News articles in People

Project AWARE Welcomes New Executive Director

(Dive Travel Business News - April 20, 2012) -- Project AWARE Foundation is honored to welcome Alex Earl as Executive Director. A committed marine conservationist and enthusiastic diver, Alex has lived and worked in four countries and dived in many regions of the world including the Philippines, Australia, Tanzania, Fiji, Tahiti, Canada and the United States.

Alex draws from an extensive background in global non-profit management, strategic planning, program development, campaigning, fundraising, and business development as well as extensive cross-cultural and international experience. Earl has learned first-hand that the challenges of protecting and conserving the marine ecosystems that provide these experiences are growing exponentially year by year. read more »

Diving Legend Neal Watson Re-elected President of the Bahamas Diving Association.

THE BAHAMAS—JANUARY 24, 2012— Dive legend and businessman Neal Watson has been re-elected for another two-year term as President of the Bahamas Diving Association.

Stuart Cove, owner of Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas in Nassau and Stuart Cove’s Tiger Beach Safaris on Grand Bahama Island, was re-elected vice president.

Watson and celebrated marine artist, scientist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey joined forces last year to open Neal Watson’s Dive Bimini at the Bimini Big Game Club in Alice Town. read more »

DivEncounters "Alliance" Debuts at DEMA Show 2011

Founder Peter Hughes Launches Luxury Live-aboard Partnership

(Dive Travel Business News - Nov 10, 2011) -- Founded in 2011 by dive industry veteran Peter A. Hughes, the DivEncounters Alliance debuted at the trade-only DEMA Show 2011 in Orlando Florida, November 2-5. The DiveEncounters Alliance is a worldwide partnership of like-minded independent luxury live-aboard operators who are located in the world's most highly sought after dive destinations.

With 40 years in the recreational dive industry, and the past 25 years spent building his former live-aboard company, Peter Hughes Diving, Inc. Peter Hughes left the Dancer Fleet in 2010. Retaining his luxury live-aboard Galapagos Sky, Hughes created the DivEncounters alliance with longstanding and highly experienced individual operators with vessels that include: the M/V Orion (Maldives), the Undersea Hunter Group (with boats in Cocos Island Costa Rica and Malpelo, Columbia), M S/V Waow (Indonesia) and the M/V Solmar V (Socorro Islands and Guadelupe Island, Mexico). read more »

Industry Pro's New Position Encourages Responsible Travel and Adaptive Adventure Programs

(Dive Travel Business News - November 8, 2011) -- After seven years of business, and twice being recognized as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Businesses in the Philadelphia area, Indian Valley Scuba is changing leadership. Founder David Valaika recently announced his decision to turn over the reigns of the Northeast’s leading dive center to the team he built.

The change will allow Valaika to focus on projects closer to his heart, especially his altruistic work in developing Adaptive Diving Programs through the non-profit charity he founded in 2006, IAHD-Americas (www.iahd-americas.org). read more »

New Leader at the Helm at Caribbean Dive Tours

New Owner Shawn Exnicious at Caribbean Dive Tours

(Dive Travel Business News - October 14, 2011) -- Shawn Exnicious is taking over the helm at dive travel wholesale company Caribbean Dive Tours. The change comes on the heels of the announcement that Ron Grzelka, President and owner of Caribbean Dive Tours / Worldwide Dive Tours (CDT) will be retiring.

Former dive store owner of Atlanta Scuba & Swim Academny (now Atlanta Scuba and Swim Centers), Grzelka started Caribbean Dive Tours 23 years ago with the concept of providing dive travel services to the dive center that didn’t compete for his dive store customers. CDT continues with that same business model today, working with dive retailers and not competing against them. Over the years, this U.S. travel wholesaler, tour operator and agency has grown to represent over 200 dive resorts, hotel & dive operations, and liveaboard vessels in the Caribbean and in the South Pacific. read more »

Handicapped Scuba Association Celebrates 30th Anniversary in 2011

(Dive Travel Business News - June 3, 2011) -- The Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA) is celebrating 30 years this year as the world’s leading authority on scuba diving for people with disabilities. Founded in 1981, the Handicapped Scuba Association has dedicated to improving the physical and social well being of people with disabilities through the sport of scuba diving, and in doing so has become the worldwide leading authority in this field.

With over 5000 underwater educators, scuba divers with disabilities and supporting members located in over 50 countries, the Handicapped Scuba Association is dedicated to assuring that people with disabilities are given the same opportunity to receive quality training, certification and dive adventures as the able-boded population. read more »

Caribbean Dive Tours / Worldwide Dive Tours Announces Partnership

Shawn Exnicious New Managing Partner at Caribbean Dive Tours

(Dive Travel Business News - May 27, 2010) -- Ron Grzelka, President and owner of Caribbean Dive Tours / Worldwide Dive Tours (CDT) recently announced the appointment of Shawn Exnicious as Managing Partner. Ms. Exnicious has worked with CDT for the past five years as an agent and now has become a partner with Grzelka to take over the leadership and guide CDT into the future.

Shawn Exnicious brings to the leadership role over 15 years of experience in the dive travel market working with Aggressor Fleet before joining CDT. Ron Grzelka said “Shawn has the experience and the relationship in and out of the industry to take CDT to a new level.” read more »

Industry Loses Longtime Dive Travel Specialist

Longtime Dive Travel Specialist Terri Dold of Scuba Travel Ventures

(Dive Travel Business News April 14, 2011) -- A long time Travel Agent and friend to many in our industry, Terrie Dold passed away most unexpectedly, shorty after five p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2011 after suffering a cerebral aneurysm on Sunday morning from which she was unable to recover. Terri and her husband Gene became Travel Agents for Scuba Travel Ventures in San Diego after owning and operating their own business, Aqua Dreams Travel, for many years.

Terri was born in Fontana, California and defined the term, "A Lust for Life." She traveled the world as a travel industry professional and avid diver. Terri and Gene, well known in the dive industry and have been selling adventure dive travel since 1994. A love for adventure and a spirit of fun abounded in Terri, whether it was for traveling, scuba diving, or motor cycle riding.

Saint Lucia Tourist Board welcomes Karolin Troubetzkoy as association president

(Dive Travel Business News - March 15, 2011) -- The Saint Lucia Tourist Board is welcoming the appointment of distinguished hotelier Karolin Troubetzkoy as President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA).

Troubetzkoy, executive director of marketing and operations of the award-winning Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts in the southern town of Soufrière, assumes leadership of the private sector body from Elite Island Resorts' Anthony Bowen who served the association honourably over the past two years.

Speaking from the ITB Berlin travel trade show in her native Germany, Troubetzkoy said she looks forward to helping build meaningful public-private sector partnerships across the industry, improving the use of social media for communication among SLHTA's membership and boosting Saint Lucia's marketing and public relations charge in the marketplace. read more »

Ten Outstanding Women Honored at Beneath The Sea Dive & Travel Expo

(Dive Travel Business News - March 23, 2011) --- Dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions of women divers, the Women Divers Hall of Fame™ (WDHOF) is an international, non-profit, professional honor society whose member contributions span a wide variety of fields including: The Arts, Science, Medicine, Exploration & Technology, Marine Archeology, Business, Media, Training & Education, Safety, Commercial & Military Diving, Free Diving, and Underwater Sports.

The Women Divers hall of Fame recently announced the selection of ten new Members who will be inducted into the Hall at the Beneath The Sea Dive & Travel Expo Awards Banquet at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey on Saturday March 26, 2011 (). These outstanding professionals will constitute the WDHOF Class of 2011: read more »