Scubafest 2026!
Join us for our first year hosting Diventures’ Annual Scubafest! It’s a full week of equipment showcases, expert advice, demos, prizes, and hands-on scuba experiences.
Event Schedule
Tuesday, May 12
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Claude Smith, Diventures
Kick off SCUBAFEST with Claude Smith, one of Diventures’ most experienced dive professionals and trip leaders. Stop by to ask questions about continuing your dive education, upcoming trips, dive safety, and ways to stay active in the dive community.
Wednesday, May 13
Exposure Protection, Regulators & Dive Accessories
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Joey Brown, Akona / Genesis / Sherwood / Henderson
Meet with Joey to learn more about exposure protection, bags, accessories, regulators, and other dive gear, with guidance directly from a brand representative.
Regulator Basics — What Divers Should Know
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
René Dupré, Diventures Head of Scuba Service and Repair
Join René Dupré for a hands-on SCUBA Tech Talk covering how regulators work, common myths about dive gear, gear care best practices, and answers to customer questions.
Thursday, May 14
Full Face Mask Diving: Features, Safety & Communication
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Claude Smith, Diventures
Join us for an introduction to full-face mask diving, including how full-face masks work, when divers use them, communication options, safety considerations, and what to know before trying one.
Gear Myths — What Matters and What Doesn’t
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
René Dupré, Diventures Head of Scuba Service and Repair
Join René Dupré for a hands-on SCUBA Tech Talk covering how regulators work, common myths about dive gear, gear care best practices, and answers to customer questions.
Friday, May 15
Meet SCUBAPRO: Gear Q&A with Michael Paquette from SCUBAPRO
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Michael Paquette, SCUBAPRO
Talk through SCUBAPRO equipment features to find what equipment fits your needs!
Full Face Mask Diving: Pool Demos with OTS
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Claude Smith, Diventures
Join us for a chance to see the equipment in action and better understand what full-face mask diving feels like in a controlled environment. Contact us to register!
Ask the Tech — Gear Care, Service & Troubleshooting
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
René Dupré, Diventures Head of Scuba Service and Repair
Join René Dupré for a hands-on SCUBA Tech Talk covering how regulators work, common myths about dive gear, gear care best practices, and answers to customer questions.
Saturday, May 16
Prizes!
Drawing at 2:00 PM
Win prizes from trips to new equipment!
Oak City Swim School’s 5th Annual Water Safety Day!
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Join us for open swim, safety stations, bike safety, food trucks, and outdoor fun!
Training Pathways with SSI
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tim Culp, SSI
Tim Culp from SSI will be on-site to answer questions about scuba training pathways, and share how SSI programs help new and experienced divers continue building skills.
Meet SCUBAPRO: Gear Q&A with Michael Paquette from SCUBAPRO
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Michael Paquette, SCUBAPRO
Talk through SCUBAPRO equipment features to find what equipment fits your needs!
Sunday, May 17
$25 Try Scubas!
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Each session will run about an hour long. Contact us to register today!
Prizes!
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Win prizes and new equipment!
Getting Open Water Certified!
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tim Culp, SSI
Tim Culp from SSI will be on-site to answer questions about scuba training pathways, and share how SSI programs help new and experienced divers continue building skills.
Featured Guests
A few of our Diventures teammates will be visiting!
Claude Smith
Independent Instructor Certifier, Diventures
Claude is an SSI Instructor Certifier, Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor, DAN Instructor Trainer, and PSI-PCI Instructor with decades of experience in dive training, travel, retail, and safety.
Claude will be with us all week! Tuesday, the 12th – Monday, the 18th.
René Dupré
Director of Scuba Service & Repair
René Dupré more than four decades of experience in technical training, service operations, and international dive industry leadership. He previously spent 33 years with SCUBAPRO and trained many technicians across the industry.
René will be here Wednesday, the 13th – Saturday, the 16th
Brand Experts
We’re lucky enough to have several experts from various manufacturers we work with stopping by to provide product demonstrations and share their expertise.
Joey Brown
Akona / Genesis / Sherwood / Henderson
Michael Paquette
SCUBAPRO
Tim Culp
SSI