About time for Sugar Dock but…

It’s truly about time for Sugar Dock to be fixed and glad to see it is finally happening. Sugar Dock is not just a place for boats to dock but it is also the most favorite swimming-hole of islanders. Not only do we need the dock to save on time and cost for travel to Tinian by boat but to preserve the tradition of locals using the dock to dive off while people watch from the beach.

Clearly, the expectations of locals will be to use the dock to dive off, which should be included in the plan to rehabilitate the dock. Just imagine if they really fix Sugar Dock by including diving platforms that can be secured when there is no lifeguard on duty. It may require the area for diving and around the dock to be dredged a little but the complement to the tourist industry and the local expectations to use the dock for diving will be enormous.

The way our youth like to dive off the dock could be the best opportunity to create our first Olympian in diving. Given that we are committed to the Chinese tourist market, it will be highly feasible and even likely that the Chinese will surely want to come to the islands to relax and practice their diving on official Olympic diving platforms and springboard during their off-season. But guess who in the CNMI will benefit the most form the visit of Olympic divers, yes, our youth who can learn from the best in the world. But we (the CNMI leaders) must learn to set the conditions for improvements that can yield extraordinary results.

A diving platform will surely make Sugar Dock the place to be for tourists, especially on weekends and during the summer months. There are already a lot of small pavilions along the beach at Sugar Dock that will provide great viewing locations. Sugar Dock can be more than just a dock; it can also double for a great practice location for divers in East Asia during their winter months and even a must-see activity for tourists and locals who just want to spend a day at the beach. Local diving competitions can also become a normal activity at Sugar Dock.

We must be futuristic when planning to make the most out of the rehabilitation of the Sugar Dock to make it a truly great place to be on the beach and those who want to dive, along with making it a great place for tourists and not just a place for the boats to dock. If we don’t think big, we will never grow big.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan