The spread of COVID-19 has affected millions of divers around the world in countless different ways. On this week’s episode of DIVETALKS THURSDAYS, the popular Facebook Livestream orchestrated by Divesoft, we’ll dive deeper into the virus’s impacts on retailers. Mike Pedersen is owner and operator of two diving companies, Dive Right In Scuba and Double Action Dive Charters, and Frauke Tillmans, Ph.D., is Research Director for Divers Alert Network (DAN). Join the action on Thursday at 1pm EDT to hear what they have to say on this very relevant topic.

DIVETALKS is treading new waters this week by hosting two guests at one time. Mike Pedersen and Frauke Tillmans are looking forward to sharing their unique perspectives on the connection between the current world-wide pandemic and the diving retail business.

Mike was never one to shy away from a challenge. And his love of exploring at just 10 years old paved his way to become a diver. He now oversees the Dive Right In Scuba store and online store, and the dive charter business with three boats, Double Action Dive Charters. Running these specific businesses comes with its own set of challenges especially in light of the current situation with most divers unable to even get in the water. Mike is ready to answer questions about the changes he’s seen in diving retail since the outbreak. How has the virus impacted the dive communities? Have sales plummeted? As a manager, does Mike have plans to turn things around as the world comes out of lockdown? The answers to all these questions and more will be revealed this Thursday on DIVETALKS.

Also joining this week’s Livestream is Frauke Tillmans, Ph. D., the well-known dive researcher whose research extends above and below the surface. Her commitment to making diving safer began in 2007 at the bottom of a muddy lake in northern Germany where she accomplished her first dives to become a scientific diver, and then an instructor in 2010. Over the past decade, she has instructed with multiple training agencies and began volunteering as a public safety diver.

Tillmans’s decompression and physiological studies are relevant to both recreational and technical diving; a recent example is her work to identify and observe the narcotic effects of air and trimix in deep cold-water environments. Similar to Pedersen, Tillmans will touch on related topics, providing her one-of-a-kind viewpoint on the effects of the virus on the diving industry.

Mike Pedersen and Frauke Tillmans are two guests you’re not going to want to miss! DIVETALKS will be going live this Thursday at 1 pm EDT, so make sure you’re there. And don’t forget to prepare your questions and include them in the comments. This is your chance to hear straight from the mouths of two unique professionals. Follow the link HERE to tune into the livestream powered by Divesoft, and stay in the loop on the latest diving news!