2024 ScubaCon
2024-09-07 - 2024-09-08 | Dream Weaver Travel, 637-V South Broadway, Boulder, CO, 80305, United States
The 41st annual ScubaCon will be held in Boulder, Colorado, from September 7-8. This in-person event will host exhibitors in a festive tent setup. Attendees can earn raffle tickets for daily drawings by visiting participating exhibitors and answering questions. In addition to the in-person event, virtual seminars will be held from September 2-5.

2024 DEMA Show
2024-11-19 - 2024-11-22 | Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV, 89109, United States
DAN IS HERE FOR YOU

Since 1980, DAN has worked tirelessly to promote dive safety — operating the 24/7 DAN Emergency Hotline, conducting dive medical research, and collaborating with stakeholders throughout the industry to establish best practices for safe operations. Today, thanks to the support of divers, training agencies, dive pros, and dive businesses, DAN is stronger than ever.

DAN will exhibit at booth #3036 during DEMA Show 2024. Held in Las Vegas from November 19–22, this year’s event will bring together professionals from the dive, travel, and water sports industries. Recognized as the largest trade-only event in the dive industry, DEMA anticipates hosting over 500 exhibitors and thousands of professionals.

To learn more and register to attend, visit DEMAShow.com. To discuss DAN’s programs one-on-one with a representative, reserve a meeting through our meeting registration form.

Seminar Schedule

All seminars are held in room S229

(Click on date to open)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19

SESSION TITLE
TIME

Safety on Liveaboards
9am – 10am

Fitness to Dive at the Dive Shop: Handling Last-Minute Uncertainty
10am – 11am

How Feasible is Personalized Decompression?
11am – 12pm

Living Well with Dive Computers
12pm – 1pm

2025 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update
1pm – 2pm

Everything You Need To Know About DAN
2pm – 3pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

SESSION TITLE
TIME

How Feasible is Personalized Decompression?
9am – 10am

Sun Exposure: UV Radiation
10am – 11am

Hazards of Rebreather Diving
11am – 12pm

Mild DCI, In-Water Recompression, and When to Freak Out: Dos and Don’ts
12pm – 1pm

Environmentally Friendly Dive Operations
1pm – 2pm

DAN Global Initiatives
2pm-3pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

SESSION TITLE
TIME

Living Well with Dive Computers
9am – 10am

Drowning from the Inside: The Ins, Outs, and Unknowns of IPE
10am – 11am

Safety on Liveaboards
11am – 12pm

Hazards of Rebreather Diving
12pm – 1pm

2025 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update
1pm – 2pm

Everything You Need To Know About DAN
2pm – 3pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

SESSION TITLE
TIME

Fitness to Dive at the Dive Shop: Handling Last-Minute Uncertainty
9am –10am

Sun Exposure: UV Radiation
10am – 11am

Drowning from the Inside: The Ins, Outs, and Unknowns of IPE
11am – 12pm

Mild DCI, In-Water Recompression, and When to Freak Out: Dos and Don’ts
12pm – 1pm

Environmentally Friendly Dive Operations
1pm – 2pm

Seminar Descriptions

Safety on Liveaboards

By Francois Burman, PE MSc

In recent years we’ve heard numerous reports of liveaboard calamities, but there are more that go unnoticed, except by the unfortunate parties involved. Liveaboard diving is essentially remote diving, and there are many considerations that must be planned and prepared for. Operators, trip leaders, dive professionals, and divers all have roles to play if we are to reduce accidents, property losses, and, especially, fatalities.

Fitness to Dive at the Dive Shop: Handling Last-Minute Uncertainty

By Matias Nochetto, MD

In this presentation we’ll discuss how to navigate those challenging last-minute fitness-to-dive questions that arise just before it’s time to board the boat. We’ll cover what you can do, what DAN can do for you, and what none of us can do.

How Feasible Is Personalized Decompression?

