The stuff about ScubaPro and DEMA was big fizz at the show and lotsa folks were talking about it, QUOTE]
DEMA is pretty well operated by PADI. Whatever Lola (the 900 pound Gorilla) wants, Lola gets. PADI (Cronin) had threatened DEMA previously that they would run their own commercial/wholesale travel-equipment show if DEMA didn't change the dates away from one of PADI's busiest training times of year. Hence, DEMA is no longer in January. Don't kid yourself.
OWU had approximately 12,000 visitors this year, obviously the bulk was on Saturday. The predicted rains mighta had something to do with that. Sunday far outran Pat's prediction of 2k. He did one hell of a job, once again.
The decision to move to January and a five day venue, altho the table prices are relatively similar will have an interesting effect. If I were a cert agency, local dive shop, or had somethintg to sell to the unwashed masses attending an "Outdoor Adventure" show with RV's and fishing tackle, I would want to be on the edge of the display area or in some mainline walkway.
If I were there selling a resort in the South Pacific, I would shudder at the number of non-dive related people I would be looking at... who to talk to? At least at OWU, you know who was there.
I won the auction for $20 of a sewn embroidered 3x5 US Flag, found a shop that sold me 250' of 1.5mm Perlon line for $9.95 and got me one of them fancy HydroOptix -4.5 wide view masks for one of my "kids". They sell them at Il Inst of Diving in Wheaton but I bought a demo unit from the mfgr on Sunday at 4:01 p.m.
The coolest thing was the photographer (from chgo) who shoots the artsy fartsy pix of the nekkid ladies underwater with the manatees, porpi, statuary, sting rays, eels, etc. The paperback was $40 and hardcover was $20 more. I dragged Ralph Erickson over, as he is the owner of the largest collection of u/w realted books known to man, and he had himself a copy. This was his first book on "mermaids".
I am waiting for the photog to sell his dvd that showed the productin process. He claims that no mermaids were drowned in the course of shooting- no air supply and all, etc. Musta been some close calls. See his stuff at
www.essickphoto.com
Once again, OWU beats DEMA, pound for pound. On to SeaSpace in Houston! (I wish!)