Mark your calendars! PADI Women’s Dive Day is back on 18 July 2026, celebrating 12 years of empowering female divers, fostering connections and inspiring ocean exploration. Since its inception in 2015, this annual event has brought together thousands of divers and ocean enthusiasts from across the globe to share their love for the underwater world. Whether it’s your first breath underwater, a milestone certification or a celebration of community, Women’s Dive Day is a chance to connect with the ocean and each other.
This Year’s Theme: Celebrate Community. Create Change.
The 2026 Women’s Dive Day slogan, “Celebrate Community. Create Change,” reflects how the event continues to evolve. Women’s Dive Day has always been about bringing a diverse global community together, creating welcoming spaces where more people feel confident to try diving and support one another. This year, the message also emphasizes action, highlighting how that same community can contribute to ocean protection through conservation initiatives and citizen science like the Global Shark & Ray Census and the AWARE Biodiversity Survey. By celebrating the connections that make diving inclusive and accessible, we also encourage divers to turn shared experiences into meaningful contributions for sharks, rays and marine ecosystems.
More Than Just a Day: A Global Movement
PADI Women’s Dive Day isn’t just about one day of celebration; it’s about creating a lasting impact. Since the initiative began, women now account for nearly 40% of recreational-level PADI certifications worldwide, narrowing the gender gap in diving by 5%. Over the past decade, PADI Women’s Dive Day has inspired events in 183 countries, creating opportunities for women to connect, lead and motivate others to dive into marine exploration and conservation.
Key milestones include:
- Sustained Growth – Female recreational certifications have grown faster than male certifications nearly every year since 2015.
- Global Recognition – PADI Women’s Dive Day has been featured in more than 1,500 press pieces, amplifying women’s voices and contributions to the dive community.
- Social Movement – Hashtags like #padiwomen and #padiwomensdiveday have been used over 52,000 times, creating a vibrant online community.
Get Involved: Plan Your Dive Day
Join the movement this July by participating in a PADI Women’s Dive Day event with your PADI Dive Center or Resort. If you’re not yet a diver, this is the perfect time to start your certification journey. Current divers are encouraged to inspire a friend or family member to take the plunge — imagine celebrating Women’s Dive Day together as newly certified divers!
Whatever your level of experience, Women’s Dive Day is the perfect opportunity to gain new dive skills and build confidence so you can embark on new adventures. It is a great excuse to enhance your dive skills through your next course, or to take the first step to lead as a PADI Pro.
Divers have the power to protect the ocean. So, get involved this Women’s Dive Day and make every dive a survey dive by collecting valuable data. Wherever you dive in the world, there is a citizen science initiative you can feed your data into – may it be Dive Against Debris®, the Global Shark & Ray Census or the AWARE Biodiversity Survey – all being managed through the Conservation Action Portal.
Ready to join the celebration? Visit our Women in Diving 10-Year Impact Report for more inspiration and connect with your local PADI Dive Center to find an event near you. Together, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant future.
Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean. Together.
Save the Date: 18 July 2026 — because every dive matters, and so does every diver.