By Frauke Tillmans, PhD

In this presentation we’ll explore the intriguing topic of personalized decompression and its connection to bubble formation and individual physiology. With a focus on understanding the complexities of decompression stress and its relationship to DCS risk, we will dive into the challenges faced by dive researchers in studying individual physiology, discuss the limitations of current methods, explore the potential of new technologies, and outline why further research is needed.

Living Well with Dive Computers

By Neal Pollock, PhD

Dive tables offered the standard for controlling dive profiles for the first half of our modern diving history. The shift to relying on dive computers brought convenience, but also challenges. Most important now is that the wide range of available devices makes it difficult to sufficiently orient divers to them. This presentation will review key functions and options, some well-established and some fairly new, to aid in selection and best practices for use.

2025 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update

By JoAnn Perry MSE

Divers Alert Network Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Examiners are invited to attend this 2025 Update. This session will cover improvements and changes from the past year and provide an outlook on changes coming in the year ahead.

Everything You Need To Know About DAN

By Shelli Wright and Angela Williams

Join us for an overview of DAN’s membership and insurance programs, and learn about all the great benefits available to you, your business, and your customers. We’ll cover DAN membership benefits, dive accident coverage, trip and travel insurance, and liability coverage, and there will be time to get answers to all your questions. Learn how dive pros and dive operators can use these programs to better serve their customers, mitigate risk, and grow their business.

Sun Exposure: UV Radiation

By Francois Burman, PE, MSc

Dive professionals, boat crews, and others who work in the industry are exposed to the sun for long periods, often daily. Dive clients may be unaware of how long they spend exposed to the sun’s UV radiation. While sunburn offers a reminder to use protection, the longer-term dangers are not all related to burns. Understanding how UV radiation affects us and using appropriate protection are essential to dive operators and professionals.

Hazards of Rebreather Diving

By Neal Pollock, PhD

Rebreathers provide both physiological and range benefits for divers, but these advantages come with the costs of increased complexity and related hazards. This presentation will briefly consider the benefits of rebreather diving and will then focus on the hazards that must be managed by rebreather divers.

Mild DCI, In-Water Recompression, and When to Freak Out: Dos and Don’ts

By Matias Nochetto, MD

Could you recognize a mild case of the bends? Could you distinguish a mild case from a serious one? In this presentation we’ll review red flags and put symptoms and risk factors in context to help you make good decisions.

Environmentally Friendly Dive Operations

By JoAnn Perry MSE

Much has been said about the importance of considering our environmental impact in the water, but have we also been diligent in other areas of our businesses? A look into other aspects of dive operations — out of the water — will generate new ideas about how we can be better stewards of our environment.

DAN Global Initiatives

By Nathalie Judkins, Laura Johnson, and Mel Cefai

From local-language emergency hotlines in Asia and Latin America to free first aid and oxygen training to dive support staff across Indonesia, DAN is doing more than ever to improve diver safety around the world. Join us as we highlight initiatives and projects happening now across the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific, including donation of oxygen equipment, scholarships, grants, free student medical expense coverage, continuing medical education for hyperbaric doctors, research, and more.

Drowning from the Inside: The Ins, Outs, and Unknowns of IPE

By Emmanuel Dugrenot, PhD

During diving, cardiopulmonary changes can cause immersion pulmonary edema (IPE/IPO) and increase the risk of drowning. This talk presents an updated review of the mechanisms of IPE (known and suspected) that can lead to extravascular water accumulation in the lungs and “drowning from the inside.”

Presenter Bios

DAN Speakers

Francois Burman, PE, MSc

Francois is the Vice President, Safety Services, at DAN. He is responsible for all DAN’s safety and accident-prevention initiatives as well as the recompression chamber network. He has traveled around the world to conduct safety assessments at facilities used to treat injured divers and has written two books: The Risk Assessment Guide for Dive Operators and Professionals and The Risk Assessment Guide for Recompression Facilities.

Mel Cefai

Mel is the Regional Director for Asia-Pacific at DAN World. She learned to dive in Dahab, Egypt, and joined the DAN family soon after when an opportunity arose in Australia. She has now worked for DAN for more than 20 years. Mel is passionate about the work DAN does in the diving community and has been privileged over the years to meet many of the members DAN has helped all over the world.

