News
Cayman dive innovators selected for International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame
Three dive pioneers of the Cayman Islands will soon find their names in the 2015 International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF). Gladys Howard, Nancy Easterbrook and the late Dr James “Jimmie” Poulson will be recognised at the induction ceremony this October.
In 1986 Howard had the vision to create a unique dive resort on Little Cayman and became the owner of Pirates Point Resort. Beyond her passion for the dive industry, Howard has been a pioneer for developing sustainable tourism in the Cayman Islands and promoting environmental causes. Known for her efforts to fight against the invasive lionfish species and to move the town dump, in its place she created the National Trust Building that now houses the community visitor centre for Little Cayman. Howard also created the annual Easter Auction, an event that garners approximately CI$50,000 annually.
The funds raised go towards the preservation of land, repairs to the National Trust Building, or printing signs to raise awareness of the indigenous iguanas that reside on Little Cayman. Howard has been awarded many honours, including the Badge of Honour and a National Trust Caymanite Octopus that was hand carved to honour her many environmental and preservation efforts in Little Cayman.
The late Dr Poulson opened the successful medical practice, Cayman Clinic, on Crewe Road. Poulson advanced the crucial medical care for divers by helping set up the first hyperbaric chamber on Grand Cayman, used for the treatment of decompression sickness. Originally the chamber was situated at the George Town Hospital but when the hospital needed the space it was moved behind the Cayman Clinic.
The British Sub-Aqua Club ran it from the early 1970’s until 1996, when it was taken over by John and Ann Elliott. Because of Poulson’s contribution and the many, many free hours he put into helping the volunteers operate the hyperbaric chamber there is a popular dive site on Grand Cayman named after him – “The Doc Poulson”.
The Doc Poulson was the first purpose sunk vessel in the Cayman Islands. It was originally a Japanese cable laying ship and was sunk in Grand Cayman in 1981 to create an artificial reef on Seven Mile Beach. The 70 ft. long wreck sits upright in about 50 to 60 feet of water and is a part of the Islands’ diving history.
Easterbrook started diving in 1973 and instantly developed a passion for the sport. She moved with her two children, Brandee and Walker, to Grand Cayman in 1994 and started Divetech. Easterbrook is consider a pioneer in technical diving, rebreathers and the sport of breath-hold free diving in Cayman, including co-authoring training manuals for students to learn free diving. She is the founder of Inner Space, celebrating its 9th year, which brings together Rebreather divers from around the world to share knowledge and friendship.
Easterbrook has devoted the past 20 years to exploring all that diving has to offer and has championed many causes for environmental awareness in the marine and terrestrial environment. Her latest achievement was an 8-year project to bring the Kittiwake to Cayman as an artificial reef, which came to fruition in 2011 and is now one of the most popular dive sites in the destination.
Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell stated, “It is quite a privilege to select local honourees to this prestige Hall of Fame. Each year it becomes more and more apparent that the local contribution to dive and watersports has been significant both for the destination and globally. We are proud to recognise these individuals as pioneers, innovators, and inventors, as the best in their field and to place their names alongside other individuals who have been recognised over the years for their outstanding contributions to the dive industry.”
Tourism Director Rosa Harris added, “These individuals have devoted much of their lives to the diving industry in the Cayman Islands and to ensuring that our magnificent underwater environment is accessible to ever increasing numbers of avid water sports and dive enthusiasts. Their respective contributions have solidified that the Cayman Islands retain its reputation as one of the best diving locations in the world and for their efforts the destination is extremely grateful.”
Founded in 2000 by the Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism, the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame recognises international and local Cayman pioneers who have made outstanding contributions to the recreational scuba diving industry.
Source: cnsbusiness.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
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SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
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More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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