Southern California Aviation Wrecks

Follow us on Google News
Find it on Apple News
aviation wrecks
aviation wrecks
Advertisement

Technical diver and underwater photographer Brett Eldridge is currently working on a book, Aviation Wrecks of Southern California, and he’ll be talking about some of the amazing stories of these dive sites on the UW Imaging Stage at the Long Beach Scuba Show on 30-31 May.

Brett has lived in California most of his life. He spent 20-plus years in the Bay Area working at cybersecurity start-ups and moved back to the Laguna Beach area eight years ago when he ‘retired’. He is a technical rebreather diver and has spent the past six years working with a close group of friends to find and identify new wrecks in Southern California.

He joined The Explorers Club in 2021 as a Member National. Brett won the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year for the Wreck Category for his photogrammetry image of a local F8F Bearcat wreck that he helped find and identify.

He is currently working on a book Aviation Wrecks of Southern California, and writes about his wreck dives and explorations at wreckedinmyrevo.com.

Tales of Mystery & Aviation (Southern California Aviation Wrecks)

Brett’s talk will provide the story of the pilots behind some well-known and some of the more-obscure but very interesting airplane wrecks in Southern California. The talk will include the story behind the discovery and identification of the airplane wrecks, the pilots and, of course, plenty of photos and photogrammetry models. The truth is more interesting than fiction! There are stories of heroes, tragedies, and comedies behind each of these wrecks.

Scuba Show
Divers Alert Network is the Platinum Sponsor for the Long Beach Scuba Show

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!

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

Get a weekly roundup of all Divernet news and articles Scuba Mask
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Recent Comments
TAGS