Emmanuel Dugrenot, PhD

Manu is a Senior Researcher at DAN. He has a doctoral degree in hyperbaric physiology and molecular biology, a publication scope that includes both animal and human studies, and additional expertise in decompression modeling. He is a scientific diver, a public safety diver, and a rebreather and technical diving Instructor Trainer.

Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson is the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at DAN World. Laura began working at DAN in 1999, the same year she became a certified diver in her home state of North Carolina. Her passion for diving in Cozumel, Mexico, and her love for Latin American cultures led her to relocate to Cozumel in 2009, where she has lived ever since. Laura is a PADI dive pro and a DAN Instructor Trainer.

Nathalie E. Judkins

Nathalie is the Director of Membership and Insurance Services at DAN. She is a diver and a licensed insurance agent. Nathalie has over 20 years of experience at DAN, helping divers and travelers navigate the organization’s various insurance products and programs. She works with DAN members, dive professionals, and dive operators globally and is fluent in Spanish and French as well as English.

Matias Nochetto, MD

Matias is the Vice President, Medical Services, at DAN, where he has worked since 2006. He is co-director of the DAN-UHMS continuing medical education program and a faculty member of several national and international diving medicine courses and programs. He became a dive instructor in 1999 during medical school, which led him to complete a three-year clinical and research fellowship in hyperbaric and diving medicine to combine the two passions.

JoAnn Perry, MSE

JoAnn is the Safety Services Program Coordinator at DAN. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and brings knowledge of safety in the construction and manufacturing industries to scuba diving. JoAnn has been teaching diving since 2008 and is a diving Instructor Trainer and a DAN Examiner.

Frauke Tillmans, PhD

Frauke is the Research Director at DAN. She has a PhD in human biology and oversees DAN’s in-house research initiatives in diving physiology, injury monitoring, and population health, as well as the DAN Research Grant Program. An avid diver, she is DAN’s point of contact for national and global collaborations in diving-related research. Before joining DAN in 2019, she participated in projects covering a variety of medical and health aspects in recreational and military diving.

Angela Williams

Angela is the Manager of Membership and Personal Insurance at DAN. She manages the DAN Member Services team and has 17 years of experience at the organization. She is a licensed insurance agent who is highly motivated to ensure DAN members are educated about the personal insurance programs and products DAN offers.

Rochelle “Shelli” Wright

Shelli is the Director of Commercial Insurance at DAN. She has been a licensed insurance agent for over 25 years, actively working with all lines of insurance products. Shelli is a dive instructor and an avid technical and full cave diver. She combines her knowledge of insurance and her passion for diving to promote risk mitigation and safety education for the diving community.

Guest Speaker

Neal W. Pollock, PhD

Neal holds a Research Chair in Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine and is an Associate Professor in Kinesiology at Université Laval in Québec, Canada. He was previously Research Director at DAN and conducted research at Duke University, both in Durham, North Carolina. His academic training is in zoology, exercise physiology, and environmental physiology. His research interests focus on human health and safety in extreme environments, including decompression safety for both divers and astronauts.

DAN Member Social Returns

Join DAN and your fellow dive industry professionals at the DAN Social at DEMA to enjoy an evening of conversation, drinks, and fun. As your dive safety organization, we raise a glass to all who work tirelessly to promote dive safety. We hope you can join us.

DATE & TIME

Tuesday, November 196–9pm

LOCATION

Ballrooms A and B

Westgate Las Vegas, 3000 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV

Show Notes

Schedule A Meeting

Learn about DAN’s programs by setting up a one-on-one appointment. Submit our online meeting registration form or contact DAN Member Services at DANPros@dan.org to reserve your time today.

Instructor Updates

DAN Instructors will have several opportunities to get up to date with the latest standards or elevate your teaching credentials; to learn more, email us at Oxygen@DAN.org.

