David Waud’s three newest underwauder productions will be visiting elementary and middle schools throughout the United States in 2008 and 2009. And grade school students will readily identify with the young stars of two of these exciting films. Children have to be at least twelve years old to take the necessary classes to become a certified SCUBA diver. After David’s son Tucker and two daughters Dana and Haley learned to dive, they each starred in one of their father’s epic adventures. “FIN-derella” with Dana in the leading role is no longer available for school presentations. But “Down Under” and “Deep Six” are still traveling to schools around the country and thrilling students of all ages.

David begins each hour-long SCUBAssembly with a demonstration of his unique diving gear and underwater filming equipment. The students learn about the challenges he faces on each SCUBA dive and what he does to stay safe. And they have to do some serious thinking to answer his questions about the importance of each piece of equipment. Usually they can figure out why he needs to have two breathing hoses attached to his air tank and how his special suit keeps him warm although it does not keep him dry. But they are often stumped trying to imagine how he can make an exciting new film in the oceans every two years without using a waterproof camera.

After this introduction, with lots of student participation, David personally narrates one of his thirty-minute films (see below) and then answers the students’ questions. Almost every hand pops up during this question-and-answer session because the underwater world fascinates students — and the teachers too!