PADI
Sponsors of the Up and Coming category
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts, 128,000 professional members and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean Torchbearers, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI has undeniably been the Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARE, creating positive ocean change.
About PADI AWARE Foundation
PADI AWARE Foundation™ is a non-profit public charity that drives global ocean conservation through local action. PADI AWARE Foundation engages divers and people everywhere to take conservation actions that heal and protect the ocean planet both above and below the surface, further elevating and supporting PADI’s vision to achieve balance between humanity and ocean. Backed by the power of the PADI® brand and supported by the world’s largest dive community, the PADI AWARE Foundation leverages the collective influence of divers and the dive industry to address key threats facing the marine environment including climate change, marine habitat loss and vulnerable species protection. PADI AWARE Foundation advances its mission and the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action through underwater citizen science, public policy, education and community grants.
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Start your Scuba Diving Journey The PADI Open Water Diver certification is your passport to underwater adventure. With PADI eLearning you can start in your own time and from the comfort of your home. You can practice your diving skills either at a local Dive Center or on your next holiday. There's nothing better than the thrill of learning a skill that opens your eyes to a whole new world of adventure. |
Your next Dive Adventure Awaits Continue your scuba journey and expand your horizon with your next PADI certification. Fine-tune your buoyancy skills, build confidence in your navigation abilities, and try new activities like wreck diving, night diving or underwater photography. Choose from the many exciting speciality courses or become a PADI Rescue Diver. |
Turn your Passion into a Profession Become a dive professional to hone your dive skills, learn how to lead dives, assist with classes and be the diver everyone looks up to. |
About PADI and UPY
"As the world’s largest purpose-driven diving organisation, PADI is committed to making the underwater world accessible for all and creating positive ocean change. Sponsoring the 'Up & Coming' category in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 competition aligns with our mission to inspire ocean exploration and conservation. Images have the power to tell impactful stories, with this category celebrating emerging underwater photographers who are capturing the beauty and wonder beneath the surface while inspiring more people to learn to scuba dive so they can join in on seeking adventure and saving the ocean.”
Dave Murray, Managing Director for PADI EMEA
"Our Up & Coming Category is incredibly important to the UPY team. We are so proud that it provides a brilliant platform to showcase the work of new talent in underwater photography. We are very excited to be collaborating with PADI, with their world-leading reputation for developing the skills of both new and existing divers. Thanks to PADI’s world-wide reach these images and the stories of the photographers behind them will inspire a huge global audience."
Alex Mustard, Chair of the judging panel
"At the Up & Coming category of Underwater Photographer of the Year we like to award new talented photographers that haven’t been awarded yet in photography competitions. We are especially looking for unusual and different perspectives, but also perfect, classic shots. PADI is an ideal sponsor for this category as this award is for divers that are either new into diving and want to become better or are a long time in the field and want to master a new challenge. With better dive skills, through PADI courses, you will also become more relaxed and eventually improve photography as well."
Tobias Friedrich, UPY Judge
We are ocean change
Our global community of Ocean Torchbearers is leading a powerful movement to restore ourselves, our communities and the blue planet we call home. Take the Save the Ocean pledge to show your support for ocean conservation. By joining the community, you will learn of upcoming opportunities to create ocean change above and below the surface.
