It’s that time of year again. As the UK dive season approaches, kit is being serviced, computer batteries changed and dive trips planned. It also means it’s time for another mainstay of the diving calendar: the Go Diving Show.
The Go Diving Show 2026 returned to the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre (NAEC) for another instalment this weekend (28 Feb–1 Mar). With a reputation that’s growing year on year, expectations were high heading into the event. Here’s how I got on visiting on the Saturday.
Show Floor
To my mind, this was the strongest range of exhibitors at a dive show for many years. Manufacturers, training agencies and dive resorts were very well represented.
While manufacturers had a good turnout, the only area that felt light was retail. Many manufacturers that sell direct, like O’Three and Otter, were in attendance, but dive stores selling a range of brands were lacking.
The good news is the retailers that were in attendance looked incredibly busy. I saw plenty of visitors with fins stuffed in rucksacks, new wetsuits over their arms, or carrying pristine BCDs. My totally unscientific and subjective assessment is that it was a good year for retailers. Hopefully, this will encourage more to attend in the future.
The show again displayed the winning images from this year’s Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) competition. It’s a treat to see the amazing images in large-format prints, particularly when compared to scrolling through them on a smartphone.
The speaker line-up was solid. Talks were delivered across four stages dotted throughout the two halls with the biggest, Main Stage, having standing room only for the most popular speakers. I didn’t get the chance to sit down and listen to many of them, but I caught Steve Backshall’s talk, who’s always excellent.
The only gripe I had with the show was the parking. Normally, it’s one of the positives of the NAEC as a venue, as there’s plenty of free parking. However, this year it was incredibly slow to get parked, as stewards directed cars into random areas of the site. It’s never been an issue before, but my guess is it was due to the wet weather preventing cars from being parked on the grass.
It was a slow process, with cars backed up a mile onto the main road. It took me about 35 minutes to cover the final mile and get parked. In the end, my space was behind a dilapidated shed next to an abandoned propane bottle — not glamorous, but at least it was free.
Final Thoughts
In this social media world, events like the Go Diving Show feel particularly important. They’re an opportunity to genuinely interact with the wider diving community, whether that’s speakers, retailers, manufacturers or dive resorts.
The Go Diving Show 2026 felt bigger and better attended than last year. It’s a very well-run event with a good selection of exhibitors, activities and speakers; it’s easy to spend a whole day there. To me, it also felt like good value. Tickets were listed at £20, but 30% discounts were still widely available right up until the show. So a day out for £14 feels like a pretty good deal.
- The Go Diving Show 2026 took place from 28 February to 1 March at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre, Stoneleigh.
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