DAN Member Social at DEMA
2024-11-19 18:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Westgate Las Vegas, 3000 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV, 89109, United States
Join DAN and fellow dive industry professionals at the DAN Member Social in ballrooms A and B of the Westgate Las Vegas, just a few minutes’ walk from the exhibition floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Enjoy an evening of conversation, drinks, and food as we raise a glass to all who work tirelessly to promote dive safety. Admission is free for DAN members and DEMA Show attendees with a show badge.
Remember to add this event to your calendar. We hope to see you there!

2025 Boston Sea Rovers Show
2025-03-15 - 2025-03-16 | DoubleTree by Hilton- Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
The Boston Sea Rover is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the underwater world. Started in 1954 as a means of educating the public on how to safely use scuba, this yearly show has evolved into a world-renowned three-day event that draws attendees, presenters, and exhibitors from all over the world.
The show is designed to entertain and educate the public on topics of exploration, filmmaking, scientific discoveries, scuba diving, and more. The show consists of many facets designed for both the diving and non-diving public. Find more details on the Film Festival, Exhibit Hall, Daytime Presentations, Careers in Ocean and Marine Sciences (COMS), Workshops, Kids Activities, Art/Artifact Exhibit, and more.
The venue, DoubleTree by Hilton- Boston North Shore, is located less than 20 miles from downtown Boston, features fantastic amenities for exhibitors, attendees, and your family members.

Beneath The Sea 2025
2025-03-28 - 2025-03-30 | Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ, 07094, United States
Beneath the Sea’s Consumer Ocean Adventure is an exposition celebrating scuba diving, travel, and underwater exploration. Beneath the Sea 2025 will have almost 200 exhibitors from all corners of the world, 50 plus seminars and workshops presented by specialists and experts in their field, exotic destinations, social events, and leaders from every segment of the dive industry, to entertain, inform and excite the experienced diver, new diver, and non-diver equally.
DAN will exhibit at booth # 501-503-600-602. To learn more and register to attend, visit beneaththesea.us.

2025 Scuba Show
2025-05-31 - 2025-06-01 | Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA, 90802, United States
Scuba Show 2025 promises to be an exceptional event, combining the excitement of scuba diving with the opportunity to make a positive impact. Don’t miss the chance to connect with nonprofits, learn from industry experts, and immerse yourself in the world of scuba diving in Long Beach.
Location
Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center
300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
May 31-June 1, 2025
Registration
Tickets will be on sale in 2025.

2025 DEMA Show
2025-11-11 - 2025-11-14 | Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, FL, 32819, United States
DAN IS HERE FOR YOU

Since 1980, DAN has worked tirelessly to promote dive safety — operating the 24/7 DAN Emergency Hotline, conducting dive medical research, and collaborating with stakeholders throughout the industry to establish best practices for safe operations. Today, thanks to the support of divers, training agencies, dive pros, and dive businesses, DAN is stronger than ever.

DAN will exhibit at booth #621 during DEMA Show 2025. Held in Orlando from November 11–14, this year’s event will bring together professionals from the dive, travel, and water sports industries. Recognized as the largest trade-only event in the dive industry, DEMA anticipates hosting over 500 exhibitors and thousands of professionals.

To learn more and register to attend, visit DEMAShow.com. To discuss DAN’s programs one-on-one with a representative, reserve a meeting through our meeting registration form.

Seminar Schedule

All seminars are held in room W304H

(Click on date to open)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

SESSION TITLE
TIME

Marine Life Toxinology Session 1
9am – 10am

That Was Close: Learning From Diving Mishaps
10am – 11am

Understanding NOAA’s New CNS Oxygen Guidelines
11am – 12pm

Cardiovascular Fitness to Dive: What Every Dive Professional Needs to Know
12pm – 1pm

2026 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update
1pm – 2pm

Everything You Need To Know About DAN
2pm – 3pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

SESSION TITLE
TIME

Marine Life Toxinology Session 2
9am – 10am

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: From Manufacture to Retirement
10am – 11am

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: How To Destroy Your Cylinder
11am – 12pm

