PADI Members Snapping Up New Business with Sea&Sea, SeaLife and Digital Photography

7 June 2006 – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA. Digital photography has grown into one of the biggest consumer electronic booms recorded, opening new business opportunities for PADI Dive Centers and Resorts through an innovative, all inclusive business package. This package partners the PADI organization with two major forces in digital underwater imaging, Sea&Sea and SeaLife, making available photo equipment sales, rental and service at a tremendous cost advantage for PADI operations supporting the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course.

“This partnership and the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course reduces many of the traditional barriers of underwater photography, including high start up costs, dedicated photo staff and complicated equipment,” says Kristin Valette, Director of Marketing and Communications at PADI Americas, “Now, all PADI International Resort and Retailer Association Members (IRRA) can capitalize on the digital photo boom.”

In addition to this partnership with Sea&Sea and SeaLife, PADI Americas is offering the Business of Digital Underwater Photography half-day program upon request to help IRRA Members integrate the business and educational aspects of digital underwater photography into their dive operation. PADI IRRA Members will also be provided with marketing tools that promote the Digital Underwater Photographer course. PADI Members can, for a limited time, download the course instructor guide as membership benefit at padi.com under the Training and Education section in the Pros’ area.

“Projections suggest that the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course will become a top – if not the top – diver specialty,” explains Valette, “PADI recognizes the opportunity, that’s why we’re excited work with Sea&Sea and SeaLife. This is another example of how the industry’s working together so we can grow together.”

The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course is a two-part introduction to digital underwater photography focused on today’s point-and-shoot digital cameras. Targeting a broad consumer audience ranging from certified divers to snorkelers and Discover Scuba Diving participants, even PADI Open Water Diver students can take part in the course during training. Level One of the course guides students in achieving good results easily, even if they’ve never used a digital camera by capturing the moment using the PADI SEA method – Shoot, Examine, Adjust. Level Two teaches them how to make their photographs even better by increasing their knowledge about file formats, resolution settings, lighting, color, composition, and optimizing photos with their computer. Each level requires one open water digital photo dive.

PADI’s Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course is supported by the comprehensive, user friendly PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Manual, and underwater white balance slate, assisting digital underwater photographers with their focus control, manual white balance at depth and exposure control.

For more information about the PADI partnership with Sea&Sea and SeaLife, and to schedule a Business of Digital Underwater Photography program, contact your PADI Regional Manager or PADI’s International Resort and Retailer Associations at 800 729 7234 or +1 949 858 7234, ext.2519.