The Fish Award is one of the Cave Diving Group’s highest honours, recognising exceptional service and contribution to the Group.
The award began in 2010 in memory of Mike “Fish” Jeanmaire, who served as Chairman of the CDG for over thirty years. During his time as Chairman, he helped shape the organisation through decades of exploration, development, and change.
The CDG presents the Award annually to a member who has made a significant contribution to the Group and its members. The award recognises service through areas such as exploration, training, mentoring, publications, administration, rescue support, and the many unseen efforts that help maintain the CDG.
A committee of previous award winners selects each recipient. The presentation traditionally takes place during the annual CDG AGM dinner.
Since its introduction, the Award has celebrated individuals whose dedication and commitment have helped support and advance British cave diving.
Fish Award Winners
This annual Cave Diving Group award is administered by the growing number of previous holders of the “three fish” trophy. The intention is to recognise a particular member’s contribution to the furtherance of the Group’s activities and status. The award commemorates the lake Mike “Fish” Jeanmaire, who always had the CDG’s best interests at heart…
Russell Carter This year’s recipient has been a member of the Derbyshire Section for over four decades and also the Northern Section for much of that time. (As such he knew Mike “Fish” Jeanmaire very well, who would no doubt have been pleased by what follows.) He played a major role in many significant diving…
Paul Whybro The Fish Award has been made annually since 2012 in memory of the late Mike Jeanmaire or ‘Fish’ who served as CDG Chairman for 30 years. It is awarded to those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the CDG rather than to cave diving in general. It is determined by…
Colin is the epitome of a Fish award winner if you look at the requirements: This is awarded annually to a member who has made a significant contribution to the CDG. Whilst the nature of the contribution is not precisely defined, the guiding principle is that the individual should have served the CDG rather than…
British cave divers have achieved truly great things and since 1946 have organised ourselves under the banner of the CDG, which provides the framework for our activities. An organisation like ours does not come from nothing or maintain itself and since 2012 the Group has made an annual award in honour of Mike Jeanmaire, Fish,…
The Fish Award has been made annually since 2012 in memory of the late Mike Jeanmaire or ‘Fish’ who served as CDG Chairman for 30 years. It is awarded to those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the CDG. Secondly, it is determined by the previous recipients, so it is a true…
Jeanmaire or ‘Fish’ who served as CDG Chairman for 30 years. I want to say two things about the award. Firstly, it is awarded to those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the CDG. Secondly, it is determined by the previous recipients, so it is a true recognition by your peers. The…
At the 2018 AGM the Fish Award was given to David Brock. David has served the CDG as Secretary for many years, and in that time he has expertly guided the Group through many constitutional issues, and has spent countless hours on onerous tasks which enable the Group to modernise and adapt to changing social…
When I received the award last year I wondered who should get it next. I was torn between two members who have both used their ambassadorial skills and diplomacy to the Group’s benefit. The pair very much come as an “item” and both have served the CDG individually by taking on roles in its organisation…
The Fish Award for 2016 was presented to Duncan Price at the 2016 AGM. Duncan joined the CDG in the mid-1980s and seems to have stayed. I have known Duncan since he joined and was the examiner for his pool test on a dark, wet night in Yate piggybacking onto a BSAC club’s training night.…
