Sadly, we’ve all heard about incidents around the world involving liveaboards, and in this captivating presentation at the Long Beach Scuba Show, Barry Lipsky will be showcasing an essential guide to passenger safety on liveaboards.
Barry Lipsky certified as a diver way back in 1970, and has clocked up an impressive list of qualifications since then, with many in the field of diving and water safety, such as Public Safety Diving, Search and Rescue, and Ice Rescue, as well as technical diving.
He is a firefighter, Captain Water Rescue and Public Safety Dive Instructor with the Bayport Fire Department, and has been President of the Long Island Divers Association since 2008.
On Saturday 30 May, he’ll present:
Surviving An Incident At Sea: An Essential Guide To Passenger Safety On Board Liveaboards
Liveaboard dive vessels operate throughout the world and provide divers the ability to explore some of the most-beautiful and remote dive locations. For many divers there is no better way to comfortably experience the underwater world while maximizing their dive experiences.
Despite decades of successful operations, several recent incidents have highlighted the need for liveaboard divers to become better equipped to protect their personal safety.
In this session, Barry Lipsky with the Long Island Diver’s Association will present a comprehensive review of safety protocols to improve your odds of survival in the unlikely event of an onboard emergency. Learn what safety equipment and procedures should exist on board the vessel, what equipment divers can bring with them to improve their own safety, and how to rehearse emergency procedures for evacuating a liveaboard experiencing an incident.
The presentation is a must-attend for anyone planning to spend time at sea on board a dive vessel. What you don’t know can hurt you… or worse. Don’t let an incident onboard a dive vessel become a tragedy. After all, liveaboards are the way to go for many divers; surviving an unlikely but potentially tragic incident is the way to go for all divers.
Each participant walks away with a permanent checklist on a plastic professional dive card.
Long Beach Scuba Show
The Long Beach Scuba Show, this year sponsored by Divers Alert Network, is celebrating its 39th anniversary in 2026 (30-31 May), and it represents the first show under the banner of new owners Rork Media Limited, which also runs the GO Diving Shows in the UK and Australia, and publishes the global-multi-edition Scuba Diver magazine, as well as being behind the Scuba Diver Magazine YouTube Channel, and long-established website Divernet.
Fans of the long-running event will be delighted to hear that Rork Media plan to retain everything that made the Scuba Show such a staple on the West Coast diving circuit, and enhance it with new and improved elements, including a Main Stage with a huge video wall right in the exhibition hall itself, a new layout designed to stimulate exploration around the hundreds of booths, and additional interactive attractions including a VR dive on a deep-water shipwreck in the Baltic Sea.
The three seminar rooms have been organised into themes, to make it easier to find speakers/topics of interest, so prepare to dive into Adventure, Inspiration, and UW Imaging.
Whether you’re an experienced diver, a new enthusiast, or just curious about the underwater world, the Scuba Show brings together everything you love about diving under one roof.
Greg Holt from Scuba Radio will be entertaining the crowds on mornings before and as the show opens, offering plenty of fun and games, and the chance to win some amazing prizes.
Explore hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest scuba gear, dive destinations, underwater photography equipment, training programs, and ocean conservation initiatives. Attend inspiring seminars led by world-renowned dive experts, explorers, and photographers, and connect with dive professionals, travel operators, and fellow divers from across the country.
There is also the opportunity to expand your skillset. The PSI-PCI Visual Cylinder Inspection course is open to everyone who wishes to inspect high-pressure breathing gas cylinders, or just know about the process. These specialty courses support the inspection process with formal function specific training on valve maintenance and repair, and Oxygen Cylinder Cleaning. Inspectors who are at the three-year renewal mark and want to attend the PSI-PCI Update course will be able to take care of it at the Scuba Show as well.
PSI-PCI offers the only training that is formally endorsed, utilized, and referred to by the cylinder manufacturers. The training has been created with the input of industry professionals and experts in each field to provide you with the best training available to meet the Federal requirements for the associated processes. You can join the team of PSI-PCI Professionals at the Scuba Show. Don’t wait, seats will fill up quickly! Click here for more information and to book a slot.
The Scuba Show offers two full days of ocean adventure, hand’s-on experiences, and exclusive show specials, and is where the US dive community comes together to celebrate the underwater world.
Get your tickets now!
Tickets are on sale now for the Scuba Show, and new for 2026, there is a change to the cost of entry – there is now one ticket price, which gets every attendee full access to the Exhibition Hall, and entry to all seminars.
With many of the speakers in the dedicated Adventure, Inspiration, and UW Imaging seminar rooms either only presenting on one of the days, or giving two different talks, plus with the headline acts on the Main Stage, and the plethora of booths, interactive elements and much more, there is plenty to keep you occupied on both days, so why not make a weekend of it?
Tickets are available now – click here – priced at $33 for a day ticket, and $60 for a weekend pass. There is also the option of a VIP Pass, which includes a weekend pass plus 6 issues of Scuba Diver magazine and 6 issues of California Diving News (Magazine delivery US & Canada residents only), and a Scuba Show Dive Team T-shirt, for $100.
Under 16s go free – bring the family and let the kids dive into the fun as well.
Join us for two incredible days, 30-31 May 2026, celebrating the world of diving at the Long Beach Convention Center!
