Meet Sami Paakkarinen, one of the speakers joining us at Diving Talks 2026.
Sami is a Finnish technical and cave diving educator, instructor trainer, expedition leader and rescue diver. He has been diving since 1995 and has spent more than two decades training divers while taking part in demanding cave and deep-wreck expeditions around the world.
But Sami’s experience goes well beyond exploration.
As a Finnish Coast Guard officer and maritime search and rescue diver, he works in complex underwater operations where planning, training, teamwork and decision-making can have very real consequences.
Most recently, Sami was part of the specialist DAN Europe cave-diving team involved in the recovery operation following the tragic diving accident in the Maldives — an experience that brings an especially important perspective to Diving Talks 2026.
🎥 In this episode of Let’s Talk About Diving, meet Sami and discover the experience behind one of the voices we will hear in Lisbon this October.
What can technical and cave diving teach us about preparation, risk, human performance and decision-making when things go wrong?
Watch his introduction and tell us what you would most like to hear Sami discuss at Diving Talks.
"Let’s Talk About Diving" is a speaker introduction series leading up to Diving Talks 2026, where some of the most respected voices in the underwater world come together to share ideas, stories, and inspiration.
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