The thrill of seeing divers discover the wonders of Scuba for the first time is what makes being a divemaster worth it for James Dudley of Red Sail Sports. He knows that feeling more than most, as he focuses on teaching the disabled.

After obtaining a degree in hotel management, James worked as a food and beverage manager at Hyatt and Hilton properties in Asia and Australia.
His introduction to diving came during a trip to Jamaica with his parents and what began as a resort course ended with him qualifying as an advanced diver in less than two weeks.

Although he returned to the hospitality industry, after finishing his rescue diver certification in Malaysia, James decided to focus on diving.

He began a divemaster internship at a shop in Jersey, Channel Islands, where he also gained his instructor certification.

Once fully qualified, James got his first job as an instructor on an island in the Maldives so small it only took 15 minutes to walk the entire coastline.
Although it was picture perfect, island fever set in quickly and after six months of living there, he could take it no longer. A brief stint in the Bahamas followed before he moved to the Cayman Islands in 1997.

James began at the Cayman Diving School and then joined Red Sail Sports in 2000.Although he is an instructor, boat captain and course director, his proudest accomplishment is being a pro-trainer, qualified to teach the disabled. His passion is promoting diving for mentally and physically challenged residents in Cayman. Students at the Lighthouse School are invited to participate on a regular basis – an experience that has proven to be incredibly therapeutic for children and adults. To see them revel in the weightlessness of water and gasp at the views beneath the waves is an absolutely priceless moment that James would not trade for anything.

He is also actively involved in promoting diving in the schools, raising awareness about the delicate marine environment and encouraging students to learn how to scuba dive. Every year, kids from government and private schools are given the chance to participate in a programme that offers an open water certification. This award-winning instructor (Watersports Employee of the Year, 2008 Stingray Tourism Awards) is proof-positive that following your dream is a good thing and when followed to its full potential, it can spread joy further than you ever thought possible.   WH

James’ top dive sites

Penny’s Arch – North Side
This is a nice shallow site reached by boat and located on the right hand side of the Rum Point cut. The pin is in 30 feet of water and immediately under the boat you’ll notice purple sea fans. Once you reach the pin, look forward to see the arch. There are gorgonians, sea fronds and schools of yellowtail snapper, schoolmasters and blue-striped grunts to be found here. Look for lobsters in the nooks and crannies. You could also spot a nurse shark or eagle ray. The reef is a half-moon shape with fingers of coral reaching out like sun rays.

Anchor Point – East Side/Wall Site
The pin is in 60 feet of water. Turn left when you reach it and you will see a crevice, which leads to a swimthrough that usually houses a curious green moray eel. The swimthrough will pop you out of the wall at about 85 feet. Turn left and about 100 yards along you will see a barrel sponge that looks so remarkably like a face that it is known as Spongebob Barrelspongepants. This site is littered with soft sponges and coral. You could see turtles, horse-eyed jacks, eagle rays and maybe even a rogue reef shark. The wall is sheer so you get a great sense of the abyss below.
Don’t forget your safety stops!