectors closely resemble the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) categories established by the U.S. Government.  They include: 1) Manufacturing.  2) Distributing.  3) Retail Dive Centers.  4) Dive Operator/Charter Boat.  5) Dive Club.  6) Service Provider.  7) Media.  8) Trade Association.  9) Training Association/Certification Agency.  10) Non-Profit Organization.  11) Trade Show & Event Organizer.  12) Training Facility.  13) Travel Business.  14) Sales Representative.  15) Professional Educator.  16) Industry Professional.  Members may be involved in more than one sector, depending on their business model.  Membership is based on the dominant industry classification of the business.

Annual Membership – Business: Businesses in Sectors 1-13 join the Association for $125.  This covers 12 months of membership and the initial registration.  Annual renewals are $125 but discounted to $100 if members renew on or before their annual anniversary date.  All sectors have voting privileges.  Business Members may advertise and promote their company, products, and employees.  Business Members may not advertise or promote their vendors, suppliers, or customers.  Hot link URLs are limited to company owned websites and company sold products.  Each business member is entitled to one listing per membership.

Annual Membership – Individual: Individuals in Sectors 14-16 become Members for $75 with $50 annual renewals if paid prior to their annual anniversary date.  All sectors have voting privileges.   Individual Members may advertise and promote themselves as individuals, not as company representatives.  Individual Members may not advertise or promote the companies they work for, or the customers they serve.  Hot link URLs are limited to their personal websites and email addresses.

Annual Premium Business Membership: Open to all businesses.  Annual dues are $500.  Premium Members receive all the benefits of membership plus updates on their retail accounts throughout the year.  DIA will verify the mailing addresses of the retail accounts listed on their Retail Locator Web Page.  Direct mail and electronic mail verifications are conducted throughout the year.  Changes of contact information are provided to the Premium Member.

Annual Lifetime Business Membership: Open to all businesses.  Lifetime dues are $1,000.  Single payment at time of application.  Lifetime Member Designation bears an “L” after member number.  i.e. DIA # 0000 L.

Membership in the Dive Industry Association begins the day payment is received at HQ.  The first-year membership includes Annual Dues ($125 or $75) and initial registration.  The membership period is for a full 12 months.  A renewal notice, invoice and membership renewal form are sent to all current members on January 1, regardless of their membership renewal anniversary date.  Members have the option to renew early or wait until their anniversary date.  The Association asks that all members return their renewal forms at that time with any corrections, and to let us know if; 1) They are renewing early.  2) Will be renewing on their anniversary date.  3) Not planning on renewing and why.  Members who choose early renewal do not lose any days off their membership; they are simply extending their membership period for an additional 12 months.  Early renewals in January are encouraged and appreciated to help the association plan and budget its marketing expenditure for the year.   For those members not choosing early renewal, DIA will send them a renewal reminder notice two months prior to their membership expiration.

Membership Referral Incentives:  Current Members are given a $10 membership credit for every business referral and a $5 membership credit for every individual referral when they become members of the association.  New Members must list the referring member on their initial membership application form.  The $10 or $5 membership credit is automatically given when your referred member renews their annual membership.  Referral credits are deducted from the referring member’s next year’s dues.

Membership registrations and renewals are processed promptly.  All contact information is checked and verified on our websites, directories, and databases.  Below is the checklist we use to make sure everything gets entered correctly and in a timely manner.  This form is also used for all contact information changes.

Dive Industry Association, Inc.

New Member Checklist / Renewal Checklist

  • Listing in Members file / Update Members file
  • Assigned Member number / Update Renewal Form
  • Listing in Members Renewal file / Annotate Member renewal file
  • Assign Group Sector Number / NA
  • Birthday File / Check Birthday File
  • Welcome New Member / Members Renewal
  • Welcome eMail – Google / Thanks for renewing eMail
  • Welcome Letter – 1st Class USPS / Thanks for renewing Letter
  • Social Media / Social Media
  • Weekly News / Weekly News
  • Trade Magazine / Trade Magazine
  • Databases
  • Update Industry Sector Info / Update Industry Sector Info
  • Industry Sector / Industry Sector
  • Master Diver Database / Master Diver Database
  • Constant Contact / Constant Contact
  • Outlook  / Outlook
  • Card Reader Database / Card Reader Database
  • Directories
  • Trade Directory – Source / Check Trade Directory
  • Trade Directory – Cross Reference / Check Cross Reference Directory
  • Trade Directory – Handout / Check Handout Directory
  • Web Site Trade Directories
  • Trade Directory, DIA.net / Update Listing
  • Facebook Directory, DIA.net / Update Listing
  • Travel Directory, DIA.net / Update Listing
  • Trade Directory, DID.com / Update Listing
  • World Directory, DIVE LOCAL / Update Listing
  • Local Directory, DIVE LOCAL / Update Listing
  • Renewals
  • Renewal Letter & Annual Invoice – January 1 – To All Members
  • Renewal Reminder Letter – 1 month prior to expiration
  • Renewal Reminder Letter, 2nd Request
  • Renewal Reminder Letter, 3rd Request
  • Renewal Letter, Termination
  • Renewed
  • Referrals

CHAPTER 4 – MEMBER BENEFITS

Members receive the following Membership Benefits.

