International Women’s Dive Weekend 2026
Four days of diving, education, wellness, empowerment and sisterhood brought women from across the country together in South Florida to strengthen skills, build connections and celebrate women throughout the scuba diving community.
More Than a Dive Weekend
In 2026, the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and Unicorns of Diving brought International Women’s Dive Weekend to South Florida through an experience called Depths of Sisterhood.
Nearly 60 women came together from across the country for four days that reached far beyond the dive boat. Divers and non-divers shared scuba diving, education, wellness, conservation, networking and fellowship.
The weekend welcomed women at different points in their diving journeys, from newer divers gaining experience to seasoned divers sharing knowledge, confidence and encouragement.
Diving
Shore, reef, wreck and night diving created multiple ways to experience South Florida underwater.
Education
Health, wellness, conservation, travel, business and personal development extended learning beyond scuba.
Empowerment
Women shared knowledge, experiences and resources that strengthened confidence and opportunity.
Sisterhood
Dives, meals and shared experiences created relationships that continued beyond the weekend.
The Weekend Started With Connection
Before anyone descended, the weekend began by bringing people together. A rooftop welcome reception in Pompano Beach gave participants time to meet, reconnect, share food, laugh, take photos and settle into the weekend together.
Those first conversations helped establish a theme that carried through the entire event: the relationships built above the water mattered just as much as the diving below it.
Dive Day Began at Phil Foster Park
Friday morning brought the group to Blue Heron Bridge, one of Palm Beach County’s best-known shore diving environments. Divers prepared together, received safety support and entered the water with women representing a range of experience levels.
For newer divers, it was an opportunity to continue building comfort and experience. For others, it was a chance to share a favorite South Florida environment with a larger community of women.
The Dive Was Only Part of the Experience
Some of the most memorable moments happened in transition between land and water: gearing up together, entering the water, surfacing, sharing what was seen and supporting one another throughout the day. The weekend created a supportive environment where women could dive, learn and enjoy the experience together.
From Dive Gear to Dinner
The weekend shifted from the water to professional growth, wellness, education and community during the Empowerment Dinner at Genesis Events in Pompano Beach.
Investing in Women Beyond Scuba
The Empowerment Dinner created space for speakers, networking, education and women supporting women. It reflected an important part of Depths of Sisterhood: investing in women not only as divers, but also as professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, travelers, friends and community members.
A Full Day of Diving and Learning
Saturday began with education about reef-safer sunscreen before the group headed offshore for a two-tank morning dive along the Pompano Beach coastline.
The day also included CPR training and a night dive, giving participants multiple ways to expand knowledge and experience throughout a single day.
One More Table Together
The weekend closed with an oceanview farewell brunch, educational presentations, final conversations and reflections on everything shared over the previous four days.
Meals, conversations and fellowship became just as important to the weekend as the dives themselves—giving women time to connect in ways that could continue after everyone returned home.
Women, Wellness, Business & Creativity
The weekend also highlighted women building businesses, opportunities and communities through wellness, hospitality and underwater photography.
Sweet Life Nutrition
Tolanda Ford and Ayesha Edmond are the owners of Sweet Life Nutrition, a Black-owned, women-owned wellness café in Riviera Beach. Their focus on protein shakes, energy teas, acai bowls, nutritious meals and community reflects the weekend’s broader emphasis on wellness and connection.
Visit Sweet Life Nutrition
Genesis Events
Sheena Brown and the Genesis Events team helped create the setting for one of the weekend’s signature gatherings. The Friday Empowerment Dinner brought women together for dinner, professional networking, education and community in Pompano Beach.
Visit Genesis Events
Follow the Fro Photography
Andrea Whitaker is a professional underwater photographer and scuba instructor who works with Pura Vida Divers and owns Follow the Fro Photography. With more than a decade behind the camera, her work captures marine life as well as the relationships and experiences that make a dive memorable.
Visit Follow the FroLearning Above the Surface
Depths of Sisterhood paired diving with practical conversations about wellness, conservation, travel, business and personal development.
Representation, Connection & Women in Scuba
International Women’s Dive Weekend highlighted something Unicorns of Diving works to build year-round: a community where people can develop skills, find dependable dive buddies, share knowledge and see themselves represented.
The weekend welcomed women from different backgrounds and at different points in their diving journeys while creating meaningful visibility, connection and representation for Black women in scuba. Unicorns of Diving continues connecting aspiring, returning and active divers through training, Florida diving, destination travel, service and community.
Your First Dive Can Start Here
You do not need years of experience to become part of the scuba community. Build water skills, confidence and a path toward scuba certification with training designed to help you move forward.
The Weekend Ended. The Sisterhood Did Not.
International Women’s Dive Weekend 2026 brought women together through diving, education, wellness and shared experiences. What remained afterward were new friendships, stronger connections, greater confidence and another chapter in the growing community of women in scuba.
