Rescue Diver Ready™ Launches New Initiative to Advance Diver Preparedness Across the Diving Industry

PADI, DAN, and Garmin Join as Founding Collaborators in a New Ecosystem Focused on Training, Safety Awareness, Technology, and Preparedness

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rescue Diver Ready™ today announced its launch as a new preparedness-focused initiative dedicated to helping divers become safer, more confident, and better prepared through education, training, technology, and community engagement.

Created with a mission to make every diver a Rescue Ready Diver through the PADI Rescue Diver Course, Rescue Diver Ready brings together key pillars of the diving industry to address one of the most important opportunities in recreational diving: preparedness.

The initiative launches with support from founding collaborators PADI, DAN (Divers Alert Network), and Garmin, creating a preparedness ecosystem designed to help divers move beyond certification and embrace preparedness as an ongoing commitment throughout their diving journey.

The Rescue Diver Ready ecosystem is built around four pillars:

PADI — Training
Providing world-class diver education and certification standards.

DAN — Research, Safety, and Emergency Support
Advancing diver safety through research, medical expertise, emergency assistance, and education.

Garmin — Technology
Providing dive technology that enhances awareness, communication, navigation, and preparedness.

Rescue Diver Ready — Preparedness
Connecting training, safety, technology, and community engagement to help divers become more prepared both in and out of the water.

"Preparedness is the missing link between training, safety, and technology. Divers invest significant time developing skills, exploring new destinations, and acquiring equipment, yet preparedness is often treated as a one-time achievement rather than an ongoing commitment. Rescue Diver Ready was created to help make preparedness a defining part of every diver's journey."

— Natalee van Staden, Founder & CEO, Rescue Diver Ready

While millions of divers are certified worldwide, many rarely revisit emergency response skills after completing their training. Rescue Diver Ready was established to help address this preparedness gap through ongoing education, preparedness assessments, refresher programs, community initiatives, and experiential training opportunities.

"The PADI Rescue Diver Course is one of the most transformational programs available to recreational divers. It changes how divers think, how they observe, and how they respond. Our goal is to help more divers build and maintain those skills so they are prepared not only for the dives they plan, but for the unexpected situations every diver hopes never happen."

— Donovan van Staden, Co-Founder & Director of Training, Rescue Diver Ready

The initiative will focus on five key areas:

• Preparedness Assessments
• Rescue Diver Education
• Emergency First Response Training
• Emergency Oxygen Provider Education
• Community-Based Preparedness Programs

As part of its launch, Rescue Diver Ready will introduce the Rescue Ready Assessment, a preparedness benchmarking tool designed to help divers evaluate their confidence, emergency readiness, equipment preparedness, and rescue knowledge.

The organization will also host its inaugural Rescue Ready Weekend on September 19-20, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event will bring together divers, instructors, safety professionals, and industry partners for two days dedicated to preparedness, Rescue Diver education, Emergency First Response, Emergency Oxygen Provider training, and community engagement.

Rescue Diver Ready's long-term vision is to establish preparedness as a defining component of the recreational diving experience by creating educational resources, strategic partnerships, preparedness events, assessment tools, and community initiatives that support divers throughout their journey.

By aligning training, safety awareness, technology, and preparedness under a common mission, Rescue Diver Ready aims to help create stronger dive communities and more confident, capable divers worldwide.

For more information about Rescue Diver Ready, the Rescue Ready Assessment, partnership opportunities, or upcoming events, visit www.rescuediverready.com.

About Rescue Diver Ready™

Rescue Diver Ready is a preparedness-focused initiative dedicated to helping divers become safer, more confident, and better prepared through education, training, assessment, community engagement, and strategic industry partnerships. Its mission is to make every diver a Rescue Ready Diver through the PADI Rescue Diver Course while promoting preparedness as an essential part of every diver's journey.

For more information, email: [email protected]

Media Contact
Natalee van Staden
Founder & CEO
Rescue Diver Ready
561.702.1529
www.rescuediverready.com

SOURCE Rescue Diver Ready™