Understanding NOAA’s New CNS Oxygen Guidelines
12pm – 1pm

NOT As Seen on TV: CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration Myths
1pm – 2pm

Beyond Risk: Dive Accident Management and Prevention for Your Dive Business
2pm-3pm

First Annual Examiners Meeting
3pm-4pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13

SESSION TITLE
TIME

PFO and Diving: Understanding and Managing the Risks
9am – 10am

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: From Manufacture to Retirement
10am – 11am

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: How To Destroy Your Cylinder
11am – 12pm

Dive Into Hydration: The Science Behind Keeping Quenched
12pm – 1pm

2026 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update
1pm – 2pm

Everything You Need To Know About DAN
2pm – 3pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14

SESSION TITLE
TIME

That Was Close: Learning From Diving Mishaps
9am –10am

Marine Life Toxinology Session 1
10am – 11am

Dive Into Hydration: The Science Behind Keeping Quenched
11am – 12pm

Marine Life Toxinology Session 2
12pm – 1pm

NOT As Seen on TV: CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration Myths
1pm – 2pm

Seminar Descriptions

Marine Life Toxinology Session 1

By Matias Nochetto, MD

Observing marine life is one of the main reasons many people dive; it is also the reason some people are afraid to dive. Tropical reefs are one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems, offering a glimpse of nature’s beauty as well as its chemical and toxinological fury. This lecture will consider relevant toxinological aspects of marine life and strategies for marine injury management.

That Was Close: Learning From Diving Mishaps

By Frauke Tillmans, PhD

We explore real-world incidents where divers narrowly avoided disaster. Through case studies and expert insights, the session highlights how missteps — whether technical, procedural, or human — can escalate underwater. Attendees will gain practical strategies for risk mitigation, decision-making under pressure, and fostering a safety-first mindset to prevent future mishaps.

Understanding NOAA’s New CNS Oxygen Guidelines

By Dawn Kernagis, PhD, and Frauke Tillmans, PhD

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the central nervous system (CNS) oxygen toxicity exposure limits table in 1991. In this talk we will explain why the recent CNS oxygen limits revision was needed, review the new evidence that was the basis for the change, detail the specifics of the revision, and discuss what it all means for technical divers.

Cardiovascular Fitness to Dive: What Every Dive Professional Needs to Know

By Douglas Ebersole, MD

Recent data suggest that up to 50% of all diving deaths are associated with underlying cardiovascular disease. This presentation will discuss the scope of the problem, workloads associated with scuba diving, who is at greatest risk, how we can best prevent cardiovascular disease in divers, and which divers with known cardiovascular disease can safely return to scuba diving.

2026 DAN Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and Examiner Update

By JoAnn Perry, MSE

Divers Alert Network Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Examiners are invited to attend the 2026 Update. This session will cover improvements and changes from the past year and provide an outlook on changes coming in the year ahead.

Everything You Need To Know About DAN

By Shelli Wright, Angela Williams, and Nathalie Judkins

Join us for an overview of DAN’s membership and insurance programs, and learn about all the great benefits available to you, your business, and your customers. We’ll cover DAN membership, dive accident coverage, trip and travel insurance, and liability coverage. Learn how you can use these programs to better serve your customers, mitigate risk, and grow your business.

Marine Life Toxinology Session 2

By Matias Nochetto, MD

Observing marine life is one of the main reasons many people dive; it is also the reason some people are afraid to dive. Tropical reefs are one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems, offering a glimpse of nature’s beauty as well as its chemical and toxinological fury. This lecture will consider relevant toxinological aspects of marine life and strategies for marine injury management.

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: From Manufacture to Retirement

Expert Panel led by DAN

This two-part series, led by DAN, will focus on the safety and durability of aluminum scuba cylinders. This session brings together three leading experts in our industry — Armando Ramirez from Catalina Cylinders, Jimmy W. Horton from Thunderbird Cylinders, and Mark Gresham, President of PSI-PCI.In Part One, the panel will address frequently asked questions and persistent misconceptions about aluminum scuba cylinders. The focus is on cylinder design and how long they can safely remain in service.

