Northwest Diving History Association

Dedicated to preserving the history of Scuba Diving in the Pacific Northwest

Since its beginning in 1950, scuba diving has a history with three generations of underwater enthusiasts. This history is rich with stories from technical advances in equipment and training as well as the pure adventures discovered and pursued by North Pacific scuba divers.

Our mission is to record and preserve the history of the people that contributed to the development of scuba diving in the North Pacific Region. We are working to establish a museum to display vintage diving equipment, photos, magazines, books and artifacts that define our diving history. We also offer educational programs and a traveling museum featuring the history and evolution of diving in our region.

Our diving history is in the hands of those who experienced it as well as those thoughtful divers who preserve it through the Northwest Diving History Association. We invite all diving pioneers to record their unique experiences with us, and ask for new diving generations to support and continue this worthy endeavor.

JOIN US!

Meet The History Makers and Read Their Stories

Read and listen to the stories of the diving pioneers of the Pacific Northwest. Learn about what diving was like in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the equipment they used, dive training, and the unique challenges divers faced in the early days of diving.

Read the stories of our Diving History Makers!

Upcoming Events and Activities

Northwest Diving History Association Spring Conference

PLEASE JOIN US April 21, 2024
Annual Meeting & Social

Location:
Columbia North Community Clubhouse
14204 N.E. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, Washington 98685

Sea Stories, Vintage Gear Auction, Visiting with new and old friends!

IMPORTANT! PLEASE RSVP:

Space is limited, Please contact Tom Hemphill (tomh2491@comcast.net) for information, questions and to RESERVE your spot.

Bill High publishes new book "Beneath The Sea, Diving and Other Life Adventures"

With a career spanning more than 65 years, Bill is probably the oldest living person that has spent as much time underwater as he has and found many adventures throughout his life both below and above the ocean.

These stories are individually written, so you may enjoy them in any order you wish. You are bound to be amused and enlightened with his story telling of how things were and how some things came to be. Share with Bill as he tells you of his time spent living underwater, his adventures with the sea life he encountered, what it was like to dive in a fish seine with all the fish bustling and jostling about. Learn what it was like to be alone in the Alaska wilderness with nothing much to do but count fish. These are stories of an exciting life well lived. Enjoy the adventure, then go out and find your own!

CLICK HERE TO
LEARN MORE AND ORDER

Our Latest Posts

200 Feet Deep Working Diving in Hood Canal –
Serious SCUBA Saves the Day!

200 Feet Deep Working Diving in Hood Canal – Serious SCUBA Saves the Day! Written by Tory van Dyke Ed Forsyth, the owner of COMMERCIAL DIVERS, INC, Portland, Oregon, successfully bid a diving contract for the U.S. Navy in 1978. The job was located just outside the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington, on the world-famous Hood Canal. The […]

The Valiant Bud Valian Story – Mt. Hood’s Ski & SCUBA Diving Living Legend

Article 1243 The Valiant Bud Valian Story — Mt. Hood’s Ski & SCUBA Diving Living Legend Early SCUBA Diving recollections of diving in the Pacific Northwest, Mexico & Belize Written by Tory van Dyke exclusively for the NORTHWEST DIVING HISTORY ASSOCIATION 8-22-22 I have been thinking about interviewing living Ski Legend Bud Valian of Government Camp, Oregon, for many years, […]

Deep, Dark, Dangerous Diving within a Magnificent Sub-aquatic Ice Water Mansion

I recently met my longtime friend again, the diving pioneer and living legend Spence Campbell, at Tom Hemphill’s NORTHWEST DIVING HISTORY ASSOCIATION meeting on April 12, 2022, at Tom’s well-furnished, neighborhood association Clubhouse. I hadn’t seen Spence for a few years and took the opportunity to sit down next to him at the meeting in order to acquire more knowledge, […]

Three Days Underwater Working Inside 150-feet of 54-inch diameter Pipeline

Underwater pipeline work is both physically and psychologically challenging and demanding. The SCUBA-equipped working diver, free from the constraints of lifeline, communication and air-hose umbilical attachments associated with surface-supplied hard hat diving, has the ability to make deep penetrations into underwater pipeline systems. However, the SCUBA diver is 100% self-contained, as he carries with him on his back-pack, his limited-time-duration […]

Now Available: History of Diving on the Oregon Coast

Arcadia Publishing has officially released the book “History of Diving on the Oregon Coast”, and it’s available now.

Video: Scuba Diving the Oregon Coast, 1969

The Oregon coastline is beautiful, rugged, and unspoiled. Even today, a relatively small number of scuba divers explore the near offshore rocks, reefs, and wrecks, but those who do are treated to some amazing diving.