  • Subscription to DIA Weekly News, Press Release Service
  • Twenty-Four (24) FREE Press Releases in DIA Weekly News Press Release Service
  • Subscription to The Dive Industry Professional, Monthly Electronic Trade Magazine
  • Listing in Annual Digital Trade Directory & Buyers Guide (Updated Monthly)
  • Listing in Website Trade Directories
  • Listing in Printed Trade Directory Handout at Trade & Consumer Dive Shows
  • Dive Trip Listings for Sponsored Group Trips ($10 Member Fee per listing waived in 2025)
  • FAM Trip Invitations for qualified Dive Travel Specialists. (Restrictions apply)
  • Member Promotion on Websites, Trade Directories, Web Directory, Facebook Directory, Newsletters, Press Releases and Blog. (available space limits)
  • Member Promotion at Trade & Consumer Shows
  • Networking and Direct Referrals
  • Discounts with Constant Contact e-mail Marketing
  • 15% Discount from Modern Postcard
  • Participation in co-op Marketing Promotions (fees may apply)
  • Advertising Opportunities at special Member Prices (fees may apply)
  • Feature Articles Written (Products, Company, and Travel Destination) (fees may apply)
  • FREE Business & Marketing Consulting available through the Dive Industry Foundation (non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization

CHAPTER 5 – SPECIALTY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

Dive Industry Manufacturers Association: The Manufacturers Stakeholder Group consists of Diving Equipment Manufacturers, diving related products, jewelry, computer software, Marine Artists, and Photographers.

Dive Industry Sales Agents Association: The Manufacturers Sales Agents Group consists of Sales Agents (Reps) of Diving Equipment Manufacturers.

Dive Industry Retail Association:  The Retail Stakeholders are from 6 States, 1 Territory, and 3 Countries including, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, the USVI, Belize, and Mexico.

Dive Industry Travel Association:  The Dive Travel Stakeholder Group includes Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Tourism Boards, Travel Wholesalers, Travel Advisors, Tour Operators, Liveaboards, Dive Operators, Resort Destinations, International Dive Centers, and Travel Services.

Our Travel Division specializes in bringing Travel Buyers and Sellers together.  We specialize in conducting FAM Trips with Tourism Bureaus, Travel Wholesalers and Dive Resort Destinations.  We use our annual Retail Audit to identify Key Group Travel Buyers.  The Dive Travel Division puts together SWAG Gift Bags for FAM Trip participants.  Our next project to work on is to conduct a photography contest with the participants on our next FAM Trip.

Our Dive Travel Consultants are Accredited Travel Agent Members of IATA and IATAN.

CHAPTER 6 – DAILY BLOG & WEBSITE – Main Blog & Website Landing Page

The number one source of current information for Dive Industry Association is our blog-website at https://diveindustrynews.net   1,876 people follow our blog.  Our website is maintained by our in-house staff at the Association using a WordPress template and is hosted by WordPress.  If there is one website we recommend for our Members and Divers to stay industry current with, it’s this one.  We recommend subscribing to our Blog as the first step to uniting the diving industry.  Below is a brief description of our blog posts and static pages on the blog-website.

Home: The first page (Landing Page) of the website is where Blogs (articles) get posted.  Articles are posted to the home page as they are written.  Each new blog post is placed at the top of the page, ahead of older blog posts.  Blog posts are indexed by categories, located on the right-hand side of the Home Page.  Click on any of the categories to see prior posts in that category.  Most of our articles, news items and press releases, start out as a blog post, are published and achieved on the home page until they are needed as a press release, newsletter article or email link.

About: A brief description about the Dive Industry Association.

Consultancy: DIA Staff Consultants can be contracted to provide business consulting services (additional fees apply).   The Consultancy Page lists business services offered. If you are in the market for consultancy services we do not provide, a referral to one of our DIA Members who specializes in that service can be made.

Dive Directory: There are three directories on this heading.  Put your cursor on “Dive Directory” and you will see a drop-down menu containing the three directories.

  • Dive Directory: DIA Member Directory sorted by Industry with hot links to their websites.
  • Facebook Dive Directory: DIA Members sorted by Industry with hot links to their facebook page.  This is a popular directory.  No one else in the industry has one.
  • Travel Directory: DIA Travel Members sorted 1) in alphabetical order 2) By category 3) By Country.   Each includes a hot link to your website.

Dive Trips / FAM Trips: 

  • Dive Trips: We list group dive trips conducted by our Members. The listings are FREE for our Members who are running the trips.  The listing will remain until the trip is over.  To submit a listing, you must be a current member, conducting a group trip.  Send us your company logo, the date of the trip, a few details, group leader and their contact information.  For the hot link, we need the URL for your specific published press release / info about the trip.
  • This page does not apply to Resort Destinations and Liveaboards. It is not intended to publish your annual calendar.  It is designed to help our Members who run group trips, to fill their trips, so hopefully, they will book more group trips with our Resort Destinations and Liveaboards.
  • FAM Trips: We list FAM Trips that are run by our Member Dive Travel Wholesalers, Tourism Boards or Resort Destinations. Listings are free for DIA Members.

Employment: Employment Opportunities Available & Dive Industry Professionals looking for work categories.

Learn To Dive: This is a new page and is still a work in progress.  Building a Global Diving Community starts with teaching people how to dive.  We want to show the general public how to start the process of becoming a scuba diver.

Let’s Go Diving: This is a new page and is still a work in progress.  Let’s Go Diving is our way of telling the general public how to get involved and stay involved in scuba diving as a recreation.  Our message to the public is:  1) Learn to Dive.  2) Buy Your Gear.  3) Go Diving.  4) Stay Active.

Membership / Member Guide / Membership Application:

  • Membership: Information about membership in the Dive Industry Association and our Member Benefits.
  • Members Guide: An updated copy of our current Member’s Guide.
  • Membership Application: Membership Application Request Form. When filled out and emailed to DIA, we send out a Membership Application Form.

