Alan Strong Presented with Maurie Vierow Award of Excellence 2026

The Maurie Vierow Award of Excellence is an annual award presented by ADAS to a trainer who has shown exceptional dedication to the support and training of people in the hyperbaric industry in a way that encourages high levels of safety, cooperation and skill.

Alan is the owner, managing director and lead ATAM (ADAS Training and Assessment Manager) of Commercial Dive Academy (CDA) in Tasmania, overseeing the training of hundreds of divers, supervisors and diver medical technicians every year.

CDA is currently the only school in the world that delivers internationally recognised Closed Bell (saturation) diver training, attracting students from across the globe to gain their certifications in this high risk industry. Alan’s dedication to ensuring CDA maintains high levels of safety across training sites and processes is recognised by this award.

Alan has been involved with ADAS for more than 20 years, as a commercial diver, diver trainer and dive school manager. He was part of the introduction of ADAS training into New Zealand in 2000 with Dive HQ, later known as NZ Commercial Diver Training Centre from 2007, which Alan operated until 2012. In 2018 Alan purchased The Underwater Centre Tasmania, which he relaunched as CDA. CDA now delivers commercial diver training in Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland. Alan continues as an active trainer with CDA, consistently receiving positive feedback from students.

In addition to his work as a trainer, Alan was also a member of the ADAS Board of Directors from 2012-2021, contributing to ADAS governance, projects and growth. ADAS congratulates Alan on receiving this award after many active years in the hyperbaric industry in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.