PADI has announced the launch of its first-ever AmbassaDiver Summit, bringing together some of the world’s best-known divers, content creators, conservationists and ocean advocates for a landmark event on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef later this year.
Hosted in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ), the inaugural summit will take place across Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, combining diving, conservation, Indigenous cultural experiences and leadership discussions designed to inspire a new generation of ocean ambassadors.
The event marks two significant milestones: PADI’s 60th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Cairns, the internationally recognised gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
Celebrating Diving’s Past and Future
PADI says the summit has been created to unite influential members of its AmbassaDiver programme in one of the world’s most iconic marine environments.
“For 60 years, PADI has empowered people to discover the transformative power of the underwater world and become advocates for its protection,” said Dr. Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide.
“This AmbassaDiver Summit is about passing that torch to the next generation of storytellers, explorers and changemakers.”
The organisation believes bringing influential voices together on the Great Barrier Reef offers a unique opportunity to inspire millions of people worldwide to experience diving while supporting marine conservation.
Why the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef was selected because it represents many of the values central to PADI’s mission.
As the world’s largest living structure and one of the planet’s most important marine ecosystems, the reef provides an exceptional setting for diving, education and conservation. Tropical North Queensland also offers something found nowhere else on Earth—a UNESCO-listed coral reef sitting alongside the Wet Tropics Rainforest, another UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said hosting the summit is another opportunity to demonstrate how sustainable tourism supports reef conservation.
He noted that visitor contributions through the Environmental Management Charge, combined with environmental initiatives undertaken by dive operators—including carbon reduction programmes and sustainability certifications—continue to help protect one of the world’s best-managed reef systems.
Diving, Culture and Conservation
Participants will take part in a programme that extends well beyond recreational diving.
Activities include:
- Liveaboard expeditions on the Great Barrier Reef
- Educational dives with Master Reef Guides
- Indigenous cultural experiences
- Marine conservation projects
- Leadership workshops focused on the future of diving and ocean advocacy
Following the Cairns summit, participants will also visit other Queensland destinations including Townsville North Queensland, the Whitsundays and the Southern Great Barrier Reef around Bundaberg to experience the diversity of Australia’s reef environments and community-led conservation initiatives.
Wellness Takes Centre Stage
A major theme of this year’s summit will be wellness, reflecting the growing connection between diving, mental wellbeing and time spent in nature.
Technology company Garmin and functional wellness brand Neuro have joined the summit as supporting partners.
Garmin will showcase its latest health monitoring technology alongside its Descent range of dive computers, which combine underwater navigation with everyday wellness metrics such as stress, recovery and sleep tracking.
Neuro, whose founders credit a dive trip as inspiration for launching the company, has become one of the largest corporate supporters of the PADI AWARE Foundation and will continue promoting ocean conservation through the event.
Global AmbassaDivers Confirmed
The inaugural summit will welcome a diverse group of high-profile PADI AmbassaDivers whose combined audiences reach millions worldwide.
Confirmed attendees include:
Representing television, music, wildlife filmmaking, adventure travel, conservation and social media, the group reflects PADI’s growing emphasis on using storytelling to inspire more people to explore—and protect—the ocean.
Looking Ahead
PADI says the AmbassaDiver Summit is intended to become an annual event that brings together influential members of the global dive community in destinations where diving, conservation and local culture intersect.
By combining exploration, education and environmental stewardship, the organisation hopes the summit will create a lasting legacy that extends beyond a single event and helps shape the future of recreational diving and marine conservation.
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