Our Vision: DIA’s Vision for the Global Diving Industry.

Retail Page / Retail Profile / Sales Rep Profile:

  • Retail Page: The Need for Strong Regional Dealer Networks
  • Retail Survey: Retail Dive Center Survey
  • Sales Rep Profile: Manufacturing Sales Rep Survey

Shows & Events: International Shows & Events Calendar.  We post the major Dive, Surf and Travel Shows, domestic and international.  This is our website’s most read page.

Trade Directory: Current Edition of our Digital Trade Directory & Buyers Guide

Trade Magazine:  Flip-page Issues of The Dive Industry Professional – (April 2022 – Present)

Weekly News:  Archived Weekly Dive News Issue – (January 2023 – Present)

  • Weekly News 2023
  • Weekly News 2024
  • Weekly News 2025

CHAPTER 7 – WEEKLY PRESS RELEASES – Dive Industry Weekly News

Dive Industry Association has a press release service that is published every Tuesday morning.   DIA has published Dive Industry Weekly News since January 2012.  We use a Constant Contact template and publish through Constant Contact’s email marketing system.  Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.  Subscription is FREE by registering with us through Constant Contact’s free subscription service  at https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101436852044  Subscribers can unsubscribe anytime using Constant Contact’s SafeUnsubscribe service.  Our audience for Weekly News is the Dive Industry Trade Professional and all certified divers, worldwide.

Weekly News is directly emailed to current DIA Members and subscribers of the Weekly Dive News.  It is automatically posted to our Social Media Network when it is published.  Our Social Media Network includes Facebook Pages for Dive Industry Association, Dive Industry Foundation, DIVE LOCAL, Undersea Showcase; Twitter and Linked-In.  Facebook no longer allows automatic business posting to personal profiles.  There are a number of Industry Media that republish some of the press releases we cover.  Our Weekly News posts are archived on our company website at https://diveindustrynews.net/weekly-news-2025/

Dive Industry Association Members are allowed to submit 24 FREE press releases for publication per year.  Your press release should be about your company, products, or personnel, not about your clients’ products.  (Refer them for Membership and they will get their own 24 FREE press releases).  The release must include an image (Company logo or Product image), Company name, short title, teaser text (1 or 2 sentences), and end with a “Read more” link to your blog or published press release.  It must have a URL that we can link to.  Press releases must be emailed to gene@diveindustry.net and arrive by Monday evening.

When creating a press release, please be brief but be sure to cover all of the important factors of an informative news release.  What is this press release about?  Who is responsible for this event?  When did or when will the event occur?  Where is the event taking place?  Remember, our Weekly News has international readers across the globe.  Why is this event occurring?  Tell us the reason it is happening.   And finally, what is your Call-to-Action?  Now that the reader has read your press release, what do you want them to do?  Give them a link to complete the next step.  i.e. Read more – Fill out form – Sign up for something – Buy now, etc.  Without a Call-to-Action you are wasting everyone’s time.

What makes a Press Release a good Press Release?  First of all, be brief.  Get to the point.  Include 1 or 2 images.  Show people having fun.  If you have a company logo, that may be appropriate. Always have a hot link to your website or social media page.  If you have a link to a short video, that’s great.  If you want the reader to the entire article, provide a link that takes them there in one click.  When you present your Call-To-Action, take them there in one click.  Don’t make them go to your website and search for the article, form, or shopping cart.

Dive Industry Association does not create ads for our members.  If we are able to, we may convert a word document to a pdf document and link it as a document in your press release.  For questions concerning press release submission, contact DIA HQ.

CHAPTER 8 – MONTHLY MAGAZINE – The Dive Industry Professional

Dive Industry Association publishes a monthly trade magazine every month.  We have been publishing the newsletter since the very beginning of the association.  Over the years, the format has changed quite a bit to get it to the point it is right now.  Members automatically receive a digital copy as part of membership, emailed directly to their in-box.  The publication is FREE to the general public by registering at https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101436852044  Subscribers can unsubscribe anytime using Constant Contact’s SafeUnsubscribe service.

The Dive Industry Professional contains an index, an introduction, and a monthly editorial.  The articles section could include a series article, a feature article, or a profile article.  In the past, we have run multi-article series like Unifying the Diving Industry and Starting Your Own Business.  Another multi-article series was about the Association’s many websites and databases.  Our featured articles are usually about products and travel destinations.  An Industry Profile article may be about a Dive Industry Professional, a Dive Company or a Dive Resort.   A news article would cover mostly shows and events. Every month, the magazine covers a Shows & Events Calendar, New Members, Renewing Members, and information about Membership.  Every issue features a Business Partners section that is sold as advertising space.

We changed the format of our monthly newsletter to a magazine format using Adobe InDesign and Flip-Page.  Our first edition was published on April 1, 2022.  Advertising space is available.  The magazine is sent free to Members every month and is available digitally to the entire diving trade and general public, via free subscription upon request.

The Dive Industry Professional is published in an Adobe pdf format and a flip-page magazine format.  Distribution is worldwide via direct email, electronic mail service, and social media.  Plans include creating a website for our domain www.DiveIndustryProfessional.com

CHAPTER 9 – DIGITAL TRADE DIRECTORY & BUYERS GUIDE

The Dive Industry Association has its own Digital Trade Directory & Buyers Guide.  The 2025 Edition is updated every month.   The 28-page Trade Publication includes a DIA Member Directory, Cross Reference Buyers Guide, Shows & Events Calendar, Membership information, and advertising space.  We may print a few hundred copies for our members and select Dive Industry Professionals during the year.  The digital version of the Directory is sent directly to over 8,000 Dive Industry Professionals Worldwide and is available to everyone as a FREE download.  The directory is posted to social media profiles, pages, and groups.  We reach over 150,000 Dive Industry Professionals every month.  All website URL’s in the publication are hot linked to the member’s website.

