In what marks a massive milestone for PADI® Women’s Dive Day, the world’s largest purpose-driven scuba diving organization is calling on the 6,600 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts along with the 128,000 PADI Professionals to join them in hosting Ocean TorchbearersTM for the 10th annual PADI Women’s Dive Day. The global event will bring everyone together to explore and protect the blue planet on 20 July 2024.
“Ten years ago, PADI Women’s Dive Day began as a simple idea – encourage more women to go scuba diving,” says Katie Thompson, Senior Director of Environment + Sustainability for PADI Worldwide and the founder of the PADI Women in Diving Initiative and its annual flagship event. “For over a decade now, passionate PADI dive operators across the globe have collectively planned memorable educational and inspiring events that change lives and positively impact dive communities. Women’s Dive Day has been a catalyst 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.”
Since its inception in 2015, there have been thousands of Women’s Dive Day events that have taken place across 183 countries. These events encourage scuba divers, freedivers, and mermaids to come together to plant new coral nurseries, perform beach and underwater clean-ups, set a world record for the longest underwater female human chain, fundraise for breast cancer research and local women’s shelters, and take their first breaths underwater as the newest PADI Scuba Divers.
“This event has grown into the most celebrated day of diving on the planet, transforming lives and empowering more people to seek adventure and save the ocean together,” continues Thompson. “As a result, we are now seeing PADI certification growth for females outpace that of males.”
Before PADI Women’s Dive Day began, female certifications made up 35% of total yearly PADI certifications. Now, a decade later, they have grown to make up nearly 40% of total certifications yearly.
PADI is encouraging members to plan their own events and register them as soon as possible, inviting their communities, both divers and non-divers alike, to participate in a PADI Women’s Dive Day event on 20 July 2024. These events will be promoted on the PADI Women’s Dive Day Activities Locator – allowing people to join in on the celebration.
“It’s inspiring to see PADI Members continue to champion this annual celebration year after year, hosting events that unite local communities and encourage diversity while taking meaningful action to protect the underwater world,” continues Thompson. “Females of all ages will take their first breath underwater this July, perhaps fulfilling a dream or overcoming a personal or physical challenge. This was our goal from the beginning. Women’s Dive Day continues to invite more people in and create confident and capable divers who can now share their love of diving and be stewards for the ocean.”