DURHAM, NC – Memorial Day no longer means just a three-day weekend; it marks the start of the annual PDE Extravaganza, DAN’s celebration of Project Dive Exploration, the most extensive (and ongoing) study of recreational diving ever conducted. This Memorial Day was no exception – PDE Extravaganza 2009 is under way!
Once again, DAN® is calling all divers who use compatible downloadable dive computers to share dive profiles with DAN Research. This year DAN is raising the stakes – divers are challenged to come together and collect 10,000 dives this summer!
Participation is easy:
- Visit the DAN website, click on the PDE Extravaganza button on the homepage, and follow the instructions.
- Complete the Diver ID form to be entered into the PDE database and receive a Diver ID code.
- Go diving, have fun and save your dives electronically using the computer manufacturer’s software.
- Enter your DAN Diver ID in place of the name and export the dives to DAN.
- If you are using a non-compatible computer, please contact DAN Research at research@dan.duke.edu for more info.
Submit 10 or more dives completed between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2009, and receive a specially designed T-shirt at the end of the challenge and one automatic entry into a drawing for a DAN gift certificate worth $250 (some redemption restrictions apply). Divers will receive another entry for every additional five dives submitted; there’s no limit to the number of entries a diver can earn.
“Divers have a long history of supporting PDE through the donation of their dive profiles,” says Donna Uguccioni, research coordinator for DAN, “and it’s one of the reasons we enjoy the PDE Extravaganza so much. The celebration is a way for us to say thank you to folks who take the time to share information that has become an invaluable resource for DAN Research. Sometimes it’s hard to see how one or two profiles can make a difference, but they add up quickly. So each and every profile matters.”
All eligible dives must be submitted to DAN no later than Sept. 30, 2009; the winner will be announced Oct. 31, 2009.
