Unbelievably it had already reached that point in my scholarship year – the half-way mark! This would see me heading to DEMA, one of the largest diving shows in the world, in a place as far away from the ocean as you could imagine, Las Vegas.

DEMA presented a perfect opportunity to meet many new faces in the diving world, as well as catch-up with many of the incredible sponsors and friends of the OWUSS.

I got the opportunity to meet long-time sponsors as well as new-faces! Some of these included my main diving sponsors, Brian Pak from Tabata (including TUSA and Waterproof), Renee Nelson from Ocean Technology Systems, Patty Seery from DAN, the Reef Photo and Video team, and so many more!

I also got the incredible honour of meeting the marine biology goddess herself, Dr Sylvia Earle! I was extremely overwhelmed to say the least.

Jayne and I were also beyond fortunate to spend time with Rick Stanton, one of the incredible British cave divers who played a critical role in the Thai cave rescue that happened in June and July.

Twice during my scholarship year I have had the privilege of spending time with Dr Joe McInnis, one of the Rolex Scholarship founding fathers. Well my luck had extended again, when Jayne introduced me to Ernie Brooks, the other Scholarship founding father

But the primary reason for being at DEMA, was the half-way presentation of my year as the Australasian Rolex Scholar to many of my sponsors who were all in the one place and the OWUSS family that could make it to Las Vegas. Unfortunately we were missing our third, the European Scholar, Èric Jordà Molina, as he was very busy making his way to the Antarctic Peninsula, so it was up to the North American Scholar Yann Herrera Fuchs and myself to present to the sponsors.

Jayne and I also managed to have a little bit of fun in Vegas, heading to the old Vegas strip and zooming across on the zipline!

There are not too many words needed for this blog, so I’ll let you watch my half-way video instead, which can be found below, and gives a brief insight into what I have been up to since I was given this incredible and unique opportunity in April in New York.

Once again, I would sincerely like to thank all the incredible hosts and sponsors that have supported me this year – without you, these amazing opportunities and experiences would not be available to me, and I am eternally grateful for this. An enormous thank you to my family and my one-and-only mer-Mum, Jayne, who I couldn’t have done this year so far without.

Rolex, OWUSS, Tabata, TUSA, Waterproof, DAN, PADI, Mako Eyewear, Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam, Light and Motion, Paralenz, DiveR, Adam Stern, Molchanovs, Diving Adelaide, Lindblad Expeditions, Beqa Adventure Divers, EMS, Coral Bay Eco Tours, Alex Kydd, Ningaloo Marine Interactions, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Walindi Plantation Resort, LAMAVE, Dive Centre Manly, Gates Underwater Products, Down Under Aquatic Imaging