On vacation in Hawaii a few years back, I learned two things in one afternoon. First, the ocean is endlessly mesmerizing, and second, sunscreen while snorkeling is not optional. I surfaced that day blistered and burned but completely hooked. As I slathered aloe vera on my back, I remember thinking, next stop, scuba diving.
When I read that UK-based Rork Media had not only acquired the Scuba Show, the largest consumer dive expo in the U.S., but was adding an East Coast show for 2026, I was intrigued. Maybe this is the year I take the plunge. Literally.
The Scuba Show
If you’ve never heard of it, the Scuba Show has long been a fixture in Long Beach, California. It draws thousands of divers, gear obsessives, underwater photographers, and ocean lovers year after year. Now, for the first time in more than three decades, the show will make its East Coast debut in Atlantic City, taking over the Convention Center the weekend of June 6-7, 2026. (The Long Beach show will take place May 30-31.)
Yes, it’s exciting news, but first, a bit of show history. Founded in 1988 by Kim and Dale Sheckler, the Scuba Show was taken on over a decade ago by Mark Young, who also owned and ran California Diving News. This past June, the Long Beach show marked Young’s last hurrah before handing the reins to Rork Media cofounders Ross Arnold and Mark Evans.
In a May 2025 DiveNewsWire interview, Young explained why Rork was the right fit. “I was most interested in their vision for Scuba Show to become more than the strong West Coast show that it is,” he said at the time. “Our industry needs powerful events that attract and motivate consumers and forge important personal connections. Ross and Mark plan to expand Scuba Show into other strong North American markets.”
A Deeper Dive into Rork Media’s Cofounders
It’s hard to argue with Young’s choice. Rork Media’s Mark Evans has been diving since he was 12 and has spent more than 25 years in the industry. His credentials include editorial director of Scuba Diver magazine, which has editions in North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, and Divernet, a popular dive news platform that covers destinations, equipment, techniques, and daily global updates. Ross Arnold, meanwhile, brings a business and logistics background as well as a healthy sense of humor about their differences.
“We’re a good yin-yang combination,” Ross tells me. “I handle the business side. Mark handles consumer engagement and creativity.” He laughs before adding, “Mark will dive anywhere—cold, muddy, brown water, even if it’s frozen over. He’ll chip the ice just to get in. I’m the opposite. Board shorts and a T-shirt? Perfect. Dry suit? Only for bucket-list dives.”
Together, they’re expanding the Scuba Show footprint quickly. Atlantic City joins Long Beach alongside Rork’s already established UK and Sydney Go Diving shows.
“There was such a cry to take the show to the East Coast,” Ross explains. “Once we took over, it became a no-brainer. The demand from the U.S. dive industry was overwhelming, and we’re confident Atlantic City will grow into a regular fixture, just like Long Beach.”
Rork plans to run extensive pre-show coverage through Scuba Diver North America and Divernet, highlighting speakers, interactive programming, and hundreds of exhibitors, so attendees know exactly what to expect before they walk through the doors in Atlantic City in June.
From Long Beach to the Boardwalk
The numbers tell part of the story. In 2025, the Long Beach Scuba Show welcomed roughly 9,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors, signifying one of its strongest years yet. Across the Atlantic, Rork’s UK show, GO Diving, drew more than 13,000 attendees last year. It is tracking toward 14,000 to 15,000 as it enters its ninth year.
What Rork brings, beyond scale, is reach. Through its global media network, the company promotes events outside its immediate location.
“We had a couple fly in for the Long Beach show from Texas last year,” says Mark. “They saw a promo in the magazine, but before that didn’t even know the show existed.”
That same reach is what Rork hopes to leverage in Atlantic City, just steps from the beach.
“Divers will travel,” Ross explains. “And Atlantic City is a destination. There’s more to do than just walk a show floor.”
A Dive Show Designed for Families
That idea of turning the show into a full experience and including families is central to Rork Media’s vision.
While hardcore divers and underwater photographers remain a core audience, growth lies with families, younger attendees, and what Ross calls “fair-weather divers.”
“These are people who might only dive four or five times a year on vacation,” he says. “They don’t hang out in dive shops or read dive magazines. But they buy gear, they’re curious, and they’re hard to reach.”
We designed the Atlantic City event with them in mind. Kids attend for free, while adult tickets start from $33 for full access to the exhibition floor and seminars. The organizers position the show as a full-day family outing: part learning, part inspiration, part entertainment.
“You can do the beach, walk the boardwalk, enjoy the city, and spend a day at the show,” says Ross. “People want something they can enjoy with their kids, and these younger visitors are drawn in by massive ocean imagery, exploration stories, and hands-on-style demonstrations, no wetsuits required.”
Beyond the Show Floor
Like its UK counterpart, the 2026 U.S. shows (in Long Beach and Atlantic City) center around a large main stage for keynote speakers. Smaller breakout stages support the main event, focusing on everything from underwater photography and local diving to technical and Closed-Circuit Rebreather (CCR) diving.
Experiential elements at the show are also expanding. In the UK, one popular feature recreates an underwater shipwreck on land. It allows visitors to learn how experts survey and document archaeological sites. Rork hopes to bring similar immersive experiences stateside as partnerships develop.
Marine biology, conservation, and ocean health will also play major roles, with experts discussing topics such as mangroves, microplastics, and how both divers and non-divers can make a difference.
Speakers With Mass Appeal
One of Rork’s most successful approaches has been widening the lens on who the show speaks to.
The UK’s GO Diving show features speakers with mainstream appeal, such as BBC presenter and BAFTA-winning naturalist Steve Backshall, underwater stunt performer and freediver Liz Parkinson, and the soon-to-be-announced Underwater Photographer of the Year. The event also showcases many other freedivers, filmmakers, scientists, and explorers.
“We deliberately chose some people, like Steve Backshall, who also resonate with non-divers,” says Ross. “Maybe they’ve snorkeled, maybe they just love the ocean, and we show them how diving fits into that world.”
That same philosophy will guide speaker selection in Long Beach and Atlantic City, with more names being announced after the UK show wraps this spring. To find who is in the Atlantic City lineup so far, click here.
A Global Vision, Built on Passion
Founded in January 2017, Rork Media may be young, but it’s grown quickly and intentionally.
“It’s a small market,” the co-owners describe. “If you want to build a business in diving, you have to think globally and keep launching new things and meeting people where they are.”
That mix of perspectives, of the lifelong diver and the ever-curious newcomer, is exactly what’s shaping the future of the Scuba Show.
Rork Media designed its expanded Scuba Show lineup to welcome everyone. They welcome experienced technical divers, vacation snorkelers, or parents hoping to stimulate a child’s love of the ocean. This inclusive spirit extends to every stop on the tour: the GO Diving show in Coventry (February), the Long Beach show (May), the Atlantic City launch (June), and Sydney’s event (September).
As Ross sums up, “Whether you’re a full-fledged diver or a novice with boundless curiosity, these shows focus on bringing people into the community.
Join Us at Scuba Show Atlantic City 2026
For me, the arrival of an East Coast show feels like the ultimate nudge to finally trade the sunburn for a scuba tank. Rork Media’s inclusive vision ensures there’s a place for you at the convention center. Ready to take the plunge? Secure your tickets for the Atlantic City shows here, starting at just $33, and prepare to be immersed.
Scuba.com, owned by Adorama, is a platinum sponsor of the Atlantic City 2026 show, alongside Divers Alert Network (DAN). Be sure to check out scuba.com for top diving brands, helpful articles and guides, a marketplace for buying and selling used gear, curated dive trips, and dive lessons you can sign up for.
