PADI Chamber Endowment Fund to distribute more than $30,000 US

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 4 April 2006 - Many divers assume there will be a hyperbaric chamber near their diving destination, but this is not always the case. To support these critical facilities, PADI established The Chamber Endowment Fund in 2004.

PADI’s Chamber Endowment Fund is supported by a $2 donation from every enrollment in the PADI-endorsed Diver Protection Program - a comprehensive dive accident insurance program administered by Vicencia and Buckley. The Diver Protection Program is available to all divers globally and accepted by all institutions worldwide.

This year, more than $30,000 is available to qualified applicants. The PADI Chamber Endowment Fund provides funding for projects including, but not limited to:

• Staff training and certification
• General chamber maintenance costs
• Equipment costs
• New chamber construction

Previous Fund beneficiaries include: the Utila Hyperbaric Chamber & Trauma Center, Utila Honduras; Orkney Hyperbaric Trust, Orkney; Scotland; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Pacific Grove Hyperbaric Chamber Facility; Pacific Grove CA, and the National Hyperbaric Center; Dublin, Ireland. Donations ranged from $1,000 to $2,500 per recipient.

There is no limit to the amount of funding a facility may request. The Chamber Endowment Fund was established to benefit recreational dive communities worldwide, and no reasonable proposal will be overlooked within the funding available and the number of requests received.

For more information on the PADI Chamber Endowment Fund, for application procedures, or to apply for funding, please email chamberfund@padi.com, or phone 800 729 7234 (US and Canada) ext.2368, or +1 949 858 7234 ext.2368. All applications are due no later than 17 May 2006.

PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, is the world's largest recreational diving organization, with more than 5300 dive centers and resorts and 130,000 dive professionals worldwide. For 40 years, PADI has set the standard for quality, fun and excellence in diver education. More divers participate in PADI programs than any other; making a PADI certification the most recognized and respected in the world.