Since our beginning, the association has had three separate editions to our Trade Directory.  The first edition was published in print format only and was quite expensive to create, print, and distribute.  The second edition was published in print and digital formats and was featured on its own website.  Not only was this edition quite expensive to create, print, and post to its own website, monthly updates were not possible with our marketing budget at the time.  The third edition of our annual Trade Directory is created in-house, allowing us to publish it digitally, worldwide and update it monthly.

As our Membership grows, our plans are to create a new website, for world-wide viewing.  We use the url –  www.DiveIndustryDirectory.com   Advertising space will be available on the new website at reduced rates for DIA Members.

CHAPTER 10 – MARKETING

The Association’s Mission is to bring Buyers and Sellers together to increase sales for our members.  Marketing paves the way for sales by delivering a message, with a call to action, to prospective buyers about products that meet their needs.  To do that, you have to understand the products being sold and the customers who buy them.  You have to understand the messages that lead buyers to a positive purchasing decision and the marketing vehicles that deliver those messages.    And very importantly you have to understand the various markets where sales are made.

As a Member in the Dive Industry Association, you should do everything you can to teach us about your products.  As your Trade Association, we’ll help you identify qualified buyers and marketplaces where sales are made.  The purpose of the association is to promote your products to these customers so that it results in more sales for you.  Understanding products in our market is part of our industry intelligence research and application.  So is collecting data on industry buyers and resellers.  We spend a considerable amount of time, money and manpower learning new and more effective ways of reaching buying audiences.  That is what most of your membership dues are spent on;  Building a Global Diving Business Network and identifying and reaching qualified buyers in the Global Diving Community.

The emphasis we place on Marketing is too vast of a subject to cover in a Membership Guide such as this.  The marketing concepts we use at Dive Industry Association are detailed in our white paper, The Dive Industry Manifesto.   In it, we discuss programs, products and services sold in the diving industry.  We identify the buyers and sellers that make up the market and the key people who run these companies.  We discuss various markets and marketplaces and we discuss, at length, the various ways the industry is promoted to the general public.  We know that most of the sales in our market come from the sale of diving equipment, training, and travel.  We know that most of the sales are made by Retail Dive Centers and Diving Instructors.  The sectors that benefit the most from these sales are the Equipment Manufacturers, Training Agencies and Travel Companies.  The Service Sector, Media and Non-Profits benefit as a result of an economically robust industry.  We know that diving businesses need to focus on the sale of diving equipment, training, and travel.  We know that businesses succeed, and industries grow by becoming more professional, productive, and profitable.  We believe the key to a successful industry is to promote a simple message to the general public; Learn to Dive, Buy Your Gear, Go Diving, and Stay Active.

CHAPTER 11 – WEBSITES

Dive Industry Association: Trade Association websites

Dive Industry Foundation: Non-profit Organization.

DIVE LOCAL: Consumer Resource Guide to the Global Diving Community

  • https://divelocal.worpress.com This is our Website -Blog, hosted by WordPress.  It is an extensive directory for all dive businesses and Dive Industry Professionals, Worldwide.  Dive Local will be a work-in-progress for a long time to come but always improving.
  • divelocal.org – This URL should link to our WordPress Website. Currently under-construction.
  • divelocal.us

Undersea Showcase: Diving Industry and Adventure Travel Media. 

  • UnderseaShowcase.com – A consumer travel website started to post dive and adventure travel articles.

CHAPTER 12 – MEMBER DIRECTORIES   

Directories:  In an age where other Associations hide their Member Directories from the general public (because they are afraid their “competitors” will find out who their members are), we proudly advertise and promote our Members to the Trade and Consuming Public.  All member business websites are hot linked from our websites and blogs.  Our trade website contains a Member Trade Directory, a Travel Directory and a Facebook Directory.  We have three other directories that are available to the consumer public via a digital download that can be printed by the consumer.  They include a detailed Members Directory, a handout version and a Cross Reference Directory.  We created a Trade Directory and Industry Publication that has its own web site.  This directory is currently being updated and will soon be hosted on its own website again.

Dive Directory:  https://diveindustrynews.net/dive-directory/   Member Directory listed by category.  Linked to Member’s website URL.

Facebook Dive Directory:  https://diveindustrynews.net/dive-directory/facebook-dive-directory/   Member Directory listed by category.  Linked to Member’s facebook page.

Travel Directory:  https://diveindustrynews.net/dive-directory/travel-directory/   Three-part Member Travel Directory listed by  1) Company Name.  2) Category.  3) Country.  Linked to member’s website URL.

CHAPTER 13 – DATABASES

Databases: I believe the Dive Industry Association has one of the best and most current databases in the industry.  We use Sales Force, Card Scan, Constant Contact and Excel as our Industry Database Software.  Our Databases include Diving Businesses, Dive Industry Professionals and Divers, Worldwide.  We keep track of the following contact information:  First & Last Name of Contact, Company Name, Job Title, Street, City, State, & Zip Address, Phone, Fax, Cell, Toll Free Numbers, email Address, and Website URL.  We keep these databases updated on a daily basis.  We do not buy, rent or sell mailing lists.  The personal contact information we have is not shared with other Industry Professionals, and only general contact information and addresses are used to promote our Association and our Members extensively.  Each Database has the ability to target market specific groups within the diving community, i.e. Manufacturers, Retailers, Travel, Non-Profits, etc.  We currently maintain and use four contact databases.

