DATELINE :- 6th March 2000
Diver Awards
They are the champions!
You've had your say in the final Diver Awards of the 20th century, and for the next 12 months at least, those you voted for can claim to rule the roost. So which brand, product, dive centre, tour operator, shop and publication triumphed? And who collects the dreaded Wooden Weightbelt?
As usual there were some surprises when readers voted for their favourites in the Diver Awards. However, it was no surprise that the winner of Brand of the Year was once again last year's winner and 1997 runner-up Mares. The Italian manufacturer was closely followed by Apeks, famous for regulators and valves, and AP Valves, maker of Buddy BCs.
All three companies have been at the forefront of new diving product development, and since Mares became part of the Head Tyrolia Mares conglomerate, HTM has dedicated a huge part of its resources to research and development.
This in turn has seen a constant flow of new and high-quality products into the marketplace, including the Ruby regulator, 1997 winner of Innovation of the Year, and the Plana Avanti Quattro fins, which have been the unassailed premium-priced brand leader in fins for some years.
Mark Jenkins, Managing Director of Blandford Sub-Aqua, the UK importer of Mares products, said: "We were delighted to receive the Brand of the Year Award in 1998 and were determined to win the trophy again in 1999.
"This year Mares produced more new high-quality products, including the Tutor and Surveyor computers, and together with our excellent sales team they ensure that Mares stays number one. To be awarded this trophy for a second year running is a tribute to the efforts of all concerned, and we would like to thank all the readers of Diver and all those people astute enough to buy Mares products during last year."
Of course, those businesses with direct access to the public have the opportunity to marshal their voters, and there was a huge response in both the Dive Centre of the Year and Retailer of the Year categories - both of which were won by the same outfit.
Runners-up for Dive Centre of the Year were Stoney Cove, that famous inland facility in Leicestershire, and ever-popular Emperor Divers in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, who have been worthy runners-up for three years running now.
Runners up for Retailer of the Year were Aberdeen Watersports in Scotland and SDS Watersports in Sheffield, winner of the 1997 award and a close contender last year.
However, the Deep Blue Dive Centre in Tynemouth, a relatively new business started by three young men as recently as 1997, obviously enjoys considerable local support, sweeping the board as both centre and retail outlet.
"We are delighted at winning both these awards," Scott Bisset of Deep Blue Diving told us. "It's something we have been given by our customers, rather than the other way around. We asked them all to vote for us and had Diver magazine prominently displayed on the counter. We wanted to win and we pulled out all the stops to do so."
The Deep Blue Dive Centre is obviously a good example of what can be done. It combines the functions of a shop and school, has an equipment service and hire department, and runs its own boat.
John-Paul Gardner, Lewis Rana and Scott Bisset met through another local dive centre, and decided that they could do better. Since they started their business they have won a number of awards, including two from the Prince's Trust for customer service and the North-east Retailer of the Year Award from North Tyneside Council. Other retailers and dive centres had better watch out - these guys obviously mean business!
Travel Operator of the Year was - yes, Regal Diving. The company could almost claim to own this award, because it has won it every year since the Diver Awards began.
Goldenjoy Sports and Hayes & Jarvis both have their feet in the door as runners-up, but Regal was the clear winner, with about half the entire vote, showing that it has developed a loyal client base which is not afraid to stand up and be counted.
Regal Diving is a family business, run by Andy and Maggie Telford, and it's small when compared to the giants of the travel trade. However, it is a joint-principal aircraft charterer which operates two of its own flights to Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt each week. It also has Cuba and the Cayman Islands, the Maldives, Indonesia and Gozo, among others, in its portfolio of popular destinations.
"We are delighted and honoured to have won this award again," said Marketing Director Maggie Telford. "We want to thank all our suppliers - hotels, dive centres and airlines - for helping us to achieve this, and many thanks to all our customers for taking the time out to support us."
Many readers ignored the rules and voted for Diver as Publication of the Year. Much as we appreciate the sentiment, it would be immodest of us to award ourselves the trophy.
The qualifying publication to win most votes was the PADI Encyclopaedia of Recreational Diving CD-Rom. Runners-up were another PADI publication, the Digital Instructor Manual, and Trevor Norton's book about the extraordinary lives of the pioneers of diving, Stars Beneath the Sea.
We asked John Weinberg, principal of busy London PADI school Scuba Training, what he felt made the Encyclopaedia CD so worthwhile. "It has fantastic video clips," he said, citing one one which demonstrated "smashing a cylinder from a block of aluminium and shaping another cylinder from a dustbin-lid size piece of steel"!
"We are delighted to win Publication of the Year," said Mark Caney from PADI International. "PADI spent a long time making it the most up-to-date and comprehensive reference tool in recreational scuba diving and we are very proud of this recognition of our efforts."
Innovation of the Year is always an exciting category, both to consider and to vote for. Last year the Buddy Inspiration closed-circuit rebreather won, and we were hoping for something equally revolutionary this time. We were not disappointed. The Scubapro-Uwatec Neverlost was the clear winner.
This is an ultra-sonic navigation system that uses a beacon unit and a diver unit (see Diver Tests). It's too early to say how well it will be accepted in the marketplace but Mick Robertson of Scubapro UK was very enthusiastic.
"Scubapro is pleased to win this award and thanks Diver and its readers for their on-going support," he said. "Not since the introduction of diving computers has there been a product with the potential to revolutionise the way we dive, designed to lead you to a dive site or back to your boat or shotline in the poorest of visibility. The Neverlost system will eliminate anxiety and stress caused during underwater navigation."
The Suunto Vyper multi-function diving computer is already proving a popular purchase and came a close second. The Dacor Viper regulator was also a runner-up.
A novel award was for the Wooden Weightbelt of the Year. This was for the person, company, product or organisation that caused you displeasure in 1999.
Predictably, the vote was fragmented, and there were few subjects which received more than a single vote from a reader with an axe to grind. However, that meant that nearly every possible product, manufacturer or personality got mentioned. Even Diver's own John Bantin was there with a solitary vote from one of you!
A few got more than a handful of votes, but we suppose it was no surprise that the British Sub-Aqua Club swept the board in this category. Voters mostly cited its well-publicised financial mismanagement, though one or two were clearly incensed by the policy of insisting that the over-50s should take an annual diving medical.
"Obviously I'm unhappy to receive this award," said Chairman Phil Harrison. "But I do feel that since the difficulties that came to light early in 1999, significant changes have been made to improve the club, all with the support of our members, and partners.
"We have restructured the finances, cutting out cost and improving control. The revised structure of HQ and Council make sure we are more effective and deliver the service that our members and schools require."
And he clearly values input, positive or negative: "While all of these activities have been communicated regularly, if any member has further feedback, please send it to me c/o HQ or e-mail me direct at Chairman@BSAC.com
"Our clear aim is to ensure that all our members, staff and business partners remain proud to belong to the best diving club in the world."
The winners of the Diver Awards were guests at a celebration dinner at London's Groucho Club, and presentations will be made at the London International Dive Show, held at Olympia over 25/26 March.