Around 300 exhibiting companies are expected to welcome visitors to this Autumn’s big diving showcase in the UK, DIVE 2013 at the NEC on 26/27 October. Among them will be many leading dive gear manufacturers and distributors, retailers, training agencies, holiday destinations and dive centres.

In themed areas such as the Asia-Pacific Showcase, Caribbean Village, British Isles Experience, Photozone and New Products Showcase, visitors will have the perfect opportunity to take their diving to a whole new level.

And they will also be able to interact with a stellar line-up of speakers on the main DIVER Stage, the Centre Stage and, in a rolling programme of seminars, the two Ocean Theatres.

Qualified Divers are invited to hit the rebreather pool to test the latest in the ever-growing array of CE-marked CCRs, while the non-qualified of all ages can make a splash with scuba in the SCUBA Pursuits try-dive pool. There are likely to be breath-holding freedivers in the mix, too.

Monty Halls has spent much of this year in prime international locations for his new TV series Dive Mysteries. As this has involved some serious diving, he assembled a team of top divers to accompany him. Members of the team will join him on the main DIVER Stage for a joint presentation, so stand by for great footage and to hear not only from Monty but from three other popular speakers, Andy Torbet,  Rich Stevenson andKevin Gurr. You’ll also get the chance to put your questions to this heavyweight line-up.

What’s more, Monty hopes to have at the Show on a stand celebrating “the adventure of British diving” his new pride and joy – a Land Rover modified by the manufacturer to make it ideal for diving expeditions.

Among the many other speakers taking the stage at DIVE 2013 will be TDI/SDI Instructor Trainer Mark Powell, who plans to address some of the most widely believed myths about diving.

British cave-diver Chris Jewell recently led an expedition to Mexico’s Huautla system that established the cave as the deepest in the Western hemisphere. He’ll be astounding the DIVE 2013 audience with descriptions of this incredible seven-week adventure. Find out how Chris and his team assembled their diving gear on a perilous platform suspended over a deep swirling pool, towed camping supplies through a 600m underwater tunnel, and slept underground for up to 10 days at a time!

Photozone Host Saeed Rashid has big plans up his sleeve for speakers on all matters photo – and videographic appearing on the Centre Stage.

Top of the bill will be a dynamic duo reunited. Alex Mustard and Martin Edge are the godfathers of the UK underwater photography scene, and their theme will be what to shoot and what to ignore while diving to produce the best shots, whatever camera system you use.

Look out too for international photo-guru Michael AW, and videographer Fergus Kennedy whose subject is “Underwater Video: New Perspectives, New Challenges”. You can inspect, discuss and buy cameras and accessories in the PhotoZone, and British Society Of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) experts will be offering one-to-one advice. You’ll also be able to pick the underwater images that really float your boat by browsing the BSoUP/DIVER Magazine Prints Competition Gallery and voting for your favourites.

One Lucky DIVE 2013 ticket-holder will be able to take a companion on a 10-night all inclusive luxury liveaboard dive safari experience in the Philippines, if his or her name is pulled out in the Grand Prize Draw.

Round-trip air tickets from the UK are provided courtesy of Malaysia Airlines, and domestic flights, inland transfers and overnight stays in Manila and Cebu courtesy of TRIPS Travel.

The prize offered by Worldwide Dive and Sail is a trip on Philippine Siren, with a choice of two seasonal itineraries (to be taken between November 2013 and October 2014).

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Buying a ticket for DIVE 2013 doesn’t only get you into the greatest scuba show on earth, this year there’s a big bonus. For you’ll be entitled to Free Entry to an exciting new ski show – InTheSnow Live – simply by walking across the NEC Concourse to the nearby exhibition hall.

A totally new kind of ski show, InTheSnow Live aims to bring the fun, atmosphere and excitement of an alpine resort live to the NEC.
Based around a unique two-storey apres ski bar topped by a giant LED cube, it will include a live screening of the opening World Cup Giant Slalom race from Solden, Austria, with commentary from BBC Ski Sunday’s presenters.

And the screens will also pick up live action from around the show hall including an Alpine Kitchen, Chamonix Talk Theatre, Fashion Theatre and areas focussing on ski-fitness and optimum boot-fitting for comfort and performance.

Buy tickets giving access to TWO shows for the price of one here