Card Scan: As an association we acquire business cards from Industry Professionals at face-to-face marketing events, trade and consumer shows, business visits and dive trips.  Maintaining a database using business cards from Industry Professionals is the most accurate means for us.  The vast majority of legitimate businesses use business cards.  The information tends to be complete and because industry professionals use it to identify themselves and their businesses, it’s usually their most current contact information.  Our card scan database is updated after every dive show that we acquire business cards from.  Retail Center Business Cards are given to us by participating Regional Reps from the manufacturing and training sectors.  We currently have over 5,800 contacts in this database.

Constant Contact: We maintain a database on Constant Contact for email marketing campaigns.  We have been using Constant Contact since July 2009.  We use Constant Contact for three major “recurring campaigns.”  1) Weekly Dive News (weekly press releases).  2) The Dive Industry Professional (monthly newsletter).  3) Monthly Birthday Notices.  We also have the ability to create and send targeted marketing campaigns to specific stakeholder groups.

Sales Force: Dive Industry Foundation has an account with Sales Force courtesy of the Sales Force Foundation.  Sales Force is one of the best and largest CRM’s in the world.  Dive Industry Foundation currently keeps track of DIA Members with Sales Force.  The Foundation is looking for volunteers from the diving community to advise us on the uses of Sales Force.

Excel Spreadsheets: Manual spreadsheets may be the most time-consuming way to record and access data but it the easiest and most flexible means.   Our Microsoft Excel database files cover the various dive industry sectors; i.e. manufacturers, training agencies, travel companies, non-profits, etc.

Consumer Data List – Excel Spreadsheet: The Dive Industry Association maintains a consumer listing on an excel spreadsheet.  We currently have over 15,000 divers in the United States and 3,000 divers internationally.  We are working with this database to help bring Buyers & Sellers together to stimulate sales of diving equipment, training, travel and lifestyle products.

CHAPTER 14 – SOCIAL MEDIA

Dive Industry Association has always been on the cutting edge of bringing social media marketing to the diving industry.  We are active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Our Facebook profile is nearing its limit at over 4,480 friends so we created a page for each of the DIA Divisions.  The Association has its own page at www.facebook.com/diveindustry   Our monthly newsletter and weekly press releases are auto-linked to our Facebook Pages.  Our non-profit Dive Industry Foundation has its own page at www.facebook.com/divefoundation  We also have Facebook Pages for DIVE LOCAL, Caribbean Dive News and Bahama Dive News

Facebook: We use facebook extensively.  We post to our main profile and share to our business pages from dive shows, events, dive trips and business trips.  Our Weekly News Press Releases are posted to our business pages and can be accessed by anyone.  Our Monthly Magazine, The Dive Industry Professional is posted to our business pages.  All our blogs are posted to our business pages.  Every time a new Member joins DIA or a current Member renews, we post to our profile and the DIA page.  The post is always linked to the Member’s website address.

LinkedIn: We use Linked-in to research Dive Industry Professionals.  Gene Muchanski is connected to over 1,500 linked-in contacts.

X: Our Weekly News, Monthly Newsletter and Monthly Birthday notices are auto posted to Twitter.  Our Blogs from WordPress are auto posted to Twitter.

CHAPTER 15 – DIVE & TRAVEL SHOWS & EVENTS

Dive Industry Association has a forty-year history of actively attending, participating, and exhibiting at Trade and Regional Dive Shows.  We also have a history of attending, exhibiting and sponsoring the Surf Expos and the Travel & Adventure Shows.  Below is a list of dive shows we have participated in over the years.

Changes in exhibiting due to the corona virus: Meetings and Events have gone through a radical change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the present time, we are exhibiting at the annual DEMA Show and looking at ways we could participate in hybrid shows and events on a regional basis.    Check with DIA Worldwide for our current Shows & Events calendar.

History of Exhibits:

  • Beneath the Sea, Secaucus, NJ
  • DEMA Show, Multiple Locations
  • Dive & Travel Expo, Tacoma, WA
  • Florida Dive Show, Multiple Locations
  • Lone Star State Dive & Travel Show, Dallas & Houston, TX
  • Ocean Fest, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Ohio ScubaFest, Dublin, OH
  • Our World-Underwater, Chicago, IL
  • Scuba Show, Long Beach, CA
  • Sea Space, Houston, TX
  • Seas Scuba Expo, Raleigh NC
  • SharkCon, Tampa, FL
  • Super Show, Orlando, FL
  • Surf Expo, Orlando, FL
  • Texas Dive Show, Multiple Locations
  • Travel & Adventure Show, 10 Locations

Sponsorship of Surf Expo: DIA has sponsored and exhibited at the Surf Expo, held twice annually in Orlando, Florida.  We were pleased to represent the diving industry at this all-watersports trade show from 2006 – 2014. Working with the Surf Expo to attract exhibitors and qualified buyers from the diving community was an exciting and educational experience for us.  We saw that only a few diving equipment manufacturers exhibited at Surf Expo, mainly to sell to sporting goods stores that carry snorkeling equipment.  Only a few diving apparel companies exhibited at Surf and we never saw any travel destination exhibitors.  On the attendee side, Surf Expo is a big draw for Retail Dive Centers in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.  Qualified Buyers from our community go to Surf Expo mainly for apparel but said they would also buy diving equipment at the September and January Expos if it was offered.  Surf Expo is a high-energy, youthful, pro-buying event that appeals to the Watersports Trade.  DIA once again sponsored and participated in the Surf Expo in January 2024.  Future plans for Surf Expo are currently on hold.

