(DiverWire) The presentation of the annual DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award is a highly anticipated event at the Beneath the Sea dive show. This year’s ceremony will continue the tradition of being worthy of the excitement, as the 2012 award recipient is an industry legend: Dr. Alex Brylske.
“The purpose of the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award is to celebrate those who make a significant contribution to dive safety or the mission of DAN,” said Dan Orr, president of DAN and chairman of the award selection committee. “Education is at the heart of dive safety, and no one personifies education more than Alex Brylske.”
An educator, author and marine conservationist, Brylske’s career and contributions to dive safety have spanned more than 30 years. As a dive instructor he has educated thousands of divers, both in person and as a program and materials developer for PADI. He has played a key role in educating the educators, not only through his work with PADI, but also through his long-standing association with ProDive USA. As a writer, Brylske has authored several books and hundreds of articles; he currently serves as the senior editor of Dive Training magazine, introducing countless new divers to safe diving practices.
But his work doesn’t stop with the divers themselves, he also works tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of the environment they love to explore. During the course of his career, he has worked with both government and non-government agencies working to protect coral reefs.
“What Alex shares – whether through teaching, his writing or conservation efforts – all serves to give divers the education and knowledge they need to stay safe, “said Orr. “There is no way to measure the impact the information he has imparted and made available to divers worldwide. But there is a way to acknowledge it, and it’s why we are proud to present him with this year’s DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award.”
Brylske will be celebrated at the award ceremony taking place on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at the Divers of the Year banquet. Winners of the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year Award receive a plaque and a specially engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual dive watch. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the award.