Aluminum Cylinder Summit: How To Destroy Your Cylinder

By Expert Panel led by DAN

This two-part series, led by DAN, will focus on the safety and durability of aluminum scuba cylinders. This session brings together three leading experts in our industry — Armando Ramirez from Catalina Cylinders, Jimmy W. Horton from Thunderbird Cylinders, and Mark Gresham, President of PSI-PCI.Part Two dives deeper into common forms of misuse and damage that can lead to serious and even catastrophic failures.

NOT As Seen on TV: CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration Myths

By JoAnn Perry MSE

We see lots of emergency responses depicted in movies and on TV, and they are often dramatized for the screen. This session will cover common misconceptions and fallacies and clarify what you can really expect to see during emergency responses.

Beyond Risk: Dive Accident Management and Prevention for Your Dive Business

By Laura Johnson, Nathalie Judkins, and Patti Suggs, MS

Strengthen your dive business by developing effective accident management and prevention protocols — or enhancing your existing protocols. This seminar will provide strategies to protect divers, staff, and the business while promoting a culture of safety above and below the surface.

First Annual Examiners Meeting

By JoAnn Perry, MSE

DAN Examiners are invited to attend this inaugural meeting. We look forward to introducing you to our training team and discussing upcoming changes and ideas for DAN training. Because of your experience, we will lean on you for your ideas and knowledge.

PFO and Diving: Understanding and Managing the Risks

By Douglas Ebersole, MD

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a normal variant found in around 25% of the population that results in a flap between the two upper chambers of the heart. This flap can allow the passage of bubbles from the venous system into the arterial system, which may result in decompression sickness (DCS). This presentation will cover the anatomy and pathophysiology of PFO as it relates to divers and DCS, management strategies to decrease the risk of DCS in the presence of a PFO, and PFO closure — a controversial procedure used in a small subset of divers who experience certain forms of DCS.

Dive Into Hydration: The Science Behind Keeping Quenched

By Frauke Tillmans, PhD

This talk explores the critical role of hydration in diving safety and physiological resilience. Dehydration increases the risk of DCS, impairs thermoregulation, and affects cognitive and physical performance underwater. We’ll examine fluid balance challenges unique to divers, including immersion diuresis and dry gas breathing, and discuss evidence-based hydration strategies before, during, and after dives.

Presenter Bios

DAN Speakers

Matias Nochetto, MD

Matias is the Vice President, Medical Services, at DAN, where he has worked since 2006. He is co-director of the DAN-UHMS continuing medical education program and a faculty member of several national and international diving medicine courses and programs. He became a dive instructor in 1999 during medical school, which led him to complete a three-year clinical and research fellowship in hyperbaric and diving medicine to combine the two passions.

JoAnn Perry, MSE

JoAnn is the Director of Safety Services and training at DAN. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and brings knowledge of safety in the construction and manufacturing industries to scuba diving. JoAnn has been teaching diving since 2008 and is a diving Instructor Trainer and a DAN Examiner.

Frauke Tillmans, PhD

Frauke is the Vice President of Research at DAN. She holds a PhD in human biology and is DAN’s point of contact for national and global collaborations in diving-related research. Before joining DAN in 2019, she participated in projects covering a variety of medical and health aspects in recreational and military diving and she now oversees DAN’s in-house research initiatives in diving physiology, injury monitoring, and population health, as well as the DAN Research Grant Program.

Rochelle “Shelli” Wright

Shelli is the Director of Commercial Insurance at DAN. She has been a licensed insurance agent for over 25 years, actively working with all lines of insurance products. Shelli is a dive instructor and an avid technical and full cave diver. She combines her knowledge of insurance and her passion for diving to promote risk mitigation and safety education for the diving community.

Angela Williams

Angela is the Director of Membership and Personal Insurance at DAN. She manages the DAN Member Services team and has 18 years of experience at the organization. She is a licensed insurance agent who is highly motivated to ensure DAN members are educated about the personal insurance programs and products DAN offers.