Sponsorship of the Travel & Adventure Shows: Dive travel is a big part of the recreational diving industry.  In the past we have sponsored and exhibited at The Travel & Adventure Shows produced by Unicomm.  The shows have been held in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, San Diego, Washington D.C.  and others.  We are currently reevaluating the Travel & Adventure  Shows for future participation.  Unicomm’s website is www.travelshows.com

 

CHAPTER 16 – CONSULTANCY

In addition to the Dive Industry Association being the Premier Trade Association in the Global Diving Community, we offer Business and Marketing Consulting Services to diving business Entrepreneurs who want to start, grow and succeed in the industry.  Short-term and long-term consultancy is available.  Call for a Free Initial Consultation.

Business Services Offered

  • Business Plans
  • Marketing Plans & Budgets
  • Sales & Marketing Integration
  • Start-Ups
  • Strategic & Long-Term Growth Planning
  • Product Management
  • Competitive Market Analysis
  • Competitive Analysis (Products, Customers, Vendors)
  • Customer Acquisition, Maintenance & Network
  • Business Education & Training
  • Staff Training for non-Marketing Professionals
  • Trade & Consumer Shows
  • Social Media
  • Blog Websites
  • Newsletters
  • Press Releases
  • Feature Articles
  • Constant Contact Training & Integration

CHAPTER 17 – DIVE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION

The Dive Industry Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3), charitable organization.  Articles of incorporation were filed in the State of Texas on September 24, 2004.  Tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code was approved by the Department of the Treasury.

Dive Industry Foundation has a three-person Board of Directors and an Executive Director.  At this time, the Foundation has no paid employees and is operated strictly by volunteers. The Dive Industry Foundation is funded by donations from individuals and businesses.

Dive Industry Foundation’s Mission is Promoting Economic Development in Water Sports.  Among its duties and responsibilities, the Foundation conducts primary research on the diving industry, conducts a retail dive center survey, a manufacturer’s representative survey, maintains an industry database, and verifies dive industry businesses and dive industry professionals current contact information throughout the year. The Foundation exhibits at trade and consumer dive shows and travel shows.  It has also taken a lead role in the execution of Project DIVE LOCAL.

Dive Industry Foundation maintains a website at www.diveindustry.org  a Blog Website at www.divefoundation.wordpress.com  a Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/divefoundation  and a Twitter account at www.twitter.com/divefoundation

Dive Industry Foundation is a 2025 Member of Dive Industry Association, Member # 0094.  We have been and active Member of DIA since 2004.

Dive Industry Foundation is a 2025 Member of DEMA (Dive Industry and Marketing Association). We have been and active Member of DEMA since 2013 and have exhibited at the show many times.  See us at the 2025 DEMA Show in Orlando, Florida – Booth # 1622.

CHAPTER 18 – INDUSTRY RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE

Mavens – Influencers – Opinion Leaders:

  • Exhibitors Bureau
  • Speakers Bureau
  • Hall of Fame Inductees
    • American Divers Hall of Fame
    • California Divers Hall of Fame
    • Caribbean Divers Hall of Fame
    • Florida Divers Hall of Fame
    • New England Divers Hall of Fame
    • Women Divers Hall of Fame
  • Key People – Manufacturing, Training, Travel, Reps, Non-Profits

Industry Surveys

  • Retail Dive Center Profile (2002-2025)
  • Manufacturing Sales Rep Profile (2002-2025)
  • Dive Manufacturer Survey (2022)
  • Dive Travel Survey (2022)
  • Scuba Cylinder Survey

CHAPTER 19 – DIVE LOCAL

DIVE LOCAL is a marketing concept, spearheaded by the Dive Industry Foundation since 2016.  As a Marketing Campaign, DIVE LOCAL is a combined industry effort of Dive Industry Professionals to promote diving to the general public and stimulate diving activity within the Global Diving Community.  DIVE LOCAL uses National Magazine Coverage, Regional Dive Shows, and Regional Summit Conferences, in addition to websites, newsletters, blogs, electronic mail, press releases, and social media networks to promote local diving shows & events and local diving businesses.

The Heart & Soul of the Global Diving Community is “Local Diving.”  The four pillars of each regional diving community are 1) Retail Dive Centers.  2) Dive Boat Operators.  3) Dive Clubs.  4) Dive Instructors.  Since the major source of revenue in the industry comes from the sale of diving equipment, training, travel, and lifestyle products, our focus is on Retail Dive Centers and Dive Instructors.  To grow the industry, our collective message to the general public is: 1) Learn to Dive.  2) Buy Your Gear.  3) Go Diving.  4) Stay Active.

Dive Industry Foundation maintains a DIVE LOCAL website, Blog and Facebook Page.  The Blog Website is https://divelocal.wordpress.com/   The facebook page is www.facebook.com/divelocal

White Paper:  A white paper entitled DIVE LOCAL – A Dive Community Cooperative Effort was first written in September 2018 and posted to the DIVE LOCAL Website at www.divelocal.org/white-paper/  The white paper is updated periodically to reflect additions and changes.  This document is the basis of our Dive Local Manifesto.

