Comments on The Saipan SCUBA Diving Blog: Grotto Memorial for Ben Concepcion

I knew Ben in the mid-1970s when I was a teenager ...

2008-04-10T02:39:00.000+10:00

I knew Ben in the mid-1970s when I was a teenager living on Saipan with my family. He taught me and my brother to dive and we returned the favor by going with him to take Japanese tourists out into the lagoon, the grotto and other prime spots. Sorry to hear of his passing and agree that the memorial is appropriate, and that "The Grotto" should always be
"The Grotto."

Ben was my first instructor back in 1988. We'd go ...

2008-03-23T20:23:00.000+10:00

Ben was my first instructor back in 1988. We'd go on dives every weekend. As a young man who had never seen an ocean before, I can attest he was a great teacher and made me an enthusiastic diver for life. He was great at keeping the cost reasonable so us less-fortunates can experience diving. He even threw in free lessons on tying a Kah-Not(knot) and how to use a Kah-Nife(knife). Way to go Ben, see you in the hereafter.

Ben, one of the most congenial and helpful guys I ...

2008-03-10T14:53:00.000+10:00

Ben, one of the most congenial and helpful guys I ever met, would have thought renaming the Grotto after him was ridulous. Which it would be.

He would have been very proud to know just how many people, however, believe the memorial tribute to him at the Grotto is very much the right thing to do.

Ben was a great guy. Always nice. Always wanted t...

2008-03-07T16:07:00.000+10:00

Ben was a great guy. Always nice. Always wanted to "talk story".

Having said that, I do agree that renaming "the grotto" after him, might not be the wisest decision.

The memorial is great however. Ben did alot for diving and tourism out here.