(DiverWire) It’s NOT just another “beauty pageant”, says Kristine Watson, organizer of the first Miss Scuba USA event later this year. In many ways, she’s right. After all, it’s not that easy to look glamorous and poised underwater. And questions about declining shark populations might be a bit more difficult than inquiries about “world peace.”
“There certainly will be a difference between our event and traditional beauty pageants,” Watson insists. “We’re presenting an event that combines beauty, marine awareness and the fun experience of safe scuba diving.”
While some in the scuba diving industry might immediately be a bit skeptical, Watson is quick to outline the qualifications for the Miss Scuba USA title and it’s NOT just for girls that look good in a swimsuit. “The pageant is going to take place this June. During the two-day event, we’ll be taking all the participants on an open-water dive to a popular Southern California dive site where they will not only demonstrate their proficiency as divers, but also their skills as diving role models and leaders.”
Working with industry sponsors that include Oceanic Worldwide, Miss Scuba USA officials will also be judging contestants on their knowledge of the marine environment, current events and basic scuba diving knowledge.
The purpose? “As a scuba diver, I’m interested in sharing the joy of the underwater world with others,” Watson points out. “There’s something special about a lady wearing a crown – people listen to her. So, a scuba-diving pageant winner has a unique opportunity to draw attention to scuba.”
Plans are for the 2013 Miss Scuba USA winner to travel the country speaking about marine awareness, scuba diving and to encourage people to get in the water and try scuba diving.
The MissScubaUSA pageant is part of the larger MissScuba International program, that has been going for the last three years. Started in Southeast Asia, pageant winners last year came from 10 countries including Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Latvia and Hungary.
This year’s pageant takes place June 6-8 in Long Beach, California and is open to women between the ages of 18 and 26. While standard pageant criteria may apply, one mandatory qualification is that all applicants MUST be certified open water scuba divers. This is a little different than some of the foreign pageants where “Miss Scuba” receives certification as part of her pageant title, Watson explained.
The 2013 Miss SCUBA USA winner will represent the United States at the Miss Scuba International event taking place later this Fall. Last year, Ashlee Smith from Southern California represented the United States and continues to make appearances and speak about her love of scuba diving and marine environment.
For more details on the Miss Scuba USA contest, including information about entering the event, go to MISS SCUBA USA
