Robert and Betty Peoble, owner and operators of Peoble Photography and Peoble Divers in Albert Lea, recently attended the 2009 DEMA (Dive Equipment Manufactures Association) annual convention held in Orlando, Fla.

DEMA is the largest scuba dive association convention held in North America each year. It is attended by more than 2,000 representatives of the dive industry from all over the world, including Russia, Japan, China, Indonesia, Cayman Islands and Honduras, along with more than 10,000 participants from around the globe.

The Peobles attended several lectures put on by PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors). They also attended the Boy Scouts of America and PADI joint adventure in offering scuba training to the BSA and received the new merit badge book: scuba diving. Now the Boy Scouts of America have a new merit badge and Robert Peoble as a certified PADI scuba instructor is hoping to start a teaching program with the Boy Scouts and training will be done at the Albert Lea Family Y.

The Peobles officially opened their scuba shop last year as a dealer for Mares Scuba equipment. Robert and his son David attended the Mares advanced training for scuba repair. They are now certified repair specialists for Mares.

During the convention, the Peobles acquired a dealership for Cressi-Sub scuba equipment and its line of swim apparel, along with being a repair center for Cressi Regulators. Peoble is now also a dealer for analox oxygen analyzers used for testing nitrox dive mixtures. Peoble is also a nitrox instructor.

The Peobles also attended the Iowa Professional Photographers convention held in Des Moines, Iowa, prior to leaving for Orlando and the DEMA show. They Peobles attend numerous photography conventions to keep up with the changing photographic industry. At the show the introduced several new custom frame samples that they will be handling this year as part of JB Frame and Design.

Peoble attended Photoshop lectures while at the convention to become more proficient in the use of Photoshop image manipulation and restoration abilities.

Peoble has been in the photographic business for more than 30 years.