In what marks a massive milestone for the sport of scuba diving, the 10th annual PADI Women’s Dive Day took place on 20 July, 2024, with PADI Members from across the globe hosting local events for their communities. Over the past 10 years, PADI Women’s Dive Day has grown into the most celebrated day of diving on the planet, transforming lives and opening the door to the underwater world.  

“It’s inspiring to see PADI Members champion this annual celebration for a decade, hosting events that unite local communities,” says Katie Thompson, PADI’s Senior Director, Environment & Sustainability. “Women’s Dive Day has been a catalyst for the dive community to break down barriers and empower divers of all genders, ages, races, backgrounds, and abilities to believe they too can explore and protect the ocean.” 

“The Women in Diving Initiative, and its flagship annual event PADI Women’s Dive Day, was identified as a solution to increase the inclusivity and belonging of females in the dive industry,” continues Thompson. “When we dove into the data a decade ago, we knew that we could do something to make diving more welcoming for women. PADI Dive Centers, Resorts, and Instructors have made this movement their own, and there are more women of all ages diving today than ever before.”  

Since the inception of PADI Women’s Dive Day, events around the globe have highlighted the important ties between diversity, inclusion, and environmentalism – with this year’s events largely focused on discovery, education, adventure and conservation, seeing thousands of divers and Ocean TorchbearersTM join in on celebrating the true ethos of scuba diving.  

Highlights from this year’s event include: 

Celebrating Discovery 

PADI Dive Centers and Resorts like Plongée Grand Cozumel in Mexico, Ceningan Divers in Indonesia, and Sun Divers Roatan in Honduras organized opportunities for local women to connect with the ocean through scuba diving.  

“PADI Women’s Dive Day is the perfect platform for us to engage our dive community in sharing the benefits of the underwater world with the local girls of Roatan. You see the spirit of PADI Women’s Dive Day come to life at this event,” says Natalie Shuman, owner of Sun Divers Roatan. “Our dive customers are diving alongside our local girls, and everyone’s having a blast creating community and bonding over a common love for the ocean. It’s a day that makes me immensely proud to be a PADI Pro and female diver.”   

In the Maldives, TGI Maldives at OBLU Nature Helengel invited the Minister of Tourism of the Republic of the Maldives to join in on the celebration as guests tried scuba diving for the first time. “TGI Is honored to have been part of the woman diving event and hope that every year on the same date the event will repeat and will become eventually a call for all women to enjoy scuba diving,” says TGI Maldives Operations Manager Greta Marcelli.

Celebrating Education 

Placing a focus on enhancing confidence through continued education, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts created ways for females to advance their skills and build a career in scuba diving. United Kingdom-based PADI Five-Star Career Development Center, Ocean Turtle Diving, held an Instructor Development Course in Spain with day one of the exam led by a female examiner falling on Women’s Dive Day. In Canada, Torpedo Rays Scuba announced their second annual SeaFoxes Scholarship, which provides a deserving female diver in Nova Scotia with a PADI Continued Education Course, allowing her to further her education and diving career.  

“Women’s Dive Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate all the incredible women in diving,” said April Weickert, PADI IDC Staff Instructor and Manager of Torpedo Rays Scuba. “It is an extremely important day to me, and I use it as an opportunity to empower and highlight our divers. It’s a day of reflection, empowerment, joy, and recognition! My favorite day of the year. Be the change you wish to see, and be brave enough to be the first to take the plunge!” 

Celebrating Adventure 

PADI Members across the globe created ways for friends and families of all ages to connect in the water together and introduce the next generation to diving. In Switzerland, TSK Zurich joined forces with their PADI women’s dive group, TSK Tschiggis, to sponsor their fourth annual try-dive event for 30 kids on Women’s Dive Day. 

“The greatest joy of this event for me personally is seeing their eyes light up the moment they take their first breath [underwater] and recognize their own courage,” says Annick den Harder, dive school manager TSK Zurich. “It is inspiring to watch them dare and embrace this adventure. To me they are tiny superheroes. It is beautiful to see that we can make a significant impact on the next generation with such small gestures. Sharing my passion for scuba diving with kids will always be one of my favorite aspects of teaching. I feel proud and grateful to be part of this PADI Women’s Dive Day event at TSK Zurich, empowering new junior divers year after year.” 

PADI, in collaboration with Sandals Resorts (Caribbean), hosted the Just Add Water social media contest leading up to Women’s Dive Day, which encouraged people to share how being a PADI Diver transformed their life. The winner will receive an all-inclusive vacation for two to PADI Dive Resort Sandals Jamaica.  

Celebrating Conservation 

Showing scuba divers that they can be superheroes for our shared blue planet, PADI Dive Centers and Resorts organized various conservation activities that brought communities together. In Brazil, Evidive teamed up with Seiko to run a Dive Against Debris with over 100 scuba divers. The event combines seeking adventure AND saving the ocean, also providing opportunities for people to try mermaiding, freediving, and scuba diving for the first time, as well as workshops for continuing diver education. 

“We believe this initiative is an important step towards encouraging and empowering women in diving,” says Fabiano and Juliana Silva, owners of Evidive. “We know that female representation has been growing, and we want to provide a welcoming and inspiring environment so that more women can discover and develop their passion for diving. However, we also recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion. That’s why this event will also include men, ensuring that the experience is enriching and collaborative for all participants, regardless of gender. Our aim is to promote a space where everyone feels welcome and can learn from each other, celebrating the diversity that makes diving such a vibrant and special activity!”  

Monkey Divers Diving College in Egypt ran a coral conservation workshop before taking participants out for an exploratory dive in the Red Sea – allowing them to see first-hand the importance of having a healthy coral ecosystem and best practices to protect it.  

“We want to thank PADI Members for continually striving to foster an environment of openness across the dive industry and working together to make the underwater world accessible to all,” says Thompson. “When we see stories of lives transformed by Women’s Dive Day, it is very clear that there is a swell of sea change regarding gender acceptance in diving and that people of all genders and backgrounds can seek adventure and save the ocean.”  

Save the Date! 

The 11th Annual PADI Women’s Dive Day is set to take place next 19 July, 2025, which will call on the 6,600 PADI Dive Centers located in 184 countries around the world to rally their local communities together once again to join PADI in creating positive ocean change.  

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