Most Significant Living Divers

[Green_Manelishi]

I think that "influence" should to be limited to did the person change diving via a new equipment, techniques, etc. Simply setting a depth record does not "influence" others except to potentially encourage stupid attempts to beat the record.

BCs, SPGs, etc. were greatly influential.

Use of mixed gases (including EAN) for "recreational diving" was also a dramatic change.

Here's a specific name that I don't recall seeing any mention: Billy Deans.

And love him or not, GI3 certainly has influenced technical (and to a lesser degree non-tech) diving. An almost fanatical approach to team oriented diving that places heavy emphasis on skill, standardized equipment, physical fitness etc. Am I DIR .. not even close.

 

[Bob3]

ummm ... backplates & wings were around long before the cavers were using them, plates were being sold and used in Europe & then in the US during the '60s. SeaTec had wings late '60s, early '70s.
SPGs were likewise not a result of caving, they came into wider use because of the west coast bug divers banging their reserve levers down while crawling into holes.
Bill Main refined the Navy philosophy about "unsafe gear" & the kids that followed just took his system & added attitude & marketing to it.
NOAA pioneered nitrox.
Dick Long came up with the hot water suit, bless his hide.
Lets not forget Bob Barth, the only guy to participate in all the SEALAB projects

 

[Mako Mark]

Ursula Andress.


when she walked out of the water with that dive knife strapped to her leg and into james bonds arms, she inspired a whole generation of people that are now the movers and shakers of the dive industry.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Dick Long came up with the hot water suit, bless his hide.

I did not know that CA water was cold enough to require a heated suit

 

[Bob3]

I did not know that CA water was cold enough to require a heated suit

You know how much those commercial divers like to whine, he did it to keep 'em quiet.
Didn't work though, they just whined about something else.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Jackie Bisset didn't do too bad in The Deep either......

Ursula Andress.


when she walked out of the water with that dive knife strapped to her leg and into james bonds arms, she inspired a whole generation of people that are now the movers and shakers of the dive industry.

 

[jeffkruse2000]

Andrew Georgitsis

 

[solo_diver]

I guess the whole "Last Dive" [1] group of guys, Gary Gentile and the gang. They impacted me at least. Great modern day technical explorers. Gary is a great writer, very talented, his "The Technical Diving Handbook"[2] is actually very entertaining.

These divers are my personal heros although I cannot personally vouch for them it's been well documented in a few books. I don't mean to make this about books, i know there was a thread about this already, but typically if you are a great man (or woman for that matter) people write books about you.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...9/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-8292838-7819909

[2] http://www.ggentile.com/tdh.html

 

[To_Narced]

What about Gary Gentile? Where would tech diving be today without this pioneers accomplishments. Also what about the late Padi chief Cronin? We cant forget what Padi has done for diving in terms of marketing the sport to the world.

 

[solo_diver]

exactly.

we had the same thing in mind, one post up from yours...