Peter A Hughes to receive 2018 NOGI for 'Distinguished Service'
The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences has announced that Peter A Hughes is to be inducted into the 2018 Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) Fellow Program by receiving an NOGI Award for ‘Distinguished Service’.
This award is presented to "world-renowned divers, as well as the quiet achievers whose professional, volunteer and / or private work and contributions has had a major impact on the diving industry and kept the wheels of the diving industry and the global diving community turning." Other recipients if this particular NOGI include Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir John Rawlins.
Peter A Hughes has a 50 year career in recreational diving. Along with his wife Alice, Peter has been instrumental in revolutionising resort and liveboard diving. The couple were one of the first to install of permanent mooring systems, and they put customer service at the forefront of their dive operations. The Hughes' realised that one key sector of the market was overlooked - female divers - and they made relevant changes and offered a "we do it for you" service for all customers.
After 15 years of resort operations, Peter moved into the liveboard dive business with his first vessel Sea Dancer and set a new standard in what was basically a hard core boy's club. He listened to Alice and continued his policy of attracting high end and female divers because the Dancer boats provided comfort and convenience. He replaced bunks with suites and continued the permanent mooring policy. Unsurprisingly Peter grew his Dancer Fleet into a worldwide operation.
In 2008 he stepped back and moved into consulting for liveaboard ops. After a long successful relationship with Galapogos Sky, Peter is now focused on helping develop the Pelagic Fleet into one of the world's premier liveaboard operations.
2018 NOGI Award Winners
Peter A Hughes will recieve the 'Distinguished Service' NOGI award at the 58th Annual NOGI Awards Gala, held during the DEMA Show in November 2018.
Joining Peter are four other NOGI Awardees: Sally Bauer, 'Sports and Education' NOGI; astronaut Dr. Michael Gernhardt, 'Science' NOGI; John Ogden PhD., 'Environment' NOGI and photographer Marty Snyderman, 'Arts' NOGI.
The NOGI Awards
The NOGI Awards are acknowledged as the oldest and most prestigious in the diving industry, yet they are probably the least well known. They are given to a select group of divers and undersea visionaries who rank at the top of their fields in arts, science, sports/education, environment, and distinguished service.