Francois Burman, PE, MSc

Francois is the Vice President, Safety Services, at DAN. He is responsible for all DAN’s safety and accident-prevention initiatives as well as the recompression chamber network. He has traveled around the world to conduct safety assessments at facilities used to treat injured divers and has written two books: The Risk Assessment Guide for Dive Operators and Professionals and The Risk Assessment Guide for Recompression Facilities.

Patti Suggs

Patti is the Director of Insurance Operations and oversees the strategy and execution of the organization’s insurance operations. Patti works across departments and with global partners to strengthen DAN’s insurance programs, ensuring they remain responsive to the evolving needs of divers, dive professionals, and operators worldwide. She is a dive instructor and business owner with over 10 years of experience at DAN. Patti’s background in business development spans across aviation, real estate, IT, and education, bringing a broad perspective to her role supporting divers and the diving industry.

Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson is the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at DAN World. Laura began working at DAN in 1999, the same year she became a certified diver in her home state of North Carolina. Her passion for diving in Cozumel, Mexico, and her love for Latin American cultures led her to relocate to Cozumel in 2009, where she has lived ever since. Laura is a PADI dive pro and a DAN Instructor Trainer.

Nathalie E. Judkins

Nathalie is the Director of Member Engagement at DAN. She is a diver and a licensed insurance agent. Nathalie has over 20 years of experience at DAN, helping divers and travelers navigate the organization’s various insurance products and programs. She works with DAN members, dive professionals, and dive operators globally and is fluent in Spanish and French as well as English.

Guest Speaker

Dr. Dawn Kernagis

Dr. Dawn Kernagis is Director of Scientific Research for DEEP, a global marine engineering organization that is evolving how humans live and work subsea. A diver since 1993, Dawn has been involved with undersea exploration projects around the world, is a diving biomedical research scientist, and has been inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Armando Ramirez

Armando Ramirez is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Catalina Cylinders. He is responsible for sales worldwide and is based out of the Catalina Cylinders head office in Garden Grove, CA. Armando manages sales in the industrial and specialty gases, medical oxygen, beverage (CO2) industry, fire safety and suppression, auto racing and SCUBA industries. Prior to joining Catalina, Armando spent many years in the alternative fuels for transportation field where high-pressure Type 2, 3 and 4 cylinders were commonly used. Since joining Catalina, Armando has dedicated his time and effort to aluminum Type 1 cylinder sales, support, quality and safety.

Jimmy W. Horton

I am a 1993 graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. I started at Piper Impact in 1994 as a manufacturing engineer with primary focus on cold metal forming and product-process development, launching new products for the automotive, defense, and compressed gas industries.. I continued with the company through the various changes in ownership, including Essex Industries and Worthington Cylinders, and since 2015, Thunderbird, LLC. I currently serve as the engineering manager for the Thunderbird Metals South and Thunderbird Metals East facilities.

Douglas Ebersole

Douglas Ebersole has been a certified scuba diver since 1974 and is an interventional cardiologist with the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida specializing in structural heart interventions. He is an open circuit recreational and technical diving instructor, a trimix closed circuit rebreather instructor on multiple units, and is a cave diving instructor. Given these areas of expertise, he has been a cardiology consultant to Divers Alert Network for over 15 years and has been faculty on many international diving medicine programs. His lecture topics this year will be “Cardiovascular Fitness to Dive – What Every Dive Professional Needs to Know” and “PFO and Diving: Understanding the Managing the Risks”.

Mark A. Gresham

Mark A. Gresham is the owner, President & CEO of Professional Scuba Inspectors, Inc.- Professional Cylinder Inspectors, Inc.

Mark began SCUBA diving in 1977 as a young boy in Florida, thus began a lifelong passion for scuba diving. While in the US Marine Corps he became a certified diver. He was certified as a Scuba Instructor in 1991, PSI Cylinder Inspector in 1996, PSI Inspector Instructor in 1999 and a PSI Instructor Trainer 2001. Mark has attended many training courses and seminars with US DOT, OSHA, NASA and several colleges learning subjects related to cylinders. Mark apprenticed under several notable cylinder manufacturing engineers and metallurgists learning all aspects of manufacturing and testing.

