Beyond Good Dive Practice, Photo Technique and Image Workflow: A Lifetime’s Worth of Cardinal Rules and Core Concepts for Making the Best U/W Photographs Possible

Tom Easop has spent a lifetime photographing the underwater world. From this experience, he has developed Core Concepts and Cardinal Rules to optimize underwater image making. Using these concepts and rules led to unique, optimized practices, techniques and workflows. In this workshop I will teach you my concepts and rules as well as the resulting “hands-on” skills you can immediately put into practice. Organized chronologically before, during, and after a dive trip the topics include:    What to prioritize in your equipment budget    Preparing your equipment for travel and use    Best practices before and after the dive    Speed light vs. continuous light, tripods, backscatter tactics    White point(s)    Focus tactics – not wasting depth of field    Automatic vs. manual exposure tactics    Recognizing your luck, learning from ‘mistakes’    Making ‘mistakes’, making your own ‘luck’    Combining techniques    Safe capture storage    File types, Pixel Geography, color space & ‘The Color Dimension’    Lightroom vs. Photoshop, and other applications for post-processing    Combining digital tools    HDR, image masking    HRLA USM, sharpening    Non destructive workflow    Cataloguing images & session folders    Plus planning, testing, and practicingThis is by far the most valuable workshop I have ever developed, imparting the most important information I’ve learned through photography and retouching schools, shooting and print making workshops, research, underwater camera building, and most of all – 45 years of experience of underwater photography. It will be time well spent for any underwater photographer or videographer regardless of skill level.

Saturday 9AM-12PM - $80

The Career Opportunities in Marine Sectors (COMS) Symposium offers a series of dynamic presentations about the world’s oceans as well as discussion of Career Opportunities in Marine Sectors including Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and the Arts.

Join us for the Virtual 2024 COMS Symposium – March 15, 2024 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Registration Link 

Registration Fee:- $35

Steve Bigelow ran the MetroWest Saturday Shore Dive Program for the past 10 years, and will offer some tips on  how he plans and decides where to dive and all that.

• Resources
• Safety - Overview
• Site Selection Options - where to dive
• Site Decision Criteria - which one to choose on a given day
• Tools 
• Day Of Evaluation - picking a site, but playing it by ear once you arrive there; making the "Cape Ann Loop" to find good conditions
• Gear - a brief overview of what's needed / required and "good to have" for diving New England
• Site Etiquette - Respect the Locals! Obey Parking Regulations. Keep Gear Organized and Out Of The Way; Share The Beach
• Calling The Dive - monitoring conditions to ensure safety; know YOUR limits. There's no shame in driving all the way to a dive site, only to bail out if it's a mess and go dive into breakfast somewhere...
• Other
  • Sharing Your Dive - take and post pictures
  • Blogging - doing write-ups for dive club newsletters or social media

Have you ever looked at the photos and videos posted online of local dive sites and wondered how that's done?  Spend some time with Bert Perry, owner of Aerial 51 Studios, as he shows you how drones work, the various options available, how to fly them, and how to optimize the on-board camera to get the most out of your images.  We'll dive into a little post-flight processing too, so you can have great-looking pictures and videos to share.  Weather-permitting, we may be able to do some outdoor demonstrations as well.

Registration Fee: $35

Dive Computers - nearly all divers carry one, but does everyone really understand how they work and how to properly use them?  In this workshop, Dive Pro Monty Fitzpatrick will walk you through a brief history of the dive computer, and give an overview about how they "know" how much dive time you have left, and what your nitrogen loading is throughout your dive.  We won't dive too deep into the algorithms behind most dive computers, as that's more technical than this workshop intends to go.  But we will cover some of the basics:

• Why to use a computer vs. old-school dive tables
• How to decide which computer is best for the diving you plan to do
• Key features to look for in your computer
• Console-integrated units vs. wrist-mount options
• Air integration - its benefits and limitations
• Popular models that are available at most dive shops
• Understanding the important features and data shown on your computer
• Maintenance and care for your computer

Whether you're a brand new diver or have been salty for years, there's something to be learned about these little devices we've become so accustomed to wearing to dive.  Whether it's understanding how to simply use your computer, or interesting functions you didn't realize your unit included, you'll benefit from attending this workshop.  We will have an extensive Q&A session; feel free to bring your computer.  We may not be able to answer every question about every computer, but we'll do our best to make sure you're more confident and comfortable with yours before you leave.

