Most Significant Living Divers

[H2Andy]

ok... what would your list of truly significant living divers look like? I mean, those
divers who have changed the sport in some way and are still alive.

here's my short list:

Bill Stone
Jarrod Jablonski
George Irvine

 

[GlennJ]

I guess you gotta do caves to make your list, H20. Frankly, none of those guys changed diving for me - though I do respect their accomplishments. Will be interesting to see what comes up...

 

[H2Andy]

well.. not really caves:

Stone: Awesome rebreather work

JJ and Irving: When was the last time anything as influential as DIR hit diving?

 

[Hank49]

ok... what would your list of truly significant living divers look like? I mean, those
divers who have changed the sport in some way and are still alive.

here's my short list:

Bill Stone
Jarrod Jablonski
George Irvine

Dr. John E (Jack) Randall. Started diving at the invention of scuba. Named over 350 species of fish and defined 17 new genera. Probably close to 14,000 dives all over the tropics and sub tropics. He is not DIR. Last time I dived with him (98) he had a Seaquest BCD bleached white from the sun, Mares Plana fins scratched white, one of the first computer models every made (and I don't think it worked during our dives) and he's had the bends at least five times, a two piece wetsuit with holes in the elbows and knees and no octo. He's 80 now and still diving. He can give you the scientific and common name (the different ones for the same fish in any area that you see it) of every fish in the tropical seas. A man who makes a living at what he loves.

 

[GlennJ]

well.. not really caves:

Stone: Awesome rebreather work

JJ and Irving: When was the last time anything as influential as DIR hit diving?

Stone - true on the rebreather, but his acclaim and focus of diving is in caves...
DIR, while discussed in minutiae on this board, has not impacted general diving in most areas, nor do I think it will.

Probably the biggest impact would be a combination of cinematographers and marketers - the one's that attract people to the sport and changed it from a clubby activity 20 yrs ago to a wide-ranging industry today.

 

[H2Andy]

hmmm... we have two definitions of diving here, it seems:

1. diving: the activity of diving, represented by personal skills, personal development,
exploration, and technological advances.

2. diving: the industry of diving, represented by large certifying agencies,
marketers, manufacturers, resorts, and the travel industry.

i was referring to number 1 above; you seem to be referring to number 2

(hehehe... hehehe... he said "number 2")

as to DIR's impact, it changed how i saw diving, even though i'm not DIR. it made
me a much better diver. nothing *insert favorite agency* did came even close
to the impact DIR had on my diving.

 

[Walter]

Andy, it sounds like you're looking for impact on you as a diver rather than impact on diving in general.

 

[GlennJ]

hmmm... we have two definitions of diving here, it seems:

1. diving: the activity of diving, represented by personal skills, personal development,
exploration, and technological advances.

2. diving: the industry of diving, represented by large certifying agencies,
marketers, manufacturers, resorts, and the travel industry.

i was referring to number 1 above; you seem to be referring to number 2

(hehehe... hehehe... he said "number 2")

as to DIR's impact, it changed how i saw diving, even though i'm not DIR. it made
me a much better diver. nothing *insert favorite agency* did came even close
to the impact DIR had on my diving.

I was kinda seeing #1 and #2 as being diving - ya know, in the holistic sense. Tank & reg design hasn't changed dramatically since I started (and I don't know who to credit for the first piston or diaphram designs, or if they are still living), and because that's about all I used when first getting started 20+ years ago (no horsecollar for me!), it's hard for me to single out an individual who's efforts had an impact in that way.

I guess I'd have to say Sylvia Earle - when I ramped up my diving in the SF Bay Area in late 70's early 80's, her exploits and company were the impetus for my continued activity in the sport. Couple that with the images of Al Giddings - also in the area at the time and you pretty much have the reason many people (not just me) were diving.

 

[H2Andy]

Andy, it sounds like you're looking for impact on you as a diver rather than impact on diving in general.

hmmm... i think you're right... but i was sort of hoping for both...

people who have affected MANY divers in how they dive

 

[Walter]

DIR has affected many individual divers, but the vast majority of divers have never heard the term.