With Bill High, founder of PSI, Inc. as his mentor, Mark became a member of the PSI Executive Team in 1999 and contributed directly to the development of scuba cylinder safety guidelines, training materials and published cylinder safety bulletins. He co-authored the 5th edition, INSPECTING CYLINDERS book.

As a PSI-PCI Instructor, Mark has conducted countless inspection courses and safety seminars for SCUBA centers, SCUBA clubs, public forums, hydro re-qualifiers, fire departments, all military services, cylinder manufacturers, NASA, NOAA and in support of industry trade shows.

Mark provides technical information and consulting to cylinder manufacturers, the US Department of Transportation, Compressed Gas Association, fire associations, NOAA, NASA and all branches of the US Military and foreign militaries. He works closely with government and industry investigators of high-pressure cylinder related accidents. Mark worked with industry experts and specialists to develop the widely recognized training programs for oxygen cleaning of cylinders (the protocol used now by NASA).

In 2006, Mark added Professional Cylinder inspectors (PCI) as an all-encompassing entity for cylinder inspection training outside the scuba industry, now providing training for beverage industry, aviation, medical and other areas where high pressure cylinders are utilized. He is instrumental in raising awareness among gas industry constituents for the merits of cylinder safety and visual inspection. He provides the most comprehensive, up to date and specialized Federally required Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) training in most segments of the gas industry.

The most direct measure of Mark’s influence and success toward the reduction in pressurized gas cylinder failures was zero accidents in 2015. There is no doubt that lives have been saved and certainly injuries prevented by Mark Gresham’s dedication to high pressure cylinder safety training broadly offered in the world today.

DAN Members-Only Social Returns

Join DAN and your fellow dive industry professionals at the DAN Social at DEMA to enjoy an evening of conversation, drinks, and fun. As your dive safety organization, we raise a glass to all who work tirelessly to promote dive safety. We hope you can join us.

DATE & TIME

Tuesday, November 116–9pm

LOCATION

Grand Ballrooms C, D, and E

Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Dr Orlando, FL

Show Notes

Schedule A Meeting

Learn about DAN’s programs by setting up a one-on-one appointment. Submit our online meeting registration form or contact DAN Member Services at DANPros@dan.org to reserve your time today.

Instructor Updates

DAN Instructors will have several opportunities to get up to date with the latest standards or elevate your teaching credentials; to learn more, email us at Oxygen@DAN.org.

DAN Member Social at DEMA 2025
2025-11-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Dr, Orlando, FL, 32819, United States
Connect with fellow divers, enjoy free food & drinks, and celebrate the dive community.

🎉 Exclusive DAN Members-Only Event! 🎉

Join us for this exclusive DAN members-only social! This special gathering is a chance to connect and enjoy food and drinks on us.

The DAN Member Social will take place in Grand Ballrooms C, D, and E at the Rosen Centre Hotel, just a short walk from the Orange County Convention Center exhibition floor. Let’s raise a glass to everyone who works tirelessly to promote dive safety!

Get Your Tickets

EVENT SCHEDULE

6 p.m. | Doors Open & Check-In: Present your e-ticket or membership card at the door, receive a wristband for entry along with two complimentary drink tickets.
6 – 6:30 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres & Drinks: Grab a drink at the full-service bar and enjoy delicious, passed hors d’oeuvres. Bars temporarily close 15 minutes before the start of the presentation.
6:45 p.m. | Bars Closed & Presentations Begin: Hear from DAN leadership, learn about our vision for the future, and celebrate improvements in dive safety.
7:15 p.m. | Buffet Opens & Bar Reopens: Help yourself to a delicious buffet and visit the bar for another beverage.
9 p.m. | Event Concludes: Thank you for being a DAN member and for joining our celebration! Pick up a complimentary gift as you depart.