71% of the Earth is covered by water and some of the richest and most diverse flora and fauna live under the waves.  Incorporating underwater imaging into your set of skills lets you take those experiences home with you and share them with others.  This workshop will cover the requirements, tools and skills necessary for underwater photography and will then dive into a hands-on, working session on how to bring out the incredible richness we experience when we dive from your images.   Attendees will be guided by the instructor through the editing process using a common image and will then have the opportunity to work on their own images. This session will use a 7-day trial version of the AI-powered Luminar Neo software (available for Mac and Windows).  Attendees will also be provided with the e-book: Blue to Brilliant: Diving into Underwater Imaging and be provided with the option to purchase the full version of the Luminar software at a discount.  The workshop is part of the PADI distinctive speciality: “Diving Into Underwater Imaging”.  Those interested in the certification can contact the instructor to arrange the required dives.

How often are you on a dive boat far from shore or in a remote area diving? Would you be able to perform specific life saving techniques until help arrives or you return to shore?This workshops will teach you to recognize, understand, and provide lifesaving treatments, even if you have no medical background.This workshop will include inserting airways, stopping severe bleeding, providing oxygen using various delivery devices, using chest seals, recognizing life threatening conditions experienced by recreational, public safety, commercial, wreck, and other diver specialties.

NAUI Workshop Series Boston Sea Rovers International Ocean Clinic

Saturday March 14th 5:00 – 6:00 – Diver Propulsion Vehicle Workshop / DPV Overview 

Workshop Description: Diver Propulsion Vehicle workshop provides an introduction and familiarization with DPV equipment, basic handling concepts, and core safety considerations in a shallow, controlled environment. The focus is on orientation, ergonomics, awareness, and procedural understanding rather than operational proficiency. This workshop is not a certification course, does not confer open-water DPV competency, and does not replace formal DPV training conducted in appropriate open-water conditions. 

Heison Chak is a Recreational, Technical, and CCR instructor with over a decade of experience in teaching and mentoring divers. His unwavering commitment to dive safety is exemplified by his extensive contributions to the Ontario Underwater Council (OUC) since 2015, where he served as Director of Sport Safety before being elected President.

As a NAUI Course Director and Technical Instructor Examiner, Heison works closely with NAUI HQ to shape the next generation of diving leaders. Through his involvement in Leadership Conferences and the NAUI Mobile Training Team, he focuses on cultivating the skills and leadership qualities of aspiring divers, fostering a culture of safety, excellence, and innovation within the diving community.

David Caldwell has had a lifelong career in the scuba industry, beginning by working at a dive store while in high school. In 1987 he became an open water scuba instructor where his passion led him to Grenada West Indies leading dives to the noted shipwreck, Bianca C. Returning from the Grenada he became the co-owner and president of the dive store where he first learned how to dive. Following his tenure being a dive store owner David co-founded Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc. NADE focuses on shipwreck diving, exploration, technical diving training and leadership development. Along with being the co-owner he is a co-captain of the dive charter boat Gauntlet and is the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada’s regional manager for NAUI Worldwide.

David continues to follow his passions of cave and mine diving throughout the U.S. and Europe, he has had the privilege to dive some of the worlds notable shipwrecks off the eastern seaboard of the U.S., Canada, South Pacific, Red Sea, South China Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, he has co-led shipwreck discoveries in his local waters, including the USS Nezinscot, Allentown, among many others, and has collaborated on research projects with NOAA in support of exploration in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Through his position with NAUI Worldwide, David is a Course Director Trainer and Technical Examiner, he is a fellow member of the Explorers Club, associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers. David is also employed as an Assistant Harbormaster for the City of Beverly Massachusetts and is a member of the board of directors for Salem Sound Coast Watch. Parallel to having a career in the dive industry, he’s had an industry career in global product management and application engineering.

Please email dcaldwell@naui.org for more information.