Since the publication of our white paper, the Dive Industry Association and the Dive Industry Foundation have been actively organizing and rebuilding the recreational diving community on a global basis.  Our goal is to map out the Global Diving Community and verify all of the Dive Industry Businesses and Dive Industry Professionals that make up our Global Diving Business Network.  We started with the worldwide global network, broken down by Continents by Countries by Territories.    Each Territory is defined as its own Local Diving Community.  Each territory is further broken down by States, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Local Diving Communities – United States

In March 2020 we started reconstructing Local Diving Communities in the United States by mapping all the Retail Dive Centers in the U.S.  Based on the number of dive stores in each state, we defined ten (10) working Territories, Northeast (NE), North Central (NC), Northwest (NW), Mid-Atlantic (MA), Southeast (SE), Florida (FL), South Central (SC), Southwest (SW), South Pacific (SP) and the Caribbean (CAR).

Dive Store Direct Mail Campaigns:  Every year since 2020, the Dive Industry Association has conducted a direct mail campaign to verify all the current Retail Dive Centers in the United States.  The direct mail effort is a postcard mailing to all dive stores in our Dive Store Database.  Our research concludes there are approximately 880 verifiable dive stores in the United States as of August 7, 2025.

Dive Store Website Verification:  Direct mail campaigns have their limitations.  They verify a mailing address, but there is no guarantee that the mailing address is a dive store.  It could be a home address or an out-of-business store that is having their mail forwarded.  We now list the dive store website URL in our directories.  If we had not listed a website address prior, we research the store and either add their website or delete their listing.  Dive Store websites are verified periodically.  We verify the dive store websites in a different state, every week.

Future Direct Mail Campaigns: Following our local diving community guidelines, we will continue to focus on the people who sell diving equipment, training, travel and lifestyle products.   As we build Local Diving Communities, we continue to target Dive Equipment Manufacturers, Equipment Sales Representatives, Training Agencies, Training Sales Representatives, Retail Dive Stores, Travel Providers, and Diving Lifestyle Merchants.  We continue to conduct annual first-class mailings to verify the working Dive Industry Professionals in the United States, funded by the Dive Industry Foundation.

Directory Listings for Dive Boats, Dive Clubs, and Dive Instructors:  We have started to list three other sectors of the local diving communities. The next sector we will work on after the U.S. Dive Stores is complete, are the Dive Boat Operators.

Unpublished Listings: The Dive Industry Association is continually working on similar listings for stakeholder groups that include Manufacturing, Training, Travel, Service Providers, and Non-Profit Organizations.  These listing are not published and are used extensively for our direct marketing programs.

CHAPTER 20 – INDUSTRY PROGRAMS

Community Sponsored Events:  DIA has held community sponsored events in Chicago and Tacoma.  At Our World-Underwater we organized an Industry Breakfast Seminar sponsored by Body Glove.  In Tacoma, at the Dive & Travel Expo we organized and conducted two “Lunch & Learn” Seminars, sponsored by Constant Contact, Palo Alto Software and Oceanic.

Business Seminars: DIA has conducted Business Seminars at Our-World Underwater in Chicago.  The seminars featured guest speakers from the local diving business community.

FAM Trips: The Dive Industry Travel Association sponsors, organizes, coordinates and participates in FAM (Familiarization) Trips.  These FAM Trips are usually sponsored by Tourism Boards, Dive Travel Wholesalers, or Dive Resort Destinations.  The participants are Retail Travel Buyers who sell group trips, Travel Agents and Tour Operators.   Dive Industry Association Members participate in the creation of SWAG Bags for the Retail Dive Center Participants and Resort Destinations.

We participated in the following FAM Trips:

  • Grenada – Sandals La Source – September 24-28, 2014
  • Roatan, Honduras – Mayan Princess – May 4-7, 2016
  • Dominican Republic – Dreams La Romana & Dreams Dominicus – May 4-8, 2018
  • Saint Lucia – September 13-17, 2018
  • Belize – Belize Dive Haven – July 19-23, 2019
  • Turks & Caicos – December 4-8, 2021
  • Bonaire – Plaza Resort Bonaire – December 7-11, 2024
  • Roatan, Honduras – Turquoise Bay Resort – May 17-21, 2025

Webinars:  Future Plans

CHAPTER 21 – SUMMIT MEETINGS

Summit Meetings: Dive Industry Association co-sponsored and conducted three Regional Summit Meetings in 2016.  They were held in Dallas, TX at the Lone Star State Dive and Travel Show, in Chicago at Our World-Underwater Dive and Travel Show and Beneath the Sea in Secaucus, NJ.  A summary report was written about all three summit meetings.  Attendance was taken, notes were prepared, and portions of the meetings were videotaped for future reference.

Dallas, TX: The South-Central Summit Meeting was held on January 22, 2016, at the Embassy Suites, in Frisco, Texas in conjunction with The Lone Star State Dive Show.  The five (5) Speakers included; Rick Stratton, Gene Muchanski, Tom Ingram, Eric Peterson and Jennifer Idol.  Twenty-one (21) Dive Industry Professionals attended.  The first hour included the summit introduction and 5 speakers.  The second hour was for the focus group discussions.  Group 1 consisted of Dive Clubs & Dive Instructors.  Group 2 included Resorts, Dive Stores and Dive Boats. After the breakout sessions, the entire group came together and discussed regional problems, opportunities, potential solutions, actionable items, ways to improve the economic impact of the local diving community and information that we still need as an industry.

