From his first days diving in the U.S. ­Marine Corps to his current stint ­trotting the globe aboard his beloved ­Aggressor yachts, Wayne Hasson has ­always been a trailblazer. Known as a key figure in the early days of ­recreational diving in the Cayman Islands, Hasson helped establish more than 100 moored dive sites for others to enjoy. He went on to solidify Aggressor Fleet as a household name in dive travel worldwide, and serve on the NAUI and DEMA boards of directors, among numerous other accolades. We caught up with Beneath the Sea’s 2018 Legend of the Sea to discuss his career in the industry.

Q: How does it feel to be named a Legend of the Sea?

A: I’m very honored. I’ve been seeing ­people get this award for years, and I know that everyone who’s been given the award is well-deserving. There are ­people more deserving than me, but I’ll accept it because it’s been a long road. I’ve had a lot of fun — and it’s been an uphill battle sometimes — but it’s been mostly good. The industry’s been kind to me.

Q: What was it like to establish a liveaboard dive company in 1984? Did people think you were crazy?

A: It was scary. When we pulled in with Cayman Aggressor and we had a permit to operate — I’d already been on the island for five years — the articles in the newspaper read: “What is a ­Cayman ­Aggressor? Are they going to come in and destroy our reef with such a big boat?” We were scared. The articles that were written were ugly. So I got with the Cayman National Watersports Association and asked: “What can I do? I want my image to be someone who cares.” They said, “Help us put moorings in.” I personally put in over 100 moorings, and that’s how we started our image. Back in the days when I was doing this, the moorings were 55-gallon drums of concrete with a chain coming out, and all they did was roll around on the bottom and tear up coral. So I brought in the first mooring machine, and drilled and cemented the stainless-steel pins on the bottom and created over 100 moorings in the three islands. In the beginning, it was scary because people didn’t understand what a liveaboard of this magnitude was and what we were going to do. We proved that we would take care of the environment.

“It was scary because people didn’t understand what a liveaboard of this magnitude was. We proved that we would take care of the environment.”

Q: What do you see as your legacy in the dive industry?

A: Making the word “liveaboard” ­popular today. When I first got started in this business, the liveaboard industry was less than 2 percent; ­“liveaboard” was not synonymous with “luxury.” It was like you get on board and fend for yourself. People had to fill their own tanks, and no one was there to hand their camera to them or help them get in and out of the water. Aggressor’s motto is that we do everything for our customers short of diving for them. We do as much as they will allow us to do. And that’s our ­legacy. That’s what everyone’s tried to follow and one-up on Aggressor. So far no one’s been able to one-up us. We come up with new ideas and listen to our customers. I spend half my day reading customer comments about the boats. Years ago, someone said it would be nice to have bathrobes, nice to have a hot tub. Now we have in-room service. You don’t even have to get your coffee. We’re going to remain leaders in this industry.

The Beneath the Sea expo will be held March 23-25 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. Visit Beneath the Sea for more info.