NAUI Workshop Series Boston Sea Rovers International Ocean Clinic

1:00 – 1:45 – “Blending of Breathing Gases” 

Presenter - Mark Criasia 

Abstract: Mixed gas blending for scuba divers creates breathing gases like Nitrox (more oxygen) for longer dives or Trimix/Heliox (oxygen, nitrogen, and helium) for deep technical dives, reducing narcosis and allowing deeper exploration. Blending involves safely mixing pure gases (Oxygen, Helium, Air) using methods like partial pressure, requiring specialized equipment, training, and analysis (e.g., with a dual-sensor analyzer) to ensure correct composition for depth, managing risks like oxygen toxicity. 

Presenter Bio: 

Mark earned his first scuba diving certification from NAUI in 1972. Despite primarily diving in Cape Cod and Lake Winnipesaukee, he remained an active diver until 1985. After a hiatus, he re-certified with NAUI and progressed through the ranks, becoming a NAUI Lifetime Instructor in 2012 and a NAUI Course Director in 2019. In 2014, he co-founded The Massachusetts Association of 

Independent Scuba Instructors. By 2023, he opened M.A.I.S.I. Scuba, a full-service dive shop in Milford, Massachusetts, sponsoring trips along the New England coastline and the Caribbean. 

A retired police officer, he has dedicated much of his time to promoting scuba diving. He is a certified NAUI/DAN Safety Instructor with qualifications in Mixed Gas Blending, Full Face Mask diving, Drysuit, Coastal Navigation, and Boating & Seamanship. Additionally, he is a Master Scuba Equipment Repair Technician, having graduated from Hall’s Institute, and holds an Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees. 

In 2023, he played a pivotal role in the successful NAUI Northeast Training Conference, the first of its kind incorporating a hybrid learning approach. 

This Visual Cylinder Inspection® certification course teaches the regulations and fundamentals of conducting visual inspections of solid wall and composite SCUBA and SCBA cylinders. The full day course is suited for those new to visual inspection as well as those who have been inspecting without formal training through its wide range of inspection subjects including damage limits, neck cracking, and laws affecting inspectors.  Additionally, this course meets the OSHA and DOT requirements for employee HAZMAT training and students completing the course are qualified to conduct HAZMAT training for other cylinder handlers. PSI-PCI remains the only training for Visual Cylinder Inspection that is formally endorsed, utilized and referred to by the cylinder manufacturers; and recognized by USDOT, Compressed Gas Association and NIOSH.  Join the team of professional PSI-PCI inspectors today and you too can be a part of the Cylinder Safety Solution!

Visual Cylinder Inspection® - Alumni. ($300) This discounted price point for the full Visual Cylinder Inspection® course is available to previously trained PSI-PCI Inspectors that have exceeded the Federally required three year recurrent training requirement and need to renew.

Register at https://www.psicylinders.com/regional-training

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dive with no bubbles?  To be as quiet as the fish and sea life all around you?  Closed-Circuit Rebreathers (CCRs) let you do exactly that.  Unlike open circuit SCUBA, which we all are familiar with (breathe in from the regulator and exhale, watching your bubbles stream towards the surface), CCRs “recirculate” your breath, scrubbing out the CO2 you generate, while adding Oxygen to keep your breathing gas mix steady.  No more bubbles!  CCRs are a great tool for getting closer to the sea life we all love to see - you’re quieter, so the fish are less cautious and don’t swim off when you approach.  CCRs are ideal for photographers trying to capture elusive and skittish subjects.  

CCRs have come a LONG way from the early days, with better controls and electronics, more safety and redundancy built in, and more flexible form-factors to suit your needs and diving preference.  However, CCRs are still a more complex means of diving, requiring specialized training.  This workshop is an excellent way to get a brief introduction into how CCRs function, how to use them, how you could apply them to your diving plans, and most importantly, a chance to hop in the pool and try out a few different units.  You’ll be amazed at how quiet you can be underwater.

