On 8 August, a wildfire roared through Lahaina, Maui, taking 115 lives and destroying more than 2,800 homes and businesses. About a dozen dive operators were impacted, and many of our fellow dive professionals lost literally everything – their operations, boats, homes and everything in them. For some of our colleagues, friends and family perished. It’s gutting to experience such devastation.

Thankfully, there are ongoing relief efforts, with the dive community’s contributions noteworthy among them. Divers have helped by not only waiving refunds for canceled dive tours and classes, but by giving more than half a million US dollars directly to affected dive pros and dive centers through Go Fund Me and similar donation sources. Divers have given another USD $130,000+ to a relief fund set up by PADI in partnership with the Ako’ako’a Foundation specifically for affected dive professionals. When one considers relief contributions made through organizations like the Red Cross, FEMA, local disaster relief funds, and United Way, and financial assistance by dive manufacturers and trade associations, the dive community has been a part of the extended significant relief efforts to date.

Caring for each other is one of dive culture’s long-standing inherent values, ranging from the buddy system to hundreds of examples of how, when disaster strikes, divers have stepped up to help other divers, dive pros and their communities. To name just a few: In 1995, when Hurricane Roxanne hit Cozumel, divers not only contributed to relief but a Houston-based PADI Dive Center, working with a major airline, also landed a plane load of relief supplies in less than 24 hours. Divers were among the first tourists to return, helping restore the local economy. When the tsunami of 2004 devastated Southeast Asian coastal communities, the dive community provided direct relief to dive professionals. Tourism-reliant countries were most affected economically, but divers were again among the first to return. The tsunami in Fukushima, Japan, elicited similar support.

We also saw this globally during the pandemic – divers took courses and attended virtual classes to support dive operators during lockdowns. With travel shutdown, divers embraced local diving, helping dive pros make it through. Dive manufacturers and suppliers absorbed costs to affect price reductions and extend credit to carry them through. As travel reopened, again divers were at the head of the line.

There have been so many other examples over the years, and the list of these is nearly endless. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know that the dive community, including the diaspora of PADI Pros and Divers, will be there for each other. It’s reassuring to know that when faced with challenges, whether recovering from a disaster or preserving and restoring the ocean, our shared values unite us in action, regardless of other differences we may have. The PADI community across 182 countries faces a variety of threats and risks – it is part of navigating through this world. It is reassuring to know that this community makes a difference when and where it’s needed because we recognize that we are stronger as one, taking action together. It’s what separates us from many other cultures. Thank you for being part of the PADI global Force for Good.

Sincerely,

Drew Richardson
President & CEO

The post Straight Talk from PADI CEO: Divers Rally to Direct Heartfelt Support in the Aftermath of the Maui Disaster appeared first on PADI Pros.

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