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In the hey day of Cruise Ships, Scubahire Limited was contracted to provide diving services to passengers who often experienced the underwater world for the first time during their day in Suva.
Visitors such as these often returned to Fiji for extended diving holidays as a result of their introductory diving experience with Scubahire. Often at the same time, Scubahire's commercial divers were carrying out crucial underwater hull and propeller servicing and inspections of these large cruise ships.
By 1989 it had become obvious that an organization was necessary in Fiji to standardize procedures, lobby with Government and provide a united voice with which to pursue concerns on safety, professionalism and promotional issues. Thus was born the Fiji Dive Operators' Association (FDOA) whose first job of work was the drawing up of a consolidated and clear Constitution, Code of Ethics and Code of Practice.
An important requirement was a total ban on spear fishing by tourists and dive operators. The reasoning was to protect resources, avoid potential conflict over fishing rights areas and reduce accidents. This, together with concern over pollution, placed the diving industry in the forefront of environmental "green" issues. Lorraine and Dave were founder members of FDOA and Dave was its Founding President.
Recognizing the need for proper diver training, in 1990 Scubahire opened the first purpose-built Scuba Training Facility in Lami near Suva. The private classroom and multi-level pool provide a well-designed, workable base from which many students have learnt their basic, advanced and specialty diving skills, including hundreds of local divers. Many of these locals now have jobs within the diving industry in Fiji.
Protecting Beqa Lagoon against rapacity became an issue. Agitated by the collection and export of fragile and rare tropical fish from Beqa Lagoon, numerous letters of complaint from Scubahire Limited were written to Government requesting the banning of this practice.
Protecting the Lami foreshore, which is constantly threatened by haphazard development, became another issue into which the Evans' put their efforts by having petitions drawn up, signatures collected and presented to local Government.
Dave Evans continues to be outspoken over the need for proper diver training to avoid the unnecessary injuries and deaths which continue to occur to untrained Fijian divers in the beche-de-mer industry.
Re-printed with the permission of Dave and Lorraine Evans – Owners & Operators of Scubahire Limited
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