Rudi Herbert
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DEMA 2013,
I covered the event for UnderwaterCinema.com on Saturday, and got to meet a few people and look around a bit. I will do a bigger write up for the site but, in general, what a lackluster affair really. The diving industry continues to spiral downwards I think, gear looks the same across all brands, designs are the same from 20 years ago, with some newer lighter, more colorful materials but all the same stuff otherwise. Diving resorts are still throwing big money at enticing divers to visit but the truth is, less and less divers are getting certified every year, despite PADI's efforts to allow anyone to dive with little or no instruction, and traveling in general has become such a hassle that veteran divers travel less and less. Not to mention the fact that a week of diving anywhere is still a very expensive proposition in an ever worsening economy. I don't think the dive certification, gear sale and dive travel business will ever go back to its heyday, despite whatever claims of growth some operators may make. In the end, less and less people are interested in a hobby that actually requires them to get off their chairs and where, horror, they cannot use their i-pads or pause to send and receive text messages. The newer generation does not relish adventure and exploration, certainly not if it requires actual physical effort, and they would rather spend all that money on stuff that makes their lives easier (i.e; can be accessed via touch screen), not harder. Diving is a thrill of the past, as are many other things we hold dear. Things, and people, are different now. Fact.
Imaging wise, I got to meet some people I've corresponded with for a long time, and it was great. I've been talking to John Ellerbrock for years now, and I finally put a face to the name, as well as his trusty sidekick Pamela Mertz, and other people at Gates. I had read the book, watched the movie and bought the t-shirt, but I finally got to meet the legend himself, Johnny Friday, one amazing guy. Michael Maes I got to see for 2 minutes after emailing weekly with him for almost a year, and it was enough to corroborate my feelings about him being a good, down to earth, no BS kind of dude. Frazier Nivens, always pushing the boundaries without making much fuss about it, the only person on the floor showing 4K content out of his Redray onto the Seiki display, as well as HD on vertical displays. The good old Mike Hastings and his trademark yellow submarines...Didn't see Tom or Jim Killion, soon I'm sure.
Housings for the newer cameras were there, and for the most part, they look good. Some design and fabrication philosophies have remained unchanged even after the advent of newer CNC technologies and 3D printing, and that is a shame, but as they say, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Some other things are new and refreshing and undoubtedly are steps towards a better direction. In general, I got a feeling that the underwater imaging community as a whole, from the stalwarts to the newcomers, is a resilient group that is determined to continue threading water to survive, so that we may continue bringing back images from our favorite world. Never have we experienced more unfavorable odds that now, with the oceans dying at an alarming rate, producers spending less and less money on our stuff and audiences tastes shifting away towards more mundane fare, yet we persevere. And that is good. For those who feel at times that we're alone in fighting to make a viable a living, even a respectable one, out of showcasing the marvels of the blue realm: we're not alone, there are plenty more out there fighting the same battle. And that is good.
I covered the event for UnderwaterCinema.com on Saturday, and got to meet a few people and look around a bit. I will do a bigger write up for the site but, in general, what a lackluster affair really. The diving industry continues to spiral downwards I think, gear looks the same across all brands, designs are the same from 20 years ago, with some newer lighter, more colorful materials but all the same stuff otherwise. Diving resorts are still throwing big money at enticing divers to visit but the truth is, less and less divers are getting certified every year, despite PADI's efforts to allow anyone to dive with little or no instruction, and traveling in general has become such a hassle that veteran divers travel less and less. Not to mention the fact that a week of diving anywhere is still a very expensive proposition in an ever worsening economy. I don't think the dive certification, gear sale and dive travel business will ever go back to its heyday, despite whatever claims of growth some operators may make. In the end, less and less people are interested in a hobby that actually requires them to get off their chairs and where, horror, they cannot use their i-pads or pause to send and receive text messages. The newer generation does not relish adventure and exploration, certainly not if it requires actual physical effort, and they would rather spend all that money on stuff that makes their lives easier (i.e; can be accessed via touch screen), not harder. Diving is a thrill of the past, as are many other things we hold dear. Things, and people, are different now. Fact.
Imaging wise, I got to meet some people I've corresponded with for a long time, and it was great. I've been talking to John Ellerbrock for years now, and I finally put a face to the name, as well as his trusty sidekick Pamela Mertz, and other people at Gates. I had read the book, watched the movie and bought the t-shirt, but I finally got to meet the legend himself, Johnny Friday, one amazing guy. Michael Maes I got to see for 2 minutes after emailing weekly with him for almost a year, and it was enough to corroborate my feelings about him being a good, down to earth, no BS kind of dude. Frazier Nivens, always pushing the boundaries without making much fuss about it, the only person on the floor showing 4K content out of his Redray onto the Seiki display, as well as HD on vertical displays. The good old Mike Hastings and his trademark yellow submarines...Didn't see Tom or Jim Killion, soon I'm sure.
Housings for the newer cameras were there, and for the most part, they look good. Some design and fabrication philosophies have remained unchanged even after the advent of newer CNC technologies and 3D printing, and that is a shame, but as they say, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Some other things are new and refreshing and undoubtedly are steps towards a better direction. In general, I got a feeling that the underwater imaging community as a whole, from the stalwarts to the newcomers, is a resilient group that is determined to continue threading water to survive, so that we may continue bringing back images from our favorite world. Never have we experienced more unfavorable odds that now, with the oceans dying at an alarming rate, producers spending less and less money on our stuff and audiences tastes shifting away towards more mundane fare, yet we persevere. And that is good. For those who feel at times that we're alone in fighting to make a viable a living, even a respectable one, out of showcasing the marvels of the blue realm: we're not alone, there are plenty more out there fighting the same battle. And that is good.
