The honor of an award from Beneath the Sea...

I was honored and humbled when members of our industry presented me with a 'Diver of the Year' award on March 23rd in Secaucus, New Jersey (just across the river from New York City).

Beneath the Sea is a well-organized, hugely attended show which not only allows the public access to many exhibitors but donates its proceeds to a variety of charities for children. It is a great credit to its founders, Armand and Joanne Zigahn.

Friends like Leslie Leaney of the Journal of Diving History and the Australian legend Valerie Taylor visited me in the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame booth. Valerie and her husband Ron were the first Australian stars of their own underwater TV series:

I spent the daytime hours welcoming visitors to the booth (sorry, this is a photo off a computer screen-Photo by Ed Kelly):

 After an enjoyable three days, I got on a plane and beat it out of town just as Winter Storm Victor began to snow on us. Safely back here in Vegas, I'll always remember that busy weekend!