CAN 16,000-PLUS PEOPLE BE WRONG? That's the number of divers and would-be divers, family and friends who showed up at the NEC for last year's Dive Show, many of them serial show visitors. And we're not counting all the exhibitors running more than 270 stands, or the celebrity guest speakers who add such an important dimension to the show.
     We've said it before and we'll say it again - the Dive Show is about people.
     The speakers are chosen because they represent varied and often extreme aspects of diving and enjoy sharing their experiences with other divers at every level.
     The stands at the show might contain all manner of diving merchandise, literature and evocative images, but what would they be without the people manning them? Whether you're looking for a diving holiday, a new piece of kit or a training course, where else can you collar all the tour operators, dive guides, technical experts or instructors you need to help you make an informed decision?
     Most important, of course, are the visitors. Surveys tell us that you're not there simply to interact with exhibitors or watch the presentations - you're there to meet old friends with whom you've enjoyed diving all over the world.

Speakers at Dive 2002 are without exception divers who have extended the range of the sport. Christina Campbell is appearing for the first time. Her presentation with fellow-member of the internationally renowned Starfish Enterprise diving team Leigh Bishop promises to fascinate anyone with the slightest interest in deep-wreck diving.
     Spectacular slide and video images are promised as part of this retrospective of the team's 10-year history, because Leigh, now a Dive Show regular, is unquestionably the UK's foremost deep-wreck photographer. Christina and Leigh will cover ground-breaking expeditions to some of the world's most famous ships, in the English Channel and beyond, and show the first images of recently discovered Jutland wrecks and the deep treasure ship Egypt.
     Tanya Streeter, dubbed the 'strongest woman free-diver in the world', was due to plumb her personal depths in the Turks & Caicos Islands on 17 August, after this edition of Diver went to press. Already holder of a number of world free-diving records, she was aiming for a new world-record depth of 140m in the deepest free-diving category, No Limits.
     Environmentalist Tanya is also an active campaigner on behalf of beleaguered whales, dolphins and coral reefs. 'The greatest gift that I have in achieving free-diving world records is a platform to promote good ocean ethics, and in doing so, to give back to the environment that has given me so much,' she says. You can see her presentation on the Sunday only.
     Tanya hails from the Cayman Islands but was educated in Britain and now lives in Texas. Her motto is 'Redefine Your Limits'. A diver currently trying to redefine the limits of British free-diving is movie stuntman Steve Truglia, who came out of nowhere to set a British No Limits record of 76m in May.
     Now, supported by former and current record-holders Pipin Ferreras from Cuba and Frenchman Loic Leferme (154m), he aims to become the first Brit to pass 100m on a No Limits dive. Like Tanya he will explain how you go about making your mark with a single deep breath.

From a diver making a strong start to his career to one who has been round the block thousands of times - Bob Marx is a legend in US diving circles. As a treasure-hunter and underwater archaeologist , this 65-year-old has dived some 3000 wrecks around the world, and that's only those from before 1800.
     He has survived five plane crashes, nine shipwrecks, two shark attacks and been exploded out of the water five times! His name is on more than 40 books and 800 scientific reports and articles, and he is widely respected for his understanding of underwater heritage.
     Recently he has been investigating Spanish and American wrecks off southern South America, but his presentation, Spain's Manila Galleons, focuses on his work tracking down the early ships which traded out of the Philippines to the Americas.
     An historic wreck, USS Monitor, is the special subject of technical diver and IANTD UK President Kevin Gurr.
     The Civil War ironclad marked a landmark in warship design and its performance at the Battle of Hampton Roads sounded the death knell for wooden warships.
     The Monitor was, among other things, the first vessel to have a revolving gun turret, and it now lies protected in what was the United States' first National Marine Sanctuary.
     Kevin will outline the final stages of a challenging conservation project organised by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) this summer to raise the 150 ton turret and its two l1in cannon.
     In the past he has led deep-wreck expeditions to the Britannic and Lusitania and been involved in Spanish galleon recovery projects.
     No Dive Show would be complete without appearances by another British deep-wreck diver, Jack Ingle. His hands-on explanations of technical diving kit and closed-circuit rebreather configurations are not to be missed. This year he will also present a session on wreck-diving in the South China Seas, including the controversial war graves the Repulse and the Prince of Wales.

On a final note, back by popular demand at the NEC this year is not only the Try-Dive Pool for diving beginners but the Rebreather Pool for divers on the edge of the closed (and semi-closed) circuit world. You've read about rebreathers in this issue - now you can take your first rebreath!

PRIZES GALORE! Everyone who buys a ticket to Dive 2002 is automatically entered in a Free Draw, and this year the main prize is a tempting £2600-plus diving holiday for two in Bermuda, arranged by Snooba Travel in association with Bermuda Tourism. The winners will fly out with BA and spend five nights enjoying the spectacular ocean views at the clifftop Surf Side Beach Club (right) and the under-ocean views with Fantasea Bermuda, which says it has 30 recommended sites within a short boat-ride of the centre. The pair will then be whisked off to the five-star Fairmont Hamilton Princess Resort to enjoy the second half of their holiday.      Meanwhile, any reader bulk-booking in advance, perhaps on behalf of fellow club-members, stands to win 10 places for a week on a northern Red Sea liveaboard holiday, provided by Diver Group in association with Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel. Aboard the good ship Cyclone you will enjoy the benefits of air-conditioned en-suite cabins and facilities including nitrox, twin inflatables and E6 film-processing. The whole trip is worth £8500, and all you have to do is order now 10 or more tickets ahead. By doing that you also get 28% off the entrance fee, because advance tickets cost only £7 each instead of £9.50 on the day. Here is a quick round-up of other prizes already on offer around the stands: a one-week diving holiday on the Caribbean island of Carriacou from Divetours; a Stage 3 ATX2000 regulator set from Apeks; a pair of Mini-Breathers from Mini B; diving and accommodation for five nights in Bali; a customised Tricore undersuit from C-Bear; and a torch and tools from Omersub.