By Bethany Lawler
RIVIERA BEACH, FL – The City of Riviera Beach (City) and the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) are excited to welcome the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) to dive and explore the famed Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park on Saturday, March 23, 2019. The divers chose the Blue Heron Bridge because of its distinction by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Sport Diver magazine as the best dive site in the world in 2013. This dive will be the 60th anniversary of the organization’s Spring Dive.
The festivities begin on Friday, March 22, 2019 when NABS divers will board the Narcosis with Captain Alex for a look at picturesque local reefs and dive sites. That evening, participants will gather at Riviera Beach Marina Village Event Center for an exclusive reception. On Saturday morning divers will meet at Phil Foster Park at 10 a.m. for a show and tell with interested youth to demonstrate diving equipment and discuss the education and certification requirements to dive safely. The divers will then lead a dive. The public is invited to attend both the demonstration and the morning dive.
“We are honored and excited that NABS has chosen our City as the location for their 60th anniversary dive,” said Annetta Jenkins, Director of Neighborhood Services for the Riviera Beach CRA.
“We hope this event will inspire our area youth to explore the wonders of diving right in their own backyard,” said Debrah Hall, Administrative Clerk for the City and visit liaison.
“Discover the Palm Beaches is thrilled to see this first annual event showcasing the exquisite marine life at Phil Foster Park,” said Jorge Pesquera, CEO, Discover the Palm Beaches.
Divers can expect to see a diversity of marine life including seahorses and pipefish of all sizes and colors, octopus, including the Atlantic long arm, sea robins, flying gurnards, batfish, frogfish, stargazers, and over 100 different species that live in the ocean.
About NABS
NABS was established in 1991 by Ric Powell and Dr. A. Jose Jones. Ric Powell and Dr. Jones were two of the earliest African Americans to become certified divers. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of NABS, an organization dedicated to the purpose of fostering camaraderie among African American divers and addressing the unique concerns of the African American community. Since its founding, NABS has grow to over 3,000 members across the country and internationally with an active mailing list of over 900 members. Part of the NABS vision is to promote scuba diving, water sport achievement, environmental awareness and conservation, help develop educational programs that will stimulate interest, and provide scholarships for college students studying marine and environmental sciences.
About the Riviera Beach CRA
The Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) mission is to guide the City’s redevelopment efforts. The CRA makes investments of public funds in key infrastructure improvement projects that can act as a catalyst for attracting private funding and development, creating jobs and helping improve the quality of life for City residents. The CRA is at the heart of the dramatic transformations underway within its district.
The NABS Annual Spring Dive Event is sponsored by the Riviera Beach CRA, CDC and the City of Riviera Beach as well as Florida Black Sports Hall of Fame, ICYG, The Palm Beach Cunty Sports Commission, Discover the Palm Beaches, Cheney Brothers, Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation, Riviera Beach Parks & Recreation, and McCray’s Barbecue.
For more information, contact Annetta Jenkins at (561) 844-.3408 or ajenkins@rbcra.com.
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