Chicago, IL: The North Central Summit Meeting was held on February 26, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, in conjunction with Our World-Underwater Dive Show.  The 2-hour program consisted of six speakers (2 guest speakers & 4 local speakers) followed by two breakout sessions.  Nineteen (19) Dive Industry Professionals attended.   The Speakers included Gene Muchanski (Dive Industry Association), Patrick Hammer (Scuba Emporium), Rick Stratton (Dive News Network), Capt. Jim Gentile (Windy City Diving), Margo Miller (Illinois Council of Skin & Scuba Divers) and Lucy Dunbar (PADI Americas Regional Representative).  Nineteen (19) Dive Industry Professionals attended and participated.  The breakout sessions were divided into three groups; Dive Clubs, Dive Instructors, and Resort Destinations.  After the breakout sessions, the entire group gathered and discussed regional problems, opportunities, potential solutions, and actionable items.

Secaucus, NJ: The Northeast Summit was held on April 1, 2016, at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey, in conjunction with Beneath the Sea.  The summit featured four (4) Speakers and drew forty-two (42) Dive Professionals.  The two-hour program started with 4 Speakers during the first hour that included Rick Stratton (Dive News Network), Gene Muchanski (Dive Industry Association), Stuart Schooley (Dutch Springs), and David Valaika (Indian Valley Scuba).  The second hour consisted of a breakout session divided into two groups.  Group 1 included Dive Retailers, Dive Boats and Certification Agencies.  Group 2 was made up of Resorts, Dive Clubs, Instructors and Millennial Divers.   The breakout session was followed up with a lively discussion with the entire group.  We discussed industry problems, potential solutions and actionable items.

CHAPTER 22 – UNDERSEA SHOWCASE, Inc.

Undersea Showcase, Inc. is a Dive Industry and Adventure Travel Media Company incorporated to advertise and promote diving equipment and travel destinations to Qualified Retail Buyers in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mexico.  Our website is www.underseashowcase.com and should be fully operational in the near future.  Undersea Showcase currently has a blog website and facebook page.  Planning is underway to post dive equipment catalogs, videos, and promotional information to the Caribbean Diving Business Network using Undersea Showcase and Caribbean Dive News.  Our primary goal is to identify Qualified Retail Buyers in this territory and set up a Dealer Network.

 

CHAPTER 23 – STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Dive Industry Association works with companies who specialize in business tools and technologies.  Many of which we use ourselves.    It is our mission to seek expertise from industries that have modern tools and technologies that can be used by businesses in the diving business community.  While we are always looking at the Manufacturing, Retailing, and Travel Industries to learn their Best Practices that are used by our business community members, we are also on the lookout in the industries that produce marketing tools and technologies that help us run our businesses better.  We frequently bring in industry professionals from the advertising, marketing, communication, computer, electronics and software industries to show us how to use their tools to penetrate and gain market share, stay competitive, and grow professionally.

Constant Contact: One such company is the email Marketing Communication Company, Constant Contact.  Dive Industry Association is a Constant Contact Strategic Partner.  We have been using Constant Contact since July 2009.

DIA Members qualify for a FREE 30-Day Trial.  When you are ready to start an account, you’ll get 20% OFF monthly, 30% OFF for a 6-month pre-pay account, or 40% OFF for a 12-month pre-paid account by signing up under Dive Industry’s House Account.  As an added bonus for signing up under our partnership agreement, DIA will assist you in placing your campaigns in our Weekly News press release service (limits apply).  START FREE TODAY.   https://go.constantcontact.com/signup.jsp?pn=dive

Modern Postcard: Dive Industry Association became a Referral Partner of Modern Postcard on March 14, 2020.  We have been using Modern Postcard as our Direct Mail Vendor since 2001 and have had measurable success with each campaign.  We have experience as a Modern Postcard customer on 9 campaigns, since 2001 and most recently in 2023.

Dive Industry Association has special Member pricing with Modern Postcard now.  Use promotional code DIVE15 for 15% discounted member pricing.  MP does not require price activation to get your discount.  Just use your exclusive code and it will be applied on your first order.  Our contact at Modern Postcard is Mark Sagara.  His phone number is 800-959-8365 Ext 2540.  Direct: 760-692-3338.  Email: marks@modernpostcard.com DIA Members interested in direct mail campaigns should request a FREE Sample Pack from Modern’s website at www.modernpostcard.com

Dive Industry Association Members who order postcards from Modern Postcard and use their mailing service, can receive permission to have our trade database or consumer database included in their mailing.  Members can target market their mailing by industry sector, geographic location, or number of addresses.  Our current lists are cleaned for accuracy prior to mailing.  Lists of names used are not provided.  There is no additional cost to our members for use of the names.  For more information, contact Gene Muchanski at DIA.

CHAPTER 24 – MEMBER DISCOUNTS

As a Member of the Dive Industry Association, you can take advantage of discounts that are being offered to you by other member companies.  This is a new program.  If you would like to participate, please contact Gene Muchanski.

  1. American Cylinder & Safety LLC – TBA
  2. Kids Sea Camp – TBA
  3. Secure Custom Mouthpiece – TBA
  4. Ultralight Camera Solutions – TBA

CHAPTER 25 – WHITE PAPERS

Dive Industry Association creates and publishes white papers to inform, educate, and entertain Dive Industry Business Professionals.  All white papers are available free of charge to all Dive Industry Professionals.

  1. DIA Members Guide – Updated Monthly – Current Edition: August 7, 2025
  2. The Dive Industry Network – September 1, 2020 – August 1, 2023
  3. DIVE LOCAL – A Dive Industry Community Effort – August 22, 2018 – August 1, 2023

***