In 1963 an Australian couple, Lorraine and Dave Evans, visited Fiji on their 3-week honeymoon and stayed at the then-world-famous Korolevu Beach Hotel. They met the hotel's huge Fijian guide, Walai, who introduced them to coral reefs for the first time and that, for them, was the beginning of a fascination with the tropical underwater world and its exquisitely fragile creatures.
Within a few months, they had packed up and moved to Fiji where Lorraine joined Hunts Travel Service and Dave joined the Fiji Times as Advertising Manager. Weekends continued to be taken up with the excitement of exploring and photographing Fiji's amazing underwater world using the then-new self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) which allowed one the freedom to explore without dashing to the surface to breathe air. A small boat and compressor and diving equipment were purchased for private use, but pretty soon enthusiastic visitors and locals started knocking on the door wanting to be part of the adventure. And so in Suva in 1970, Scubahire Limited, the first diving operation in the tropical South Pacific, came into being and the hard work of developing the Diving Industry began. Underwater enthusiasts were considered a foolhardy breed of little consequence until the 1980s.
Determined to share the delightful turquoise shallows and mysterious indigo depths with anyone who was interested, Lorraine set up packaged diving tours and began convincing the sceptical tourism industry that there was a valid connection between the diving industry and the tourism industry. Meanwhile, Dave took care of operations and wrote his early "Downunder" diving columns in the local newspaper. The local Underwater Club was transferred into a branch of the internationally recognized British Sub-Aqua Club, with Lorraine and Dave as founding members and Dave as President. B.S.A.C. was patronized by the many British expatriates stationed in the former Colony of Fiji.
The B.S.A.C. flourished for 20 years before being overtaken by more aggressively marketed commercial training agencies such as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). The Evans' played a crucial role in the establishment of PADI in the Fiji Islands, and employed Fiji's first PADI instructor. A PADI-based Club, Suva Scuba, was set up to function alongside B.S.A.C.
The spread of SCUBA was assisted greatly by Scubahire's importation of quality diving equipment and compressors. Sales, service, training and advice to new operators encouraged the geographical spread of the industry. Scubahire's early branch operations at the Regent of Fiji and Lautoka Wharf came into being to service visitors to the West, but it was the diving at legendary Beqa Lagoon which captured the imagination and those branches were subsequently sold.
Early visiting divers were indeed fortunate to be amongst the first to dive Fiji's pristine reefs aboard famous 'Fiji Diver', 'Sundowner' and 'Beqa Diver'. Extended charters to all areas of Fiji were arranged by Scubahire aboard a variety of sleep-aboard vessels - 'Sta Reta', 'Mollie Dean, and 'Tau'. The trip from Suva to Beqa Lagoon proved too tedious, and so Beqa Divers at Pacific Harbour came into existence. In recent years, an estimated $500,000 has been invested in promoting Beqa Lagoon by Scubahire Ltd on overseas promotions, advertising, as well as hosting visiting journalists and influential underwater photographers.
Scubahire Limited was the first South Pacific Island exhibitor at overseas dive promotions such as Oceans in Canada, DEMA in U.S.A., and Diving Festival in Japan where educating the diving public on the geography of the South Pacific and Fiji in particular was a major, ongoing task.
The concept of co-operative advertising began with Scubahire's invitation to U.S. 'Skindiver' magazine's former editor, Bill Gleason. Special funding for niche marketing of the diving industry was obtained in the mid-1980s through Scubahire's representation on the Fiji Visitors Bureau Board. Fiji's profile as a diving destination was thus introduced to the U.S. market.
In the heyday 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 spearfishing 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 learned 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.
Always outspoken, Dave and Lorraine were vocal in their protests against the proposed dumping of toxic tailings from Namosi Copper Mine into their beloved Beqa Channel. They knew that the nutrients carried by upwelling currents from Beqa Channel fed the gorgeous array of soft corals for which Beqa Lagoon had become world famous. University of the South Pacific seminars became tense forums as the Evans' were accused of being anti-development. They stand fast on this issue insisting that Mine Owners 'find some other way' of solving the disposal problem.
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.
 PADI Professional Association of Diving Instructors. |
 DEMA Diving Equipment & Marketing Association. |
 FHA Fiji Hotel Association. Associate Member. |
 Women in Business, Suva. |
 ROTARY Rotary Club of Suva North. |
 SOFTA Society of Fiji Travel Agencies. |
 Fiji Dive Operators Association |
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GPO Box 777, Suva, Fiji Islands.
Phone (679) 336 l088. Fax (679) 336 l047.
Dave Evans 9969-246
Lorraine Evans 9927-770
e-mail: divefiji@connect.com.fj
FIRST IN FIJI DIVING - ESTABLISHED 1970