Scuba's famous
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from January 2002.
Brought to you by
The second annual ceremony took place at the. Harquail Theatre, honouring diving trailblazer and feminist icon Zale Parry; PADI founder John J. Cronin; president of the equipment company Oceanic, Bob Hollis; underwater photographer David Doubilet; the late Ivan Tors, underwater photographer rapher/cinematographer and a surprise award was presented to Paul Tzimoulis.
Tourism Minister, McKeeva Bush, addressed the audience, and Miss Cayman Islands, Shannon McLean, as-Continued on page 6 from page 1
sisted in the presentation of awards. The awards were designed by local artist Horatio Esteban. According to literature released at the time of the presentation, Ivan Tors was born 12 June 1916 and died 4 June 1983. Known as the man who created Sea Hunt, he launched his career in filmmaking during the early 1940s with his first story "Below the Deadline". He continued his films shot above water until 1958 when he pioneered underwater cinematography with "Underwater Warrior." This opened the door to the 1958 classic TV series "Sea Hunt", starring Lloyd Bridges, and paving the way for future underwater cinematography.
Bob Hollis started the company Oceanic more than 25 years ago, making camera housings, strobes, strobe housings and various U/W photo accessories, for the growing industry. The company known as Oceanic is aptly named because it is the result of one man's love of the sea, according to the Department of Tourism. For years he served on the Dive Equipment and Manufacturer's Association's (DEMA) executive committee. His contribution to diving has made exploring the oceans safer and more enjoyable for millions worldwide.
Zale Parry was a pioneer skin diver in 1947 and scuba diver in 1951. She's an aquatic specialist, early underwater equipment tester for Scientific Underwater Research Enterprises and hyperbaric science/research partner. She was one of the first certified scuba instructors, co-founder and co-producer of the International Film Festival, and was elected first woman president of the U/W Photographic Society in 1960. She is known as someone ultimately involved, who made a difference, and who encouraged thousands of people, men as well as women, to experience the underwater world.
John J. Cronin, co-founder of PADI, has be[en]. come one of the diving industry's most prominent figures, with over 30 years of experience in bringing people into the activity of scuba diving as the founder and CEO of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). PADI has over 100,000 professional instructors and retail members worldwide, operates in 175 countries and has affiliate subsidiaries in several countries. The operation is not only the largest professional association in the dive industry but the PADI retail Association and the PADI International Resort Association has in excess of 4,400 retail and resort members worldwide.
Mr. Cronin has also served as president of the board of directors for DEMA.
David Doubilet a contract freelance photographer for the National Geographic Society where he has been steadily working for 27 years. As a contract photographer, he has produced over 50 stories for the magazine, and his work has taken him all over the globe. In 1975 he was named Diver of the Year by the Boston Sea Rovers, received several mentions by the National Press Photographer's Association over the last decade and in 1993 was honoured in France by winning first place in the professional category of an international contest.
Paul Tzimoulis, a founding father of recreational diving, possesses an exceptionally wide range of experiences and is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the recreational diving industry in the US, as well as a significant influence to dive travel worldwide. His experiences cover the full breadth of today's diving industry, including retailing. He owned and operated one of the first East Coast retail dive stores called the East Haven Diving Centre in the late 1950's and has worked with retailers all over the US, developing promotional activities such as underwater film festivals, dive seminars and dive events.
