Public dives in with local scuba nominations
Stephen Broadbelt
(CNS Local Life): For the first time in the history of the event, members of the public have chosen outstanding local contributors to the dive industry of the Cayman Islands who will be bestowed the local honouree award at this year’s International Scuba Diving Hall Of Fame (ISDHF). The nominations have been collected and the names are in. The 2016 local honourees are Gerald Wilcocks, Wallace Rivers, Anthony Scott and Steve Broadbelt.
Wilcocks was an early pioneer in the local dive industry, arriving from Jamaica in the 1960s and starting his own dive business, Cayman Islands Divers. He also assisted in the construction of a decompression chamber.
Gerald Wilcocks
One for the first Caymanians to work in the dive industry, becoming a divemaster in 1975, Rivers had a long career. He’s worked with other well-known divemasters such as Captain Butch at SeaSports. Rivers started his own company, Rivers Sport Divers Ltd.
Wallace Rivers
Hailing from Cayman Brac, Scott was an important figure in the beginning of the scuba diving and watersports industry in the Sister Islands in the 1960s, assisting with setting up and managing the first dive shop on Cayman Brac at the Buccaneers Inn.
Anthony Scott
Broadbelt is the founder of the Dive 365 programme, past president of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) and a serving board member of the CITA watersports sector. Broadbelt has contributed to the development and promotion of diving in East End.
Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell noted: “This year’s group of local honourees have provided a significant contribution to the local dive and watersports industry in the Cayman Islands. The significance of being selected in 2016 means so much more because these leaders were chosen by members of the public.”
On the Department of Tourism’s website, people were able to nominate a figure that they believed had a significant impact on the local dive industry. The ISDHF board of directors then examined nominations for authenticity and merit, and thus the four influential locals were chosen.
The ceremony will be held 30 September at Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort.
Category: Marine Environment
