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Alexander Kaßler graduated from the Technical University of Munich with a degree in sports/media and communications science. After working in sports communications for Daimler AG and German sports television, he completed his traineeship as an editor at Olympia Verlag in Nuremberg. There he worked as an editor for the diving magazine "unterwasser" since 2005. In addition to various training and further education courses, including as a diving instructor and photographer, he took over as editor-in-chief of "unterwasser" in 2018. Since the merger of the two magazine titles "unterwasser" and "TAUCHEN" into Europe's largest commercial diving magazine "TAUCHEN" in 2020, he has presided over the title as responsible editor-in-chief.

Natascha Heinemann, Managing Director of VDST Tauchsport-Service GmbH, and Dietmar Fuchs, Editor-in-Chief of VDSTsporttaucher, jointly represent VDSTsporttaucher on the jury of the boot dive awards. Natascha Heinemann has been fascinated by the sea and the underwater world since her youth. This enthusiasm soon developed into a passion for diving, which continues to accompany her both personally and professionally to this day. The graduate communications specialist is Managing Director of VDST Tauchsport-Service GmbH and a member of the executive management of the German Sport Divers Association (VDST). Dietmar W. Fuchs has worked as Editor-in-Chief for international diving magazines since September 1988, was founding Editor-in-Chief of the magazines “unterwasser” (Germany) and “Scuba Diving through the lens” (Singapore), and served as Editor-in-Chief and Art Director of “Edition Fifty Fathoms” (Switzerland), the only art magazine dedicated to underwater photography. Today, Fuchs works in the diving sector as the volunteer Editor-in-Chief of VDSTsporttaucher, the VDST members’ magazine.

Nina Zschiesche, born in 1978, began writing for the culture and feature sections of daily newspapers and magazines while still studying philosophy and German literature. After completing a traineeship at the diving magazines “unterwasser” and “Sporttaucher,” which at the time were based in the same publishing house, she worked for many years as an editor at “Sporttaucher.” Since 2018, she has been editor-in-chief and co-owner of the technical diving magazine WETNOTES. In addition, she publishes books on diving through her Zeisig Verlag publishing house. Diving is not only her professional passion; in her private life, too, she spends every free minute underwater.

Nicolas Barraqué is the publisher of the French magazine PLONGEZ!, which he founded in 2015, and of the German magazine OCEANS, launched in January 2026. At the age of 18, he volunteered to join the French Navy, which he left after 18 years of active service, including time aboard the submarines Dauphin and Émeraude.

His company, Turtle Prod, which he founded in 2000, has over the years become a leading publisher in the field of underwater content. Driven by a spirit of innovation and a keen awareness of technological progress, Nicolas has always pushed the boundaries of technology and creativity: from developing CD-ROMs for virtual diving (2000) to inventing a technique for taking panoramic underwater photographs (2006), implementing augmented reality (2013), and producing 360° videos (2021). Alongside his entrepreneurial activities, Nicolas is deeply committed to the conservation and protection of marine life. He founded the association “Déclic Bleu Méditerranée” (2003) and the international festival of the underwater world GALATHEA (2015). As an underwater photographer, Nicolas has taken part in numerous exhibitions and has received more than 100 national and international awards. For his outstanding commitment to the underwater world, he was awarded the Golden Trident by the International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Technologies in 2021. The Golden Trident is the underwater equivalent of the prestigious Fields Medal in mathematics. In 60 years, only 18 French people have received this distinction, the most illustrious being Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Dominique van Dam (1982) graduated from Utrecht University (The Netherlands) as a cultural anthropologist and journalist in 2006. Since then, she has worked in several occupations: she started off as a sales representative with A-status brands and from there on enrolled in different roles in non- and semi- governmental organisations in watersports, underwater sports and health care. She has been the chief editor of the Dutch magazine Onderwatersport since 2022. She dives in tropical, cold, blue, green and black waters all around the world with a focus on photography and biology. As a nudibranch addict, you'll sooner find her swimming slowly in the shallower waters than going fast in the deep sea. Her homebase is The Netherlands, but with extensive travels all around the world as a diver and sailor you'll find her where the anchor drops.

Onderwatersport is the largest underwater sports magazine in the Netherlands. It is published by the Dutch CMAS federation Nederlandse Onderwatersport Bond six times a year and focuses on scuba diving, snorkeling, underwater hockey, underwater soccer, underwater rugby, freediving and fin swimming, photography, travel and biology. Online, all articles are published (for everyone interested, also non-members) on duikspotter.nl.

Peter Symes is a Copenhagen-based publisher, editor and media entrepreneur with more than three decades of experience in the international diving industry. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of X-Ray Magazine, one of the first fully digital dive publications, launched in 2003 and now recognised as a leading global platform for diving, underwater photography and marine exploration.
Symes has been an active diver for over 40 years and is a certified dive instructor and close circuit rebreather (CCR) diver. A keen underwater photographer, he combines practical experience in the field with a strong commitment to clear, engaging communication and high editorial standards. Symes began his media career in the early 1990s, co-founding the Scandinavian dive magazine Dyk and later serving as editor-in-chief. Through AquaScope Media, he has since built an international publishing network that brings together contributors from across the global dive community, with a focus on thoughtful, well-crafted content spanning travel, science, conservation and technology. In addition to publishing X-Ray Magazine, he is involved in regional platforms such as Sportsdykkeren and co-organises the Scandinavian Dive Expo. His industry engagement includes international collaborations, partnerships and participation in judging panels. His contributions to dive media have been recognised with several international honours, including the EUF Jack Lavanchy Award and a DIWA Award for information and media.

Isabelle Croizeau a journalist specialising in the marine environment, is editor-in-chief of the magazine Plongez!, a leading French publication, as well as the new German magazine Oceans. She channels her expertise and curiosity into serving a readership passionate about the underwater world, whether they are beginner, experienced or professional divers.

Under her leadership, the magazines explore everything from the most beautiful dive sites to the latest developments in equipment, safety, training and ocean conservation. Her editorial approach places great emphasis on human stories, expedition accounts and the discovery of marine biodiversity.

Based in the south of France, she attaches particular importance to the conservation of the Mediterranean, notably by contributing to popular science books on Mediterranean biodiversity, published by Editions Turtle Prod.