Canadian Association of Diving Contractors

Why the Latest Issue of CADC Magazine Matters — and Why You Should Read It

The Winter 2025–2026 edition of CADC Magazine is not a light read — and it wasn’t meant to be.

This issue goes straight to the core of where Canadian commercial diving stands today, where it’s drifting, and what needs to change if we’re serious about safety, professionalism, and consistency across the country.

The cover theme says it plainly: One Country. One Standard. One Regulation. Canada’s commercial diving safety framework cannot keep fragmenting by province, sector, or political convenience. The water doesn’t care where you’re working — and neither should the minimum level of protection afforded to the people doing the work.

Inside this issue, you’ll find:

A Hard Look Back — and Forward

In Beneath the Surface: The Evolution of Canadian Diving, CADC Executive Director Doug Elsey reflects on more than five decades in the industry — from the early, unstructured days of commercial diving to the standards-driven profession we rely on today. It’s not nostalgia. It’s context. And it’s a reminder that today’s rules exist because someone learned the hard way.

Why Validation Matters in a Digital World

As logs, certifications, and medicals go digital, verification has never been more important. In Diving in a Digital World: The Importance of Validation, DCBC CEO Tracy Childs explains why convenience without validation creates risk — and how credential verification protects contractors, supervisors, inspectors, and divers alike.

The Case for National Harmonization

The feature article One Country. One Standard. One Regulation tackles the growing problem of provincial carve-outs and sector-specific exemptions head-on. It explains why patchwork regulation weakens safety, increases liability, and puts divers at risk — and why CSA Z275 standards must form the national baseline, everywhere in Canada.

Emergency Plans Are Only Words Until You Drill Them

Aaron Griffin’s Contingency Plans: You’ve Planned It, But Did You Drill It? delivers one of the most practical pieces in the issue. Drawing from real drills and real failures, it shows how seemingly solid emergency plans fall apart under stress — and why drills are not paperwork, but lifelines.

What’s Changing in CSA Z275.2 — and Why It Matters

In In Depth: Major Revisions in the 2026 Edition of CSA Z275.2, Jonathan Chapple walks through the most significant updates to the standard, including:

• Mandatory risk management

• Clearer SCUBA limitations

• Reinforced minimum crew requirements

• Human factors in diving
  These aren’t theoretical changes — they reflect how work is actually being done in the water today.

Members at Work

The issue also highlights Canpac Marine Services in the Member Spotlight and showcases CADC members working in some of the toughest environments in the country. It’s a reminder that professionalism isn’t marketing — it’s how the job gets done when no one’s watching.

This edition of CADC Magazine isn’t about headlines or fluff. It’s about holding the line on safety, competence, and consistency in an industry where the margins are thin and the consequences are real.

If you work in Canadian commercial diving — as a contractor, supervisor, diver, regulator, insurer, or client — this issue is worth your time.

👉 Read or download the Winter 2025–2026 CADC Magazine now

Because standards don’t matter until someone needs them — and by then, it’s too late to wish we’d paid attention earlier.