Due to the nature of this course, we have very limited-space.  As such, you must fill out and submit the required paperwork and forms at least a week before the day of the workshop so the instructors have all the information they need.  We will not be able to allow you to participate without the completed paperwork.  Below is a list of the rebreather units we’ll have available during the workshop:

Subgravity X-CCR

- Backmount unit design 

- Shearwater electronically or manually controlled, with cylinder pressure and CO2 sensor

- Expedition grade quality manufacturing

- Excellent work of breathing

- Open design accommodates multiple scrubber sizes, cylinder sizes, and different wing/backplate configurations

- https://iqsub.com/xccr/

Subgravity FX CCR

- Front/Chest mount unit design 

- Shearwater electronically or manually controlled 

- Lightweight and easy for travel(fits in a carry on size bag)

- https://ccr.sub-gravity.com/fx-ccr/

Subgravity Flex2 CCR

- Sidemount unit design 

- Shearwater electronically or manually controlled

- Streamlined designed for mission-specific low profile

- https://iqsub.com/flex2-ccr/

Hollis PRISM 2 CCR

- Backmount unit design

- Shearwater electronically or manually controlled

- constant PO2 

- modular

- closed circuit diving system.

- https://www.hollisrebreathers.com/ 

FREE ALL WEEKEND SEASHELL EXHIBIT
-second floor Mezzanine-Gloucester Room-

Saturday 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Drop by and see educational exhibits of seashells from the world over and learn about their habitats, biodiversity and ecology and their use in food, science, medicine, on stamps, and in art and crafts.

Bring your own seashells and learn how to identify it with the help of experts on mollusks who will be available to assist you and teach you how to use some of the best seashell identification books.

Choose your own seashells from one of the world’s beaches at our 'seashell adoption table' provided by our members.

When you visit the exhibit be sure to sign up for an opportunity to take home the special Door Prize -- a collection of unique seashells and a book about mollusks

Sponsored by the Boston Malacological Club
Founded in 1910

Join one of the world's oldest active seashell groups for fun and educational monthly meetings in Cambridge, Mass.  For information contact:
George Buckley – gbuckley@fas.harvard.edu

Please note the contact information below is for informational purposes only - No registration is required!

Scouts Oceanography Merit Badge - $25

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:30 – 12:30 PM

Merit Badge Councilors

Mark Fregeau PhD.

Woody Tinsley

Scouts should bring Blue Cards and printed out copy of Oceanography Merit Badge Workbook

Schedule:

9:30AM – 1PM:   Merit Badge Activities – Manchester Room on 2^ndfloor of Hotel

Questions? Email Mark Fregeau

Register (where you purchase tickets under BSR Sponsored Workshops)

This highly interactive workshop will provide a hands-on practical approach to writing for the dive community. By the end of this session, participants will have learned how to define their writing goals by evaluating examples of dive writing, practiced strategies for writing a dive story or article, and completed a practical writing exercise or use their own idea(s) for a story to develop, instead of our prompt.

Jeff Cinciripino is a principal owner of Scuba Shack Diving Services in Rocky Hill, CT. He is responsible for all marketing efforts, website content, and social media planning. Jeff also is the author of “Scuba Shack Weekly” – a blog to keep individuals updated on various dive shop activities. He is also the host of a bi-weekly podcast “Scuba Shack Radio”, now in season 6 supporting the overall mission of Scuba Shack. Jeff has also been published in Dive Center Business Magazine and is also the author of “Your Next Dive – My Adventures in Scuba Diving” published in 2022. In addition to his role at Scuba Shack, he is also the founder and president of Scuba Educational Alliance of Connecticut – a non-profit organization fostering a new generation of ocean stewards through scuba diving education. Jeff also serves on the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association’s Board of Directors having been elected to a three-year term in 2023.

Rob Robison, Ph.D., is a highly successful workshop presenter at the local, state, and national levels with 52 different educational workshops, 2 national institutes, and 20 articles on educational practice under his belt. Also, he is an equally respected education grant writer, having been awarded 3 competitive federal grants, 2 state grants, and 5 local grants. He is the editor of 6 volumes of multicultural writings for 2 school districts, and is the acclaimed former editor and publisher of “The Foreign Correspondent,” a newsletter for Columbus, Ohio foreign language teachers, “The Columbus Sea Nags Newsletter,” as well as “Soundings, Newsletter of the South Shore Neptunes” here in Massachusetts. Currently, Rob is the founding editor of “The Downline, Newsletter of the Bay State Council of Divers. In addition, he writes a near weekly column for his diving blog on Facebook, illustrates it with his own photography, and is a Boston Sea Rover and their workshop co-chair. Finally, he serves on the board of the South Shore Neptunes Dive Club.