Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Designated as 2017 Cayman Islands International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame Pioneer Award Recipient
Organisation to be Honoured for Outstanding Contributions at Annual ISDHF Ceremony in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, November 22, 2016 – On Thursday, November 17, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) announced the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) as a 2017 Pioneer Award recipient for the CIDOT’s International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) at the annual Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) trade show in Las Vegas. The Pioneer Award honours innovators in the industry and PADI will be officially inducted for its safety contributions to scuba diving during a special awards ceremony and dinner to be held in Grand Cayman on September 29, 2017.

PADI was founded in 1966 by John Cronin, a scuba equipment salesman for U.S. Divers (now Aqua Lung) and Ralph Erickson, an educator and swimming instructor. Cronin and Erickson, seeing the need for a formal association dedicated to recreational diving instruction and certification, spent more than two decades building their membership base and introduced the first PADI Open Water Diver certification course in 1972. Today, PADI is the world’s largest scuba diving training association and has awarded more than 23 million diving certifications and features more than 6,200 dive centers internationally.

To learn more about the 2017 ISDHF ceremony and inductees, please visit the following link: visitcaymanislands.com/eventsoffers/scubadivinghalloffame.aspx.

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Images from CIDOT’s 2017 ISDHF Announcement at DEMA Show 2016

Caption: Drew Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of PADI Worldwide (left) and Leslie Leaney, Executive Director of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (right) speak to attendees at the 2016 DEMA Show during the 2017 International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame announcement ceremony. (Photo Credit: Karl Shreeves)

Caption: Kristin Valette, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, PADI (left); Drew Richardson, President and Chief Executive Office, PADI (middle); and Leslie Leaney, Executive Director of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (right) speak to DEMA show attendees. (Photo Credit: Karl Shreeves)

The Cayman Islands features some of the world’s best diving excursions, with each of the three islands offering different diving adventures for all skill levels. Having received countless awards for Best Overall Dive Destination in the Caribbean and Atlantic, the Cayman Islands is also home to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, recognising dive industry pioneers since its inception in 2000. The destination is also renowned for its calm clear waters, which offer superb visibility for snorkelling and other underwater experiences.

Located 480 miles south of Miami in the vibrant tranquillity of western Caribbean, this trio of tiny islands is a premier destination for discriminating travellers, divers, honeymooners and families. World renowned for its idyllic beaches and recognised as a sophisticated, diverse and memorable tourist destination, the Cayman Islands offers spectacular recreational opportunities along with warm, impeccable service. To learn more about the Cayman Islands, please go to visitcaymanIslands.com or www.divecayman.ky or call your local travel agent.